Devil She Became (Devil's Angels Book 1)

by Autumn Raynne

  As he drove to the lakefront, he called Reese.

  “Reese?”

  “Hey, baby!” Reese was so relieved to hear his voice. It had been so long, and she had been so worried.

  “Hi, baby. How are you? I miss you so much.”

  “When can I come home? I miss you so much too. I can’t wait to see you.”

  Harrison glanced at his phone. “I could get you on a flight tonight.”

  Reese felt her heart soar. “Yes. I am ready to leave! My mother’s been driving me crazy.”

  Both of them stopped and felt an uncomfortable silence. They had agreed not to talk about Lisa over the phone.

  “So how are things going?” She asked.

  “Rough, pretty rough…” Harrison trailed off.

  “So will you be at my place when I get back?” Reese had left her car at the airport so she could drive herself home.

  “Probably. I will text you if I can’t.”

  “How are the girls? Where are they?”

  “They are staying with me at my brother’s. I have to go, Reese. I will text you the flight information. I love you.”

  “I love you too, Harrison. I will see you soon.”

  He continued his walk on the beach, thinking of Reese, of his girls, of Lisa. He shook his head thinking about how awful the funeral was going to be, not to mention having to explain to the girls that their mother wasn’t coming back… ever. His heart broke every time he thought of that. Harrison also wondered how Ava had started the fire without making it look like arson. What had Ava done to Lisa prior to the fire? The thoughts sickened him. Harrison also thought often of what his family and friends would think if they knew he and Reese had paid Ava to kill Lisa. Every time he thought of them discovering what he had done, he felt like vomiting. Since Lisa’s death, everything had seemed like a dream. The one shining exception was Reese. Getting to be with Reese was worth any pain that this was causing him.

  Chapter 29

  As Reese opened the door to her apartment, she sighed. It felt so good to be home. Leaving her Louis Vuitton bags in the foyer, she stopped at the bar to make herself a quick drink. She stopped short. There on top of the bar was an exquisite crystal vase filled with a dozen long-stemmed roses.

  “Hello, beautiful.” Harrison stepped out of the shadows. She ran to him and they embraced.

  “I’ve missed you so!” He spun her around the room. They kissed passionately and just held each other for a bit.

  Grabbing his hands, Reese gave him a good long look. His once-beautiful hazel eyes were now deep pits in his face with heavy circles around them. His face was quite pale. His hair appeared to have taken on a bit more silver as well. He also appeared a bit thinner. His hair was freshly combed and his face clean-shaven, but he looked as though he hadn’t slept for days.

  Reese traced her hands over his body. “So how was it?” she asked in a whisper.

  “As bad as you could imagine. It was… surreal. Absolutely awful.” Harrison continued to hold her tightly.

  “Like Darrell?”

  “Much worse… The fire was ruled accidental, caused by faulty wiring. Coroners’ report stated she died of third-degree burns and smoke inhalation. I went to see her at the morgue… it was ghastly… her skin was burnt, crisp, melted... just awful. It was the most horrible thing I have ever seen.” Harrison covered his mouth and shuddered.

  Reese shut her eyes tight and shook her head. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry, baby.”

  Harrison nodded. “My brother and I drove up to the house to find it on fire. She never made it out of the bedroom they said.”

  Reese put her hand to her mouth and tears begin filling her eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she kept repeating.

  “Cops say anything to you?”

  Harrison nodded. “I had to talk to them after they found her. Standard stuff.”

  “When is the funeral?” Reese asked, rubbing his back.

  Harrison held her hands. “Day after tomorrow. We have to get some things squared away at the funeral home, and her parents are not holding up well, so I am doing most of the funeral service planning myself.”

  Reese shivered. “What have you told the girls?”

  Harrison grimaced. “Nothing yet. I don’t know how to tell them… it’s breaking my heart… but I know I have to.” Tears began filling his eyes.

  “We will have to limit our public appearances for a while, Reese, until some time has passed.”

  Reese nodded. “But we can still be here together?”

