“We’re meant for each other. So, come downstairs and I’ll fix a drink to commiserate us getting back together.”
“You go ahead. I need to call Lisa real quick to make sure Xavier hadn’t shown up again.”
Ramona wrapped her body in a blanket that hung over a chair near the bed. She then ran down the hall to the other room where she left her purse. “Lisa, are you at the house?” Ramona asked when she answered the phone.
“I’m still here. When are you guys returning?”
“In a few hours.”
“Good. I’ll feel better if you were here. I think you’re safer at home instead of out there in the streets.”
“I’m not in the streets,” she laughed. “I’m with Nick.”
“You know what I mean. Anyway, a security team will be here in the morning. They’ll provide around the clock security, even when you leave the house.” The thought of some big burly guy following her around didn’t excite her. But, they had to do what’s necessary until they could contain Xavier.
“I’ll let Nick know about the security.”
“I wish you guys would get the police involved. But, I won’t go another round on that matter.”
“We’ll have security so I think that’s sufficient for now. I have to go help Nick finish packing.”
“One thing before you hang up. I’m glad you two found your way back to each other.”
Ramona paused before speaking. “How did you know?”
“I can hear it in your voice. You haven’t sounded this jubilant since you came home. I’m delighted for you both.”
“Love you, Aunt Lisa.”
“Love you too, dear niece.”
Ramona smiled as she placed the phone back into her purse. She was right. She hadn’t felt this high about life in a long time. It can only get better from here.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Ramona helped Nick packed for an extended stay. By the time they finished, he had three garment bags and a small toiletry bag that contained his grooming products. “When will security arrive at the house?” asked Nick, on their drive back. “Tomorrow morning,” she muttered. They were stuck in a massive traffic jam. According to the radio’s traffic report, there was a police chase on Interstate Ten that ended with a flipped car blocking two lanes. “We won’t be home for hours,” she moaned.
“Yeah, it looks pretty bad,” replied Nick, peering out the window from behind the wheel.
“It’s a good thing you like to talk because it appears we’ll have plenty of time to catch up.”
“I thought we did all our catching up earlier,” he joked.
“You know what I mean.” Ramona ran her fingers over Nick’s beard. “It’ll take me a minute to get used to this.”
“You don’t like it?”
“It’s different. But, it looks good on you.” She thought to herself about how much Nick and Xavier looked alike. It never dawned on her until Lisa pointed it out. If only she had listened to her instead of dating that monster just to prove a point.
Nick pushed on her thigh like he was trying to get her attention. “Where did you go?”
“Just thinking.”
“Do you care to share?”
“He looks a lot like you.”
“Who?”
“Xavier and it took Lisa to point it out.”
“I don’t think there’s any meaning behind that. Maybe you have a type. I do.”
“No, you don’t,” she said, shaking her head in disagreement. “Your ex-wife and I look nothing alike. We are complete opposites.”
“True, but I like beautiful women. It doesn’t matter what her shape, skin color, breast size is. None of that matters. I appreciate beauty.”
Ramona didn’t bother responding to that statement. The last thing she wanted to do was have a lengthy conversation about the beauty of his ex-wife. It’s true he likes to surround himself around beauty. He's well groomed and meticulous about his clothing. All his suits are tailor made. If his appearance was top-notch, yours had to be as well. From the clothes you wore to the car you drove. When he eats, it must be healthy and organic. He treats his body like a temple and expects you to do the same.
Three hours later they reached their destination. The house was dark, Lisa was probably holed up in her room watching television. Nick parked the car in the garage and the two entered through the kitchen. “Do you think she’s asleep?” he asked.
“Maybe. It's only eight o'clock, however, sometimes she’s asleep before nine.” Ramona helped Nick carry his bags to the guest bedroom next to Ramona’s. “Why can’t I sleep with you?” he asked.
“Because Lisa said for you to sleep in here.”
“That was before you came to your senses.” Ramona picked up a pillow from off the bed and playfully threw it at him. He ducked, and it hit the floor. “Come on, you know what I mean. What’s the point of offering this room? We both know I’ll be with you at night.”
“Alright, let’s go next door.” They placed his bags in Ramona’s walk-in closet. Before he could exit, she grabbed his arm. “This is the happiest I’ve been in a long time,” she smiled, hugging him.
“Me too,” he said, kissing her on the cheek.
“Thank you for being patient with me.”
“I would have waited longer if I had to. So, how about dinner? I can make something for you and Lisa, but if she’s asleep, then it’ll be you and I.”
“Let’s see what’s in the fridge.”
Ramona ran out the room, like she was in a race, leaving Nick trailing behind her. She turned on the lights that overlooked the staircase. She crept down the stairs, midway she noticed the front door was slightly ajar. A nervous feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She leaned forward over the stair railing, to peek down the hall. It was silent and dark. Ramona stood frozen on the stair not knowing which direction to take. It was either investigate down the dark hall or outside through the opened front door. Neither were a good option. As she turned to go back upstairs, she felt a pair of hands on her waist. “Boo!” shouted Nick. Ramona almost jumped out of her skin. “You scared the shit out of me,” she whispered.
