“You’re bias, now hush!” I watched Rebecca
open the next envelope and she paled slightly.
“For the most amazing change is Harley
Shelton.” She spoke quickly and emotionlessly. Applause went up
through the room and I sat there stunned.
“Well go on kitten.” I stood and floated to
the stage I took the envelope from her tightly grasp hands.
“This must just bite your ass doesn’t it?” I
smiled to the crowd did a little curtsy and exited stage left.
I sat back down next to Kyle who pulled me
close to him and asked “What did you say?” I simply just shook my
head.
“Last but not least for the most successful
member of our graduating class; Kyle Douglas, known to us
bibliophiles as Kyle Mallory.” I smiled at him and he stood and
walked to the stage. The applause was loud and long.
He stood up on the stage like he owned it
and raised his hands and spoke in to the mic. “Thanks everybody. I
appreciate everyone who read my books and hope you continue reading
as I continue to write.” He turned to exit the stage and was
attacked by a throng of avid fans. He was nice enough to sign
things people handed him and finally made it back to me. “Can we
please go now?” I nodded and stood up and he took my hand.
“Wait! Mr. Mallory please wait.” I sighed
and rolled my eyes as Rebecca came running up behind us. She came
to a stop as she saw me. “Lord you’re everywhere aren’t you?”
“Rebecca is there something you needed to
say to me?” Kyle’s voice was dark and dangerous, Rebecca was
oblivious to it, but to me, it intrigued me and turned me on a
little bit. I definitely needed help.
“Yes, I was wondering if you like to get a
drink?”
I snapped. “Ok, listen you. You are married
and annoying me. Kyle is with me, you never had a chance. Get over
it and go away you insignificant little gnat.” I walked away
pulling Kyle with me.
When we got to the elevator he pulled me to
him. “That was amazing and so incredibly hot.”
“What me telling the bitch off?”
“No you laying claim to me.” I laughed.
“Easily done darling, I am an exceptionally
jealous woman I wouldn’t try getting rid of me now.”
“Never kitten.” He kissed me and pulled me
into the car and kissed me the entire ascent. We stumbled along the
hallway to my room kissing and touching and getting incredibly hot.
We made it to my door and he pushed me into it. “Open this door
kitten, now.” He pressed his hips into mine and I moaned into his
mouth.
“I can’t.”
“Do not tease me right now.” His voice
reached that dark area again and I shivered against his body.
“Y-you have my key.” He quickly patted
himself down and came up with a key. “When do you think Carson will
be here?”
“Should be already, or will be soon. Either
way I will be in you v-e-r-y shortly.” He said the last part into
my neck and kissing me. I shivered again and turned and he pressed
me into the door again.
I got the key in and opened the door.
And stopped.
I put my hand to Kyle’s lips to keep him
from saying anything and lifted my dress and pulled my pistol. “Is
he still alive Marcus?”
“For now…throw that little pistol you keep
on you and he’ll stay alive a bit longer.”
“Marcus if you hurt him I will slice you in
so many pieces that you couldn’t even be used for shish kabobs.”
Marcus laughed.
“That’s why I love you Harley you have such
a way with words.” I took my phone from Kyle and typed in a
message. “Come on in the room darling and the gun best precede
you.” I pushed Kyle and my phone out the door and the look on his
face was one of shock and he released the door and it shut in his
face. I just hope like hell he looks at my phone.
I turned and tossed my pistol on the floor
to the other side of the room. “Alright now let him go please…this
is between you and I remember.” I stepped out from the corner and
let him see me dressed as I was. “Hello Marcus.”
“Ah, my darling, you look amazing.”
“Thank you Marcus.” I looked at Carson and
he was breathing deeply through his nose which flared out with
every inhale and staring daggers at Marcus. I gave a sad smile to
him and his eyes softened at me. Oh he was going to be so mad at
me…I felt the tears burning. I looked away. “Still wearing that
cologne I gave you a year ago?”
“It’s special to me.”
“Marcus you have lost your ever loving mind!
Don’t you remember? We broke up, I broke your ankle and nose,
missed your head damn the luck. You cut my neck and gave me a black
eye and three bruised ribs.” I looked to Carson who looked, if
possible, even more pissed. Oh I knew he was never going to forgive
me for not telling him this one.