  Harrison slipped his hands down her back to softly rub her ass. “Of course, baby”

  Gazing deeply into his eyes, she saw her own reflection and the devil she had become. Reese smiled to herself as Harrison embraced her. She had finally gotten her man all to herself.

  Chapter 30

  “A thirty-eight-year-old woman was found dead after a fire destroyed her home on the Gold Coast. The deceased has been identified as Lisa Grantham, the wife of prominent, local attorney, Harrison Grantham. Grantham is also the son of billionaire Harlan Grantham. Mr. Grantham could not be reached for comment. Visitation will be Monday evening at Wynn Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Services will be Tuesday morning at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter’s Cathedral.”

  Harrison bowed his head and flipped the TV off. He was glad they were ruling it an accident, but he just couldn’t help but feel that this was far from over. Of course, he still had the funeral to go through. Taking a deep breath, he knew the hardest time in his life was fast approaching. He had to go tell his babies their mother wasn’t coming back. Taking several shots of whiskey and popping a tranquilizer, he walked into his brother’s living room where his family was waiting.

  “Oh, Harry, it will be okay. I don’t know how… but we are here.” Harrison’s mother, Rose, hugged him, sobbing.

  Mike embraced him tightly. “We’re here for you and the girls, brother. Anything we can do, let us know.”

  Harrison wiped the tears from his face, and his father placed his hand on his shoulder. “Be strong, son, for the girls. Lisa would want you to do that for them.”

  He nodded. “Mike, can you get Jessica to bring the girls inside now?”

  Silently, everyone wiped their tear-streaked faces and tried to appear normal. Mike went outside to retrieve Jessica.

  A few moments later, Jessica brought both little girls in the house. Bouncing around, they appeared so happy and so blissfully unaware of the misery everyone else was going through.

  “Hi, babies!” Harrison smiled at them and bent down to hug them.

  “Hi, daddy!” They said, their long beautiful hair streaming behind them as they ran to him.

  “Let’s go outside and play on the swing set for a bit, ok? Daddy wants to talk to you…”

  “Okay”. They agreed.

  “Is mommy going to come home today?” The littlest one, Olivia, asked.

  Tears spilled from Harrison’s mother’s eyes. She got up to excuse herself.

  Harrison’s eyes filled with tears, and he shook his head. “No, baby. Let’s go outside for a little bit, okay?” He scooped Olivia up in his arms.

  While Harrison carried Olivia, his oldest girl, Alaina, ran out to the huge swing set in the large backyard. Jumping on a swing, she began to go back and forth. Harrison placed Olivia on the other swing.

  “Girls, can you stop a second? I want you to both come sit on my lap.”

  Sensing something was strange, Alaina spoke first. “Why do you look so sad, daddy? Are you mad at us?”

  “No, never, Alaina. I want to tell you something.”

  Olivia put her tiny hands on Harrison’s face. “I will make you happy, daddy. No more crying.”

  Harrison smiled through his tears and kissed her hands. “You always make me happy, princess. You and your sister both.”

  “Where’s mommy? Why can’t we go home?” Alaina asked in a demanding tone.

  Harrison swallowed deeply. “That’s what I wanted to
talk to you about. There is a beautiful, magical place way up in the sky. It’s so beautiful you can’t even see it. It’s called Heaven. And sometimes, heaven needs beautiful, special, wonderful people to become angels. And that’s where your mommy went. God saw how beautiful and wonderful she was and called her to come be His angel.”

  “What?” Alaina asked, her big blue eyes filling with tears. “Is she coming back?”

  Harrison shook his head, openly crying now.

  “Why not?” Alaina wanted to know. Anger flashed in her eyes.

  “Because she can’t. But she is up in heaven looking down on you both to protect you.”

  Olivia had remained quiet with tears welling up in her eyes. She curled up against her father. “Will she be home later to tuck me in?”

  Harrison cradled her in his arms. “No, baby. Once you go to Heaven, you can’t ever come back.”

  Olivia struggled to comprehend this. She buried her face in Harrison’s shoulder.

