Candy Girl

Eve Vaughn

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

All trademarks, service marks, registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Covet

Copyright © 2020 Eve Vaughn

Electronic book publication July 2020

With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means without permission from the author, Eve Vaughn.

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Dedication

To my readers, thank you so much for supporting me, and keeping me going. Your continued support means a lot to me. I’d also like to share a special thanks to Wanda, Crystal and Carmen for getting me through some rough times. Love you guys.

Prologue

Nick

“Ashes to ashes…dust to dust…” With each pause, the Reverend tossed clumps of dirt over the intricately designed coffin as it was dramatically lowered into the ground.

My mother’s arms, which are wrapped around my waist, tighten as her sobs became louder. Her tears stain my black silk tie. My body was on autopilot as I pulled her closer into me, offering the comfort she so desperately needed—I so desperately need but can’t express because I have to be strong for her. As cliché as it sounds, the weather is perfect for this occasion. The sky is gray and full of fat clouds that are threatening to burst at any moment. The mourners clutch their umbrellas close in anticipation.

My little brother was dead, and all I can think about is her.

I should have been sad, miserable, or whatever emotion an occasion like this called for, yet all that coursed through me was a numbness that had taken over to the point where I didn’t feel a damn thing.

I stole a glance to my left where the stone-faced widow stood. There were no tears, no look of pain or even the passing façade of remorse. Some people would say she’s stoic, but I knew the truth.

She’s a heartless bitch who doesn’t give a damn about anyone but herself. And I hate that she is able to stand over my brother’s grave so unaffected and detached as if my mother isn’t literally falling apart right in front of everyone’s eyes. The subtle whispers around me carry in the wind, saying how enduring she is, so brave…so strong.

Bullshit!

If I had my way, there’d be two funerals today because I wanted nothing more than to wrap my hands around that slender neck of hers. To my secret shame that I will admit to no one there were other things I wanted to do to her with my hands, things that would probably make my mother disown me.

Once the sermon was complete, the crowd disbursed quickly as droplets of moisture fell from the sky. The Reverend strode over to me and my mother with his hands held out. “Mrs. Evans, I hope my sermon was of some comfort to you. Bea and I will keep your family in our thoughts and prayers.

My mother, Alice, sniffs as tears stream down her face. “Thank you Reverend. That really means a lot to us. Will you be joining us at the repast?”

A smile forms on Reverend Brown’s lips. “Normally, I would accept your gracious invitation, but I unfortunately have another ceremony to perform in an hour. I will be in touch to check in on you. May the Lord hold you and keep you.” He shakes my mother’s hands in a comforting gesture before giving me a pat on the shoulder and heading over to the woman who’d captured my attention for most of the service.

“Mrs. E—”

She shakes her head abruptly making the fluffy curls crowning her dark face bounce. “Please, call me Frankie.”

The Reverend paused for a moment, seeming to be taken aback by the vehemence in which she asserted that request, almost as if she were trying to destroy any connection she had to my brother. “Of course...Frankie, I’m terribly sorry for your loss, and if there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know.”

“Thank you.” Frankie didn’t bother making eye contact with the clergyman. Instead, her dark brown gaze rested firmly on the casket which the grave workers had now started to shovel dirt over. By now droplets of water began to come down in a slow trickle, hitting her face as if she were shedding actual tears.

I wasn’t sure what was running through her mind, but I had a pretty good idea. She was probably thinking of all the ways she could spend my brother’s money, but she had another think coming if she believed I’d let her get away scot-free.

It was my solemn vow to make that bitch pay for everything she’d done, the pain she caused and ultimately for the death of my brother. Luckily for her, my attention was currently focused on being the supportive son I was expected to be. I needed to get my mother out of the rain before the sting of its spray became more powerful. I hold her tightly against me, and she leans her head against my chest with a sniff.

“You’re a good son, Nicholas.”

It’s funny that she would say that now when that hadn’t always been the sentiment she expressed to me. I suppose the expression better late than never applies right now. I know Kenny was her favorite, and I never begrudged him that. But that’s why this day was particularly hard on her. Now it was just me, and I had to be the shoulder she needed to lean on.

I guided her toward the waiting limo, but she stopped and pulled herself out of my hold with a growl.

“Mom—”

“No.” She held up her hand to cut me off. “I’m tired of playing nice while that slut stands there as cool as a cucumber. She killed my little boy!” She screamed the words and all the while, the object of our scorn stands as still as a statue, watching the casket being covered. Either she’s not paying attention to us or she’s doing a damn good job of ignoring the unfolding drama. Either way, it irritated me even more.

I regained my grip on her shoulders. “Not here. She’s not worth it.”

When my mother set her mind to something, however, very little could stop her, and it seemed she was hell-bent on having this confrontation. Once again she pulled herself out of my grip and stormed over to Frankie who didn’t bother to acknowledge the angry woman confronting her.

“Are you happy, you bitch?” Mom’s shrill scream pieced the rustling of the wind as she waved her arms erratically.

It was only then when Frankie finally turned to face Mom, did I temporarily freeze. Those big brown eyes held the suspicious sheen of tears, and if I weren’t mistaken, I saw the briefest flicker of pain within their depths. With God as my witness, however, I’m quite certain I’m mistaken. Francesca Evans née Robinson is a good actress. There was one time when she would have fooled me but no longer.

“What? You don’t have anything to say for yourself? You killed my baby! I’m not going to let you get away with it. I swear on my dear Kenny’s grave that I will make you pay for what you did if it’s the last thing I do!”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Frankie replied softly as if my mother didn’t just threaten hellfire and brimstone.

Obviously this wasn’t the response Mom was expecting which seemed to further anger her. “You’re sorry?” My mother glared at her adversary with hatred and the fire of a thousand burning suns. If looks could kill, my brother wouldn’t be the only one getting buried today. “Sorry? What the hell is your sorry supposed to do for me when my son is in the damn ground? This is exactly what you wanted, you cold-hearted evil demon! You killed him, and all you can say is you’re sorry?” Mom made a phlegmy sound in the back of her throat before unloading a big ball of spit directly in Frankie’s face.

Even I was repulsed by my mother’s actions, and actually wouldn’t have faulted Frankie if she were to retaliate. However, she merely wiped her face and turned to walk away.

My mother clenched her fists at her side, and it seemed as if she were contemplating whether to chase after Frankie, but I made the decision for her. I wrapped my arms around her, tightly, ensuring that she wouldn’t escape my grasp. This day had already taken a toll on us all. There was no need to escalate things further. At least for now, anyway.

“She’s not worth it. Leave it be. Besides, we have to get back to the house for the repast.”

My mother continued to struggle in my arms as hysteria seemed to take over her.  She shot a narrowed-eye stare at Frankie’s retreating figure. “And don’t you dare show up at my house! You’re not welcome! Do you hear me, you murderous bitch? If you step one foot on my property, I will shoot you dead, and there’s not a single court in this country that would convict me!” Her voice carried loud enough for the few stranglers by the graveside to hear.

Even the gravediggers momentarily paused from their shoveling to stare in our direction.

Frankie continued to walk away without missing a beat seemingly unbothered by the damage she’d wrought on my family. Part of me almost felt sorry for her, but then I remembered what she’d done, and anger nearly squeezed my insides so tightly I could barely breathe. I’d handle her later, but first I had to greet the guests who were surely starting to arrive at my mother’s house where the caterers had set up food and drink for well-wishers sending their final condolences.

Somehow I made it through the rest of the day with little fanfare. Friends and family came to the house for the next few hours sampling the numerous delicacies on display. Casseroles piled up on the kitchen island untouched, brought to us by well-wishers with offers of sympathy and help. Even in her grief my mother wanted a certain aesthetic to be kept. No homemade lemon squares or tuna noodle concoction would mar her perfect catered affair, even if it was just an informal gathering.

The standard, “please let me know if there’s anything I can do,” was heard numerous times. But I knew as time passed those promises would be forgotten, and the people who uttered them would go on with their lives oblivious to my family’s pain. I didn’t blame them per se, but by the end of the evening the hypocrisy of it all was tiring. Besides, my mother who was normally a formidable woman refused to leave my side, clinging to me as if she depended on me for oxygen. She barely let me out of her sight. Whenever I tried to step away for air, she’d start to shake, and her legs would wobble like a full breakdown was on its way.

