by Pinki Parks
He was tense and was reverting to military mode with only one outcome. Somebody was going to die and the other one was going to be left standing after the dust settled. He went to check to see where the assailant was skulking.
I took the opportunity to flip open the escape hatch. I made my way down the ladder breathlessly anticipating a family reunion.
I could hear him yelling at me to come back, but I wasn’t paying him any mind. He attempted to follow me, but a bullet rang out from seemingly nowhere. He wasn’t trying to kill me. I was going to use his family connection to back him down.
“Colby… come out where I can see you.” I whirled around looking at the blinding snow and how the sun bounced off the surface.
I scanned the area with my hand up to my eyes to shield them from unnecessary harm. I had to hold onto the pants with one hand or gravity was going to embarrass me. They were two sizes too big and the shirt was baggy on my diminutive frame.
“I want you to tell me why you are doing this.” I was baiting him to explain what he was doing.
I was standing in a dominant position with my hands on my hips. I was mimicking what he would do when he found me doing something he didn’t approve of. My mother gave him the untenable task of raising me to be a responsible young adult. He was strict, but he was fair and rewarded me with special little gifts.
I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye and he was emerging from his hiding spot covered in pure white. The gun was strapped over his shoulder hanging loosely. His face was obscured by the white ski mask. I was somewhat afraid of what I would see once he revealed himself.
“This isn’t your business.” His voice was muffled, but I was ready to give him a good talking to.
“I have no idea what you went through, but I would hope there was still an inkling of a good man underneath all the hatred. We haven’t seen each other in years. I did my best to find out the truth, but I was stonewalled by the military.” I was giving him an open forum to say what was on his mind.
“I’m going to kill him.” His sentences were short and sweet with no wasted motion.
“He didn’t mean to leave you behind. He was under the mistaken belief your body was recovered. Don’t you think he would have done anything to bring you home? He’s your best friend and someone you relied on to have your back.” I felt like I was talking to a brick wall, silent and unmoved by my plea for forgiveness.
“Don’t stand in my way.” He retrieved the gun over his shoulder and had it in both hands.
“I’m your sister and you need to listen to me. This has gone too far. Stop this insanity before you lose what is left of your soul. There’s still a vestige of hope you can recover from whatever torture you have undergone.” I could see the pain in his eyes.
Those liquid blue pools were dead calm. It dawned on me my brother’s eyes were green.
“You don’t know the pain I have lived with.” I narrowed my eyes trying to see-through the mask he was wearing literally and figuratively.
“You’re not my brother. Stop being a coward and take off the mask. My brother has green eyes. You got a little too close for comfort. It’s time to tell me who you are.” He had a moral compass and a code of conduct.
It prevented him from killing an innocent woman in his quest for vengeance.
I took a few tentative steps forward and he flinched with his finger on the trigger of the weapon. I took a deep breath and I soldiered forward by putting my hand out to grasp the edge of the mask.
“Don’t… he didn’t want you to know.” I yanked it clear of his face and tossed it unceremoniously into the snow.
“Henry… what the hell is this about? I always thought you couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn. I took you out to the shooting range and you could barely stomach picking up the gun let alone firing it.” There was something cold and impersonal about his expression.
“I was there… with him during his final moments. He went against orders and had his phone turned on. I listened to how he pleaded with Chase not to interfere. Had he listened the outcome could have been vastly different. I… I…loved your brother and we planned to spend the rest of our lives together.” Colby was mysterious about his love life.
“Is this really what he would want you to do in his name? I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to be happy.” I always thought Henry was hiding behind the smile. It was obvious he was using Kevin as a personal crutch.
His lighthearted attitude was some kind of shield to protect him from his feelings. He was letting his grief fester inside of him until it grew into something he couldn’t ignore.
“I don’t care what he would want. He died because Chase was arrogant. I purposely set you up with him knowing that you wouldn’t be able to resist a man in uniform. Do you recall the gift I gave you on your birthday?” My hand immediately clasped onto the silver locket around my neck.
“Is there’s some kind of locator beacon embedded into the locket? That’s how you were able to stay two steps ahead this entire time. I could have died in the fire, Henry!” He turned his head unable to make eye contact.
“Look at what Chase has made me become. I have been training for one year diligently. I had this taste for revenge. Chase took away my one chance at happiness. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted him to pay the ultimate price.” He was pretty far gone, but I still believed I could reach him.
“I want you to take a cold hard look at yourself. Colby would never condone these actions. You need help. I will be there every step of the way holding your hand to get you through this. Without you, I don’t know if I could’ve made it after Colby died. You were my rock. All that time you were grieving without saying a word.” His cold stare was broken by a lone tear in his right eye.
“He was my world and when he died I lost a piece of myself. I became bitter and uncaring. I can’t believe I used you and put you in danger. I don’t even know the person looking back at me in the mirror.” He broke down into hysterical tears. I held him until he collapsed to his knees.
