by J. E. Taylor
“Tom?”
“Um, uh, yeah, I guess.” He stumbled through his answer, still perplexed, but he slid the script in the door pocket and helped her load the groceries in the back of the truck.
They drove the rest of the way in silence. Tom wondered how much of what he read was true and how much of it was Hollywood. He realized that he didn’t know as much as he thought about what she went through down there, which made it more difficult for him to understand how she could ever forgive Ty. He needed to see those tapes; he needed to know.
He pulled into the garage and helped them carry the groceries to the kitchen. “I need to make a phone call.” Tom disappeared into the study with the script.
He flipped through the rolodex and found the number he was looking for. He hesitated for a moment and then he dialed.
“Morning, Sharon,” he said when she picked up the phone.
“Tom, it’s been a long time.”
“You have the actual tapes?”
“Have you read the script?”
“I started it,” he admitted. “Do you have the tapes?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I need to see them,” Tom replied. “I need to know.”
“Are you going to take the part?”
Tom was quiet, struggling with the answer. “I’m not sure.”
“You know he wasn’t the one who actually killed the victims. Until that girl who cut him, he didn’t actually pull the trigger, so to speak.”
Tom laughed. “He orchestrated every murder, Sharon. He got off on hurting people. And whether you believe it or not, he is a cold-blooded killer. You just don’t have it on tape.”
“So, why do you want to see the tapes?”
“I want to know what happened to my wife.” He looked out the window at Jessica and the kids in the pool.
“I thought you knew everything?”
“I only saw what Frank showed us in that room,” he said. “It wasn’t everything.”
“Read the script, Tom.”
“I need to see it.”
There was silence on the other line.
“Sharon?”
“Read the script and then we can talk.” She hung up on him.
Chapter 36
Chris pulled into the garage of his apartment building in New York and handed his keys to the valet, taking the ticket as he walked away. He took the elevator up to the penthouse and walked into the familiar setting, peeling off his coat and throwing it onto the chair.
The sun setting over New York filled his windows and he crossed to the balcony, leaning on the railing. The city, his city, with the constant assault of noise and activity he hoped would be enough to lessen the hurt pounding in his veins. Wandering around the estate in Maine had been pointless and he needed to get away before he did something he would eventually regret.
She was out there now, probably just getting ready for dinner with him. “Damn,” he said and his heart sank another notch. He walked in and turned on the television, flopped on the couch and channel surfed until something caught his eye on E. He flipped back.
The banner headline shot him bolt upright. “Jesus.”
He recognized the drab concrete and the chilling chairs planted in each of the rooms. The film crew went from room to room in the complex he and his brothers ran for close to ten years before he grabbed Jessica. Hollywood had the audacity to make a film of what happened and his jaw slackened. A sick feeling in the pit of his stomach grew when they walked into the room where Frank died and he turned the volume up to hear what the reporter was saying.
“And my sources tell me that the producers are talking with Tom Whitman, one of the only survivors of this dark and evil place, about taking the lead role.”
Chris started to laugh. “Jessica’s going to flip,” he said to the television and his laughter died in his throat. His eyes focused on the mirror in the background behind the reporter. Frank smiled directly at him and then the image was gone. He shivered and wondered if anyone else watching had seen that and looked toward the bathroom, suppressing the urge to run in and call her.
Chapter 37
Jessica looked up at the office window as the kids played. She had seen him on the phone a few hours before looking down at them and then he disappeared from view and hadn’t left the office since.
“I’ll be right back,” she said and headed into the house.
She pushed open the door and stepped into the office. “Are you all right?”
He slowly looked up at her and shook his head. “No, I’m not.”
“What’s wrong?” She closed the door behind her.
He held up the script and tossed it at her. “They want me to play him.”
She caught the document and flipped it open. Ty’s name stared back at her from the pages of the script, in screaming bold and a little squeak escaped her as she read.
“My sentiments exactly,” he said. “They’re filming in the fucking complex.” Tom stood up, running his hand through his hair. He walked over to the window and looked out at the kids in the pool.
Jessica couldn’t speak and her legs gave out under her. She crumpled to the floor. “They can’t,” she finally gasped, closing the script.
“They are,” he said, not turning, but looking at her in the reflection of the glass.
“You’re not thinking of doing it?”
“They’re offering thirty million,” he said, still with his back to her.
“So what?” she snapped, finding her strength and getting to her feet. “You can’t do this.”
The glare he shot in her direction made her take an involuntary step backwards and a thread of fear weaved its way into her skin.
“What he did to you...” he trailed off, the fury was radiating off him. “How can you...” He clenched his fists in frustration. “How could you give in to him?” he snarled and stepped toward her. “How could you love that psychopath?”
The thread bloomed into a whole blanket spreading over her, suffocating her and she took another step away but he reached out, wrapping his strong hands around her upper arms, yanking her to him.
“How could you kill for that son of a bitch?”
