Heller

by JD Nixon

  Chapter 15

  I was about to give Rumbles a call when a cab pulled up at the front of the hotel to deposit a passenger. I jumped inside and asked to be dropped off a block from the Warehouse as Heller instructed I must always do. He didn’t like to draw any kind of attention to his premises. After paying the fare, I walked the remaining distance, quietly letting myself into the building. Dragging myself wearily up to the fourth floor, I prayed that I wouldn’t meet anyone on the way. I was on an emotional tightrope and didn’t think I could hold it together for much longer. I didn’t want to answer any questions or speak to anyone. Not now. Later, when I felt better. Maybe.

  My flat was cool, fresh and welcoming after the sordidness of the evening’s activities. I fell onto my lounge, too exhausted to move, cradling my wounded arm against my chest. Blood was tricking down my arm, dripping onto my lap, smearing across the front of my shirt. My beautiful new clothes were ruined. I needed food, I needed a shower, I needed sleep and probably I needed some medical attention, but I could only sit there staring down at the carpet, my mind blank. I’d never been through an experience like that before and my emotions were see-sawing between anger, pain and shock.

  There was a loud knock on my door. Someone had noticed me arrive home on the security cameras.

  “Go away!” I yelled tiredly. Another knock. I ignored it. And the next one, and the next one. I heard fumbling at the door and Heller walked in uninvited.

  “Matilda,” he admonished. “Where have you been? I’ve been trying to contact you for hours. It’s simply not an acceptable way to –”

  He stopped abruptly when he saw me. I hung my head, not wanting him to see the fat tears that were trickling down my cheeks, dropping onto my lap to mix with my blood.

  “You’re injured,” he exclaimed softly and crouched down on the floor in front of me. I couldn’t look at him. He gently took my arm and pulled it away from my chest, carefully unwinding the saturated scarf dressing. He said something under his breath in another language when he saw the knife wound, wadded the scarf and placed it on top of the cut.

  “Hold that there for a moment,” he ordered and reached for the phone, punching in numbers. “Daniel? Get the doctor over here urgently. Matilda has a knife wound. We’re at her place.”

  He went into my bathroom and came back with a clean towel. He threw the scarf on the floor, uncaring of the mess and replaced it with the towel, pressing down firmly on the wound. It hurt like hell.

  “Please don’t be angry with me,” I begged. I knew I’d totally stuffed up my first assignment and didn’t want him to berate me about it.

  His expression was tormented. “I’m not angry with you, Matilda. I’m angry at myself for sending you into a dangerous situation without proper training or equipment. But I’ll save my questions for when the doctor is here,” he said and I nodded gratefully. I didn’t want to explain everything once, let alone twice.

  It seemed like forever until Daniel arrived accompanied by a trim, florid, elderly man with an enormous gray walrus moustache and narcissistically bouffant gray hair. He introduced himself as Dr Kincaid, no first name offered. Daniel told me later that he was Heller’s on-call private doctor. He was a no-nonsense, unchatty man who examined me in a gruff, business-like manner. As he did, I briefly noticed Daniel hovering on the edge, a nervous expression on his face, his body tense.

  “When did this happen?” the doctor asked, checking my vitals.

  “About eight hours ago,” I replied weakly.

  Heller was exasperated. “Matilda, why didn’t you ring me for help?”

  “I couldn’t leave Lily. She was unconscious. I had to get her back to her husband safely. And then I just wanted to get home.”

  “I could have helped you with her. Or at the least I could have called Dr Kincaid to see to her. And to you.”

  I looked up him, tears welling in my eyes again at his fractious tone. “I didn’t know that. I didn’t know you have a doctor. You didn’t tell me.” I couldn’t confess that the reason I dealt with it myself was because of my huge fear of being fired again for failing at a job.

  “Has it been bleeding the whole time?” Dr Kincaid asked, butting in impatiently and cutting off our conversation. I nodded. “What was the weapon?”

  “A small knife, like a paring knife, but sharper.”

  “It’s going to require stitches,” he told Heller and then to me, “You need to keep very still while I do this, Miss. I presume you’re all right with medical procedures? Or will you faint?”

