by Christina OW
“I don’t know, I don’t think so or he would have already broken into your house.”
“How do you know she’s at my house?”
The PI smiled, “It’s a little obvious don’t you think? And anyway, I needed to know her where abouts in case I needed to warn her before I warned you.”
Dave nodded, his mind already stirring up a plot to keep his family safe. It wasn’t just Michael and Maria anymore, Izzy was in this too. He was sure Ricky would hurt her, just to hurt Maria.
“Do you want him dealt with?” The PI asked with very little reservation. As proper and principled as Dave was, he was sure he would put his values aside just this one time.
Dave stared at him, purposefully hesitating to keep from making a mistake. Of course he would gladly sign Ricky’s death certificate, but it wouldn’t be the right way to handle it, “Watch his every move. Have people watch my house, discreetly, just in case he decides to stop by. Next week is the kids birthday, have more men there. I’m not going to give him a chance to get anywhere near them, I’ll find a way to put him behind bars for the rest of his life.”
“Prison isn’t always a full proof guarantee, but if that’s what you want, I’ll do as much as I can. Until next time.” he turned and walked out the office.
Dave dragged the seat back and sat down facing the huge window. For the first time he had no idea what to do. Johnson was right, prison wasn’t a permanent solution, but as much as he hated Ricky, he couldn’t bring himself to kill him, he wasn’t that kind of man. But he knew someone who was, and exactly why he was risking his freedom. He would do what Dave couldn’t, and all Dave had to do was call Edna.
Dave smiled in realization, that’s why Edna was in New York, Miguel must be with her and of course with one thing in his mind. Ricky had someone to fear more than Dave. Miguel was going to do worse things to him than Dave would.
Maria walked from store to store buying things for the party. She went to the bakery and ordered Cinderella and Batman cakes then went to a party store and bought pink and blue decorations, and her last stop was at a catering office. This was both Izzy’s and Miguel’s first birthday party and she was determined to make it memorable.
She shifted Izzy on to her other hip and carried food samples in her other hand and walked out of the office. She was feeling exhausted after her late night and the whole morning of shopping. She wasn’t going back to the cafe to get Dave lunch, instead she’d just warm up the leftovers in his office and try the food samples. She didn’t think she could go back to the cafe after what happened.
She wanted to forget it ever happened and avoid everything that would remind her of it. She couldn’t go back to the whimpering state she was in before, she had a family and a new life and she wasn’t going to be able to live it if she lived with the fear of it happening again. Amy was bound to send her terror squad back for her, and she wasn’t going to keep working there and be a sitting duck, waiting for further harassments. She would go back and quit and just dedicate her time to her family.
She opened the back of the Prado and carefully put the food containers in a corner behind other party favors then closed the trunk. When she turned to face the traffic, a cold chill ran down her back and her knees buckled under her. She felt a familiar fear consume her as she stared at Ricky standing across the street smiling at her. With a whimper of distress she turned around hoping it was just a figment of her imagination. She leaned against the car for support, closed her eyes and took a few deep breathes.
Izzy’s small wet palm on her cheek forced her to open her eyes. She looked into her big, beautiful, blue eyes and willed herself to find refuge in them. She turned back around slowly and searched the streets for Ricky. When she couldn’t spot him, she wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or scared.
She kept stroking Izzy’s hair back and kissing her forehead nervously, “He wasn’t really there, it was just my imagination. We are safe, very safe because he isn’t here, he isn’t in New York.”
She pushed her legs to move to the side of the car. She opened the back door and put Izzy in her chair, and buckled her in with shaky hands. She moved to the driver’s door and got in. She sat there for a few moments, pacing her breath as she tried to calm down. She couldn’t panic, she had nothing to fear, Ricky was in Jacksonville, and if he was here, Edna or Jane would tell her.
She started the car and drove slowly. That pep talk didn’t comfort her, she was still frightened and unsure of what she’d seen. The man was not only haunting her dreams, but also when she was wide awake. If it was really Ricky, she needed to get Michael and run, or she could tell Dave the truth, he would surely know what to do.
Ricky watched Maria drive the car away and laughed to himself. He felt jealous to see she had moved up in life. He was sure she had found a lover, a rich one, it would explain the baby she was carrying. He doubted she was a babysitter, or she could have started as one before she began warming his bed, otherwise Michael would be with her and no rich family would let a nanny drive an expensive car like that just to run errands. A quiet fire simmered inside him. She now had everything and he still had nothing, but soon she would lose everything, starting with Michael.
Maria walked into Dave’s office to find four policemen seated on the couch. She moved slowly towards Dave, who was standing facing them. Her mind ran a marathon as she thought of everything that could be wrong. Did he already know about Ricky? Or did something bad happen to Michael? “What’s going on? Did something happen to Michael?” she asked, worried.
Dave took Izzy from Maria and placed the other arm around Maria’s waist, “No, Michael is fine and in school.” He kissed the top of her head and held her closer.
“Then what’s going on?”
“We are here because of the break in at the apartment.”Two police officers commented.
“We are here about your harassment yesterday.” The other two said.
“What?” Maria turned and looked up at Dave.
