Dirty Truths

by Renee Miller

  Kristina digested this information and her heart pounded. Alone with Wade. She shivered, thinking of what could happen. If she let it. After all, he’d already been with women other than his wife, if Kristina gave him the right signs then maybe—she shook her head, silently chastising herself.

  “No?” Wade frowned.

  “Oh, no I was just thinking about something silly. I can do it.” Blush warmed her cheeks.

  “Good.”

  Wade reached out and picked something off her shoulder and then smoothed her shirt. He rose and walked away from her toward his office once more.

  Kristina remained on the stool for a moment, collecting herself before meeting Sheila outside. She had to stop this. It would end in tears. She’d cried enough for a lifetime.

  CHAPTER 11

  As she walked down the darkened streets, Kristina mulled over the night’s events. She always did this when she had to walk home. It took her mind away from the fact that she was alone, in the dark. The damp sidewalk squished under her shoes and a light mist still fell from the sky. The rain hadn’t killed the humidity at all. She pulled her shirt from her sweat-soaked body.

  Since she agreed to the closing shifts, Kristina no longer had Sheila to drive her home. Wade never offered, and she couldn’t afford to call a cab every night, so she lied bout arranging a cab. Some nights she could barely force her aching feet to shuffle the short distance to her house. Two blocks didn’t seem such a long way to walk, but when you’d raced ten miles of floor in one night, it might as well have been twenty blocks. Fatigue always plagued her, no matter how much rest she got.

  Wade closed an hour early because they hadn’t had a customer from ten onward. While he tallied the receipts Kristina had left. She tried not to stick around too long, afraid the temptation to give in to his subtle advances would be too strong to resist.

  Turning at the stoplights, she walked out of the glow of the streetlamps toward the bridge that crossed the river in front of her house. She hated this part, and tried to keep her mind off the back streets in darkness, illuminated only by widely spaced streetlights and the moon. Wade’s face floated into her mind, his smile when she peeked in and the sparkle in his dark eyes. Tonight he’d actually asked her to stay.

  “You want a drink?” He’d gestured to a bottle of whiskey at his elbow.

  She grimaced and shook her head.

  He chuckled.

  Kristina didn’t care for booze. If she indulged, it was only wine and girly coolers. She’d tried whiskey during her first week at the bar and thought she would die. The fiery liquid burned a path down her throat, through her chest and into her belly. She gasped and sputtered, even gagged once, before Wade handed her a glass of water to ‘chase’ it down. Though she guzzled the water, her stomach burned for a long time after.

  “I should get home.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

  She’d grabbed her purse and left the bar, pausing before letting the steel door close behind her. If she turned around, went back to the office and locked the door, what would he have done? Would he laugh at her? No, he’d never do that, but she didn’t think she could keep up to Wade; he scared her as much as he intrigued her. Nothing she’d learned about sex could meet his needs. She’d only ever been with Daniel, and he didn’t like to explore too much. When she suggested different things she’d read in her romance novels, he’d frowned and told her if he wanted a whore he’d have married one. She figured Wade would be different.

  The questions she had when she left the bar plagued her still. Kristina shook her head as she came to the end of the sidewalk. There was little point in driving herself crazy over Wade, she’d never have the guts to offer him any sort of invitation. Hell, he probably wouldn’t accept it anyway. She’d probably misconstrued his actions.

  Before stepping onto the road, Kristina paused. No one drove the streets at this time of night but she still looked both ways before crossing, a habit ingrained from childhood. As she moved her foot to cross, her neck tingled. Were those footsteps behind her? Almost at the bridge, she lengthened her strides. No one in Laighton would be lurking in the shadows waiting to pounce on a lone woman at night. Hell, she’d walked alone in the dark for years and not once had she ever had a problem.

  The footsteps were real, and quickened. Kristina turned around, her heart pounding in her chest. About ten feet away a man, tall, lanky and wearing a hooded gray sweatshirt, walked toward her. Something about him seemed familiar, but he’d pulled the hood over his head with a baseball cap on top so she couldn’t make out his features. She turned and broke into a trot, instinct forcing her to move faster.

