“Just be with you, Brian.” She nodded. She couldn’t believe her marriage to Ben was finally over. She was free, free of that name, no longer Regina Vanderville. “That’s all I ever wanted.” She’d had a whole day of freedom, right from when the judge announced it this morning.
She’d done a few press interviews, not because she wanted to but mainly for Runway’s sake. She wanted to show the fashion world that she was still strong without the Vanderville name. Right now, she was just Regina. She didn’t want her maiden name, either, because that reminded her of the position her parents put her in, forcing her to marry Ben and create this horrible life for her.
For now, she was the Regina who the world had gotten used to, and it was also her goal to show that she could be strong after all that had happened with the scandals surrounding Ben.
She brushed the thought of him out of her mind along with the image of him from this morning. In the courtroom, it was evident from the way he was treated that he’d lost all respect. Today was his last day of freedom. He’d be in prison tomorrow.
But she didn’t want to think about that. She didn’t want to see him ever again.
She reached into her purse on the table and pulled out a little velvet pouch.
“What is that?” Brian smiled.
The thought of what was inside made the backs of her eyes sting. She pulled out a ring made of reeds from one of the trees in her parents’ garden. She’d had this since she was seven years old. Brian had given it to her. She kept it in this pouch all these years, waiting for the right moment to bring it out. He recognized it straight away.
“Regina.” His voice was as soft as a caress. His eyes filled with love.
“I waited a long time to wear this.”
“I can’t believe you still have that.” He inclined his head to the side.
“Always, Brian. I can’t believe we’re at this point, and I just want to get to the next phase of our lives with you.” She placed the ring on her finger and they laughed.
“I have a better one for you.” He raised his eyes to meet hers and the corners of his mouth lifted into a vibrant smile.
“What? You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope. It’s upstairs.”
“Brian, you bought me a ring?”
“I…” He pulled in a breath and the vibrant look regressed from his face. “I’ve had it for the last 37 years. Waiting.”
All she could do was look at him. She’d never be able to forgive herself for all that she put him through. “My God,” she whispered.
“I’ll give it to you soon. Not today. We should have our own day. Today can’t be the day you get divorced and engaged.” He chuckled.
“Okay, you know… I know I’m going to absolutely love being Regina Moretti.”
“Is that so, bellezza?”
She nodded vigorously and fell into his arms as he moved to her.
They had a few minutes just like that and then her phone rang. Every time her phone rang these days she got nervous. She’d been lucky today that none of her calls had been Aaron.
However, as she saw the no caller ID come up on the screen, she realized that her luck had run out. Unlike the woman she was days ago, who was terrified to answer her phone, Regina answered it.
“Hello.”
“Regina.” It was Aaron, just as she thought. She moved the phone from her ear and put it on speaker phone. Having it close to her ear made it feel like he was right here in the room with her.
“What do you want?”
“It’s show time for you,” he cooed.
“What does that mean?” Wasn’t it always show time? Since this whole crazy saga began?
“Well, it could mean anything right now. It’s time to end this game. I’m growing tired of it.”
She almost laughed at the comment, but didn’t. She restrained herself, not wanting to fan the flames and make him madder. “What do you want, Aaron?”
“Well my dear Regina, the question is what do you want? Your ex-husband’s head in a box first, or his hand? Or maybe I should just chop him up and send you a piece here and there, every now and again.”
Her hand flew to her mouth as she gasped.
“Do you have Ben?” Brian cried.
“Oh Brian, what do you think? Do you want to say hi?”
There was a muffled sound on the phone, like someone trying to talk with tape over their mouth or something. The sound got louder and she could hear it was definitely a person.
“So anyway, I wanted to take things up a notch. You know, jazz it up a little and add some sparkle. You know what I mean, Regina. You’re the fashionable one here. I want a billion dollars. You come to my lair and wire it from my humble abode. You do that and I may spare Ben’s life.”
“Bastard,” she hissed.
“How do we even know you have Ben?” Brian asked. It was a good question. The muffled sound could be anyone or anything.
“You don’t. I could remove the tape from his mouth and let him tell you himself, but I can’t be bothered.” Aaron laughed. “You just have to trust me, that is, of course, if you care enough to come. Regina, you just divorced the man, he’s someone else’s problem now. And Brian, this isn’t about you, but I guess it is since you’re with Regina.”
“This is crazy,” Regina balked, balling her fists.
“No, it’s not crazy at all. It’s simple. If you care if this man lives or dies, come, if you don’t, then I’ll chop him up and feed him to the fish. If you come, you never know who else you may get a chance to save.”
What did he mean by that? “I do this and you will leave my family alone,” she said.
“We’ll see, huh? I’ll send the address.” He hung up.
She looked at Brian and searched his eyes. She didn’t know what he was thinking.
Aaron had Ben. Why should she care? Why should she do anything? Ben made this mess himself, and quite rightly so, he was someone else’s problem now. Brian was next to her. This man had suffered so much at Ben’s expense. Why should either of them care what happens as a result of his own evil ways?
