My skin was crawling with revulsion as he spoke, and all I wanted to do was run screaming from this place – but I couldn't. I was trapped, trapped in this nightmare from which there would be no awakening.
“In fact, why don't we get started with a little teaser for now?” he hissed seductively. Only, it wasn’t seductive at all. It was sinister. “I want a kiss from you, Alicia. A nice, deep, passionate kiss, like you used to give me. How does that sound?”
“I'll bite your tongue off if it comes anywhere near me, you psychopath!” I barked.
“Now that's not the right attitude to have toward your lover,” he said as he started walking slowly toward me. “You're supposed to treat me with tenderness and kindness, you know. Otherwise… you may feel lacking.”
“Lacking how, you crazy monster?” I snapped.
He pulled out a long, razor-sharp hunting knife from a sheath hidden behind his back.
“Lacking in flesh,” he snarled. “Now if you don't give me a genuinely passionate kiss, you're going to find yourself missing things you won’t be able to get back. Do you understand?”
“Don't do this, Simon; please don't do this,” I begged.
“Kiss me now, or I promise you, I'll cut one of your fingers off right now. Do you think I'm bluffing?”
“Simon, please, don't... don't!”
“Kiss me...”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Everett
“What on earth are you talking about, Panetti?” I asked, dumbfounded.
Panetti simply pointed to the pictures pinned on my board of Simon and Angie.
“That's Mr. Mask, and that's the girl who cooks the stuff up in her apartment,” he said. “I assumed you guys knew that. Why else would you have pictures of them on your wall?”
Then the implications of what this meant hit me like an uppercut to the jaw. Angie—the woman who had taken Vivienne away last night—was Simon's accomplice.
My heart stopped for a moment and then started pounding with panic in my chest.
“Panetti,” I said, my voice hoarse with anxiety. “One question: do you know where either of those two live?”
“I don't know about Mr. Mask, but I've been to that woman's apartment before to pick up drugs.”
I jumped out of my chair and grabbed him by the wrist.
“Then you're gonna show me where it is, Panetti – right now!”
Chapter Thirty-Five
Vivienne
“Get the hell away from her!” roared a new voice – a familiar voice.
Everett!
Simon spun around with surprise, and I craned my neck to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. There, standing in the doorway of the room, were Everett and Jimmy. Jimmy had Angie gripped with her hands behind her back and a gun to her head. Everett had his own gun aimed at Simon.
“You!” Simon hissed. “You're the hero trying to ruin my business, and, as it seems, steal my lover away from me!”
“The game is up, Simon,” said Everett calmly. “And you've lost. Drop the knife, drop your gun, and get on the floor with your hands behind your head. This is an arrest.”
“You can have the drugs, superhero, but I won't be parted from her again,” Simon growled, his eyes wide and white with a madness I hadn’t seen the depths of before. “I won't! Nobody can keep us apart!”
“I'm warning you, Simon, drop your weapons and get on the ground! Do it now, do it right now! If you do not comply, I will be compelled to use deadly force! This is your final warning!”
“If I can't have her,” Simon hissed. “Nobody can. And if we can't be together in this life... I guess we'll both have to journey to the next world so that we can be together there!”
He lunged for me with his knife, aiming to stab me through my heart, but a single booming crack resounded through the room, and the blade stopped just inches away from my chest. Simon's eyes froze cold on me, and a trickle of blood ran down his forehead from the gunshot wound in his head. He collapsed onto the floor, dead.
Everett holstered his gun and ran over to me, and started undoing the ropes that bound me to the bed.
I tried to hold it in, to come across as brave and unaffected, but the moment he placed his hands on each side of my face and looked me in the eyes, tears immediately overcame me, and I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly. “You came for me,” I mumbled into his neck between sobs.
“Of course I did,” he said as he hugged my back. “You’re safe now.”
“B-but, what about Liza?” I asked as I pulled back and looked at him.
“I know you saw the text, but you couldn’t have seen all of it. If you had, you’d have seen that nothing happened. Liza was the specialist who came to take care of Jane. She also happens to be the woman I told you about who cheated on me in college. That text was her wanting another chance. I told her that could never happen for many reasons, but mostly because my heart belongs to someone else.”
Our eyes locked and I immediately knew how stupid I had been. “I'm so sorry, Everett,” I sobbed. “I'm so sorry.”
“It’s alright, beautiful; you have nothing to apologize for. Nothing at all,” he whispered, caressing my cheek as he wiped a tear away. “I love you. I don’t ever want you to doubt that. I will always come when you need me.”
He pulled me to him, and for the first time since my father had died, I truly felt loved and protected.
Epilogue
Vivienne
“It's hard to believe it's been more than two years since you moved in across the street from me,” I said to Everett, watching through the window as the newest family in the neighborhood directed a delivery team delivering a red couch into their home.
“I can’t believe you’re stalking the new neighbors,” he joked.