We made our way back to where his truck was located. Chase didn’t say one word and was most likely worried how his attempt to explain what happened was going to be perceived.
“Why did you try to set up Mason?” Henry looked at me with disgust for himself. “I don’t know. I just needed to do whatever I could to get revenge for Colby.”
Chase drove while I consoled Henry and came to terms with my brother keeping a part of his life a secret from me. I would have never judged him. He was my family and I would have accepted him without restrictions. “I can’t believe you guys didn’t tell me about the two of you.”
“Your brother wasn’t ready to come out of the closet. He was afraid to being seen in a different light. When he died, I promised I would be there for you. I became your best friend, not because of him but because I really do love you, Gail. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too, Henry.” He put his head on my shoulder and I held him the rest of the way.
I made a few phone calls and found an institution willing to give Henry the therapy he was looking for.
I was there for him during the initial period of settling in. I gave the doctors all the information they would need to give him some peace of mind. It was classified under Dr. and patient confidentiality.
“I will come back every day. This is your chance to get well. I don’t know what’s going to happen. It depends on what Chase wants to do. I will have a talk with him.” He was sitting in his room staring at the window where a hummingbird was flapping its wings.
“I wouldn’t blame him for holding a grudge.” I patted his back in a comforting gesture of friendship. I gave him my deep and abiding affection.
Chase agreed not to press charges and felt it was necessary to stop the cycle of violence. He held my hand outside of the institution and I cried on his shoulder. The evidence against Mason was proven to be planted. There was nothing to incriminate hi
m.
“There’s no reason to be sad. He’s going to get the help he needs to deal with his loss.” I shuddered with his arms around me.
“These are not tears of sadness. They are tears of joy.”
My best friend was hurting, but the professionals on staff told me he was a good candidate to make a quick recovery. He still had a long road ahead of him, but he wasn’t going to do it alone.
“I never thought I would want to have children. This world is fucked up. I will give them the tools to survive what this world is going to throw at them. I haven’t even asked what you think of the idea.” I envisioned my baby being born and immediately swaddled in camouflage diapers.
“I want to have your child. It could take a few tries. Practice makes perfect.”
“Gail, this is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.” He smiled and I shared his sentiment with a deep passionate kiss.
We drove through the town with the decorations on display. Christmas was definitely in the air. I could see the smiling children. The festive songs from each store front were escaping into the streets.
I was ready for my first Christmas with the man I loved. I was in the mood to celebrate for the first time in a long time.
THE END
*****
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BONUS STORY 2
Sweet Lovin’
Ms. Billionaire Romance
By Yvanka Vass
Synopsis
Falling in love with a younger man is a hard thing to do.
Eva
Am I too old for him?
I am a self-made billionaire. My name is in large steel letters on the building. I own the finest things in life. Anything I want, I can get. At 35, I am on top. I am smart, sexy, and powerful. I deal with powerful business men every day. Not much gets me off track. Except for Tristan.
Sweet Tristan.
His naïve boyish outlook on relationships won me over. I was his. Something very hard for me to swallow. We have an indescribable connection. It just felt like home. He is sweet to me. He is kind. He is very smart. He is sexy. He’s still in school. He lives with his parents. He is surrounded by college girls. He is too young for me.
Tristan
I worship her.
I am studying law. I come from a low-income family. I do well in school. I am focused and accomplished. I am training for the light weight body builder competition. I am not your average college kid.
She is everything. Every fiber of my being is drawn to her. She should be treated like a queen. I love her with all my heart. I get excited about life when I think of Eva.
Beautiful Eva.
We could be together, if only she would accept me as her boyfriend. I am more than just a good lay. The girls my age bore me. I have more to give and I want more. She is a billionaire business woman. How can I convince her to see me for the man that I am?
Chapter 1
“Shit!” Ava hissed as her acrylic nail shot through the thin fibers of her stockings. “That’s the last time that I buy drugstore stockings at the last minute, that’s what I get,” she mumbled. She yanked the stocking down her toned thighs and tossed the bundled ball of ripped fabric to the right of her.
The stockings landed in a sad heap on the floor, right in front of the cherry oak dresser that was pushed against the wall. Ava lifted her hands off of her thighs and extended her arms out in front of the mirror.
Her trembling fingers danced in her reflection, and a thin layer of sweat covered her forehead. She filled her lungs with air and dragged the back of her palm across her forehead. Her lips, which were painted a mahogany color, formed a small “o” as she exhaled. Ava knelt down, her thick curtain of black hair swung out in front of her. Her fingertips ran over the smooth skin on either of her legs, and she shrugged.
Screw it. I’ll go without them. I’ll probably be standing behind a podium anyway, no one is going to be looking at my legs. Ava stepped away from the mirror and gravitated towards the bright light that was emanating from her phone. The smartphone buzzed against the top of her dresser, and Ava pulled the sides of her navy-blue blazer together as she moved to grab it.
