In a drunken haze, he reached out to grab her and fell flat on his face. “Help!” He cried as he laid helplessly sprawled on the floor.
Reese felt herself beginning to get fed up. He had to get ahold of himself. Where was the once handsome, arrogant, debonair man who had such swagger? The man who had literally swept her off her feet into ecstasy? Now all she saw was a drunken slob stumbling around her apartment, crashing into things and breaking priceless works of art. His appearance had also changed drastically! Just two months ago, Harrison had been so arrogant, had held his head so high and prided himself on his good looks. His clothes had been impeccable and he had always been clean shaven. Now he had put on a few pounds and would go for days without shaving, leaving unattractive stubble. His hair was messy and matted. And the sex! When Harrison had been drinking, he would come at her like an animal… grunting, clawing, and slobbering on her. It repulsed her to the extent she would rather not see him than go through that again. Disgusted, she looked at him on the floor writhing about and moaning. She was going to have to do something before they lost everything.
Quickly, she went into her kitchen to get a glass of water and some ibuprofen.
“Here.” She cradled Harrison’s head in her hands and helped him drink and take the pills.
“Blah… what’s that?” He grimaced as water dribbled out of his mouth.
“It’s to sober you up. Now take it and drink!”
Struggling, Harrison managed to hold his head up and take what Reese gave him. He balanced himself on one elbow and rolled to a sitting position against the couch.
“Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to do this… I… I’m just all messed up. I just don’t know how I can do this…” He trailed off, his head falling back slightly.
Reese stroked his unshaven cheek. “I know. I feel the same way, but, Harrison, we can’t let this tear us apart. We have to keep it together.”
“I know, baby. I just need… I just need… to sleep.” His voice stopped as he slumped to the floor. Within seconds, he was snoring.
Now that’s attractive, she thought as she covered him with a blanket. With tears welling up in her eyes, Reese slowly walked to her medicine cabinet. Reaching for a bottle, she took a handful of tranquilizers and lay down on the floor next to Harrison.
Chapter 18
As night fell over their exclusive Gold Coast home, Lisa Grantham tucked her two children into bed, unaware she was being watched. A sleek black Mercedes sat parked outside as Ava, dressed in her typical black attire, observed her target. As Ava had already met her, it wasn’t Lisa she was studying as much as the layout of their home. Harrison’s descriptions and even photos of the house weren’t really enough to give her an idea. To form the perfect plan, Ava needed to see for herself exactly where everything in the home was located. As she observed the home, she made special note of the dark, hidden corners. She also made notes of the neighborhood and how many neighbors were around, etc. She also carefully tracked how long it might take emergency responders to reach the home. Observations of targets gave Ava much time to reflect. Many people would think she would reconsider during those times as she could see with her own eyes the innocent lives she was about to take. Ava’s cold blue eyes observed the young children whose lives would be shattered by the loss of their beloved mother. She felt nothing; no hatred, no remorse. It was just a job to do; nothing more, nothing less. Cold, hard cash ruled her life. All she could feel was utter disdain for the men who contracted with her. They are complete fools, she thought, giving me millions of dollars to protect their reputation as a ‘good family man’ and to maintain their assets. Instead of being able to get divorced and show the world their true face, they hid behind Ava’s shadow. Funny, she was the spider, a cavatica that hid in dark corners, but these men’s true selves were more deeply concealed than she was.
Perhaps this was why Ava hadn’t had a relationship with a man in years. Lisa Grantham was just one of the many women dumb enough to marry an arrogant, ruthless, jackass like Harrison. Now, after he found a shiny, new play toy, he wanted her eliminated. She shook her head. And that silly little Barbie he had taken up with… she was just as dumb as Lisa, if not more so.
