In the Middle of Love's Crime *BWWM Mystery Romance Thriller

by ReNita A. Burgess

  Simona rolled her hips wildly and pumped up and down. The sound of the bed was loud, the headboard rocked.

  Drew roared and screamed, clasping on to her waist tightly.

  Simona dipped her head back as she grazed him. Her large breasts flopped against her chest, she looked sexy as hell. Their complexions stood out together to create the perfect contrast.

  “Arrgghh!! Too late! I’m so close! I’m cumming! Oh my God! You’re so good! You’re so good!” Drew shouted.

  He was weak, weak from her vaginal muscles twisting and clenching around his stiff rod.

  Simona laughed as she rubbed her hands over his white colored chest. She fell down on the pillow beside him, looking up at the ceiling.

  “So now what?” she asked.

  Drew couldn’t move, she completely drained him of all his energy. “Now we just cuddle, Simona. We cuddle and not worry about tomorrow.”

  Simona moved in closer to his embrace. It had been so long since she embraced a man in the way Drew embraced her.

  Sure, Ben hugged her too, but she always felt he was missing. Even when he was still there it would feel like he was missing. Simona captured the moment of feeling alive again. This time it was with an old love.

  Chapter 31

  Last night’s love making was absolutely exceptional. Drew woke up smiling as the sunlight peered through the window. He glanced over at the beautiful Simona beside him and wished that he could only wake up to mornings like this forever.

  Drew noticed that his cell phone had many missed calls and they were all from Captain Kaufman. He would return the call later, right now he had Simona on his mind. He looked at the curve of her body and the way her thick, dark hair was sprawled tousled across the pillow.

  There was no way in hell they were going back to being separated from each other again. Drew wouldn’t let that happen.

  Thoughts entered his mind, thoughts he never thought of before that seemed wrong.

  He didn’t want Simona pregnant from Ben. He didn’t like the thought of it. It caused a boiling flame inside him, a bomb that was eager to explode. Her being pregnant from Ben meant that there would always be a piece of Ben in her life, one that would be there forever.

  A small human being.

  A human-being that wasn’t born yet. Drew had no remorse for what he had in his mind to do. He looked at Simona long and hard. He only thought of the future they could have together, one without any distractions.

  ****

  “Now this is what I call real food.” Simona chewed her bacon and eggs gleefully. She scooped up the cheesy grits with her spoon, blowing on it before devouring. Drew had nicely prepared a large breakfast.

  Drew was surprised as he took a bite into his own breakfast. “Wow, so you mean to tell me Mr. G.I Joe never cooked a meal for you?”

  Simona rolled her eyes. “Yes, he attempted to cook, but only when I told him that you would cook for me. He actually sucked at it. He couldn’t cook pancakes if his life depended on it.”

  “Man, that’s a cold thing to say.” Drew gulped down his orange juice, his Adam’s apple moved up and down. Simona had a fetish for men with a large Adam’s apple.

  “Maybe you’re just blessed to cook because you’re originally from the south. We southerners are great cooks.” Simona said, rubbing his arm.

  Drew felt the electricity racing through him from her soft touch. “Hey, if it wasn’t for you then I’d never be able to make the best green bean casserole. I came out winning first place at the Amateur Chefs of Columbia Cook-off last year.”

  Enthralled, Simona covered her mouth with her napkin before speaking, her eyes grew. “Oh my Gosh! You placed first place at the cook off? That’s great! You go, boy!”

  Drew laughed from her gesture. She was always such a character. “I don’t know about all that.” He chewed his food slowly, cutting the sausage into a little piece then sopped it with the grits. “So, there is a question of concern I have to ask you, Simona.”

  Simona cleared her throat and continued to devour her meal. “Sure. Ask away.”

  “So why is it that the other day you were taking up for Ben and standing by his side when Emily confronted him? I could have sworn you hated him from so much that has happened. And now you’re here…with me? I’m completely lost, Simona.” Drew explained as he rested his face in his hand. “Aren’t you distraught over the death of your friend Jamika as well?”

