by D. F. Jones
Panicked, Rachel closed her legs and Luc roared with laughter. He said, “I’m not going to fuck you, idiot. I’m going to fill you with so many demons that you’ll go completely insane, and you won’t be passing into the great white hall, but you’ll reside in the red room of death.”
* * *
Minutes or hours passed. Rachel couldn’t remember trashing the house. She looked around at the destruction. Her arm hurt, and her lip was split. How in the hell did I do that?
She picked up the phone and called her father.
Hazel, her parent’s maid, answered the phone. “Nelson Doune Farms.”
Rachel’s voice quivered as she said, “Hazel, I need to talk with Dad.”
“Ms. Rachel, he’s in the study with Mr. McDaniel.”
Rachel gritted her teeth. Jerry had gone straight to her dad. She let out a heavy sigh and said, “Thanks, Hazel. I’m sorry if I woke you.”
“Ms. Rachel, are you okay?”
Rachel shook her head. “No, Hazel, I’m not.” She hung up, glanced around at the aftermath of her destruction, and dialed zero. “Operator, would you give me the phone number and address for Anna Kelly in Pensacola, Florida, please?” Rachel jotted down the information on the notepad next to the phone. She called and booked a flight to Florida.
Rachel grabbed her overnight bag and threw in some clothes and toiletries. She flew out the back door and jumped into her car. On Interstate 24, Rachel smashed the gas pedal to the floor, drove to the Nashville airport, and boarded the plane in first class.
* * *
Jerry pulled up to the security gate and found Zeke asleep. He rolled down his window. Jerry whistled, and Zeke shot out of his chair like a silver bullet. Zeke looked at his watch. “Kind of late for a visit, isn’t it, boy? Is Mr. Doune expecting you?”
Jerry shook his head and leaned his forearm on the edge of the car door. “No, it’s urgent. I have to talk to him now.”
Zeke walked over to Jerry’s truck and his eyes widened. He whistled. “Rachel slugged you? Man, that’s going to leave one hell of a shiner. I guess you’re lucky she didn’t kill you. But I’m not surprised. Rachel’s a wild one. I’ll phone, go on ahead.”
“Thanks, Zeke.” Jerry pulled up the long driveway and parked in the circular drive in front of the main house. He walked up the steps to a huge veranda with its white columns and huge planters overflowing plants and vines. Jerry pressed the doorbell, and the door opened. It was Hazel, the Doune’s maid.
Hazel fastened her robe around her tightly. “Mr. Doune will be down in a minute. He said to put you in his study. Would you like a drink, Mr. McDaniel?”
Jerry smiled at Hazel with kindness. “No, Hazel.” She ushered him into the study and left. The room was full of Nelson’s taxidermy trophies from all over the world. The floors were covered with genuine Persian silk and wool handmade rugs. He walked around the back of Nelson’s elaborately-carved eighteenth century American desk. It was a bonnet-topped mahogany secretary, carved with a block-and-shell. Behind the desk, Jerry looked out at the Doune estate through eight-foot windows.
Jerry couldn’t shake from his mind all of the horrible things Rachel said to him. It was all he thought about on his drive to Arrington to speak with Rachel’s father. He couldn’t take any chances with Anna. Rachel had threatened Anna with serious bodily harm.
Nelson walked into his study with a heavy brocade robe tied over his paisley silk pajamas. He didn’t say anything at first but walked straight to his liquor table, reached for his bottle of Hennessy, and poured a drink for himself and one for Jerry. Jerry picked up the glass and took a gulp.
In front of the fireplace, Nelson went over and sat down in a leather chair and crossed his leg over his knee. “Please sit down, Jerry. I assume this must be pretty damn important to get me out of bed.”
Jerry sat down in the matching leather chair next to Nelson. “Sir, I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t. I broke off my engagement with Rachel tonight.”
Nelson’s eyes widened as he looked at Jerry’s black eye and frowned. He took a long pull from his drink and set the glass down on the marble-top walnut side table. Nelson took a deep breath. “Would this have anything to do with Ms. Kelly coming back to town?”
