Flirting with Revenge

by Kristel Ralston

  Rachel’s smile, which tried to stay optimistic when she was clearly defeated, moved Michael to his very core. Nonetheless, he remained indifferent to the part of him that yearned to hug her, to tell her that it was a lie that she was just a good lay because she’d never been just that, to tell her he adored her, but he needed time to understand, assimilate and forgive. His pragmatic, rational, and unemotional side told him to stay where he was. His disappointment was such, that he obeyed the latter.

  “Yes... I guess that’s how things turn out sometimes.” She did not defend herself. She had nothing more to do in that house. In that life. In that heart. She looked at him, but his eyes had lost their gleam, and his face did not have the spark it usually did. “Goodbye, Michael... I’m sorry...”

  When she got to the living room, she picked up her purse. She needed to calm down before she could drive. She walked slowly, opened the door to her car, and climbed in. Before she left, she looked up. With a sad, defeated sigh, she pressed the gas pedal.

  Michael heard Rachel’s car drive away, and after he could not hear it anymore in the quiet of the night, he sat on the floor with his back against one of the walls of his bedroom. He hung his head and remained in that position for a long time. He’d closed the banking case of the year in Chicago, but victory had never tasted so bitter.

  CHAPTER 15

  Several weeks later...

  Normally, Piper never left her home unless she needed to go to the supermarket or to a shop where she could keep a low profile. She’d tried to be more careful since she found out she was being followed. The neighborhood where she was hiding was far from the usual areas she could be found. She’d even dyed her hair black. She’d always wanted to do so, but now she had an excuse.

  The main officer in charge of protecting her, Dalton, was with her around the clock, as were the two other policemen walking around the neighborhood. She hadn’t contacted her sister in several days, and she never thought her exile would last such a short time. Soon she’d be able to enjoy her peace and quiet again. She could not believe it.

  The police had arrested Gordov days ago, and she felt she was getting her life back.

  “I’m stunned,” she told the hulky man who had become almost a friend over the weeks. That is if Dalton weren’t so hermetic. “I just can’t believe it.” She’d seen the news and was still freaking out.

  “One of his tenants was tired of his attempts to destroy the business that he’d worked so hard to build, all because of a forged contract. It seems he wasn’t the only one affected,” commented Dalton.

  “And that’s the most compelling piece of evidence?”

  The man crossed his arms. He knew that Piper was trying to extract more information from him, but this time he could not tell her more than what everyone already knew. He could only give her assurances that this time, the chances of Gordov coming after she was very low, and the possibilities of him avoiding prison this time were almost zero. His contacts kept him well informed, but he could not reveal more than what he needed to.

  “The evidence is in the hands of the police, Piper. This is an unhappy tenant who had the courage to go to the police and give them everything they needed to arrest him. I can’t tell you about the evidence, just that it’s very solid.”

  “They caught him for his legal businesses, then,” she wondered aloud as she closed her suitcase. She did not have many belongings, but the idea of getting to see her sister again made her happy. Perhaps they could start again. It would not be easy for her, she’d suffered tremendous loneliness and rage in prison, but she’d do everything she could. It was a new life. And she wanted to recover the joy of other times, in order to live better in the present.

  “You never know what surprises life has for you.”

  “You’re free to go now. You’re in no danger.”

  “Retaliation...?” she asked, biting her lower lip.

  “I don’t’ think so. The target will probably be another person or people. I’m sure we’ll soon be told that we have to be reassigned to guard the witnesses. I imagine I’ll meet that tenant before you do,” he said with a smile. A rare gesture in the police officer. “You’ve done your part, Piper. Your information will be very useful soon, but you’re free.” Dalton adjusted his jacket. “If you still want to change your identity, you can do that...”

  “No,” she interrupted softly. “I think I’ll stay and try to rebuild my life as Piper Galloway.”

  “You’ll have to inform your parole officer about every step you take.”

  “I will,” she said with a smile. “Thank you, Dalton, and thank your colleagues for having protected me all these weeks.”

  “Good luck, Ms. Galloway.”

  With a nod, the man left and let her finish arranging her luggage. She was moving to a new home in a livelier place. After all, she’d had plenty of free time to look through the classifieds in the newspaper.

  Dalton was with her five days ago, when the news of Emilio Gordov’s arrest broke, sitting in on an interview with her new landlady. In the beginning, the woman was reluctant when she confessed that she was an ex-convict, but Dalton’s intervention, telling the woman that he could trust her, and that in case she ever needed it, they’d give her the number for Piper’s parole officer, lightened the load. In the end, the woman agreed to rent her the small guest house, with all the conveniences that came with it.

  And Piper Galloway was ready to start again.

  ***

  She watched the clock on the wall as if it was the most important thing in the world.

  Three months had passed since the last time she saw Michael. Since then, her life had been very different. Drearier, and she moved through it like an automaton. But at least her sister Piper seemed to be the person she’d been before, or was trying to be, and they spent more time together. She had to tell her about the relationship with Michael and her failed revenge. Piper surprised her by telling her he’d come to see her at the guest house.

  “How did he find you, Piper?”