“It was a lover’s spat, that’s all.”
“What about Carl?”
“Ah, Carl…I regret he had to die. He would
have told you, I planned this out…minute, by minute…I didn’t plan
on him.” Marcus tapped the pistol he held to Carson’s temple. “He
put up a hell of a fight.” I took a good look at Marcus and he had
blood on his nose down his shirt and what looks to be a start of a
black eye.
I smiled at Carson. “Good job honey.”
“NO! ME! I’M HONEY!” Marcus screamed in that
‘I’ve totally lost my mental facilities’ sort of way.
“No you are insane!” I needed to be out of
this dress. “Look Marcus, dear, I am wearing four inch heels and
have been for two hours, can I change?” He circled the pistol in
the universal ‘Go on’ sign. “So why did you kill Captain?” the
tears burned my eyes at the mention of Captain’s name.
“That damn mutt meant more to you than
anything, that and he bit my ankle when I left that day.” His smile
almost made me throw up. “He was fun to kill…took my time. Did you
get the pictures?” I ignored the taunt it was hard, but I did it, I
felt sick.
I untied the wraps and slowly unwrapped
myself from the dress for Carson, I looked at him and his nostrils
flared. I tried to tell him I knew what I was doing, but I wasn’t
sure if he got the message, and then I looked back at Marcus.
I focused on him instead of Carson because I
was suddenly ashamed of my job. I was a master in the art of
seduction, I’ve had other people watching before, but having Carson
be that man changes everything. “So Marcus you’ve been planning
this, huh?” my voiced softened and I did another wrap. “You going
to tell me what this plan entails or do I get to guess?” I undid
another wrap.
He was enthralled just as I wanted him to
be. “Yes I was going to come and pick you up, a little wine and
dine and then I was going to fuck you into submission and then kill
you.”
“Wow, Marcus, that’s really nice of you.” I
finished unwrapping myself and let the dress fall off and pool
around my feet.
“I must say you look amazing, but where did
these bruises come from?” I didn’t answer him instead I turned
around. “Harley I asked you a question! You will answer me!” I
lifted my hair and took the hair tie off the dresser and wrapped my
hair into a make shift bun. “Harley they are all over you.”
“Yes Marcus…they are.” I pulled on a tee
shirt and nothing else. I bent and gathered my dressed keeping my
ass out toward Marcus. My dress had not only pooled around my feet,
but also my full package case. I quietly lifted the tabs and the
lid and reached in and pulled out a gun. I frowned for the loss of
the dress. I loved this dress. I stood up with the dress in my arms
and the gun hidden under it. “Marcus, as much as I appreciate the
thought of the wonderful plan, I am going to have to cancel. For
you see I am spoken for. You lost me and he found me.”
“Him! You can’t be serious he’s like a foot
taller than you and there is no way you are compatible in any
way!”
“Marcus how do you think I got the bruises.”
He face still held no recognition. “Marcus I know it’s been like
six months since you’ve been that close to me, but you know how
easy I bruise.”
“FOUR! IT’S BEEN FOUR MONTHS BITCH!! His
tanned face was blotchy with fury and did not look becoming. “I am
sorry Harley we are going to have to forgo the wine and dine.”
“Ok Marcus.” I cocked the gun under my
dress, his eyes widened and I pulled the trigger. He flew back
against the connecting door and he fell. I wasn’t fooled for a
minute and untangled my gun from my dress and two handed it.
“Marcus you ass…be insane or cunning but you can’t be both!”
“You shot me.” He grumbled as he got up. I
took aim for a head shot when…
The burn through my arm dropped me.
“Fucker!” My right arm completely unresponsive. The gun was no
where I could see.
“Now it’s my turn.” He took aim and I rolled
into him. I knocked him down and nailed his face with my heel. He
returned by elbowing my thigh and numbing the entire leg, I
returned the favor my using my left leg into his temple. “Fuck!” He
rolled out from between my legs, my right leg tingling all the way
down and my right arm bleeding and nonresponsive I crawled away and
heard him stand and stomp after me.
