by Sienna Mynx
“Bullshit!” Reese said.
“It’s the truth,” Kassidy insisted.
“The truth is you have never lived in the real world if you been with the E.P.U. For you it’s save a turtle or whale. For me, its work your ass off and pray that being a woman, and a black one at that in corporate America, will be overlooked.”
“Please. Let’s not pretend hard work was the only way you climbed the top of the corporate ladder. I hear you and Dale are really close.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” Reese shot to her feet.
“Sorry... that was a low blow.”
“You’re sorry? And that means shit now, Kassidy!” Reese’s eyes watered. “Shit! You deceived me, not the other way around. You are no victim.”
Kassidy’s breaths quickened and her cheeks became warm. With renewed humiliation and regret, she was forced to look away. She had no comeback, no excuse, and no explanation for what she hoped she would accomplish now. Reese was right. She never once grasped the gravity of her actions until Tarek marched toward her in the snow and blew it all to hell.
“Someone out there wants Tarek dead and me too. That’s my reality now, Reese. And trust me I know it. Though it kills me to say this, I need your help.”
Reese put a hand to her forehead. She paced back and forth. “We need a plan”, Reese said almost to herself. “One that gets you free and clear of all of this mess and the only way I can see that happening is if you tell me what else you got on the Marshalls. What is this organized crime stuff about?”
“I can’t think right now...” Kassidy sighed.
“You fucking better think! Think damn it!”
“Reese, please. Give me a few days to recover.”
“Fine we do it your way for now. You stay here. You don’t talk to anyone. I’m going to negotiate this. But we need an ally. I’ll meet with Dale. You better have something to bargain with”, she said “I dunno did you take something else Kassidy? Anything, maybe something that you didn’t tell the police about?” Reese’s gaze locked on hers again.
“I told you what I took,” Kassidy said. “It was just contracts and accounting reports for the funding of the offshore project. That’s it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why does it matter? Tarek knows what I took. So do the Marshalls by now. Like you said, they have more evidence on me than I do them.”
“Of course it matters, Kassidy. Be smart. What did you send through email? Did you send it on the company server?”
“Reese, I told you there’s nothing!”
“Thumb drives. What did you put information on thumb drives?” Reese asked.
Kassidy went still. For a brief moment she couldn’t speak. And when she found her voice she fought to keep her anger out of it. “No. I didn’t use thumb drives.”
“Did you take one?” Reese asked.
“No,” Kassidy answered. “We didn’t work like that. I met with Daniel and gave him files and original documents with signatures. I didn’t want anything traced to me. So I didn’t do it on the company computer or my personal one.”
Reese stared at her, and for a moment Kassidy feared she wouldn’t believe her. Then her former boss gave her a small smile. “We’re in this together. I just want to find a way to leverage something they may have forgotten to get us out of this nightmare. That’s all.” And then Reese’s cell phone rang. Reese went over to it and picked it up. Her brows lowered with concern. She stared at the call but spoke to Kassidy. “It’s Billy. Probably saw the news report and wants to know what happened. Be right back,” she said and left out of the front door.
Kassidy sat upright. She limped over to the side windowpane near the door. Reese had walked away from the front step and on to the sidewalk. She talked to the person on the phone with her hand to her head. One of the men in the dark SUV got out of the truck. Reese pointed at the man and shouted something. He turned and got back in the truck. Reese continued with her conversation on the phone. The men acted like they were working for her. It unnerved Kassidy. Having seen enough, Kassidy went back to the sofa to wait for her. This time she kept the gun on her lap.
The door opened. Reese smiled. “Sorry about that. Look will you be okay? I need to run out for just a bit.”
“Is something wrong with Dale?” Kassidy probed.
“I'm not conspiring with Dale. I got a call from my mom. Need to pick her up. The security guys out front will stay. You need anything, send one of them to do it, and let the other in.”
“In my house! Hell, no,” Kassidy said.
“It’s for your own protection. They’re from the same company that they use at the work. Like you said, someone tried to kill you. And yes I know you have that gun, but I suspect you never fired that thing.”
“You're wrong. And I don’t need them or you to protect me. Worry about yourself, Reese.”
“Trust me, I am.” Reese pulled her purse strap up over her shoulder. “I’ll call you and check in, bring some groceries for you.”
“Don’t bother. I plan to sleep,” she said. “I won’t be answering the phone.”
“That’s a good idea. Right now your name isn’t in the press, but you know how the media can be. It’s only a matter of time before they link you.” Reese winked. “So be careful. Lock the door and wait for my call,” she said before she left. Kassidy waited until she heard the car and truck start outside of her townhome. The security team let Reese drive out and then re-parked in front of her place. She got up from the sofa and went to the door. She locked it and made sure the deadbolt was in place. When her phone rang she ignored it. Kassidy limped into the kitchen and opened the cabinets under the sink. She dug in the back of it. Her fingers grasped the top cap of a bottle of liquid Drano. It was empty except for one thing. She unscrewed the top and dumped out the thumb drive. She sat on the kitchen floor and stared at it.