  “Lawyers have their ways, and I did not ask. I was surprised to find him at the door to my suite. It was a confidential visit, but you’re my sister and I wanted you to know that I’m sorry for the damage I caused by letting you believe I was innocent, by not telling you... I’m sorry, Rachel.”

  “It doesn’t matter now, Piper.” When Rachel had called Ariel, desperate for the advice of an older, wiser woman, her aunt confirmed that Piper was guilty. That there was evidence, but she could not reveal the details she knew specifically, just assure her that Piper had been guilty. Her aunt was understanding when Rachel told her she’d made a huge mistake with Michael, and Ariel also apologized for not having realized that the grandfather and grandson had the same name. “What matters is knowing that you’re willing to rebuild your life and that there will be no more misunderstandings. You’re free now, and we’ll try to recover the experiences we missed out on...”

  “I was guilty, I deserved to go to prison, but I wasn’t a murderer. I should have told you when you kept insisting on my innocence.” Piper had taken Rachel’s hands lovingly, squeezing them as she used to when Rachel was scared to sleep alone at night as a girl. “I never imagined that you were harboring so much rage and resentment. Michael Whitmore is a good man, Rachel. And he wasn’t the one who sent me to prison if we’re honest.”

  “His grandfather...”

  Piper nodded vigorously.

  “He was defending his client, Rachel, at my expense, yes. But that’s life. It was his job.”

  “You sound as if you did not hold a grudge...”

  “I don’t think that holding a grudge will give me back the time I lost due to my own stupidity. Maybe someday I can tell you my story, but for now, little sis, I’d rather leave it where it is: in the box of forgotten memories. There’s nothing worth retrieving. I’d rather look forward and live a new life. We don’t all get a second chance to improve and see the light of day.”

  “Did he ta
lk to you about me?” she asked, not even hiding the hope in her voice.

  “He said he’d met you, but he did not give me any personal details... He was there to tell me that it was on the advice of the lawyers at Salmann & Buckend that the people who had decided to report Gordov and take him to trial had gone to the police. Michael said it was a way of getting some justice for me.”

  “For you.”

  Piper nodded, looking her sister in the eyes.

  “He knew I did not have the money to hire a good lawyer in the past, and that my defense had been terrible. That I could have gotten a deal, but nobody offered one. I wasn’t given the chance to negotiate. He did his job, but he said he felt he owed me something. Only because of his personal conscience, not professionally. He told me that his grandfather had only done what any other lawyer would do: defend his client. And since he was assigned the case when his grandfather fell ill, he could not disappoint him in court. He certainly did not.”

  “I see...”

  “His way of redeeming his personal conscience this time was to insist that his firm had to change tactics. Now Salmann & Buckend is representing Gordov’s tenants. The people who run legitimate businesses in that creep’s properties. He won’t be tried for drug trafficking, though who knows, they may find someone willing to testify against the thug and add more charges. He’ll be tried for extortion and falsification of documents.”

  “The lease contracts...”

  “Exactly. Gordov was fired as a client of Michael’s firm, so the goon hired Salmann & Buckend’s rivals.”

  Rachel could not help smiling.

  “Michael will win.”

  “He won’t be arguing the case; a different legal team will handle it. He said he had a conflict of interests, and he did not want anything to do with the Gordov matter. But yes, I think he wins if he led the tenants’ defense team... You love him, don’t you?”

  “Piper, I told you what happened.”

  “Delaney’s a good friend, Rachel. You should take her advice, which is the same as I’ll give you. Go talk to him. You’ll lose him. Do something, Rachel.”

  “He doesn’t love me, Piper. It’s clear he’s forgotten me by now...”

  “If he had, he would not have come to see me. He would have distanced himself completely from anything that carried the Galloway name. Think about it.”

  The alarm on her cell phone brought Rachel back to reality. Three minutes exactly. She suspected the obvious, and confirming it would only make her more miserable, but at the same time, the possibility of having something that could never be taken from her filled her with renewed energy.

  She picked up the strip.

  Two stripes.

  She looked at the pregnancy test nostalgically.

  She wished the circumstances had been different. At least she would have the unconditional love of a son or daughter. She was on the pill, and Michael always used protection. She would not gripe about it this time. She accepted what was happening to her body.

  For the past few weeks, she’d felt tired and, even so, was working long hours at the office. She worked like mad, to the point that she thought her period was late because she was skipping meals and working herself to the bone. Until Delaney stared at her pointedly and asked her what the hell was going on.

  That was in the morning when they ran into each other in the elevator.

  “Good God, Rachel” You can’t let what happened to give you those circles under your eyes. Are you eating well?”

  “Yes... no. I barely have time. Some new commercial prospects have come in for me to study, and I have to give Paul my opinion.”

  “Is there a chance you could be pregnant? The other day you almost fell asleep at Myrna’s son’s party, and yesterday you fainted when you were making pudding. I don’t think this has anything to do with food... at least not only that.”

  “Del...”

  “Take a damn test no later than tomorrow. If I haven’t heard from you, trust me, I’ll go upstairs and force you to sit on the toilet.”