Barbie really believed that Harrison loved her and would never do to her what he was doing to Lisa. She was actually going to participate in a conspiracy to get rid of his wife just so she could have him. That was the ultimate in stupidity as far as Ava was concerned. Some women are so blind, she thought. Maybe it was love, maybe it was sex, who knew? Personally, she hadn’t had a good fuck from a man in years. The best sex she’d ever had had not been with a man, but maybe that’s why she held them in such contempt. Men make all the money, think they hold all the power and they still can’t give a woman an orgasm like another woman can. Ava laughed out loud in her car. Contrary to what many people thought, she didn’t hate men. She actually found some of them quite attractive, but for all its’ bravado, the penis was merely a crude apparatus to her.
********
His hazel eyes fluttered open to see a cloud of blonde hair staring down at him. Slowly, he sat up, feeling like his skull had been crushed.
“Reese? What happened?” Reese smiled at him, relieved he awoke finally.
“You were drunk off your ass is what happened. Harrison, you have got to stop this. You are going to cause us to lose everything!”
Harrison grimaced and slowly nodded his head in agreement. “I know, Reese. I’m just freaked out by all this. It’s been almost thirty days. I’m just dreading the day I get that card. Sometimes, I shake so hard at work I can’t hold onto papers; I can’t type. My brother came into my office yesterday to talk about my ‘disquieting performance’ at a client meeting.” Harrison threw his hands up, “I didn’t know what to tell him. It’s not like I can say, ‘Hey Mike, I’m fucked up because a hit woman is going to kill my wife any day now.’ What was I supposed to say?”
Reese bit her lip and looked down.
Harrison looked down at himself. “Look at me,” he pulled at his soiled shirt and pants. “I’m a fucking mess. This is disgusting.” He ran his hands over his unshaven face.
“Reese, this isn’t me. You know that. I just start drinking every time I think of Ava, Lisa, all this… I don’t know if I can do this.”
“I know this is awful, Harrison, but we can’t let everything fall apart now. We have to just go about life normally.” Reese put her arms around him.
“You don’t have to look at her every day, Reese, and know she’s going to die! And because of me! I just… this isn’t how I wanted it. Maybe there is a way I can just leave her.” Harrison paced around the room.
Reese panicked. “Harrison, I don’t know what you want me to say. This is a done deal. We can’t stop it now.”
Harrison grabbed her shoulders. “I know that, but I could send Lisa away and just divorce her when she comes back. Is my inheritance worth killing someone?” Harrison pushed her away and ran his hands through his hair.
Reese began crying. “I don’t know… I don’t know anything anymore. I’m not a bad person. You’re not a bad person. This is just crazy.” Tears began streaming down her face.
Seeing her cry stopped his ranting. Harrison cradled her in his arms. “Baby, it’s not that I don’t want you. I’m just worried sick for you, for my kids. I freak out thinking about getting that card from Ava. I just want all this over with.”
Reese sighed. “I know. Me too. I worry about you and your kids. I feel so badly about this. Do you think we can find Ava somehow and call this off?”
Harrison looked grim. “I don’t know. I have a feeling she’s not the easiest person to find. We could try, but I wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Reese looked at him blankly.
“Maybe we should just hang in there until it’s done.” Harrison sat his jaw tightly. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” With that, he turned and walked out. A few seconds later, Reese heard water running. He was taking
a shower. Slipping off her clothes, she opened the door to the bathroom. Steam obscured her from his view. She opened the door, “You want company?” She smiled.
Startled, Harrison turned to look at her with a sly grin. He pulled her in with him. “You are so beautiful, Reese. What would I do without you?” His lips brushed her forehead as the warm water cascaded over them. Hot, wet and naked they pressed their bodies together as they kissed underneath the shower’s spray.
“I will always be with you,” Reese whispered to him. With that, she poured soap into her hands and began caressing him all over. His eyes widened as she poured soap all over her breasts getting them wet and slick. She then proceeded to wash him with her soapy breasts, rubbing them back and forth across his chest. Feeling his growing hardness, she poured more soap onto her breasts and nuzzled his shaft between them, stroking him. “Oh, my God, that feels good,” Harrison moaned as she kept stroking him, squeezing him between her big breasts. “Mm hmm,” she moaned as she felt him come. Harrison pulled her up by her shoulders and just held her with the water running over them. It felt so good to be pressed tightly together; the steam from the shower enveloping them, the water cleansing their bodies and souls of any misdeeds and washing them all away.