I understood that she was in a highly emotional state, but I also recognized she enjoyed being the center of attention, therefore playing things up a bit. Who was I to judge her while she resided in this highly emotional state? Everyone handles grief differently, so, I indulged her. I can’t imagine how it must feel to bury a child, nor do I wish to find out. Losing a brother was painful enough.

Finally, after all the guests had left, and we turned in for the night, an unsettling quiet fell over the house. It had been a long day, and in most circumstances, I’d be in bed. Instead, I restlessly paced the room which used to belong to me when I lived here as a child and teenager. It was exactly as I’d left it with the pinup girls from the 90s and posters of my favorite movies.

My comics, some of which had never been taken out of their cellophane wrappings, were still stacked on the desk I used to do homework on. Being here was like stepping back into time. I glanced at the framed photo on my nightstand. It featured me, Kenny and our sister Robin, taken on the day of her high school graduation. Kenny’s smile was the biggest. He always had a smile on his face, and now he never would again. All because of one greedy whore.

I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t remain complacent any longer. After changing out of my pajamas I headed downstairs and grabbed my keys making as little noise as possible so as not to awaken my mother.

It was only when I was behind the wheel of my car, did I release the breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I convinced myself that I was only going for a drive a few times around the block to clear my mind, but that was a fucking lie. It didn’t matter how late it was. I intended to confront the source of my pain, and nothing could stop me.

I’d only visited Kenny’s house a few times, but I knew my way there by heart. I’d bought it for him as a wedding gift. What a fucking joke.

Speeding the entire way to my destination, I marveled at the miracle of not getting pulled over by the police. Parking on the side street in front of his house, I wasted no time heading up the path to the front door. Before ringing the bell, I noted the lights were still on, not that it mattered. I’d knock and ring for as long as it took for someone to answer.

Fuck the doorbell. This situation didn’t call for niceties. I banged on the door hard and loud, letting the occupant know this wasn’t a friendly visit. It didn’t take long for Frankie to answer. Without waiting for an invitation, I pushed passed her.

“I didn’t say you could come in,” she protested.

A smile curved my lips, but I felt no humor. I felt nothing besides the boiling rage within the depths of my being. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t ask.” When I finally gave her a good look my smile fell. “What the hell happened to your hair?”

She touched her short tight curls in an almost self-conscious gesture. To be quite honest, it didn’t look bad on her at all. I was just shocked. Her hair was one of the first things I noticed about her when we met. It was so big and glorious and nearly touched the sky. It was wild, free and beautiful. This look, however, was more subdued, somber almost, yet she was still one of the loveliest women I’d ever laid eyes on.

Her skin was a dark brown so smooth and flawless; she didn’t need makeup. High cheekbones and full lips accentuated her proud features, but it was her eyes that drew me in. Hypnotizing eyes. They were a deep shade of brown, not dark or light but a shade that stood out against her rich complexion. She had no right to look like this when my brother’s body was barely cold.

She wrapped her arms around her body which made me realize what she was wearing, a pair of boy shorts and a tank top. She was either preparing to go to bed or had already been there. It made me wonder if she weren’t wearing a robe on purpose answering the door like this. Was she expecting someone else? A lover perhaps?

“I’m sure you didn’t come over to critique my haircut. What do you want?” her husky voice cut into my chaotic thoughts.

Straight to the point. Cute. “I thought I should compliment you on your nice acting job today.”

Frankie sighed, her full lips parting slightly. “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if you’ve come here to insult me, please leave. I’ve had a long day, and I’d like to get some rest.”

Her need to cling to this mock innocence made my blood boil. “Oh, just drop the act. The stoic widow role you played today may have fooled some people, but I know what you’re really like.”

She rolled her eyes skyward and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Duly noted. Can you leave now?”

I clenched my fists at my sides willing myself not to do her bodily harm. The fucked up thing about this entire situation was that despite all she’d done, not to mention she was my brother’s widow, I still wanted her. Torn between strangling her or pulling her into my arms and fucking her raw, I took the only appropriate option available, I lashed out. “Not until I’m damn good and ready. You may think you’ve gotten away with what you’ve done, but you’re sorely mistaken.”

She raised her chin with a defiant tilt. “And what exactly is it that you believe I’ve done? You’ve come this far. You might as well have the balls to say it out loud instead of throwing out angry innuendos.”

That did it. “You fucking bitch. So this is the game you want to play? Fine, I’ll say it. You killed my brother, maybe not directly, but if it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive. And I won’t rest until you’ve paid. Everywhere you turn, I’ll be there. There’s nowhere you can run where I won’t find you. I will destroy you until your every waking moment is a nightmare. I will make sure you won’t get any peace of mind for the rest of your miserable life, you evil whore.”

Besides a slight flinch of her delicate shoulder, Frankie gave no other reaction which incensed me even more. She didn’t have the right to be this unaffected.

Closing the gap between the two of us I grasped her by the neck and lowered my face until our noses touched. A few more inches and our lips would be touching. The temptation was strong, but my rage was stronger. “Did you fucking hear what I just said?”

She blinked giving me that stone-faced look I hated. “Every word. If trying to ruin my life makes you feel better, then do your worse. It’s not going to bring Kenny back.”

I wrapped my hands around her throat and squeezed. “Don’t you fucking say his name! You don’t have the right! I know it won’t bring him back. I just call this good old fashion revenge. And it’s coming your way.” Her eyes bulged, and her mouth opened in a soundless scream. If I kept squeezing, she’d be dead. It briefly crossed my mind to not let go, but common sense finally took over. I abruptly released my hold on Frankie, sending her stumbling back.

With one final glare in her direction, I turned and stormed out of the house. It was either that or kill her. And I had something much worse than death in store for her.

Chapter One

Frankie

“Ms. Harris, may I see you in my office for a moment?” Mr. Morris, the director of human resources, requested as I stepped out of my patient’s room.

I couldn’t stop the frown that drooped my lips because his tone caught me off guard. Normally whenever I ran into Mr. Morris, he was pretty upbeat and friendly. Every now and then he’d tell me a corny Dad joke that didn’t make sense half the time, but I’d smile politely. This time, however, the stern lines etched on his face told me that he wasn’t requesting my company to exchange pleasantries.

“Is anything the matter?” I’ve only worked at this nursing home for three weeks, and though I’m still in my probationary period, I was certain I’d followed my duties to the letter. I was slowly getting to know the residents, and I believed I was building a good rapport with them. There should have been no cause for complaint. “What’s the matter?” I asked again, slightly less composed than a minute earlier. Judging from his body language, this couldn’t be anything good.

His lack of response further deepened my paranoia, but I managed to swallow my panic and followed him to his office. Once we were behind the closed door of his office, he gestured for me to take a seat.  I slowly lowered myself, not taking my eyes off of him.

“I’m not going to keep you longer than necessary, so I’ll get straight to the point. As you know, you’re still within your 60-day probationary period. That also means you can also be terminated without notice. So, I must unfortunately inform you that we’re letting you go. You will receive your final paycheck via mail unless you signed up for direct deposit.”

It took a moment for my brain to process the words Mr. Morris had just spoken, and but it finally did. I shook my head vehemently in disbelief. “I don’t understand. I thought everything was going well here. I just speaking with Robin the supervisor the other day who said that she was pleased with the job I was doing.”

“Well, it’s your misfortune that the decision isn’t hers as to whether you stay or go. Someone will be waiting outside the office to escort you to your locker so that you may collect your belongings and to see you off the property.”

It was one thing if he didn’t believe I was a good fit for this job. Judging from the iciness of his voice there was something more to this, and I wanted to know why. At the very least if I had done something wrong, I’d know not what to do for my next job. “I’m sorry Mr. Morris, but could you please give me a reason? Did I make a mistake? Did a patient complain? I believe I followed the rules as they were presented to me.”

He briefly ran his hand over the thing blond wisps of hairs still clinging to his sparsely covered head and released an exasperated grunt. “While you’re in your probationary period, we don’t need a reason for termination.”

“But there has to be a reason. As short staffed as this facility is, there has to be a reason I’m being let go.”

