by Amanda Gray
“Sit down, Natasha he’s not here to hurt you. No-one is going to hurt you, you are safe.” Tank said soothingly. Natasha reluctantly sat down as McGee took a seat opposite her.
“Slugger, tell Natasha here what the client wanted.” Chip said, passing the ashtray over to Slugger.
The big hitman nodded. “Mr ‘F’ wanted me to ‘remove’ the whore and the bastard from the world, basically he asked me to kill you both and hide your bodies. He was very descriptive, verbally, on what he wanted when we met. He then handed me that note that you have a copy of to make sure that I in my – as he put it – ‘simple-minded brain’ had it down pat.” Slugger took a last drag on his cigarette before he put it out in the black ashtray, where it smoked a few moments before it extinguished.
“I took one look at your pictures and shook my head. I told him I don’t off women or kids, then he upped the price from fifty for you and twenty-five for the kid to double that.” He shook his head. “I told him to go get fucked.” Slugger looked at Natasha, who trembled and wept silent tears. Slugger leaned forward and looked deep into the tormented woman’s eyes. “I don’t do kids or women, you have nothing to fear from me. But the other bastard I know he has hired, he has no such issue with taking out innocents.” Slugger put a hand out, reaching across the table and covering one of her shaking hands with his big paw.
“These guys here, they will keep you safe. Fawkner wanted your bodies disposed of, preferably in acid and then a note that looked like it was written in your handwriting saying that you were leaving and never wanted any contact was going to be sent to you family.” Slugger sighed. “He didn’t want anyone looking for you.”
Tank put an arm around the woman. “Natasha, we are going to protect you.”
“Why? What have I done to deserve this?” she said softly, her tears pooling on the surface of the table below her.
“How did you get involved with Fawkner?” Chip asked.
“I was one of his personal assistants. He was flirty, and a bit grabby but charming in a way that disarmed you. I came across some files one night while I was working late, they looked odd, not quite right. Strange numbers that didn’t quite add up and a few offshore bank account numbers.
He came up behind me and I asked him what they were about. He put his finger to my lips and kissed me, I was weak and my marriage had started to fall apart. He was so handsome, attentive to me and charming, so I willingly gave myself to him. We had a few trysts in the office. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later, right after my husband divorced me. I knew it wasn’t his, out sex-life was non-existent. Lex was Alexander’s.” she sniffed and wiped her eyes. Johnny handed her a tissue, leaving the box in front of her.
Natasha cleared her nose and wiped her eyes with a clean tissue, nodding her thanks.
“I thought he wanted to be with me, stupid I know. Men like that only want one thing, that which lies between a woman’s legs, that and the power they believe it brings them.” She sighed. “I was a fool, but I’d never give up my son. Things got hard after the divorce, I lost my house, and the settlement was far less than what we’d originally paid for it. My ex-husband took pretty much everything in the divorce, so I turned to the only one whom I thought would help me - The father of my unborn child.” Pone of the men put a glass of water in front of her, Natasha took a sip and swallowed heavily.
“At first he was willing to help, so long as I spread my legs for him. But then out of the blue, he fired me when he discovered it was really his child. I asked for child support after the paternity tests came back positive that Lex was his. Then he cut us off completely, and I discover he has taken on a new woman to replace me. I knew he was fucking the other office girls while I was in his little ‘slut circle’ but I was the only one he was stupid enough with to get pregnant, after me he ensured that they were either on birth control or he used protection.”
She sighed, finally having shed all her tears. “I only hope that girl comes to her senses and doesn’t go through with the marriage.” She looked to the men who surrounded her, all tough, mean-looking sonsofbitches. But she knew they had good hearts.
“So, what happens now?”
“Now, we let you rest here for the night, and then we’ll take you down to a safe-house where we’ll keep you until we can take the asshole down and ensure that the hit on you is taken down.” There was a knock on the door, Viper opened it with a crying Lex in his arms. “He wanted his mother.” He said gruffly. His eyes going to Natasha and staying on her for a moment longer than necessary. Natasha got to her feet and took her son from the tough biker.