  That had made her laugh, but she knew Del was serious.

  What was she going to do now? she wondered as she took her clothes off and got in the shower. Weeks ago, she had gone to a movie with Delaney, and then to dinner. They were in a downtown restaurant with some friends, and she found herself surrounded by affection and good vibes. So much so, that she heard herself laugh out loud, enjoying the evening.

  However, she’d been surprised when she saw Michael from afar. On the other side of the restaurant, in the more expensive wing. He hadn’t been alone. A tall, distinguished-looking woman was on his arm.

  It had hurt her more than she could say to see him with another woman. Her insides froze because she loved him to the point that she thought it would consume her. But he’d decided to move on. Just as he’d told her he would... one woman a season, the next season, someone else.

  The fair thing to do was to talk to Michael and tell him he was going to be a father. She did not want anything material from him or his family. She only wanted her baby to be able to take the last name of the man who had engendered him. To know he or she belonged to a father and a mother and was conceived with love, even if they never thought they would-be parents. Her baby had been conceived with love, and that was the truth.

  The water caressed her body.

  She put her hands on her flat belly. She guessed she would be one of those women who did not show until they were six months along.

  She needed to know how far along she was. She’d make an appointment with her gynecologist the following day. She hated going to private medical practices, but she hated hospitals much more. For the moment, she would try to absorb the reality of her condition, and look up all the information she needed to take good care of herself. She was sure that Piper and Delaney would be delighted when they found out they’d be aunts. And her aunt Ariel a great-aunt.

  Perhaps in the near future, it would be best to visit her aunt in Maine. She could talk to Paul and ask for time off. Work from the beach. What was the internet for otherwise? Take an early vacation. Paul was very understanding in that way. Or at least she hoped he would be...

  Once she had arranged her situation at the office, and done her duty by informing Michael of her pregnancy, she would force herself to try to rebuild her emotional life away from him. Even if it was hard. Even if it hurt.

  She needed to look past her memories of Michael Whitmore. She could not spend the rest of her life trying to pick up the pieces of a broken relationship. She had a tiny person growing inside her, who deserved a strong, dedicated mother. She would not let the baby down.

  ***

  The first evening he’d tried to turn over a new leaf, he saw his nemesis at a restaurant. He felt sick seeing Rachel laugh with a group of friends around her. Because he deserved to be the one creating those smiles, and instead the last words he said to her had made her cry. He should have held back his angry words until his rage had subsided. Rachel had confessed that she loved him. She hadn’t seen him; he was sure of that. And maybe it was better that way. Only after having thought about it a long time, that night Dereck had called, had her confession taken root in his memory.

  The mistrust he felt after Ingrid seemed to have intensified; just when he thought he could trust a woman again, Rachel had not been who she said she was... Seeking her out was not in his plans, but neither was forgetting her.

  Douglas and Lara had told him to put himself in Rachel’s place, that while her intentions may not have been pure, in the end, she had fallen in love with him. The Bronsons’ words were a bit harsher after they heard what happened, but the message was the same as his family’s: he should try to fix the situation and find the way to recover what they had.

  His mother, from whom he did not expect advice, because he hadn’t told her any details, encouraged him to wait until she had time to regroup. And if she tried to see him, to hear her out. She told him that every person had the time and that he sh
ould not forget the most important thing: to always try to walk in someone else’s shoes. With those direct, yet vague words, she had given him the answers he needed.

  As for the situation at the office, the profile in Breaking Legal Deals had given him significant exposure and resulted in new clients. Dereck was satisfied, and they never spoke of Michael’s philanthropic side again. The magazine had focused on Michael’s youth, his family’s long tradition in the legal world —for which they interviewed his father and brother— and, of course, they’d also asked about political issues, which Michael handled deftly.

  Despite the multiple activities that his profession usually entailed, he had not stopped thinking about Rachel. Love took a long time to die. His was very much alive; beaten, but yearning to beat strongly again. He felt that his conscience was at peace with the past. He was ready to move forward. But he did not want to do so without Rachel.

  Three months without touching her. Exploring her body. Listening to the melodic sound of her voice and enjoying her moans when they became one together. But what he missed the most was talking to her. Laughing about the way she tried to defend causes that were out of her hands. The way her sense of humor worked...

  Going on a date with Saphire, a beautiful artist was a mistake. The girl was intelligent and her conversation pleasant, but after having seen Rachel that night, he knew he was lost. That redhead had ruined him for any other woman since the day she came into his life.

  CHAPTER 16

  “Mr. Whitmore can’t see you, ma’am. I’ve told you several times. He’s busy with an important meeting. Please make an appointment and come back later.”

  “I called this morning. And I insisted on being put on his client list. Your colleague,” Rachel rummaged in her bag and pulled out her phone,” Alisson Parks. She wrote my name down. Please check the list. Rachel Galloway.” It would have been easier to call Michael on his personal line, but she was afraid he’d ignore her call. Seeing him in person, at the only place where he had to stay calm, was the best solution she could come up with. She hadn’t counted on a negligent receptionist at a law firm that billed millions of dollars a year.