My nausea is back.
“Alex, I don’t even know how to process this. I can see him clear as day, coaxing and instructing Carter. Like a puppet master! That sick fuck was going to sit and watch me be destroyed mentally and physically, the sickness is beyond me! I need to tell the cops, he won’t get away with this! That poor woman he is dating has no idea what he is capable of!” My body shivers at the thought. I need to warn Sam.
“Do you think he had anything to do with the girl that died in our old building?” Alex wraps her arms tightly around herself. “He mentioned it all creepy-like when I saw him on the street. It really freaked me out.”
“Wait a minute, what girl died in whose building?”
Thinking back, I remember seeing a news report about a girl found a couple of months after going missing.
“Remember the girl like two floors down, redhead, super quiet, book type? She was killed, strangled and wrapped up. Mia, it was awful, they didn’t find her for almost a month after!”
“You mean the girl that Jack fucking started hooking up with? That’s the whole mess that made me go for a run before getting attacked! I saw him leaving her apartment, Alex! Oh my God, he didn’t, I mean… he was in our home, around us. I kissed him, Alex!!”
“Mia! Holy shit, he fucking murdered her. I don’t even doubt it!” She stands, making her way to the bathroom door and I know exactly what we need to do. The time for crying is over, it’s time to put an end to this guy. Jack is a horrible person and needs to be locked up forever.
“Go! We need to tell Cole and Foster!” I bark out as I run out the door.
As I run into the main room, Alex runs into my back and I hear her gasp as she takes in the scene before us.
Jack is standing with a gun to Foster’s temple and Cole has a hunting knife at his throat being held by the one and only Sam Johnson. So much for warning her about Jack. Both men are standing in the expansive space in front of the living room about ten feet apart. Jack’s smug look is all I need to know this was planned. We all unknowingly walked right into their trap. I reach into my pocket for my phone, wanting to alert security, only to realize I left it on the bathroom counter! Damn!
“Now it’s a party!” Jack bellows.
“Mia!” Cole barks. “Run, get the fuck out of here!” His words are cut off by the knife snugging up against his throat. My stomach drops. I keep looking back and forth between him and Foster. It’s the definition of rock and hard place. Cole can take Samantha without a problem, but Foster could be shot. My mind is racing through a million options and is tormented by the sounds of Alex beginning to cry behind me.
“Shut the fuck up, Parker. Not such a tough guy now, are you?” Looking to me Jack sneers, “You aren’t going anywhere, or I’ll shoot Foster and then put a bullet in your husband.”
His eyes are dead and the way he looks at me makes me physically ill. I feel Alex grip my arm and I reach back to show her I’m with her.
“What the fuck do you want Jack, if that’s even your name? Why are you doing this to all of us? I’m the only one you want, let everyone go and just take me. Isn’t that what you want, to hurt me?” I try and keep my voice calm and measured while I go through a thousand alternatives in my head. This is why I felt the calm earlier. I need to feel the dread, because I need motive. Tonight, this ends and I realize that it’s not just Jack’s life I will take to protect those I love.
Jack laughs and shakes his head. “I want you to feel the pain I felt. I want your life to be meaningless. All those years, I waited for you to open your eyes, to see what was in front of you and you treated me like nothing. Like I didn’t matter, you and your whore friend. Carter was my ticket to making you pay attention, everyone always loved my stupid jock cousin. He was perfect; good looks, and he didn’t understand the concept of the word ‘NO.’ But not you, you never gave him the time of day, because you think you’re better than everyone! Now we’ll know what it’s like to be a pariah. Nobody will ever touch or look at you the same way again, Mia. Not after I gut everyone you love and turn you into a monster.”
Foster struggles against the stronghold of the gun, but Jack pushes the gun to Foster’s temple. “No, no big guy… cool your jets. Your girlfriend and her friends are whores and if you try anything, I’ll make you watch while I prove it.”
