Fate Heals (Twist of Fate Book 2)

by Tina Saxon

  I plop down in my chair, leaning back into it, staring at the ceiling. I sigh. “Have we got any leads?”

  “Where’s Addison?”

  “At her fucking apartment,” I seethe. I close my eyes and exhale quickly. I fist my hands as my anger brews. I glare back at Damon and say, “Are we going to chit chat all goddamn day or are you going to give me an update on the case?”

  A tiny body takes a spot next to Damon in the doorway, holding a file, flashing a concerned look.

  Fuck! I drop my head, knowing what’s coming next.

  “Aiden,” she calmly says.

  “Dr. Price,” I respond, looking up to her.

  Damon looks at the doctor and then to me. “Great timing, doc. Maybe you can get the stick out of my friend’s ass.” He turns around and leaves. I’m on a roll today.

  “Do you have a minute?” she asks, walking into my office and shutting the door. Seems I don’t have a choice in this matter, so I shrug. She takes a seat across from my desk, trying to read me. I’m usually really good at hiding my emotions; shit, I’m trained in that area. So why can’t I hide my feelings when it comes to Addison?

  “I’d ask you how you are doing, but I think that goes without saying.” I just nod again. “So why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

  I run my hand through my hair, groaning in frustration. I don’t even know where to start.

  “Isn’t this a conflict of interest, you being both our doctors?” I ask. I’ve had a weekly Skype session with Dr. Price for the last four months. Come to find out, she’s been Addison’s doctor, too, for the last month.

  “I’m assuming you mean you and Addison. I’m very capable of separating the two.”

  “She is the most stubborn woman.” I think my mouth decides to vomit words because once I start, I can’t stop. I push off my chair, almost knocking it over, and walk around my desk. “She’s being ridiculous. She thinks we shouldn’t be together because I’m too emotionally attached to her safety. But how the hell should I feel when she keeps putting herself in dangerous situations? And she tells me I should be a little more understanding? Doesn’t she know she wasn’t the only one who was hurt four months ago? I was shot, almost died, and my heart was torn to pieces!” I bark loudly, slamming my hands down on my desk.

  Dr. Price doesn’t even flinch. She’s sitting back in her chair with her legs crossed, silently letting me have my outburst. I drop back down in my chair, trying to calm the fury.

  “Have you both had a chance to talk?”

  “No,” I mutter.

  “You definitely need to talk to each other, but I understand why that hasn’t happened yet.” Her voice is a constant state of calm, but her eyes reflect compassion. “I do think she might be right.”

  My eyebrows pop up. “What?”

  “There needs to be understanding from both sides. Addison needs to feel in control for her to be able to move on. You suppress that control by constantly trying to keep her safe, which in turn will take her back to the times she didn’t have it.”

  “Do you think I don’t know that?” I sigh and drop my elbows onto the desk and rub my eyelids. “I just don’t know how to stop these feelings of helplessness. I love that woman more than anything. I just can’t stop worrying about her.”

  “Give it some time, Aiden. I think when you both have a chance to sit down and talk, it will help you both understand each other. To make this work, you’ll need to set expectations on both ends. But you need to be patient with Addison. I know that you went through a lot, and I’m not discrediting that, but what Addison went through was life altering.” She stands up and flashes me a soft smile. “I think it’d be a good idea if both of you came to a session, together.” Of course you do, I chuckle to myself and nod.

  I pick up my phone and call Addison. I need to apologize and see if we can talk. Her voicemail answers, so I hang up. I sigh. She’s probably ignoring me.

  A few moments later, movement in my doorway catches my eye. A makeshift white flag is being waved. Damon peeks his head in. “Is it clear? Am I going to get shot if I come in?”

  “Come in, asshole,” I grunt.

  “I am not the asshole here.” He smirks walking in.

  “Sorry. It’s been a shitty few hours.”

  “What the hell happened? Last we talked, you were getting ready to leave Texas and everything was fine.”

  I sigh. “Addison is being stubborn as ever. And I guess I fucked up.”