  “Hey, you dropped this,” he called.

  She stopped, checking her shoulder to make sure her purse was still there. Kristina wondered what she’d lost and allowed him to catch up to her at the bridge. His face shadowed by the hood, he grinned as he held out his hand.

  “Thanks,” she started.

  He lunged.

  Kristina stumbled back, but he grabbed her shoulders.

  She struggled to free her arms from his viselike grip.

  He laughed, and then raised his hand to slap her face. His knuckles caught her cheek.

  Her ears rang and stars floated before her eyes.

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?” he asked.

  She tried to place his voice, but he spoke in a whisper. “Please, take my purse and I won’t say a word. Just let me go home.”

  “Oh, we’re going home, but I’m not interested in your purse.”

  He dragged her onto the bridge.

  Kristina struggled.

  He threw her down on the wooden planks.

  She grunted as her knee struck the hard surface and sparks of pain shot through her legs. Kristina attempted to stand but crumpled as his foot knocked the air out of her lungs.

  “I watch you in your slutty little clothes, making eyes at everyone. You think you can send the invitation and we’ll be happy to leave you a nice tip? Think you’re too fucking good for guys like me?” He grabbed her hair, forcing her to stand.

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  He yanked her forward.

  Kristina stumbled again, tasting blood as she bit her tongue. “Please don’t hurt me.”

  “It doesn’t have to hurt, but I’m going to get what I paid for whether you cooperate or not.”

  Fear froze any intelligent thoughts from her mind and she followed blindly behind him. Now and then he’d let go to push her forward. When she tried to run, he moved closer, kicking her, punching her, until Kristina couldn’t breathe much less fight him. At the end of the bridge, she glanced at her house, hoping she might make the short distance before him.

  He smiled and nodded to her house. “Try it. I dare you to. You think you can get inside, call the cops, and keep me out until they haul their asses away from their donuts?”

  Kristina’s lip trembled. She didn’t want to show her fear, but didn’t know how to get out of this. When Daniel attacked her, she knew how to react, how to calm him down. She also knew Daniel wouldn’t kill her. This guy was a stranger and she didn’t understand what he wanted. Dread settled into her belly. She pictured Cadence’s smiling face and her heart twisted at the thought of never seeing her daughter again. “I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t kill me.”

  He shoved her.

  Stumbling backward, she fell on her bottom. The moisture from the wet pavement seeped through her jeans.

  “Why would I kill you? I’m going to fuck you, and then I’m going to watch you again for a while. You probably like knowing I’m out there, waiting for you. Maybe when I get the urge, I’ll come back and fuck you again and again. You tell anyone, or if you don’t do exactly what I tell you to, then I’ll kill you. Maybe I’ll do your kid first.”

  Kristina blinked, pushing herself back.

  He leaned over and grabbed the front of her shirt, ripping it as he pulled her t
o her feet and pressed his lips to hers. Hard and punishing, he ground his mouth against her teeth. She tasted more blood when her front teeth split the tender skin behind her upper lip. His breath reeked of booze and she gagged when he forced his tongue into her mouth. A noise to her left, near the water, made her open her eyes, but she saw nothing but a blur of grey and black. A sob lodged in her chest. Never in her worst nightmares did she think this could ever happen. Even when Daniel had raged and assaulted her, she hadn’t felt this terrified and violated.

  At a throat-clearing noise, her knees weakened in relief.

  The man straightened, but did not turn around. His eyes bored into hers, a silent warning. “You got a problem?” he asked.

  “Well, I kinda do. When I see someone treating a lady like that, I get a bit ruffled. Know what I mean?”

  Wade’s voice sounded like music to her ears.

  The man laughed, but didn’t release her. “Just me and my old lady having a little fun. Mind your business, all right?”

  Wade sighed. A shuffle before he continued speaking. “Only one thing I hate more than an asshole, and that’s a liar.”