“I think Viper has it bad…” Tank whispered to Derek who simply nodded.
CHAPTER THREE
Rhonda stood in the bridal shop, her dress hugging her form. Yes the ice-cream was so very good, but it had given her a little more to her figure than she needed to fit into the dress. Tessa laughed at her. The bitch just had to look at a salad and she was skinny as a rake.
“Oh shut up, one day this will be your problem.” Rhonda said, tossing the mock-up bouquet at her maid of honour.
“Nuh-uh, baby, I’m gonna be working my ass off until I die, no time for a man. I’m married to my career.”
“Ahh yes, miss queen of interior design! Well when the times comes, you can design my nursery.” She said looking down at the beautiful dress that covered most of her body, leaving her shoulders and upper chest bare. There was enough material covering her bust that it wasn’t too showy, just enough cleavage and not too much flesh. The skirt didn’t drag onto the floor and there was no train. She had gone for elegant but not showy – modest. Alexander had prided himself on her decorum. He wasn’t a showy man himself.
The women finished up their fittings just as Tess got a phone call from a client who was having a decoration crisis. She kissed both of Rhonda’s cheeks before she ran out of the shop.
“The dresses will be delivered to your hotel room the night before the wedding, Miss.” The sales girl said as she put the dress back in its protective bag and hung it up.
“Thanks, hopefully I won’t eat too much the night before and have to squeeze into it!” Rhonda laughed as she turned to go. She exited the store and walked out into the clear spring sunshine. It warmed her face and she hoped that it would be as nice a day as this for we wedding day. The ceremony would be held out in the botanical gardens, security would be tight but Alexander had bowed to her wishes on this. She wasn’t a churchy-type person, and neither was he, so her choice of location seemed to suit them both.
There were a lot of high-profile guests from the business world, a few sports stars, a rock star and two TV stars, all who knew Alexander in some way or another. In fact about ninety-precent of the guests were from his side of the relationship.
She walked down the street heading to her car when she heard her name being called. Rhonda turned to see Derek running, the chain that was attached at one end to his belt and the other to his wallet slapped against his jean-clad thigh. He was carrying something in a yellow envelope.
“Derek…” Rhonda said when he caught up to her. “Nice to see you, what’s going on?”
“I wanted to see you. Come for a coffee with me?”
“I… I can’t I have some stuff to get done last minute for the wedding.” She said, wanting more than anything to throw herself into his arms and never let go, but her sensible side quickly reasserted itself and she remembered that she was getting married in two days.
“One coffee, not even twenty minutes of your time, then I’ll leave you alone.” He pressed, smiling his winning smile.
“One coffee…” She said and then walked past him to a coffee shop she had passed on the way to her car.
Derek walked beside her, his presence unnerving for she felt herself wanting to touch him, to be closer to him. To straddle him and ride his magnificent cock until the sun came up the next morning and she collapsed utterly spent and satisfied beside him in the rumpled sheets that were damp with their sweat and cum...
She took a deep breath and, mentally shaking herself concentrated on her fiancé, Alexander, kind, dependable, loving… but not here… not with her. It was Derek who was taking her for coffee, Derek who wanted to see her. Derek who had taken time out of his day to track her down, just so he could speak with her.
They settled at a small table and waited while the waitress came to take their order.
“All right, twenty minutes.” Rhonda said.
“Ok.” Derek said. “Here it is. I still love you. Alexander is no good for you. How well do you know him?” he asked her.
“I know him well enough that I trust him.” Rhonda said as she picked up a sachet of sugar and began to fiddle with it, her eyes downcast.
“What we did, there’s no shame in it Rhonda.” Derek said, putting his hands over hers and scrunching the sugar packet in her hands.
“Yes, there is, Derek. I cheated on him, and I’ve lost my engagement ring.” She said, tears running down her cheeks and making her carefully applied mascara start to run.
