Blue Roses (Reunited Series)

by Sharon C. Cooper

  Tyler wrapped his arms around her. “That had to be devastating.”

  Not wanting to lose her nerve to tell him everything, she pushed away from him. “It was. I hated myself for putting my career before my child. But I don’t know what was worse, losing the baby or having to endure Mark’s wrath when he found out. He arrived back into town, and instead of coming to the hospital to comfort me, he came blaming me. Oh my God, he was like a mad man. His company was really big on family, so Mark’s main focus was on having a family.”

  “You’re telling me he was more concerned about what they’d say at his job, than losing his child and almost losing his wife?”

  She nodded. Of course it would sound unbelievable to Tyler. He had been raised to care about people, not to view them as assets or the means to an end. “He told me I had ruined everything. He ranted and raved about how much he hated me and how I was good for nothing. Then he left. And that was the last time I saw him. I’m not positive, but looking back, I think he was seeing someone on the side.”

  Tyler swore under his breath, got up from the bench, and walked closer to the water. “There’s more,” she said to his back. He stopped and turned, his face clouded with fury. Silently he reclaimed his seat and took her hand.

  “When Mark walked out of the hospital room, a part of me left with him. I had lost my baby and my husband all in the same day. And though he was a lousy husband,” she shrugged, “at that moment I felt like he was all I had.”

  Tyler kneaded her shoulder and neck with his free hand. “Dallas,” his voice choked, “I can’t believe how he left. I … damn, I can’t imagine anyone treating you like that. No wonder you left me when I had asked you to marry me last year. So many things make sense now.”

  “When Mark showed up at the restaurant, everything came back as if ten years ago happened yesterday. He left me like it was the easiest thing in the world to do. I had nothing, Tyler. I was on track to making partner back then, and he told them I wouldn’t be returning to the firm because I was too distraught from the loss of our child. That’s what my supervisor told me when I returned to work.” Dallas shook her head. “I freaked out, started yelling and pounding on desks. Needless to say, she told me I needed more time to heal.”

  Tyler released her hand and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. He sighed loudly, but said nothing.

  “He left me with a boatload of bills,” Dallas continued. “And he cleared out our joint bank account. If that wasn’t enough, within two weeks of my release from the hospital, he served me with divorce papers.”

  Tyler glanced at her. Dallas didn’t miss the flare of anger that crossed his handsome face. She hated reliving her pain and loss, but it felt good to share it with the man she loved.

  “Did he ever try calling you?”

  “No. The night of my birthday, was the first time I’d seen or heard from him. “Wait.” She shook her head. “That’s not totally true. When I saw the blue roses, I feared they were from him. Actually, I knew they were from him. He used to send them to me regularly when we were together.”

  Tyler moved from the bench. “He is so lucky I didn’t know all of this sooner, especially before I ran into him this afternoon.”

  Dallas stood next to Tyler and wrapped her arms around his waist. They stood that way for the longest time until she felt some tension leave his body. “I’ve been meaning to ask you,” she said. “Why did you come to see me at my job?”

  Tyler turned in her arms to face her. He ran his hand through her hair, and let the long strands sift through his fingers. “Part of me wanted to move on and forget we’d ever met, but my heart wouldn’t let me. I needed to see you. Baby, not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about you.”

  Dallas rested her head against his chest and held him tighter. She didn’t know what to say. If he had moved on, it would’ve been her fault. This was the second time she’d walked away from him.

  “The other reason I’m here is because you received another threatening call.”

  She lifted her head and stepped back? “When?”

  “This morning, right after I listened to your voice message.”

  “What did they say?” she asked, but after seeing his expression, she said, “Or do I even want to know?”

  Tyler shrugged half-heartedly. “Something about getting to know you, and that you’ve been warned. Then they said that they will be getting what they want from you soon.”

  “This is crazy!” She rubbed her temples, and reclaimed her seat on the bench. “What is this about?”

  Tyler sat next to her. He had his cell phone in his hand. “I called the detective and told him I’d have you get in contact with him as soon as I saw you. By the way, what’s going on with your telephones?” He searched for the detective’s number.

  “I dropped my cell phone while I was leaving you a mess—.”

  “Here, it’s ringing,” Tyler said handing her his cell.

  She put the phone to her ear. “So what did the detective have to say about the call?”

  “At the time, not much. They still don’t have any leads.”

  She lifted a finger for Tyler to give her a minute. “Hi, Detective Davenport, this is Dallas Marcel.”

  “Hi, Ms. Marcel. I’m glad you called,” Davenport said.

  “Wait. Hold on sec, I’m going to put you on speaker phone. Tyler is here with me.” She handed the cell back to Tyler and he switched it to speaker.

  “Okay, Detective, go ahead.”

  “We traced the call to a phone booth on the south side of Chicago. We’re waiting for word as to whether the police could lift prints from it.”

  How could this be happening? For the past few weeks there had been no incidents, no calls, nothing. Why all of a sudden are the calls starting again? Dallas wondered.

  Tyler put his arms around her and pulled her close. “Detective, did you guys get any fingerprints from the car?”

