“Is this really fucking happening?” I shook my head in disbelief as Taylor led me to my new saving grace.
“It is.” I looked in the direction she was heading and saw two men. One seemed to be waiting at the door for someone outside and the other was looking right at us. I paused mid-step as I took him in, but Taylor gripped my arm, nudging me forward. “Nina, no matter what fuck up she hired, he can’t compete with this guy.”
He didn’t have an earpiece liked I’d expected, or a men-in-black suit on. His jeans were tattered and his t-shirt was wrinkled and worn. His head was shaved smooth and he was covered in tattoos. His knowing smirk at Taylor had me on edge.
“Nina, let him help.” I nodded as we approached. “I’m Cedric. I’ll take good care of you, Ms. Scott.” He extended his hand politely, despite his rugged appearance, and I accepted it, thankful for the help.
“Tomorrow,” Taylor reminded as she walked out of the bar, leaving me in Cedric’s hands.
“Ex-military, eight years, some Special Ops, and I’ve been guarding now for four years. You will sleep like a baby.” Even as he spit off his résumé, I doubted the truth of his words on my sleeping capabilities. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.” Nervously, I sputtered out the situation, giving him entirely too much information as we walked back through the market to await Carson.
“Did you tell the police?” he prompted.
“Yes, everything I’m telling you.” He couldn’t hide his smirk. “Might want to shorten the story in case there is a next time.”
“I’m sorry. I’m nervous. The wife, Eileen, she’s so well-known and respected in this city, I know it will be her word against mine. I just can’t imagine they will do a damn thing about it. And she knew it. It was pretty fucking bold of her to actually be there when it happened.”
“That kind of cockiness is sure to catch up with her at some point, but it’s also a good reason for you to take the precautions you are taking. I’ll be investigating this on my own, as well as cooperating with the police when needed. Do you have an issue with that?”
I shook my head no. My pain level had increased to ungodly as Carson finally pulled up. Cedric had kept me behind the brick building as we waited then guided me to the car as I told him I was going back to the hospital. He agreed it was for the best until they got a clear idea of the type of security I would need at my house. I slipped into the car and was surprised when he joined me.
“You and I will be spending a large amount of time together for the time being.” I had no choice but to agree. I had no idea what I was in for.
Carson eyed Cedric as he introduced himself. Carson’s reaction to the events of the day was nothing less than fatherly concern. He’d refused to take a much needed vacation at my urging. He couldn’t hide his disappointment that I’d left him in the dark and he’d said as much on the way to the hospital. Cedric escorted me to the room but not before requesting Carson’s presence once he was parked.
And just like that, my whole life had gone from semi-fucked up to out of control with no end or relief in sight. Somewhere outside of the hospital walls there were people possibly plotting my death. In the last few hours my life had been completely turned upside down. And though I wanted to blame Devin, I knew this wasn’t his doing. Still, I prayed he’d really heard my words and stayed the hell away from me. And even as I thought it, my heart told me I’d die a thousand deaths to feel the way he made me feel this morning.
He. Loves. Me.
And that fucking love almost cost me my life.
DEVIN
I stared at my wife entwined with her lover in our marital bed. I’d left the restaurant immediately after Nina and started making phone calls knowing I wouldn’t get any answers from Eileen. If I’d stayed with her a minute longer, I would have lost all control. I felt the hope from that morning slip away from me with Nina’s parting words. She was furious and had every right to be, but she’d meant them.
And that had changed every rule of fair fighting.
As I stared at Eileen sleeping soundly with one of my partners, I had to stifle a laugh at the fact Thomas wasn’t wearing his hair piece. It amazed me they had become that comfortable. He was so vain about his appearance. I reached in my pocket and took a snap shot with my cell phone before dropping my suitcase loudly on the floor.
The both jumped and as soon as they saw me, shot out of bed scrambling for cover.
“Devin,” Thomas offered in a low voice as an apology. I ignored him, my sights on the woman looking back at me in shock.
“What are you doing here, Devin!” She gripped a sheet to her chest, as if I would at all be interested in seeing anything underneath it.