Derek took a paper napkin from the holder and dabbed at her eyes. “No, baby, he’s cheated on you, multiple times. I saw him banging the redheaded receptionist from HR in the filing room on my first day, then he sent for me a week later, told me to stay away from you then when I left, he had his receptionist go into his office and get on her knees.”
Rhonda scowled at him.
“Don’t you dare lie to me like that Derek!” She said, her voice soft, dangerous.
“I’m not lying baby… I’m worried about you. He’s not a good guy.”
“Oh and you are?” Rhonda said. “Alexander told me about your criminal activities in prison.” She said, pulling out a folded paper from her purse. “He handed this to me the other night.” She unfolded it and pushed it towards him. “I have no idea why I have been carrying it around in my purse.”
Derek picked up the page with a scowl and read it slowly.
“You’ve got to be fucking shitting me, this is all bullshit. I never incited riots in the prison, nor did I run drugs, if I had, do you think I would have been released? Baby, I’m on parole, I got out for good behaviour.” Derek reached over and grasped both her hands. “He’s feeding you bullshit lies, Rhonda, can’t you see that?”
To his surprise, she got to her feet, pulling her hands from his grasp.
“The only thing I see is a jealous man who can’t understand that I have moved on.” She grabbed her purse and stormed off as the waitress came up with their order. Derek watched dumbfounded her leave the store before he came to his senses and surged to his feet and grabbed the envelope to the angry shout of the waitress, they hadn’t paid for their coffees.
He ran after Rhonda, grabbing her by the arm and spinning her towards him. “You’re not over me, not by a long shot.” He said as he kissed her, putting all his passion and need for her into his one kiss. He felt her melt against him, her arms reached out an around him, her small, delicate hands caressing his back as his tongue slipped between her lips and he teased her into submission.
She pulled away, tears in her eyes. “Don’t… don’t do this to me, please Derek…” she said, as she turned away, her car keys in hand.
“Rhonda…” Derek called out to her. “If he makes you sign any insurance forms, tell me right away…” he shouted to her quickly retreating back.
Derek ran a hand over his mouth, his fingertips trailing through the beard he still had to trim and sighed. He looked down and noted with satisfaction that the envelope was safely inside her handbag. He watched as she got into her car and drove away. Hopefully she would look at it and discern the truth about Alexander for herself. Derek could only hope.
CHAPTER FOUR
Derek’s mother wiped a tear from her eye as she looked at Rhonda.
“Oh my dear girl, you are so lovely. Such a beautiful bride.” She smiled. Rhonda looked at herself in the mirror. She certainly looked the part, but her stomach was in knots.
Thoughts ran through her mind. Was she doing the right thing? Was Alexander the right man for her? And what did Derek mean exactly about insurance forms?
She smoothed the front of her dress down for the umpteenth time and looked to her future mother in law.
“It’s almost time dear. All we need is, something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”
“I have the blue covered,” Rhonda said, lifting up her dress and showing the dark blue garter around her thigh. “Something old is my grandmother’s necklace.” She said, fingering the gold pendant, the new is the dress, just need something borrowed.”
“I got it!” Tess cried as she dove into her purse and pulled out a fifty dollar note.
“Emergency cash…” she said as she knelt and stuffed it in the garter. “In case you want to do a runner!” she said with a cheeky grin.
Mrs Fawkner gave Tessa a disgusted look. Tessa shrugged. “She’ll need it for the taxi…” Rhonda laughed uproariously at her maid of honour and hugged her tight.
“Thanks babe.” She smiled, “Don’t make me laugh like that again or I’ll pee myself.”
“Ew… not in that ten thousand dollar dress you won’t.” Tessa said grimacing at the thought.
“We’ve got about twenty minutes before the wedding starts,” Tessa said. “Drink?” She smiled, holding up the bottle of champagne. Rhonda shook her head. “No… No, I think though I might like a few moments alone though. Just need to clear my head and get the jitters out.”