Mr. Morris narrowed his eyes until they were angry slits. “You’re not going to make a scene, are you? Will security need to be called?”

“Security? I’m just asking a simple question. Why am I being let go?”

“And as I said before, I’m not obligated to tell you anything, but perhaps you should might consider finding a different profession. Most places don’t look too favorably on nurses who take advantage of their patients for financial gain.”

This was the last thing I expected him to say. I haven’t been on this job long enough to really get to know all the patients, let alone take advantage of them financially, not that I would. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m sure if there has been a misunderstanding, I’d be happy to clear it up.”

Mr. Morris’s lips thinned to the point where they completely disappeared as he crossed his arms, closing himself off to me. I’m pretty good at reading body language, and his was telling me this discussion was over.

“You asked for details, and even though I’m not obligated to give you any considering this was your probationary period, I feel I’ve provided you with enough information for you to figure it out. Now I’ll need to ask you to collect your belongings and vacate the premises immediately, or I’ll have to contact the authorities.”

More than anything I wanted a chance to defend myself and dispute whatever allegations he had against me. In my mind, I knew that if I could explain, he might change his mind. Looking at him and the steely coldness in his dark eyes and the lines of disapproval furrowing his forehead, I realized I’d be wasting my breath.

I really fucking needed this job, but being arrested wasn’t something I wanted added on top of what was already turning out to be a shitty day. Taking a deep breath, I stand up. “Thank you for the trial period.”

Mr. Morris remained silent. Instead of courteous response, he turned to his computer and started typing something, effectively ignoring me. I wouldn’t let him see how rattled I was by this utter disregard for my feelings.

Sure enough when I stepped outside the office, a security guard was waiting. I didn’t know if I should be insulted. Did they think I’d go all angry black woman on them and cause a scene? To be perfectly frank, I kind of wanted to but knew that would only sink me deeper into trouble than I already was. Hell, I didn’t know what I’d done wrong, but adding an arrest to my already shitty day wasn’t worth the aggravation a few minutes of relief might cause.

It was one thing to suffer through the humiliation of being fired without knowing the reason why.  It was quite another to have to do the walk of shame down the long stretch of hallway as former co-workers whispered behind their hands. Some of the patients I had come to care for looked on with confusion etched heavily into their faces. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole. I felt like screaming that I’d done nothing wrong, but it would do no good. It was hard enough as it was just holding back the tears.

Thomas, the security guard who had been friendly toward me since I’d worked here, now stared at me with cold distant eyes as I gathered my belongings from my locker, and he escorted me off the premises.

“Take care,” I spoke just barely above a whisper as he walked away.

His only response was a grunt that could have meant whatever or go fuck yourself. I couldn’t tell which one. Not that it mattered. My mind was already wondering what I was going to do without a job. I really needed it because God knows my savings wasn’t going to sustain me for much longer.

I stopped by the grocery store on the way home to pick up some groceries and a pint of my strawberry cheesecake ice cream. I may not have a job, but I still had ice cream at least. It never let me down.

All I wanted to do when I got home was slide under the covers, eat junk food while watching sappy romcoms on Netflix for my pity party of one. In the morning, I’d call the board to find out if the allegations Mr. Morris made were true because I hadn’t been notified by certified letter or at the very least contacted by phone, which would normally be the case if there was some kind of complaint filed against me.

But of course with the way my day was going that wasn’t meant to be because sitting on my front porch was definitely a face I wasn’t expecting to see. The first emotion immediately rushing through me was relief, so much so that the tears that I’d somehow managed to hold back until this point ran heedlessly down my face.

I dropped my bag of groceries and ran into the arms that were now outstretched to me. “Adam!” I practically tackled my little brother who towered over me by nearly a foot even though I was nowhere near short. I held him tight burying my head against his chest, inhaling that familiar scent that smelled like home and holding him tight because he was here. He was alive, and the knowledge removed some of the worries that weighed heavily on me.

As the relief subsided, red-hot anger set in. I pushed him away with enough force that nearly sent him toppling to the ground. He managed to right himself before actually falling, however.

“Hey, what gives?” He gave me that easy smile of his that usually got him out of trouble all of his life.  Not this time. No, this time I wanted answers. I deserved them after what he’d done.

I close the distance between us and poke his chest with my index finger. “You asshole! I could strangle you right now!” I’m pretty sure my voice is loud enough that any of the neighbors could probably hear, but I didn’t care. “You’ve done some pretty horrible things and hurt a lot of people, but I never thought I’d be one of them. All I wanted to do was help, but then you steal from me and disappear from my life. I thought you were dead. I put in a missing person’s report for you. I cried every night for weeks, worried sick that I would get a visit from the police in the middle of the night.”

“And you know what? I received a call, asking me to come down to the morgue to identify a body they believed was yours. You have no idea how I felt when I drove to downtown, blinded by tears and nearly getting into an accident. And the relief I felt when it wasn’t you. The fucked up thing about it was that I was also disappointed that it wasn’t you because then at least I would have had some kind of closure. But no, I went right back to square one, agonizing if you were okay, if you were eating properly…if you were alive. So, you don’t get to ask me what gives when you basically screwed me over.” I shove him with more force than before, releasing my pent-up frustration from not only earlier but from what he had put me through.

Once again tears cascade down my face, angry ones. I wanted to keep yelling at him and even a part of me wished I could tell him to go to hell, but I couldn’t. I loved him. I loved who he used to and who I know he had the potential to be again. He doesn’t deserve my unwavering loyalty after what he did to me, but I won’t give up on him. I can’t.

Before I realize what’s happening, I’m having a full-blown breakdown, body shaking sobs and all. I don’t remember Adam reaching out to me, but I find myself engulfed in his embrace again. My legs are too weak to support myself any longer, so I cling to him and release. I don’t think I’ve cried like this in years, or given myself the luxury to. I didn’t even cry at my husband’s funeral because I didn’t believe it was a luxury I deserved. Now that the floodgate was open, I couldn’t stop.

“I’m so sorry, Sis,” Adam whispered against my hair as he strokes my back. I wanted.

I allow him to hold me for several more moments before finally drawing back with a sniff. My head is throbbing, and I’m sure my eyes are swollen from crying so much. I probably look a hot mess, but in many ways, I feel better than I have in a while, all things considered.

“Let me get these groceries inside before my ice cream melts,” I mumble more to myself than him.

“I got it, Sis.” He gentle scoots me out of the way and picks up the discarded groceries.

“You hungry?” It’s my go to question whenever I see him. Adam has always been on the thin side, but in the past several years he’s lost so much weight I can see his ribs through his shirts. The sharp edges of his handsome face are so much more pronounced than they used to be, and his bones seemed like they’d protrude from this body. He’s practically a walking skeleton. It hurts me to see what he has become.

Seeing him like this, I know he’s still using.

Like a fool, I’m going to help him again. It’s what I’ve been conditioned to do since he was born. Besides, he’s all I have left.

“If you’re cooking I am. Haven’t had a good home cooked meal in ages.” He grinned, taking the grocery bags out of my arms.

“Certainly looks like it.”

“Aww, come on Sis. I came to see you, and you’re already busting my chops?”

Unlocking the door with a heavy sigh, I lead him inside. “I should bust more than your chops, and you know it. Besides, I’m sure you didn’t just come for a friendly visit. You want something. You usually do. Unfortunately for you, I’m all tapped out.”

Adam didn’t respond as he helped me unload the groceries. In fact, he remained silent while I made chicken salad sandwiches and cut up fresh cantaloupe.

I plopped the plate in front of him when I was done. “Eat.”

“Thank Sis.” He proceeded to stuff his mouth.

I’d barely finished half of my sandwich before a loud belch erupted on the other side of the table.

“That was the best cooking I’ve had in a while.”

I shrugged, pushing my plate toward him. “It’s just a sandwich. Do you want the rest of mine?”

Without hesitation he took the sandwich and polished it off in a few bites. While I was happy to see him at least eat something besides the junk he probably lived off of for god knows how long, I knew this was the calm before the storm.

I was always a proponent of ripping the bandage off to get over any inflicted pain. “Why did you come to see me after all this time, Adam? What do you want?”