  “That’s not surprising. But if there were ever two people who belonged together, it’s you two. You’re just as stubborn as she is.” He chuckles.

  “Well, that might be our undoing,” I say grimly.

  “I don’t believe that. But to get your mind off of it, we just got back the DNA results.”

  I lean forward in my chair. “What are you waiting for, tell me the results.”

  “We’re meeting in the war room now,” he says, walking out. The war room is the conference room where the entire case is spread out.

  I walk into the room and chatter fills the air. Addison’s boss, CJ, my boss, Todd, and a few other agents are sitting around the table. When Todd sees me, he clears his throat to get everyone’s attention.

  “Everyone’s here, let’s get started,” he says, looking at me. I nod and pull out a chair. “So, the DNA results came back, but we didn’t get a match in CODIS.” Several sighs can be heard. “But … we did get a DNA match to another case in St. Louis. Seems this wasn’t where he started with his murders. Another family was murdered last September. We are working with the office there to see if there might be more unsolved murders that match. So far it’s just the one.”

  “Forensics is running a familial DNA search to see if we get anything there. You never know if there’s a family member in the system who might help us catch a lead,” CJ states. “We started that earlier today, so hopefully we’ll get those results back any time now.”

  “What we know so far is that the unsub has only killed families of four. He always rapes the wife.”

  “Are there any patterns with the women?” asks Damon.

  “The woman in St. Louis was brunette, but the other three here have all been blonde. So we’re not sure if that’s a connection or not. Something might have happened or he just doesn’t care.”

  “He must have been following them for a while. Where did he find them? Did they have the same doctor, kids go to the same school? Where’s the link that connects them?” Dave asks.

  “We have the analysts looking at everything. The three families all live in the city, so there are a few similarities. They all went to the same movie theater, ate at the same restaurant, two of the three go to the same bank. But schools, doctors, employers are all different.”

  My hands are behind my head as I lean back and think. Something in the back of my head is nagging at me, telling me that I’m missing something. It’s like when I have a déjà vu moment but can’t for the life of me remember when I had it.

  Then the light bulb turns on. Addison … St. Louis … changing of hair color. I jump up out of my seat, startling people.

  “What restaurant?” I fire out.

  “What?” Todd asks.

  “What restaurant did they all go to?”

  He starts looking through his notes. Damon stands with me, walking to the computer and starts typing. He knows what I’m thinking.

  “Bella Mistero.” He tilts his head in my direction.

  I look at Damon, and he nods his head. “He came from a town not too far from St. Louis.”

  “He’s going to go after Addison,” I say quickly, getting ready to leave.

  “Aiden?” Todd stops me. Of course he’s going to want more information.

  “His name is Marco Aceto.”

  I quickly tell them about Marco and that when he and Addison met she had brown hair. Then he conveniently moved here, just a couple blocks from her. I give CJ his dad’s name to compare the DNA results. His dad currently resides
at the Colorado State Penitentiary for raping and killing a woman in the nineties. Fucking apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

  I call Stone and tell him to be on the lookout for Marco.

  “Someone went inside about ten minutes ago with a delivery from Bella Mistero,” I say, repeating what Stone just said and looking up at the team. “Don’t go in. We’ll be there in five minutes.” I gesture with my hands to get a team together now. I hang up, and Damon has already grabbed the SUV keys and is handing me a vest.

  “We’ll get this son of a bitch.”

  Hopefully, it’s not too late.

  We pull up in front of her apartment and start devising a plan of entrance when we hear three shots ring out.

  Air escapes my lungs. Time stops. My hand reaches for my chest as I gasp for air. It feels like someone punched me in the stomach, and I can’t catch my breath. They are going to have to put me in a mental hospital if I lose Addison because I’m about to crack. Damon shakes me, bringing me back to present.

  I suck in a large gulp of air and take off running.

  My door makes a loud bang as I whip it shut and walk into my apartment. Anger fills my body, thinking about the last few hours. I growl, walking around my apartment, slamming everything I touch. Aiden can be such a caveman sometimes.