  Hitting her spoon down loudly against the plate, Simona’s personality flipped. It was as if she was another person.

  “You weren’t interrogating me like this last night while you were screwing my brains out, Drew!”

  “What? Simona, calm down! What are you talking about? I’m just curious about where your thoughts are?” Drew walked over to her, kneeling beside her at the chair.

  Drew rubbed her shoulders. He tried his best to calm her down because she was sobbing uncontrollably. He felt so stupid for upsetting her.

  “I’m sorry, Simona.” He said.

  “It’s okay.” She replied in a softer tone. “It’s just a lot to explain. I’ve been through a lot, you know. I still have feelings for you that never died. I was so hurt from the death of Jamika and how she betrayed me by cheating with Ben. The crucial aspect is that I am pregnant from a man I thought I knew. I feel so crushed and there is so much inside of me.” Simona wiped her nose with the back of her hand, Drew gave her a Kleenex.

  “It’s okay, Simona. I wasn’t trying to interrogate you in that way. I was only trying to find out where we stand with each other. I’m confused. I have never gotten over you after all these years.” Drew looked up into her eyes, locking them into his.

  She smiled. “You were never over me? Really?”

  He nodded his head and laughed. “No, I still carry a photo of us in my wallet.” Drew pulled out his wallet from his back pocket. He showed her the photo they took together at Walt Disney World. “See. That’s us.”

  Simona gasped as she placed her hand over her chest. “Oh, Drew! I remember that day just like it was yesterday. We loved amusement parks.”

  Drew laughed and reached to hold her hand. “I actually was uh..going to propose to you that day.”

  Suddenly, Simona’s smile disappeared as a tear fell from her face. She looked into his eyes and cupped his face in the palm of her hands. She kissed him, long and soft.

  He held to her waist and ran his hand through her thick, natural hair. He loved the way a black woman’s hair texture felt.

  “I..I don’t know what to say to that, Drew.”

  “Don’t say anything. Let’s just enjoy the moment.” He said. “Speaking of enjoying the moment, let’s go to the South Carolina State fair. You need to take your mind off the negativity that’s around you.”

  Simona’s eyes widened, there was a twinkle of excitement as she sat in her seat. “Wow, the fair is in town? Wait, what will people think when they see me out and about? They will think I’m being unsympathetic. Don’t forget that I can’t get on any of those crazy amusement park rides. I’m pregnant, remember?” She said as she rubbed her stomach.

  Drew smiled as he walked to the dishwasher to put his plate inside. “Don’t worry about others. It’s none of their business. We won’t get on any rides. We can just walk around and you can watch me win stuffed animals for you. How does that sound?”

  Simona folded her arms and laughed. “You always have a way of making me feel safe, Drew.”

  “Hey, it’s my job. I’m a detective.” He winked. “So did you enjoy your meal?” he asked as he picked up her plate to place it inside the dishwasher as well.

  She closed her eyes and licked her lips. “It was EXCEPTIONAL! Loved every last bit of it.”

  “That’s great! I’m glad you did.” He said proudly. “Now let’s go check out that State Fair.”

  Simona rose from her seat as she placed both arms around his neck and kissed him, standing on tippy toes. “It feels just like old times.”

  Dre
w returned her kiss, savoring the taste of the morning breakfast on her.

  The little things about her made him feel complete and whole again. She was what he was missing in his life, but he looked down and at what was growing in her stomach.

  He felt the stinging inside his heart and the anger boiled within him. Drew knew that some things could be prevented from happening, especially before it’s too late.

  Chapter 32

  Joyful screams came from the adventurous rides, so many people were having the time of their lives.

  Kids ran all over the place, laughing as their parents tried to capture them. Teenage couples walked together holding hands before boarding the Ferris wheel and other exotic rides. The hot new music played on the stereo systems, filling the huge lot as it pumped up all the guests with excitement.

  Simona snuggled up to Drew’s arm as they walked and talked, they were sharing a few laughs and catching up with each other. Simona laughed loudly at Drew’s sarcastic remarks.