“I am going to make you choke on that gun. Mark my words,” Cole threatens from across the room, catching Jack’s attention.
“Ah, the hero, my plan was going to work until you showed up. I had to work on riling up my dumb ass cousin. He was always in need of women, consent being optional. I had Mia in his sights, he could ruin her and I would sweep up and kiss all the wounds. It was perfect and then she met you. You stole my chance the first time, but I finally had her away from you and I arranged to be her prince again, but those stupid mother fuckers botched the job and just robbed her in the alley.” I can see Cole’s eyes close and the haze of rage start over her features. I stand horrified at the knowledge of Jack setting up this elaborate plan to insinuate himself into my life but even more so that it almost worked.
“You can’t think that I would have ever loved you?” My voice is laced with the disgust I feel for this animal.
Jack shakes his head, “Love me? Why not me, you bitch?”
“You are a monster! You tried to have Carter rape me, you hired people to attack me, how can anyone love you?” My anger boils over making my voice a scream.
Jack begins shoving the gun into Fosters temple, “I saved you from Carter! He’s six feet under because of me, ME! And I’m going to put your prince charming there too, but not before I take each person away from you, one by one”, a grotesque sneer takes over his face.
“You will never touch her. I promise you that”, fury is projected toward Jack as he turns his attention to Cole.
“You ruined my life and then you both sat back in your palace and ruined my business. You left me with nothing! This is why you deserve to pay. You all deserve to pay!” he screams at Cole.
Jack continues yelling his justifications at everyone for his crimes, but my head is silent as I take in the scene. Foster being held at gunpoint has not dropped his eyes from Alex. I don’t even have to look behind to know she is looking at him too. These are their final moments. Scanning over to Cole, I see his chest is heaving, anger rippling off of him in waves. He is capable of murder tonight and I don’t know that he won’t risk his friend’s life to save mine. In fact, I’m pretty confident he will and hate himself for it later. Then there’s Sam. I can see the fade of what looks like a bruise around her eye, she seems unnerved like she is feeding off Jack’s energy. Is Jack making her do this? I need to appeal to her, let her know we can help her.
“You don’t have to do this, Sam. You can walk away, I understand how hard this is for you, but we can help you. You don’t have to let him manipulate you,” I plead.
She tips her head back and laughs. “You think I’m being manipulated? Such a naïve little girl. I love Jack and if he wants you, then I will hold you down if I have to.”
Stunned, I step back into Alex. I can’t believe this is happening. I shake my head back and forth trying to understand what she just implied, but Cole’s voice pulls my attention back to the present.
“This must be hard for you, Sam, having the man you love carrying a torch for another woman. It’s not every day a man finds a woman so willing to be the second choice,” Cole raises his eyebrows.
Sam pushes the knife closer to Cole’s throat and I see a bead of red perk up. “Shut up! He loves me! He promised he would kill her when he’s done with her!” she spits out.
“Kill her? That won’t happen. Get real, Sam. He orchestrated all of this just to get her. You seem to be the naïve one,” Cole presses.
I can see what he is doing, playing them off each other, hoping to trip someone, looking for an opening. Jack is already pulling the gun away from Foster, pointing it at Cole while he yells at him to stay quiet.
/> He has them and it’s a matter of time before someone explodes.
“I mean, what the fuck are you doing to your girlfriend, Jack? You come here for revenge for being rejected and being a shitty business owner? I usually remember when I take over a company, but yours doesn’t even ring a bell,” Cole smirks, keeping eye contact with Jack.
“Keep talking and I will gut your precious Mia while you watch!” Jack yells and I can see that he’s there, at that place where you jump down the rabbit hole. Jack gives an imperceptible nod to Sam and I see her draw back the knife at Cole’s throat.