“Tom, you’re scaring me.” Jessica tried to pull away from his grip but he held fast, smiling bitterly.
“That bastard is alive and right now I want him dead. I swear to God, Jess, if he ever comes near you again, I will kill him.” He scanned her and leaned over, kissing her roughly to make his point.
She believed every word and kissed back, wrapping her arms around his neck when his hands slid from her upper arms to her waist. The kiss deepened and his hands began to wander. “Stop.” She pushed him away.
“I’m going to take the part.”
Jessica’s mouth dropped. “You can’t.”
“The hell I can’t, Jess.”
She threw the script at him and stormed out of the room, running across their house into their bedroom and slamming the door and throwing herself face first on the bed. The door opened and closed and his footfalls crossed the room.
“Jess.”
She ignored him.
He walked over to the bed and put his hand on her bare calf. “Jess,” he said, running his fingers over the back of her leg and the lower curve of her back.
“Go away.”
He sat next to her and rubbed her back.
She finally turned and looked at him. “Why?”
“Because it is a good story and it’s an opportunity for me to break the good guy roles.”
“But it’s my story.”
“No, it is his story. You and I just happen to be a part of it. I’m not thrilled about going down there again.”
“You want to portray him as a monster,” she said, looking up at his face.
“He is a monster.”
“Not anymore.” She turned away. “He has pieces of me and Eric in him now.”
“But he was one and that’s the way I want to play it. That is until he met y
ou. He still did some nasty shit after he met you, but it wasn’t quite as sadistic.”
“I don’t want you to do it.”
“I know. But I need to.” Tom reached out and touched her face.
“Why?”
“I need to understand because right now I absolutely don’t. After reading that script, if it’s anything close to the truth, I can’t fathom how you could forgive him for what he did to you,” Tom said softly. “Never mind how you fell in love with him.”
Jessica was quiet for a while. “Ty only did two horrible things to me, Tom. He electrocuted me in that chair and raped me after he knocked you out. That’s it.”
Tom scoffed.
“You don’t have all the facts. It was psychological warfare down there and yes, he played serious mind games with me, but I also played him. I never gave him what he wanted.”
Tom blinked. “You willingly slept with him.”
She tilted her head a little. “Yes, but that’s not what he wanted. The whole point of what he did down there was for him to feel power. He even told us as much, remember?”
Tom nodded.
“In every video they made me watch, in every scene he participated in, he wanted someone to beg or tell him they wanted him. Ty wanted confirmation that he was in control.” She paused to let this sink in.
“He wanted me to tell him that I wanted him, that I loved him. He wanted the words not the physical act.” She paused. “I never said the words he wanted. I never told him I wanted him or loved him until he was lying on the floor dying. So I played the game too.”
Tom shook his head slowly and started to laugh. “Damn girl, you still surprise the hell out of me sometimes.”
“Good.” She looked over at the clock. “Are you going to take Eric surfing?”
Tom ran his hand down her side and smiled looking back into her eyes. “In a few.” He leaned down to kiss her.
“Not now.” Jessica rolled away.
“Yes, now.” He pulled her back, kissing her.
“Tom,” she said under his lips and tried to push him away.
He ignored her rebuff and continued to kiss her and stretching on top of her, running his hands up her sides. He pulled away and smiled. “You are too sexy in this bikini and the kids are having fun in the pool.”
She debated until he leaned up and peeled his shirt off, tossing it on the floor. “The kids.”
He reached around her back and unclasped the bikini top. “Will be fine in the pool,” he finished and undressed her. Hunger laced his eyes and he crushed her lips under his.
His bare chest rubbed against hers and a delicate heat spread between her thighs. His tongue twirled with hers, sexy, sensuous and when he broke the kiss, she squealed in protest.
The smile that spread over his lips made her shiver with anticipation and he lowered his head, his lips trickling down the line of her neck while his hand wandered between her legs, massaging her.
“Tell me you want me,” he said very softly, his breath tickling her.
She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting her body respond to his touch. “Tom.”
His mouth suckled each breast, running his tongue over each of her hard nipples. He continued kissing every inch of her stomach. “Tell me,” he whispered in an all too-familiar smooth and sexy voice.
Jessica broke out in goose bumps and she looked into his eyes. This wasn’t Tom. No, he was playing the part of Ty to a tee. “Stop it.” She tried to pull away but he pinned her down under him, smiling.
“Tom STOP!”
He shook his head. “I don’t want to.” He kissed her breasts, teasing her with his tongue. “Neither do you,” he said and slid his body between her legs. He slowly let go of her arms and ran his hands into her hair, holding her face as he kissed her hard. His tongue explored her mouth and she made a small noise of protest, yet she wrapped her arms around him anyway. “Tell me,” he demanded and kicked his pants off.
“No.” Defiance and heat stirred inside her. The little game was arousing in a way she hadn’t ever felt with anyone but Ty.
