Deadly Games

by Mary Stone

  Christina clucked her tongue. “The drapes in the living area. I think the warmth of the cream counterbalancing the stripes of the red wallpaper will really set off the light from the sconces…”

  His wife’s words jumbled together as his mind drifted away from their meticulously kept showroom of a penthouse on the Upper West Side. Kylie had come to see him. Kylie, his firstborn child. Of course, she would. He was her father, and the way he’d left had been too sudden, and completely wrong. Rhonda probably had a million questions about it, which she’d undoubtedly passed on to their child.

  But Kylie wasn’t a child anymore. The tiny baby had transformed into a beautiful woman. The type of woman who had everything going for her. She had his dark hair and her mother’s sparkling green eyes. She’d been flustered and scared, but what child in her position wouldn’t be, especially when he practically threw her out of his life.

  Again.

  Jesus. The years had gone by in a blink of an eye. It seemed like only a year ago, he and Rhonda were married at city hall and living in the rat trap over that shitty hardware store in Brooklyn. And now, here he was, with a kid the same age he’d been then, when he’d been full of romantic dreams and hope and a feeling like he could conquer the Big Apple, if he just made the right connections.

  He’d made connections, all right. And he’d conquered the city.

  Except for dollar signs, he hadn’t won a thing in this game called life. Not a damn thing.

  He was jarred from his thoughts when Christina raised her voice. “So?”

  William shook his head. “I…uh…I think you should just do what you’d like.”

  “Seriously? That’s all you have to say?” she spat out, leaping out of the chair, her hands planted on her hips. “That powder room is extremely vital. It’s the one your clients will use when we entertain, since it’s right across from the dining room.”

  His eyes trailed to the door, as if he expected his firstborn would come waltzing back in. “Well, I—”

  “Who was that woman?” Christina blared in his ear, eyeing him cautiously. Even the most beautiful could be ugly when they wore that look of disdain. “I thought you didn’t have a two o’clock.”

  It pissed him off that his wife knew his exact schedule so intimately.

  He tried to push aside a memory of Rhonda, the first woman he’d ever loved, and said, “I didn’t. She was added in today.”

  Christina’s face tightened, and he knew she’d be wrinkling her nose if the Botox had allowed the movement. “For what? A roll in the hay?”

  He gritted his teeth and adjusted his tie. “Of course not.”

  “Then, what?” she hissed. “I don’t trust that shopping mall story as far as I could throw that girl off her knock-off Louboutin pumps.”

  His beautiful rose, Christina, was all thorns now that they were alone. That was usually the way. After twenty-four years, he’d come to expect it. She was all style and sophistication in public, but a mean, nasty bitch behind closed doors. He knew the best way to end this argument wasn’t to try to win.

  Winning didn’t happen with her.

  “No. Of course not. She…” He coughed. “You’re right. She was an imposter. Gave me a fake story about wanting to build a shopping mall, but she was really trying to get us to switch our payroll vendor. I told her by no means. We’re happy with what we have.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Really!” William could tell by her utter indignation that she’d bought the story. “The nerve of some people. You should’ve told me, and I’d have kicked her little ass out the door. Wasting your time like that. Did you tell Wiener that he needs to screen these calls a little better? I wonder what she said to weasel her way in here?”

  She stared at him expectantly, tapping her designer shoe on the shiny marble with her normal impatience. She wasn’t going to let this go.

  He didn’t feel like explaining the ridiculous excuse Ms. Ravenclaw had given to get an appointment with him. Christina was naturally suspicious and could detect bullshit a mile away. “Yes. He’s been talked to. And it’s not important.” Forcing a smile, he rose and stepped close to his wife, giving her the full attention she craved. “How was your day?”

  “Don’t try to change the subject!” She pushed against his chest, but the gesture was weak. It was just part of this dance. “Are you sure that whore wasn’t trying to get into your pants? The way she looked at you…” Her hand moved down to his belt.

  He pulled her close against him, gritting his teeth at her closeness, but willing his dick to get hard just the same. Again, just part of the dance.

  “I already told you, Tina. She’s a saleswoman, and no one of consequence. She wanted to get into the business, not into my bed. And you’re right, the cream is perfect with the red.”

  It was exactly the right thing to say. She beamed up at him, pure pleasure transforming her into a beautiful woman. “I’m so glad you like it. And please remember that Ty has a basketball game tonight at the high school, and you promised him you’d be there. He’s one game away from the championship.”

  He managed not to groan. His sixteen-year-old son, Tyler, his youngest, had begged him to watch the game. Ty was the captain, and this was varsity, but William had missed all the games so far. Ty was a good kid and he been looking forward to attending the game, to being the good, present father, until Kylie had come back into his life.

  Kylie, his one glaring reminder that no matter how hard he tried these days, he’d never win father of the year.

  Christina was still staring at him, expecting something, so he nodded firmly. “I’ll be there. What time?”

  Christina scowled. Yes, she had told him the time on at least twenty occasions. “Seven.”

  “I’ll be there,” he said, reaching over to pat her hand, which was planted on the desk, baring the massive five-carat diamond he’d bought her many years ago in Las Vegas, right before they were bound in holy matrimony.