“You really didn’t expect me to let them go free?” Dave answered her puzzled look.
“Would you like to press charges against the boys and Mrs. Greer?”
“Daniels, her name is Daniels.” Dave corrected. He didn’t want her to keep using his name anymore, he’d stated that as a term in the divorce. The moment she signed the divorce papers was the moment she relinquished his name.
“No I don’t want to press charges against anyone.” Maria took Izzy back and put her in her play pen.
“Maria you can’t be serious!”
She walked back to the four cops and shook their hands one by one as she ushered them out, “Thank you for coming. You guys are doing a great job, but I’m sure there are people who need you more than I do now.” She smiled courteously at them before she closed the door.
“What are you doing Maria?” Dave asked, moving towards the door.
Maria stood in his path, “We have more urgent problems to worry about.” she felt a lump in her throat as her eyes began to sting full of tears.
Dave’s annoyance changed to worry, “Honey what’s wrong?”
She used her knuckle to brush a tear away. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she spoke, “Ricky...” she cleared her throat as she shifted her gaze between the floor and Dave, “Ricky is alive and I think... I think I saw him.” She placed a hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
Dave pulled her to him and held her tight. He had hoped she’d never find out he was around, but she had and now her whole life had been rocked.
Chapter Sixteen
He handed her a glass of water. “Where did you see him?”She took the glass and sipped the water, “Outside the food catering office.” she handed the glass back, not trusting her shaking hands to hold it for too long without dropping it. He took it, placed it on the floor next to the couch.
“What was he doing?” he asked, more concerned. He wasn’t too willing to confirm her fears, just yet. He c
ursed Johnson quietly in his head, he promised to warn them if Ricky got too close, and he had gotten close, too close for comfort.
“He was just standing there, smiling at me.” she closed her eyes to erase Ricky from her head. She might be talking about him, but she sure as hell didn’t want to remember his face, a face she had disfigured, and Ricky detested her more for.
“You said you thought you seen him, why?” Dave asked, cautiously. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but there was no way he was going to allow her to run, he was even more astounded she came to him and hadn’t taken Michael from school and ran. She trusted him to fix it, and he was going to, one way or the other.
“Because he was there one minute and gone the next.” she opened her eyes and stared at him, “Do you think I was imaging him?” she asked, hopeful. Right now if Dave told her she was going crazy and flying elephants existed, she was going to accept it, anything but Ricky having found them.
“What do you think?” he asked, avoiding to answer her. He knew for sure she wasn’t imaging it, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.
“I think I was imagining it. Yesterday brought back a lot of buried memories and feelings.” she wrapped her arms around her body at the memory of her nightmare, “Maybe I was just projecting and he really wasn’t there.” she said unsure, then bit down on her lower lip. She waited for Dave’s own thoughts, anything he said she would believe like the gospel truth.
“I think you...” he started. You are doing the right thing, it’s what’s best for her he thought to himself, “Those boys made you insecure again and since all your pain was brought by Ricky.” this lie is justified, “you saw him because he represents it.”
Maria nodded completely believing in him. He had people digging into her life, he would know if Ricky was in New York or not, and he would tell her. She moved closer to him and leaned against him in a hug, scared, traumatized but safe. She was safe with Dave.
Dave held her, angry and yet frightened of the consequences. He had to call Miguel as soon as possible. Screw his principles and values, they weren’t going to protect his family against that monster, “You should have pressed charges against them.”
“And then what?” she kissed the bottom of his neck before she rested her head back on his chest, “giving Amy more attention would only be wasting our time, besides her affair with that kid would be known and she would be in more trouble.”
“And your point is?”
“She is still the mother of your daughter.”
“Again, your point is?”
She sat upright and pushed her hair back, “You are impossible. How do you think she’ll feel when she’s old enough to understand the words ‘daddy put mommy in prison’?”
“Just as well as Michael will understand, ‘his mommy helped his new daddy put the man who sired him behind bars’.” He stood up and moved to sit on top of his desk.
“The two are not the same.” Maria said quietly. She didn’t mean to defend Amy, but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to let Dave throw her in prison. The same conscience that wouldn’t allow her to tell Michael she had let his father burn in the house fire, the same conscience that let Ricky burn in that fire, her conscience was very fickle.
“They both don’t love their children. Ricky hit Michael while Amy abandoned Izzy more than once, if I had stayed with her longer, she would have hit her. And they both openly despise their children, exactly how are they not the same?” he said heatedly.
“You’ve made your point, don’t get mad about it.” she stood up and walked to the mini fridge, “I guess she’s not invited to the party.” She pulled out a few containers of food and went to the door.
“I’ll haul her ass out if she dares!” he yelled. Maria jumped, but she kept her head and kept walking. Dave exhaled loudly as he tried to reel in his anger, “Wait, Carol can do that.” he said, stopping her. Before Maria could protest Dave already had the receiver to his ear, “Carol could you please come get some food and warm them for me please.” he spoke with the same heated voice, before replacing the receiver.
Maria stood there looking at him with a very patient look on her face. She didn’t want to say anything that would fuel the presently quiet temper in him. Carol came in and took the containers from her hands. She didn’t say a word, she just gave Maria a puzzled look before she disappeared out the door again.
