by Kristen Echo
“Don't talk like that. I'll keep you safe.” The determined grit in his voice nearly convinced me. I chanced a look up, and what I saw almost knocked me out of my chair. The pity written on his face made me want to punch a wall. He knew I was right, and it scared him.
“You should go. I can stay here alone until you find something, or it's all over.” My posture and my tone revealed my defeat.
“I'm not leaving you. I will die before anyone ever hurts you.” There it was, one of my biggest fears. Dating a cop hadn't been easy, there was always the risk he might not come home. Brian protected strangers every day and survived. I wasn't a stranger to him, his sense of loyalty would get him killed right along with me.
“You need to go. You have a lot of work ahead of you to catch these guys. Babysitting me makes no sense. I realize I'm asking a lot, but under the circumstances, I think it's best for you to be out there putting your skills to good use.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and soldiered on. “You said so yourself, no one knows I'm here. You're an amazing detective. If anyone can find what we need to put those bastards behind bars, it's you. You'll find the information; I know it.” My tactic to inflate his ego often worked in the past.
“You're damn right I will. But, I can't leave you here. I'll get my partner to come check on you within the hour. We'll take turns.” Brian grabbed his phone off the table but didn't move for the door.
Maybe he awaited my approval to his plan, I wasn't sure, so I gave it to him. “Sounds like a good idea.” I didn't want anyone else to be in harm’s way, consequently, the thought of Brian getting killed because of me was too much. We didn't belong together, but he was a wonderful man. The fact that he didn't want to talk about the earlier sex either meant he agreed it has been a onetime lapse in judgment. Tears sprang to my eyes as I said goodbye. Possibly for the last time. “There is nothing left to say except go. Goodbye, Brian.”
Chapter Seven
A DIFFERENT VERSION of goodbye was what Brian had in mind as he hauled me to my feet and kissed me. His tongue coaxed my lips open, and he plundered my mouth. I resisted for a heartbeat, before seizing a fistful of his tousled brown hair, and returning the kiss with all the passion within me. Neither, the past or the future ruled my actions. Living in the present, I expressed every emotion in our kiss: fear, desperation, lust, longing, but most of all love. I wanted to keep that part of me locked up in a tower, safe and protected, but Brian climbed to the top, swooped inside and claimed me. Did I ever stand a chance of resisting the enigma of the man in my arms? He was a power greater than the sun who burned me once, but life without him was dull and bleak. The kiss took on a life of its own, one filled with mutual desire, and trust. Our lips separated, leaving us breathless.
A tear escaped, and Brian kissed it away. He touched his forehead to mine. “I'll be back soon. We have a lot to talk about still, but we don't have time now. Don't open the door for anyone, except for Detective Casey Donovan. Got it?”
I nodded. “Good luck Brian.” The moment called for something profound. Something symbolic, however, those words escaped me. I was drained, and to call me an emotional wreck, would be a kind understatement. We hugged, I held him close and took one final sniff. He still smelled like fresh forested air, but the scent of our coupling lingered on his skin. It caused me to smile amidst the sadness of the situation.
Pressing his lips to the top of my head, he squeezed me tight, one last time. He let me go, went to the window, and peeked out through the curtains. Next, he checked the peephole and unlocked the chain on the door. He glanced over his shoulder and gifted me with a brilliant arrogant grin. The embodiment of himself in a smile. He walked out of the door closing it behind him. I raced to reposition the chain and locked the door. All alone in a hotel room I slumped into the chair and contemplated what life had in store for me next.
I surveyed the room. The rumpled bedspread tattled to anyone who happened by it had seen some recent action. Once again, heat was building between my legs, recalling the exquisite sensations. I could almost hear the gratifying sound of my name on his lips, and the sounds of euphoria only Brian cajoled from me. Intimacy with Brian was easy, life was hard. Our passion and desire for one another was never our problem, but touching him, and feeling him again made it hard to remember our failures.