“Don’t do a runner yet, not until you’re halfway down the aisle… remember Runaway Bride?” Tessa grinned. Mrs Fawkner huffed and grabbed Tessa by the elbow.
“Come along, Tessa, let’s give Rhonda her time, and I’ll be having a chat with you about your conduct.” Rhonda watched the two women leave, she was secretly glad that her mother in law was only staying for the ceremony. The woman was stuffy and snobbish. Rhonda had trouble being polite to her and not telling her where to go.
She sat down on a chair in the dressing room and pulled her purse out from under the small table. She rifled through the large bag looking for one of the wrapped sweets that she always ha on hand. The sugar would calm her stomach. She grabbed an unfamiliar envelope. Pulling it out she looked over it. ‘Rhonda’ was written in Derek’s handwriting. She scowled as she opened it.
“Rhonda,
I know you don’t want to hear this, but it is important. Alexander is not the man you think he is. He has lied and manipulated you from the very start. I have been looking into his files for a week now and what I have seen is disturbing. He is using your charity work for his own gain. Each of the charities that you organise and donate to are fronts for his personal bank accounts that are held overseas, he also dodges the tax system this way.
He is also using the prisoner work release program to dodge his taxes, using prisoners signed for the work release programme for cheap labour. He keeps the money he is supposed to pay them, telling them that they’ll receive the money upon their release. They never get it.
But there’s more. He bangs anything in his office that has tits and legs. I told you before that I caught him with at least two of his office girls. I went through the security footage from the office cameras, there are still shots in the envelope if you haven’t already seen them”
Rhonda put the letter down and tipped the pictures out onto the table.
She picked them up and looked at each and every one. Women bent backwards over the desks, forwards over chairs, lounges anything that they could be bent over they were. There were women on their knees. Twenty office sluts, each with her ‘beloved’ fiancé balls deep inside their pussies, ass or with their lips wrapped firmly around his cock. Rhonda’s hands began to shake harder, the pictures blurring in her vision with her anger. She looked at the letter again, there was more...
“The biggest thing though, is his illegitimate child. He has a son named Lex, he wants nothing to do with the kid or his mother. He even had a hit put out o
n her and the kid when she wanted him to support their child financially. She wanted nothing else from him but for him to acknowledge the boy and provide for him like a good father should.
I went through the company insurance files, and I saw that he has taken out a life insurance policy on your life for 10 million dollars. Your life is not worth that… To me it is priceless.
I love you, Rhonda, and I will respect whatever choice you make, just don’t marry this asshole.
Yours forever,
-Derek.”
Rhonda shakily got to her feet after she put the page and the pictures back in the envelope. She tucked it in her garter beside the fifty that Tessa had given her. She might have need of it shortly. She left the room and got in the car, Tessa jumping in beside her.
“Going to be a memorable day today, Tessa.” Rhonda said cryptically.
###
Derek looked to the boys, all wore their cuts. A plainclothes Detective spoke quietly with Chip and Johnny, nodding his agreement. The men shook hands and the Detective left. Derek was anxious and Tank put a steadying hand on his shoulder.
“It’s time.” Chip said, coming up to Derek. “Let’s go crash a wedding.”
Derek nodded and almost ran to his bike, leaping onto the seat he slammed his helmet on and started his Harley up. His baby, second only to Rhonda, roared to life beneath him. It was time to get his first love back from a fate worse than hell.
###
Rhonda stood at the end of the white material that was spread out over the green grass, all the guests standing and waiting for her to make the first steps as the music began to swell. Tessa stood behind her holing the removable train of her dress. Her plan was simple. When the time came to say ‘I Do.” Her reply would be a resounding “I Don’t.” then she would happily present him with the evidence of his indiscretions. Ok, she had cheated on hi with Derek… once. She had seen the picture evidence of his indiscretions with half of the top floor office girls and three of her own HR girls. She wondered how the hell she could ever bear to look at the whores when she got back to work… if she had a job to go back to when she was done.