Catching Fire_Perfect Places

by T. N. King

  “Have you left yet?” Chance asked.

  “Well, hello to you too. buddy,” Morgan teased.

  “Well, someone is in a good mood. After they got fucked in the ASS in PUBLIC!” Chance yelled.

  Morgan moved the phone from his ear at his shout.

  Ellie’s eyes widened “Is that Chance?”

  Morgan nodded and put his hand up at her.

  Ellie lunged forward and grabbed the phone from him. “Chance?”

  Morgan was stunned. Ellie had never been impulsive like this nor had she ever butted into his business before.

  Ellie nodded. “Yes, it’s me, Chance. Listen to me. I know that you know everything that goes on with Morgan and his life…” She paused as he spoke. “No. I don’t buy any of that. You know all of it and we both know you keep secrets. Now, you need to tell me the truth.” She again paused.

  Morgan stepped close. “Babe, give me the phone.”

  She shook her head. “Tell me the truth, Chance. Is Morgan about to lose everything?”

  Morgan froze. The woman actually just asked this?

  Ellie took another step back as Chance was talking apparently. Her eyes widened. Then she smiled. Abruptly, she handed the phone back to Morgan.

  Morgan took it and placed it to his ear.

  “What the fuck was that about?” Chance bit out.

  “Daphne was here today,” was all Morgan would admit to.

  Ellie turned and walked into the bedroom.

  “Well, I bet that was like—shit! I’m glad I missed that scene.”

  Morgan watched as Ellie moved further away. “What did you answer?”

  Silence.

  “Chance?” His voice was gritty and low.

  “Nothing man. Just that we had an important board meeting.”

  “You answered her question with that?”

  “No.”

  Morgan pushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. “No games, Chance. Just fucking tell me!”

  “I lied.”

  “What?” Morgan asked.

  “I told her that you were nowhere near losing everything. That we simply had a board meeting. No sweat.”

  Morgan let out a breath of relief.

  “But...I don’t think she believed me.”

  Morgan swore aloud and moved out through the bedroom, then the hall. Next, he leapt down two stairs at a time and looked downstairs. Then he heard her car.

  Running to the door, he opened it to see the back of her Mini Cooper going down the drive. “Shit!”

  “What is it?” Chance was speaking over the forgotten phone in Morgan’s hand.

  Morgan raised it to his ear. “I want you to get another detective on Ellie and now. Make that two of them.”

  Chance sighed over the phone. “I took care of Hillborn, so there is no worries about—”

  “Now Chance. She left me.”

  “W-what?”

  “You heard me. She thinks she is the cause of me losing my wealth.”

  “That’s crazy!” Chance retorted in disbelief. “Or…is it?”

  Morgan didn’t answer. “Just hire two of them. You have the description of her car and the plate. I want her safe.”

  “Yeah, I get it. And you have to come here to New York.”

  “Just do it for me.” Morgan tapped his phone. He clenched his fists as he stared out at the empty drive. “Dammit, Ellie.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ellie took the turn out onto the main road. She kept her eyes on the empty road behind her. Would he follow? “Dammit!” She hit her hand on the steering wheel. After she promised herself, she wouldn’t run this time. Then him opening up like that? About Daphne, his company and his parents. Sighing, she realized it truly was a turning point. The man shared nothing of his world or what had been before she came along…until today. Still, she just couldn’t let him risk his future. Let Daphne have him? Ellie pictured the perfect looking woman. All class, all wealth. Meeting dignitaries, comfortable among kings. I bet she has a stamped passport with thirty countries.

  She remembered what Daphne had said earlier today…“You can still keep your scholarship and your little dreary life. But soon, you will have to move on. You will just be in the way of our two fortunes merging.”

  Ellie’s whole body grew rigid with the thought of doing what was right. Leave Morgan and let Daphne marry him?

  A tear rolled down her cheek. How can it be that when you love someone, you would give them up if that would be what was best for them? What can I do? Her mind was all over the place and her heart hurt so badly. How could she change something as big as—what had he called it? A merger. A business thing that had been agreed upon when Morgan had been just a boy. How can someone like me, a girl from lower Philly change the tides for two multi-billion dollar companies? Feeling defeated, she then noted the freeway coming up ahead and wondered where the hell she was driving to.

  She thought of her father again. He’d said she was destined to do great things. Ellie had always scoffed at that. Well, this would be a HUGE thing to go up against or to change. But at least he’d loved her and wanted her to be happy. He hadn’t directed her life, he just couldn’t help what had become of it. When he got sick, she’d been working two jobs. One at the diner and one at a gift shop. He hadn’t wanted her to take care of him, telling her that was his job. To take care of her. But at least he showed her love, always told her how beautiful and precious she was. To think Morgan never got that from his dad. Like… you did good son. She knew he hadn’t somehow. At least, that was her impression from what he told her today.

