Authors: Marie Rochelle
“My little boy looked just like me.” Michael whispered.
The night air was so hot that her t-shirt clung to
True’s
sweat covered body, but she was too scared to pull it away from her skin. She didn’t know if any sudden movements would set Michael off.
She noticed how he eyes kept roaming around the room like he was looking for something that wasn’t there.
True knew she needed to keep his attention focused on her, “I don’t understand why you want me dead.”
Michael’s gray eyes narrowed, his voice grew hard, “I haven’t gotten that far yet so don’t interrupt me.” He snapped, poking the side of her neck with the knife.
She bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. The pain was so intense she almost blacked out from it. Rejecting the pain, she focused on Michael.
“I looked for
Hayward
for years so I could get him back for killing my family, but I could never find him.”
He stared off at the wall behind her shoulder almost like she wasn’t there anymore.
Her head was puzzled by new thoughts. Did Stephen know about this side of Michael and didn’t care? Or worse, had Michael already killed Stephen and now he was here to finish her off. Lowering her voice she asked, “Michael, is Stephen okay?”
His dark head swung around. She flinched from the cold stare boring down on her. “I haven’t hurt Stephen. I love him and I won’t let you have him.
Hayward
has already taken someone from me. I won’t let you do the same thing.”
True let out a quick sigh of relief and wondered how she could get the knife away from Michael. Dropping her eyes, she blocked out Michael’s demented voice, and focused her eyes on the gun across the room. It landed by the end of the bed. If Michael got up and moved away from her, she might have a chance to grab it.
True jerked as the cold steel pressed into the side of her cheek. Michael leaned into of her face and stared into her eyes. “What are you looking at?”
Don’t lose your cool.
It was her own need to survive that shocked her into lying to his face. “Nothing,” she whispered. True felt a thin line of sweat as it slid down the middle of her back.
Please let him believe me
. She realized that the Michael she knew was a fraud. What replaced him was
the
psychopath
, who now sat in front of her. If she didn’t get away soon, he was going to kill her.
Michael nodded his head. “Okay, I believe you.” He removed the knife from her face and he fell back against the chair.
Looking into her eyes, he continued. “Now I can answer your question. I want you dead because Stephen loves you so damn much. With you out of his life, he can focus all his attention on me. In addition, I can finally pay back
Hayward
.”
She watched in fear as Michael closed his eyes and stopped talking. When he reopened his eyes and spoke again his voice was calm, almost eerie, “I can’t let you take Stephen away from me.”
He leaned forward and pressed the knife to the side of her throat, just above her pulse point. Panic set in. She didn’t have much time left before Michael decided to kill her. She needed to find a way to get to that gun.
She smiled at Michael and prayed he didn’t hear the fear in her voice.
“I’m not a threat to you and Stephen,” True whispered. “
Hayward
doesn’t know a thing about you. You can leave right now and I’ll never say a word to anyone.”
A twisted smile spread across his thin lips. Michael shook his head at her, “No, True I want
Hayward
to feel the same crushing pain I felt when Brooke died and killing you is the only way to achieve my goal.”
Tears poured down her face, she didn’t think when she got up this morning that it would be her last day on earth. “Please don’t kill me,” she begged. She had to find a way to get through to him, so she lied, “Michael, “I’ve always thought of you as a friend, would you really kill me in cold blood?”
He frowned at her, his expression a mask of confusion and then suddenly the familiar mask of pure hatred covered his face again. “You lying bitch!”
He growled, and his hand pressed the knife harder into her neck.
* * * *
“Michael!” A deep rough voice yelled from the doorway.
Michael’s head spun around and True saw
Hayward
standing in the doorway over his shoulder.
“Look what we have here.
If it isn’t Hayward Campbell.
Did you come to save your girlfriend?” Michael stood up. He focused his attention on
Hayward
instead of her and she got up from the chair running to the other side of the room.
“Well, you aren’t going to be able to save her.” He said as he taunted
Hayward
in a low voice.
Michael turned slowly in her direction. She watched his expression change from hate to rage, “Sorry True, but I’m going to kill you now.”