  Alaina stood, her face stone-like. “I don’t believe you, daddy! Mommy is here somewhere! I don’t want her in Heaven! I want her here.” Alaina turned and ran across the backyard into the field beyond the house.

  “Alaina!” Harrison called. Jessica and Rose raced outside to take Olivia.

  Harrison ran as fast as he could to catch up to Alaina.

  Looking around him, he couldn’t see her anywhere.

  “Alaina!” Harrison called, looking frantically around the vast field. The weeds were about four or five feet high, easily high enough for her to be obscured from his vision.

  His heart felt as though it were breaking. He couldn’t stand how much it hurt. It’s what I deserve, he thought, for doing this.

  Suddenly, he saw a rustling of the weeds up ahead and heard sobbing.

  “Alaina! Stay there, daddy’s coming!” Harrison raced forward to find her on her knees sobbing.

  Harrison knelt to pick her up and hold her. “It’s okay, baby. I love you so much, and meme and papa love you, and grandma and grandpa, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Jess love you so much too.”

  Alaina looked at him with her big blue eyes filled with tears, her face splotchy from crying and her blonde hair tangled up with weeds, “I want mommy, daddy. Why is she gone?”

  “Doesn’t she love us anymore?”

  Harrison rocked her. “Of course, baby. Mommy loves you both so much. She just had to go, baby. She’s still here; you just can’t see her.”

  “Will you go too, daddy?”

  “No, no, no, baby. I am here. I will never leave you or your sister.” Harrison kissed her face.

  “Come on, baby, let’s go.” Harrison carried Alaina back to the house. Later that evening after several more hours of crying and questions, and with a heavy heart, he put both girls to bed.

  Lying down in the guest bedroom, Harrison had never felt so horrible. How could he have done this to his babies? Hearing their cries tore his soul apart. He simply laid there staring at the ceiling. He rolled over to text Reese. Terrible night. Will see u soon. Luv u. He couldn’t face speaking to anyone right now. Curling up into a fetal position, he began sobbing again. He still had the funeral to face. This was so much worse than he could have ever imagined. He loved Reese, but he should’ve just simply left Lisa and spared all of them this tragedy. Sleep finally found him and he drifted off.

  Chapter 31

  11:00 a.m.

  Harrison stood gazing down onto the coffin that held the remains of his dead wife. Outside, throngs of people waited to attend Lisa’s funeral and pay their final respects to a wonderful mother and a pillar of their community. Many of Harrison’s legal colleagues were there, as were, of course, both their extended families. Dozens and dozens of flowers lined the sanctuary along with two huge sprays of red and white roses with banners. One banner read “Beloved Mother” and the other read “Beloved Wife”. A huge portrait of Lisa was posed next to the casket and decorated with two bracelets; a bracelet the girls had made for her and a white gold heart-shaped locket with both the girls’ pictures inside it. Slowly, he placed his hand atop the bronze casket.

  “Hey, Harry. Are you ready?” Mike gently placed his hand on Harrison’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, I’m ready.” Harrison sighed deeply and took his seat in the front pew. Harrison’s parents and Mike and Jessica, along with the girls, sat next to him. Lisa’s parents sat on the other side with their family and friends behind them. After the family was seated, hundreds of people began filling the pews. Harrison turned and recognized many of them including colleagues, old college friends, and Reese. Reese! He had ordered Reese specifically not to attend, yet there she was all the way in the back. She looked beautiful in her wonderfully appropriate black Chanel suit, her long blonde hair swept back from her face, which crumpled when she saw him and he gave her a weak smile.

