Lethal Love: Deceit can be Deadly

by Perri Forrest

  “I appreciate that so much, Nova. I respect you so much. So, I wouldn’t ever want you to think negatively about me.”

  “And I never will. You’re grown, beautiful, and did I say… grown? You can do what you want to do, when you want to do it, and with whom you want to do it.” I laughed. “He’s been vetted.”

  “Yeah,” she said, laughing. “He said, ‘Your friend was not playing with the Q&A!”

  “Absolutely. I have a picture of him, and his license plate too. Girl, I’m that friend. But he’s a nice guy.”

  “Oh, and his friend told him, to tell me, that he wants to take you out.”

  “No, I’m good. He was about four inches too short, and about forty pounds overweight. No, ma’am.”

  “Oh my God! You are hilarious!” she exclaimed. “I guess I kinda did get the good one.”

  “And he’s really cute too.”

  “He really is, right? And oh my god, Nova, he’s a sweetheart. We stayed behind a little bit longer. He even walked me to my car, and opened the door. Leaned in and kissed me on the cheek when I was strapped in.”

  “Talk about chivalry,” I commented.

  “Right?! So, I’m about to hop in the shower and get on the phone with him.”

  “That is so cute,” I told her. “I can already see where this is going. Y’all will probably be saying the ‘L’ word by the end of that conversation.”

  “Uhh… yeah, no. That, I highly doubt. But I am looking forward to chatting up a guy. Haven’t done that since high school.”

  “Well, just know when I come in on Monday, I’m trying to hear all about it. Hold no details back, either.”

  “I’m spilling all the tea,” she gushed. “And Nova?”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  “Thanks for hanging out. It was a good time. I really appreciate it. I know you’ve been through a lot and have no reason to trust another woman—ever. But I thank you for… you know.”

  “I do, sweetie. And thank you. It was fun. And I’m glad you met somebody with potential.”

  “Thanks! Clearly, I’ll be up for a while, so please text me when you make it inside so I can know you’re safe.”

  “I’ll do that, Kali.”

  ~*~*~

  The time read 11:32PM on the console when my call with Kali ended. About ten minutes later, I sent off a fib text telling her that I had made it home, and for her to have a good time on the phone with her new friend.

  By the time Kali replied, I was comfortably situated in a parking space waiting to see what I could see. Waiting to see what my next steps would be. Thanks to Brock, I had the information I needed to prepare my ammunition. I hated that I had to resurrect a part of my life that I liked to keep at bay. Sometimes it was a necessary evil, I guess. Because what I wasn’t ever going to tolerate was anybody trying to play me dumb, or intentionally stain the life I had worked so hard to establish for myself. I had come too far for that.

  I guess I should have been surprised by the details that Brock gave me. But I wasn’t. You just never know who people are, or how small the world is. So, I wasn’t surprised at all. Just angry and anxious.

  At 12:15AM, my phone rang again for the second time. Dammit! I had told Leo that I’d call him at midnight. Sure enough, it was him calling. I wanted to talk to him, and was about to answer the phone when movement came from the area I was staking out. Sorry, Sweet Leo. It’s gonna be a minute. A light in the front of the apartment was turned on, and then there was nothing. But by 12:22AM when a second call from Leo came in, the front door to none other than Kyle Pendleton’s place of residence, opened.

  Just a little bit longer, Leo. I promise I’m calling you as soon as I’m done…

  My head moved slowly side to side as I watched the scene before me. Then to my surprise, a familiar frame came into view. One with a head full of tight, blond curls, and a law degree.

  “Wow…” I sighed, a little astonished. “If it isn’t Miss Goody Two Shoes.”

  She came prancing out the front door. Clearly, at this hour of the morning, she was doing the walk of no-shame. What would that tall glass of chocolate think about your slut-ass behavior, Raquel? I wonder. No wonder you’re so okay with defending a whore… you can relate.

  I had come to make sure that I knew where Kyle lived, in order to plan my next move. But seeing her, was totally unexpected.