  “Do you remember how your mother would constantly call my phone whenever I’d take you out on a date?” He asked as he gripped her hand.

  Simona rolled her eyes. “Yes, of course I remember. I mean, wouldn’t you blame her? I was dating someone that walked around with a gun 24/7.”

  “Ahh, she shouldn’t have judged me. I would always say to her, ‘Mrs. Cox, your daughter is in safe hands. I’ll have her home before midnight.’” Drew recalled. “You know, I think she really did like me.”

  “Yes, she did. She liked you more than she liked Ben, actually.” Simona said.

  They were approaching a cotton candy booth and she grabbed a large spool of cotton candy. Drew thanked the cashier after he paid.

  “So she wasn’t so fond of Mr. G.I Joe?” Drew asked, sounding pleased.

  Simona squinted as she picked some cotton candy, allowing it to melt in her mouth. “No, not really.” She continued. “She said he never really tried to start conversation with her. I guess Ben didn’t suck up to her like you did.”

  Drew was flattered. “At least I won in that category. I wouldn’t mind visiting your parents after all this time.”

  “I’m not sure if it’s a good time to do so.” Simona swallowed. “With Ben being behind bars for murder, me being pregnant and ending the engagement to reunite with someone I still love…it’s just too much.” Simona said, surprisingly.

  Drew stopped walking just to look in her eyes, everything around them no longer existed.

  He cupped her face into his hands. “Do you really mean that? And who is this so called guy that you’re reuniting with?”

  Simona stepped in closer as the bag of cotton candy crinkled between them. As she was about to kiss him, Drew stopped as he noticed Emily staring at them coldly in the distance. She was wearing a black pea coat with her red hair pulled back in a neat bun. Her pale skin showed signs of redness on her cheeks. Once Drew’s eyes met hers, she shook her head and walked away.

  Simona pulled back to observe Drew’s face. “We were in the middle of something romantic and you interrupted. What’s wrong?” she asked.

  Drew was silent for a moment before responding. His eyes searched around the fairgrounds as he tried to spot Emily. “Nothing. I thought I saw Emily lurking around here. Could just be my imagination.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt if it’s your imagination. That girl seems crazy.” Simona said, sighing as she looked around. “Do you think she could be…the killer?”

  Not wanting Simona to be correct and wishing that the killer was still hopefully Ben, Drew was hesitant. “The district attorney believes that they were both in it together.”

  Simona was in shock. “That’s just stupid if they were. Well, why isn’t Emily a suspect?”

  “Because we haven’t found any evidence or anything to accuse her of. Hopefully she has nothing to do with it. From the looks of it, I think she’s dying from all the hurt and pain.” Drew said.

  “It won’t be long before she’s out his life for good.” Simona said wickedly.

  They continued to walk through the fairgrounds, enjoying each other’s company.

  Drew dropped Simona off at her place and walked her to the door. He explained that he really had a great time and that he wanted to take things slow this time around. Simona blushed as she stood on her tiptoes before kissing him.

  “I’ll be pawning my engagement ring the weekend. Hopefully, I’ll see you soon.” Simona smiled.

  Drew felt his heart racing faster than before. This was actually happening. Things were finally going the way he intended it to be, but he felt infuriated as he thought of the baby she was carrying from Ben. Deep down, Drew felt guilty for wishing that Simona would have a miscarriage.

  As he got into his car, he noticed that Simona left something in the passenger’s seat. It was a medicine bottle of some sort.

  Drew drove carefully, keeping his eyes on the road. He guided the car and casually held the empty bottle up to read the description.

  He couldn’t believe it. The medicine wasn’t just any ordinary medicine. It was a prescription of Clozapine, a medication used for bipolar disorders. Drew nearly lost control of the car as he realized that Simona was bipolar. That explained a lot, especially her making up with Ben in jail right after she went berserk on him during his arrest.

  It also explained the reason for her suddenly coming to Drew’s home to seduce him, then yelling at him during breakfast for new reason.

  Drew shook his head and sighed heavily. Something just seemed peculiar and oddly strange. He questioned himself during the entire ride home.