Chapter 19
Day forty-five. Reese nervously sat chewing her nails. She hated to ruin a manicure that way, but she couldn’t help herself. Harrison had taken his children and his wife on one last trip. They were to be gone for ten days to California. He wanted the children to have good memories of their mother. Reluctantly, Reese accepted this and she did understand for his children’s sake. It was all so surreal to her. If this hadn’t been her own life, she wouldn’t have believed any of this was happening. Since she wasn’t working, she had little to do but wait around for Harrison and worry about his wife’s impending demise. Despite her pep talk with Harrison, she sometimes laid in bed biting her lips until they bled. She popped tranquilizers like candy. She hoped that this would work out the way they’d planned. Standing up, she walked over to her window overlooking Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. She pressed her hands to the glass and prayed for forgiveness and for Harrison to call her.
A familiar buzzing noise startled Reese. She turned to find her phone. Coming home in a few days. Thinking of you. Will come by asap. Love and miss you. H. Smiling, Reese sighed with relief. She wondered if Ava had followed them on their vacation or if she even knew they were gone.
********
Day fifty-five. When Ava got this close to completing her assignment, she always felt like a ruthless panther. Sleek, dressed in black, stalking her prey, she watched their every move waiting for the precise moment to strike. This job had been easier in some ways than most, but the intricate little details she’d put into planning the execution of this particular job were tireless. As Harrison was somewhat of a celebrity, it was reasonable to assume that some publicity would surround his wife’s unexpected death. How Ava handled this was of utmost importance to escape detection of foul play. Like most predators, Ava surveyed her prey, sized her up, and observed her weaknesses. At this stage of the game, Ava felt a certain invincibility. This was the most exciting part of any job. The observation, the planning… that was all the foundation. The icing on the cake was the last few moments before she struck. Every fiber in every muscle stood at attention as she poised ready to strike. Like a spider watching its prey struggle and struggle to escape her web, she remained breathless, hovering on the brink of an orgasmic climax and waiting for the precise moment to pounce. Energy flowed through her like electricity. Ava felt so alive. Her bloodlust was at an all-time high waiting to be satisfied. Every heart beat brought her closer and closer to the brink of the climax of the past sixty days. No wonder people likened her to a spider. It’s why she’d adopted the last name of Cavatica. Watching Lisa squirm and squeeze her way tighter and tighter into her web excited Ava like nothing else. Feeling someone struggle under her power, knowing she had lured them into her web of death, was the best climax ever. Picking up her business card, Ava smiled. It was about time to make a delivery.
Chapter 20
A shiny black luxury car pulled up to the curb. Harrison. Thank God, Reese thought as she watched him run into her building.
Reese was waiting for him and wearing his favorite lingerie; a black lace bustier with lacy black thong and five-inch black heels. Her blonde hair lay soft and shining down her back. Around her wrist was the diamond bracelet he had given her. She had sprayed herself with his favorite perfume and lit candles around her apartment. It had been nearly two weeks since she’d seen him, and she’d missed him terribly.
Harrison burst through the door carrying a dozen exquisite red roses. “Hi, baby.” He handed her the roses. She inhaled the beautiful scent and put them in a crystal vase.
“I missed you so much.” She threw herself in his arms. He was dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt. His face was tanned from the sun. He looked like he had spent a lot of time on the beach.
Harrison let out a low whistle. “You look absolutely stunning, Reese. Is it me or did you grow sexier and more beautiful since I’ve been gone?”
Reese smiled. “Just you. You look pretty good yourself.”
He traced his fingers along her cleavage. “I adore that lingerie on you. You look perfect.” He kissed her long and hard. Feeling his lips on hers again brought her back to life.
“So how was the trip?” she asked reluctantly.
Harrison pulled away from her and cleared his throat. That’s when she noticed his eyes were red-rimmed and he had gone pale beneath his tan.
