Dangerous Kiss

by Michelle Love

  “Can we swing past the diner, pick Teresa up? I forgot to ask you before.”

  “No problem.”

  In a half hour, they were at the diner and Teresa was being hustled into the car by a teasing Zea. As they drove off, the two women chatted easily with Flynt shaking his head in amusement. Suddenly, Zea grabbed his arm. “Stop, Flynt, stop.”

  The car screeched to a halt. “What is it?”

  Zea pointed to a dark red car at the side of the road. “That’s Jared’s car.”

  Flynt cursed, and Teresa nodded. “It is, I—”

  She was cut off as behind them, close enough for their car to be hit by the concussion, the diner exploded, casting furious flames into the cold Portland night.

  Kizzie had to stay an extra night in hospital after her throwing up incident. “Just to be safe,” the doctor said, and she was too numb to argue. She had gotten into bed and slept for most of the rest of the day and night, only waking when she heard someone come into her room.

  “Hey, snuggle butt, you awake?”

  Ethan. She opened her eyes and stared at him. “Ethan.”

  Her tone was cold, and he seemed to recognize that she was pissed. Not pissed, hurt.

  “You okay?” But she could see from his expression that he knew. He knew she had overheard him. Ethan sighed. “It’s not what you think, Kiz, I swear.”

  She sat up in bed. “You know something about the shooting.”

  Ethan sat on the end of the bed and rubbed his eyes. “I can’t tell you. I can’t. I can’t tell anyone, Kiz, or more people will get hurt.”

  “What the hell are you messed up in?”

  Ethan tried to smile. “Something I got into by accident … and I swear, Kizzie, I did not know that … he would do that. Kill people. Go crazy.” He sighed. “I’ve said too much already. But I want you to know … I would never hurt you, or anyone. Anyone. I just got dragged into something…”

  “Don’t tell me anything else,” Kizzie said, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to know. Please, Ethan…please go.”

  When she opened her eyes again, he was gone.

  Bree went over to the island to make sure Kizzie’s place was all ready for her return. She let herself in with the key Kizzie had given her—and ran straight into Jesse. She stared up at him, not knowing what to say until … “I miss you.” She couldn’t stop the words. Jesse pulled her into his arms then, and she could feel that he was trembling. Bree tightened her arms around him, feeling something she’d not felt for weeks, maybe even months.

  Safe.

  Jesse’s voice was low. “Say we can work this out, Bree. I have to be a stand-up guy and support the baby, but there’s no reason, none at all, why we can’t be together. None. I love you.”

  Bree gazed up at him. He looked down at her, everything he longed to say in his eyes.

  “Yes, Jesse. We’ll work it out.” Bree whispered. “We’ll figure it out.”

  He kissed her again as his cellphone began to ring, insistent now. He sighed in frustration and answered it.

  “Yeah?” His face became serious. “What? Jesus, yes, yes, I’m coming. Right now.”

  Bree frowned at him.

  “Julieta’s bleeding. She thinks she’s losing … hell.” He rubbed his head with both hands, leaving his hair sticking up.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  Jesse hesitated. He motioned towards his home. “I have to…”

  “Of course. Go, go. I hope everything’s okay. I love you.”.

  He paused for a second, gave a quick nod, kissed her, and left. She watched him jog over to his house. A few minutes later, she looked out and saw Jesse drive past with Julieta in the car. He glanced over, and their eyes met. She tried to smile at him but the moment passed, and he was gone.

  Kizzie came home a little later. She looked drawn and tired. Bree hugged her.

  “Any news on Julieta?”

  Kizzie shook her head. “Nope. She was bleeding pretty heavily, though.” She sighed. “I’m a bad person.”

  Bree frowned at her. “Why?”

  Kizzie looked away from her. “Because my first reaction wasn’t … horror. It was that Julieta losing the baby wasn’t the worst thing that could happen.”

  Bree was silent. Kizzie studied her, taking in her friend’s reddened eyes.

  “You’re shocked.”