  Fauxly matrimony. He nearly laughed at his own humor.

  But she pulled her claw-like hand away at the last second and made a clicking sound with her tongue. “I guess we’ll see about that,” she said, turning and heading for the door. She slammed it so hard behind her that he expected the wood to crack down the middle.

  He flopped into his chair and stared up at the ceiling. What the hell?

  This day had definitely been a doozy.

  I stood in one of the floor-to-ceiling windows of D & H Construction, watching the little girl with dark hair walking back and forth on the sidewalk, poking at her phone.

  I was seething.

  Who did she think she was?

  That girl didn’t belong in this city. You could tell by those cheesy knock-off shoes and her bright pink suit. Who the hell’d be caught dead in a get-up like that on the streets of Manhattan? Most people in this city tried to outdo each other, flaunting their wealth, even if they had to go deep into debt to do it. But this girl? Her getup said look at me, here I am, I’m tacky and proud of it! even while every other part of her body was trying to shrink into the cracks on the sidewalk. That, and by the way she tried to hail a cab, holding her hand up tentatively, as if she wasn’t sure she was doing it right.

  Oh, that little girl had a lot to learn.

  She was all sunshine and rainbows and whiskers on kittens. She’d made the wrong choice, leaving whatever hovel she’d grown up in to come here. I wasn’t quite sure what her game was, but I sensed it…she wanted a piece of William Hatfield, and thought she could get it. But she was wrong. This city was going to chew her up and spit her out, for sure.

  If the city didn’t, I would. I was going to make damned sure of that.

  What did she think she was doing, dropping into William Hatfield’s office like that, like she was important or something? Like he owed her a minute of his time. He’d humored her, of course, because she was a nice piece of ass, but that was all. Clearly, she needed to be put in her place.

  I’d have to take
care of that too.

  I watched her exhaling in relief as she finally succeeded in getting a cab driver to notice her. She slipped in and peered out the window, running those wide eyes over the skyscraper she’d just exited. Then she said something to the driver, and the cab sped away.

  It was midafternoon. The beginning of New York’s rush hour. Wherever she was going, it’d take a while. She likely didn’t have a clue where she was going. Or what was coming after her.

  Good.

  This would be fun.

  It was her fault, though, coming here. No one lied their way into William Hatfield’s office and got away with it. No one. He was off-limits. He was not someone people messed with. I’d had to prove that, time and time again, to people a lot savvier than this little girl.

  What the hell was she after? Did she know she’d just stepped her little Payless-clad feet into the lion’s den?

  Well, whatever her game was, I was going to find out. The poor little thing wouldn’t even know what hit her by the time I was done with her.

  I lifted my phone and called Nico. Nico, my right hand. Nico, the man who’d be the subject of all that little girl’s nightmares for the foreseeable future.

  “Don’t talk. Just listen,” I said when he answered. “I have a job for you. Write this down.”

  I smiled as he told me he was ready. Nico was always ready. He loved doling out punishment, and I had the feeling this punishment would be nice and easy, and just as sweet as that little girl.

  Oh, we would have fun. I was sure of that.

  10

  Kylie took a cab back to her motel in Brooklyn, stewing the entire time. The guy, William Hatfield the Asshole, didn’t just leave them. He’d gone and married Queen Plastic Bitch, and was now living the high life, managing his own company. He was a billionaire, and had he even paid one dollar toward Kylie’s expenses while she’d been growing up?

  Kylie clenched her fists so hard her fingernails dug into her palms. Growing up, she hadn’t felt awfully denied. They’d had lean moments, but they’d been happy. She knew her mother worked hard to provide for her and give her a happy childhood, sometimes going without, often overspending her credit card limit, and always living paycheck to paycheck. And what had he done? Absolutely nothing, from his little penthouse in the richest zip code in the world!

  To think, she’d wanted to live in New York City when she was young. Now, she just wanted to get the hell out. Everything about this town annoyed her. She couldn’t even imagine staying in town for another two days, as had been her original plan. And that hotel? Even the thought of laying her head down on a pillow in that roach motel made her stomach roil.

  She opened her phone and started searching for earlier flights. If she could find one leaving early enough, maybe she could get out and be home in Asheville by late in the evening. Maybe she could even sleep in bed with Linc.

  That sounded like heaven.

  There was a nonstop from Delta leaving at six-thirty, which was only a few hours away. If she hurried, she might be able to make it. She quickly booked it and leaned into the cab’s vinyl seat, stretching her back. Her muscles were tight and painful from tension, and her head was starting to pound.

  She was still steaming as she paid the driver and stepped out at the Piedmark. She’d let her hair down, ripped off the floppy bow on the blouse of her ridiculous Jackie O suit, and opened all the buttons on the jacket. She didn’t want to set foot in those uncomfortable heels again, so she carried them in her hands, not even caring about setting her bare feet on the dirty street. As she stormed toward the door, a couple of guys called to her from one of the stoops nearby. “Hey, mama!”

  Kylie turned. It was Tomas and Jose, drinking beers. She waved at them but couldn’t bring herself to smile. They slipped off the stoop and walked over. Jose ripped one from a six-pack and handed it to her.