Maria sat back down on the couch, “You are very scary when you’re angry.” she twisted her hair in one rope before she knotted it, “I thought I was the only one, but it seems I have a few more campers with me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about Ricky sooner?” He blurted out, unconsciously.
“I wasn’t under any obligation to do so.” Maria answered calmly, “And besides, I figured you would find out your way.”
“If you had, I would have dealt with him sooner. He wouldn’t be bothering you and you wouldn’t be so scared all the time.”
Maria looked at him with suspicion, “Dave, do you know something about Ricky that I don’t?”
“Apart from what happened between the two of you, and that he’s still in Jacksonville, no.” He watched her as she eased back on the couch, her body loosening in relief. She really needed him to be in Jacksonville, and that’s where he would remain as far as she was concerned. “Michael can’t know about this.”
“I know that. To him Ricky is dead and he’ll stay that way. If he finds out, he’ll stop being my baby and go back to being my guardian, I don’t want that for him.”
“He doesn’t mind his father being dead?”
“He doesn’t want to say it, but I can see it with how happy he is.” she chuckled lightly, “It’s the best thing that could ever happen to our lives. He knows mommy will be fine and happy without Ricky around, that’s all he cares about.”
Dave moved to sit next to her, “Smart boy.”
“As evil as Ricky might be, it’s not right to celebrate death, especially for a child to see it as a sign of relief.”
“He was relieved his mother was fine and the bad man was gone.” he unknotted her hair and combed it forward over her shoulder. He loved her jet black hair and how it complemented her dark skin, “He asked me to marry you.” he added, changing the subject.
“Silly boy.” She said, turning away shyly.
He placed his fingers under her chin and pulled her closer, “No, smart boy, very smart boy.” He kissed her tenderly, enjoying the taste of her soft lips. Then he pulled her onto his lap and deepened the kiss.
The hardness of his lips and the desperation of his kiss made her blood rush, her body tremble as it might in a thunder storm. She loved it, his taste, his touch, the feel of his body against hers. Normally it would disgust and repulse her to be touched with such interests, but she loved it, only with him, no one else but him.
The door opened, breaking their kiss. Carol walked in with the food in her hands, “Oops, sorry for the interruption.” she said, laughing naughtily. She walked to the table and placed the containers down.
“Thanks Carol.” Dave spoke, out of breath.
Maria stayed on his lap unable to move, completely intoxicated by the kiss. She didn’t even acknowledge Carol’s presence in the room, her mind was trying to set the sizzling crossed wires in place.
“Maria, what exactly did you do to tame this roaring lion?”
“Hmm.” that’s all Maria could manage to say.
Dave chuckled and gave her a soft kiss on her lips. She stared at him, completely dazzled by him, “She is very compelling, and I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“You worked your own magic too, she’s still in the clouds.” Carol laughed louder, “Earth to Maria.”
Maria looked up at her, embarrassed, “I need to put some distance between us or I’ll never get my mind back straight.” she slid off his lap and walked slowly to the table. For the first time her legs weren’t weak from fear, but desire and pleasure.
Dave stood up and dug his hand int
o his pockets as he watched Maria dish out the food on to the plates, “How much work is left Carol?”
She shifted her gaze between Dave and Maria, happy they had found each other after the terrors they had been through with their priors, “Not much. You just have to get the clients in here, get the documents signed and everything will be done. But Todd can do that, I doubt he can screw that up.”
Dave looked at her with a raised eyebrow before he went back to watching Maria, “How about we don’t risk it.”
“Isn’t he supposed to be learning from you?” Maria asked, raising her head from what she was doing, “If you don’t take off the training wheels soon, he’s going to end up moving in with us.” She went to Izzy’s pen and picked her up, placing a kiss on her pink cheek, “He calls all the time and when you don’t pick up he’s at our door, when you are forced to work late he falls asleep on the couch.”
“You are the one who always stops me from throwing him out.” Dave spoke, amused.
“Dave, you are such a bad host.” Carol feigned disappointment, slapping his arm lightly.
“To people I don’t want around, damn straight I am.”
“It’s not that I don’t like having him around, I just don’t like cleaning up after him.” Maria placed Izzy in her chair, “I already have two babies I’m not looking for a thirty year old one. Let him do the signing thing.”
Dave sighed, and turned to Carol, “You heard her, let Todd do it, and if a single thing goes wrong, as little as it may be, call me. How about my court cases, what’s my load?”
“Only two industrial ones, the load a partner should have, but next week your calendar is clear. I’m not going to risk missing the birthday party.”
Dave smiled, amused, “Of course, we wouldn’t want you to miss our kids’ birthday party.”
“Dave, you are so thoughtful. I’m going out to lunch now, bye.” With a short wave, she left the office.
Dave turned his attention back to Maria. He pulled her back and placed his face in the nape of her neck to breath in her jasmine scent. Sighing pleasantly, Maria leaned back into him, fitting in the curve his body had made around her. She lifted her hand and brushed the back of his neck with her fingertips and finally resting them in his hair. Dave held her tighter and tickled her short neck with his nose, breathing in more of her jasmine scent.