“The hell you will,”
Hayward
yelled from behind Michael and then he lunged for him.
“
Hayward
, no, don’t! “True screamed. She pressed a hand to her chest and gasped at the two men, as they struggled on the floor. They wrestled around on the floor back and forth until both of them stopped moving.
Both men lay lifeless in the middle of her bedroom floor.
“
Hayward
.” True screamed, running over to
Hayward
as he pushed Michael’s dead body off his.
* * * *
An hour later,
Hayward
stood in the middle of
True’s
bedroom along with two police officers and they were questioning him about Michael and Sylvester. He wanted to give them his full attention, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from True. Have I really lost her?
She hasn’t looked in his direction since the officers showed up. He wondered who she was talking to on the phone. If he hadn’t followed her home she would be in a body bag now, instead of the intruders.
Feeling
Hayward
’s eyes on her, True turned around and found him standing across the room with two police officers, but his eyes were on her. “Yes, Stephen I’m still here,” she whispered into the phone.
She twisted the phone cord around her finger; she couldn’t stay in this house after what happened tonight.
Maybe
Jenisha
would let her stay with her for a few days. “I’m coming back to
“No, I don’t blame you for what he did.” She couldn’t take looking at
Hayward
anymore, so she turned away from his glaze. “Okay, I’ll see you in a few hours.” True hung up the phone and left the bedroom in search of the other police officer.
She found one in the kitchen. He was writing notes down in a black notepad.
“Is it okay if I leave town tonight?”
“Do you want to stay and get checked out by a doctor?” The young officer asked.
“No, I want to leave this house as soon as I can.” She replied, rubbing her arms up and down her cold arms.
He shrugged. “Okay, you can leave. Just leave a number where you can be reached in case we have anymore questions.” He touched her shoulder and walked away.
“Where are you going?”
Hayward
asked.
She groaned at the sound of his voice, she had hoped to get out of the house before he came searching for her.
“T
hank
you for saving my life.” She whispered, turning around to face him
His whole face spread into a smile, which lit up his brilliant blue eyes. She even managed a small smile of her own.
Hayward
didn’t have a clue she wasn’t coming back to him. He tried to touch he arm but she moved back.
True’s
heart ached. The words tumbled from her lips. “I want you to understand. Our relationship is still over.”
Hayward
shook his head in disbelief.
“There is nothing for us now because of your lies.” Turning round,
True
walked out of the kitchen and away from
Hayward
, leaving the only man she truly loved standing alone in the middle of her kitchen.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
A week later Ms. Pinson stood in the den’s doorway and watched
Hayward
as he stared at a ‘FOR SALE’ sign in front of
True’s
old house. Yesterday, a moving crew had came and cleared out the house. He had rushed over there looking for True, but the movers had told him they didn’t know anything about her.
He had come home heartbroken and locked himself away in this room for hours. Now, he spent all his time at the window staring at her house. She didn’t know what to do to help him get over her.
“Mr. Campbell, a box came for you today.” She said, but he didn’t even turn and look her way, “I’ll sit it on your desk.”
Taking one last glance at him, she closed the door behind her.
Hayward
moved away from the window and stared at the green box his housekeeper had placed on top of the desk. Who in the world would be sending him a gift?
Pulling out his chair, he sat behind it, his eyes scanned the return address label and he mumbled, “Wesley Antiques,
Los Angeles
,
“Why in the hell am I getting a box from an antique shop I’ve never heard of?” He shuffled through the piles of paperwork on his desk until he found a letter opener. Tearing the brown wrapping paper, he used the silver letter opener to remove the tape from the top of the box. He reached searching through the packing peanuts until he fingers brushed something smooth and cool.
Getting a good grip on it, he pulled it out and gawked at the woman warrior. The last piece to his collection was in the palm of his hand with a note attached. How in the world did I get this? Sitting the statue down on the desk he opened the note. Tears welled in his eyes.
Surprise Sweetheart,
Here’s the last piece to your collection. I hope you love it.