  “No, none that we could use, but we’re doing everything we can to put the pieces together. Ms. Marcel, have you thought of anyone who would want to harm you?”

  She looked up at Tyler. “The only person I can think of is Mark Darley, my ex-husband.” She told the Detective about the flowers and their run-in with Mark. Since Tyler had used Mark’s company for his condo project, he gave the detective all of Mark’s information.

  “I’ll follow up on this and let you know the moment I have additional information. In the meantime, Ms. Marcel, please be careful.”

  ****

  Tyler drove through the busy streets of Chicago marinating on all that Dallas had shared. He looked over at her as she stared out the passenger side window. What an afternoon. First fighting with Mark, and then taking in Dallas’s history. After hearing her story, he loved her even more, if that were possible.

  “Are you okay?” he asked pulling up to a stop light. She turned to look at him, and his heart slammed in his chest. There were no tears, but she looked to be on the verge of crying. Misery glittered in her tired brown eyes. He hadn’t seen her like this since the night they’d run into her ex-husband. He reached for her hand and squeezed it.

  “Do you think Mark had something to do with the car accident and the calls?” she asked.

  The light turned green and Tyler pulled off. “No, I don’t.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No. I think Mark is too cocky to hide behind a telephone and threaten you. And he still cares about you in his twisted way. I can’t see him having anything to do with slamming a car into you.”

  Dallas stared straight ahead. “I don’t think he’s behind it either, but I’m not sure. I haven’t seen him in a long time and I don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  “Mark came to see me a couple of weeks ago.”

  Dallas turned to look at him. “He did? Why?”

  “When Craig finished cutting my hair, Mark walked into the barbershop. Needless to say I was shocked to see him.” Tyler stole a glance at her then
returned his attention to the road. “Anyway, he asked if we could go outside and talk. So I went. I asked him what he wanted, and he wasted no time in telling me he wanted - you.”

  Tyler released her hand and rubbed his forehead. He felt trapped by the memory of his own emotions that afternoon. “Dallas, if Craig hadn’t intervened, I’d probably be in big trouble with the law right now. When Mark said he wanted you and that you two were once very good together, I snapped. It wasn’t only because of what he said; it was the way he said it. He was arrogant and … well, anyway I remembered what you told me about him. Before I’d realized it, I had grabbed him and thrown his sorry butt against the wall.”

  Dallas touched Tyler’s arm. “I am so sorry. I’ve brought you so much grief these past couple of months.”

  “Baby, you’ve brought me way more than grief.” He smiled. “If Simone hadn't of introduced us when she did, I’d still be lovin’em and leavin’em. Quinn and I used to joke that no woman alive could capture our hearts. Then you came along and everything changed.

  “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you. But thank you for coming today.”

  “You’re welcome.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I honestly don’t think Mark had anything to do with all of this, but I plan to find out.”

  “How?”

  “I had Mark investigated.” Tyler hopped on the expressway in route to Dallas’s house.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. He knew too much about you and about us. Since he was bold enough to step to me, at the barbershop, I knew I had to see what I was up against.”

  “Sooooo.”

  “So what?”

  Dallas punched him in his arm. “So what did you find out?”

  “OW.”

  “Tyler, quit playing.”

  “Okay, seriously though, he’s clean. He’s been in Louisiana since grad school and in Chicago for a few months. You already know where he works. There’s not much more to tell. He knew so much about you because he hired someone to check up on you.”

  “So why didn’t you say anything to the detective.”

  “I figured I’d let them do their own investigation. As far as I’m concerned, they took too long to find the car. Who knows how long it’ll take for them to find the person responsible. Quinn and I have already started turning the soil on this thing.”

  “But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to stay away from Mark. We don’t know what he’s capable of.”

  “I’ll stay away from him, as long as he stays away from you.”

  ****

  Tyler pulled onto Dallas’s street. The small hairs on the back of her neck rose when she saw two police cars parked in front of the house, and her front door standing open.

  “What the heck is going on?” She asked when they pulled into her driveway.

  “Only one way to find out.” Tyler cut the engine and hurried around to help her out of the truck.

  Dallas stepped across the threshold of her home and gasped. “Oh, my God, what happened in here?”

  Someone had broken the lock on the door, shattered the bay window, and toppled over the book shelves and furniture.

  “It wasn’t me.” Harmony leaned against a wall in the hallway with a police officer who looked up from his note pad. “Are you her sister?” the officer asked. Another officer entered the hall from the kitchen

  “Yes and the owner. I’m Dallas Marcel. What happened?” Dallas’s eyes scanned her living room and dining room. Anger swept through her at the thought that someone had invaded her home and destroyed her personal items.

  “It was like this when I got here,” Harmony said. “I used your neighbor’s phone and called the police. They just got here.”

  Tyler introduced himself and walked through the house, leaving Dallas to answer the second officer’s questions. She told him about the car accident, the calls, and the new information detective Davenport had given her. She also mentioned the cut telephone line and that the alarm system didn’t work without it. Tyler chose that moment to return to the room. Dallas didn’t miss the tightening of his jaw and the way his dark piercing eyes bore into her. She knew he’d broach the subject later, especially since she hadn’t taken time to call the police.