  “No.” Bree sighed and sat down next to her friend. She looked around the empty shop and squeezed her friend’s hand. “If you’re a bad person, then I’m worse.” She looked down.

  “You’re not. I get it.” Kizzie squeezed her hand, frowning as she noticed the deep lines around Bree’s eyes and the sickly pallor of her skin. “Hey, are you okay?”

  Kizzie’s cell interrupted them. Bree stepped away, going into the kitchen. Kizzie picked her phone up.

  “Hey.” Jesse.

  “Hey, yourself. How’s…?”

  “She lost the baby.” Jesse’s voice was flat, unemotional. Kizzie drew in a breath.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Yeah.” He sighed. “She’ll be in here for a few days.” He lowered his voice. “She’s got some bruising on her stomach. They think she might have fallen, or something, but she’s not saying.”

  “How is she?”

  “That’s the thing. She seems okay. Resigned. She keeps smiling at me as if she knows something I don’t. It’s weird.” Jesse gave a short laugh. “But what isn’t lately? Are you with Bree? Can I talk to her?”

  Kizzie handed Bree the phone and gave them some privacy. She went into her bedroom and laid down on the bed. Why, even at this moment, could she only think about Ethan? Not knowing what the hell was going on with him was driving her crazy. She had the feeling that he was in way over his head and that he could be in real trouble. Big trouble.

  Bree, obviously having ended her call with Jesse, came into the room silently and lay down next to her, hugging her tightly. Kizzie squeezed her friend gratefully. “Thanks, bubba. For everything.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Kizzie had no answer for her.

  Jesse strode quickly down to the gynecological unit. As he passed the nurses’ station, the nurse called to him. “Mr. Kline?”

  He turned.

  “Mr. Kline, the doctor, would like to see you before you see your partner. Could you wait here a moment and I’ll go and get him?”

  Jesse nodded, relieved to put off seeing Julieta. He looked in at her door to see her sleeping. The gynecologist approached him and shook his hand.

  “Mr. Kline, let’s go into my office. I’m afraid I need to tell you something.”

  Zea, Flynt, and Teresa watched from the house across the street from the diner. The emergency services had turned up quickly but were still battling the blaze. Flynt’s car had rolled but, thankfully, they hadn’t suffered many injuries. Teresa had a cut on her forehead, and Flynt was pretty sure he’d dislocated a finger, but they were lucky. Alive. They’d all refused treatment; instead, a neighbor who was a regular had invited them in to recover.

  Teresa nodded, distracted, looking past them, out of the window. “Hey, that’s Mike.”

  “Who?”

  She turned and smiled. “An ex. He’s a fireman … he might be able to tell us what happened.”

  She walked over to the door. Flynt looked defeated, and Zea frowned. “You okay, baby?”

  He leaned his head against her chest for a moment and took a deep breath in. “I just want it to be over. For you. For us. I want to get on with our life together.”

  She nodded, stroking his hair, but didn’t speak. They both jumped when Teresa’s voice came from behind them. They turned to see her walking in the door, a handsome firefighter at her side. She introduced them. Flynt frowned at her. “What did you say?”

  Mike glanced at Teresa, his blue eyes as excited as hers.

  “I said it might be over.” Behind her, two other firefighters walked into the Varsity.

  “Tell them what you found, guys.�
�

  The fire chief, a dark-haired woman in her early thirties, looked vaguely confused. “Well, I…” She looked at her partner. “I don’t understand. Why is this a good thing? Why are you smiling?”

  Mike rolled his eyes. “Girl, just tell them.”

  Flynt and Zea looked at each other, the smallest glimmer of hope sparking in them. The woman turned to them with a doubtful smile and shrugged.

  “The ceiling of the diner collapsed. The place is completely gutted. When we managed to control the flames, we saw that most of the stuff from the apartment above had fallen with it.”

  Mike shifted impatiently.

  “And?” Flynt ’s tone was equally exasperated. Zea closed her eyes then, the hope in her threatening to overflow. Please, please say what I think you’re about to say. Say it.

  The firefighter nodded. “In the mess, in the rubble … we found him. We’ve found a body.”