  My head shot up in indignation. “No, I bloody well won’t faint!” It did the trick in drying up my tears instantly.

  Smothering a smile, Heller sat next to me and slid his arm around my shoulders, steadying my injured arm with his other hand. Daniel sat on the other side of me with his arm around my waist. The doctor sat on the coffee table leaning forward over my arm. With almost detached interest, I watched as he cleaned the wound, injected a local anaesthetic and stitched up the cut. He was professional and deft. He was neat too, which reduced the chance of any bad scarring. Heller watched on also, but Daniel looked away, finding something fascinating in my kitchen to stare at instead.

  When he had finished, Dr Kincaid gave me a tetanus booster injection and handed over some powerful painkillers, warning me repeatedly that they must be taken with food and definitely no alcohol. After he left I tried to stand up but found myself shaking badly, my legs unable to support me and I collapsed back onto the lounge. Heller put both arms around me and drew me in close, not seeming to care that I was smearing blood over his clothes.

  “Daniel, go and make Matilda some plain buttered toast and a cup of very sweet tea, please.” Daniel jumped up, eager to be of assistance. I closed my eyes and gratefully relaxed against Heller’s hard chest.

  “Who did this? Was it one of the party boys?” he whispered in my ear, stroking my hair.

  “Lily.”

  “Why?”

  I sighed shakily. “I wouldn’t order her any more champagne. I told her to go to bed. I gave away her drugs. I don’t know. Probably all of the above.”

  “I’m sorry, Matilda,” he said, and softly kissed my forehead. It was comforting. “I didn’t know that she would turn out to be so wild.”

  “After she cut me, she drank my blood. And she spat on me. It was disgusting! Nobody’s ever treated me like that in my whole life.” He tightened his hold around me.

  Daniel came back with the toast, only slightly burnt, and the tea. I wolfed the toast down, famished, but could not hold the teacup without it shaking uncontrollably. Daniel held it for me while I took tiny sips. After I finished, I yawned hugely and tried to stand up again. I had a bit more success this time. Heller handed me two painkillers to take with a glass of water.

  “I really need a shower,” I said and staggered towards the bathroom. Heller clutched my arm, stabilising me.

  “Which one of us do you want to help you bathe?” he looked down at me with a hint of a smile.

  “Neither!” I protested. “I’ll have to manage by myself somehow.” He helped me gather some clean clothes and escorted me to the bathroom door.

  “I’ll be waiting out here for you. Leave the door unlocked,” he ordered, then flashed me a sexy half-smile. “Just in case.”

  I paused on my way into the bathroom and turned to face him again, leaning against the doorway for support. “Don’t you be coming in unless I am definitely and indisputably calling out for help. No ‘just in case’, okay?” I insisted. We eyed each other for a long moment and his smile broadened.

  It was extremely difficult to shower with one arm out of action. Washing my hair was a particular challenge, but I did the best I could and felt much better afterwards, squeaky clean, with well-brushed teeth and dressed in my familiar singlet top and boxer shorts pyjama set. While I had been in the shower, Heller and Daniel had made an attempt to clean up the bloodstains. I wanted to thank them, but could barely keep my eyes open, waving at
them in a half-hearted way instead. I fell into my welcoming bed and asleep almost immediately.

  I slept for ten hours straight, groggy when I woke up, early dawn light streaming across my bed. My arm was aching. It took me a while to focus properly, and trying to read the time on my bedside clock I knocked over a glass of water that someone had thoughtfully provided. Heller walked into the bedroom. He mopped up the spilt water, then sat at the end of the bed and told me he had slept on my lounge in case I had a bad reaction to the painkillers.

  “They’re making me feel drowsy,” I complained weakly and leant back on my pillows. He was wearing different clothes to yesterday, so I knew he’d gone home briefly to shower and change at least.

  “You’ll only need them for a short while,” he promised. “Niq is very keen to make you some breakfast, so come out when you’re ready.”

  I lay in bed for another few moments after he left before I felt strong enough to make it to the bathroom. After that, I staggered out in my pyjamas and flopped down on the lounge. Niq was busy in my kitchen and judging by the mess, had used every utensil and pot as he went.

