Sweet Revenge: A Nanny to Mommy Romantic Suspense

by Ford, Mia

  Had she taken the boys somewhere and forgotten to mention it to me?

  I sent a message and then grabbed a beer from the fridge. A second later I heard a buzz, like a phone receiving a message. I checked my phone but nothing. I hadn’t received anything, but I’d distinctly heard it. Did Jane leave her phone here when she left?

  I walked into the living room to see if there was another phone around.

  Instead I found Jane sitting on the couch by herself. She looked amazing. She was wearing a killer looking dress, red lipstick, her hair was done up nicely, and she had an almost angry look in her eyes. It was turning me on something fierce.

  “Well, hello,” I said.

  She didn’t move a muscle, not so much as an eye twitch. If she was playing poker, she had the best poker face I’d seen. And the sexiest.

  “What’s going on? Where are the kids?” I asked.

  “Sit down,” Jane said. “I have something to… discuss with you.”

  She chose her words carefully, giving each one a lot of thought. I was instantly alarmed and very curious as to what was happening. As I sat down to play along I began to get the sinking feeling that I was not going to like what Jane had to tell me.

  “Ok,” I said. “I’m seated. Now, what the hell is going on?”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Leia

  “So, you want to know what is going on, Ted?” I asked.

  I laughed a little bit as I reviewed the plan in my mind. It was like some stored movie image in my head. I saw him here, I saw myself telling him everything, and then I saw him crumbling before me. It was all planned out step by step and it was going to be glorious. I’d waited so long for it…so long. As I thought about how much time had passed since this bastard tried to end my life and take my world away, I couldn’t help gritting my teeth. I wanted to rip his flesh off his bones.

  “Yeah…” Ted said. He was getting annoyed now. Good.

  “You don’t’ recognize me at all? I guess, they did a better job than I thought.”

  Ted looked me over for a second. “What are you talking about? What kind of game is this?”

  “It’s only a game if you have a chance of winning. I assure you that you have no such chance.”

  Ted took a sip of his beer. “Look, if this is about me hitting on you, I understand—"

  “This has to do with you destroying my life!” I yelled.

  “What are you talking about, Jane?”

  “Jane? Oh, yeah. I’m still not quite used to that. You see people who really know me, who are really close to me—they call me… Leia.”

  At the mention of my name Ted’s eyes froze wide in his skull. He did not move a muscle. The look was perfect, priceless. I would never forget it if I lived a thousand lives. It would be permanently locked in my head.

  Ted took a deep breath and sat back a bit on the couch.

  He was now smiling. “Ok, you’ve had your fun. But this isn’t funny anymore. I think I’d like you to leave. I’m not sure you should work here anymore.”

  “I don’t work here anymore,” I said. “In case you hadn’t figured it out—I quit.”

  “Fine. Get lost then. What the hell are you still doing here? Are you some kind of a psycho? If you think I’m giving you any kind of a good reference now, then you are sorely mistaken lady.”

  “You still don’t get it. My name is Leia Daniels, A.K.A Leia Ridgeway. I’m still technically your wife.”

  “I told you already to get the hell out of my house, or I’ll call the cops.”

  Ted pulled his phone out of his pocket.

  “You dragged me up the stairs by the hair of my head. You yanked me down the hallway. My heels were bruised on the floor. You threw me in the nursery, took my boys out of the room, and then you returned with your trusty can of lighter fluid. You lit the whole room on fire.”

  Ted’s eyes were wide. His jaw dropped open.

  “Before you stepped out of the room,” I continued. “You turned to me and said ‘sweet dreams’. Then you walked out locking the door behind you and leaving me to burn to death.”

  “Holy shit…” Ted said. He knew it now. He believed.

  “Yeah. It almost worked. I burned over most of my body. Somehow I broke the window and leapt to the ground below me. And then I stumbled out to the road where I was found.”

  Ted stood up and started pacing. He looked at me.

