by Cin Medley
“Yes, please.” She giggled. “Are we here already?”
“Just about, we started to slow down and from the pressure in my ears, we are starting our decent.”
“Paul, I’m going to need a gun.”
I know she felt my body tense up. “Max always carries. But do you really? She is contained in my apartment.”
“I know, but I am not taking that chance.”
“Come on, let’s get up and get in our seats.”
We sat holding hands until the plane stopped. We went through customs and Max had a car waiting for us. It took about forty minutes to get to the apartment. Getting out of the car, I leaned into Denny. “I need your gun.”
Without hesitation, he handed it to me. I turned and gave it to Victoria.
“Thank you,” she said.
Turning back to Denny, “Where’s Max?”
“Upstairs, he hasn’t left your apartment.”
“I need you and two others to follow us up. Hopefully everyone is sleeping. I don’t want any bloodshed, so we need to contain the woman and keep the child safe.”
“Sir, it’s two in the morning, I think everyone is sleeping.”
“Everything is not what it seems. Let’s go.”
Victoria’s body changed the closer we got to the apartment. Just like in the field outside her cottage. She was going into work mode. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Touching her arm, I leaned into her. “I love you,” I whispered so only she could hear.
“Please remember your promise. Protect Jo at all cost.”
I kissed her neck as the doors opened.
Chapter Eleven
I’m hoping the element of surprise is going to be on my side. If my father didn’t clean house, then she knows I killed Steven and she will be waiting for me. She believes me to be dead. I think she is waiting for Steven to come and get her before they end Jo’s life. I could be wrong, but I am not taking any chances.
Paul went to open the door, and I stopped him. “Let me go, text Max so I don’t shoot him. Tell him I am coming in. Give me five minutes and you follow.”
“Victoria, we need to do this together. You know it. She is one person and you are hurt. Please.”
I know he’s right, and I just love him for wanting to protect me, to protect Jo. I nodded to him and whispered, “I love you.”
He stood there looking at me, I could see the fear in his eyes, but beyond that I saw it. I saw what I needed to be sure he knew I meant it. Opening the door, Max met us. No one said a word, as he led us to the spare room. Walking in I could see Kathy in bed with Jo. Not what I wanted to see. I walked over to the bed and put the gun to her head pulling back the hammer. I saw her eyes open, “Get up,” I whispered. “Now.” She hesitated and Max reached around me grabbing her by the throat and lifted her off the bed. Paul put himself between Kathy and Jo.
Picking up Jo, he carried her into his room, telling Denny to protect her with his life.
Max dragged Kathy out into the dining room putting her in a chair. He pulled out some zip ties and tied her to it. “Victoria, what is going on?”
I sat down across from her. “How long?”
She shook her head, “What? How long what?”
“How long were you fucking my husband?”
Her eyes shot up to Paul, he was watching me. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“You didn’t expect to see me again. You know he was going to kill me. You know the only reason he married me was to control Johnathan.”
She laughed, “Are you insane? I know as much about this case as you told me.”
I laughed, “Kathy, I know you are, or should I say were Steven’s new wife. I also know you’re pregnant.”
He eyes gave her away. “What do you mean were?”
“He’s dead. I killed him. Stabbed him right here,” I put my hand on my neck. “Hit his jugular, it took maybe twenty seconds before he bled out. Well that and he had a bullet hole in him here.” I touched my shoulder, “And a few other knife wounds. You should have seen it. He broke my arm, as you can see, and he nearly choked me to death. But I won.”
“Impossible, he is three times your size,” she said softly.
And there it was. I smiled at her. “You meant nothing to him in the end. He denied you.”
“Why the fuck couldn’t you just die like your brother?”
I stood up and swung, slamming my fist into her face. “Because good always wins.” I said.
“You’re a fucking hitman for the British government, and you call me a murderer. I wouldn’t get too comfortable Victoria, because this is just the beginning. He wasn’t Andy Marciano; he was second in command.”