Love
True
Hayward
glanced at the date on the note in the palm of his hand. It was dated during the same time as
Dalton
’s trial. Looking over at the statue, he knew he had to get out of the house before the pain of losing her killed him.
* * * *
Four months later,
Clinton
stood silently in
Hayward
’s office doorway and watched as he tried to get over True. His brother wasn’t the same since she walked out on him. He didn’t know the last time a smile touched his brother’s lips. His mouth spread into a tight grin. He shook his head at
Hayward
’s appearance. He had changed. His dark hair hung almost to his shoulders, a five o’clock shadow was a permanently on his face.
“Hell, don’t stand there looking at me Clint if you need something ask me or leave.”
Hayward
barked at him from his desk by the window.
He glared at
Hayward
; then strode through the door. “I thought you might like to go to lunch with me.” He fell down into a chair in front of
Hayward
’s desk. His fingers drummed on the chair’s arm, while he waited for his brother to answer,
I don’t know why I asked him again. He’ll just say no.
Hayward
stiffened and shook his head. “I don’t have time for lunch or another lecture from you about True.”
Clinton
leaned forward and dropped his hands between his legs. “You can’t stay in the office and work yourself to death.”
He was determined to get
Hayward
out of this office today. Even if he had to drag him kicking and screaming, he’d do it. The smell of day old coffee burnt the inside of his nose. His eyes darted around the office.
The space was a complete mess, blueprints laid all over the drawing table by the far wall, a thick stack of messages were by Hayward’s telephone and half-eaten sandwiches were piled in the trashcans, because his brother didn’t want the cleaning crew in his office. A pungent odor filled the room; it was so strong it turned his stomach.
Hayward
shook his head at him, and he massaged the side of his temple with his fingertips. “I know she will come back to me!” He muttered underneath his breath. “I have to be patient and give her time to calm down.”
He heard the despair in his brother’s voice and it blew him away, he didn’t realize how much
Hayward
loved True.
Hayward
’s dark eyes shot up at his from behind the desk. “Once she gets over the hurt she’ll come back to me.” The sound of Hayward’s hoarse voice saddened him. He watched him open his fist and stare down at
True’s
engagement ring.
“It isn’t healthy for you to carry that ring around all the time.” He got up from the chair and walked around the desk.
Then took the ring away from
Hayward
.
He stared down at it until
Hayward
snatched the ring back from him.
“For twenty-hours this ring made me the happiest man in the world and I’m going to keep it with me as long as I need too.”
He heard the challenge in his brother’s voice, if he grabbed the ring again, he would have a fight on his hands.
He let it go and slapped his brother on the back. “I promise if you go into your bathroom and shave I won’t say a word about True over lunch.”
Clinton
waved his hand in front of
Hayward
’s face. “You really have to get rid of the mountain man look.” He pointed toward the doorway and lowered his voice. “The new secretary almost called the police on you, because she didn’t recognize you.”
Hayward
glanced at him and rubbed his hand across the stubble on his jaw. “Okay, I’ll go in there and shave.”
He stood up from the desk, and then walked into the bathroom, closing with door behind him.
Clinton
stood and looked out the window while he waited on
Hayward
. His eyes stared out down at the busy street. He didn’t see the backed up traffic; the people rushing back to their offices from lunch or the afternoon joggers darting around pedestrians. His mind was on
Hayward
and he hoped that he was doing the right thing. He didn’t know how much longer
Hayward
could stay the way his was.
Please don’t let this blow up in my face
.
Thirty minutes later,
Hayward
came back out looking better with a clean-shaven face, his longer hair pulled back in a short ponytail, and a new clean suit on his body. “Now, you look like the
Hayward
I know.”
He was happy
Hayward
decided to change his clothes too. Maybe everything would turn out as he hoped it would. He turned and strode to the door, “Let’s go get something to eat.”
On the way to the Italian restaurant across town,
Clinton
listened quietly as
Hayward
talked about True. “I can’t believe she left Campbell Construction and Design. She could have still worked here for us and I won’t have bothered her.”
He took his eyes off the road for a second and swung them to the side, and then he narrowed them at his brother.