  “What the hell do you want? Why did you stay hidden for three years? Why are you here?”

  I laughed. “Why am I here? Really? You have to ask me that? Are you that stupid?”

  “Do you think that anyone is going to believe you?” Ted asked.

  “Believe me about what? When I tell the whole world what you did to me? Yeah… I kind of think they will.”

  “You’re crazy. You are certifiable,” Ted said.

  “No that would be you. For the past three years, one question has plagued me, Ted. Why did you do it? Why did you set me on fire and try to kill me? Why? I was a good woman, a good wife. I loved you. I did everything I could to help you succeed. But still it wasn’t enough. Why did you try to kill me?”

  Ted paused a moment. “Because you were in the way. You were in the way of me and what I wanted to do with my life. You lorded the money over me like I was some kind of stinking gigolo. You made me feel like a loser and the world saw it. And that day you pushed me too far. So, I figured what the hell.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I told you then and I’m telling you now Ted; you are pathetic.”

  “No, you are pathetic. You waited three years for what? The best plastic surgery on the planet that only your kind of money could buy?”

  “Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe I waited this long to get revenge on you.”

  Ted laughed. “Revenge on me? What revenge? Like I said, no one is going to believe this.”

  “I guess we'll just have to see,” I said. “I just felt I would come here and face you in person because I wanted so badly to see the look on your face. You have no idea how excruciating it has been to be so close to you and want so badly to expose it all. And I have to tell you—it is amazing.”

  Ted smiled. “Well, I’m happy for you. That’s just great. But you forgot one big flaw in your plan.”

  “What’s that?”

  “All I have to do is kill you again,” Ted said.

  Suddenly, Ted grabbed the beer bottle and broke it on the edge of the coffee table. He held up the large jagged edge and leapt towards me with it.

  I ducked out of the way just in the nick of time and pulled the gun from behind my back. When Ted righted himself and started to stand back up from falling half over the couch, he was now face to face with a .38 snub nose.

  Another priceless look of fear, real fear in Ted’s eyes.

  “Ted, I think you’ve once again underestimated me. Drop the bottle and go over there. Sit down like a good boy before I blow a hole through you.”

  “You don’t have the guts,” Ted said. “You are no killer.”

  “True, Leia Daniels is no killer,” I said. “But Leia Daniels is presumed dead, right?”

  I saw the look of fear in Ted’s eyes grow. I was enjoying it. I’ve never considered myself a bad person and I’ve never really wanted to do any harm to anyone, but standing there pointing that gun at Ted I felt that I was doing something good. This man had taken everything from me and who knew what type of damage he would do to other people in the future?

  “Leia…” Ted said. “You need to put the gun down. We can talk about this.”

  “Sure, you were ready to talk two seconds ago when you threatened to kill me and came at me, right?”

  Ted scowled angrily. It made him so mad that his negotiation skills were lacking.

  “Leia, what do you want from me?”

  “I want you to at least admit to me that you planned my murder right from the start. That you lied to me from the very beginning and you married me only for my money. And then you dec
ided to get rid of me so you could have it all to yourself. You at least owe me that. You owe me an explanation.”

  Ted smiled. “Is that what this is about? Some sort of closure? You want me to admit what I did? Why would I want to give you that satisfaction?”

  I paused a moment. I needed to get to him without tipping him off. Ted was crafty and naturally paranoid. No wonder he was suspicious. He knew there were people out there in the world like him who were just waiting on the right opportunity to prey on someone they thought was weak. Well, I was not weak, especially now. I’d been through too much and I was still standing.

  “Because it gives you freedom to gloat,” I said. “I’m sure that’s been the most infuriating thing about all this over the past few years. You did this heinous thing and you never got to tell anyone about it. Isn’t that frustrating?”

  Ted smiled. “I know you aren’t going to kill me Leia. You don’t have it in you.”

  “Then why aren’t you trying to take the gun away?”

