by S. J. Maylee
The heavy blanket fell from her shoulders. She swallowed hard around the ball of fear forming in her throat. Pressure pushed on everything and her breath came in and out in short bursts. She grabbed the blanket and held it to her chest. With the document laid on the island, she spread it flat and kept her gaze on Aidan. It was clear on several counts. Her heart pounded and it took the concentration of every muscle to keep her reading.
Liz was scheduled to die, tomorrow at the latest.
There wasn’t a lot of information on the page. The top documented the order. Husband wants wife dead. “Rat bastard.” Below, it listed her home address, her name, and at the very bottom, their wedding photo.
She looked at her face from that perfect day. “You idiot.”
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who’d ordered the hit and who was to carry it out. Aidan’s name was nowhere on the letter but it was in his pocket. What she couldn’t figure out was what kind of shameless evil audacity it took to romance a woman and then kill her for money.
She should run, call the police like he talked her into not doing last night. “Holy hell,” she whispered. If she wanted to live, she should grab her things and get as far from Aidan as she could. He was going to kill her. She clutched the blanket to her chest. Why wasn’t she running? For some stupid reason, she couldn’t believe Aidan would hurt her. She hung her head.
“Liz?”
“I’m right here.” She let the venom in her thoughts coat her voice.
He climbed out of bed, wrapped the sheet around his hips, and crept toward her.
“Well? Don’t keep me waiting any longer. How were you planning on killing me?” She grabbed her purse from the island and inched back. “I’m all ears.” She cleared her throat. “How does a man kill a woman after he’s had sex with her? After he’s promised to protect her from whatever is after her. Tell me, Aidan, because I’m curious as hell.” She shut her mouth and felt her nostrils flaring. Her hands had a death grip on the sheet and her purse, as if she could wring the truth out of him.
He jetted closer and she held up her hand.
“Not another step. Please, just tell me I’m wrong. Explain this.” She pointed to the paper and waited. “To think I was feeling bad for invading your privacy.” She inched closer to the exit to get just out of his reach “How silly of me to worry about hurting you when it was your plan for me all along. Was it you who trashed my place? The whole night must have been quite the amusement for you.” She stopped with her hand on the door. “Say something!”
“I could never hurt you.” He eliminated the space between them.
She swung for his face, but he blocked it. Then he seized the top edge of the blanket and pulled. She stumbled into him and he wrapped his arms around her. “Let me go.” She stomped on his foot and he released her. She made it back to the front door before he grabbed her again.
When she struggled against him, he pressed her into the door. His strength was unwavering. She desperately wanted to go back ten minutes, back to her blissful morning. Her body hadn’t forgotten how deep Aidan had gotten into her body. Her deliciously sore pussy wanted him. It seemed treacherous, but with his body pressing against her, her body filled with need.
“Damn you, Aidan. Let me go,” she cried out.
“No, I won’t. Give me a few minutes to explain and if you still want to leave, I’ll take you somewhere safe where you won’t be alone.”
“Like I’d trust you again. No, thank you.”
He pulled her from the door, swung her over his shoulder. From her upside down position, she spotted the bed still messy from their sleep and then he set her on the couch.
She scrambled to the far end and placed her purse in front of her, like a shield.
“Those documents are exactly what you think they are. Someone has ordered your death.”
“Someone?”
“It’s all done anonymously. But it appears Reese is paying for it.”
“Reese is dead.” She closed her eyes. Moisture pushed at the backs of her lids. She didn’t want to hear anymore. It was like the threads of her life were being torn apart. “Isn’t he?”
“I don’t know. No one but the heads of the auction know the parties involved. I don’t know for sure who ordered the hit and that person doesn’t know who won the contract.” He reached to her, but she scooted off the couch.
“Don’t come near me right now.” She held out her hand. “I can’t. I just can’t.” She made her way back to the kitchen, closer to the door and her escape.
“I’m glad I won your contract.” His honesty, as shocking and distasteful as it was, made her breathing even out.
“I appreciate you telling me the truth, but you’re scaring the shit out of me.” Every muscle in her body tensed.
“Hold on now. I’m not glad because I want to kill you or anything.” His hands flexed in and out of fists.
“Oh, give the man a medal. He doesn’t want to kill an innocent woman.” She found her shirt and pulled it over her head. “You’re a real gem, Aidan.” She struggled with her jeans until she got them to cover her butt. “What the hell am I even talking about? This is nuts.”
“Look. If I have the contract then no one else has it.” He huffed out a big breath. “But…”
“But what!”
The door opened and a beautiful woman walked in. “Hi Aidan, I’m a little early for our meeting and—”
“Who’s this?” she shrieked. “Is this your murderer’s assistant or something?” When neither offered anything more, “Is she your lover?” She crammed her feet into her heels.
“No.” They both said at the same time.
“Don’t let Ethan hear her say something like that,” the pretty one said. “I’m Nadia, Aidan’s Human Resources Manager.” She held out her hand and Liz just stared at her.
“I’m so out of here. You’re all crazy.” She stuffed her underwear and bra in her bag and pushed past Nadia to make her escape.