But that wasn’t her. She couldn’t allow a man to die when she knew she could save him. It didn’t matter who he was.
Would Brian understand that?
“I’ll go grab my keys. We’ll take my car.”
She threw her arms around him as he said that, loving him even more than she thought possible for his compassion.
Taylor
What was that smell?
It was sweet and sickly, like cotton candy being burnt. Her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was the stone wall above her. Stone, actual stone, like she was in a cave. The first thing that came to mind was her school trip in eighth grade to the mines. Black Mountain canyon in San Diego.
She hated it because Wade had made her watch a stupid horror film about these kids who ventured down into a cave and awakened some evil demon, who then possessed them and went on a killing spree.
This felt like that movie. Her young mind never allowed her to forget that film because she hated horror. It was outside of the romantic lover she was.
That aside, where was she now? This…place was…
Where was she?
She moved her head as she looked at the ceiling and tried to remember what had happened. It was like she’d been asleep for hours and had forgotten everything. Fragmented memories came into her mind.
She remembered being in the kitchen at the beach house with Chloe, feeling so excited that Chloe and Wade were getting married. Then what?
The burning in her eyes and the strong smell of something chemical, like too much chlorine in a swimming pool, she remembered green smoke filling the room and then this. She lowered her head and her eyes came in the direct line of Richard’s.
“Richard,” she gasped. She almost jumped back when she saw him.
“You’re awake,” he said.
She looked at him and wondered what he was doing here, wherever here
was. It didn’t matter, wherever they were, they were in danger. That green smoke knocked her out. They had get out of here. She could scream at him after and tell him to leave her alone when they were away from here, safe. And she needed to find Chloe. She must have been affected by the smoke, too.
“Richard, we need to get out of here,” she said in a hurried voice. Taylor tried to move but realized she was tied to a chair. She looked down at her chest and saw that she was wearing a vest. Attached to it was what looked like a firework, along with several other little explosives. “Richard, help me,” she cried.
A bomb! That was what was attached to her.
She looked at him, tears running down her cheeks, and couldn’t have been more appalled when he laughed. “Richard.” She winced.
“Oh, Taylor. Richard—you know I really hate that name. I don’t know why I chose it.” He smiled in a really manic way. “My name’s actually Aaron.”
She looked at him in disbelief. At first, she stupidly tried to recall where she’d heard that name, but then it came to her and she pulled in a sharp breath.
Richard was Aaron, the psycho. How could this be?
“No, it’s not true.” Her voice was so faint she barely recognized it. She didn’t even know she was talking. It seemed to just resonate from her. Maybe from her injured heart.
“Unfortunately, my dear Taylor, it is.” He smiled that smile again, making her skin crawl.
“How could you be him? We were together for two years. I loved you.” She did. That was the bottom line. He’d hurt her, but during that time they were together she loved him with all that she had in her. How could he be that person whose sole purpose was to destroy her family?
His face changed. The manic presence there faded and looked like the Richard she knew.
“And I loved you. That was the problem. How could I? You were my ticket into the family, my inside view. You gave me exactly what I needed to know to pull off my operation to end you all.”
It couldn’t be true. This couldn’t be. She refused to believe it. Refused to believe it all.
“Why, why would you use me like that? You must have known how I felt about you? What about your wife and children?”
“My wife knew my strategy all along. She was a willing participant who understood what needed to be done. She knew it was all an act until it became real. Until my feelings for you became real. When you saw me at the mall, that was just an accident, a careless accident that worked in my favor to end my relationship with you.”
“You came to the house to see me, you had a ring.” The tears were coming so fast she could barely see.
“I know you. I knew that after that, after finding out I had a wife and children, you’d never want to be with me. That was just to mess with you and sow the seeds to make you hate me. I knew you’d come to my apartment at some point and that homewrecker scandal was just another tactic you landed yourself in. Why? You’re the beautiful, revered Taylor Vanderville. You don’t come second to anyone, you love being in the limelight, you love yourself, and the most beautiful thing about you is you love others, too. You’re a conceited bitch with a heart. A damn angel. That is your biggest downfall, because when I hurt you, you couldn’t leave well enough alone. You needed to understand why I did what I did to someone like you, who loved me with everything you had.”
It made her sick. She could literally throw up. He knew her so well, knew her thoughts, knew the motives behind her actions, and used them against her.
“You are pure evil,” she cried.
“No, that’s Ben. Not me.”
“You tried to kill me. You ran me off the road.”
He shook his head. “No, that wasn’t me. I could never do that.”
“That was me,” said a voice from across the room. She turned her head in time to see Zeek coming into the room, which she could see, now, had all sorts of surgical instruments in it. “I ran you off the road. Shame you didn’t die.”
She looked back to Richard—Aaron—and tried to search his eyes.
“Meh.” He shrugged and then guffawed.
“Where’s Chloe?” Enough talk. She didn’t want to hear anymore. This was all so crazy.
