Playing With Fire (Sweet Redemption) (11 page)

CHAPTER TEN: RECONCILIATION

Janet made her way back inside, her eyes peeled for her father, feeling terrible about her rash response.

When she spotted him, she felt even worse when she saw a different look in his eyes this time when he saw her—they now looked sad instead of lighting up with joy.

She went over and indicated she needed to talk to him in private.

They left the room and began wandering the empty hall outside.

“It seems I might have gotten ahead of myself—at least in your case,” she began.

He said nothing in response.

“I didn’t let you finish earlier. Can you tell me more about the new division?” she prodded.

“It’s something I thought you always wanted,” he said softly, then went on to tell her about it.

At the end of his explanation, she realized he was right, that Eric was right—the division was indeed exactly what she wanted. Her father had somehow managed to bring her vision to life.

“How did you even know? Did you find my notebooks about it or...”

“I know you Janet.”

Janet couldn’t stop a skeptical huff from escaping.

She again regretted her actions when she saw the look on his face.

She began to explain herself.

“I just never thought you did to be honest. You were always too busy, unavailable. I never thought you had time to pay attention.”

Her father shook his head.

“How could you think I don’t know you Janet? How could you think for one moment I don’t think about you? Everything I do is for you, and I’m sorry I haven’t expressed it any other way but all of this—” he gestured with his arms at the building in general—“I built for you. To ensure your security and protection. This is how men of my generation expressed their love and I thought you’d just understand that, but I guess I was wrong.”

“But I needed you daddy—I preferred having you around...”

“And I get that honey, but nothing makes a person feel more vulnerable than having a child depending on them. The moment you wrapped your tiny hand around mine not long after leaving your mother’s womb, I knew I would do everything in my power to give you a good life.” He hung his head. “And I thought I did.”

“Daddy, of course you have. And I know all
this
takes time. I just...I guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too huh?”

She smiled.

“Look, while you were away for business, I wanted you to read me a story before bed. While you were fattening up my savings account, I looked for you at my dance recital. Sometimes I wondered if you loved me at all, if you stayed away because I...” Her voice broke. “Because I wasn’t Roland. Or DeAngelo.”

She looked down, unable to meet his eyes as emotion welled up in her.

She hadn’t spoken her dead brother’s name in a long while.

Her father grabbed her in a hug.

“You’re ridiculous,” he said. “Funny how our own insecurities can blind us, isn’t it? You were my world Janet, and even more so once your mother was gone. You say you didn’t feel like I knew you or paid attention but I’ll tell you this: I remember very clearly the six-year-old version of you who was only too happy to play house with your dolls—the mommy, the daddy, the kids. I remember the look on your face when I got you that Easy-Bake oven. I remember that stash of romance novels I found in your room when you were about thirteen, and I remember you telling me you couldn’t wait to grow up to have a relationship like me and your mom. I even remember how distraught you were when you came across an abandoned kitten with a broken foot. Janet, you haven’t really changed as far as I can tell—you’re still that caring, maternal child who tried to bandage my finger when I slammed it in a door. As far as I know you, what you want more than anything is to get married, and have some babies. And help people—especially children—however you can. Am I wrong?”

Janet cried freely, like she imagined her dad must’ve seen her do hundreds of times in the early part of her life, and when his arms closed around her again, she let her father just hold her.

“Sometimes I wondered who you were and what you did with that girl later,” he continued, “but then inevitably, I’d see a shadow of her in your smile and my heart feels like it’s about to burst. I’d do anything for that girl—for you Janet. Even if it means playing matchmaker to steer her toward her dreams. Now get back in there and forgive Eric for being a part of my scheme. I know he loves you to death and so do you.”

***

When Janet got back in the room her eyes now searched it for Eric. When she spotted him, he looked like he had been waiting for her and immediately headed toward her.

No more getting in my own way
, she thought as she prepared to offer him an apology.

“Come with me,” he said, grabbing her hand, “we don’t have much time.”

Janet found herself being led right back toward the hall outside the room.

“I need you to know something.”

“I already know and it’s okay. I’m sorry I overreacted...”

“No, not about that. How we got together isn’t important and I accept your apology. Look, I know you’re going to find this odd probably, and I don’t blame you if you do because it is. It’s just that, I don’t know what else to say to convince you that I want you, and that you were all I ever wanted.”

A quiet laugh escaped her.

“Believe me, I know. You don’t have to explain anything Eric, seriously...”

Eric took a breath, looking away for a moment. Then he looked back at her, his blue eyes burning with something she could not identify.

“I want you to know this.” He took another breath. “I loved you immediately, and it was because you look like a woman I have loved for a long time.”

Janet wasn’t sure what to make of his statement so she stayed silent.

“It’s not just that you look like her,” he said, reaching his hand out to caress her face, “it’s like you
are
her. Just so you know, I never actually met her in real life until I ran into you in that elevator. I had dreamed of her when I was a teenager, imagined a whole life with her, and although I never met her, she looked like you. You are literally my dream girl, and all I want to do now, is make the rest of those dreams come true—the marriage, the babies...”