He gave me that lopsided grin that he used since he was a baby to get what he wanted. It usually worked, but I was so over his shit that I was unmoved. “Do I need a reason to come visit my big sister?”

“Well, since you’re not offering to pay back the money you stole from me, then I’m guessing you’re here for another reason. Look, my day is already garbage on top of an extra crappy couple months. I need for you to tell me what you came here for and don’t lie to me. At the very least, you owe me the truth.”

Again he gives me that grin, but at this point, I’m so tired I can’t deal with this right now. “Sis…come on….”

Without a word, I stood up and turned my back on him. Was this the moment when I’d cut him out of my life forever? The lump in my chest told that it just might be.

Maybe he sensed it too because the chair squeaked across the kitchen floor signaling that he had stood up as well.

“Look, Frankie. I’m in trouble. Big trouble. I…I owe some guys a lot of money, and if I don’t pay them back, they’re going to hurt me. Well…actually that’s an understatement. They’re going to kill me. Look, I fucked up, and I know I don’t deserve your help, but I want to get better. I swear. I just need to pay them to get them off my back. I swear I’ll clean up my act. I promise.”

How many times had I heard that before? More times I could count.

“Maybe you should have thought of that before you got involved with whomever you’re in trouble.” I turned to face him. “But just for shits and giggles, how much money do you owe this time?”

He ran his fingers through his hair in a frustrated gesture. “50.”

“50 dollars? You couldn’t scrounge up 50 dollars on your own?”

He shook his head. “No, Sis, 50 grand.”

I was so over his lies and everything he put me through over the years. Because I wanted to believe him, I’d give in him every single time, and he’d get what he wanted. Only for me to see him spiral even further.  “50 grand? So, the money you already stole from me wasn’t enough? As I already told you, I’m all tapped out. And to be quite honest, Adam, even if I had that money to give to you, I find it hard to believe that you won’t end up smoking or snorting it away.”

His knee bounced up and down in a rapid motion as he began to tap his foot against the floor, a sign that he was really nervous about something. Maybe he really was serious this time because usually when he lied, it was with a straight face. He was definitely agitated about something.  “They said they’d hurt me if I didn’t get them the money… They’re serious sis. These people don’t play.”

Before I realize what he was doing, he stood up and lifted his shirt to reveal a large jagged scar that went from his left nipple to his navel. The wound looked fresh and poorly stitched as if he’d gone to some back-alley doctor to get patched up.

I gasped in horror. “What have you done?”

Chapter Two

Nick

“I don’t know what I’m going to do all alone in this big house. With Kenny gone…. Well, I mean you have visited me as much as you’ve been able to considering you have that big important job that seems to occupy you so much, but I was hoping you’d make more time for your mother.”  A sniff on the other end of the line was followed by another and then concluded with a broken sob.

I pinched the bridge of my nose to relieve the building tension that was threatening to morph into a full-blown headache. There was no one I knew who could lay a guilt trip quite like my mother. She might not have been the inventor of it, but the masterful way she wielded her sword and shield of shame could make even the most remorseless of creatures crumble to their knees.

It was something I had thought I’d built an immunity to over the years, but hearing her voice so heavy with grief made me few like a little boy again who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar before dinner.

“Nicholas, are you listening to me?”

“Yes, Mom. My apologies. I guess I have a lot on my plate right now.”

I was greeted with another sniff. “I understand. You have a life of your own, so I can’t expect for you to spend you every waking minute with your mother. I just worry about you is all. Now that you’re the only one I have. First your sister, and now my sweet precious Kenny.” Sniff. “I suppose I shouldn’t expect so much and just be grateful for whatever time you have to spare for me. Just come visit me when you can.”

And there it was, that punch to the gut that made me feel like a less than adequate son and human being for that matter. I could have pointed out that I had visited her three times this week alone, much more then I used to. If my brother were still alive, I would have, but I recognized the pain she might be in because it mirrored my own. Besides, I told myself had I been around more often before, perhaps there was something I could have done, and my brother would still be alive. I released a heavy sigh. “Mom, I’ll move some things around in my schedule and come for dinner tonight, how’s that? I can get takeout from the sushi place you enjoy so much, and you don’t have to cook.”

Sniff. “I don’t want to put you out. I know how busy you are and how important you are to your company, so you don’t have to worry about me. I’m sure I can find something to do to occupy my time. Maybe I’ll look through old photographs of when you were all children and we were together…before your father walked out on all of us and your sister…well enough about that. I’m sure I’ll see you when you’re able.”

I released a heavy sigh. “Mom, I’ll stop by tonight, okay.”

“Well, as long as I’m not inconveniencing you.”

“Of course you’re not.”

“Well in that case, you don’t have to bring take out. I’d love to cook, just like I used to. I’ll make your favorite. Which reminds me, I need to take a trip to the grocery store. I’ll see you at seven sharp, sweetheart otherwise your dinner will be cold.  Do think about wearing something besides one of your stuffy suits. It makes me feel like I’m one of your clients and not your mother.”

“Of course, Mom.” I’d gotten into the habit of simply agreeing with her rather than to start an argument because it usually ended with her in tears and my feeling like shit.

“Oh, I forgot to ask, did you handle that little matter we discussed?”

The headache I’d been trying to fight off all afternoon attacked me at full blast. “All the paperwork has been filed. Probate can take up to twelve weeks. I’m handling it, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“I don’t want her to see one red cent. She doesn’t deserve it after what she did to. She took my baby away from me. She destroyed this family.”

I didn’t say anything because even the mention of her made my chest tight. I understood all too well my mother’s anger because I too felt a rage in my blood every single day I thought about what she did, how she used and manipulated someone as vulnerable as my brother. The fact that she occupied my thoughts for more time than I care to admit was one of the very reasons I was battling this headache.

“Mom, let me worry about that stuff, and I’ll see you tonight. I really have to go now. I have some accounts to go over if I’m going to make I to the house in time for dinner.”

“Okay, you go ahead but maybe you should consider moving in with me. It will be like old times. Like I said before, I’m in this big house all alone….”

“Or you might want to consider downsizing as I suggested before.”

“And what would everyone say? They’d think I was having financial issues. I couldn’t possibly suffer that indignity.”

“If anyone judges you based your chosen living arrangements their opinion probably doesn’t amount to much.”

“My reputation is really all I have left…besides you, of course, dear.”

“Of course.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll handle that little matter for us like a good son should. Later, sweetheart.”

I didn’t get a chance to respond before she hung up. “Like a good son.”  How many times had I heard those words and felt inadequate. Not just as a son but a man.

That little matter that she brought up was at the forefront of my mind. Besides work it was all I thought about. It consumed me, kept me up at night and drove me to measures that probably would have made someone from the outside looking call me insane.

She made me insane.

I wanted to make her pay for what she’d done, for manipulating my brother and using him for financial gain. For breaking his heart. For hurting my mother. For…for making me want her.

I considered myself a pretty good judge of character and shrewd in general. I didn’t become one of the youngest partners in a Fortune 100 investment firm at 28. At 30 wanting to branch out on my own, I started my own firm with my best friend. I’d dated a bevy of beautiful woman, and I was in no rush to settle down until I met her.

It was completely by accident and to this I wished I’d never laid eyes on her.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Evans,” Cheri sniffed on the other end of the line. “I wanted to come in today especially since you have all those meetings today.”

“It’s fine. I can get one of the office assistants to take notes for me and field my calls. I’m sure the rest I can handle myself for a couple days while you’re recouping. Don’t want you coming to the office and getting everyone sick.”

“But I usually bring you coffee every morning.”

“I’m capable of getting my own coffee. In fact, I’m at the café right now.”

“Nick!” the barista shouted above the crowd.

“There it is now. Go back to bed. I’ll see you when you feel better.”

“Thanks, Boss.”

I turned toward the counter to get my order and immediately collided with someone.

“Aww!”

I back out to see a woman frantically dabbing the front of her scrubs with a napkin.

“My apologies, I didn’t see you there. Are you all right?” I eyed her now half empty cup”

“It’s fine. It’s my fault for not putting to top back on tight enough.”