“Hard…” He swallowed the lump in his throat.
Reese lowered her eyes sympathetically. She put her hand on his arm.
“What do you mean?”
Harrison walked over to the bar and poured himself a shot of whiskey. Downing the shot, he turned to her. “Well, it was like being on a trip with a dying person, except I know she’s dying, but, of course, she doesn’t. It was awful. I kept stumbling over my words whenever I talked to her. I wanted to apologize. I wanted to treat her as if she had been diagnosed with a fatal illness.”
“Yes…” Reese nodded her head. “You didn’t though, did you?” She panicked briefly at the thought.
Harrison shot her a hard glance. “No, I’m not stupid. Of course, I didn’t. But it was terribly difficult. I mean, the kids were there having a great time with their mom, and I’m the monster who has plotted to have her killed. I could barely stand myself. I mean, those kids love her.” Harrison broke off. He buried his face in his hands and began sobbing.
Reese was horrified. She had never seen him this upset before. Obviously, it was an upsetting time, but Harrison was so strong, almost unfeeling at times. He had callously plotted the murder of his wife, yet it seemed now he was having second thoughts. Reese didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She went to embrace him.
“I’m so sorry, Harrison. That must have been so hard. Of course, the kids love their mother. I can’t imagine.” Reese began tearing up as well.
Harrison wiped his face with the back of his hand. “She… um… she was so full of life. I don’t want to be with her, but I don’t want her dead. I didn’t realize how much it could hurt my kids. They are going to be devastated, and if it ever comes out I was the one behind it…” His face crumpled with pain and disgust at the thought. “I would rather be dead than face that.”
Reese was sobbing as well. She pulled her knees to her chest and rocked back and forth. “Harrison, I have nothing without you. I have put my life on the line here too. Please don’t talk that way. No one else but you and I know about this. I will take this to my grave. Your children will never know.”
Harrison was breathing in short gasps. “But I will know I had their mother killed so that I could save my reputation, my inheritance from ruin.”
“To be with me.” Reese sobbed into her hands.
“No, Reese, don’t make this about yo
u. It isn’t. It’s about my fucking ego, my precious money, my reputation. I put that above them and you. I should’ve just told her the truth and walked out. At least she would still live!” Harrison repeatedly punched her wall so hard his knuckles bled.
Sickened, Reese grabbed a towel and cradled his injured hand.
On her knees in front of him, she asked “What do we do now? Can we find Ava? Maybe I should contact Darrell. He’s our only link to her.”
Harrison shook his head. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea, Reese. We have to distance ourselves from him in case the police are watching him. We don’t know anything about how the authorities investigated him regarding his wife’s death.”
“I thought you looked into that for yourself. You have connections with the police, the courts.”
He interrupted her. “I do, but I only got minimal information.”
Reese’s hands clenched in frustration. “Then what do we do? You didn’t get the card yet, did you?”
Harrison wiped tears from his face and shook his head no.
“But it’s due anytime now. This is fucking crazy, Reese. This is completely insane. How could I have casually planned someone’s murder? It’s not so much about her, but my kids. They are so young and it will hurt them so much.”
“Harrison, I will stand by you no matter what you decide. I love you and want to be with you. If you want to call this off, I will help. Just tell me what we should do.”
Harrison wrapped his arms around her tightly then looked at her brokenly.
“Find Ava.”
Chapter 21
Standing outside the Victorian-style gate, Reese waited to be buzzed in. Despite Harrison’s warnings, she felt that she had to speak with Darrell. She decided that going in person would be a better choice than attempting to contact him by phone or email.
Punching the buzzer again, she waited anxiously for him to answer. This was odd. She could see his red Porsche in the driveway. She pushed on the gate and found it unlocked. Jumping back into her Mercedes, she drove up the circular drive and parked in front of his house. Pulling her fox coat around her, she shivered in the cold. Reese walked up to his front door. She rang the bell several times. Come on, Darrell, she thought.
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