Black Heart

by Jenny Lynn

  "So you're not upset?" I said cautiously. He shook his head.

  "Not in the least."

  "Do you think I'll still be able to accompany you?"

  Doctor Shaffer kept his eyes on the road. "I'm afraid not Breanne. I was expecting Randy to behave differently around you but I don't like that he took an interest in researching you. Don't get me wrong, you're perfectly safe. With my amended report, I doubt he'll ever be leaving that facility. You've helped to prove deceptive behavior on his part, he's not truly reformed — he's playing the part. But we've accomplished what we set out to do. I don't see any point in baiting him further. You can expect a letter of recommendation from me."

  I beamed, excited and filled with pride at his words. I felt invigorated from the experience and more determined than ever to continue down my chosen career path.

  Doctor Shaffer dropped me off at home and I set down my bag, retrieving my laptop and getting to work. If I worked steadily over the next few hours I'd be able to finish my research paper, leaving me the rest of the week to proofread it before submitting. I felt confident it was well structured and complete.

  As evening fell, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and looked up to see Nicholas walking towards me. I typed out my last sentence and closed the screen.

  "You look busy," he remarked as he stopped beside me and bent down to kiss me, running a finger against my cheek.

  "I just finished my paper, I'm really happy with it," I told him.

  "So I take it today went well?"

  "It went as well as I could have hoped. Doctor Shaffer is writing me a recommendation."

  "That's fantastic, you really must have impressed him. How about I take you out to celebrate?"

  I looked down at my outfit, I wasn't exactly dressed for a night out. "Can I change first?" I asked.

  "Of course," Nicholas told me. I headed for the bedroom and he followed at a slow pace. He leaned casually in the doorframe as I stepped in the closet. I pulled out a navy lace dress then started to unbutton my shirt when I noticed Nicholas watching me.

  “What is it?” I asked.

  He shrugged, a playful smile on his lips. “I enjoy looking at you.”

  I started to slip out of my pants, self-conscious under his gaze, then stood there a moment in my underwear with the dress in my hands.

  "Why are you looking at me like that?" I playfully asked.

  "It's these everyday moments," he explained. "When I wake up next to you, or place a blanket on you if you've fallen asleep on the couch, or even watch as you get dressed. They’re the moments that make me grateful I met you. I can't wait to marry you, Breanne."

  I walked over, moved by what he said, and lifted myself on my toes to kiss him. Nicholas held me against him, trailing his hand along the exposed skin of my back and moved his mouth possessively over mine. Breaking contact, he looked down into my eyes.

  "You better slip that dress on, or we’re not leaving this room," he warned.

  "And that's supposed to convince me to get dressed?" I teased. He fixed me with a smoldering stare that made my heart race. Smiling, I slowly pulled the dress on and turned away, holding it against me.

  "Can you do up the zipper?" I asked, glancing at him over my shoulder.

  Nicholas stepped closer to me and started to pull it up, slowly, bending down to kiss my shoulder when he got to the top. I stepped into a pair of ankle strap heels then turned to face him.

  "I'm ready," I said.

  In the taxi, Nicholas instructed the driver to go to Bar 75; I smiled. It was one of the most exclusive bars in Chicago on the 75th floor of a tower, providing a breathtaking view. The taxi dropped us off and I placed my hand on Nicholas' arm as we headed inside to the elevator. The floors counted up quickly as we ascended, until finally opening in a tastefully decorated space where a hostess was standing behind a desk.

  “Nicholas Blackstone,” he told her as we approached. “I called to book a section on the balcony.”

  “Right this way Mister Blackstone,” she said with a nod and a bright smile. She led us through the lounge, out a set of sliding glass doors and onto the balcony. In a corner there was a set of couches and a low table, we took seats beside each other with a view of the skyline. Nicholas ordered a bottle of champagne and we toasted to me finishing my paper. It felt wonderful to be out, celebrating with the man I loved. My future could not have felt brighter than it did in that moment.