“But I can at least pay for your dry cleaning,” I offered as her eyes collided with me. The second that happened, it literally felt as if time stood still. I wasn’t on chick flicks where the two protagonists fell helplessly in love at first sight, but this woman…I couldn’t quite explain it. The blood raced through my veins, and my heart pounded; my balls tightened. It was by some miracle that I didn’t get a hard on right then and there.

Her hair was a glorious cloud of curls that framed a gorgeous face. She couldn’t be categorized as a classic beauty; her nose was a little too round and wide; her lips, a little too full and naturally arched brows, a little too thick. But she was absolute perfection.

She smiled to reveal straight white teeth with a small gap in between the front two. It suited her. She was perfectly imperfect, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

“It’s okay. I can just throw these in the wash.”

She attempted to turn away, but I couldn’t let her go. I reached out and caught her by the shoulder. “At least let me reimburse you for your coffee.”

She flinched away, her smile becoming a bit chillier. “It’s tea actually. Seriously, it’s no big deal. Look, I have to go, or I’ll be late. Don’t worry about the mess. It’s just as much my fault as yours but thank you for the offer.”

She was gone before I got a chance to ask her name.

I don’t know why I couldn’t stop thinking about her.  From that moment on, she consumed by every waking moment. I even started going to that coffee shop. It didn’t make sense that I would become so obsessed from such a brief encounter, but I found myself going back to that café around the same time every morning even after Cheri returned, in hopes that I’d catch a glimpse of her. My careful stalking paid off when she came back a couple weeks later. I’d set up my laptop on the table closest to the door so that I could see everyone coming and going. She was in dark scrubs this time. Her hair was pulled back in a huge puff, and she was just as beautiful as I remembered.

“Frankie!” the barista shouted her order.

“I’d purposely waited to approach her until after she ordered to learn her name.

I closed my laptop and gathered my belonging before intercepting her as she walked out.

“We have to stop meeting like this.”

She jumped with a gasp before she tilted her head up to look at me. Much to my chagrin, it seemed to take her a few moments to recognize me. “Oh, hi…”

“Nick.” She gave me a brief smile before continuing on.

I followed. “Actually, I’m glad we ran into each other again.”

She halted and glanced at me with raised brow. “Oh?”

“I feel awful about spilling your tea, so I think it’s only fair that I make it up to you by taking you out for dinner.”

Her eyes widened, and her mouth formed a perfect O. “Oh, wow. Thank you, but totally not necessary.”

“But I insist.”

She shook her head with a laugh. “I don’t normally make a habit of going out with strange men in a coffee shop, regardless of how cute they are.”

I keep myself from grinning. “You think I’m cute?”

She giggled “Don’t let it go to your head. Look, I really have to get to work, but maybe I’ll see you around again.”

“How about you give me your number, and I’m sure we will.”

“Smooth. You give me yours, and I’ll call you.”

“Oh? Why do I get the feeling I’ll never hear from you again?”

“I guess you’ll just have to see.” She took out her phone. “Go ahead and give it to me.”

I gave her my number before she changed her mind, and she tapped it into her phone. “I’ll be in touch…Nick.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

I didn’t hear from her after that much to my disappointment. I kept going back to that café, but she never showed up again. After a couple months, I realized that she simply wasn’t interested, and I reluctantly moved on.

Until one night when I saw her at a charity function. She was absolutely stunning in a strapless black dress that showed off a body that would have caused a priest to sin. It was in that moment I vowed to have her no matter what it took.

Little did I know that my obsession with her would turn into something way more than I bargained for.

My phone rang, breaking me from my thoughts. I frowned wondering if my mother was calling again. When I looked at the caller ID, I nearly dropped my phone. I didn’t expect this call, but in a way I did.

I wanted to ignore the call and send it straight to voicemail, but deep down a part of me wanted to hear her voice.

I brought the phone to my ear and pressed the answer button. “Frankie, what can I do for you?”

Chapter Three

Frankie

When hell freezes over.

That was when I thought I’d ever see Nicholas Steven Evans again. It wasn’t enough for his rotten mother to completely humiliate me at Kenny’s funeral, or for him to come to my house later that night to threaten me. That condescending way he’d talked to me when he’d called to inform me about Kenny’s will was the final straw.

All I wanted to do was take a long hot bath with my newly-acquired, lavender-scented, rainbow bath bomb and a glass of Moscato followed with a bowl of popcorn and a steamy romance novel. Yes, I still believed in love and romance even though I haven’t had the best of luck in that department lately. In fact, my track record fucking sucked. But I didn’t want my past to leave me jaded. Hope was just about the only thing I had to cling to like a New York rat holding on to a slice of pizza. Not that I was looking for anything anytime soon. But one day….

I’d recently started my job new job at the nursing home, and as the newbie, I got most of the grunt work, which I didn’t mind. Interacting with the patients was a highlight for me and made my other duties not so bad.

I’d just finished running the bath and pouring myself a glass of wine when my phone rang, and the word Unknown popped up on my screen. I normally ignored those calls because they were almost always telemarketers, but a niggling feeling made me answer, which I immediately regretted.

“Hello?”

“Francesca.”

Only one person called me that, and he knew I hated it. My first instinct was to hang up, but knowing him, he’d show up on my doorstep again and that was a headache I didn’t want to deal with. I pinched the bridge of my nose to stave off the building tension. “Nick, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Save the sarcasm. I’ll make this call brief. I’m sure you were counting on a huge windfall as Kenny’s widow, but I wanted to disabuse of that notion now. You were quite close to getting what you wanted, but close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.”

That tension headache I was fighting was now a steady drum beat right behind my eyes. I blew out a deep calming breath before responding. “Nick, I’m sure you have a point, so I hope you hurry up and get to it.”

“Of course. Kenny had intended to leave you a significant amount of money including the house you currently live in. In fact, he had been in the process of drafting a new will before his death. Perhaps if you hadn’t been so eager to speed up his death you, just might have gotten what you wanted.”

“I’m two seconds away from hanging up, so please make this make this quick.”

I could tell he was gnashing his teeth without seeing his face. I could hear them click. It was something he always did when he was angry, and I had gotten quite familiar with that gesture the last handful of times I’d seen him in person. “As I stated, Kenny’s was in the process of drafting a new will with you as the primary beneficiary. This meant you would have been a very wealthy woman, but since he died before that draft was completed and signed, well you won’t be. In case you need me to spell it out for you, the old will still stands, so you won’t see one red cent.”

I flinched at the matter of fact way he delivered that news so callously. Not because I was looking to be a wealthy widow. Honestly, I didn’t expect to receive anything. It wasn’t part of the bargain, but I hated that Nick seemed to take a particular glee in delivering this news to me.

Whatever reaction he thought he’d get from me, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

“What? Nothing to say?”

“What exactly do you want me to say, Nick? You’ve called to gloat. Congratulations. I get nothing. Got it. Can we end this call now?” It had taken everything within me to remain calm against his condescension.

“You’re one cool bitch, aren’t you?”

“For Christ sake, what do you expect me to say?” I threw my hands in the air dramatically.  “Oh curses, my wicked plan has been foiled! Whatever will I do now?”

“Cute. I’m sure you’ll be interested in what I have to say next.”

“I doubt it.”

“You’re entitled to contest the will. In most cases, you’d probably win considering this was clearly my brother’s intentions.”

“And you’re telling me because…? I doubt it’s from the generosity of your heart.”

“I’m telling you because you can contest all you’d like, but I have the high-powered attorneys, the money, and the time. I’ll make sure the courts know about what you’ve done and make you look like the evil, gold-digging whore you are. And if by chance you win, I’ll be there to appeal. I could have this tied up in court for years to come to the point where your children’s children will still be battling this if you foolishly try to go against me. This would bankrupt you. I will see you on the street, and you’ll have to resort to giving blow jobs in a back alley to survive.”

Her chest tightened with each threat. She knew Nick was capable of being brutal but this… “Noted.” She was on the verge of hanging up when he added,

“To be quite frank, I’d like you to go away quietly as possible, so I’m willing to make concessions. The house you’re currently living in is legally mine. I’ll give you 90 days to vacate the premises. Take the furniture if you want. I don’t want anything you’ve touched. That should give you enough time to find another place to stay. I’m also willing to cut you a check for 100 thousand to quietly disappear and to never show your face around me or my mother again.”