Janet began crying again, unable to stop her tears, unable to believe what she was hearing.

She wiped her face crudely on her arm, not sure if her voice would cooperate.

She would have never believed it had she heard it from anyone else and she didn’t care if anyone believed them if they decided to ever tell anyone. All that mattered was that they knew they were made for each other.

“Me too,” was all she could say. “You...me too.”

He scooped her into a hug like no other.

“We have to go back in there,” he reminded her after a few moments and waited while she composed herself as best as she could.

He helped her clean up her face.

As he led her back inside, she realized the band had stopped playing dance music, and what sounded like one of her all-time favorite love songs had begun.

“Dance with me?” Eric asked, his eyes sparkling, and she knew there was no way she could ever tell him no.

*If you enjoyed this story, feel free to review it
here
on Amazon! :)*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rose Francis likes reading—and writing—psychological fiction, particularly stories addressing difficult topics.

She has been writing from a very early age and is thrilled to have a platform that allows her to bring her tales to the public.

Playing With Fire
is the first in her
Sweet Redemption
series.

A departure from the bittersweet
Dangerous Secrets
series which centers on more gritty, gut-wrenching themes, the
Sweet Redemption
stories are lighter, sexier, more romantic tales of love and personal discoveries.

The
Dangerous Secrets
series includes the novel
Chrysalis
and the novella
A Tangled Web
—un-related stories involving BWWM romances with one other thing in common: one or more of the main characters has a secret so big, it threatens to derail or even destroy their most important relationships, their personal character, or their entire lives.

CONTACT

To find out about upcoming releases or giveaways, sign up for her newsletter
here
.

The newsletter will be sent once a month or less, and in each one, the author will reveal a secret about herself.

You can also e-mail the author
here
, and/or interact with her on
Facebook
.

*Keep turning for more about the
Dangerous Secrets
series including an excerpt!*

ABOUT
A TANGLED WEB

Kimberly Jordan never meant to hurt anyone.

But once a DNA test reveals her long-time boyfriend Damien is her half-brother, plus she finds out she’s pregnant, she will go to any length to hide her horrible secret. Unfortunately for Kent Davenport, he’s the perfect fall guy for her plan having recently revealed his love for her. But unfortunately for Kimberly, dirty little secrets always come out.

A novella,
A Tangled Web
is the first of the
Dangerous Secrets
series, a series of un-related stories involving BWWM romances with one other thing in common: one or more of the main characters has a secret so big, it threatens to derail or even destroy their most important relationships, their personal character, or their entire lives.

ABOUT
CHRYSALIS

Sydney Johnson is a nerd and proud—always doing the right thing, and following the rules.

But routine fails her one evening, as she finds herself the random target of a kidnapping and assault by a group of boys. As a result of being blindfolded, she never sees her attackers or the location of the crime, so she decides to keep the incident to herself.

She later drowns herself in college academic tasks, her only companion her childhood best friend—until she meets Nicholas Dhalton.

Devil-may-care Nicholas doesn’t know much about consequences. A rich heir, he finds little reason to acquaint himself with responsibility. But everything changes when Sydney Johnson enters his life.

Once their paths cross, and against their better judgments, Nicholas and Sydney embark upon an unconventional relationship at the risk of all that is familiar and stable.

As their relationship grows, and they reveal their deepest secrets, they eventually realize they have a damning past. With race and class trying to separate them, can their love survive yet another obstacle?

Chrysalis
is about people and forgiveness, and the monsters and angels within us all.

WARNING: Dark themes, heavy subject matter, some profanity, and other things that will make you clutch your pearls.

Chrysalis
is the second in the
Dangerous Secrets
series.

EXCERPT FROM
CHRYSALIS

(Prologue & Chapter One)

PROLOGUE

Nod didn’t realize until the moment he saw his two friends pull the girl from the backseat of the car—bound, gagged, and blindfolded—that this was no joke.

He stood dumbfounded at the cabin door, holding it open as they came toward him with the girl between them, protests muffled. He stood there even after they stumbled past him and laid her on the Persian rug sprawled in front of the crimson leather couch.

Then panic shot through him, making him tear his eyes from the trio to scan the woods for witnesses. He caught only shards of red and orange filtering through the surrounding trees as the sun commenced its descent. He blocked out the fading light by closing the door and locking it, while trying to ignore the feeling that he was locking himself in a cage of hungry tigers.

When he turned back toward the trio, he saw that Blynken was kneeling next to the girl, one hand holding her bound hands against her abdomen, the other stroking the uncovered parts of her face. Wynken got up and moved to a chair, draping his leg over its shiny arm. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Nod looked at the girl.

“You sure she can’t see right?” he asked, staring warily at the blindfold, terrified she would be able to identify him, but even more terrified of his promise.

“Just get on with it man, you’re the last to go,” Blynken said,
dismissing his hesitancy,
his eyes not moving from the girl’s face as he knelt by her side. His voice sounded almost weary.