Ava was embarrassed to admit that she’d spent two hours pulling expensive dresses off of the hangers in her dresser and ironing the sides of eight-hundred-dollar pencil skirts before pulled this outfit out of her closet. It was a simple navy-blue blazer with a matching skirt and black pumps. Her low-cut, white camisole peeked out from underneath the blazer before giving way to a flash of creamy skin.
She ran her hands over the curves of her breasts as she smoothed imaginary wrinkles on her blazer. Ava slipped her hands underneath her buzzing phone and narrowed her bright green eyes as she read a series of texts from her assistant, Valeria.
Valeria had been with Ava since the beginning of the summer, she was a college grad and for the most part, the ideal assistant. She anticipated Ava’s every need, a fresh coffee was always prepared and waiting for her on Valeria’s desk. However, Ava had found herself mentally cursing Valeria for allowing her to talk her into holding a short seminar at Valeria’s Alma mater.
Ava’s lips trembled as her eyes ran over Valeria’s text, The Dean is ecstatic that you’re going to be holding a seminar today, he feels like the students could really benefit, not to mention, it totally makes you come off as down to Earth. How often does a CEO take time out of their schedule for college students?
Ava rolled her eyes. As far as she was concerned, she didn’t have to sacrifice her Thursday morning so that she could speak to hundreds of potentially uninterested students just to seem down to Earth. Despite her success, Ava still considered herself to be pretty grounded. She still had the same friends she’d had when she started her internship well over a decade ago, she still purchased groceries from the same health food market, although, these days she sent Valeria to do that.
Ava took one last look in the mirror and grinned at the nervous woman that stared back at her. She pulled open her bedroom door and stepped onto the lush carpet that covered the hallway. She held her phone close to her and her shoulders relaxed as she heard the tell-tale ping come from the speakers on her phone.
Eric, her driver, had arrived right on time. She moved through the living room and hustled to the foyer. Ava stepped into the hallway, the smell of freshly cooked eggs with creme fraiche floated into the hallways as she hustled towards the elevator.
Mrs. Rhodes must be trying her hand at eggs again. Ava was one of few people that lived in the Freeman, an exclusive, million-dollar apartment building that had been erected on the East side of SoHo only five years before. Ava owned a 3,000 sq. foot apartment that happened to be next to the apartment of the widow of a celebrity chef. Mrs. Rhodes, a woman of a certain age, Ava would never dare to ask, spent most of her mornings and evenings trying to create the meals that her husband had built his career on.
The elevator doors split apart and Ava tilted her head back. Her heels tapped against the elevator floor as the numbers that line the top of the elevator flashed from floor to floor. The doors split apart on the first floor.
Ava raised her hand in a polite wave as she hurried past the front desk and stepped outside. The crisp fall air danced across her bare legs, and she tugged on the door handle of a black sedan.
She slid into the backseat, and Eric’s bright blue eyes greeted her in the rear-view mirror. Eric flexed his fingers around the wheel and said, “Are you ready to go, Miss Lawrence?”
Ava nodded and said, “Stop with the ‘Miss Lawrence’ act. Ava is always fine, Eric.”
Eric grinned and pulled away from the curb. Tall buildings flew pas
t them and Ava lowered her eyes to her hands. Her lips moved, and she whispered to herself, “It’s so important to find someone that won’t bullshit you when you get your start in the business world. You need to know the ins and outs. Shit. Or is it, you need to know how to bullshit?”
Ava groaned and took a deep breath. Eric’s chuckle floated all the way from the driver’s seat and into her ears. The corners of her lips turned up into a smile, and she said, “Eric? You’ve been hearing me recite this speech all week, well, you’ve been hearing me screw it up.”
“Ava,” Eric’s voice interjected just as he whipped the car past the office building with Ava’s last name emblazoned across the front of it. “I’ve heard you mumble a damn good speech for these last few days. Give yourself some credit.”
Ava nodded. “You’re right. They’re just college students. I’m sure that they’re hungover from last night anyway.”
“I certainly am.”
Ava giggled and relaxed into the heated seats. She allowed her nerves to flow out of her body, and out of her mind. They arrive at the school. She shook her head. I’m overreacting. However, seeing the massive form of the University still sent a chill down her spine. Eric offered her a smile, and she opened the car door.
She stepped onto the curb and her eyes ran over the big, golden letters that were pressed into the stone wall outside of the University: Aston University.
“No big deal,” Ava mumbled. She waved goodbye to Eric and walked past the sign. The sidewalk that she stood on gave way to three other paths further down, and each path was surrounded by a luscious patch of green grass. Ava clutched her phone and looked down at the screen as she read another text from Valeria, Knock it out of the park, boss!
Ava smirked and tapped ‘reply’. She narrowed her eyes as she searched for the voice command feature in her text messages. She raised her hand and shielded her eyes as a burst of sunlight glinted across her phone.