  13

  After Nicholas dropped me off on campus I headed straight for Starbucks and ordered the biggest, strongest coffee they had. I was exhausted after a late night out, but it was more than worth it. My phone rang as I picked up my order, walking outside as I pressed the phone to my ear.

  “Hello?” I asked.

  “Good morning, Breanne, it’s Stephanie Ball. Is now a good time?”

  “I’m just on my way to class, but I have a few minutes,” I said as I walked.

  “Perfect, I won’t take long. I wanted to ask if you and Nicholas had decided on the cake. I’d like to put the order in today if possible.”

  “We have, actually,” I told her then I took a quick sip of my coffee. “Nicholas loves chocolate, and I love vanilla. So we thought it would be nice to do alternating layers of each, with buttercream frosting. I like the classic design you showed us with the piping that looked like flowers.”

  “That sounds like the best way to merge what you both enjoy, what a nice idea. I’ll get that order placed right away.”

  “One more thing,” I remembered. “The cake topper.”

  “I have a few designers I’ve used, we can create something to any specification,” she assured me.

  “Well, actually, I’d like to use my parents’ wedding cake topper. It’s an antique, and it would be my something old.”

  “That’s a lovely personalized touch,” she agreed. “Send me a photo and I’ll let the bakers know.”

  “Thanks Stephanie, you’re making everything so easy.”

  “It’s what I do dear,” she told me. “We’ll talk soon. Have a nice day.”

  “Bye,” I said, then I hung up. Around the corner I bumped into a man, dressed in a hooded sweatshirt. I gasped as my coffee tilted over, splashing against my shirt. The liquid was hot against my skin. The man continued past me without so much as a word of an apology. I headed into class, a total mess, and found a seat. One of my classmates looked me over with arched eyebrows.

  “What happened to you?” she mouthed.

  “Bad luck,” I sighed, then opened my notebook.

  The afternoon drifted by and I did my best to focus, eagerly participating in class discussions. There was a heated debate about nature versus nurture in my afternoon lecture that got everyone riled up. I texted Tabitha asking if she wanted to grab a bite to eat after her final class, she got back to me and suggested pizza. I was packing up my things when my phone rang. It was Nicholas.

  “Hi there,” I smiled.

  “Breanne. My car is waiting for you at the entrance of your campus. Go directly there and get in.”

  “I’m just about to meet Tabitha for a bite to eat.”

  “Listen to me. I need you to get into the car, now, and come home.” There was a hint of restrained panic in his voice that stopped me in my tracks.

  “Nicholas, is everything okay? What’s going on?”

  “I’ll explain when you’re home. Now go, please.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you at home,” I told him as I switched courses towards the entrance. “Let me just let Tabitha know.”

  “Stay on the phone with me until you reach the car, you can text Tabitha when you’re inside.”

  “Nicholas, you’re scaring me,” I told him.

  “Breanne, I’m sorry. You’ll be okay, I just need you home. Are you almost there?”

  “I see the car,” I told him as the black Bentley came into view idling by the curb.”

  “Good, good. Get into the car, don’t stop for anything or anyone.”

&
nbsp; As I approached, I gripped the door handle and noticed my hand was trembling slightly. I pulled it open and slid inside. The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror then pulled away, out into traffic and headed for my home.

  “I’m in the car, we’re driving,” I told Nicholas. “Now can you tell me what this is about?”

  “I’ll explain when you’re home. Don’t worry, Breanne. I’ll see you soon.”

  As soon as we hung up I texted Tabitha to let her know the situation. She was concerned and confused, I promised her I would let her know more as soon as I found out what was going on.

  When I arrived home, I walked swiftly through the lobby and into the elevator. I was anxious the entire ride up, when the doors opened I rushed inside towards Nicholas standing there talking to two men. He turned and looked me over, raising an eyebrow at the coffee stain.