  Zea felt her body go weak. “Flynt … it must be Jared…”

  Flynt gathered her to him. “Honey … I think it might just be.”

  Julieta woke in the early hours, needing to pee. Still half asleep, she stumbled into the bathroom. The cold tile woke her, and as she washed her hands, she started as she heard the nurse come into her room. Walking back into the room, she stopped when she saw Jesse standing against the far wall. His expression was unfriendly and hostile, his arms crossed. She looked away and climbed back into bed. The nurse fussed over her, taking her vitals.

  “I didn’t see you there.” She pulled the covers over herself.

  Jesse stared at her, hatred written across his face. The nurse finished her checks and left, throwing a concerned glance Jesse’s way.

  Heart pounding, Julieta looked away from the rage in Jesse’s face. He knows.

  Jesse went still. “I know, Julieta. I know what you did.”

  Julieta blinked at him. “I…”

  “Shut up. You did this to yourself. To the baby.”

  She sneered. “The baby. Your baby, you mean. And I don’t know what you mean.” She was starting to enjoy herself. Jesse made a disgusted sound.

  “The doctors found it in your bloodwork, Julieta. The drug you took. The abortion drug.”

  Julieta went pale.

  “Yeah. Yeah, you do, and you know what, Julieta, it saves me feeling any pity, any doubt I might have had about leaving you, which was very little in the first place. Which is what I’m doing. I’m moving my stuff out as soon as I get back to the island. You can make your own way home. You’re an abomination.” He turned towards the door.

  “Want to know why I did it?” Julieta spat the words out at him, then laughed as he spun around. “Want to know, Jesse, really? I did it because of Bree Saffran.”

  Jesse was confused. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Julieta snarled at him. “Do you think I didn’t know about you and that whore, Jesse? Fucking around behind my back. Her, of all people.”

  A sickening dread shot through him. “Bree? This is to do with Bree?” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “What the hell has this got to do with Bree?”

  Julieta turned away from him. “Go away, now, Jesse. You’re free. I don’t have to tell you anything.”

  Confused, angry, Jesse slammed out of the room and marched back to the gynecologist’s office. “Isn’t there some law against child destruction?”

  The gynecologist looked uncomfortable. “She’s within the state time limits, Mr. Kline, I’m sorry.”

  Jesse left the hospital, his emotions in turmoil. Yes, he was free … but the thought that Julieta had aborted their child, his child, out of nothing more than spite was intolerable. Why? He had told Julieta he would support her, but they hadn’t been a couple, not really. Had he led her on?

  Jesse got back into his car and closed his eyes for a second. What a shitty few months. Only the thought of Bree had kept him going. He started the car now, eager to get home to her.

  Maybe she would make him feel better. He desperately hoped so.

  The letter came via Flynt’s apartment a few days after the fire.

  My beautiful Zea,

  A simple note does not seem to be enough to express my utter sorrow for what I have done to you. I admit, I went insane because of my love for you. When I realized, you could never love me the way I loved you, the only way I could think of to end my pain was to hurt you.

  My darling, I admit to you now all I have done. I raped you, which I’m sure you know. And yes, I did intend to kill you, so that I would no longer be tormented by the sight of you and Flynt together, of seeing him touch you when I could not. I cannot comprehend what was going on in my head to think that killing you was the only option left to me. To compound my crime, afterward, my anger returned, and I behaved in a manner that I find repugnant.

  I can only ask now that you will find some peace now that I have decided to do what I should have done, instead of hurting you. I have decided to end my life. I am sorry to have to destroy the apartment. You will find David’s half of the inheritance transferred into your bank account. You need not feel guilty about this money, my love, it is rightfully yours.

  I will love you forever, my dearest, loveliest Zea, even in death.

  Jared

  For the identification of the body in the fire, Zea had given them David’s old hairbrush so they could compare the DNA, but Flynt told her the lab in Seattle couldn’t get a good sample from the body and had sent it off to a specialist unit.

  “It could be weeks, darlin’.”

  She hissed in frustration.