  I drop down on the couch, letting out a forced breath. Closing my eyes, my words come back to haunt me. I can’t believe I told him we couldn’t be together.

  Then doubt rears its ugly head. Doubts that I can’t be the woman he deserves. He’s not going to want to live in a constant state of fear, worrying about me. It’s not a good place to be. I blow out a breath, willing the insecurities to escape my body.

  The rate that my feelings have changed has left me drained. I lie back on my couch, staring up to the ceiling. My breathing slows and I drift off to sleep.

  Something wakes me, but I’m not sure what it is. I sit up and look around. Nothing is out of place. Maybe it’s just a car horn outside. Glancing at the clock, I see I was only asleep for thirty minutes.

  Taking in a deep breath and releasing it, I know I need to call Aiden. We need to talk. I need to apologize for being a bitch. I see my phone sitting on the entry table. As I’m pushing up off the couch, a knock on my door startles me. It’s probably Aiden since the doorman didn’t call me. I swing open the door, expecting to meet emerald green eyes. Instead, I’m looking into chocolate brown eyes.

  “I’m having a déjà vu moment right now.” Why is it that Marco always seems to show up at my door when I’m really pissed off at Aiden?

  “Aww, yes. I seem to always be trying to feed you.” He holds up the bag of food, sporting a huge smile. “Did you not hear me knocking? I almost left, thinking you weren’t home?” The knock must have been what woke me.

  “Sorry, I passed out on my couch and didn’t hear you,” I say. “But, Marco, I’m pretty sure I didn’t order anything.”

  “Your neighbor did,” he says, looking down the hallway. “So when I saw the address, I thought … well … I hoped you were home so I could bring you your favorite dish.” I’m caught off guard, so I stand there staring at Marco. I feel I need to tread softly because I’m not so sure about Marco anymore. Last time he flipped on the drop of a dime, and I am not in the mood to deal with crazy right now.

  “Well, I am starving. Let me grab my wallet.” I let go of the door, keeping it open, and turn to snatch my wallet off of my kitchen counter.

  “How much do I …” I pause when I hear my door shut and lock. Whipping around, I see Marco looking around my apartment. Like he’s searching for something. My spine stiffens. “… Owe you?” I finish, but there’s uncertainty in my voice. He quickly turns toward me, setting the food on my coffee table. Dammit, why didn’t I shut the door?

  There’s a flicker of darkness for a second before he blinks and smiles at me. I take a step back as warnings start blaring in my head. I know the look of evil. Shit, I’ve met the Devil himself. “I’ve never been in your apartment before, beautiful. It’s amazing. It’s a big place, though. Do you live here by yourself?” His voice has changed. There’s a chilling undertone to it.

  That’s right. He hasn’t been to my home. How the hell does he know where I live? He stands there watching me, waiting for my next move, like a hawk watching his prey.

  “Thanks,” I say, masking my concern. “Actually, Sydney lives with me. She should be back soon, so she’ll be excited you brought food,” I lie, hoping that if he thinks that I’m not alone for long he’ll leave.

  “Really?” he asks sardonically, taking a step toward me. Shit! How do I keep getting myself in these situations? I don’t think he plans on leaving anytime soon.

  My skin prickles as fear runs through me. He knows I’m lying. I instinctively take a step back. He’s five steps from me. I’m five steps from my front door. There is no way I can make it to my bedroom where my gun is, or the kitchen to grab a knife, without getting past him first. That leaves the front door as my only option or to fight. I take another step back. Four more to go.

  “Marco, is something wrong?” I murmur, trying to sound as calm as I possibly can. My heart races, making my body heat. I can feel sweat forming on my back.

  “Oh, bella, nothing is ever wrong when I’m with you,” he snarls as he takes another step forward. I start to panic, knowing that my front door is locked. That’ll take time. Time I don’t have. My stomach turns, knowing this isn’t going to end well.

  “Well, thanks for the food. I really appreciate it.” I force a smile but don’t take my eyes off him. I take another step back. I jump when my cellphone rings on the entry table. I glance at it and can see that it’s Aiden. The sound of a gun cocking has me jerking my head back to Marco. There he stands a step away from me, holding a gun to my head.