48.
“What are you doing?” Kassidy chuckled.
“If I have to tell you then I’m doing it wrong,” he flicked his tongue into her ear and eased his hand down further. Like the sexy, adorable woman she was, she teased him by keeping her thighs tightly shut. “Am I doing it wrong?” he whispered this time in her ear.
She nodded, and her gaze slipped over to look at him. He studied her profile. Her facial bones were delicately carved, highlighting her exotic cheekbones, her chin of iron determination, her full pouty lips that he always sucked first before they kissed, and those long dark lashes that made her large round eyes seductively compelling.
“The first rule to making me want you is...” she asked in that delicate feminine voice of hers that should belong to a blues singer.
He brushed his lips across her cheek. Of course he had forgotten. To have her he’d have to give her a kiss. He removed his hand from the delta of her shut thighs. He dragged it up under the cover, only stopping to squeeze one of her swollen dark nipples, and then touched her chin. He turned her face to his. Her lashes swept down and rested against her proud cheekbones.
Reclaiming her started with a slow and sweetly pressed kiss to her lips. She pursed her lips and kissed him back. Her hand eased under his arm and around his waist so it could caress his back. They decided to only leave bed for snacks. They pretended that their passion was an excuse. That it was physical. But when he kissed her he knew differently. There was something soul binding about making love to her.
He wanted her, and not just physically. He wanted her approval, her acceptance, her friendship, and even more if she would give it. Her body was soft in all the right places. He squeezed her ass, and his lips seared a path down her neck and shoulders, then to her breasts as he rolled her to her back and like promised, her legs parted.
Tarek's groin was so tight with tension that his dick felt cramped. His lips continued to brush over and explore her umber-brown skin. As his erection pressed hard down against her wet center. She was so warm and juicy there the cheeks of his ass clenched as if he’d already entered her.
She groaned, and her head went back as he rubbed the friction of his desire against her plump pussy.
“Answer me, beautiful. Not looking to be a dad to a little crusader anytime soon.”
“Yes, yes,” she repeated. “I take them because of cramps. I’m on them.”
“Mmm, so good, you feel so good,” he groaned as he slipped into her nice and easy. Tight heat drew him in, but patience kept him tender and slow.
“What are you doing?” she said when he didn’t thrust too deep, and pulled out repeatedly to suck on her nipples. “Fuck me, Tarek.”
“I already have. I want something more, I want to make love to you,” he said and thrust into her again. She groaned in desperation.
“We aren’t in love,” she reasoned.
“Let me have you, and you will see,” he said using her nickname. She opened her eyes and looked at him with concern. He knew it was physical for her and him. But now he was pushing them into uncharted territory. It was her that he needed desperately. The storm raged against the window panes. He could hear the howling wind. He kept grooving inside of her with the working of his hips, and felt none of the cold just the combustible heat between them.
“God help me,” she sighed.
Tarek smiled. He was swimming in arousal now. He thrust harder and faster, and her lovely sex swelled and clamped tighter on his dick, sending spasms of needed release through his pelvis. He felt her inner walls pulse, clasp tighter, and then weaken with each stroke. He drew her nipple into his mouth, and arched his back so he could suck it while he loved her below.
“Tarek, I’m so close! I’m so close now!” she dug her nails into his back and cried out as he hammered her harder.
“It’s okay, baby, it’s okay, I’m right here with you,” he said and licked her other nipple. “Let me feel that wet pussy, yeah, like that, move that ass, mmm, yes, yes,” he breathed. Kassidy pushed at his chest with her head thrown back, and bleated out a series of soft moans before a louder one. For the first time since he had her, she climaxed without him tickling or licking her love button. He knew this, and could tell the difference. He always could tell the difference between when a woman pretended and when she actually released.
He collapsed on top of her, timing his dramatic explosion with hers. He lifted his head and saw a satisfied smile on her lips.
“What was that? Oh my God it felt... I felt...so good,” she panted.
“That’s me making love to you, darling,” he eased up her and pressed a lip to her brow. She looked up into his eyes. “I haven’t felt that in a long time,” he confessed.
Tarek opened his eyes. He waited for his vision to clear. The memory was so fresh and sweet he thought he was still trapped with her at his ranch in the snow. It wasn’t a dream. If it were a dream he could close his eyes and dream about her some more. It was a memory followed by the truth. He had to get out of the damn hospital bed and stick to the plan.
“Señor Marshall?” A woman’s words interrupted his thoughts. He dropped his gaze over to the right. It was Consuela, a maid who had been with him for almost ten years, stood near the bed.
“I bring you what you ask for,” she said.
Though it hurt to do so, he sat upright. He nodded and followed her point to the duffle bag in the chair by the door. It had been two days since he arrived in the hospital. He’d let the doctors do their thing without complaint. Let his father control him, and his brother escape his wrath for two solid days. That was all the time he needed to heal.
“My car?” he asked and his voice croaked.
“Sí, señor. I’ve parked it where you asked. Here are the keys.” Consuela handed them over. “My brother waits for me below. I must go now. Yes?”