Nick eyed her curiously. “Why are you on the stairs?”
Ramona pointed at the front door. “I think Xavier’s here. It was opened when I came down.”
Nick rushed passed her. “You stay right there, don’t move!” Ramona heart was beating a thousand beats per second. She had to warn Lisa that Xavier may be in the house. She ran up the stairs two at a time and down three doors to Lisa's room. The door was closed. She hated whenever Ramona came bursting into her room. She’d promised to knock first. Ramona knocked softly. “Lisa are you up? I need to come in.”
No answer.
Ramona knocked again this time a little harder in case she was in the bathroom. “Lisa, open up! Xavier might be in the house.”
No answer. She pressed her ear against the door. Silence. “I’m coming in!” She slowly opened the door. Preparing herself for another lecture on respecting her privacy. The room was dark except for of a beam of light from the bathroom. It provided enough visibility for Ramona to see Lisa sleeping on her bed with her back to the door. She moved closer to the bed. “Lisa!” She didn’t move a muscle. “Lisa!” Ramona reached out and tugged on her shoulder. In one motion Lisa sprawled over on her back. Ramona’s eyes grew three times their size and the muscles in her legs stiffened in unison like someone paralyzed. She slowly lifted her trembling hand upward towards her mouth to stifle a scream.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ramona sat numb and shaken to her core in the living room as Nick consoled her. Five police officers, a detective, and a coroner had turned her home into a crime scene. She hasn’t broken down or shed one tear. Either the reality of what had happened hasn’t hit her or she’s shielding herself from what has yet to come. “Miss Vasquez, it’s best if you give your statement now, while the details are fresh in your mind. As time goes by memories tend to become fuzzy,” said Detective Yancey. He wa
s a tall heavy-set man with beady eyes. He spoke with a deep commanding baritone voice. He stood over her with a notepad and pen in his hand.
“Nick, I can’t right now!” Ramona buried her face into her hands. She didn’t want to speak to anyone or answer any damn questions.
“Can this wait?” he asked. “She just found her aunt… you know.”
The detective let out a long sigh. “She can do it here or down at the station.”
“The sooner you answer the questions, the sooner I can get you out of here,” Nick whispered in her ear. Ramona sat up and figured she should get the questioning over with. She told the detective the last time she had spoken to Lisa was a little over three hours before she found her lifeless in her bedroom.
“How did she sound when you spoke?”
Ramona replayed the last conversation in her mind. She wanted to tell him Lisa was worried and wanted her to come home and her last words were that she loved her. But, the words couldn’t come. She faced Nick and met his eyes with hers, silently pleading with him to make the detective stop. “Sir, she really isn’t in any condition to answer your questions.”
“Just a few more.”
Ramona could feel tears welling up in her eyes but they refused to fall. “I’ll answer your questions and then I’d like to be left alone.”
The detective grimaced over his notes. He studied them for a moment and then turn his attention in Ramona’s direction. “Was the front door opened when you and your friend arrived?”
“Yes. Nick and I entered through the garage which brings you into the kitchen. From there we proceeded down the hall and took the secondary stairway upstairs. Later I came down the main staircase that leads to the front door. That’s when I noticed it was ajar and ran to Lisa’s room.”
“Why run to Miss Pennington’s room?”
Ramona closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Each question was more irritating than the last. “I thought Xavier was in the house and I wanted to warn her.”
“Xavier?”
She told him she believed Xavier was who he should question because the day before Lisa walked in on him strangling her and he admitted to watching the home all night. “What is Xavier’s last name?”
“Powers,” replied Ramona.
“Okay, we’ll speak with him.” The detective scribbled more notes. “Why didn’t you file a report if Mr. Powers assaulted you?”
Ramona glanced at Nick. “I thought I could resolve it without involving the police.”
“Resolve it how?”
“By talking to him. I never thought he would go this far.”
“I think you have enough for now,” suggested Nick.
“One last question. What was the relationship like between you and your aunt?”
Ramona narrowed her eyes. “It was fine, why?”
“I’m just gathering the facts, Miss,” he said, scribbling in his notepad. “And those bruises on your neck?”
Ramona shifted in her seat as she turned the collar on her shirt upward. “I already told you Xavier assaulted me.”
“So, this fellow leaves you bruised and battered but you fail to report it. The very next day you find your aunt dead. Anything else you need to divulge?”
Ramona shook her head no. She knew exactly what he was implying and she refused to say anything else he could twist.
“We will need you to find somewhere else to stay since the home is now an active crime scene.”
“Can she at least pack since she’s have to leave?” asked Nick.
“Sure, Officer Johns can accompany her. Where can we find you if we have further questions?”
“She’ll be at my home.” Nick gave the detective his information.
“How long will it take?” asked Ramona.
“How long will what take?” asked the detective.
“To complete your investigation in my home?”
“Someone will contact you when it’s clear to return.”