  Ted glared at me. “Fine. You want me to admit it? Ok. I was down on my luck and you were an easy target. I set up the meeting between us. I wanted your money from day one.”

  “You were willing to risk your own life to meet me that way?”

  Ted laughed. “Well, it didn’t go quite as I had planned, but it got the job done. And then you turned out to be even more sympathetic than I ever could have imagined. I never dreamed you would be so easy to manipulate and that you would fall head over heels for me in a matter of weeks.”

  I grimaced. Hearing him remind me about how I’d fallen under his spell—all of which was actually true—left me feeling very ashamed. And he knew it would. He still had some power and control over me and he was not at all shy about reminding me. He reveled in it.

  “Congratulations on your victory,” I said mockingly. “Did you decide to kill me right away or was it after I got pregnant? That must have really thrown a wrench in your plans.”

  Ted shrugged. “It did. I did not anticipate that happening, but I hadn’t actually thought seriously about killing you until a while after that. That sort of thing is very messy and it’s inconvenient.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to be an inconvenience,” I teased.

  “It was fine. I got so angry at you in that moment. I just decided it was time. You pushed me a bit far. If you’d left me alone then it might have never happened.”

  “So, you set the fire,” I said. “That was a brutal way to go.”

  “And it should have worked,” Ted said. “I guess I underestimated you.”

  “Well, you tried the fire because it was familiar. After all, it worked on your parents.”

  Ted looked stunned. I’d definitely surprised him with that one. He looked to the side and then back at me.

  “What did you say?” Ted asked. His voice sounded small, almost afraid. I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard him like that before.

  “I know you killed your parents,” I said. “Yeah, I’ve been doing some research. The lighter fluid—that was your calling card.”

  Ted laughed. “I have no idea what you are talking about. My parents died in a tragic accident. I wasn’t even there.”

  “If that helps you sleep at night,” I said. “But I was able to uncover a few eye witnesses who can place you there.”

  “You can’t prove anything,” Ted said. “Hell, you can’t prove anything about any of this. It’s your word against mine.”

  I laughed. “Did it ever occur to you that I could be wearing a wire? Do you know nothing of criminal investigation techniques?”

  Ted laughed. “Well, I guess you never knew me as well as you thought you did. I’m always wary of someone trying to get the drop on me. There is an RF signal detector in every room of the house. Nice try.”

  I smiled. “Oh, yeah… about those… I’m afraid I threw them all out when I was dusting.”

  Ted’s eyes were wide and filled with rage. I knew he was going to lunge at me again.

  I was ready for whatever he had coming.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ted

  I was somewhat sure she was bluffing. But what if she wasn’t? Leia didn’t even blink when I mentioned the signal detectors. I’d had them installed when the house was remodeled. I’ve never really been the type of person to trust anybody, especially after I became a bit paranoid that people might have suspected me in the fire and in my wife’s disappearance.

  But she knew me so well. Was it possible that I underestimated her? If so, then I might have made the biggest error of my life. I’d basically admitted the whole thing to her. The only thing I could say was that I was under duress and that a gun was being pointed at me. I had to say what I could to save my life from this crazy woman, right?

  “Leia,” I said. “You need to calm down. We can talk about this. You are right to want me dead, but don’t do it. Please… think of our boys. They need a father.”

  Leia scoffed. “They need a real father; not you. You’re nothing but a monster.”

  I had to keep her talking. I knew she was enjoying this and for the time being I had to put my ego aside. If she was wearing a wire all she had to do was say that I charged at her and she was forced to shoot me in self-defense. I imagined she’d disabled all of my security cameras.

  But I had to sell the idea that she was going off script and was really going to kill me. Or maybe I could make her want to kill me and then I could get the gun away from her that way. Somehow I had to get the upper hand here.