  “What happened?” he asked, gesturing to the mess on my shirt.

  “I spilled some coffee,” I told him. “What’s going on? Who are they?” Now that I was closer I noticed they were police officers.

  “You should have a seat,” Nicholas told me as he guided me over to the couch. If I was worried before, I was now moving into panic mode from the way they were all looking at me. I lowered myself onto the couch. They all continued to stare.

  “Someone, please, tell me what’s going on.”

  Nicholas held my hand and I searched his face. “I just want to assure you, Breanne, that the police are involved. There’s no reason to think you’re in any immediate danger, but we’re going to take every precaution.”

  “Precaution against what?”

  “Miss Taylor,” one of the officers said. “I understand you recently met with a man named Randy Wilkes. He was a patient at the Elgin Mental Health Centre.”

  “Yes, that’s right. I accompanied Doctor Shaffer and —” I paused. “Wait, what do you mean, was?”

  “Randy Wilkes is missing,” the officer explained. “We have reason to believe he escaped the facility and is now in hiding.”

  The room started to spin and I felt dizzy. How could he escape? That facility and its security was in place to prevent that exact situation from happening with the people who were housed there.

  “We don’t expect that he will come to Chicago, if he was smart he would flee the state. But from what we were told there was an intense meeting between you two. We’re being overly cautious.”

  “Could you tell us about your interactions with him?” the other officer asked.

  “I accompanied Doctor Shaffer, I’m a psychology student with an interest in forensics. He offered me the opportunity to meet Randy Wilkes. I, well, I match the profile of his victims. Doctor Shaffer thought that might get a reaction, and it did.”

  “There was an outburst during your second meeting,” he said.

  I nodded. “Through my research I came across something that might get a rise out of him. I tried it, and it did. We left shortly after.”

  “What was that exactly?” the officer asked me, taking out a notebook.

  “I drew an S on my wrist. Doctor Shaffer could probably give you a better profile about Randy than I can.”

  “Doctor Shaffer is closely involved with the investigation. We just want to get as much information as possible and make sure you’re aware of the situation. We can have a patrol car check in on you, but you seem pretty secure in a place like this,” the man said, looking around the penthouse.

  “I’m going to arrange for her protection, don’t worry,” Nicholas said.

  I glanced down at my hands, the room was spinning. Randy Wilkes had escaped, he was out there somewhere. I wondered where he might be, what he was doing, what he could possibly be thinking. He wouldn’t risk capture by coming after me, a woman he only met twice. Would he?

  One of the officers handed a card to me. “If you think of anything else, or if you get concerned, I want you to call us.”

  “I will,” I assured him.

  “I’ll show you out, officers,” Nicholas said as he led the men back towards the entrance. I stared at the small card in my hand. This was the last thing I expected to happen, to find myself in this type of position. I was supposed to be focused on my upcoming wedding, not on some loose madman and whether or not he would come after me. I shuddered even though the room was warm. Nicholas came back and sat beside me. I leaned into his body, resting my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and wrapped an arm around me, holding me close. Everything would be okay. I was no one to Randy, he had no reason to target me. If he was smart he would be making his way far, far away.

  14

  I lay in bed beside Nicholas while he worked away on his laptop; I couldn’t help tossing and turning. I stared at the ceiling, unable to calm my nerves. He turned his head and looked down at me. Reaching over, he ran his hand through my hair.

  “You can’t sleep, can you?” he asked. I shook my head. “Maybe I should work in my office,” he offered, closing his laptop. I reached forward and grabbed his hand.

  “No, please. I want you near me. I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Is there anything I can do?” he offered. I looked up, his concerned expression setting the hard line of his jaw into a rigid angle. He was worried about me, it was written all over his face. I slipped out of bed and took him by the hand. He followed me.

  “Where are we going?” he asked.