I looked away from the evidence of our union to the table by my side. The pizza we'd long forgotten, a few bottles of water, and right next to that lay a wad of bills. I picked up the cash and counted it out in disbelief. Brian left me three hundred and six five dollars. I imagined it was all the cash from his wallet. Why would he leave that unless he wasn't sure about returning? Where would I go without credit cards or my phone? Until Brian or his partner told me otherwise, I couldn’t leave this hotel room.
The room seemed smaller as I paced back and forth, trying to kill time. I looked out the peephole to see nothing, but the darkness of the late evening. There was a deserted office across the way, but from what I could see, this hotel looked secluded. The nothingness, only served to scare me more. Somewhere out there, people wanted me dead. Hope bloomed, that Brian would be able to do his job, and set things right. He had his work cut out for him, yet the more I thought about him working this case, the more uneasy I became. Something didn't sit right about this entire night. Call it intuition, or a gut feeling, but I felt off kilter. That consciousness got me into this mess in the first place which is why I should have ignored it. I should have turned on the TV and done anything to drown the unease twisting inside me. Picking up the remote off the nightstand, something clicked. Luis had made a phone call to an unknown person. Brian assumed he called Barroni, but my boss wouldn't have wanted him to know he couldn't handle his own staff. He would never want to seem weak to another alpha male. It had to be someone else. My shooter arrived at the last minute, with the sole purpose to take me out of the equation.
I dashed to the phone and dialed a number I hadn't dialed in years, but I could never erase from memory. The number was no longer in service. My heart sank. I wished I could get a hold of Brian to tell him my revelation, but I didn't know his current number. I had no way to reach him, and I hadn't heard a word from him or his partner. This mess had so many layers, and the big picture eluded me.
Two hours since Brian left, and I was going batty. I chewed my nails down to the quick and set to work on my cuticles when a soft tap sounded against the door. The noise was barely audible, but loud enough for me to jump from my seat. Rattled, I did as Brian had done before, and checked the window first. I pulled the curtain back only an inch, but it was enough to see a lone woman's side profile at my door. She was dressed casual, in jeans and a light jacket. I couldn't see the labels, but I could tell they were designer brands. The late summer days were still hot, but the evening brought a slight chill, enough that a jacket didn't seem out of place. There didn't appear to be any other people around. The ground floor room opened to the parking lot which had many cars parked but no people loitering.
The woman knocked again a little louder this time. She pulled something from her jacket pocket and held it in front of her. I moved to the peephole and peered out. Her credentials displayed, announcing the arrival of Detective Casey Donovan. I wasn't sure if I was relieved, or disappointed that Brian hadn't been able to come back. Even though previously I wanted distance, I no longer wished him away. I could use his strength, but I had to put my big girl panties on, hypothetically, since I didn't have any this evening, and face this battle head on. I unlocked the chain and opened the door to whatever news the detective offered.
Chapter Eight
DETECTIVE DONOVAN BREEZED into the room like she owned it and looked me over in an unfriendly manner. The woman was a few inches taller, which made me want to put my heels back on to even things out. She was beautiful in a non-conventional way. Good bone structure and symmetrical features, but she still came across a little rough around the edges. She had her long black hair pulled into a messy ponytail, and her b
rown eyes were cold, completely devoid of warmth, yet striking all the same. I watched her assess me and come up with some unknown conclusion before taking in the rest of the room. Her eyes landed on the bed, and she scoffed.
“Didn't take you long to hit the sheets, I see.” She didn’t look at me as she spoke with a sarcastic tone.
“I beg your pardon?” Her offhanded jab rubbed me the wrong way.
“Your injury didn't stop you from opening your legs, did it?” Her rhetorical questions didn’t require a reply, but that didn’t stop me.
“My ear is healing fine. As for the rest, I'm not sure what you're implying?”
“Just noting the obvious. Brian's being all secretive and tight-lipped, which isn't like him. He refused to tell anyone your whereabouts until a few minutes ago. I get it now. He got laid, and he wants to keep his side pussy private. Fucking you, of all people, while on the clock isn’t something he wants to broadcast.”