“Good morning, honey,” I chimed happily. “So fucking good to be home. I see Thomas was kind enough to keep the sheets warm.” I gave him a sly grin. “Thanks, pal. And now that there’s a vacancy, I’ll just get settled.” I opened my suitcase and dumped the contents on the floor. It was an entire week’s worth of suits and just enough to have her gasping in disbelief.
“Devin, you can’t possibly think you—”
“See you at the office, Thomas,” I said warmly as he threw on his suit coat. He stopped just short of the door and turned to me.
“Devin, I don’t know what to say.”
“See you soon, Thomas.” I couldn’t give a fuck about his presence, but it was good to know he would be shitting himself the rest of the week worrying about my retaliation. I may just give him a run for his money. He was, after all, fucking my wife. I couldn’t care less, but then there was that matter of respect. Though I was positive she’d painted me a pretty villain to Thomas, I decided I would make sure her prophecy came to fruition.
“Devin, get out! Get out of this house!”
Ignoring her demand, I removed the canvass off the wall. “You know I always hated this painting.” I gripped the Renoir and opened the window next to her bedside table. I pulled a sharp pen from my suit jacket and ripped through it, hearing her screams. It was her prize possession. I threw it out the window and it landed just short of hitting an escaping Thomas.
“Sorry, buddy,” I called as he jumped out of the way. “Safe travels.”
I turned back to Eileen, who was now pounding on my chest with her fists. “I own your plantation too now, bitch. You really aren’t very good at the game of Monopoly. I now own Park Place and all the hotels and you have just landed your ass in jail.”
She stopped her pounding and looked up at me.
“The paperwork, I read it.”
“I forged your signature on the real initial contract. It’s the first shady deal I’ve ever brokered and it was fucking worth it. It got you into closing where all the lawyers were present and you signed it away to me with a smile.”
“Get out of my house,” she ordered with a pointed finger as she sat on the side of the bed, dressed in only a half-slip.
“Call it off,” I countered. “You have gone too fucking far!”
She looked up at me, judgment clear on her face. “I’ve gone too far. And what you’ve done you won’t have to answer for?”
“I don’t care what happens to me anymore. Can’t you see that? I. Don’t. Fucking. Care. I’m here, call it OFF!”
“I already have.” With false confidence she stood then walked toward the bathroom. I gripped her arm and pulled her to face me.
“Sorry, honey, but I’m going to have a bit of a hard time believing you. At least you’ve spared me the argument of admitting it. I’m going to need proof.”
“I warned you,” she snapped. I shook her hard and let go as she started sobbing before falling back onto the bed. “And I warned you, Eileen. Don’t make me this monster, because for her, I will be. I’ll fucking kill you right now!”
“Please, Devin. I saw you leaving her house yesterday and I—”
“Another man just left your bed, Eileen. Spare me the jealous act.” Holding her down on the mattress, I hovered over her. All I saw was fe
ar. “I’m back for good. You’ve taken away my only chance at happiness. You get your wish. This will be a marriage again, but I can’t say the nature of it will be desirable.” She looked away from me as I gripped her chin, forcing her to look at me, her eyes wide as I hovered. “The minute she dies, you do too. Now tell me, honey, do you believe me?”
“Devin, I’m sorry. I only wanted you to stop seeing her. I told you, you can have indiscretions, just not—”
“Uh uh, Eileen, now I only want you.” I slid my hands slowly down her sides and gripped her hips, sure I would leave bruises. She began sobbing hysterically and I let her go, without an ounce of remorse. The switch had been flipped and I couldn’t shut it off. She cowered under my glare as I nailed myself to her mentally. “You’re done, you’ve sunk yourself, it’s over.”
She wanted me as a husband, well by God hubby was home.
NINA
After Aaron was situated, comfortably recovering from surgery, I messaged Taylor to meet me at the hospital entrance. I had hardly slept, too revved up on pain meds and the aftermath of the day’s events. I’d spent the better part of my night pacing the floor at Aaron’s side. At four A.M., a nurse took pity on me, sliding a second bed into the room and making me comfortable enough to lie down. I still hadn’t managed to slip off, constantly looking outside the glass in the door for Cedric. I’d managed only a few hours on exhaustion alone.