◆◆◆
Ramona was quiet on the ride to Nick’s house. He tried to engage in small talk but her mind was elsewhere. Every time she closed her eyes, the image of Lisa’s lifeless body played in her mind. First her father and now her aunt. She had no one left in her family. Once again she was alone. Abandon. Before, she was an innocent child and circumstance led the adults in her life to abandonment her. This time it was all her fault. She selfishly allowed Xavier into her life and has now lost the last link in her family. Her heart had once again been shattered.
When they arrived at Nick’s she asked if he could give her some time alone. Without hesitation, he obliged and told her to let him know if she needed anything. She laid down on the bed and tried to fall asleep but all her thoughts were of was Lisa, Xavier, and the many ways to make him pay. Ramona continued to lie in the dark room, but became more restless with each passing minute. She turned over to check the time on the clock... one in the morning. Not wanting to be alone any longer, she exited the room and walked two doors down to Nick’s bedroom. She raised her arm to knock, and with one tap on the door she instantly experienced a flash memory of standing in the dark hallway knocking on Lisa’s door. Ramona stood paralyzed, unable to move a muscle with her hand midair balled into a fist. As the memories flooded her mind the muscles in her face trembled, her lips quivered as the floodgates that prevented her from expressing any emotion broke. Engulfed in her pain she failed to notice Nick standing in the open doorway.
“Come here,” he whispered. He took her into his arms and they fell onto the floor together. Ramona buried her head into his chest and cried. “This is all my fault!” She screamed. “I should’ve listened to her, but I didn’t!” She continued to cry. Nick held her until she fell silent in his arms.
“You can’t blame yourself,” he said.
“I can and I do.” Ramona sat up and rested her back against the opened door. “Lisa wanted us back together in the worse way. She said over and over you had become family to her and deserved another chance. I should've listened to her. If I had…”
“Shh! We can't think about that,” he said, tucking hair that had fallen over her eye behind her ear. “Now is not the time for blame. We have to figure out who’s responsible for this.”
Ramona narrowed her eyes. “We already know Xavier killed her.”
“No, we don't. The guy may have been a hothead but do you think he would resort to murder?”
“Hello, look at my neck!” She pointed a finger towards her neck. “He would have killed me if Lisa hadn’t stopped him. All I’m saying is if anyone knows how anger can drive you to commit murder, it’s me.”
Nick exhaled sharply. “You need rest.” He stood and lifted her off the floor. He carried her onto his bed where she fell asleep in his arms.
The next morning Ramona received phone calls from Lisa’s friends and associates offering their condolences. Kelsey offered to come over and sit with her. She declined. Right now there was only one person she wanted to talk to. “I need to see Xavier.”
Nick who was in the bathroom shaving his face, stop and responded to her reflection in the mirror. “You want to see Xavier? Why?”
“You believe he could be innocent. I don’t and I will prove it.”
“I think you should let the police handle it,” he said making the last swipe with the razor across his jaw.
“You can take me over there or I’ll drive myself. Either way, I will see him.”
“Let’s slow down. For all we know, he’s in police custody right now being questioned.”
“I don’t understand you,” she said, frustrated. “When he tried to choke the life out of me you agreed that the police would be useless. Now, all of a sudden, you want to trust them.” Ramona pulled out her phone from her robe’s pocket and scrolled to Xavier’s number.
“Who are you calling?” asked Nick.
“Xavier. I won’t be able to rest until I speak with him.”
“If you must call him. Go ahead, but put it on speaker.”<
br />
She dialed his number. It rung four times before he answered. “Ramona...hey...I didn’t think I would hear from you.”
Ramona exchanged looks with Nick. “Why not?”
“You know why. After what I did...it’s unforgivable.”
“Maybe I could forgive you if I knew why. Why did you do it?”
There was a long silence before he spoke. “Like I told you before I was angry. I thought you and I were ready to move forward. I didn’t like that you were trusting what other people were telling you, instead of me. I lashed out and I’m sorry. I should’ve never put my hands on you.”
The corners of Ramona’s mouth turned downward into a frown. “Can we meet?”
“Yeah. Just tell me when and where.”
Nick was in the background mouthing no to Ramona. “Hold on for a sec, Xavier.” She placed her phone on mute and faced Nick. “What’s your problem?”
“You are not going over there!” he exclaimed.
“He’s playing games. It’s best if I handle him face to face.”
“Why don’t you call Detective Yancey and find out what he knows. You don’t know how far off the deep end this guy is.”
“That’s why you’re coming with me,” stated Ramona. She removed the phone off of mute. “Xavier, still there?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll come to your house. What about in an hour?”
“I’ll be here.”
“Okay, see you in one hour.”
“Before you hang up. Come alone. Don’t even think about bringing that dude that’s been hanging around.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“If you insist on meeting him, we should be smart,” suggested Nick. Ramona knew he was right. Her phone call with Xavier left her unsettled.
“What should we do?”
“I told you I have associates that will be perfect for this situation. I can call them to help.”
“So, I’m guessing your associates look intimidating enough to keep Xavier in line.”
“How do you think he’ll react to that?”
Shattered Hearts (Shattered Series Book 2) Page 10