  But it was when a lawyer from Louisiana contacted her that Zea really believed it was over. Jared had recently amended his will to make Zea the sole beneficiary. An incredulous Flynt listened as Zea repeated what the lawyer had said.

  “Sweetheart, this stinks. He wanted to kill you—that was his plan. Why the hell would he make you the beneficiary of his will?”

  He stopped when he saw how pale she was. “What? What is it?”

  “It’s the money. He left me all of his money. And David’s inheritance.” She sat down at the kitchen table, trembling. Flynt reached over to hold her hands. She shook her head and took a deep breath. “Flynt … it’s a lot of money. A lot. He left me eighteen million dollars.”

  Flynt gaped. “What the fuck?”

  She stood up, pacing. “I knew his family was rich but I didn’t know … Flynt, I don’t want it. I don’t want anything from him, even if half of it was David’s. Especially because of that. David is dead and I don’t deserve anything from him. I let him down. I should have seen the signs that he was breaking, I…”

  “Don’t you ever, ever fucking say that again!’ She jumped as Flynt roared, losing his temper. He buried his face in his hands and she stood, too shocked to say anything. He reached out for her and pulled her into his arms. He let her go and made her sit down, facing him. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I didn’t mean to … but please, listen to me. You are not to blame for what David did, for how he died. David is the one who … look what he did to you … God, Zea, he destroyed your life. He killed eleven people, Zea; kids, he murdered children. That’s not on you. None of it is your fault. And his psychotic brother is definitely not your fault.”

  “I let Jared into our lives, though.” Her voice was small, still reeling from his outburst.

  “Because that’s what we do, especially when we’re vulnerable. He was family, something to hold onto. Anyone would have done the same,” he smiled at her now, touching her face. “That’s what makes us human.” He leaned forward and kissed her. “You don’t have to do anything with the money. Give it away. Use it to do something good, donate it somewhere in David’s name. But don’t ever blame yourself.”

  Zea leaned her head against her new husband’s. God, she couldn’t get used to calling Flynt that, and yet it felt so right, so natural. “You know what. Mr. Newlan? If I hadn’t gone through all of that, I would never have met you.”

  Flynt grinned. �
��Nah, I would have found you.”

  Zea laughed. “Do you know what, Flynt Newlan? I think you would have.”

  Kizzie had ignored Ethan’s texts but now she was getting pissed. “Just change your number,” Bree had told her, but Kizzie demurred. Why? She asked herself, and realized that she felt there was unfinished business between them.

  The number that came up now, however, she didn’t know. “Hello?”

  “Hey, sorry to call but is this Kizzie Kline?” It was an older male voice, not elderly, but she supposed him to be late thirties, forties.

  “Who is this?”

  “Sorry, my name is Jake Fonseca. I’m Ethan’s brother and I’m sorry to call you but we have a little crisis here. Ethan is missing.”

  Kizzie’s heart almost stopped. “What?”

  “Look, I’m sorry to drop this on you but I’m just going through Ethan’s cell phone contacts and—”

  “How long has he been missing?”

  Jake Fonseca sighed heavily. “Thirty-six hours. We’re just calling everyone to see if they have any clue. He had a relapse a couple of nights ago and was readmitted to the hospital. He went missing from his room, and we can’t find him anywhere. He left his phone, his wallet, most of his clothes. In this weather…”

  “I understand, and I wish I could tell you where he is. Have they searched the entire hospital? I mean, the roof and everywhere?”

  “Every inch. So, you don’t know anything?” Jake sounded impatient to get off and call the next person, and Kizzie didn’t want to keep him. She said goodbye and then sat down heavily. God. Ethan was missing. Had she been to blame? Cutting him out like that without letting him explain?

  “Fuck,” she said softly. She had been mad at him for Lexi’s sake, but Lexi was dead, nothing could hurt her anymore and Ethan …

  Ethan had held her sister as she died. Ethan had comforted her …

  “Holy hell,” Kizzie said, and darted for her keys. She grabbed her coat as she swung out of her door and ran to her car. It was time to step up. It was time to find Ethan and get the whole truth from him.