“Oh God, I do beg your pardon,” Aaron said, smiling. He moved out of the way and she saw Chloe.
Taylor screamed. Chloe was asleep. Attached to her was a bomb vest just like Taylor’s, but next to her was the decomposed body of a headless man, sitting in a chair, with maggots coming out of his body.
As Zeek threw what looked like sugar all over his body, Taylor passed out again from the disgusting sight.
Chapter 13
Aaron/The Observer
“Time to go, my friend,” Aaron said to Zeek.
This was where they would part. Who knew what would happen after this.
Zeek sat next to Jackson’s headless corpse, finishing off his sandwich. Aaron didn’t know which was more gross, Zeek eating a shrimp cocktail sandwich next to a corpse with maggots coming out of it, or Jackson’s corpse itself. Both turned his stomach.
Taylor was right to faint. Jackson’s corpse was disgusting. He’d left it there for effect more than anything, but Zeek, as like with most gruesome things, hadn’t seemed to mind.
“You sure you don't want to run this side?” Zeek asked, munching away. There was a little bit left. The corner of the bread with a little bit of sauce. Aaron watched with disdain as Zeek tossed it where Jackson’s head used to be. It landed right in the middle of it and the maggots scattered. Zeek laughed, fascinated by the sight.
“No,” Aaron told him. They had a great plan put together for this amazing location. He's chosen this area for the old mining cave. Most of the passages were still intact, but where they were was restricted due to its instability. Restricted access meant that no one ever came down here unless invited.
Tonight was going to hold a wonder of drama, blood would be spilled, and maybe more heads would roll. “I need to be deal with Benjamin.”
He was going to the other side, on the other path. Both paths connected but there were separate entrances.
He took one last look at Taylor.
She'd been a weakness for him, possibly the one person who could have swayed him. But he had to do what was necessary. She had to die.
He planned to finish everything and everyone here, then get the hell out of town with his family. The billion dollars would take care of them for years to come.
As he was about to leave, Chloe woke up and started to look around. She didn’t see Jackson sitting next to her.
Her eyes landed on Aaron and then on Zeek.
“Richard.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “What are you doing?”
He wasn’t doing the whole introduction thing again, and definitely not with her. Of everyone, he couldn’t stand her. Hated her to no end.
She’d never been accepting of him when he was going out with Taylor, and he saw the pleasure it gave her when she threw him out of Taylor’s hospital room when he came to visit after her accident.
He’d have no sympathy for her tonight.
“Not Richard, the name’s Aaron.”
She looked as shocked as Taylor did, but without the hurt. That was understandable. There was no love lost between them.
Chloe shook her head at him as more tears spilled down her cheeks.
“I believe you already know Zeek.” Then he motioned at Jackson, ready to introduce him, but she started screaming and drowned out anything he was going to say.
Zeek started laughing and made his way over to Aaron. They closed the door behind them as they left the room, leaving their three victims to themselves.
He smiled to himself. This had well and truly turned into something spectacular. There had been hiccups along the way, but this was the result he was hoping for. He had everyone exactly where he wanted them to be.
They went out into another room that led to different paths. The place could be like a maze, but as like that, if you knew your whereabouts, you�
��d be able to maneuver your way around quite easily. Anyone just coming into the place would have no hope, but they’d been here for over a year, plotting and planning.
This was the old control room. Zeek had fixed it up so that they could use the space for surveillance. Up until last week, when Regina’s minions had scrambled the system, they’d been able to have eyes everywhere. They used this place, and his apartment in L.A., as a base.
Looking on the monitor now, he could see the guests had arrived.
He laughed at the whole scenario. The directions both he and Zeek gave were different and led to opposite sides of the cave. Wade was on the path that would supposedly lead to Chloe and Taylor, and Regina…
She’d arrived with Brian. She was on a path that led to nowhere.
Aaron didn't have Ben.
That was a ruse. The muffled sound Regina heard on the phone was Zeek. Aaron had given the same message to Ben and Regina, letting them know each other were in danger.
Regina was here, but surprise, surprise, no Ben. Neither knew about Taylor and Chloe.
Regina was about to find out. Ben, on the other hand, would find out that everyone he loved got blown to smithereens. He’d blame himself for not coming and the guilt would drive him mad. That would be Aaron’s final act. He’d find Ben and shoot him in his head. This would all be over then. Aaron would go home to his wife and children and leave this place with all its evil.
“Let’s do this, man.” Zeek beamed as he looked at Wade entering the cave from his entrance.
Aaron shook his head. He couldn’t believe that idiot came alone. His ego would be his downfall.
Aaron put his hand out to shake Zeek’s. “Pleasure doing business with you, man. I couldn’t have pulled this off without you.” He’d looked into all the family enemies and found several willing participants. Zeek and Merissa were the people who had the most impact.
Zeek shook his hand and took a bow.
“It’s been real. Now, let’s put these people in their places. Show ‘em what we’re made of.”
Into The Rabbit Hole (Vandervilles Book 3) Page 16