I stood there looking at her. Everything swirled in my mind. It was like a million flashes of light. I had to grab the table it was that bad. I felt Paul touch me and I shook my head. It felt like the world was tipped off its axis. “I can’t breathe,” I whispered.
Paul got in my line of vision. “Victoria, look at me.” My eyes tried to focus on him. “Come on beautiful, breathe in through your mouth out through your nose.” I did what he said. “That’s it, come on, follow me.” It took a few minutes before I could breathe again.
I looked at Max. “Is there someplace you can take her? Someplace you can hold her where she won’t get away?”
He looked at Paul. He nodded. Max said, “Yeah.”
“Make sure she is fed and well cared for, she is pregnant. She is to be guarded twenty-four seven.”
He smiled. “You got it.”
“You can’t hold me prisoner.”
I looked her right in the face, “I’m not holding you, I’m protecting you. If I have you arrested, your dead. If I let you go, your dead. If what you just said is the truth your dead.”
“I saw it in your eyes, you know it’s the truth and you know who Marciano is don’t you? Tell me Victoria, tell me who he is.”
I just stared at her, “Max get her out of here.”
They took her away, Paul went to get Denny and then he left. I paced the living room, while Paul stood in the hallway watching me. I know who is behind this. I know and I don’t want to know. I wanted to believe it was Steven, hell I wanted it to be Paul. But it was neither of them. “Nowhere is safe,” I mumbled. “Steven was right, this isn’t over. It’s just begun.” I looked at Paul. “You aren’t safe, you staked your claim to me. You and Jo aren’t safe. There is nowhere you can hide with her. Oh my god.” I could feel the tears coming, I could feel my body shake. Shaking my head, “This can’t be happening. This can’t be real. Oh my god.”
“Victoria, talk to me beautiful,” he whispered.
I couldn’t do anything but stand there looking at him. “This can’t be real,” I whispered to him, “This can’t be real.”
I didn’t know what to do. She freaked out. What the hell is going on? I thought my life was deceitful, it is or was nothing compared to this.
“Hey,” I reached out to touch her fingers. Her eyes dropped to our hands. “Come on, let’s get some sleep. We will worry about this tomorrow.” She nodded, wrapping her fingers in mine. We walked into the bedroom, she climbed in on one side of Jo and I on the other. We held hands above her head. “I love you Victoria. No matter what.”
She smiled, and closed her eyes.
I lay here looking at her, looking at the tiny life between us. This beautiful little girl who warned her mother of the pending danger. These two forces of nature are going to be my life. Jo will call me daddy and Victoria will call me husband. I know that now, to the depths of my being.
My brother is dead, I need to close the business and end of his sick life. Thinking back, I can’t believe I never saw it. I never saw how disturbed he was. He murdered my wife right in front of me. Who does that? I should feel some sort of remorse for him, for the loss of him, but I don’t. I can’t. But if he hadn’t done it I wouldn’t know this, I wouldn’t know her.
Jo rolled over into Victoria’s chest, her
broken arm gently pulling her closer. It is probably the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I just watched them, Jo’s little hand reaching up to touch her face. It’s like they haven’t been apart at all. A bond only a mother can have with her child, and I lay here witness to it. It’s changing me again, my heart expanding for her, for this tiny life that isn’t even a part of me.
I scoot over so I can hold them both, they deserve everything I have to give. We will survive this, all of us, and we will live happily ever after. Closing my eyes, I let sleep pull me under. At least for now, we are safe. If no one knows what we know, we are safe.
I don’t know how long I slept, time seemed to have no meaning to us right now. But I had the strange feeling of being watched. When I opened my eyes, a pair of big brown eyes were staring at me. Her smile lit up the whole room. “Hi Paul,” she whispered. “Momma’s sleeping.”
“She is, you all right sweetheart?” I whispered to her.
“I have to go potty.”