“Well, technically it’s still my house. Maybe I want to know what they’re taking into it,” I jabbed back at him teasingly.
“They’ve been living there for almost a year. You’ve been in the house several times since then. Nice try, Nosy Nancy,” he said with a laugh.
I smacked him in the arm. “I’m just glad they seem to be fitting in well here.”
“They are, aren't they?” he remarked. “Doesn’t hurt that they have a six-year-old for Jane to play with too.”
“Yeah, well, I’m also glad they get along so well. It's great for her to have a friend the same age in the neighborhood.”
“It really is,” he agreed. “Kids these days don't do enough of that. When I was growing up, there was a whole crew of neighborhood kids. We used to play football or baseball in the street every afternoon, or go climb trees, or all that other good outdoor stuff. It was great for me, too; gave me the chance to get away from the house. Wasn’t the happiest place on Earth.”
I turned and slipped my arms around his waist. “Well, despite everything you went through as a child, you didn’t turn out so bad,” I teased.
“You must not think I’m too bad. You did agree to marry me.”
“You have a good point. Then again, maybe I didn’t really have too many options,” I jabbed back.
He hugged me tightly. “It’s true. You settled. I don’t know what you were thinking.”
I smiled sweetly up at him. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking that you are very likely the best man I've ever met, to be honest.”
“See, now you’re just trying to butter me up, aren't you?” he laughed and gave me a kiss on my neck that sent a delightful shiver down my spine.
“You know, as much as I want to take you back to our room and have my way with you, isn't it about time for us to pick Jane up from Stacy's house?” I asked.
He glanced at his watch. “You're right; we did say we'd be there at five. Guess you’ll just have to make it up to me tonight. Come on then, let's go.”
I grabbed my purse, and we headed out of the house and locked up.
We drove for just five minutes to the house where Jane's friend from her first-grade class live
d and parked outside then walked up to the door and knocked.
A bubbly blonde woman opened the door and smiled. “Mr. and Mrs. James,” she said. “I'm Bianca, Stacy’s mom. I’m so glad to finally meet you! Stacy has been having such a good time with Jane.”
“Lovely to meet you, too! I’m Vivienne, and this is Everett,” I said introducing ourselves. We had met her husband a few weeks earlier, but Bianca always seemed to be away on business. “Jane always talks about how much she likes Stacy, so I guess those two have been getting along like peas in a pod.”
“Ah yes, they certainly have been getting along well,” she said.
“Is Jane ready to go?” Everett jumped in.
“She is, she is. Let me go get her. Would you two like to come in for a while?” Bianca asked.
“I'm afraid we can't, we have a few things that we need to get back to at home,” I replied.
“I understand. But, we would love to have you all over sometime and get to know you guys a little better. I can already see the girls are going to be great friends,” she announced.
“Absolutely,” I agreed. “We'll make a time when we can all get together.”
“Great. Well, I'll go get Jane now,” she said. “I'll be back in a minute.”
We waited on the porch while she went inside to fetch Jane.
“She seems really nice,” I said to Everett.
He smiled. “She does. We'll have to take her up on that offer to hang out sometime.”
Bianca returned with Stacy and Jane in tow.
“Say goodbye to your friend now,” Everett encouraged Jane with a smile.
Jane hugged Stacy like they’d been friends forever. “Bye, Stacy,” she said. “I enjoyed playing at your house with you. You should come to my house soon.”
“Can I, Mom?” Stacy looked up at her mother with a shy smile.
“I’m sure we can work that out,” Bianca assured her daughter.
“Good,” Stacy turned her attention back to Jane. “I like you! You're my best friend.”
“Aw, isn't that so cute,” I remarked, squeezing Everett's hand.
I reached down and took Jane's hand.
“Come on now, Jane; I’m afraid we have to go. You'll be able to see Stacy again tomorrow at school.” We waved goodbye to them and headed down the steps.
“Yay!” Jane said with a big grin. “I like playing with Stacy.”
We walked out to the SUV, and Everett chatted with Jane as we got into the car.
“So, you had a good time there, huh sweet pea?” he said.
“Yeah, Daddy! We played with her Barbie dolls, and she has another doll that's like a real baby! Its eyes open and close, it can even cry! You got to hold it really careful, or it'll cry, just like a real baby!”
“That's good, that's good,” he said as he drove. “And did you just play with dolls all afternoon, sweet pea?”
“No, we also colored. Stacy has some pretty coloring books.”
“That sounds like fun. You didn't play video games or anything like that?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Stacy's mom says she can't play on tablets or cellphones or play video games. But it's okay, I think; I liked playing with dolls and coloring.”
Everett shot me a sideways glance and a wry smile. “I think we should definitely encourage this budding friendship, huh?” he remarked. “Sounds like they're good people.”
I chuckled. “An electronics ban doesn’t make them good people,” I said. “But they do seem to be on the same wavelength as us when it comes to raising a child.”
We pulled into the driveway and we all piled out of the SUV.