“Gracias, Consuela,” he said
She nodded and left his room. He struggled to breathe and move. To do both simultaneously hurt muscles he didn’t know he had. That was at first. But when he sat up the dull ache faded. There was a cool numbing to every tendon and bone in his body. He had been drugged. The meds they put him on had all but taken him under. If it wasn’t for his concern for Kassidy, he might not have had the strength to make the phone call to bring Consuela to him. He hated drugs of any kind. He’d been a medic in the military. All of Alek Marshall’s sons had to serve one tour of duty in the armed services except for the youngest son, Billy. He’d seen what drugs did to those wounded and traumatized vets. They were turned into walking zombies. Thanks to his training, he knew how to remove his IV. He reached over and turned off the cap to stop the flow of fluid flowing into his body. He gently removed the tape from his arm and found the catheter. Tarek pulled it out and tossed it aside and lowered the railings on the side of his bed too ease off. The moment his feet were planted on the ground his head spun, and a dizzy spell knocked him back on his ass. He sucked in a deep breath and summoned his energy. Soon the strength returned to his body, allowing him to stand. Stiff and cautious, he grabbed his duffle bag and walked with his back straight into the bathroom.
The florescent light blinked on. He stared at his face. The gauze over his eye, and the bandage wrapped around his head, was a bit much. He didn’t need all of it. He removed the wrappings and revealed the side bruises that had swollen his eye shut, and the stitches on his forehead. Tarek didn’t dwell on his state. He had more pressing issues.
Kassandra.
He had to get to her before they did. Their lives depended on it.
Chapter 21
Later –
The sound poked and probed at the edges of her peace. It kept sleep at arm’s length. She rolled to her side, thinking at first it was part of a waking dream. Someone kept knocking to get inside. It was all a terrible dream. One she had suffered over and over for the past two days.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap....
She heard it again and again. A little more of her drowsiness sloughed away. Kassidy opened her eyes. She looked over to her left, and her gaze focused on the window.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap....
Kassidy went for her gun and scrambled off the bed. She held it out in front of her with both hands firm to the grip. At first she slept upstairs. But her paranoia drove down to the first floor, to the guest room with the windows she could escape through. All she kept thinking about was her escape.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap....
She glanced to her bedroom door. It was open and every light in her townhome was left on. It was the only thing to give her a sense of safety when the sun set. She feared the darkness and shadows. When she was sleepy she feared everything.
The knocking at her window happened again. It reminded her of how the tree branches scraped against the windows of the Marshall ranch during the storm. Alarmed she raised the gun to the window, and with her heart racing she released the safety. She squinted at the shadow behind the blinds. It was too bright in her room to make out the form. Kassidy reached over and turned off the lamplight next to her bed. The shadow of a male could be clearly seen. He wore a cap and a wide fisherman’s collar to his coat.
Kassidy eased out of bed and kept the gun held out in front of her as she crept to the window. The silhouette of the man behind the blinds stood unnaturally still like that of a statue. It unnerved her. She went to the other window next to the one he faced and moved the blinds to peek out. Even in the shadows with a cap pulled down on his head she recognized him.
“Tarek?”
She lowered her gun and went to the other window. She drew up the blinds. She released the latch and let it open a degree. He lifted his head and she could see the swelling to the side of his face.
“What are you doing out here?” she asked. It had to be at least thirty degrees outside.
“Do you have a back door?” he asked.
“Why?”
“Question me later. Let me in.”
“Why?” she asked
again.
“Because I asked,” he answered.
Unmoved Kassidy pressed her lips together. She stared into his eyes. Part of her wanted to tell him to run and keep running. But the other part of her wanted him trapped, just like she felt she was. And that was the part that spoke for her. “Go to the side of the house. There’s a gate. It’s open. I’ll meet you in the backyard,” she said.
He left. She closed the window and fastened the latch. Kassidy slid on her slippers and went through her home to the back door, turning off the lights as she did. She opened the door and stepped out into her yard. It was dark and quiet, but mostly cold. When Tarek stepped out of the shadows and approached a flood of relief went through her. She went into his arms immediately. He gave her a gentle kiss to her lips and let her go. She let him pass her and go inside. She looked around her yard making sure nothing stirred. But she knew they were out there. She was certain of it. She went back inside and made sure to lock the door. She turned and before she could ask a single question he grabbed her by the face and kissed her properly. The touch of his lips swept her from her memory and returned her to a place where she felt sane again. It had been two long days and she was desperate to see him.
Strange that he would be her prince and her devil, all in one. Her arms lifted and circled his neck. Her body pressed against his. Their tongues swirled and darted out of each other’s mouths before their kiss came to a natural end. It felt like he needed that welcome.
“Are you okay?” she asked with genuine concern.
“Not sure. I suppose not.” He ran his hand down her back to cup her backside. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. At least physically I’m healing. What are you doing here? I know you're in trouble.” She kissed him once more and then let him go. He went to the living room and turned off the few lamplights she forgot to turn down. She watched him as he peeked out of her window to the street.