Without looking back at Aidan, she ran down the stairs and out of the building. One of her heels cracked in half. She kicked them both off and sprinted down the street. She kept running even when white hot flashes of pain shot up her legs and through her side.
Block after block flew past her. She jabbed her fingers against the growing agony, it felt like it threatened to tear her in half. Fire filled her lungs. She stopped short and threw-up in an alley. Her hand landed on the brick wall just in time to stop her skull from ramming it. Rolling knots churned in her belly. She emptied her stomach again.
“This can’t be happening.” She leaned against the wall and took several deep breaths. The cool stone and the dampness on her skin chilled her through.
What in the hell was she going to do? Leaving town and changing her name seemed the only option if she wanted to live.
She reached for her grandma’s necklace, but it wasn’t there. All her muscles contracted until she remembered she hadn’t worn it last night. Cruel dread froze her to the spot. She couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing it again. She tapped her head on the brick. It was all she had left of her family. The one thing that reminded her to fight for her future. A reminder of the one true thing she had in her life except for Sherrie and Emily.
Tears rolled down her cheeks and she slid to the ground. She’d never see them again. She’d miss Emily’s wedding. Emptiness swam around her head creating a deep void for all the things she ever needed to fall into and disappear from her life forever.
Her hands went limp and she rocked back and forth.
She needed to get up. She had to run. Staying alive had to be her focus. Except, she had to get her necklace. She could walk away from everything if she had her necklace. How the hell did she do it without being detected? Her mind went blank.
“My phone.” She pulled it from her purse and tossed it into the dumpster. Next, she needed cash, her necklace, and a toothbrush. She spit the vile gunk invading her mouth once more. “Yuck.”
/> If she could get in her apartment, in no time she could have everything she needed. She peeked around the corner, across the street, nothing stuck out as suspicious, not that she knew what suspicious looked like. Hell, she’d slept with the man hired to kill her. She squeezed her eyelids closed. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.
She hadn’t cried when Reese disappeared. She wouldn’t cry over Aidan either. A big wet drop rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away, determined to prove he hadn’t gotten the better of her. After maneuvering back to the sidewalk and into a crowd of shoppers, at the next corner, she got onto a bus.
She prayed if anyone was watching her place, they’d only be watching the front. Supposedly, only residents knew about the back entrance. In no time, she was downtown, in the garage, and then riding up the elevator to her apartment.
The doors clanged open. She should ride right back down and get as far away from there as she could. Instead, she took a peek at her floor. It was deserted, except for her neighbor’s tattered work boots. His wife wouldn’t let them in their place due to the smell. She looked down at her bare feet. To protect her soles from the broken glass in her place, she’d have to deal with the smell.
After stepping around the corner, she slipped into the large boots. A rancid smell flew to her nose. After a quick shake stole through her, she checked her watch. Two minutes and no more. Two minutes and she’d leave this all behind, including the stinky ass boots.
After escaping the elevator, she maneuvered down the hall and listened at her door. Nothing. She looked back to the elevator. Walking away right now would be so much smarter. Tension tightened her shoulders and her heart raced. Walking away from all she had left of her family was not an option. Two minutes.
Liz pushed the door open. It was still unlocked, just like they’d left it last night. She took a few steps into her entryway. Her feet crunching the glass scattered all over the floor filled the room with a grating noise. The desire to slam the door and scream roared through her veins. Instead, she pushed the door shut until it clicked and then made a beeline to the bedroom, ignoring all the wreckage. But past the front room, nothing had been touched. The office, kitchen, her bedroom, they were all as she’d left them.
“None of this makes any sense.” She rubbed her forehead and took a deep breath. One bag was all she needed and then she’d leave this rotten place behind.
She tossed her purse on the bed, kicked off the nasty boots, and darted to her jewelry box to run her fingers over the etched cover. Her grandpa made the box before she was born. She lifted the lid and blew out a breath when she spotted the necklace. With shaking fingers, she clasped it around her neck and then stepped back.
What if Aidan was responsible for the state of her apartment and she basically told him she couldn’t live without the necklace?
“Damn.” He’d know right where to find her. She’d done it again, another stupid move. A deep breath calmed the bile mixing in her belly.
She could count her mistakes later. It was time to pick up the pace and disappear. She scurried into the bathroom and brushed her teeth a bit too quickly. Maybe she could stay with her cousin in Detroit. Better option, she’d fly to Italy and the little piece of heaven Reese had convinced her to buy.
“How could I forget?”
She pulled a bag from the closet and stuffed in a short stack of jeans and t-shirts. She pushed panties and a few bras in the side pockets all the while muttering about the fucking men who’d been in her life. Reese might be alive. She shook her head. If she handled getting out of town correctly, she wouldn’t have to see any of those fuckers again.
She checked her watch. The two minutes were already up. “Fuck.” She still needed to get cash and her passport.
Tossing the bag next to her purse, she turned and headed for the safe in the closet. It hadn’t felt right to touch Reece’s emergency funds but it was no longer a problem. She punched in his birth date. The asshole hadn’t even used her birthday. The door popped opened and two tight stacks of hundred dollar bills appeared.