Jane jumped out and immediately looked across the street and saw her friend playing on the porch of his family's house – my former house.
“Hey, there's Jason!” she exclaimed. “Can I go play with him for a while?”
“But, sweet pea, you've just spent the whole afternoon playing with Stacy,” Everett said.
“But I'm not tired yet!” Jane declared.
I took Everett's hand and squeezed it suggestively. “Let her go, honey, there's still an hour or two of daylight left... And I can think of something nice we could do in the house once we're all alone.”
Everett grinned, picking up the hint immediately. “Well … okay, sweet pea, you can go and play with James for a little while.”
“Yay!” she said and ran toward the street, stopped and looked both ways for any cars, and then sprinted across. She immediately sat down next to Jason, who was playing with toy cars and trucks on the porch. His mother looked across the lawn and saw us, offering us a friendly wave.
“I'll keep an eye on them, don't worry!” she shouted across the street.
“Thanks, Liv!” I shouted back.
“Alright, my handsome husband,” I purred to Everett. “Why don't you and I head inside and see what sort of things we can get into to pass the next hour or two?”
He sneakily squeezed my butt with one of his strong hands. “I can think of a few things that you might find especially...entertaining,” he remarked with a grin.
“Oh, of that I have no doubt!” I shot back as I pulled him to the couch for a make-out session.
“I love you so much, Viv,” he whispered into my ear as he pulled me into his lap. “So very, very much.”
“And I love you, my amazing husband,” I replied, kissing him slowly and deeply.
I’d been trying all day to find the perfect time to tell him the news, the news that I had only just found out that morning.
“Everett,” I said, taking his hand and placing it gently on my belly. “I've got a little surprise for you.”
“Oh yeah?” he said, clearly not getting the hint. “And what's that?”
“You know how Jane is always asking for a little brother or sister to add to our family?”
“I do,” his eyes widened, and he tilted his head slightly. “That would be amazing,” he said, his tone a little lower as if maybe he was catching on.
“Well, right under where your hand is now... he or she is growing.”
“You're serious?” he said, his voice full of surprise. “I'm about to become a dad – again?”
“You are,” I confirmed.
“That's the best news I've had all year! And I am the luckiest man alive!” he stated, kissing me then pulling back and resting his head against mine.
“How about I show you just how lucky you can be?” I said, and then led him to our bedroom to celebrate our news.
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THE JOB
By Claire Adams
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 Claire Adams
Chapter One
Quote, Unquote
Jessica
It started as a simple idea: expand the plus-sized section and add in a new display area for the front of the store. Simple, right?
Well, simple though it may be, this is turning out to be a lot more than I bargained for. I’m getting ready to meet with another contractor to discuss quotes, and so far, they’ve been sky high.
The store’s been doing great, but I don’t know how I’m supposed to expand anything if I can’t get these guys to rein in their estimates.
My next appointment, some guy from IRP Construction, comes through the doors, and I can already see that I’m not going to be his biggest fan.
I’m waiting at the front of the store when he comes in, but as I say, “Hello,” he just scoffs and walks right by me.
Heading to the counter, he interrupts one of my salesgirls, saying, “Hey, I’m here to bid on th
e expansion job. I’m supposed to meet with the head chick or whatever.”
So, hearing all this and being the head chick or whatever, I walk over to him and introduce myself, trying to mask my general repulsion at his presence.
“Hi, I’m Jessica Davis,” I say, and put out my hand to shake his.
He just looks down at it and then back up at me.
“I’m the store owner.”
“Oh!” he says with an only partially-toothed smile. “I thought you were the store greeter or something. Let’s talk about what I can do for you today.”
“All right,” I tell him, “if you’ll follow me…”
I lead him over to the section of the store that I want redone and start pointing things out to him.
“Over here, I’d like to get this section of the wall taken back a bit. From what I understand, it’s just dead space back there. I guess they used to use it for storage when this was a more general department—”
“Yeah, that’s a load-bearing wall,” the man says. “If I knock that out, you’re going to see daylight. Maybe that’s what you’re looking for, though.”
“I’m not talking about the wall behind,” I explain. “I’m talking about this area where it juts out. If we could just remove the small storage space and leave the external wall…”
“Well, that’s not going to be cheap,” the man says. “I’ll have to get my electrician in here to check the wiring, and if he finds it’s degraded, we’ll have to tear up the whole store to do it.”
“That really won’t be necessary,” I start, but he doesn’t let me finish.
“Bad wiring can cause a fire,” he says. “If you don’t get it taken care of, you’re playing games with your customers’ lives. Is that what you want?”
What I want is to punch the guy in the face right now, but I’m pretty sure he could take me in a fight.
“No,” I tell him. “What I’m trying to say is that the wiring in this whole complex was redone a few years ago when the property was bought by the Richmonds. I’d be absolutely mystified if there was any degraded wiring in there.”
Daddy Boss (A Boss Romance Love Story) Page 120
