The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents)

by Stacy-Deanne

  She set out her favorite lotion, got the scrub brush and submerged herself in the suds.

  She squeezed soapy heaven over her skin. Suds ran down her back and breasts. She thought of Steven. She slid the rag to her middle. She imagined those sexy blue eyes as she washed her tender center.

  This man literally took her breath away. That was a switch seeing how she usually had that effect on men. She washed off her shoulder. At first he’d been a simple conquest to her. She became attracted the first time they met but she didn’t seriously consider going after him until the day of the funeral. The sparks had flown on those stairs and her body would not let her ignore it.

  She laid her head back and caressed her craving pussy.

  Did he really think about her the same way? Hell she wasn’t expecting marriage. She’d just wanted to fuck him. But after that first time, she couldn’t walk away. She’d never had a man who gave so much pleasure in such a short time. Not only was he gorgeous but he made love to her body as if he’d created it. He had the right moves, knew what made her weak and she always came before him. Now how many men could say that about their women?

  But was she completely out of her mind? Could this romp fest with the cop become something more? Did she really want it to? She had baggage to say the least. It became harder not to crack under the pressure.

  She washed her red-painted toes. This wasn’t the right time to fall in love.

  “Fuck.” Surely she wasn’t falling in love with Steven. But if not, why did it make her angry when she saw him and Brianna together? Where did that jealousy come from?

  “Focus, Zoë.” She splashed water.

  But what if she did love him and he felt the same way? Would he ever be able to love her? Like she craved a man to?

  She laid back.

  “Well.” Billy walked in. “Looks like I came just in time.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  “Ahh!” Zoë hid behind the shower curtain. “Oh my god. Billy! What the hell?”

  “Well.” He pulled the bottom of his T-shirt out his pants. “Isn’t this poetic justice? How you doing, baby doll?”

  “Get out of here!” She threw the scrub brush. “Get out of here right now!”

  “Oh no, honey. I told you we got unfinished business. Now I’m gonna have to show you.”

  “I don’t believe this! You’ve got to be the dumbest man I’ve ever met!”

  “No you thought I was dumb but I’m not, Lisa. I bet you’re wondering how I found you huh?” He picked up the lotion bottle. “You’re no longer running this. I told you that the last time. I’m making the rules now.”

  “You’re a fool, Billy. You’re gonna get yourself caught for being stupid and it’ll have nothing to do with me.”

  “I didn’t like how you disrespected me when I showed up at your place. I figured with all I’d done for you, you’d be a little nicer.”

  “Pass me my robe.”

  “Why should I when my plan’s for you to take it off again?” He raised his hands. “But I’ll be a gentleman.” He passed it to her and turned around. “Don’t let that water out. We might start in the tub.”

  “You’re insane.” She put on her robe.

  “I wasn’t insane when you wanted me to do your dirty work was I?”

  “Just leave. I can’t believe this is even happening.”

  “Because you’re not in control and you hate that.”

  “Look I told you we have nothing to talk about.”

  “Well that’s fine because I didn’t come here to talk.”

  “Well if you think anything else is gonna happen you can kiss my ass!” She marched to the guest bedroom. “Get out!”

  “Oh come on, cutie pie.” He ran in behind her. “You can’t dance to the music and not pay the piper.”

  She turned on her bedroom light. “Look you did the job and I paid you. That’s the end of it now get out!” She pushed him.

  “Whoa.” He held up a gun. “I don’t think so.”

  “Oh? And I’m supposed to be scared of your sorry ass because you got a gun? You forget who you’re talking to?”

  “You think you’re so tough don’t you, bitch? But I’ve been waiting to teach you this lesson. Now take off that robe and get on the bed. Right now.”

  “Billy.” Her robe slipped off one shoulder. “You don’t wanna hurt me.”

  “Oh that’s how you’re playing the game now? What happened to all that big talk back in NYC? You think you can get men to do whatever the hell you want and not give anything?”