She grabbed the cash and spotted the velvet boxes holding all the diamonds Reese had given her. They now held no meaning at all. The only thing she wanted was the simple gold pendant. She turned from the safe and turned right back around to grab her passport. She paused a minute when she realized Reese’s passport wasn’t inside. Son of a bitch.
A bang sounded from the other end of the apartment. It was quite possibly her front door slamming into the wall. She froze with the cash and passport in her hands. Her head swam with thick fear of what was coming in and not knowing the best way to stay alive.
She needed to move. Or the floor to open and swallow her whole.
“Why did you have to break all this shit?” An ugly mean voice broke through her thoughts.
“I don’t know,” came from a different creepy voice. “I always break stuff but I didn’t touch the television. That will be mine when this job is over.”
“Whatever. Let’s find her and get the fuck out of here. Check the computer again. Maybe she was dumb enough to book a flight or something.”
“Good idea. Maybe she looked up more of the kinky shit she’s into.”
She backed up into her closet and slipped into the safe room, yet another thing Reese hadn’t ever finished. She pushed the door closed as far as she could without making a sound. The door wouldn’t lock. Maybe if she held it they wouldn’t notice.
“Hey, she must be here. The bitch started packing. Check all the rooms again and I’ll check the closets. It shouldn’t be too hard to find the unfinished safe room.”
She held the door as still as she could. Her heart beat like the loudest of trains. They’d find her. Damn it, she shouldn’t have come back. With the cold sweat on her hands and the uncontrollable shaking taking over her whole body, she couldn’t stop the door from shifting.
“Oh Bethy, come out, come out wherever you are.”
Chapter Six
“I’ll be sure to knock next time,” Nadia said.
Aidan marched toward her and pushed her to the door.
“Hey, I’m sorry. You never have a girl in here.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m an open book. You know we’re supposed to meet at the office and Elizabeth Martin isn’t just some girl.”
“Clearly.”
“Go find Sam and get him to track her down.”
“Got it.” She walked out and then turned back. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks but her reaction is more my fault.” He grabbed clothes from his open shelving. “Don’t worry about it, just get Sam on finding her. She’s not safe out there alone.”
She shut the door behind her and Aidan threw his shirt across the room. “Fuck.” He tossed the blanket, pulled on his jeans, and stormed over to his punching bag. With clenched fists, he pounded the bag. Each time his fist landed on the leather surface, vibrations shook through his arm and down his back. It took several hits before his blood cooled enough to think straight.
Liz had every right to run from him. He might not have known who she was when the flirtation started but discovering it later hadn’t stopped him. He hit the bag again and again and then hugged it still.
“Fuck this hell.” He rubbed his forehead over the worn leather.
Every minute he wasted soothing his own guilt risked her life. He pushed out all thoughts of pain or worse coming her way and decided to treat it like any other mission. A clear head is what he needed. Get the job done and move on. It’s what she needed.
Once dressed and with his black jacket and gloves in hand, he ran up the flight of steps to where Sam had created the security office.
“Tell me you found her.”
“I can tell you where she probably isn’t,” Sam said.
“Don’t put me through hoops. I’m not in the mood.”
“On that note, I’m getting back to the main office,” Nadia said. “I’ve already stayed too long.”
“Th
anks, Nadia. I’ll call you when this is over to reschedule our meeting. It might be a day or two.”
“Got it.” She waved as she left.
“You have one minute and then I’m leaving, too.” Aidan crossed his arms over his chest.
“I found her phone in a dumpster a mile south of here.” Sam tapped away on his keyboard. A map of the area appeared on the large screen in front of them. “She was still moving to this spot when I located her on the street cams. A few minutes later, she left the area but her phone remained.”
“Tell me you kept track of her.”
“I did until she got on a bus.”
“And…”
“She got off not far from her apartment.”
“Damn it, Elizabeth.” He clenched his fists. “She went home?”
“That’s my guess.” Sam pulled up a couple views from the front of her building.
“Call Gavin, tell him to move the meeting back.” Aidan put on his coat and gloves. “Call me if you see her or anyone else on those cams.”
“Will do. Aidan, wait a minute.” Sam got up and handed him what looked like homemade roll-on deodorant. “If you get close enough, roll this on any fabric she’s wearing. It contains tiny particles I can trace for a few hours.”
Aidan frowned at the little container, but shrugged. “Thanks.”
“Her building has a back entrance. Maybe that’s why she got off the bus early.”
“Possibly. It’s how we left her building last night. Okay. Call me if you find anything else.” He burst out of the space and kept a swift pace.
It took longer than it should have to get down the few floors to his bike. It roared to life on his first try and off he flew. He weaved in and around traffic, wasting too much time keeping everyone else on the road safe. Liz’s life could be in jeopardy. Every minute it took him to get there was too many.
He pulled to the rear entrance to her building and got off his bike. Security measures appeared to be completely missing in the back which pissed him off and pleased him at the same time that there were no hindrances to keep him from her. Just inside the back door was the elevator.