  “Hey sweetie,” I greeted.

  He glanced up from his intense preparations. “You look terrible.”

  I laughed. “Thanks, kid. Tell it like it is, why don’t you?”

  He served me up a very hard-boiled egg with toast, a glass of orange juice and a fresh fruit salad. I was impressed and told him so, even if I could have played handball with the egg, it was so tough and rubbery. He beamed with pride and sat down to make sure that I ate every last bite.

  “That was delicious, sweetie. I feel almost human again.”

  Niq fidgeted in his seat. “Tilly?”

  “Mmm?”

  “When you’re better, could you take me shopping?”

  I was surprised. “Don’t you normally buy everything online?”

  “Yes, but I want to go out for once. Like, out there,” he said, pointing to the window.

  “Out into the real world?” I teased. He nodded shyly. “No worries, kiddo. I’ll let you know when I get a free day.”

  “Not till you’re better though.” We smiled at each other. I let him stack my dishwasher for me, but then chased him off to do his schoolwork. I slowly dressed, choosing loose clothes with no buttons. My arm was hurting, but I didn’t want to take any more of those strong painkillers the doctor had given me. Instead I rummaged around in my bathroom cabinet and popped a couple of over-the-counter painkillers.

  Daniel was on the phone but turned and smiled at me as I walked to my desk. I had barely sat down when my mobile rang. It was Lily, advising me that she would be spending the day with her husband and wouldn’t require me at all until the next day. Thank you, God! I thought gratefully. Politely, I asked after her health. She assured me that she was feeling much better and looking forward to spending some relaxing time with her husband. I assumed that meant he was listening in on the conversation.

  Whatever. We hung up. I went into Heller’s office and told him I was not needed by my client. He agreed it was probably for the best.

  “I’m due for my monthly styling. I like to attend to that today now that I’m free, if that’s okay with you?” He nodded agreement. “But would you mind if I brought Dixie along with me? She’d really love being indulged like that. It would be a real treat for her. I haven’t seen her since I started here and I’d love to catch up. And I’ll pay for her myself.” To my surprise, he agreed readily, stating it would be good for me to do something ‘normal’ for a day, not that five-star luxury pampering was usually considered normal in my neck of the woods. And he insisted that I add Dixie’s treatment to his bill. I protested, but he was adamant.

  I was going to ask to borrow a car, but he offered to drop me at the hotel as he had an appointment in the city. I had thirty minutes before he was due to leave, so I rushed back to my desk and rang the spa to make sure they were able to see us today. Yes Miss, certainly, it will be a pleasure to see you again. Then I rang Dixie on her mobile.

  “Whatever you are doing today, drop it,” I insisted. She squealed in my ear when I revealed what my plans were for us today. She squealed even louder when I said that if she was ready and waiting outside in fifteen minutes, we would swing by and give her a lift. I’m not sure if it was the offer of a free ride that got her so excited, or the prospect of laying eyes on Heller again.

  I flew upstairs to change into something more elegant, deciding that I’d shout Dixie a sumptuous seafood lunch at the hotel’s restaurant afterwards. I wasn’t able to use my left hand much as any movement in it referred strong pain back to my injury and was struggling to do up the buttons on my pants and shirt when there was a knock on my door.

  “It’s open,” I yelled out. God, it was humiliating, but I was going to have to ask for help. I walked into the lounge room, half-dressed. Heller raised his eyebrows.

  “Could you please do me up? I’m having some trouble,” I asked, mortified. He walked towards me and stood in front of me, his unblinking eyes cemented to mine. He slowly did up each button on my shirt starting at the bottom. His hands brushed against my breasts as he moved his way up and I gasped involuntarily at the sensation. Still maintaining intense eye contact, he reached into the band of my trousers and slid his fingers along, grazing the skin of my belly until he located the top button and fastened it unhurriedly for me. My heart was pounding, my breathing rapid and shallow and my skin tingling where he had touched me. I couldn’t look away from him. It was like being seduced in reverse.