  Chapter 33

  The night’s air was crisp and cold, the stars twinkled above the dark navy sky. Drew finally went to visit Ben in the detention center, he needed to get answers and hopefully enough to have Ben nailed in court.

  The security guards walked Ben towards the table of where Drew was sitting, the light was bright in the semi dark room. Drew hadn’t recognized him from the last time he had seen him.

  Once Ben saw that it was Drew, there was a frown forming on his forehead.

  “What the hell do you want, detective? Are you having a hard time trying to find the real killer?” Ben asked, flopping into the chair.

  Facial hair was now growing thick around his chin. His eyes looked restless. A Band-Aid was around his finger and a few scars were around his nose. He had got into a few fights with his cell mate recently.

  Drew smiled sarcastically, clicking his pen against the table and shaking his head. “You know damn well why I am here, Myers.”

  “Is it to tell me that you’re now screwing my fiancé? Emily told me that she had seen you two together.”

  “Simona is your EX-fiancé?” Drew corrected him. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

  Ben dived his head back with an annoyed sigh. “Look, I am an innocent man. You have nothing on me. This isn’t fair.”

  “At the FBI we have read the emails. The emails between you and Natalia Karpova. She wanted you to end it with Simona. A witness reported you being with her in the parking lot the night that you were killed. Not to mention that you went missing a few days after the murder.” Drew slammed at him, the tone in his voice increased.

  Ben ignored his statement. “How is my child doing? The one that’s growing inside of Simona’s stomach. You know, the one I gave her when I fucked her? I bet I fucked her better than you, Detective” Ben laughed. He searched for the look of disappoint and hurt on Drew’s face.

  Drew knew exactly what Ben was trying to do and that was to insult him and make him angry. Drew was too smart to follow him up.

  “You should feel less superior. A crappy detective involved with a woman who has a child from someone else.” Ben yawned, trying to flip the script.

  Drew was so near to wanting to slap the shit out of Ben, but he held his composure. “If you didn’t kill Natalia Karpova, then why were you seen causing arguments with her in her place of work? Why would you go missing?” Drew asked.
“And why did you kill Amanda Stone?”

  Ben looked up at the clock and then over to the security guard that was standing like a statue in the corner. “Is this stupid reunion with Detective Gadget over with?”

  “It’s not over until I say it’s over!” Drew raised his voice. “You’re going down, Myers! You’ll be sent over to federal prison after your upcoming trial! I’ll be sure of that!”

  Ben jumped from his seat, flipping over the long wooden table. He leaped to swing at Drew.

  Security guards and officers had to resist him and hold him back. “YOU GO TO HELL, DETECTIVE! YOU GO TO HELL! I DIDN’T COMMIT A MURDER, BUT WHEN I GET OUT THIS SHIT HOLE I’LL PROBABLY MURDER YOU!”

  “DON’T MOVE!” shouted an officer, pointing a taser at Ben.

  Ben stopped, he stood still as a mouse as the guards began to escort him from the room. He wasn’t in the mood to get tased.

  “This concludes the visitation. Get him the hell out of here.” Drew was caught off guard, but there was a side of him that was ready to take Ben on.

  Drew had to admit that he was pleased to see Ben lose his cool and reveal his violent side. This would be a great confession to conclude in court against Ben.

  Drew walked out the detention center with a smile on his face, he was ready to see Ben’s sentencing in court. He was excited, imagining Simona thanking him for bringing things into the light. She already trusted him and this would make things even better.

  The only issue was that damn baby she had on the way. Damn, if only Simona had a miscarriage I would feel like Ben never existed in her life. I would have a sense of calm with the woman I love.

  Chapter 34

  Emily ran. She ran and ran until she was out of breath. Her breathing becoming shorter by the moment. Her red hair was yanked back, ripping from her scalp. She screamed for her life, but no one heard her screams.

  “What do you want with me?!” Emily pleaded, falling helplessly to her knees.

  The knife was raised and gouged into her neck. The blood squirted from hitting many nerves, Emily thumped to the concrete.