  “I paid you.”

  “Fuck money!” He jiggled the gun. “You knew what I wanted from the beginning. I wanted you. It was never about the money. I love you, Lisa.”

  “Oh god this is pathetic.”

  “I do. I did what I did to get close to you don’t you know that? Everyone told me you was using me and hell maybe I knew it but I wanted you so much I didn’t care.”

  She faked a yawn. “Got a violin?”

  “I’m not fucking with you, Lisa. Take that robe off and get in the bed.”

  “You’re…”

  “Do it!” He placed the tip of the gun on the side of her head. “I’m sick of going around in circles for your ungrateful ass. Now get that robe off, get it off!”

  She got on the bed. “You stay the fuck away from me.”

  “Why is that robe still on huh?”

  “Fuck you. If you’re gonna rape me then do it but I damn sure won’t help you.”

  “I’ll tell the police everything.”

  “Oh?” She laughed. “Oh yeah that should be good. Yeah, you killed Jim Klein, Billy. Now tell me, Old Wise One, how you gonna put that on me? Besides I’ll deny I ever knew you.”

  “People saw us together in Chicago. You forgot that?”

  She wiggled her feet. “And they’re all losers like you.”

  “I wasn’t a loser when you begged me to kill Klein for you.”

  “I never begged. I asked.” She leaned back on her elbows. “I offered you money to do a job. I didn’t know you were attracted to me.”

  “Bullshit.” Sweat ran down his nose. “You knew how much I wanted you. Then you think you can just walk around like you own every fuckin’ thing? Klein paid for what he did. When will you?”

  “If I go down, you can bet your ass you will too.”

  “Not worried. I’ve been to prison before. You couldn’t survive a day.”

  “Oh honey you have no idea what I can survive.”

  “I might end up in prison for what I did, who knows? But you can believe I’m gonna get something for it. Now take that robe off and I’m not saying it again.”

  She spit at him. “Fuck you, limp dick.”

  “Shut up!” He climbed on top of her.

  “Ooh, get off!” She snatched his hair.

  “Aww!” He held her arms down. “It’s happening so just enjoy it.”

  “Fuck you!” She kicked him off the bed.

  “Ahhh!” He dropped the gun.

  Zoë snatched it up and stood over him. “Get up.”

  “Wait.” Billy clutched his middle.

  “Oh what, didn’t go as planned huh? Didn’t I tell you before that you can’t fuck with me, Billy?”

  He stood with his hands raised. “I’ll go okay? I won’t bother you anymore. Just let me leave.”

  “So you can go to the cops?”

  “I won’t. I promise. I’m sorry okay? I wasn’t gonna hurt you. I was just mad.”

  “Yet you still think I’m a fool huh? You men are so fuckin’ stupid. You always thinking about pussy so much that you don’t realize you’re getting yourselves in trouble.”

  “What?” He panted.

  “You actually helped me out by coming here, Billy.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about what I’m gonna tell the police. See, I was taking my bath when you broke into the house and tried to rape me.”

  “Wait a
minute.”

  “And it turns out you’re the same guy that’s been stalking me.”

  “I wasn’t stalking you!”

  “You showed up at my place and Detective Kemp saw you. And now you showed up here and tried to attack me with a gun.”

  “Lisa.”

  “It’s Zoë by the way.”

  “Whoever you are, listen! You can’t do this, Lisa. Look at what I did for you! Look at that!”

  “Oh I am very grateful. But see you made the mistake when you thought you could bully me. Baby no one bullies me especially not a piece of trash like you.”

  “If you think you gonna claim self-defense they won’t buy it. They’ll dig until they find a connection.”

  “Maybe so but until then at least I can rest knowing you can’t tell them anything.” She raised the gun.

  “Please, Lisa. Please.”

  “Maybe next time when I tell someone not to fuck with me they’ll listen.”

  “No!” He covered his face.

  BANG!

