by J. E. Taylor
“Are you even listening to me?”
Jessica blushed. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve got more of a case of jet lag from our trip back east than I thought.”
He shook his head and looked at her sideways, inhaling deeply, and he continued walking. “I’m going to need to run my lines for the show. Think you can get your head here long enough to help me out?”
“No need to get pissy with me,” she snapped back and plopped the last piece of the ice cream cone in her mouth.
He snorted and let go of her hand. “You haven’t been with me all day.”
She took a deep breath and pushed the aggravation back because he was right. “Okay, you will have my attention from now on. I’m just wiped from yesterday.” She eyed him.
Tom laughed. “I thought you were the Energizer Bunny?
She shrugged. “Yeah, well...” she trailed off and smiled at him. “I’ve never had that many in a single day, sweetheart.”
“That’s not entirely true.”
His mind painted a vivid picture of Frank’s sadistic orgasm machine and the smile on her face disappeared. Anger singed and she turned and walked away without another word.
He caught up to her. “I’m sorry.”
She said nothing until they were in the hotel room and then she turned on him. “I can’t believe you said that.” She flopped on the bed and buried her face in the pillow. “That was just so wrong.” She turned her head and looked at him.
“I’m sorry.” He stood with his hands deep in his pockets.
She saw the sincerity in his eyes but it did nothing to diffuse her anger. “I can’t believe you would even put that remotely in the same space as yesterday. You compared a killing machine to, to, to us making love.” She turned her head before he could see the tears spill out.
He sat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through her hair.
“Don’t.” She didn’t want him touching her, not after that comment.
He ignored her, continuing, knowing it calmed her when she was upset. “I’m sorry,” he said again very softly.
Jessica cried silently in the pillow. That memory haunted her and she kept it locked up inside as best she could because whenever it got loose, she broke down. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep under the soft combing of her hair.
Chapter 67
Chris looked through his camera lens again in surprise and snapped her picture. She was here, now, less than a football field length away from him. He smiled as he zoomed in on her licking the ice cream cone and snapped another picture. He lowered the camera, noting that they were holding hands and heading his way. He moved to the opposite side of the fountain so their paths would not cross. He sighed and watched her and when she paused and looked over her shoulder toward the fountain, he held his breath.
He had the camera to his eye and he caught her expression on film as she looked back. He slowly lowered the camera, feeling the same intensity of emotions raging through her blood.
“Christ,” he whispered. It took every ounce of strength he had not to go after her and sweep her away. He was on his home turf now, and wondered if he would be able to persuade her to stay with him this time. Instead of following her, he headed back to his apartment.
Chapter 68
She walked in the front door of his house, stepping inside. She crossed through the kitchen glancing at the discarded cast on the floor before heading out the back door. A trail of clothes led to the side of the pool and his powerful strokes drove him through the water.
He pulled himself out of the water and went into the cabana to grab a towel.
God, I want him, she thought and he turned, their eyes meeting.
“You shouldn’t be here, Jess.” He stormed past her into the house, shaking from the cold.
She followed him up to his bedroom and he turned, his eyes pleading with her. “You don’t understand,” he said and his eyes shimmered with tears.
“Enlighten me.”
Hands shook her awake and Jessica blinked, staring at Tom in confusion.
“We need to get ready for dinner.”
She nodded, still in the fog of the dream and wandered into the bathroom, starting the shower, stripping off her clothing.
Tom slipped into the shower behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, startling her. “I’m sorry,” he said again as he kissed her wet neck. “I didn’t mean to make the comparison. It’s just that I’m going to be there tomorrow and...”
“I know, I forgive you,” she said and he ran the soap gently over her body.
She let him wash her, closing her eyes and enjoying the sensual way his fingers ran through her hair, combing the strands with conditioner and rinsing. Showering with him was always on par with having a day at the spa, relaxing and rejuvenating.
He turned off the water and grabbed two towels, handing one to her and wrapping the other around his waist. “I reserve the right to a rain check.”
“We’ll see.” Jessica smiled smugly and slipped past him.
He reached out and grabbed her around the waist. “We’ll see?” He laughed and looked at their reflection. “We are going to have a beautiful child.”
She looked at the reflection and laughed. “That’s quite vain.”
“Seriously. Look at us.”
Jessica did. “Pretty plastic people.” She smiled and looked up at him. His hair was a dripping mess, like he just shook it as he stepped out of the shower, his well defined chest glistened with moisture and his eyes were the blue that made women swoon. He really was beautiful to look at and yes, they would have exceptionally good-looking children if that’s what the fates had in mind. She slid out of his grip and walked into the room and put on a black lacy bra with matching panties before slipping the black dress over her head.
Tom whistled. “How did I get so lucky?
Jessica shrugged and looked up at him. “You’re not the lucky one. I am.” She ran her hands down his chest. “Now get dressed or we’ll be late.”
He pulled on his black suit with a mauve colored shirt and a gray, black and mauve tie to complete the ensemble.