  I picked up my cell from the passenger seat, accessed the record feature, then zoomed in to film.

  Kyle and Raquel. What a pair.

  Y’all fucked with the right one.

  52 | Leo

  At a little after one in the morning, I still had all the windows open. The air outside was too nice to close out. One of the many things that I loved about my place was that I had windows facing every direction. That was a must-have when I purchased the property. I was prepared to build on my own lot, but when Nigel found this place, it was perfect in pretty much every way.

  From my bedroom window, I saw the M Resort in the distance as well as the strip of freeway leading out of Las Vegas, and to the California border. There was a whole lot of other shit to see there as well, but the M Resort served as something special since it housed Jayde Fusion, the place that I had first met Nova.

  “I think we can kind of say that it was our first date,” she said as I held onto her from behind.

  “No, we can’t claim that. It has to be Skyfall.”

  She chuckled. “I guess you’re right.”

  Something had shifted with me and Nova. It was in a good way. It seemed that every time I was around her, or talked to her on the phone, that she was more comfortable. Where she once cut statements in half after having thought on them too long, she now finished the entire thought. Where she would wait for me to call her, she now initiated more texts and more phone calls. She had even confessed to missing me on a few occasions.

  “You know I sat outside for about fifteen minutes before I called you,” she told me after brief silence. “When I missed midnight, and then missed your call, I was sure I had already missed my opportunity to get some of your time tonight. And then when I decided to drive over instead of calling, I was like, ‘What if this man has company? What if he’s—'”

  So, you need to know that I’ll never deny you access to me. And as far as company, I’m glad you didn’t let those thoughts marinade for too long inside that pretty mind of yours. As you can see, I was here and available.”

  She turned to face me. “I’m glad I didn’t let the thoughts marinade too. If I had, I wouldn’t be here wrapped up with you… like this.”

  “Did you have fun out with your co-worker? Meet any interesting people?”

  She tilted her head and smiled. “Is that your way of asking if I interacted with anybody?”

  “Maybe.”

  “There was none of that. But Kali did meet her somebody nice. We got some free drinks out the deal. But I was pretty much just there to relax, and to see to it that she did the same. She’s been single for a while and she’s a sweetheart.”

  I nodded. “Well good for her meeting somebody. Hope it works out.”

  “I do too. Enough about that, though.” Smiling, she said, “I got a small confession.”

  “What’s that?”

  “So…” She lowered her eyes from mine, bashfully. “I’m drawn to you, Leo. Really, really drawn to you.”

  “Now, see that’s crazy.”

  “Huh?” she asked, looking back up at me. “Why is it—?”

  “Because I’m really, really drawn to you.”

  “Oh, okay. You scared me for a second there.”

  “Can I make my own confession now?”

  “Please do,” she urged.

  “I was already there. I’ve just been holding back to give you the space you need.”

  “You don’t have to, though. Give me space, I mean. I like you in my space. At this point, I kind of need it. Like it gives me the breath of fresh air that I needed to refresh.”

  “Wow
. That, I can get with. I can breathe as much life into you as you need me to. And honored that it’s me you want for the job.”

  I stroked the side of her face, taking in all the beautiful details of it. The wide, brown eyes with the lashes and brows that were perfectly complementary of each other. The soft, plump feel of her lips and how they were perfect for kissing. But outside of what could be seen on the surface, there were so many beautiful layers to her.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, almost like she knew what I was thinking.

  “Just wondering how many chapters it is. If I can read it in one sitting or if it’ll take a few.”

  She threw her head back and laughed out loud. “Chapters? What chapters?”

  “Come back over to the bed with me so I can tell you.”

  She pulled back slightly and smirked. “Uh-oh…” And when we were comfortable on the tussled sheets, she stared at me curiously. “I’m waiting…” she sang.

  “Talking about the chapters that sit behind your eyes. Is it fantasy? Thriller? Psychological suspense?”