I didn't like her take on the situation, and I didn't like her. Her crude mouth was offensive and vile. “None of that is your business.” I put my hands on my hips. Brian was her partner, not her boyfriend.
“It is. You see, Brian and I have a good thing going. And you're messing that up.” Her glare had me step back. This woman was used to getting what she wanted, and she had her sights on my ex.
“Brian never told me you and he were together.” My earlier mental objection about Brian's possible relationship status was now coming back to bite me in the ass. The thought of him kissing this wretched woman made my skin crawl. How naive of me to think he would be pining away for me all these years, it made sense that he was taken. I wanted her to dismiss my statement. Tell me that he was, in fact, single. “He didn't say anything about being in a relationship.”
But she didn't confirm or deny his status. Instead, she walked around the room and checked the bathroom. I wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she seemed satisfied with her inspection results. Her haughty expression and the growing silence put me on edge.
“Brian and I have a history. We were engaged once,” I said in a small voice. Something about her intimidated me. Why I felt the need to explain my relationship to her baffled me, but I needed her to know I was a good person, that we had been in love once. As if our past somehow absolved today's transgressions.
“He’s told me all about you, June. You're the woman who broke him. And I'll be damned if you're going to do it again.” She pointed at one of the empty chairs. “Have a seat and listen up.”
I sat down, my stomach in knots, and I crossed my legs. She was way off base, I had not broken Brian Rigshaw. The man was unbreakable, he had titanium in his veins. She must have misconstrued things. The other chair remained vacant, instead, she removed her coat, and pulled a gun from inside. Another firearm filled the holster on her side. She aimed the weapon at me and took a casual seat on the corner of the bed. Twice in a one night, I looked down the barrel of a gun. Her ease holding the firearm was apparent, like it was an extension of her arm. My hands shot into the air, an involuntary reflex to show I was unarmed. I had gone an entire thirty years without having a gun pointed at me.
We sat there for a long moment, detective Donovan seemed to take pleasure in my discomfort. She sat there smiling as I shook like a leaf. I couldn’t hide my fear, and that fueled her contempt for me. Her dark brown eyes read me like a book she couldn't wait to put down. After, what felt like an eternity, her throaty voice broke the deafening silence. “You're so weak. Put your damn hands down already. What the hell does he see in you?” I did as she bid and lowered my hands to my lap. “You've become a thorn in my side, and I will take great pleasure in killing you. Before I do, I want you to do something for me.”
If she thought I would do anything for her, she was delusional. Her reaction to my sleeping with Brian seemed extreme. I made a mistake, but it shouldn't cost me my life. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...”
“Don't talk. Your sweet little voice is annoying me.” Aiming the gun towards my heart, she smiled like the Cheshire cat. “Nothing you say will help you. There are two possible outcomes, but you're not walking out of here alive in either.”
“Why do you hate me, when you don't even know me?” The little voice in my head told me to keep her talking and buy some time. I had to find a way out of this.
“I don't hate you. Your boss needs you to disappear, and I am the gal to make that happen. I wouldn't have taken any pleasure in it before, but your little tryst with Brian has set me back. It took me years to get him to where we are now. A couple hours with you, and he isn't looking at me the same.” She rolled her eyes. “Why did you have to be such a slut?”
Her words felt like a slap. Detective Casey Donovan was one of the bad guys, and Brian had unknowingly led her right to me. I hoped he wouldn't blame himself because it was no one's fault but my own. I couldn't focus, but I had to. The fact that she worked for my boss helped some of the puzzle pieces fall into place.
“You shot me in the alley?” I asked, already knowing it to be true. Her shit eating grin removed any doubt.
“I'm normally a better shot. You got lucky there, but I won't miss this time.” She meant business as she waved the gun at me.
“Why are you working for Luis? If it's money, I can pay you.” I didn't have much, but every dime I had, I was more than willing to part with.
“You can't afford me, honey. Besides, Max and I go way back.” Her eyes sparkled when she said his name. I deciphered there was more to their relationship than a casual friendship.