“You should have gotten the top spot last year,” she said, referring to the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ poll.
He blushed and gave her his shy smile. “Let’s go,” he said and put his hand out for her.
She took his hand and they left for an evening of dinner and dancing at the Rainbow Room. The dinner was fantastic and after, Tom led her onto the dance floor and moved her around expertly.
He held her close, slowly twirling her around the floor. “I love you, Jess.”
“I love you, too.” She looked up and he planted a kiss on her lips.
They left around eleven but instead of taking a taxi, Tom suggested they walk. It was only a few blocks between Rockefeller Center and the Plaza Hotel. He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders when she shivered from the chill in the air. With his hand around her waist, smiling, he sighed. “Thank you.”
“For what?” she asked looking over at him.
“For a wonderful night that will help me get through the day tomorrow.” He didn’t look at her right away. “I wish you were gonna be there with me.”
“I can’t.”
“I know,” he answered and held the door to the hotel open for her. “But I can still wish,” he said as they stepped on the elevator.
* * * *
The lock to the hotel room flipped and he approached her, reaching out and pulling the clip from her hair. Soft curls cascaded over her shoulders and he had to stifle the plea that wanted to be heard. Desperation gripped him and he crushed her lips under his, exploring her mouth with his tongue, teasing, tasting, relishing the skillful dance. Despite what he told her on the beach, if it came down to it, he couldn’t leave her, not for long anyway and in that moment, he understood Ty, understood the need she drove in him because he couldn’t fathom life without her.
He reached behind her and unzipped her dress, pull
ing away to watch it drift down her body and crumple elegantly around her ankles. “I need you tonight.”
Tom made love to his wife, taking her every move, every touch into his memory as if this was the last time they would be together. He held her tightly in his arms afterwards while she drifted to sleep with a small smile of satisfaction on her lips. He smelled her hair and squeezed her a little tighter thinking about the day ahead of him. Closing his eyes, he hoped sleep would come and eventually it did, and so did the nightmares.
Chapter 69
The alarm went off, shocking him awake and Tom sat up, looking down at Jessica. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face.
“Shit,” he whispered and got out of bed. After a shower and a shave, he dressed in a suit and tie and sat on the side of the bed, putting his socks and shoes on.
Jessica rolled over and opened her sleepy eyes. “What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
“What time’s your flight?”
“I’ve got to be at the West 30th street heliport in a half hour.”
“You’d better get moving.”
Tom smiled. “Don’t worry, they won’t leave without me. I should be back around five and we have dinner reservations at seven.” He kissed her and stood. “What do you have going on today?”
“I was going to go down to the South Street Seaport and see that human body exhibit, but I’ll make sure I’m here when you get back.”
“I would appreciate that.” He leaned down and kissed her again. “I love you.”
“Love you, too,” she said and stretched.
Tom took the elevator down and walked out to the front entrance to the waiting town car. The driver opened the door and Tom scowled. “What are you doing here?”
“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Sharon Young smiled.
“This isn’t a trip to Disneyland.”
“John is meeting us at the helipad,” Craig Humphrey, the producer of the movie, said, glancing between Tom and Sharon.
Tom nodded. “Sorry for snapping.”
Sharon reached over and put her hand on his thigh. “It’s okay.”
Tom stared at her hand, her audacity bringing the frustration full force and he brushed her hand away. “Please don’t do that again.” He was in no mood to be toyed with, especially today. Quiet and reserved on both the trip to the heliport and the helicopter ride, he did the best he could to prepare himself to enter that hellhole again.
The helicopter landed behind the warehouse near the private garage and everyone stepped out, ducking under the whoosh of the helicopter blades. Tom hesitated at the chopper door, staring at the open garage, remembering the sweet taste of freedom that it had instilled in him when he had the first seen the garage and the open night beyond five years ago.
He took a deep breath and stepped onto solid ground.
Sharon took his arm. “It’s okay.”
He jerked his arm away from her. “It’s anything but okay.” He walked into the garage.
“Are you ready for this?” John asked.
Tom nodded as the CEO of Empire Technologies walked up and introduced himself, shaking hands with all of them. He escorted them to the elevator.
“I guess they had a hell of a time reprogramming the elevator in the beginning, but at least now it operates with only a key instead of requiring a retinal scan.” He handed over the keys to Craig.
Tom stared at the closed elevator doors and the shakes took hold with each millisecond the elevator plummeted taking them into the bowels of the complex, to the source of his nightmares. He pressed against the back wall trying to melt into it and his breath locked in his chest. A thin high wheeze slipped out as he pulled air into his lungs, the momentary panic attack making even the act of breathing a difficult task.
When the elevator slid open, Tom’s gaze fell to the floor, half expecting Frank’s discarded eye to be where Jessica dropped it. A measure of relief swept through him, allowing him to draw air into his lungs without the burning sensation in his chest, but that was short lived.
The expedition party stepped off and turned expectantly but he clung to the back of the elevator unable to take the step needed and he closed his eyes, uttering a laugh that bordered on hysterical.