I smiled, “Come on I’ll help you.”
We carefully got off the bed. I carried her to the bathroom and helped her go potty, then we washed her hands. “I’m hungry,” she whispered.
We quietly made our way out into the kitchen. She wanted me to make pancakes, well panny cakes as she called them. I sat her on the counter and we made panny cakes. She is a very intelligent little girl. I discovered a side of me I was sure was lost. She is so innocent to what the world really is. I can see why Victoria lives in the cottage. A city full of crime is no good for a child. I need to get her back there. Running in the grass, tending the garden, playing at the beach, that’s the life we should have.
“Should we take these to momma?” I asked her when we finished.
She nodded her head. Turning I went to grab the tray and Victoria was standing in the hallway with tears on her cheeks. I picked up Jo and walked up to her, pulling her into me with my other arm.
When I woke up and they were both gone, I must admit I panicked, until I heard the giggles and whispers in the other room. I managed to get out of bed and sneak out to see what they were doing. Low and behold, he had her on the counter and she had convinced him to make pancakes. My heart was full. He had taken to her like she was his own. Watching them, the way she spoke to him, so matter of fact and he just went right along with her.
When he turned and saw me standing here, I saw nothing but love in his eyes, whereas before I haven’t seen it so clearly. I didn’t realize I was crying until he walked over and wrapped me in their embrace and whispered in my ear, “My life is complete. I love you.”
I couldn’t talk, I just nodded into his chest.
“Momma, you crying again,” Jo said putting her hand on my face.
“I’m just happy baby.”
“Me and Paul made panny cakes.”
“I see that. Should we eat them?”
Paul sat her down in a chair, which she had to get on her knees to reach the table. We sat and ate all the pancakes Paul had made. Then I watched as the two of them did the dishes and cleaned up. She didn’t ask about my arm, or my neck. She was completely content to just be with us. We talked, we drew pretty pictures, she talked about Max, and how he took her to the park. She didn’t even ask about Kathy.
We all curled up on the couch and watched her favorite movie. She fell asleep half way through it, half laying on Paul and half on me. Paul carried her into the second bedroom, the one closest to his.
I walked out into the hallway wrapping my arms around her. “I know there is so much we need to talk about. But last night I was thinking. No one knows what we know. So I think we should just let you heal and come up with a plan. For now, we are safe, things are calm and no one is out to kill you. Why don’t we take Jo back to the cottage, and spend the summer there? Let you heal, let us grow.”
“You would leave here?”
I laughed, “Victoria, I am not leaving you. You and Jo are my life now. What’s best for her, and you as well, is what I want. You have had a hell of a life. It’s time you sit back and live it. No more running. No more lies. No more death. Let’s just be happy for a while. When you are healed and at one hundred percent I will do whatever you want. But she has been without you for so long, and I just got to be a part of the both of you.”
“But your life is here.”
“Not anymore. It’s with you. I have more money than we could ever spend. We’ll take Max and Denny and we’ll go back to Surrey and live there for a bit.”
“You mean it?” She whispered.
I nodded. “But I would really like to make love to you.”
She smiled at me, “I’d really like that.”
“How long does she usually sleep?” I whispered walking toward the bedroom.
“An hour or so.”
“I can work with that. Should we close the door?”
She giggled, “She does know how to open a door.”
“Maybe we should wait until she goes to bed tonight.” God, I felt awkward.
“Come on, I’ve got an idea.” Smiling at me we walked into the closet. She closed the door and pushed me against it. Kissing me. We got lost in each other, which is exactly what we do. Slowly our clothes left our bodies.
I slid down the door to my knees, so her core was right in front of me. I had to touch her, my hands sliding down her body to rest on her ass, pulling her forward I buried my face in her fluff, inhaling. “God, you smell like heaven,” I moaned. Gently kissing her, lifting her leg and setting her foot on my shoulder I couldn’t stop myself. Her essence is like nothing I’ve ever known. Gently I brought her around and held her while she convulsed on my tongue.