  Billy fell to the floor.

  Brianna watched the scene in Jasmine’s hallway not knowing what she believed less, Zoë’s story or how Jayce and Steven ate it up. Guess you had to be of the female persuasion to pick up on it.

  Jayce wrote down everything Zoë said without question despite many inconsistences. Steven’s lack of sense had been worse.

  A gas bubble lodged in Brianna’s chest. Was her jealousy taking over? Or was Zoë telling the truth about Billy Curtis? No way. Something about this just didn’t make sense.

  Brianna’s stomach flip flopped but had it been the greasy chicken fried steak sandwich or Steven’s pathetic pampering of Zoë? She popped in a chewable antacid pill. She wanted to rip Zoë’s weave out with tweezers.

  “You all right, Bree?” Jayce looked up from jotting.

  “I’m fine just a little indigestion pain.”

  “I told you that sandwich was too greasy.” Steven glanced at her then went back to consoling Zoë.

  Brianna almost popped him in the back of the head. He didn’t get up to hold her hand.

  “I just can’t believe this is happening.” Zoë gripped Steven’s hands. “Will I get in trouble?”

  “No it was self-defense.” Steven stroked her hair. “It’s okay now. Shh.”

  Oh please.

  “Oh Steven I was so scared.”

  Please somebody get a clue.

  Forensic officers roamed through every part of the house. Jayce had instructed Billy’s body be taken out the back way for Zoë’s protection.

  Please.

  “Oh.” Zoë buried her face in Steven’s chest. “I can’t stop shaking.”

  “You sure you don’t need to go to the hospital or anything?”

  Zoë nodded at Jayce. “I’ll be okay. I called Jasmine and Dylan before you guys got here. Traffic’s probably holding them up.”

  “We’ll stay here with you until they come.”

  “Thank you so much, Steven.”

  That sandwich went to town on Brianna’s stomach now.

  “You know you don’t have to stay here tonight if you don’t want to.”

  “She said she’s fine, Steven.”

  “You got a problem, Bree? You act like you got an attitude.”

  “I’m not the one here with a problem.”

  “And what does that mean?”

  So he can manage to tear his eyes off Zoë and look at someone else.

  “It means just what I said, Steven.”

  He scoffed and went back to babying Zoë.

  “Okay I’m gonna go over this again.” Jayce turned to his notes. “You said you went to take a bath and Billy came into the bathroom while you were in the tub?”

  “Yes.” Zoë clenched the front of her robe.

  “You told him to leave, he wouldn’t. Then he dragged you into your bedroom and tried to force himself on you.”

  Zoë nodded with her hand over her mouth.

  “He took out a gun, got on top of you and you kicked him off. Then he came toward you and you shot him.”

  “I didn’t mean to kill him. I was just so scared. I just wanted him to leave.”

  “Shh.” Steven kissed her hand.

  What the hell was that?

  “Just the look in his eyes you know?” Zoë sniffled. “I knew in my heart he was gonna kill me. He was crazy. I always had a feeling about him.”

  Brianna moved a curl out of her eye. “He was a drinking buddy when you’d visit out of town right?”

  “He wasn’t a drinking buddy.” Zoë dabbed her eyes. “He was an acquaintance. I thought he was fun to hang out with at first but he became obsessive. I kept telling him I didn’t wanna be more than friends and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

  “Was that before or after you kept having drinks with him?”

  She glared at Brianna. “What do you mean?”

  “Well did you continue to have drinks with Billy after you knew he wanted more than friendship?”

  “Bree.”

  “What, Steven? It’s a fair question and one you should’ve asked when we first got here.”

  “I might’ve seen him a few times after I told him I wasn’t interested because I thought we could still be friends.”

  “Zoë.” Brianna looked at her own fingernails. “Most women who aren’t interested in a man who has made it clear he’s interested in them will not continue to hang out with him.”

  “It wasn’t hanging out. Okay so I made a mistake. Is tonight my fault?”