  What about his mother? He never said one way or another if she were at all loving? Ellie knew she had to be to some extent. Otherwise, how did Morgan turn out to have love in him? He did too. Despite their rocky start and all that had gone on since, Morgan shown her love, pampered her, made her feel special. Now, after months, she had another piece of the puzzle that was Morgan. It half explained what had happened at the very start. He had been afraid when he realized he had true feelings for Ellie. And had run away. At the time, she thought he’d just used her. Then suddenly, he came back and begged for another chance. She realized why now. He had trusted no one his entire life. He wouldn’t have known love even if someone punched him in the face with it. Or maybe, he’d just felt responsible for her somehow. He had pulled her out of that fire. Like the Japanese were…something about owning their whole life to someone they saved?

  Yet, he had come so far. He wanted it to work between them and had made all the effort to do it. It had even taken Ellie herself longer to face that what they had together was more than just sex, as hot as it was. IS. They had other things. Like they could sit together for hours and not say a word. They were so in sync. Then they would laugh together at the oddest things. Get all comfy on the couch and watch movies, like some old couple who’d been together for years.

  He also was truly interested in everything she did. Wanted to know every day about what she was studying in class. What happened at work. What she thought of different things in life. Not that she paid much attention to business or politics and such. Their worlds were worlds apart. But somehow that worked for them.

  Tears flowed down both of her cheeks now as she drove. Then if I was to up and leave him now? What would he be like? Like his dad? Cold, heartless and only about the business.

  She swiped her tears away, realizing she was doing it again. Making a bigger mess out of a big enough mess. Then being scattered and not knowing what to do about it. She let out a breath and tried to focus on her next step.

  She headed into town. I still have stuff at the apartment. I need to pack a bag and—and what? Ellie knew deep down where she needed to go. The last place she would ever think of going in the past. There was only one person that could change any of this.

  New York, Hunt Towers

  Morgan got off the elevator in a huff. For hours, he’d waited to hear back from Chance. It was driving him crazy not to know where Ellie
was. Frustrated, he took a deep breath and changed to his game-face. This would be tough, facing the board. After Daphne’s shenanigans…Well, they were more than that, they were deadly darts in a game that she intended to win.

  He wanted to kill the bitch. Her little visit to the house on Mockingbird had perhaps cost him the most important deal of his life. Not Helix, but Ellie.

  His phone buzzed.

  Grabbing it like it was a lifeline and he’d been drowning, he checked the text.

  Have her. At her apartment. But she has packed and is leaving.

  Morgan pushed his finger through his hair. Good news and bad news. He typed in: Where has she gone? Then hit send.

  “We don’t know yet.”

  Morgan glanced up from his phone to see Chance in front of him, his phone in hand. “What? How can you not know?”

  “He’s following her now, but doesn’t know yet where she’s headed. The man is good but not psychic.” Chance lifted a brow. “You need to get your focus off that for now. I got her being tailed and gave instructions to interfere if she needs help.”

  Morgan glared at him.

  “You know I’m right. The board members are in there now, gathering.”

  “Hello boys,” a female voice called to them.

  Morgan’s glare turned into a furious rage filled expression as he watched Daphne approach.

  Chance heaved a sigh then plastered a smile on his handsome face. “Daph!”

  She paid him no attention as her gaze roamed over Morgan’s face. “My, my… who pissed in your Cheerios today?”

  Morgan could barely contain his fury. “You should know as you still haven’t pulled your stinking panties up from squatting over my goddamn Cheerios!”

  Chance grabbed his arm as his voice had risen above the accepted office level.

  The Board secretary sat at her desk staring at them.

  Daphne stared at him for a moment then she laughed. “Oh, touché’!”

  Morgan took a step closer. “You are despicable.”

  Her laughter halted and her eyes widened.

  “Nasty, selfish despicable human being,” his words were hissed low.

  Chance looked very afraid as he stared at his friend who was probably slitting his own financial throat forever. “Morgan, buddy. Take it easy.”

  Daphne’s expression changed to one of cold calculation. “I’m doing what we agreed to years ago. I can’t help it if some skirt changed your tune.” She glared at him and marched past.

  Chance held his arm, so he wouldn’t go after her. “Calm, man. We have to go in there and fight this barracuda bitch. We need our game on.”

  Morgan blinked his eyes as he tried to settle himself. Chance was right. He just couldn’t seem to care like he should’ve. He let out a breath between pursed lips and then turned his smile to Chance.

  “Ok, that’s better. Now, they are skittish because of the article and because I think Daphne is going to pull some real shit today.”

  Morgan’s smile never slipped. “Just today?”

  Chance paused and stared at him. “That’s the spirit! Take this bitch down. Keep to your old path. The deal, Morgan. The art of the deal, remember?”

  Morgan stopped smiling. Oh yes, he remembered. Too well. But the only deal he wanted was one where he had Ellie White in his arms forever.

  Philadelphia…

  Ellie headed out through town with a bag packed in the backseat of her Cooper. She figured she could do the trip in 3 days and be back in time for classes. She exited onto the freeway and caught sight of it in her mirror. The same car that had been parked on the street when she’d pulled out of her apartment parking lot.

  Steady, Ellie. There are lots of cars that look just like this one.

  After being stalked months before by not one, but two men in fact, she was always alert now. She decided to let it go as nerves and keep merging into traffic.