  The man spun around.

  Kristina crumpled to the sidewalk.

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Fuck off before you end up at the bottom of the river,” he pointed across the road.

  Kristina risked a glance at Wade. Standing just a few feet away, the darkness shadowing his features, he chuckled as though the man were joking. “You think you got the parts to put me there? Bring it.”

  The man charged.

  Wade sidestepped.

  Everything happened so fast. Kristina didn’t know who had the advantage. They fell to the ground, rolling around. Then Wade surfaced on top, punching the man repeatedly. She silently cheered him on as her attacker brought his arms up to ward off the blows. Wade continued undeterred. Her breath caught in her throat when she looked to Wade’s face. Calm, his eyes cold and determined; he pummeled the man on the ground. He’d kill him without a qualm, she was sure of it. Then he’d go to jail. No matter the reason, the law didn’t like murderers. If she allowed Wade to continue that’s what he’d be. Kristina yelled for him to stop.

  Standing, Wade wiped bloodied hands on his jeans before straightening his rumpled shirt.

  “He deserves to fucking die.” He muttered.

  “You’ll go to jail if you kill him.” Kristina argued.

  “I haven’t gone yet.” Wade bent and dragged the man to his feet. “Get out of here and don’t let me even smell you around this town again. You got me?”

  “Fuck you.”

  “Really? You really want to go there? You don’t want trouble with me. I’m warning you, I won’t be the one at the bottom of a river.” Wade shoved him.

  Stumbling back, the man spat on the ground, moving away but he didn’t look away from Wade until he reached the other side of the bridge where he turned and jogged away.

  Kristina pushed herself to her feet.

  Wade rushed over to take her arm.

  She looked up and frowned. “We should have called the cops. He’ll just attack someone else.”

  “Let me worry about what he’ll do.” He held up his right hand.

  She gasped. A brown leather wallet, held closed with a rubber band, nestled between his thumb and index finger.

  “He won’t do anything.” Wade said.

  “What are you going to do with that?”

  Wade tucked the wallet into his back pocket and ran one thumb over her lip. “You’re bleeding.”

  Kristina had no words, no thoughts, only the knowledge she was lost. No turning back or changing her mind, her heart no longer belonged to her. Even if Wade pushed her away now, she couldn’t stop what she felt.

  “I think you should go inside. You’re shaking like a leaf and people are going to start taking their dogs out or getting up for their midnight snacks. They’ll wonder what’s going on,” he murmured.

  “I guess I’m a little shocked. I don’t know what I would have done if—”

  Wade shook his head.

  She looked down at her feet.

  “Don’t. I’m sure you would have done something. You’re a survivor.”

  “Thanks,” she mumbled.

  She didn’t feel like a survivor. People just kept taking advantage of her and she should be getting stronger, tougher. Instead Kristina felt like a bigger target, as though she weakened with every blow life threw at her.

  Wade cleared his throat. “Look, from now on you aren’t walking home from work. Even if the guy never comes back—and I promise he won’t—there will be others. This might be a small town but there’s no invisible barrier warding off psychos. Shit, if you hadn’t forgotten your tips…”

  “I know, but you don’t have to take me home. Dad can pick me up or I can get a cab.”

  “It’s not open for discussion. Besides, I can’t trust you to actually call Joe, can I? You lied. I don’t even want to think about how many times you walked home when I thought you were safely tucked inside a cab. Now I won’t sleep at night unless I see you get home. He could have killed you, or worse. That would be terrible, you know? At my age, I need my sleep. Understood?”

  A finger under her chin forced her to look at him. Kristina shivered at the anger still evident in his gaze despite his little joke. “Yes,” she whispered.

  He lowered his hand.

  “Would you like to come in for a drink? I mean, I won’t be able to sleep for a while, and it would be nice to have company. That is, if you don’t have to get home right away.”

  “What about your mom?”

  “Um, she’s probably not going to care. But I don’t know; I could call her if you want.”