“I thought you said you I wouldn’t see a dime,” I shot back for lack of anything else to say.

“Maybe I should have clarified: you won’t see a dime of my brother’s money. I’m giving you this one time-offer from me. It’s enough to hold you over until you find your next mark.”

I’d had enough at this point. Without another word, I hung up and turned off my phone. I didn’t want or need to hear anymore. Besides, I didn’t want anything from Kenny’s estate. Having to move out of this house sooner than I would have liked would be a setback I didn’t expect, but even so, I could figure something out by then. I had a new job that paid well enough to support me, so at least there was that.

My chest was so tight after that call, I could barely breath. The throbbing that had started in my head as slight tension was a now a full-blown migraine. It felt as if there were a family of tap dancers inside my brain.

There was another part of me that hurt way more. My heart. I didn’t want to still care even a little but about Nick, but I did, and it hurt like fuck. His scathing words tore me as if I were being flayed by the devil himself. He was in for quite a surprise when he realized I didn’t want his money, and I’d gladly disappear from is life. His entire family had caused me nothing but grief since the day I met them.

I just didn’t know when I’d first met Nick that finally saying yes to him would cost me so much.

He attempted to call again, but I ignored all his attempts. I received a certified letter in the mail from a law firm basically putting his offer in writing in offer. I ripped it to shreds. Not long after that, I was fired from my job. I had no doubt that Nick was behind that. I understood that he held me responsible for Kenny’s death and no amount of my trying to convince him otherwise would change his mind, so I didn’t bother. For him to go after my livelihood was a low I didn’t think even he would stoop to.

When I’d gotten fired, my first instinct was to drive to his job and kick him square in the balls. It wouldn’t do me any good in the long run, but at the end of the day, it would provide me with the temporary satisfaction of making him hurt as much as I was at the time.

On top of having just lost my job, unjustifiably so, Adam popped back into my world adding more chaos to the mess I now called my life.  It was for my brother that I had to swallow my pride and deal with the devil himself.

When I’d called him to set up this meeting, I had to call his office because I had deleted it from my phone a while back. Considering how our last conversation had gone, I was surprised his Executive Assistant had patched me through to him right away. What was even more surprising was that he didn’t seem at all surprised to hear from me.

“Francesca.”

His deep baritone, devoid of all warmth as he spoke my name, sent a shiver down my spine. Not the same type of shiver I used to enjoy. It was just one word, but I knew this call wouldn’t be easy.

“Nick, I think you already know why I’m calling.”

“Do I? Why don’t you enlighten me?”

Bastard.

“Look, I’m not going to waste your time….” I swallowed the lump in my throat and clinched my fist at my side. God this hurt. “That offer you made. I-I’d like to take advantage of it.”

“Of course you would because taking advantage is your specialty, but the offer is off the table.”

The room started to spin, and my stomach dropped to my feet. I needed this money. It literally represented life or death to me. “So I suppose I’ll just have to contest the will after all….” I don’t know what made me say that considering his already credible threat of tying it up in courts for years to come, but desperation did strange things to people.

“And I already told you exactly what would happen if you tried. When I made that offer, I was in a generous mood. Now, I don’t particularly feel up to being magnanimous anymore.”

“You said it yourself that Kenny would have wanted me to be have something. I’m not asking for the bulk of his estate, just what you said you’d give me if I didn’t contest the will and went away. I’m sure we can work something out. Even if you just loan it to me.” God, I hated myself at that moment for groveling, but I was left with no choice.

My plea was met with silence.

“Nick…please.”

“How badly do you want it?”

I squeezed my eyes shut to fight back the tears I knew were only seconds away from spilling.

“Look, if you want me to beg, then fine. I’m begging you. I need the money. It’s the least you could do after getting me fired from my job.”

“I di—I didn’t realize your past would catch up to you so quickly. But here’s the thing Francesca. I don’t care how much you need the money. I don’t care if you’re out of a job or whatever other sob story you want to feed me. As I already stated, the offer is off the table.” And with that, he hung up on me.

In most circumstances I would have given up and said fuck it. Short of selling my body on the streets, I was low on options for getting my hands on the amount of cash I needed to save my brother. The house was not in my name, so I couldn’t take out a second mortgage. My credit cards were nearly maxed out, and my savings were nonexistent. Honestly if I didn’t find another job soon, Adam wouldn’t be the only one in a life dire situation.

It was how I ended up at Nick’s accounting firm. Maybe I was crazy for showing up. I didn’t know what else to do. I’d held my breath when I gave the receptionist my name to see Mr. Evans, which I understood might not pan out since I didn’t have an appointment.

To my surprise I was told to take the elevator to the top floor which is where I was directed by his Nick’s assistant to sit.

I waited two hours before I was called into his office. He was really milking this shit, and my patience was razor thin, but I kept the simmering rage bottled up within in.

Nick didn’t bother looking up from his computer when I stepped into his office. He was wearing his reading glasses which actually enhanced his already handsome features, giving him a scholarly appeal.

I stood awkwardly in front of his desk waiting for him to acknowledge my presence but as the silence continued to stretch, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Uh, should I take a seat?”

He finally looked up as he took his glasses off. I bit my bottom lip to hold back the gasp that threatened to escape. He was still one of the most incredibly handsome men I’d ever seen with his wavy dark brown hair, chiseled jaw line and full lips. Besides being bless with all those incredible attributes, he had the nerve to have a body built for sinning. I’d forgotten how green his eyes were. Despite all he done to me, the attraction I felt toward him was stronger than it should have been. It made me wonder how I could feel this way about someone I despised.

“That won’t be necessary. I know what you’re here for, which means you’re desperate right?” He raised a dark brow as if challenging me to say otherwise.

I could only nod as I chanted to myself to think about Adam.

“Good, then this should be quick.” With the agility of a trained assassin he was out of his seat and standing in front of me within seconds. His movements were so smooth for someone his size. I wasn’t a small woman standing a quarter inch over 5’8, but he towered over me forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his icy, green gaze.

“Does this mean you’ve changed your mind?” I winced at how my voice wobbled. Nick had the upper hand and he knew it.

“Depends.…”

I took a step backward. “O-on what?”

He closed the gap between us. “Depends on how desperate you are. You see Francesca, there’s nothing more I want than for you to disappear out of my life and be done with you, but you’ve become quite the inconvenience. You see, I’ve realized that I still want you, and maybe I’ll be damned to hell for feeling this way about my brother’s widow,, but there it is. Even though I know you’re a greedy, selfish cunt, I can’t stop thinking about throwing you on my desk and fucking that little pussy raw.”

I took three steps back, but Nick was quicker, reaching out for me so quickly our bodies collided.

“Let go of me!” I attempted to pull myself out of his hold, but he was stronger than me. I knew what those corded muscles beneath his suit looked like. If he chose to overpower me, there wasn’t much I could do about it.

“Don’t panic. I’m not going to make you do anything you don’t want to. But you’re going to have to earn every bit of that money.”

The blood was pounding in my ears, and my heart was beating so fast it felt as if it would explode from my chest. “So, you’re saying I have to sleep with you?”

A smirk curved one side of his sensual lips. “Oh, you’re going to have to do more than that. But first I want to see how desperate you really are.” And with that, he let me go and lean against his desk.

“What does that even mean?”

“You want something from me, and I’m willing to give it to you if you earn it. But first I want to see how badly you want this money.”

“What…what do I have to do?” As I uttered the words, a little part of me died on the inside.

“On your knees. Now.”

Chapter Four

Frankie

I was sure I’d heard him wrong. Nick had expressed his contempt for me in many ways, but this…this was a low I didn’t think even he would stoop to. “I beg your pardon?”

The sinister chuckle he suddenly released reminded me of a horror movie villain and every bit as frightening. “Oh, you’ll beg alright. Now get on your goddamn knees and beg me like the greedy little whore you are.”

I flared my nostrils and balled my fists, and before I realized my feet were moving, I was so close to him there wasn’t even an inch between us. I reared my arm back and aimed my fist straight for his jaw. I’m generally not a violent person but the rage boiling inside of me would not be denied. The sweet satisfaction I expected to feel by doing him bodily harm was not to be because he caught my fist in muscular hand, and he then twisted my arm behind my back. He lowered his head until our noses nearly touched.