  Turning on the radio to get her mind off things while she drove, she heard the words,

  “Comin’ down the world turned over. And angels fall without you there. And I go on as you get colder…Or are you someone’s prayer…

  All because I’m…What you became to me.”

  Ellie listened and realized what Morgan had said. She was the angel to his devil. Yes, he thought that maybe. But she looked at it differently. The day he pulled her out of that fire and she awoke planted on her back on the asphalt in front of the diner, she had gazed up with bleary, smoke filled eyes. She saw his silhouette with the sun glowing from behind him and her first thought was he was an angel.

  Then there had been a few times when she’d experienced that same dejavu-angel effect from him. He’d told her once. I’m no angel, far from it in fact.

  He’d saved her back then for real and he kept trying to save her. From a dreary life where she was getting nowhere in the scheme of things. She’d been just drifting after her dad died, like she had no idea what to do to make anything better. She’d sort of just accepted things. Then she had gone into that diner to get all she really had left of that father. His picture. She still carried it with her to this day.

  Ellie smiled for the first time in hours as she remembered one day about two weeks ago, Morgan had come home with a dozen copies of that very photo. Saying that she would never have to feel that desperation again. Never lose that photo again. One he even had made into a large picture with a frame and all. In fact, it sat on that same mantle as the picture Daphne had broken earlier today.

  Yes, Morgan seemed intent on helping her to attain her dreams, to get her out of the slums her father never wanted her stuck in.

  Could it be? Could life be that magical? That her father had sent her Morgan? Ellie got goosebumps. To help her have a better life? To make sure she got everything he’d wanted for his daughter? She suddenly now, thought of that whole event in another way, cause what were the odds really? That Morgan would drive by the diner on that day—at that very minute.

  The song continued as she thought about this concept, “And angels fall without you there.”

  The words echoed in her head. What would happen to Morgan if she walked away from him for good? He’d told her he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her and finally she believed him. The other thought was, what would become of her? She knew she loved him with all her soul.

  She glanced into the rearview mirror as the song ended. THERE! Same car. Her eyes narrowed as she switched in and out of lanes.

  Then she looked back again to see the car gone. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she realized she was just being paranoid. It had happened with other things in the last 2 months. Of course, it had. She realized she’d never gotten help for the trauma of what that professor did to her. She couldn’t and not have Morgan find out about it. Then she would have to tell him why she was in counseling.

  The same vehicle she thought she’d lost abruptly popped up again, two cars back.

  Dammit! She picked up speed and suddenly exited the freeway, so she could turn around and head back the other way till another exit, then do the same thing and get back on the freeway the way she was originally headed. If this car followed? That would prove it for sure.

  She accelerated down the exit. The sun had just dipped down and it was suddenly dark. She looked up to the mirror. Oh god, there was the car! Was it Hillborn? This thought had never occurred to her before. She assumed he had left town. Why hadn’t she asked Chance?

  She reached over to put her headlights on taking her eyes of the road for just a second and then somehow the car hit something. She grabbed the wheel tightly. Then found she’d run off the exit entirely and her little Cooper was bouncing along a rocky incline, the headlights showing rocks everywhere in front of the car.

  The Cooper bumped over something as she tried to apply the brakes. Then there was a huge POP! Glass broke all around her as metal smashed and things went dark as her head hit the steering wheel.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  New York, Hunt Towers…

/>   Morgan strode through the door, seeing the 6 members there around the table. Chance was already sitting there. Morgan’s father, his mother and the Yearwood’s, then Daphne.

  He never met her gaze. He felt like he might strangle the harpy. Instead, he nodded to his mother.

  Melanie Hunt. Grace, charm and still gentle after all these years, despite being married to someone like Edwin Hunt.

  This was the main board. Not the stockholder’s version. These 6 held the top voting shares. Yet, they were all family with the exception of Chance. This also wasn’t by chance to coin a pun. Morgan and Chance devised this a couple of years ago. It was part of their plan to keep some control over Hunt Industries. Chance had a voting share.

  “Glad that you could finally make it,” Edwin Hunt spoke in a cold voice.

  Morgan’s warm gaze swung from his mother to his father and he knew the cold glint that his father gave him was indeed reflected back at Hunt senior.

  Edwin didn’t show any reaction to this new hard glint in his son’s eyes except for a small tick in his cheek.

  Steely gray eyes met steely gray eyes.

  The room was so silent you could hear the clock ticking on the wall.

  “So, we called this emergency meeting for what reason?” Anthony Yearwood spoke.

  This broke the Hunt stare down and Morgan stepped up to the chair that had been left open for him.

  “Umm,” Chance replied. “I am unsure who called for the meeting.” His gaze swung over to Daphne, belying his statement as he and Morgan damn well knew she’d called it.

  “Yes, I did,” Daphne stood from her chair.

  “Morgan, please have a seat?” Melanie Hunt urged.

  Morgan shook his head. “Apparently, I’m the reason this meeting was called as far as I have been told. I’d rather stand for this, than take it sitting down.”

  Melanie looked upset by his defensive attitude as she batted her lashes and looked over at Edwin. “What is going on?”

  “Umm, sorry. I hate to interrupt but I can answer that,” Daphne spoke again.