“If you and Max are together, what do you want with Brian?”
“You're smarter than you look. Max and I don't like labels. We like to fly under the radar. Besides, he could never commit, he's not the type to settle down. Brian is hot and untouchable. I want a piece. Hell, every woman does, but he's only got eyes for you. Waste of a good man if you ask me. Maybe now that you'll be dead, he'll be able to move on. Right into my bed.” She giggled like she said something funny. I wasn't laughing, I was reeling.
“Do you want a commitment from Max Barroni?”
“Not really. He's amazing, but I couldn't marry a mobster. I'm too young to think about commitment, I want to have fun. Brian looks like he'd be a lot of fun. Tell me something I've been curious about. Is his cock as big as I fantasize it is? With hands like his, I can only imagine.” She licked her red painted lips.
Picturing Brian’s smiling face hurt my heart, and visualizing her touching him, made me want to vomit and scratch her eyes out. I had to keep her talking, without answering her question. “How old are you?”
“No cock talk? Fine.” She glanced at her watch. “Let's get a move on. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. What do you want?”
“What do you mean?”
“At first, I thought it was just sex. But looking at you, I see it. You love him, don’t you?”
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation.
“Figured. So it would be easier for Brian if you killed yourself. You can write him a little note telling him to move on. I have a knife and some pills. You can slip away peacefully in the tub. Nice and relatively pain-free. What do you think, you game?”
I swallowed hard as she described my possible ending. “Or?” There had to be a better option.
“I shoot you. Because you're making it difficult for me, I will use the knife too, and make it hurt, and I will take my time.”
“Why is shooting me more difficult? You've already got your gun on me?” I didn't want either outcome. I wanted to get the hell out of this hotel room alive.
Detective Donovan regarded me for a moment. Her brown eyes darkened, and I foresaw my time coming close to an end. “Don't play stupid. When I shoot you, I’ll have to get rid of your body and clean up your mess. Now we don't have all night. What do you want to do?”
I wracked my brain for ways to stall. This couldn't be how I died. “Did you break into my car?” I blurted the first thing that came to mind. She
was at the office earlier, so in all likelihood she had been the one to search my car.
“Yes, how did you know I searched your car?”
“Brian told me. By the way, did the techs find the extra documents, the USB stick or the hard-drive?” There was only one device, but she didn’t need to know the truth.
“Of course, he told you. The man doesn't say a word to me about a hard-drive or extra paperwork, but he blabs every little detail to you,” she mumbled under her breath.
It clearly annoyed her that Brian had kept me in the loop. Somehow I needed to use that to my advantage. “He wanted me to know everything. He was very forthcoming.” My statement enraged her. She stood tall and adjusted her low cut jeans.
“I didn't find a damn thing in your car. Where are the files?” She took a step towards me and pressed the gun to my temple. The boldness from a moment ago vanished.
Frozen in place, I found it difficult to take a breath. The situation recapped being in Luis's office all over again. Paralyzed by fear, I remained immobile. She yelled something I couldn't hear. My vision tunneled; I was on the verge of passing out. On the precipice of death, the last thing I would ever see was the awful off-white popcorn ceiling.
Chapter Nine
COLD WATER SPLASHED against my face, forcing me back into the present. I gasped for air, filling my lungs, which meant I was still alive. I looked around to find myself sprawled on my back, on the floor, in the hotel room Brian had brought me to. Detective Donovan was standing over me with an empty glass of water in her hand and no gun. If I stood a chance to save myself, the time was now.
My leg swept out and connected with her ankles. She fell to the carpet next to me with a surprised expression on her face. I shot to my feet and ran for the door. Her hand gripped my calf, her nails digging into my skin. Pain sliced through me, but I kicked and stomped madly as I endeavored to reach freedom. Striking bone, the raven haired woman yelped and let go. When I reached the door, I caught my first lucky break of the day; she hadn't added the chain to the door like Brian and I had been doing. The door swung open, and I raced towards the office across the deserted parking lot. I used the flashing neon vacancy light as my beacon.