  “Let me guess, mama,” Tomas said. “You didn’t find what you were looking for?”

  She sighed, shoved her shoes in her bag, and took the beer in both hands. “Oh, I did. I guess you could say I found more than I bargained for.”

  Jose actually looked concerned. “You don’t look so good. Maybe you party with us tonight?”

  “Would love to,” she said, looking around. “But I feel like a bomb was dropped on me.”

  They stared at her, waiting for an explanation, but she didn’t want to talk about it. In fact, she just wanted to go home.

  “It’s nothing. I think I’m just homesick. I miss my dog and my boyfriend,” she said with a shrug, perilously close to tears again. “Things just haven’t gone the way I’d hoped. I’m probably going to pack up and go home.”

  She cracked open the beer and took a long drink.

  “Sure you don’t want to hang with us tonight?” Jose asked.

  She patted his arm, so glad she’d been able to see past her initial impression of the men. And glad her initial impression had been wrong. “I think I’ve had enough of the big city for now. But I can’t thank you two enough for your help.”

  “All right, mama,” Jose said, seeming disappointed. “If you’re leaving in a little we’ll get a cab for you. You take care of yourself.”

  Since the elevator was a death trap, she went into the stairwell. It smelled even worse in there, like cat urine and pot. Her footfalls plodded heavily on the steps as she went upstairs, thinking. Who knew that meeting Jose and Tomas would be a highlight of this horrible day?

  No, she hadn’t expected her dad to break down in tears and cry about how much he missed her, how he’d been searching for her but had never been able to find her, but…okay, a little part of her had hoped for that.

  He’d essentially told her to get the hell out. He’d wanted nothing to do with her.

  And she’d thought the feeling of rejection she’d felt from her father couldn’t get worse.

  She’d been wrong. Now, instead of a hole in her heart, it felt like a massive chasm. By the time she reached the door of her hotel room, her chest hurt.

  She hadn’t unpacked her things yet, so she simply changed out of the suit, threw it in the trash, and pulled on her jeans and boots. Pulling her hair into a ponytail, she threw her toiletries into her bag, zipped it up, and headed down to get a cab to take her to the airport so she could catch the flight.

  Tomas and Jose were nowhere to be found when she got back to the street, but there was a cab waiting. She smiled, silently thanked them, and opened the door.

  When she slid inside, she dialed Linc. He didn’t answer, and her heart ached more. She wanted desperately to hear his voice.

  Linc would be happy to see her home. Maybe almost as much as she was to get there.

  Home.

  Why was she fighting moving in with him so much?

  She’d come to New York to get some answers, they just hadn’t been the answers she’d been hoping for. But she knew one thing for certain now.

  She was nothing like her father.

  Even more, neither was Linc.

  Surely that knowledge could be enough to reduce her commitment fears? Surely it would.

  When Kylie got home, she’d slip into bed with Linc, wrap her body around his, and tell him everything.

  She imagined herself relating the whole sordid story. Imagined him digesting the whole tale without judgement. He’d understand. Maybe he could help her to decide whether she should tell her mom that her father was a bigamist.

  She was so lost in thoughts of Linc, and of home sweet home, that she didn’t even notice the car that was following directly behind her.

  Linc wasn’t attached to his phone like most people, so he didn’t always carry it around in his pocket. He’d been having a busy day, repairing the kennels and working in his garden.

  All through the day, Kylie hadn’t been far from his thoughts, but he knew from the way she was acting that she wanted distance from him. She’d sent a message that she’d arrived in New York, and that was probably the most he’d get. She was a prolific
texter normally, but when she got deep into her work, she could think of nothing else. Besides, unlike him, she seemed genuinely excited by the prospect of exploring the city. With her bubbly personality and innate curiosity, she was probably having a grand old time, checking out the sights while she wasn’t working.

  Night had fallen, but since he hadn’t had a lot of time with the pups and didn’t think he’d get much sleep without Kylie next to him, he decided to play catch with them. He wasn’t sure when he started sleeping better with Kylie than without her, but now, he knew he’d probably spend a good chunk of the night wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

  It was better than the nightmares that still haunted him many nights of the week, but still, he dreaded the sense of aloneness. His therapist had told him that it was a good sign that he wanted to be close to someone again. That he was opening himself up to being happy, finally beginning to feel as if he might possibly deserve that happiness.

  He wasn’t there yet, and may never arrive there fully, but he was more open to risking it. With Kylie. Because there was something about her that made him feel whole again. Alive.

  Which was terrifying and thrilling all at once.

  As he threw the ball into the yard, he heard a car coming up the long driveway. Since he knew it couldn’t be Kylie, he waited, expecting to see either his best friend, Jacob Dean, or his mother.

  He pulled his ballcap down farther on his forehead when an unfamiliar bright blue RAV4 appeared around the bend. He headed its way. Probably someone who was lost and needed directions.

  Linc grabbed the tennis ball from Storm’s jaws as the small SUV came to a stop, the headlights shining directly at him. The driver’s door opened and a woman with long, sunny blonde hair stepped out, and he blinked, moving to where he could see her better.