  “Ms. Marcel, in light of the information you’ve given us, we’re going to have someone come dust for fingerprints. In the meantime, don’t touch anything. I’ll check in with Davenport.”

  “Are you okay?” Tyler asked when the officer walked away.

  Dallas swallowed the sob rising in her throat and nodded as she surveyed the wreckage. A chill ran down her spine. Someone definitely wanted her attention.

  Standing in the middle of her bedroom, she wrapped her arms around herself and her tears flowed freely. Her beautiful home destroyed. Her favorite vase and Tiffany lamp scattered in pieces around the carpet. It would take forever to pull her home back together.

  She felt Tyler’s presence the moment he walked into the room. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close to his body, and the weight of all that had transpired over the last few weeks finally took its toll. Dallas broke down in his arms and cried; accepting the fact that her life was in serious danger. She didn’t know who was out to get her, but she knew she’d had enough.

  A couple of hours later, she laid stretched out on the sofa still reeling from her horrendous day. After the living room had been dusted for prints, a flurry of activity surrounded them. Tyler hired his contractors to replace the windows and the door. The crew righted the furniture, made the space somewhat presentable, and assured Tyler they’d take care of the rest in the morning.

  Once everyone was gone, Tyler joined them in the living room. “You know, Harmony.” He stood over her, his arms crossed. “I’m a little surprised the officers didn’t ask about the bruises on your face. How’d you get them?”

  Harmony shot him a “none of your business” look. “It’s nothing, just a minor disagreement.” She turned her gaze back to the television and continued her mission of channel surfing.

  “If your black eye and swollen cheek don’t make big deal status, then what does?” Tyler walked over and turned the T.V. off.

  “She and Jerome had a fight,” Dallas offered. She sat up and planted her feet on the floor.

  Tyler’s eyes narrowed. “The guy she came to the house with?”

  “Yep. Since she won’t give me details about why her boyfriend got mad enough to hit her, maybe she’ll tell you.”

  Harmony glared at Dallas. “Why you puttin’ all my business out there?”

  “Harmony, did Jerome know where Dallas lived?” Tyler asked.

  Dallas hadn’t thought about that and eyed her sister, waiting for an answer.

  “I don’t know. I sure didn’t tell him. That was one of the reasons why we had a fight the other night. He wanted to know how to get in contact with Dallas here in Chicago.”

  Dallas leaned forward. “Why? I don’t know him.”

  Harmony shrugged. “I didn’t think you did. He’s not a guy you’d hang out with.” She paused and tilted her head. “Now that I think about it, that wasn’t the only time he’d mentioned you.”

  “It wasn’t?”

  “No. When I heard about your car accident and found out you were in Milwaukee, he’s the one who convinced me to call you. I needed a few dollars to pay for the room I rented and he said, ‘call your sister.’ I don’t ever remember mentioning you.”

  With his hands locked behind his back, Tyler paced the length of the room. “What’s Jerome’s last name?” He stopped and pulled out his cell phone. When Harmony didn’t respond, he looked up at her. “Harmony?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “You’re dating a guy, and you don’t know his last name?” Tyler said in a raised voice.

  “Tyler,” Dallas warned.

  He looked from her to Harmony and shrugged in confusion. “What? Forgive me if I don’t understand this. How can you date someone and no
t know his last name?”

  Harmony stood with her hands on her hips. “Well, it’s not like we went out a long time. We only kicked it for a few months. I don’t know everything about him.”

  “Okay, how about this? How did you and Jerome meet?”

  “I met him a few months ago here in Chicago. Actually, at Dallas’s job.”

  Dallas’s eyebrows shot up. “When was this?”

  “Remember when I showed up at your office a few months ago? I had stopped by to have lunch with you. While I waited for you to come downstairs, he came up to me and started talking. I gave him my number, and we’ve been kickin’ it ever since.”

  Tyler shook his head. “I don’t know about this, Dallas. For all we know, this guy might be behind this mess. Or worse, responsible for your accident.”

  “What do you mean responsible for the accident?” Harmony moved closer to Dallas.

  “It turns out someone intentionally slammed that car into me.”

  “And you think it was Jerome?” She looked from Dallas to Tyler.

  “Based on the little you’ve said, I’m not ruling him out. When you and Jerome had your fight, did he say why he wanted to get in contact with Dallas?”

  Harmony shrugged. “Something about her having something of his or something he needed. I don’t know. I can’t remember exactly. By that time, I was so mad at him I was half listening.”

  “Ah, hell.” He turned to Dallas. “Get your things. You’re not staying here.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “I don’t care what you have to do. Get those papers!” David yelled into the telephone. Anger raced through his veins as he thought about the incompetent people he had working for him. “I’ve paid you a great deal of money and saved you from a life in prison, Jerome. So I expect you to take care of this. Sooner than later.”

  “Man, I tore her place apart and came up empty handed. We should’ve made a move when I suggested it before. Now her boyfriend is in the picture and it’s going to be hard to get to her.”