  “Ohhh… the attractive man is trying to psychoanalyze me with some fiction genres. Well, I know what to get you when it comes time for gift-giving. What’s your preferred genre so that I know to get the right stuff?”

  I turned over on my back, focused on the ceiling. “I’m into James Rollins, Vince Flynn… uhh… Harlan Coben.” Then returning my focus to her, I added, “Oh, and I like that one book. Don’t know the name of the authors. I think there were two of them.”

  “I don’t know any books that have two authors,” she said squinting, trying to search her brain. “What’s the genre?”

  “Not sure. But there’s for sure two authors. I think it was called, A Beauty Named Nova.”

  “Now, that was clever!” she exclaimed with a light tap to my chin. “I kinda like how you referred to the life donors as authors. Those people never finished writing the novel—that would be my grandmother. She wrote this book all by herself.”

  “Oh… okay. I know you spoke on it briefly before…”

  “I never knew who the ‘XY’ was. From what I was told when I was a teenager and trying to find him, he could be anybody. And the ‘XX’… well, I’ve only ever seen her twice in all thirty-six years of my life.”

  Damn.

  “Oh shit. Didn’t know it was to that extent.”

  “Because I don’t talk about them. Don’t know them to talk about.” She rolled onto her back, and this time it was her turn to stare up at the ceiling. “Yeah. It’s a heavy burden to carry sometimes. I haven’t said it out loud. Never really had a need to. Who wants to tell the world that they were just dropped off in the world with no training wheels, and left to figure life out the best way they could?”

  I massaged her thigh, to show her that I wasn’t just there, but that I was present.

  “You okay?” I asked. “I hope I didn’t make you feel—”

  “You’re good, Leo.” She sighed, then turned to me. “I don’t think about it.” Shrugging, she added, “I’m glad you know. I feel safe telling you that. I think most men in my past felt that me not having my parents, left a void—that could only be filled by them. That I’d be weak-minded for not having had that guidance, and desperate for love, for acceptance, and for validation. Because the two people who were supposed to love me first… didn’t. But I’m really okay. My mind is right. I don’t have daddy issues. I don’t have abandonment issues. I’m good. Maybe not quite whole, but I don’t have a hole in place of a heart. You know?”

  I pulled her to me and held her tight. “What I know, is that you’re amazing. I admire you more than you know. I promise that you have a forever friend in me. And whenever you need me to hold you as tight as I’m holding you right now, just say the word. I got your back…”

  “I really do believe that, Leo. With everything in me.”

  I kissed the top of her head; and for a short while I listened as her breathing softened, and up until she fell into a deep sleep. Not long after, I followed suit.

  53 | Drew Levine

  “Who the fuck are you?” Drew snapped. He had just walked into a visiting room and came face-to-face with a person he had never seen or met before.

  Refusing to proceed further into the room until he got a response, Drew stood firm at the door’s threshold. The guard standing behind him nudged against his arm, signaling him to fully enter the shared space. Drew threw the burly guard a look in agitation, causing the man to stare him down, daring him to react. “Move, so I can close the door,” the man ordered.

  “But I don’t even know this person,” he objected.

  “I’m not sayin’ it again, Levine,” the guard pressed. “Move.”

  Drew knew not to press his luck, so he did as he was told and stepped inside. But he still refused to sit down. That much, he had control over.

  “Have a seat, Drew,” his visitor requested.

  “For what? The fact that I don’t know you, tells me that we can’t possibly have business. And how the hell did you even get in here to visit me?”

  “I know people, who know people. Let’s just put it that way.”

  “Okay, so what is it that you want?”

  “Have a seat and we can get into that. The longer you take, the longer it takes; because I’m not leaving until I say what I have to say.”

  Drew’s brows furrowed, and his teeth clenched. One thing he couldn’t take was another man telling him what to do. “I’m good,” Drew declared, preparing to grab the door’s handle.

  “Sit down, Drew.”