That’s when I do it. I run straight at Jack and straight at the barrel of his gun. Alex lets out a blood-curdling scream and I hear the gun go off, seeing it fly from Jack’s hand from being knocked by Foster. Cole grabs Sam by the arm and throws her to the floor as Alex rushes to grab the gun. My body collides with Jack and I feel my hands around his throat. Squeezing. Squeezing. Squeezing. I don’t know where I get all my strength from, but he is fighting me and I feel superhuman until I hear Cole’s voice.
“Let go, Mia. It’s okay, we are all okay, let go, baby. Don’t do this. You are not a monster. Let go.” His voice is soft and soothing, and I feel my grip loosen and the color starts to pour back into Jack’s face as he sputters and coughs back to life.
Pulling me away, Cole holds me as Foster calls for the police.
“On the way,” Foster reassures, as we all collectively breathe easier.
I survey the room realizing what almost happened. There’s that word. I almost killed Jack. I almost became a murderer. I almost feel guilty.
Foster trains the gun on the pair of degenerates that have plagued my life for too long, and we find ourselves in silence as we wait for the police to arrive and the tension shifts.
“Did you think you would get away with this? Did you think nobody would ever find out your connection to Carter?” I ask to Jack, hoping to understand his thought process.
“People believe what they want to believe. You believed I was Jack, not John Williams. Sam believes I love her. Keira believed I was a harmless TA and then believed I loved her until the love I gave her was too much and made her cry all the time. I couldn’t risk her telling someone. So, she had to go away.”
I hear Alex gasp and I cover my mouth to hide the nausea that takes over my body.
“Oh my God, that was the girl downstairs. You really are a sick fuck,” I scream at him as Cole pulls me away and I catch the glimmer of the knife in my eye as it comes down on Foster’s foot. He yells in pain and Alex goes for Sam, literally knocking her to the ground unleashing punch after punch. Jack lunges for the now loose gun as Foster and Cole both throw shoulders into him to stop him from getting the gun. I scramble across the floor, reaching for the gun and spinning around on my back pointing it back at the group. Ferocious rage is all I see coming from Jack’s eyes, he is dead inside and all his rage is directed at Cole as they tumble and fight on the ground. They crash into everything, breaking the coffee table, eliciting screams for Cole to stop. I realize they aren’t fighting, Cole is literally throwing Jack around like a ragdoll. Jack doesn’t have a chance. Cole is going to kill him.
“Cole!” I scream, and he stops, heaving in breaths like he’s never breathed. I can’t help but look down at Jack’s bloodied body and wonder if he’ll make it. Cole turns to walk toward me, motioning for me to lower the gun. As I do, Jack lunges at Cole with a shard of wood from the coffee table and all I hear is the silence.
Looking around, I wonder why everyone is so silent and then I see the red start to spread through Jack’s shirt. I’ve shot him. Dead in the center of his chest.
Whizzing turns into a rumble and slowly I begin to hear the sounds surrounding me, “Put the gun down,” is yelled behind me as Cole shields my body with his. I drop the gun only to feel the cold sting of metal placed around my wrists.
I’m under arrest for the murder of John Williams.
‘What the fuck is happening with my wife?’ is all I could hear being yelled at the man sitting at the front desk, as I walk out of the room I spent hours in being interrogated. By the end, everyone in the room came to the same conclusion. I acted in self-defense. I was also assured that any questions about my husband’s involvement in Carter’s death were moot. He was no longer a suspect, as they believed Jack was the responsible party.
“Cole, I’m here, stop. I’m alright,” I comfort as I grab his arm.
Pulling me into his arms, he hugs me fiercely and presses kisses into the side of my head. The lawyers escort us out and exchange some directions, but all in all, I feel shell-shocked. I took a life from a man who had been intent on hurting everyone I loved. His fixation has cost more than one life, but now it was over. I wasn’t really sure how to feel looking up at Cole’s face. It was as if he heard my thoughts because he looks down and pushes a stray hair behind my ear.