“I just don’t know about this,” Nod said. “What if...”

“Stop stalling!” Blynken bellowed suddenly, turning toward him with flashing green eyes.

Then Blynken rose and got in Nod’s face, even though Nod had at least half a foot on him.

Nod saw a wildness in his friend’s eyes he wished never to see again.

“Wynken and I have already done it man, it’s your turn!” Blynken said, punctuating his last words by poking Nod’s chest.

“Yeah, don’t go second guessing now,” Wynken added from the chair where he sat, smoking. “It’s too late for that.” He smiled a lazy smile, glancing over at Blynken before taking a another drag of his cigarette.

Still in Nod’s space, Blynken returned part of Wynken’s smile, but his own seemed unnatural.
His energy had dropped, giving Nod the impression that he had exited his body.

Nod watched Blynken head
back to the girl, returning to his kneeling position beside her. He continued stroking her face, and even wiped away her tears.

Nod was struck by the juxtaposition of tenderness and brutality.

His eyes went from one friend to the other.

He didn’t know what disturbed him more—Blynken’s Jekyll-and-Hyde emotions or Wynken’s lazy calm.

Then his eyes returned to the caramel beauty. He was surprised at how subdued she seemed, as if she preferred negotiating than fighting, even if no words could escape. Her protests had died down, reduced to quiet sobbing, tears escaping the confines of the blindfold and running down her face toward her ears. Her chest heaved every now and then.

As she began to seem calmer, Nod found his own emotions calming down and with this newfound sense of control, thought once more about how he could reach his friends and find a way out of the deal. Yes, Wynken was right, they had done some terrible things before, but never anything like this, nothing that
crossed the line from misdemeanor fun to calculated evil.

“Nod,” Wynken’s gentle timbre pulled Nod out of his thoughts. “I got Sarah already, Blynken got Mary; it’s your turn to take
her
. This is our last project together as a family—let’s go out with a bang!” He laughed at his own joke.

Nod was amazed at how simply Wynken said the words, as if they weren’t terrorizing innocent girls; as if the assignment was to read her a story instead of make her a potential news story.

Nod looked at the girl again, torn. He wanted to just walk away but knew he couldn’t. He was almost sure that if he left the scene, his friends would do the deed for him and she would be terrorized even more.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on calming his pounding heart. He had to save this girl, and there was only one way he could think of doing it.

He mustered up as controlled a voice as possible: “Okay you guys, just...just get out of here. I don’t want you watching me...work.”

“Well all right man,” Blynken responded with what would have been a huge grin had he managed to make his mouth cooperate, as he turned away from the girl. “I was worried about you for a second there—thought you’d chicken out.”

Blynken finally managed a grin, but Wynken was watching him with a suspicious look.

“Nod, you’re not planning to just pretend you did it are you?” Wynken asked.

Nod tried to look as if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind. He swallowed.

“Come on man, who are you talking to again?”

He hoped he was pulling off the cavalier attitude he was going for.

“I don’t know,” said Wynken, shaking his head slowly, “you never hesitated in any of our tasks before. What’s so different about this one?”

You’ve got to be kidding me
, Nod thought.

“Look, I said I’m in, I’m in. Now get the hell out of here freaks. Let me do my thing.” Nod attempted to muster up his usual grin of camaraderie.

Wynken gave him a long, steady look. Then his face broke into a smile. “We’ll be waiting outside,” he said. “So how long do you think it’ll be? About two minutes?” He chuckled, looking over to Blynken again who was now playing with the girl’s hair, in his own world again.

Wynken put his cigarette out and got up.

“Don’t forget to cover up; no evidence.”

Blynken stopped playing with the girl’s hair and stood. He gave Nod one last inscrutable glance before following Wynken out of the cabin.

Nod watched them leave, then looked at the girl again. He went right up to her, then sat down next to her, watching her for a few more moments, unsure what to do next.

He hadn’t realized how sadistic his friends were—particularly Wynken—until five minutes ago when they walked her toward him.

She’s so beautiful
, he thought, remembering what she looked like without her restraints.

He would have loved to have the chance to earn the right to do what his friends wanted to make him do, simultaneously ironic—forcing him to force himself on someone.

He looked down at the beauty again.

He almost would have thought she had gone asleep if he wasn’t so sure she was thinking about him at that very moment, waiting for his next move.

He knew what he had to do.

Nod’s nerves felt like mini-boa constrictors choking his entire body, leaving him gasping for air as he came to his decision. He looked up at the painting above the cocktail table for comfort and consolation, but the figure from Munch’s
The Scream
just looked at him in horror.

He looked back down at the girl.

This is the only way I can save you
, he thought, unzipping his pants.

The sound seemed to bring her to life again and she started wiggling around, making muffled noises.

Even though she was struggling more, she still didn’t try to kick him as he expected, even though her legs were free.

Perhaps she thought if she struggled too much, he would kill her—she had no reason to think she wasn’t amongst murderers after all.

Nod reached over and touched her face gently.

It was time.