  A frustrated Drew shook his head, then walked back to the seat. He hovered for a seconds before snatching out a chair and sitting down. He made sure to pull his seat out far enough to cross his leg. When he’d achieved comfort, he told his visitor, “Be quick.”

  Leo laughed out loud. “Man, you and me both know that you have nowhere to be.”

  “Ha. That remains to be seen. What the hell do you want?”

  “Give Nova the divorce she asked you for. She wants out; let her out.”

  Drew’s interest was piqued. First came a sly smile, then the uncrossing of his leg. The stranger’s words were enough for him to readjust. He scooted his chair up to the table, to get closer to the idiot who thought he could order him around.

  “Wow. So, she’s taken a new lover already. Interesting. Maybe you can get her to try some new things.” His laugh was goading, cocky. “Things that don’t involve missionary.”

  “You seem like a real winner,” Leo spat.

  “I kinda am. And who are you, exactly? If I’m going to entertain this conversation, the least you could do is give me your name.”

  “Leo Kastellanos. But that’s neither here nor there. Sign the papers. You’ve had enough time. And now time’s up.”

  “Time’s up when I say it’s up. And until she decides to confess to her sins and tell the truth, she stays in holy matrimony. So, if that’s why you came, you can leave now… Leo.”

  “That’s not very smart of you, Drew.”

  Drew shrugged, and choked out a chuckle. “Is what it is. When she admits that she set me up, she can have whatever the fuck she wants.”

  “So, you’re gonna ride this whole thing out, huh?” Leo folded his arms across his chest, slowly shaking his head.

  “You can shake your head all you want, but I’m being falsely convicted of—”

  “Of what? Cheating? Murder? So how does that make Nova guilty? She made you cheat? She made you kill? Get the fuck out of here, man. Own your shit and move the fuck on.”

  “I didn’t kill anybody,” Drew insisted.

  “Yeah, okay.” Leo pushed back on his seat, then stood. “Keep going with that. Just make sure you sign—”

  “You might wanna be careful,” Drew interjected. “I don’t know how she did it, but she set me up.”

  “You sound crazy. Don’t know if you were already there, or if this place set you on track, but it’s
all the more reason you need to get your signature on that paperwork.”

  Drew looked up at Leo, and smugly stated, “That’s not happening. She gives me what I want… she gets what she wants. She wants out. She lets me out.” He shrugged. “Those are my demands.”

  “Demands?” Leo smiled wide, and nodded his head. “Okay,” was all he said.

  Drew stood from his chair and walked to the door, then turned around and said, “I’ll say this… my beautiful wife definitely has a type.”

  “I disagree, one-hundred percent. You’ll see sooner than later. We’re nothing alike,” Leo stated at the conclusion of the visit.

  54 | Leo

  Drew Levine was a bitch. It got to me, that I couldn’t reach out and touch him like I wanted to. His smugness made me want to lean across that table and bash his face until he was unrecognizable. I almost wanted to hire a high-powered attorney to get him off just so that I could annihilate him the moment he hit freedom. I despised his ass. I wondered if he had figured out yet that the mere fact, I’d gotten in to see him—without being on any visiting list—meant something. Meant that he would always be accessible if the need arose.

  He’s the type of man that preys on women. The type who makes them think they’re about to be in a relationship that they can believe in. Meanwhile, he’s already going into the situation knowing that he never had intentions on being the man she needed.

  It was men like him that damaged women to the point of never trusting again. And a lot of them prided themselves on the trauma they left behind. That was Drew. That disrespectful shit he said about Nova, had me wanting to kill him on the spot.

  Fuckin’ loser.

  I took out my phone to check the few text messages that came through while I was in the visiting room. After noting who all I needed to respond to, I took out the fob and started my car. I couldn’t get away from that place quick enough. Dumbass. He’d just threw his entire life away—literally.

  There was one more stop to make before I headed to the Canton estate. After that, I was looking forward to relaxing, eating good food, and being in the presence of my good friend and his wife.