I walked outside of the hospital against Cedric’s request. I needed the air, due to the constant noise inside of the busy entrance making me more anxious. The thunderous rumble of an engine had me jumping out of my skin as a long, sleek, blacked out muscle car came into view before stopping suddenly. I looked to Cedric who seemed perfectly calm, sure he was misreading the situation, and felt the dread overwhelm me when I unbelievably watched Taylor exit the driver’s side.
What in the hell?
She stood with the door open, tapping her fingers on the hood. “Come on, boss.” I was sure this was some sort of joke but played along, taking a seat beside her. We shot out of the parking lot, minus one Cedric, who assured me I was in good hands.
“Taylor,” I said, lifting the ass end of her name in question.
“Boss,” she answered back with a smile. “Open the glove compartment.”
I did as prompted and saw a gun the size of a small cannon nestled comfortably in black velvet.
“That’s Leroy Brown,” she introduced. “And I’m sure you know his rep.”
“Baddest in the whole damn town,” I finished for her. “Is this a joke to you?”
She looked at me seriously, momentarily taking her eyes off the road. “Not at all.”
“She tried to kill me, Taylor.” I was irritable and in a lot of pain. Popping two more of my pills, I decided I would need a shower sooner than later. My mouth was dry and I could feel my skin starting to crawl.
“So what, someone makes an attempt on your life and you go crawling under a rock? Not happening.”
“Well, I sure as hell am not going to walk around with a target on my back!” Taylor was speeding and I buckled my belt, making her chuckle. “What’s with the knight rider?”
“It’s my taste,” she offered simply.
“Okay, correct me if I’m wrong here, but isn’t this like, a man’s car?”
“I’ll forgive you for that … eventually. We’re here.” She pulled into the parking lot and I looked at the sign. It was a sporting goods store. “First we get your license then I teach you how to shoot.”
“Taylor, I don’t feel comfortable with a gun.” She pulled opened the glove box and grabbed her pistol then pointed it right at my head.
“Are you fucking crazy!” I sat still, completely sure that my time was up, that I had somehow mistook Taylor for someone I could trust. Trembling from head to toe, her face gave away nothing as I braced myself for certain death. After only a few seconds, she questioned me.
“Now, would you feel more comfortable with a gun?”
“Jesus Christ, you’re fired!” I shrieked, pulling my head away from the barrel. She turned it to the side, examining it.
“Safety was on and you can’t fire me. I’m now your co-chair. You wanted to know who I am, well, this is part of it. I’m not going to sugarcoat shit, and it’s time you took better care of yourself. Lesson one: when there is someone threatening your life, make sure you have a big goddamn gun and you know how to use it.”
“That was unforgivable!” I yelled, my adrenaline still pumping through me at an all-time high.
“Nina, you are not a weak woman.” Furious, I sat as she tried to reason with me. “Do you want to rely on others to take care of this situation, or do you want to have a say in your own fate if push comes to shove?”
Stunned, I sat, twisting my hands in my lap as she continued. “You leave your fate in the hands of other people ,they are bound to let you down.”
Don’t I know it.
“Who let you down, Taylor?”
She smiled and gave me a wink. “Nice try.”
Still a bit furious with her scare tactic, I followed her into the store, completely terrified of my new revelation, and just a little bit in awe of my new partner. Clearing my head, I focused as much as I possibly could as I filled out the necessary paperwork while Taylor browsed through a glass case catalog of shiny protective metal. I’d never really had an opinion on guns, never had to. Never thought I would be in the situation to form one. Suddenly I was pro shiny protective metal. She looked up at me every once in a while in reassurance. I took deep breaths as the clerk walked me through the various pieces of information as Taylor ordered several guns she thought would be a good fit for me.
A gun for me. A fucking gun!
Back inside Knight Rider, I felt a little more at ease and began to relax for the first time in twenty-four hours.
“Taylor, what am I missing here? Why would Cedric leave me with you?”
“I’ve known him all my life. He knows if I can’t outrun them, I can outshoot them.”