  Suddenly, the lights dimmed a bit. A woman appeared on the podium and started singing one of Lisa’s favorite songs, the haunting melody of Bette Midler’s “The Rose”. As the song played on, accompanied by a single piano playing, Harrison broke down along with his and Lisa’s families. Alaina sobbed into his shoulder, and Olivia sat on Jessica’s lap crying. Why did he choose this song? Looking at his girls crying, Harrison’s heart was breaking. He shook harder than he ever had. He felt so sick. All he could remember was Lisa laying on the cold slab, her face melted off, what was left of her skin crisp and black… for two million dollars. He fought the strongest urge to run from the church, but his girls kept him there. Sensing his extreme distress, Mike put his arm around him. As the song ended, Harrison dried his eyes. Turning to his daughters, he dried their tears as well. One more song he thought. Another one of Lisa’s favorite songs was now being sung by the same young woman. It was even harder when a slideshow of her life started playing on a screen over the podium. Snapshots of her as a baby, a toddler, a young girl, a teenager, and finally, as a young woman. Pictures of her and Harrison when they’d first met, pictures of their wedding… Lisa looking beautiful in her wedding gown… Lisa shoving cake in Harrison’s face. Everyone chuckled at that one. The two of them on the beach in Tahiti on their honeymoon. Finally, pictures of the girls… Alaina as a baby… Lisa holding Alaina up to the camera… Lisa pregnant with Olivia and Alaina hugging her pregnant belly… the girls growing up… crawling… learning to walk… Lisa smiling with them on family trips… Christmas… The girls on Santa’s lap… All four of them together on Thanksgiving… Lastly, pictures of them in California on their very last family trip… Lisa looking radiant holding the girls’ hands at Disneyland… Harrison choked up and nearly vomited on the carpet. Mike grabbed him and held him up. The girls were pointing at their pictures on the screen. His and Lisa’s parents were sobbing openly. Looking back, Harrison could see there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. He glimpsed Reese. She was crying with her makeup running in muddy streams down her face, holding a lace handkerchief to her eyes.

  Taking a deep breath, Harrison turned back to the screen to see a picture of the four of them last Christmas… Lisa and him holding hands…

  The best things in life are always free…

  Finally, he stood up and collapsed.

  ********

  Waking up in sumptuous surroundings, Harrison couldn’t remember how he had gotten there. The bed looked so familiar, yet it wasn’t his own. He rolled over and felt soft blonde hair next to him.

  “Reese?” He turned to the female next to him.

  “You’re awake!” Reese turned over and kissed him. “I have been so worried about you!”

  “What happened? The last thing I remember was being at the funeral.”

  Reese shook her head. “Honey, the funeral was a week ago. You fell and hit your head and passed out. You had a terrible concussion and went to the hospital.”

  “You picked me up from the hospital?”

  Reese nodded. “You called me and I came and got you last night.”

  Harrison was alarmed. “What about my kids? Where are they
?”

  “They are with Lisa’s parents right now.”

  “Where is Mike? He’s probably worried about me being discharged…”

  “You called him and told him you were going to a hotel until you bought another house.”

  Harrison vaguely recalled doing what Reese said he had done. It was starting to come back to him now.

  “Baby, are you okay? Here, you are supposed to take these pills.” Reese got up and handed him some painkillers and a glass of water.

  Harrison took the medicine from her. “God, my head feels like it was crushed. What happened at the funeral?”

  “After you fell, they called an ambulance to take you to the hospital. Your parents went with you. Your brother and Lisa’s parents kept the children. You were unconscious for a few days.”

  “Did you come see me at the hospital?”

  Reese smiled. “Of course. I waited until everyone had left and I slipped in to see you. Don’t you remember?”

  Harrison rubbed his head. “Yeah, a little bit.”

  Reese sat down beside him. “Harrison, I’ve been thinking. We have to start a new life for ourselves. This is a terrible thing that we did, but we have to go on.”

  Harrison agreed. “Yes, it is, and I am ready to let the past go and move on with you.” Harrison gave Reese a deep, slow, hot kiss.

  Reese smiled as his hands roamed to her breasts. “Now, now, big boy, you aren’t in any kind of condition for that kind of stuff… not yet. Doctor’s orders.”

  Harrison pouted. “Actually, I think that’s just what I need,” he said, pulling Reese to him and tugging on her bra.

  Reese pulled away and slapped his hands. “No. Not yet.” With that, she sashayed out of the room.