God, I wish Jess was here. The thought alone gave him the strength to open his eyes and take the shaky step into the hallway, but the whoosh of the doors closing behind him struck terror in his heart and he spun around ready to leap between the closing doors. The click of the doors drawing together registered in his panicked brain and he drew in a deep breath, settling his shot nerves.
“Are you okay?” Sharon asked.
“I don’t know if I can do this.” The wheeze in his chest returned and sweat trickled down the small of his back, an unpleasant sensation that exacerbated the panic attack. Tom crouched down, putting his hand on his forehead and forcing deep breaths, willing himself to get control. To get his shit together as Ty once told him.
Tom raised his eyes to John. “Shit, John, I don’t know if I can do this,” he gasped through his restricted airway. His breath came in harsh pulls, hyperventilating and he fell to his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath.
“You and I have known each other for a long time, Tom. I knew you long before this happened. You can do this.” He crouched next to Tom, putting his hand on his shoulder. “If you have to get into character to do it, then go for it.”
Tom understood what his friend was saying, and he was able to catch his breath, but he still wasn’t sure he could do this. “You don’t get it. I was supposed to die down here,” he whispered and hung his head.
“But you didn’t.” John stood up. “Now get your shit together.”
Tom whipped his head up, glaring at John. “That’s what he told me before Frank brought her in the room.”
John smiled. “Better?”
Tom stood and nodded, taking a deep breath. “Game on,” he said, stealing the phrase from the character he had signed up to take on. He waltzed past them, his face a mask of concentration as he led them to the control room. He flipped on all the camera controls, reversing what he and Jessica had done five years ago. All the monitors came to life and he stepped back scanning them.
“Jesus,” Sharon whispered.
“He won’t help you now,” Tom growled.
Sharon stepped back at the glare sent her way.
“You wanted to see what things were like down here. How about a ride in one of those chairs?” He pointed at the monitors but never took his eyes off her. “Come on Shar, what do you say?” He stepped toward her, making her take another step back. “It’s such a rush.”
“You’re scaring me,” she said. John and Craig looked on.
The fury riding in his blood got the best of him and Tom laughed, grabbing her by the arm, dragging her down the hall into the last room he had been in. The chairs were still there, so was the table with all the tools except the ones that had been used. He swung her around and into the chair that he had been strapped in.
“You want to know what it felt like to think this was the last thing you’d ever feel?” He tightened the strap around her chest. “The last thing you’d ever see?” He pointed over his shoulder at the chair behind him.
“He sliced her. I watched while Frank sliced her up with the knife.” He leaned on the arms of the chair gripping the wood to temper the shakes flowing through him. He wasn’t just talking about five years ago, he was talking about just a couple of weeks ago and he could almost hear Frank laughing.
He stepped back and looked at the mirror. “Ty was being pulled apart and she was being cut up and neither of them made a noise.” He took a deep breath. “Not one fucking noise.”
He turned and looked at the chair and the chains and something inside him clicked. “They just stared at each other. It was like they weren’t even here.”
What the hell kind of connection did they have?
He stared at the mirror thinking about th
e other morning. Jesus.
“I can’t play this part,” he said and returned his focus to John.
“You just did,” John said.
Tom laughed. “That wasn’t Ty,” he said. “Ty didn’t lose control.”
John and Sharon exchanged a look. “He did with her,” Sharon said.
Tom turned and looked at them. He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think he calculated everything and ended up getting away with murder.”
“He died for her, Tom,” Sharon said. “That wasn’t calculated.”
Tom started to laugh. “You bet your ass it was,” he said as he continued to laugh. If they only knew. As his laughter died down he looked at John. “I can’t do this. I can’t make him into a hero.”
“Tom...” John started.
“—He killed so many people, John. I can’t make him into a hero.” He turned away. “He isn’t a hero. He isn’t afraid to die either, not for my wife. He would jump off the Brooklyn Bridge for her if he had to, but that still doesn’t make him a hero.” Tom looked around the room and then back at the chains. “No matter how much he tried to redeem himself, he still is evil at the core.” He looked back at the three of them. “We can’t let the world see him as a hero. That’s irresponsible, no matter how brave and self sacrificing he was at the end, it doesn’t matter, he’s still a killer at heart.”
Sharon was looking down at the floor as Tom walked over to the chains, touching them.
“I want to see the other rooms.” Tom looked over his shoulder. “The one we were in and the one she was in,” he said and they nodded, leading the way.
They brought him to the room that the three of them had shared for six weeks. Tom walked in and looked at the chair in the center of the room. He flashed back to the day Frank came back, the way he manipulated her, cut her, raped her and Ty sat watching it all with that godforsaken smile on his lips, like he was entertained by the show.
To this day he never understood how he could remain so calm, so in control, especially since Tom knew better. He walked over to the chains in the wall and crouched down; taking the one he had put on Ty’s ankle, holding it thoughtfully.