Jerry held the tulip snifter in his hand and nodded. “Yes, sir, it does. I’m sorry. I never intended to hurt Rachel or your family. But I can’t marry her knowing I’m in love with someone else. I should’ve called off our engagement before now. I should’ve never agreed to marry her. But your daughter is the most persistent person I’ve ever known and doesn’t take the answer no well.”
Nelson chuckled and said, “She, unfortunately, takes after me, son. I do think of you as my son, and I looked forward to having you in my family. But if you don’t love Rachel, in the long run, you both would live miserably. I take it by your black eye Rachel didn’t take the news well.”
Jerry glanced down to the rug for a second before looking back at Mr. Doune. “No, sir. That would be an understatement. Rachel threatened Anna with battery acid and said you had friends in New York who would cut off Anna’s fingers and make her disappear.”
Nelson winced at Jerry’s words, then pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. He leaned back in his chair and looked at Jerry. “Rachel should’ve never threatened Anna. I’m sorry. As for me and my contacts, you have no reason to fear. I would never hurt you or Anna. My daughter, however, is another story. There’s no telling what she’ll do.” Nelson stepped over to the fireplace, placed his hand on the mantel, and turned back to face Jerry. “Rachel has experienced control issues in the past. Her erratic behavior was one of the reasons we left New York. She accidentally killed her best friend.”
Jerry fell back against the chair and gulped the rest of his drink. “Dear God, what happened?”
Nelson shook his head in sadness. “Her friend, Vanessa, came to me with concerns over Rachel. Rachel had made some sexual advances toward Vanessa that she wouldn’t reciprocate. I suggested that she place some distance between herself and Rachel until things blew over.”
Nelson poured another drink and sat back down across from Jerry. “Vanessa told Rachel her parents were sending her away to a boarding school in England. Rachel lost her temper and pushed Vanessa. She fell from the top stairs of our balcony. The poor girl broke her neck and died instantly.” He took a long pull from his drink. “It was an ugly scandal, and I had to pad a lot of wallets to keep Rachel out of jail. I moved here in hopes of building a new life for Rachel and us.”
Jerry ran both hands through his hair. “Jesus, Nelson. You knew Rachel fixated on me from the beginning. You didn’t stop her or warn me. You need to lock her up and throw away the damn key because I swear I’ll kill her if she hurts Anna.”
Nelson shot Jerry a menacing look. “Do not threaten me, boy. As crazy as she may be, Rachel is still my daughter, and I’ll protect her. You should’ve never agreed to marry her. I’ll try to talk to her tomorrow, but if I were you, I would get Anna out of town as fast as you can. I’ll see if I can find Rachel a new play toy in the meantime.”
Jerry stared at Nelson in shock. “You—you used me as her play toy. You used me. Can’t you see Rachel needs to be in a hospital?”
Nelson drank the rest of his cognac and sat the empty glass on the table. “Yes, I’m afraid you speak the truth. I’m not proud of what I’ve done. I know she should be in a facility somewhere. You won’t understand until you have kids of your own. She’s my baby girl.” He turned to Jerry and said, “It’s time for you to leave, Jerry. Where’s Rachel now? I need to bring her home.”
Jerry stood to leave. “She’s at my house. After our fight, I told her she had one week to get her things out.”
“Jesus, Jerry, she’ll burn the place to the ground. I’ve got to go. Let yourself out.” Nelson walked swiftly from the room.
Jerry picked up the phone and called Reed. The phone rang twice before Reed answered. Jerry relayed the events of the
evening. “Reed, tell Anna to be ready in twenty minutes. We’re flying out of here tonight.”
* * *
Anna kept looking at the clock as she nervously paced the floor. It was nearing midnight and still no sign of Jerry. Maybe he had changed his mind. Ruby and Reed had gone to bed around ten. The telephone rang, and Anna froze. She waited in the living area for Reed or Ruby to come out of their bedroom.
Reed and Ruby walked out together, and Anna could tell by the look on their faces that whatever had happened, the news wasn’t good. Anna propped herself against the sofa to keep from falling to the ground. “For the love of God, what’s happened?”
Reed had his arm around Ruby, and she leaned against him with tears in her eyes. He said, “Get your things quickly. Jerry broke his engagement and Rachel has threatened you. He believes Rachel will try to carry out her threats. You and Jerry are flying out tonight.”