  His mouth curved in that deliberate half-smile as if he could read my thoughts. “Let’s go,” he said finally and turned and headed off down the stairs. He didn’t argue when I asked if he could make a detour to pick up Dixie. She was waiting patiently outside the unit block and eagerly jumped in the back of his Mercedes.

  “Hello Heller,” she trilled in her sweetest voice as she fastened her seatbelt.

  He glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “Hello Dixie.” She gave a schoolgirl giggle. I glanced at her over my shoulder and pulled a vomiting face. She kicked the back of my seat. Heller wisely ignored us.

  He dropped us at the hotel, giving me strict instructions to ring when I wanted to be picked up and not to overdo it. He drove off and Dixie and I walked into the hotel spa. Of course she noticed my bandaged arm and fussed over me for a few minutes before forgetting about me in the excitement of the rest of the day. We had a lovely time together, laughing until we almost made ourselves sick, drinking too much champagne and revelling in the luxurious surroundings and indulgent treatments. When I confided to her about my surprise close encounter with a naked Heller, she grilled me relentlessly on every little detail about his body and its various appendages.

  “You have got the best job in the world!” she declared, her eyes rolling back in her head with pleasure as her feet were professionally massaged. I held up my bandaged arm with a rueful smile. “Oh right, on the other hand, perhaps not.”

  At the end as we preened in front of the mirror, Dixie marvelled that I was ordered to do this every month. Her hair, maroon this week, had been dyed a soft black and with a new pixie haircut, I thought she looked cute and stylish and told her so. In return, barely able to tear her eyes away from her own reflection, she told me that I looked ‘fine’. Hmm, thanks Dix.

  We lunched lavishly at the hotel’s signature restaurant, but I declined any more alcohol, heedful of Dr Kincaid’s warnings. My arm was starting to ache again and I was fairly sure I would need to take more of the strong painkillers that night. I’d settled the bill and we were chatting over a second coffee when I glanced idly out of the restaurant window that fronted a busy city thoroughfare.

  My mouth dropped open. “Holy shit!” I said and took off at a trot out of the restaurant door and out through the back entrance of the hotel onto the same street I’d just been viewing. Dixie followed me bewildered.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “That lying littl
e bitch.”

  “Who?”

  “Ahead of us, do you see? That little woman with the long black hair and tiny skirt? With the ridiculously high shoes and gigantic bag?”

  “Yeah, I see her. So?”

  I pushed through the crowd, anxious not to lose sight, Dixie on my heels. “That is Mrs Lily Hayek, my client, who told me she was spending the day with her loving husband. Bitch! She probably told him that she was going to be with me. Instead she’s ditched us both and gone off on her own!”

  “That skanky chick is a billionaire’s wife? She looks like a ten-dollar whore,” Dixie scorned.

  Without thinking twice, I grabbed my phone and punched in Heller’s number.

  “Matilda? Ready to go home?” I could hear other people talking in the background and belatedly remembered that he was in a meeting. I tried to be speedy.

  “Heller, we have a situation. My client is not with her husband as she told me this morning but is out on the loose, dressed for action. I’m following her now.” I gave him our location.

  “She seems to be headed for the red-light district,” he noted. Where else, I thought with weary resentment. “Keep track of her. My meeting will be finishing up soon and I’ll drive over as quickly as I can. But I have to go now. Keep in touch, please.”

  “Okay. Sorry to disrupt your meeting,” I apologised, hoping he hadn’t been with an important client.

  A soft, patient laugh in response. “You must always ring me when you need me, no matter what I’m doing. I don’t mind if it’s you, Matilda.”

  What to say to that? “Um . . . okay. Bye.” I rang off hastily, taking the coward’s way out and turning my attention back to my pressing problem.

  Fortunately there was enough foot traffic in the late lunch crowd to provide Dixie and me with cover, but not enough for Lily to be swallowed up. She strode determinedly, as if with a definite goal in mind. We covered a few blocks until we reached the outskirts of the city’s red-light area. She took a left turn and walked a block further, then turned left again down into a small lane. She slowed down, as if looking for a building name or number. Even from this distance, we could see the wicked smile on her face as she stopped in front of one building, opened the door, releasing a burst of pounding rock music, and disappeared inside.