  Wade laughed and some of her tension slipped away. She’d just made an ass of herself and it bothered her more than her near death experience.

  “I meant, what about Cadence? Isn’t your mom babysitting?”

  “Oh, I’m just kind of shaken up. Fear makes me stupid. Mom watches her at their place so I can get some sleep.”

  “So, you have all night…” Eyebrow raised, he glanced to the house and then to Kristina.

  The silence grew as loud as a bomb blast.

  Kristina saw the possibilities in his gaze, and in the way he twirled his wedding band around his finger.

  The gold ring catching the light of the moon brought her to her senses. The idea she could go through with sleeping with a married man suddenly seemed ridiculous. No matter how much Amy and Wade hated each other, the fact remained they were married. Hadn’t she vowed to herself when she’d found out about Desiree never to do the same to another woman?

  Heat crept up her neck. “Well, not all night,” she stuttered. “I mean, how long does it take you to drink?” Kristina shrugged and laughed, although it sounded hollow to her ears.

  Wade’s lip twitched, as though he might smile. “Depends on the drink.”

  She faltered and gave a nervous laugh. “Well I’ve got cheap wine and beer.”

  “I can’t say no to cheap wine. I should stay at least long enough to be sure the fucktard doesn’t come back.”

  “Of course,” Kristina turned toward the house, his footsteps on the damp street behind her.

  Kristina took her key out of her purse, but dropped it as she approached the door. She bent to retrieve it and almost collided with Wade’s head. Kristina jumped back.

  He picked up the key and inserted it in the lock. She murmured her thanks and stepped inside.

  CHAPTER 12

  Kristina reached to switch on the kitchen light. The fluorescent glow blinded her and she paused. Wade’s body brushing against her back sent her scurrying into the kitchen. Inviting him in for a drink must rank the worst idea she’d ever had. He was far from stupid and she’d be willing to bet he read her every thought. Probably thought she was childish.

  She gazed around the room at the crummy furniture. What she once considered cheerful and sunny yel
low paint, seemed tacky now, and the chipped countertop not so charming. Wade lived in a fabulous house. How must this shitty little place look to him? He probably thought she was destitute.

  Muddled and still reeling from the shock of the encounter on the bridge, Kristina walked across the small kitchen and opened the cupboard. She cringed at the squeaky hinge she intended to fix, even bought the grease for it, but never seemed to get around to doing. Kristina reached up to the top shelf for a bottle of wine that had sat there since her divorce. Though she bought it to celebrate her new life, so far she hadn’t felt like drinking it. Wiping the dust from its sides she set it on the counter.

  “Shit, how long have you had that?” Wade chuckled, a chair scraping the linoleum as he sat down. He was actually sitting in her kitchen and it scared her to death.

  She shrugged. “A couple of months, I guess. It should be okay. Don’t they charge more for the old stuff?” She twisted the top off and reached up once more to grab two glasses.

  “Um, the good old stuff.”

  Her hands shook. Pouring the wine, she held the bottle with both hands to keep the red liquid in the glass and not spilling all over the counter. Kristina took a deep breath before turning . She took a step toward him to hand him his glass. Her fingers refused to cooperate. Suddenly she couldn’t hold the glasses anymore. In slow motion, she followed their arc to the floor at her feet, red liquid splashing up on her pants and across the white linoleum. Tears burned her eyes and her cheeks warmed. With unsteady hands she grabbed a towel hanging over the sink and knelt to clean up the mess.

  Wade jumped up from his chair to kneel in front of her. His breath warmed her face. “There’s the clumsy girl I know and love.”

  Instinctively, she closed her hand, cutting her finger on a shard of glass. “Shit,” she cursed. The sight of her blood sent waves of nausea through her stomach. Her head spun, heat coursed through her body, and a lump formed in her throat. Great, she’d have an all-out panic attack right in front of him. He’d be so impressed when she started crying and vomiting all over the floor. Kristina dropped the glass pieces and slumped.