Hayward
took a quick glance at him and muttered, “All right, maybe I would have tried talking to her a couple of times,” he stammered. “But
dammit
, I still love her so much and I don’t know where she is.”
Ten minutes later,
Clinton
pulled into the semi-crowded parking lot. He got out as he waited for
Hayward
to join him at the front of the car. “I heard the food is really good here,” he said, holding open the restaurant front door for
Hayward
. He wanted
Hayward
to react in some way. He didn’t care how.
“It really won’t matter, because I won’t taste a thing I put in my mouth,”
Hayward
mumbled going past him into the brightly lit building.
Clinton
hid a smile and followed
Hayward
inside,
Oh, little brother I think you might find one thing pretty appetizing when we get inside.
He asked the waitress for a booth seat near the back of the room,
Hayward
stared at him in confusion. “You hate booth seats, so why are we sitting here.” He asked. The waitress took their drink orders and walked away.
Clinton
shrugged and looked down at his watch. “Hell, I don’t know I thought I’ll do something different today. Is there a problem?”
Hayward
’s blue eyes flash with sudden anger. He thought for a minute that he might get up and leave. Instead, he shook his head. “No, I don’t have a problem.”
He didn’t say a word as the restaurant started to fill up.
Clinton
took another sip of his water and glanced down at his watch. The person he wanted to see still wasn’t here as yet. His plan wasn’t going to work if they didn’t show up today. He made sure that the waitress seated
Hayward
with his back to the front door, so he could keep an eye of the people who came in.
Damn, this had to work out, or I might not get another chance.
“Why do you keep looking at your watch?”
Hayward
asked him.
As he was about to answer when the reason he dragged his brother from the office walked through the front door.
He smiled to himself,
Hayward
was going to owe him big time for this one, and he would collect. “
Hayward
, I want you to turn around real slow and look over your shoulder.”
It had taken him almost a week to work out all the details. If things fell into place as he hoped it would, it would be worth all the deception. “When you see who I’m talking about, you can’t cause a scene.” He placed a restraining hand on his brother’s wrist and stared at him.
“Okay, I won’t cause a scene,”
Hayward
muttered, as he moved his hand from his grip.
He rolled his eyes at his brother’s impatience.
I don’t know why I made him promise me anything. Once he looks across the room, it won’t mean a thing.
Hayward
turned around in his seat, but he didn’t see anything until the waitress moved out of the way. Sitting at the very back table next to a wall was Daniel Shaw with True. “True,”
Hayward
said in a low, shocked voice and then he jumped up out of the booth and raced across the room before
Clinton
could stop him.
* * * *
True was opening her mouth to answer Daniel’s question when she felt a strong hand wrapped around her upper arm and pull her right out of her seat. “What in the hell!” she yelled and glanced up into a pair of ocean blue eyes. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, “
Hayward
.”
She never thought she would see him again. Now here he was, standing in front of her. He was still as gorgeous as she remembered.
No, I am not going to fall for him again
.
With her hand against her chest, she took a step back from his body, “What are you doing here?” Her body trembled. She folded her arms across her chest in a defensive gesture.
“Kitten, I have been looking all over for you,”
Hayward
said. His hands reached for her, but she pushed them away.
“Don’t touch me,” she replied. She tried her best to ignore the hurt look on his face. She had to protect herself against him; she had to prove that she was immune to him.
Hayward
wasn’t going to let her to do that. He brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek
“True, you don’t know how much I have missed you.”
She noted the misery in his voice. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by him now. Did he have any clue about the misery she lived through after she ran from her home to
Or how many time she picked up the phone to call him, only to hang up at the very last minute?
He looked so damn good, standing in front of her. His shirt was the same dark blue color as his eyes. She fought hard not to fall into his arms.
Why wasn’t Daniel helping her?
For the corner of her eyes, she peeked over at him, and found him watching her with a smile on his face. God, where was a friend when she needed one?
Well, if he wasn’t going to help her, she would deal with
Hayward
, herself.
She moved his hand away from her face and said, “What are you doing here in
Stamford
?”