“Where the hell are you from?”
“Tennessee.” I barked out a laugh as she gave me a stern look. “Trust me, it was the Wild West.”
I frowned, completely lost in my thoughts, and found myself drooling on her car window as she slid to a stop in front of the hospital. I’d slipped off somehow and was now cupping the drool from my chin to gather myself. I turned to see Taylor amused.
“Well, thank you, Taylor, for a terrifying yet informative experience.” I turned to her with a wink, my hand on the door handle.
“I would never hurt you, Nina.” Pressing my lips together, I attempted to stifle my tears but failed. Her eyes softened slightly.
“Trust Cedric, steer clear of the office until he gives you the okay, and try to rest. Your brother needs you. The office doesn’t.”
“Does it ever need me?” I smiled as she chuckled. “Get out, your brother needs you.” I watched her speed away as Cedric escorted me back inside.
“Tennessee was the Wild West, huh?” Cedric simply smiled as he led me back to Aaron.
And that was the completion of day two in an alternate universe.
DEVIN
Every second that ticked by was agony. I waited for a report from a few men I’d hired to watch over Nina. They’d made me aware she had hired guards of her own. She was doubly protected and it did absolutely nothing to help me. She wouldn’t leave Charleston, I knew that much. She wouldn’t leave her brother’s side.
All of this was on me. I was dealing with it, but it didn’t make it easier to stay in this house, sleep next to Eileen, and watch her every move. I didn’t let her out of my sight, not even for a private moment. I’d confiscated her phone the minute I’d returned home. It was beginning to wear on her, I could tell. Eventually she’d give in and want her freedom back, so I bided my time.
“Going somewhere?” I peeked around my newspaper and stared at her as she scurried down the hall to reach the front door. She would never be
fast enough.
Shoulders slumped, she faced me. “Devin, I have an appointment. You can’t keep me prisoner in my own home!”
“Sorry, dear, those are the breaks. Besides, I’ve invited your mother over for lunch.”
Sheer terror covered her features as she raced through the house, making sure it was perfect. She barked orders at the service staff as I finished my coffee. Eileen had a sick and deep seeded need for her mother’s approval. I was sure it was what had ruined her and her sister, corrupting their stability. I was positive it was what made them into the monsters they had become. Sandra had proven as much with her actions. They were both unredeemable as human beings.
Eileen came to a halt only when she saw the smile on my face. She believed I was bluffing. “You are a cruel bastard.”
“And you are a heartless bitch. I could do this forever, darling.” She walked toward me slowly and took a seat next to me at the table. She feared me now. I knew I could use it.
“What do you want?”
“I want you on camera admitting you hired someone to kill Nina, how much you paid, and exactly who it was.”
“You can’t be serious,” she scoffed. “Devin, I’m not that stupid.”
“Yes you are, wife dear. You were, in fact, at the scene of the fucking crime and have been questioned by police, have you not?”
“You think I’m going to admit to hiring someone to kill your mistress on tape?”
“Yes,” I said, turning the page of my paper. She sat staring at me as I ignored her successfully.
A knock on the door had Eileen looking to me, horrified as she got up to answer. It was, in fact, her mother. I wasn’t bluffing.
Yes, indeed, hubby was home.
NINA
Nina: I’m sorry Aiden.
I’d sent that text a week after the ‘accident’.
Three words, I texted him three words he deserved. I’d been deceptive to a fault and I deserved his silence. As I sat admiring the lighthouse from the shore, I realized it had been three weeks since the attempt was made on my life. Aaron had been discharged from the hospital, and after several lengthy arguments and a horrible visit from my mother as a reminder of what life would be like under her watch, he had returned to Florida to finish his recovery. Leave it to Mom to keep her children safely at bay. This was my mess and I wanted Aaron as far away from it as possible. He’d fought me every step of the way, but in the end, with the help of Cedric’s and my coaxing, he’d returned home. I’d hired a fulltime nurse to help him and paid all his medical bills. I’d also arranged for his condo to be paid off and an ample check to be delivered each month. We would fight about that later.
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