  “I need you to tire me out,” I said, my voice breathy. I needed this, I needed him. I led him through our bedroom into the bathroom, where I reached into the large tiled shower and turned on the water. It started to spray and before either of us could undress I pulled him in after me. He pinned me against the wall as the moisture started to soak through our clothes, the fabric clinging to our skin. His mouth closed over mine and I sighed as his tall lean body pressed against me. The tiles were smooth behind my back as Nicholas slid his hands over my hips, moving upwards until he was holding my head against his, parting my lips with his tongue and claiming my mouth eagerly. It was obvious the stress of the situation had affected him too. He needed this just as much as I did.

  I tugged his soaked shirt between my fingers, lifting it off his torso and breaking the kiss so I could lift it over his head. I let it fall in a soggy pile on the floor. He bent down, lifting the hem of my slip and sliding down my underwear that were now see-through from the water. When they were removed he hooked my leg around his shoulder then placed his mouth over my sensitive skin. I gasped then moaned low in my throat, tossing my head back as he worked his lips over me, parting me with his tongue until he found the spot that made me writhe against him.

  With a finger, he speared into me, curving and rubbing inside me while he continued to lick me in long, fluttery strokes. He awoke every tightly-coiled nerve within me. I closed my eyes, wet in every possible sense of the word, feeling my release close. I pressed my palms flat against the wall while I squirmed against his talented tongue, teetering on the edge. He could tell how close I was, he always could, and he flicked his tongue with an intimate knowledge of what drove me wild. I cried out, shaking as I came. My body trembled and I almost fell, but in one fluid motion Nicholas stood, picking me up in his arms.

  He nudged his boxers down his hips, lifting my slip and wrapping my legs around him. I felt his erection, hard against my thigh, and he pinned me against the wall as he altered his position. He placed the thick head of his shaft against my opening, still trembling and sensitive, and he slipped in. I moaned as he delved deeper, stretching me, as he moved his hips taking his length in and out of my body. He held my head in his hand and I searched his eyes. We didn’t need to speak, we could communicate everything we needed to with just a look. In his eyes I saw desire, lust and love. He kissed my neck, the water rolling down my hair and over my exposed skin, making us both slick.

  Over and over again he entered me, filling me and making me cling to him. I was insatiable, wrapping my legs around him and moving against him, wanting more. Wanting everyt
hing. He stepped back and tilted me to hit a new angle. The man knew my body, knew exactly how to take control and drive me wild. I gasped as he hit a sensitive place deep inside me, moaning as I felt a building in my core again. I bit my lip and he wound his hand in my hair holding tightly. Each thrust of his hips brought me closer until I was gasping, my body quickening.

  I found my release a second time, my legs shaking, and he crashed his mouth against mine. I clung to him, supported in his strong arms while he increased his speed and rammed into me over then over again. Nicholas pressed his face in the crook of my neck, increasing the speed he was entering me, chasing his orgasm. His fingers dug into my skin as he thrust deep to his base, groaning low in his throat as he lost control, holding me close against him. We stayed together, him holding my body close to his, I could feel his heart pounding against his chest as the water rained down on us. He smoothed the hair from my cheek and kissed me, I looked into his eyes and knew everything was going to be okay. I was going to be okay.

  Nicholas carried me out into the bathroom and we stripped out of what remained of our soaked clothes. He wrapped me in a thick towel, then grabbed one for himself as we dried off. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed, looking at me with a tender sweetness to his gaze. Nicholas took me by the hand and led me to bed. I curled in his arms and pressed my face against his chest. In minutes his breathing deepened, his chest rising and falling as he fell asleep. Only when I was sure I wouldn’t disturb him did I creep out of the bed, slipping on a t-shirt and heading to the living room. I was restless, and I knew I wouldn’t fall asleep.

  I flicked on the TV, turning the volume down low, and half watched a late night talk show. I glanced at the clock, it was eleven. If I couldn’t manage to get some rest I would be exhausted in the morning. My phone chimed and I checked the display, it was a text from Tabitha.