“Let’s get out of here, baby, and never look back. It’s just you and me. No demons, no more looking over our shoulders. It’s just me loving you until you tell me to stop.”
“I’ll never say that.”
Cradling my head, Cole kisses me gently on the lips, parting only when the car pulls up.
“In you go,” Cole steps back as he opens the door.
As he closes the door, I look out the window at the precinct wondering if I will ever get past these last few months. As he slides in next to me, he grabs my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm.
“Home,” he speaks authoritatively, then turns and leans into me whispering, “Don’t look back, baby, that’s the past. We’ve had our future on hold for too long.”
He doesn’t need to say it twice, I will never be the same. He will never be the same, but Cole would always be mine and I would forever be meant to be his.
One Year Later
“Cole! You cannot be serious. I am not going to be at the hospital for three months. I already have a bag packed by the bed.”
“Baby, I just want to make sure you’re comfortable. I want to take care of my lady,” he laughs.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! I cannot with you, please just call Alex and tell her and Foster to get to the hospital. You need a friend and I need one sane individual to be there for the birth of our child!” I giggle, shaking my head.
Standing in the doorway, I take a moment to let this all sink in. I am delivering our son today. He is coming into a world where his father worships his mother and his parents will protect and love him fiercely. A year makes one helluva difference, but the biggest difference is I haven’t been waiting for my life to start. I’ve been living and loving.
After life settled from the attacks, Foster and Alex became love recluses. They seem to be making up for lost time and it seems to me that they are getting closer to sealing the deal. Life is amazing with this man, who every day, finds ways to smother me with love. I reluctantly started working at my husband’s company. He made an excellent point. If we are building an empire for our little man, then we need to do that together. Sometimes, it all feels surreal, but what I do know is that I’m so ready to keep enjoying this chapter of life.
“You ready to get this show on the road?” Cole smiles that grin that makes me weak.
“Are you?” I toss back with a wink.
“I’ve never been so ready for anything in my life, baby. All I want is forever. Is that too much to ask?” Closing in on me, he wraps his arms around me and kisses me senseless.
Thirteen hours later Hayes Thomas Parker came into our world at 9lbs 3oz.
Book two done!! I’m just blessed and grateful for this life. Thank you to my girls, my soulmates, my pushers and my homies!! Gretchen, Ellie, Dionne, Tye, Julie, Dawn, Corale, Kristie and everyone else I am forgetting…You keep me laughing and drinking wine when I really need to.
Thank you to Ellie McLove, with www.grayinkonline.com, you are the raddest and I appreciate everything you did!
Huge love to Megan www.pageafterpagebookblog.com for banners, teasers, p
roof and help with my sanity…my Jersey kindred spirit!
Thanks to Sarah www.Okaycreations.com for designing the most exquisite cover! I love it so much.
Big shout out to www.champagnebookdesign.com for the formatting my book and making it beautiful!
Huge shout-out to the bloggers and reviewers for taking a chance on a new author and giving me so much love!! You guys are simply the best and I am so thankful for all you do!! The Dm’s on Insta are always my favorite but I am overwhelmed by the love, help and generosity given to me by this community! My heart is forever full because of it.
Thank you, everyone, who reads this! I will be forever grateful that you chose me!
Always last but never least, Anthony- I love you more than words could ever measure. I love the person you see me as because I hope to be even a tenth of who she is. You are everything to me and I would legit be lost without you.
You’re welcome Hayes for your spot in the book..mommy loves you the best.
JK I love Georgia the best…. nah, probably Charlie.
Thanks for picking me to be your mama.
Wanna Read More?
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Sinful Series
Truth
Worship
Depraved
Forever series
Come Back to Me
Forever with Me
Coming soon…
Filthy Little Pretties
It all started when…
Trilina decided, 3 years ago, that between making grilled cheese sandwiches and running carpool she was going to write saucy novels for readers to titillate and excite them. She hasn’t slowed down since!
The Forever Series Page 26