He applied just enough pressure to not hurt but the right amount to let me know that if he applied more he could break my arm. “If you’ve finished having your tantrum, just remember you’re the one who came to me. I’m not obligated to give you shit. In fact, I’m pretty sure I told you the offer was off the table before you showed up. Clearly you don’t need the money as badly as you claim, and frankly, you’re wasting my time. In fact, the 90 days I gave you to vacate the house were way more generous than you deserve. All I’m required by law is to give you 30 days, so I want you out by the end of the month. I don’t give a fuck where you go. I just want you to be gone. And don’t test me. I will throw you out on the street myself if you’re not gone.”

He pushed me away then, so abruptly that I stumbled backward and nearly landed on my ass. I wanted to charge and get at least one good hit, but the man apparently had the reflexes of a jungle cat. I quickly weighed my options. Even if I wiped out my bank accounts and took out cash advances on the remaining balances on my credit cards, it wouldn’t be enough to pay the debt Adam owed. Anything of value I had at one point was long gone. I could have just said fuck it and let Adam work out his own problems, but that also meant his certain death. A death I couldn’t bear. No matter how many times he’d let me down, he was still my brother. I thought about that huge scar on his body and how close he’d already come do dying already. Then I remembered the promise I’d made so long ago, and slowly, all the fight drained from me.

If I did what Nick asked, it would be over. I’d have the money, and then we could part ways for good.

This humiliation was something I was willing to endure if it meant I could save my brother. Before I could change my mind, I walked back to Nick and dropped to my knees. I quickly unbuckled his pants and pulled them down along with his boxes, setting his dick free with a bounce. It was only semi-erect when I set it loose, but the second I circled my fingers around him, it grew in my palms, hard, long, thick, and veiny. It was huge, much longer than I anticipated.

When Nick and I had dated, we had intended to take things slow but our chemistry had been undeniable. He was the best lover I’d ever had. I only had a few partners before him so not too many comparisons but I there would never be another like him.

Despite us being previous lovers his erection still took me by surprise. It was quite intimidating and larger than I remembered, but it was pointless to get caught up on size, especially since it was in my face.

Nick remained oddly silent, not moving a muscle which made it slightly easier for me, but not much. As soon as I put my mouth on it, however, his stomach contracted with his sharp intake of breath. I slowly moved my lips along his length taking as much of him in my mouth as possible with my fist wrapped around the base of his cock.

I bobbed my head back and forth, my movements hesitant at first until I finally found my rhythm. I tried to focus on what this was really for and that was what kept me going, but something happened that I didn’t quite expect. Servicing him like this, the big tip of his dick hitting the back of my throat, a pool of warmth gathered in my panties, and an incredible heat spread through my entire body in a rush of unexpected pleasure.  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I didn’t like this feeling at all, and I didn’t want to get caught up with this man. Not again. As I tried to pull away, he gripped the sides of my head with each of his hands and thrust his dick so deep in my mouth I gagged.

I placed my hand on his belly to push him away, but his grip on my head tightened making it difficult for me to escape.

“Take it. Take every inch of me,” he growled thrusting his hips forward again.

As his grip tightened on my head, it became apparent that I was no longer sucking his dick so much as he was fucking my mouth. With each shove, his dick slid farther past my gag reflex.

I was no longer fighting him off. I was just trying to breathe. My eyes watered, and saliva dribbled down my chin as he continued to violate my throat. The really fucked up thing about this situation was not the slight fear coursing through me because I didn’t know what he’d do next, or even the degradation. It was the fact that I liked it.

That tingling in my pussy had only intensified, and I hated myself for responding to him to him this way. So I shut my mind down, letting it happen, over and over again.

“That’s it. Take it like the good little cum slut I know you are. You like this, don’t you?”

My humiliation was complete. Or so I thought. Just when I figured this ordeal couldn’t get any worse, he suddenly pulled out, cupped the back of my head and shot his cum all over my face.

Stunned.

I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even believe this had happened. I briefly registered a faint click, but I couldn’t quite process it because I was still trying to figure why I let this happen, and if I could get away with murdering him.

“You can go clean yourself up in my bathroom through that door.” He pointed to the other side of his office. “When you’re finished, we can talk terms.”

Talk terms? He was insane if he thought I had anything else to say to him. I’m not sure how long I stayed on my knees, but it felt like a very long time until I was able to bring myself to move. I slowly wobbled to my feet and managed to make it to his private restroom on shaky legs.

The sight that greeted me in the mirror was horrifying. The stranger staring back at me with the mussed hair, smeared make up, and splotches of his cum around my mouth looked like a used porn star. My stomach was queasy, and I wanted to throw up in disgust for myself because I didn’t completely hate what I’d done—what he’d done to me to as much as I should have.

I grabbed some paper towels and took my time cleaning my face to delay having to face Nick again. I was certain that he would be gloating, and I didn’t want to endure the expression on his face.

My time in the bathroom didn’t last as long as I would have liked because an aggressive knock on the door brought me out of my pity party of one.

“You’ve been hiding in there long enough.”

He was so lucky I didn’t have any weapons packed in my purse because I would have surely killed him right then. In a small act of defiance, I lingered just a little longer. I refreshed my makeup and smoothed the wrinkles out of my clothes before squaring my shoulders and heading out to his office.

Nick stood in the center of the room with his arms folded behind his back, his expression unreadable, but I could tell the cogs in his brain were spinning. They usually were.

He didn’t speak right away, deepening the already tense atmosphere. I had no other reason to be here except for one thing, and it appeared he was going to make me bring it up.

I wish I could have said fuck it and walked away, and I would have if I had needed the money for myself. “So will I get a check, or should I leave my bank account and routing numbers?” I surprised myself with how steady I was able to make my voice sound even when my nerves were on edge.

He gave me a hard stare, his green eyes narrowed, leaving no doubt in my mind the contempt he had for me. “That’s all you care about isn’t it? The money?”

I shrugged seeing no other course than to brazen this out. My pride had already been shredded to bits. “We both know it’s what I came for. Why you made me—”

“I didn’t make you do shit. In fact, my exact words were that I wanted to see how desperate you were. I hope you didn’t think your blowjob was worth six figures. Oh no, you’re going to have to earn every single dollar I give to you.”

My mouth fell and my heart sped up. “What more do you want from me? Was humiliating me not enough? Do you want my blood next? I have nothing left.”

He stalked toward me his penetrating gaze remaining steady on my face. “Oh, I beg to differ. I think you have plenty to offer. And as much as it pains me to admit, I still want you. And I despise myself for it, especially when I know what kind of person you are.”

“And what kind of person is that exactly?” I already had a pretty good idea about what he’d say, but I needed to hear the words to remind myself not to let him get under my skin. A reminder to not let my guard around him again, and to not fall for him again. There was a time this cold angry man standing before me was someone I thought I see myself having a future with, but now, having it devolve into something so ugly and twisted, it was absolutely heartbreaking.

He raised a dark brow. “Oh, you want me to spell it out? Okay, just so you don’t get any ideas about the proposal I’m going to lay on the table, I think you’re a manipulative, greedy bitch. You used me so that you could have access to my wealth, and when you saw that I wouldn’t easily bend to your will, you moved on to my brother and turned him against his family. And if that wasn’t enough, you killed him.”

“I didn’t—”

He held up his hand, cutting me off. “He may have already been sick, but you sped things along, didn’t you? With your medical knowledge, you knew exactly what you were doing, and for that, I will never forgive you. But damn if I don’t still want to fuck you out of my system so that I will never have to think about you again. And that’s worth the amount I’m willing to pay you for exactly that: 250 thousand for two months of your time. I want you at my beck and call. I want you to come running when I call. If I ask you to jump, you’ll say how high. And if I want my dick sucked again, you drop to your knees with a goddamn smile on your face.”

“You son of a bitch….”

He gave me that infuriating smirk along with a nonchalant shrug. “Considering you’re currently unemployed, you should have no problem with that.”

I was desperate, but was I that desperate? I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but I remembered Adam and couldn’t bring myself to turn away from that kind of money.