  Leia… wow… I still couldn’t believe it was her. Even in the back of my mind I had thoroughly convinced myself that she had to be dead. There was no way she could have survived that fire. But it looked like she had gotten incredibly lucky. And with her money she was able to get herself fixed.

  She looked amazing. Hell, she had me falling in love with her all over again. Still, I felt stupid for believing her lies. I should have known it was her. Somehow, in my gut, I should have known.

  “You’re right to be angry,” I said. “But you aren’t a killer. Please don’t do this.”

  “You really think I’m going to kill you?” Leia asked. “A moment ago you had yourself convinced that I wasn’t a killer. God, you lie more often than you breathe.”

  I stepped forward and gave her a mean look. She reacted perfectly.

  Leia stepped back and cocked the gun.

  “Take one more step and I’m blowing you to smithereens!” She bellowed.

  I backed away holding my arms up. “Whoa… calm down… easy does it…”

  It was working. I was starting to sell the idea that she was out of her mind and that there was only one kind of vengeance she was seeking.

  “Don’t tell me that!” Leia yelled. “Now, sit down!”

  I did as she told me to and sat down on the couch. So far she was falling into my plans.

  Leia started laughing. “Wow, this is fun. I had no idea what a little bitch you would be when faced with real danger.”

  God, I wanted to rip her head off. I should have lit her actual body on fire. Actually, I should have killed her first and then set her on fire. What was I thinking? I’d been careless and overconfident. Now I was paying the price for it. This was my fault.

  “Leia, there has to be a way for me to make this right. I was wrong. I’m a horrible person. I know this. But, you don’t want to kill me.”

  “Oh, why don’t I?”

  “Because then you would be just like me. You don’t want that to happen do you?”

  Leia just laughed.

  I was really beginning to wonder if she was actually wearing a wire. I’d already confessed to her murder and setting the house on fire. And I’d painted a pretty convincing case that she was going to kill me for real. Where were the cops? What were they waiting for? Maybe she really was bluffing.

  “You aren’t wearing a wire, are you?” I asked.

  A look of fear spread across her face, but it was quick, just a flash.

  “
What makes you think that?” Leia asked.

  “I don’t see anybody coming to your rescue or coming to take me away. If you were wearing a wire they would have busted through the door already.”

  I stood up just then, still keeping my hands held up.

  “I don’t think you are wired and I don’t think you are going to kill me either.”

  “Sit back down and don’t come any closer!” Leia yelled pointing the gun.

  “I think you came here to kill me and you choked. You realized it takes a special breed to kill and most people just don’t have that thing.”

  I took a few steps towards Leia, slowly, but methodically. I kept my eyes focused on her the whole time. I knew that she wouldn’t pull the trigger, as long as I kept my demeanor non-threatening. She was really just scared. She’d gotten in so far over hear head on this thing. I was actually feeling a bit silly that I’d let her frighten me at all. The whole thing pissed me off.

  “Sit down! Or I’ll shoot!” Leia yelled. “Don’t make me shoot!”

  “Leia, relax,” I said. “We can talk this over. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  I’ve often marveled at my ability to lie with such ease. I was going to kill Leia and I was going to make it hurt like hell.

  “I swear! I’ll shoot you!” Leia yelled.

  She was glancing over her shoulder now as if desperately pleading for someone else to be there to come to her rescue. But it was over for her. She had messed up royally and now was going to pay the ultimate price. No one screwed me over and lived to tell about it.

  “Leia…” I said, my voice almost a whisper. “Give me the gun…”

  Leia was almost on the verge of tears. I loved seeing her scared. Wow, she was even more beautiful than she’d been before. I wanted to meet the surgeon and shake his hand for creating such a pristine work of art.

  The gun was only inches from my hand. Leia was clutching it tightly, her hand trembling with fear, tears falling from her beautiful eyes. She wanted this over so badly. I was about to grant her that wish.

  “It’s ok…” I said soothingly.

  With a twitch of my hands, suddenly I was holding the gun.