Anna’s eyes watered, and she looked over to Ruby, who was visibly frightened. She turned and took the stairs two at a time. She began throwing her things into her suitcase. Ralph’s words played like a broken record. Someone will get hurt. Anna had her bags packed and was downstairs in nine minutes. Jerry came in the front door, and Anna threw herself into his arms.
Jerry held her tight and placed kisses all over her face. “Anna, if anything happens to you, I—I…”
She stopped him and placed her fingers over his mouth. “Don’t. It’s over, and we’re together.” She turned and went to Ruby and hugged her tightly. “Ruby, I love you with all my heart.” Anna glanced up to Reed and said, “Take care of my sister.”
Ruby squeezed her hand. “Go. Call me when you get to Florida. Let us know you’re safe. I’ll call Sandy. Do you want me to call your parents?”
Jerry walked up beside her and caught her hand in his. She looked up at him. “No, I don’t want to worry them. I’ll call them in the morning.”
Jerry let go of Anna’s hand and hugged Ruby and Reed. “I’ll leave my truck at the Holiday Inn. I don’t want to leave it here and cause problems for y’all.” He turned to Reed and said, “I have an extra set of keys at my office. I’ll call Kaye in the morning and let her know you’re coming Monday to pick them up. Take the truck and put it in my dad’s barn. Reed, one more thing, would you take one of the deputies and check on my house. Nelson thinks Rachel might try to burn it to the ground. Call your real estate buddy and tell him I want to place it on the market. I don’t care what he can get for it. I just want to get rid of it.”
Reed clasped Jerry’s shoulder. “Be safe, man. I’ll take care of things here.”
Jerry draped his arm around Anna. “Let’s go, Annabelly.”
Anna waved as they walked out the front door. Outside, she looked up at Jerry. “Do you think it’s safe to go to my house in Florida? Cary has a security system.”
“Anna, I don’t care where we go as long as it’s far away from here.”
* * *
Anna and Jerry stepped up to the ticket counter at the Nashville airport and inquired on flights to Pensacola or any destination close to the area. Jerry leaned his forearm on the counter and smiled warmly at the ticket agent. He said, “See, we’re eloping tonight.” Jerry kissed the top of Anna’s head, and she smiled up at him.
The female ticket agent swooned and began to type. “You’re in luck, Mr. McDaniel. They’re just boarding 1205 to Pensacola now. If you hurry, you can make it. Would you like coach or first class?”
Jerry handed her his credit card. “First class.”
* * *
Rachel’s eyes widened in utter shock when Jerry and Anna boarded her flight. She sat two rows behind them and slumped down in her seat. As soon as she noticed them fasten their seatbelts, Rachel slipped out of her seat and dashed into coach. She went up to a flight attendant. “I’d like to request a favor. My old boyfriend and his new squeeze just boarded this flight. I don’t want to sit behind them. Is it okay for me to sit back here in one of the empty seats?” Rachel pressed a hundred-dollar bill in the flight attendants’ hand.
The attendant nodded and smiled. “You leave everything to me.” A tear ran down Rachel’s cheek, and the flight attendant patted her shoulder and walked away from her station toward first class.
Rachel sat down in the back, next to a window, but kept her eye on first class. It was still dark outside when the plane took off. An hour and a half later, the flight landed, and the attendant came back and told her Jerry and Anna had exited the plane. Rachel stayed back until all of the passengers left and then made her way to a coffee shop in the terminal. She wanted to give Jerry and Anna plenty of time to leave the airport.
After Rachel had finished her second cup of coffee, she went to Hertz and rented a black Audi sedan. She walked out of the terminal, and the warm Florida breeze hit her face. Rachel found the rental and made her way to the hotel on the beach. She rented an oceanfront suite, threw her bag on the bed, and looked inside the desk drawer for a phone book. The sun was coming up as she opened the sliding glass door and peered out at the slow ocean waves rolling onto the white sand beach.
Rachel sat down in one of the plastic chairs on the little balcony. She thumbed through the yellow pages until she found a local gun shop, and she ripped the page from the book. They opened at eight.
Rachel opened her purse and pulled out a vial of cocaine. She lifted a bump to each nostril and sniffed. Jerry had been clueless about her love for the white pony. She had worked for years cultivating the relationship with the farm boy turned computer geek. Jerry wasn’t only gorgeous but sweet and kind.