  “Don’t answer it, Addison,” he demands, his voice cold.

  “I’m not,” I whisper, holding my hands up to show him I don’t have anything in my hand. “Marco, what do you want? Why are you doing this?”

  “Have a seat on the couch. I’ll tell you all about it.” He smiles. He fucking smiles.

  I’m saying a silent plea, hoping that Aiden will get worried when I don’t answer the phone. I internally chastise myself. How freaking ironic is that? Now I’m hoping he worries about me. If I make it out of here alive, I promise he can worry about me all he wants.

  I slowly walk to the couch as Marco follows right behind. I can feel the gun pressed to the back of my head. Just the thought of it makes my head sting. When I sit, he remains standing. I look up at a man who I thought was once an attractive guy but now there’s nothing but pure evil. I remain quiet, crossing my legs and arms.

  He growls. “I like you obeying me.” He reaches down and runs his hand down my cheek. I smack his hand away.

  “Don’t fucking touch me,” I grind out.

  He tsks me. “All in due time, bella.” I fight the bile wanting to climb up my throat at his words. “This wasn’t supposed to happen yet, you know? You weren’t supposed to be involved,” he says, staring down at me. I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. What am I involved in? The yet has me really concerned. So, he had planned this … it’s just happening sooner rather than later? I squeeze my eyes shut, cursing under my breath. Why does this keep happening to me? I open my eyes and chew the inside of cheek. When I don’t say anything, he continues. “But you left me no choice. Where is the girl?”

  What? I shake my head, looking down. He can’t know about Lexi. And if he does …

  I gasp as I look back up at his towering figure looming over me. I scan his face and tense when I see it. Two scratches on his neck. He smirks when he sees that I’ve noticed them.

  “If only I’d done a better job, I would’ve known that she had a friend over.” He shrugs. “But now there are a few loose ends that I have to deal with. You weren’t supposed to be one of them. I had a different plan for you,” he says, pointing the gun at me.

  I t
ense and squeeze my arms around my body tighter. How he says it … I know that plan wouldn’t have turned out well for me. Of course, now I’m a loose end that has to be dealt with. It sounds like either way I’m screwed. I try to remain calm. Now is not the time to lose control.

  “I’m not telling you where she is, Marco,” I sneer, staring up at him. He can do whatever he wants to me, but he will never know where Lexi is. I’ve already been to hell, I know what it’s like. He can’t do worse. His eyes bore into me and his nostrils flare. He shakes his head as he sighs harshly. “Why Marco? Why did you kill those families?”

  His face twists like I should already know the answer. “Because of you, Addison,” he says dryly.

  “Me?” My stomach drops as the horror of what has been happening is somehow linked to me. I dig my fingers into my arms so deep I know it’ll leave bruises.

  He sits on the coffee table, making sure to keep the gun pointed at me. My eyes dart around his face, waiting for his reason. Waiting to find out what I did to unleash this monster. “The day I met you, when your lips pressed to mine, I just knew you were mine. I had already found out everything about you before you came back the second time. It was like you came back for me. You felt it, too.” Had I kissed Marco? I think back to that first night. I guess I did give him a peck on the lips. That one kiss led to all of this?

  I shake my head. “No. That isn’t why I came back into town.”

  “I figured that out when you rejected me and kicked me out,” he growls. I keep quiet so I don’t anger him more. “But I knew you just needed time to feel the same way I do.” I let out a ragged breath. When will the hits from that fucking trip ever end? Did I piss anyone else off during that time? My attention goes back to Marco when he starts talking again. “I was still angry. And when a family came into the restaurant that night, the woman looked like you. It was like you were cheating on me, happily married with kids,” he barks out.

  Oh. My. God. My hand flies to my mouth. He can’t be saying he killed those families because the women reminded him of me. I grab the couch on each side of me to hold myself up. I think I’m going to be sick. I fight the tears that are threatening to erupt.