Just as slowly I picked her foot up setting it on the floor and then held her while she lowered herself wrapping herself around me, our mouths coming together in the beautiful dance that they do. She made love to me. Her sweet gently rocking, I held myself through her orgasm, gently laying her on the floor I made love to her, gently flicking my hips hitting her end. For so long we moved in perfect harmony, bringing her to the edge of reason, as she tightened around me, our mouths pulling apart to look at one another as I emptied myself buried deep inside of her.
“Victoria,” I whispered on her lips holding her. “So beautiful.”
“Okay,” She moaned.
I chuckled, kissing her deeply. “Okay what, beautiful?”
Her hand on my face, her eyes dilated and sedate, “Okay, let’s go back to the cottage. Let’s have this life. I want happy with you,” she whispered.
I couldn’t contain my smile. I didn’t want to contain it. If she wasn’t hurt, I would have grabbed her up and spun her around. “Yeah?” I whispered, choked up.
She nodded, “Paul, I love you.”
“Awe beautiful, I love you.” We lay on the floor kissing for a little while. “Come on you need to get cleaned up.
Slowly I pulled out of her, god I hated that. I wanted to do nothing but make love to her. I picked her up so she wouldn’t struggle with her arm. I watched as she put on one of my shirts. “Can I wear a pair of your boxers?”
I laughed, “Anything you want. But I think they are going to be more like shorts.” I grabbed a pair of boxers for her. We walked out of the closet and back into the living room to make our plans. Jo didn’t wake up for at least another hour. So we cuddled on the couch.
“You sure you want to do this?” She asked as her hand slid under my shirt. Sending fire through my veins directly to my cock.
“I haven’t been surer of anything in my whole life. I just need a few days to take care of my brother’s finances. Is that all right?”
“Of course, it is. I’m really sorry that I killed him.”
I chuckled, “I’m not. He murdered my wife, your brother, and countless other people.”
“This isn’t over you know.”
“I know sweetheart, but it is for now. And I want to live in the now. We have at least two months before your arm is healed, and I want to live it to the be
st of my ability.”
“I never really had this you know?”
“What’s that?”
“This feeling of perfection.”
I turned on my side so I could look at her, “You deserve nothing less.” Kissing her. She deepened the kiss. It was the giggle that separated us. I felt embarrassed, that Jo saw us. My hand was up her shirt caressing her breast. When I jerked it away Victoria started laughing.
“Oh my god, you should have seen your face,” she laughed.
Sitting up, I was grateful for the long tee shirt I had on to hide my erection. A three-year-old is not something I’m used to. But I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I’m looking forward to being a step-in father to this gorgeous little girl.
Climbing on the couch with us, she fixed herself between us, “Momma, is Paul going to be my daddy?”
My heart jumped out of my chest. I saw Victoria struggle to find the words. So I said, “Sweetheart, I will be whatever you need or want me to be. We are all in this together. No matter what. Okay?”
She nodded her little head full of curls and kissed my cheek. Turning to Victoria she whispered. “He smells good.”
Victoria busted out laughing, pulling her closer with her broken arm, “I know baby.” She giggled in her ear.
“Momma, can Max take me to the park? He pushes me on the swing.”
“Well, how about I get dressed and Paul and I will take you with Max? Maybe we could get some ice cream after.”
She nodded and climbed off the couch. I helped Victoria up and she went in the bedroom to get dressed. Walking out into the living room she said, “Paul, we are going to have to go shopping. I need some, um, well you know.”
I chuckled, “We can go now, Max is waiting down stairs for us.”
It felt weird walking around with him and Jo. After I lost the baby, I didn’t think I would ever feel like a family. Even when I took Jo, I knew I would never love again. Looking at him, I really think I love him, but how is that possible? I don’t even know him, well I know a great deal about the man he portrayed to the world, but this man he is with me I know nothing about.