  “No.” Steven hugged her. “Bree she’s been through enough don’t you think?”

  “But how could he know you were in Albany when you don’t live here? How would he know about Jasmine’s place and that you’d be here alone?”

  “I’m sure you know I was followed one night, Detective Morris. Billy was probably the person who followed me. He’s probably been doing it all this time.”

  “I guess so if someone had been following you.”

  “Someone was following me. I didn’t make it up.”

  “I didn’t say you did, did I?”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Zoë smoothed her hair down. “I should’ve been more careful after Billy popped up at my place. Thank god Steven was there when he showed up.”

  Jayce glanced at Brianna.

  Steven turned so red he could’ve shit ketchup.

  “Excuse me?” Brianna poked her neck out. “Steven was at your place?”

  “Yeah he came to NYC last Sunday to see me.”

  “Oh really?”

  “Bree it’s nothing. You got a big mouth, Zoë.”

  She smirked.

  “Well if it was nothing Steven, why didn’t you mention it?”

  Zoë swept her hair over her shoulder. “Why does he have to mention it? It’s no one’s business is it?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You act like you own Steven. What he does and with who is none of your business.”

  “Ooh.” Jayce moved back.

  “It might not be my business but Steven’s my partner and my friend and I wanna make sure he doesn’t get hurt.”

  “You mean like you hurt him?”

  “Uh-oh.” Jayce moved out of Brianna’s path.

  “Excuse me sweetie but you don’t know what you’re talking about so maybe you should keep your nose out of it.”

  “Jesus.” Steven pulled the bridge of his nose.

  “Oh I know what happened. I know he loved you and you broke his heart because you were too selfish to commit. I know more than that too thanks to Steven.”

  “Oh?” Brianna jumped in front of her. “So what else do you think you know?”

  “Cool it.” Steven pulled Brianna back. “Zoë’s been through something terrible and I can’t believe you’re acting like this, Bree. You really wanna fight about me like a fool?”

  “Enjoy it, Steve.” Jayce popped in a stick of gum. “This opportunity doesn’t come for a guy everyday.”<
br />
  “I’m serious, Jayce. Look this isn’t the time for a catfight, ladies.”

  “No one’s fighting!” Brianna flung Steven out of the way. “I just don’t like what I see here.”

  “And what do you see?” Zoë swiveled her hips.

  “I see manipulation and lies. I don’t believe a word that came out of your mouth tonight, Zoë.”

  “So, you ain’t nobody.”

  “Oh I got your nobody!” Brianna reached for Zoë’s hair.

  “Get away from me!” Zoë jumped back. “This bitch is crazy.”

  “Hey!” Jayce shielded Zoë. “Bree what the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Excuse us, everyone.” Steven grabbed Brianna. “We gotta talk about something.” He dragged her down the hall.

  “Let go of me, Steve!”

  “Shut up.” He shoved her into Jasmine’s kitchen. “What the hell is your problem, Bree?”

  “So you were at her place huh?”

  “So it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Bullshit.” She stomped around the table. “You two can’t keep your hands off of each other. I’m not a fool.”

  “So that’s what this is about? You’re jealous?”

  “No I just don’t want anyone playing you for a fool and that’s exactly what Zoë is trying to do. Drinking buddy? Please. She’s lying about the whole thing.”

  “Oh this is pathetic.”

  “You and Jayce can sit there like saps while she bats her eyes and wiggles her ass all you want.” She pointed to the door. “She knew Billy more than she lets on. If you could take your eyes off her tits long enough, you’d see that!”

  “You are way outta line!”

  “Am I?” She stopped by the refrigerator.

  “He was stalking her, Bree.”

  “Bull.”

  “He was the one who followed her that night when she came back from NYC.”

  “And how do we know that? How do we know someone was even following her?”

  “Why would she make it up?”

  “I don’t know but I think she did.”

  “Everything she says makes sense to me.”