At first, Jerry playing hard to get had been part of a game to Rachel. A contest of wills. Rachel had become his friend and hung out with him so much over the years that he’d given her keys first to his condo and then to his house. That was how she found out Anna had attempted to reconcile with him, and luckily Rachel had intercepted several phone messages and letters. She had deleted the messages and thrown away Anna’s letters, all except for the last one. Anna’s last letter begged Jerry to come back to her, and that letter gave Rachel fuel for her fire.
Rachel had finally won, and they were supposed to get married until that bitch flew home on her broomstick. Rachel took another bump. She had no intention of going to sleep, not until Anna Kelly had a bullet in her brain.
Chapter 17
Lay Your Hands on Me
Anna couldn’t believe everything that had happened in the last couple of days. A smile curved her lips. Good things do come to those who wait. She pushed all thoughts of Rachel out of her mind.
Jerry had come for her just like he promised, and they had escaped to her home in Florida. Anna believed in fate and destiny. She laid her head on Jerry’s chest, felt the thump of his heartbeat, and watched his chest move up and down while he slept.
Rays of sunlight shot through her bedroom window. She was too excited to sleep. Her fingers played with the hairs on Jerry’s chest, and he stirred. Anna whispered, “Jerry, are you awake?”
“Uh-huh.” He rolled over, wrapped his arms around her, and pressed his face into her neck. “Aren’t you sleepy?”
Anna rolled back over to face him and brushed the hair from his forehead. “No, not at all. I still can’t believe you’re here with me—in my bed. I’m too excited to sleep. Lie back for a minute. I’m going to heal your black eye.” Jerry closed his eyes, and the tips of her fingers tingled as she placed them over his eye. A minute later, she said, “Open your eyes. Your black eye is gone.”
Jerry’s beautiful blue eyes opened and looked into hers with such love. He leaned in and kissed her softly on her lips. She ran her tongue over his lips and into his mouth.
Jerry broke from her kiss and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. “It’s nine o’clock, marry me?”
Anna giggled and kissed him again. “Really? Are you sure?”
Jerry’s hand ran down to her bum, and he squeezed. “I’ve always wanted to marry you. I just got sidetracked for the last six y
ears. You think it’s too soon?”
“Hell, naw. I’m ready, Jerry. I’m never letting you go again. Would it be okay if we walked over to Cary’s first? I want you to meet him and Maria. They’ve been wonderful to me while I’ve lived here. And I would love to get married on his front lawn with the ocean as a backdrop. Cary’s place is like something out of Better Homes and Gardens or maybe Southern Living.” She sat up, crossed her legs, and fiddled with the edges of her pillowcase.
Jerry squeezed her hand. “Don’t be nervous, Anna. I would marry you on the moon if you asked me right now.” He sat up and leaned against the headboard. “But I only have the clothes on your chair. Is that all right with you?”
Anna grinned. “Not to worry. Just down the street is Paul Parsons Men’s shop. He has everything from jeans to tuxedoes. We’ll stop by and pick you up a pair of off-white pants and a white button-down after we get our license. I have a long, creamy white dress I bought last year for a fundraising event for the hospital. You’ll love it.”
Jerry pulled her up into an embrace. “I’d love you in your birthday suit.”
“It won’t be anything fancy, but I would like to tell our grandchildren one day about my wedding day.”
Anna leaned against his shoulder, and he kissed the top of her head. “Lots and lots of grandchildren.”
She happily replied, “Lots and lots.”
He said, “Let’s take a shower. Then we’ll go to Cary’s and then we’ll go to the county clerk to get a license.”
She playfully jumped off the bed and teased, “Oh, no, no showers together until you say I do.”
Jerry jumped off the bed, buck naked, and gave chase. Anna ran into the bathroom, and he scooped her up from behind. “Are you kidding me? I’m not waiting another damn minute to see you in the buff, woman.”
As his head bent down to kiss her, he smelled good. A trace of sweat and masculine musk filled the air she breathed. Jerry brushed her hair off one of her shoulders and kissed her neck. He took a deep breath and let out a moan that sent shivers up her spine.