He moved down her body, running his tongue as he went, smiling and she let out an audible sigh. He paused at her belly button where he rolled his tongue gently and ended with a kiss. He continued moving downward and she trembled.
He laughed softly and kissed the inside of her thigh, running his tongue from the inside of her knee all the way to her hip joint. He repeated with her other leg and then licked her.
Jessica hitched her breath arching her back. “Oh God,” she whispered and his finger entered her, his tongue still rolling around her clit, sucking, provoking. Heat filled every crevice and she moaned, covering her mouth with one hand and running her other into his hair.
A rush of wetness accompanied her orgasm and she tilted her hips into his mouth, letting him lap her dripping pussy until the tremors subsided.
He kissed his way to her lips, kissing her and sliding his hard throbbing cock into the sweet wetness. He pulled away, staring down at her with bright passion-filled eyes. “Say it.”
Jessica wrapped her legs around him and moaned under his hard thrusts. “I love you,” she whispered. “God, how I love you.” She moved her hips in rhythm with him.
“Not as much as I love you.” He kissed her again and they both climaxed together, holding each other tight.
Tom leaned on his elbows and looked down at her, shaking his head. “Damn,” he said breathlessly.
“What?”
“That kind of power is intoxicating,” he said. “You are intoxicating.”
“I don’t like the fact you were acting.”
“I’d much rather audition with you than anyone else on earth.” He smiled down at her. “How’d I do?”
Jessica didn’t say anything but she blushed. “Go take Eric surfing.”
Tom smiled and pulled out of her and off the bed. He slipped into a pair of swim trunks as Jessica watched.
“You really do have a nice ass.”
“Thanks.” He crossed the room and gave her a peck on the lips. “You too.” He reached around and squeezed hers as she stood.
“Go on, I’ll be down in a second.” She smiled and grabbed her bathing suit, heading for the bathroom to clean up.
Chapter 38
Emily rubbed her eyes as she walked into the bedroom and flopped on the bed in her bathing suit, closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.
The temperature plummeted and she stirred, feeling herself being propped higher on the pillows. She opened her eyes to see him kneeling over her, his crotch in line with her mouth.
“No,” she whispered.
“Oh, yes,” he said and looked over his shoulder toward the open door and the noise of people in the house. He clamped his hand around her throat and leaned close. “I’ll be back tonight and you’d better be here, or else.” He vanished.
Emily shivered and stared at the ceiling, sobs escaping in quiet intervals. She covered her mouth, gagging and bolted to the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time.
She pulled herself up and rinsed her mouth, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Maybe it would have been better if I still had cancer. The tears welled up again.
Stubbornly, she shook her head. “Don’t even think that.” The anger welled up inside of her. She stormed back into her room, grabbing her suitcase; she pilfered through it until she found the things she wanted to wear and headed back to the bathroom to take a shower.
As she stood under the hot water, the anger boiled inside with every minute that passed. She made up her mind. She wasn’t going to be in her room tonight, period, end of story. She turned off the water, got dressed and headed out onto the deck in time to see Tom and Eric riding a wave.
Chapter 39
Chris looked at the ceiling as the sunset streaked the room. He listened to the sounds of the city filtering up the building to the penthouse and again wondered what she was doing. He glanced over at his bathroom. Slowly he got up and
walked in, but he hesitated before he looked in the mirror.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. “Jessie?”
* * * *
Jessica stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her. His voice permeated the room and she glanced toward the bedroom in time to see Tom slide his shirt on.
He smiled over at her. “Don’t take too long, we have reservations for seven and I want to swing by the studio.”
She smiled back and nodded, waiting to hear the bedroom door close. When it did, she looked at the mirror into Chris’s eyes.
“Bad timing.”
“Sorry, just needed to see you and make sure you are all right.”
She looked at the image and didn’t recognize the room. “Where are you?”
“My place in New York.”
“Oh. Why?”
“It got cold there without you.”
“Why did you really call?” She cut to the chase.
Chris brought his eyes back to hers and shrugged. “I saw a news story.”
Jessica looked at him expectantly. “And?”
He shuffled uncomfortably, realizing he didn’t know how to tell her. “They are making a film.”
Jessica tilted her head, watching his discomfort. “About?” She toyed with him. She already knew what he wanted to tell her without him saying a word.
Chris lowered his eyes. “About what happened,” he said. “They are filming on site.” He looked back at her.
Jessica nodded. “I heard.”
Chris’s eyes went a little wider. She already knows.
“Yes, I already know,” she confirmed. “I’m not happy, but...” she trailed off.
“Is he going to take the part?”
Jessica nodded.
“He’s going to play me?” Chris laughed at the irony.
Jessica nodded again.
“How are you with that?”
Jessica shrugged. “Not sure.” She thought of earlier today and shivered. “I certainly won’t be visiting the set,” she added with a little laugh.