I heard Carson screaming through the gag
just before I felt the kick into my ribs and I released any air
that was in my lungs. I curled into a ball protecting my lungs and
bowing my back to make it stronger. His feet never giving me a
moment break all the while screaming obscenities at me. Finally he
tired out enough to where I could catch a breath and this was very
familiar only this time I was weak with blood loss.
“Alright bitch let’s finish what I started.”
I saw the glint of the knife and knew this was going to hurt. I
rolled over and attempted to crawl away, or find the gun, something
that would even the playing field.
I wasn’t having much luck, my vision was
dark and I wasn’t feeling right. I barely heard Carson’s screams
through the pounding in my ear…it was fading out.
I cried out when Marcus grabbed my hair and
pulled back, making my head bend painfully backwards. “Bitch. I am
going to kill you slowly…but first – yes…maybe you should watch
your lover die.” He threw my head and my nose bounced off the floor
causing white flashes to go off behind my eyes.
“Tell me does she whimper when you fuck her?
She was never one for loud noises she’s so stoic and reserved.” I
knew Carson couldn’t speak, but I had a feeling I knew what he
would say if he could. “She’s called the Ice Bitch at work; the
entire company knows that nickname. It’s because she’s so frigid
you know. I didn’t believe it, but the first time I slipped my dick
into her pussy she did nothing but lay there.” He was vulgar and
trying to goad Carson into something or maybe it was meant for
me.
I was too weak to care what he said.
Carson’s face was abruptly in front of me
his eyes boring into mine. I noticed that one of his eyes had a cut
above it – Marcus’ work no doubt.
He also looked angry, very angry. His eyes
were sharp and focused. His hands, which Marcus so stupidly tied in
front, touched mine and I cried out from the pressure of his
hands.
But the message was received.
Carson’s face was gone and Marcus’ voice was
filled with so much hate. “You must really love this one, too bad
you don’t get to keep him.” And his foot connected again with my
ribs, and this time I was so sure I heard a crack and I became
violently ill.
I was still in fetal position when I came
back to myself. “Marcus, just let him go. You have me, and I’m not
much of a challenge at his point.” My eyes found Carson’s and his
eyes were wide and scared I nodded slightly when his hands went to
his mouth to pull off the tape. “Marcus, this is between you and
me.”
“Aw, my sweet Harley, you are right, it is
between you and me…but this is something you love, just like that
damn dog.” The tears instantly flooded my eyes.
I swallowed and rolled to my back and
focused on Marcus’ eyes, he looked at me and gave me a smile, and I
gave him a bullet in the t-zone.
My left hand dropped to the side of my body.
I heard the tape ripe off skin with an accompanied curse. Carson
was in my line of sight then I heard the door bust open.
Kyle was screaming.
I was cold.
Bryant looked pissed.
My father was screaming.
Then nothing.
“I think she’s coming around.”
“I’m telling you she’s not going to be happy
you two are here. She can be nasty when she’s hurt.”
“And how many times has she been hurt?”
“This is the worst.” I finally put names to
voices, Carson and Bryant. Shit.
The pain hit me and I screamed.
Hands touched me and then a cooling
sensation hit my wrist and the pain subsided and I fell back
under.
This time I awoke with the pain but was able
to bite through it and opened my eyes. Fuck it was bright. The
shades were closed suddenly, so I guess I said something.
I looked to the window and there stood
Bryant. “Bryant.” I croaked then I broke down and cried. He came to
me and sat very gingerly on the bed holding me until I ran out of
tears.
“Shh Harley, it’s alright.” I felt his
fingers through my hair. “You did good girl. I’m so proud of
you.”
“Did he stay down this time?” My voice was a
weak at best, I licked my lips with absolutely no moisture. “Water”
A straw touched my lips and I sucked down cool water, and then
puked it all back up. Blessedly Bryant had a trash can next to the
bed already. “Oh, that hurts like hell.”
“Of course the fucker broke one rib and
bruised three others.”
“Give me the full write up.”
“Black eyes, broken nose, one cracked rib,
three bruised, bruised femur and a gun shot in the right arm - no
bone damage to that arm.”
“Is that all? I’ll be out of here by the end
of the weekend.”