I took a deep breath and briefly closed my eyes shut. “Okay, I’ll do it. But on one condition.”

“Mighty audacious of you considering you’re in no position to make demands.”

“You want something from me, don’t you? I could walk out this door, and you won’t get what you want. I’ve apparently been living in your head rent-free, and the only way you’re going to evict me is to, as you said, fuck me out of your system. That’s not going to happen unless you at least concede to my one condition.”

His half grin faltered, and he flared his nostrils showing his annoyance. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you want?”

“I need 50 thousand of that right away.”

“For what?”

“It’s none of your business. I just need it in the next 48 hours.”

“And what if I told you, I won’t give it to you if you don’t tell me what it’s for.”

“Then I’ll walk away, and neither of us will get what we want.” I held my breath waiting for a response and hoping that he didn’t call my bluff.

“Fine. Leave me your bank information, and you should have a deposit in your account tomorrow.”

I barely managed to stop myself from letting out a sigh of relief.

But Nick apparently wasn’t finished. “One more thing. Once the money in in your account, our deal starts, and if you back out if it, I’m going to make you wish you were never born.”

His words were laced with so much venom I believed him. I had made a deal with the devil, and I had a feeling that there was no way I would walk away from this arrangement without getting scorched.

Chapter Five

Nick

I should have left well enough alone. I could have let things play out and allowed my attorney to handle any legal affairs between us. But she was a fire in my blood that simply could not be put out. She was my obsession, and there was only one way I could get over her. Use her. Use her until I could move on with my life and never think about her again.

Fuck.

The way her mouth felt on my dick made me want her even more. I needed it again, craved it. Was something wrong with me to desire a woman to the point of madness? One I hated. One who had caused so much heartache and destruction in my life. There had to be, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it except let this little game play out. Soon enough, I’d have her where I wanted her.

The thing is, I had every intention of leaving her alone despite my threats. Admittedly, when I’d threatened to ruin her the night of the funeral, I was on edge, angry and hurt. My grief and sense of injustice had guided me to confront her that night and make those threats. And maybe for a few weeks afterward I’d festered in that hate and resentment, plotting on ways to make her pay, make her suffer for what she’d done. For tearing our family apart. For taking a son away from his mother. For coming between two brothers. For destroying lives.

I had ignored the earliest signs of her duplicity, and for that I only had myself to blame. My mother had reservations about Frankie, and though she never came right out and said it, I knew my mother. The subtle digs she made about Frankie’s appearance, from her hair to her clothes, or even the way she laughed, seemed to bug my mother. I ignored it because my mother had the tendency to be overly critical. There was one observation she’d made I wish I’d heeded. Maybe then I could have saved myself a lot of heartache. But most importantly, I could have saved my brother.

They were whispering with each other again. I didn’t know whether to be pleased that my brother and girlfriend were getting along so well, or jealous that my brother and girlfriend were getting on so well. I mean, most people would be thrilled that their significant other got along so well with their family, but lately those two seemed to be doing that a lot.

As had become custom, my mom had Sunday dinner, and since Frankie and I had started dating, I brought her along. At first I was pleased at how she and Kenny got along, but it seemed that the two of them were constantly going off to the corner to chat in private. It was irritating. I never considered myself the jealous type, but the way Frankie hovered over my brother seemed a bit much.

I’d told myself that it was because she was a genuinely caring person, and Kenny of course wouldn’t cross the line being my brother. And maybe God would strike me down for having unkind thoughts about my brother, but he was wheelchair-bound and had a medical condition that some people wouldn’t be able to look past. Okay, yeah that’s pretty shitty thought process, but I’ve never worried about him as a rival for a woman’s affection.

Again, I told myself that Frankie was being nice.

As I enjoyed my after-dinner drink, I watched the two of them on the other side of the room with their heads close to each other, their voices lowered. I don’t know why seeing them like that irritated me so much. Maybe because Frankie had been hinting at Kenny not being happy being taken care of by our mother. Or maybe because I was actually jealous of my little brother. But that couldn’t be it, I was sure. What man wanted to see his woman getting cozy with another man regardless of his relation to him?

I found myself getting up and walking over to join them only for them to stop talking as soon as I was in hearing distance. I tried to pretend that their sudden silence didn’t affect me, so I pasted a smile on my face as I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “What are you two chatting about?”

Frankie looked up at me and quickly looked away. “Nothing, just an old movie that we both enjoyed.”

I raised a brow at the sound of her wobbly voice. It was clear she was lying, but I decided to play along so I pasted a smile on my face. “Oh, what movie?”

“Die Hard.”

“Steel Magnolias.”

They answered simultaneously. Then they exchanged shocked glances before repeating the movie the other had blurted out.

My brows shot up because I could see right through their bullshit, and I think they realized it as well because neither of them could fully look me in the eyes. “Which one is it?”

“We were talking about both actually.” Kenny shot me one of his signature grins that would always get him out of trouble when he was a kid. For the most part, it worked because our mother doted on him to the point where the rest of us were ignored. And honestly, I usually let him as well. But this…I didn’t like being lied to like this, no matter how small.

“Oh? That’s funny you mentioned liking Die Hard so much considering you said you refused to watch the movie because you hate that people have labeled it as a holiday movie, and you decided to take a stand out of principle.”

A deep shade of red creeped up Kenny’s neck and engulfed his face. “Well, I changed my mind. Did you want something?”

“Is it a crime to want to talk to my girlfriend and my brother?”

“Of course not.” Frankie stood up quickly and gave me a bright smile before hooking her arm through mine. While I wasn’t ready to easily overlook my brother’s lie, I could hers. That smile made me feel like a hormonal teenager. My heart was doing all kinds of backflips. In fact, I’d forgotten why I’d even come over here in the first place because I was lost in her big brown gaze.

“Are you ready to leave?” I wanted to get her alone, and I was tired of sharing her for the night.

“Do you guys have to go?” Kenny piped in before she could answer.

“Are you two leaving?” I hadn’t heard my mother joining us, but there she was next to me with her arms, folded and lips pursed. “I suppose you want to leave?” She leveled what sounded like an accusation at Frankie.

For reasons I didn’t understand, my mother didn’t seem to take to Frankie as I thought she would although she’d never been outright nasty. But my mother’s opinion of Frankie didn’t matter to me because I knew she was just being her overbearing self. I figured she’d come around eventually.

“Actually, it was my idea. It’s getting late, and I have an early meeting.  Frankie has to work as well.”

My mom’s lips momentarily thinned before they curled into a tight smile. “Well, in that case, I’m sure glad the two of you were able to make time for us. I know how new romance can be. You tend to forget about everything and everyone, even your dear old mom.” She then turned to my brother. “At least I’ll always have you, Kenny.”

I was used to her subtle barbs when she compared me to my brother. She’d made no secret of the fact of how much she hated that I had gone away for school and made my career far away from home until a few years ago when I started a firm of my own. I noticed how Kenny’s face tightened this time at my mother’s words, and it was clear he wasn’t too fond of them either. The earlier wave of jealousy I’d felt for him was replaced by pity. I turned my head away so he wouldn’t see it.

“Yes, well, I’ll be in touch.” I leaned over and gave my mother a perfunctory kiss on the cheek.

“Hmm. You say that, but then I won’t hear from you for days.” My mother then turned her a slightly narrowed-eyed stare in Frankie’s direction. “I trust the meal was to your liking?”

“Everything was delicious. Thank you for having me.”

“Well, Nicholas insisted he bring you, so…. Anyway, thanks for coming.”

I had to give Frankie credit for not flinching at my mother’s backhanded attempt at hospitality.

I was damned proud of her when she smiled. “Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure.” It was spoken without an ounce of irony. It pleased me because God knows if there was anyone who knew how to get under someone’s skin it was my mother.

That tight smile remained on my mother’s face until we were out the door, and I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Once in the car we rode in silence for a while, my eyes on the road, and all I could think about was getting the woman next to me back to her place to do what I’d been dying to all night. When she placed her hand on my knee, I briefly glanced in her direction before returning my attention to the highway. “You know, I wouldn’t have minded sticking around a little longer. We didn’t have leave.”

“I didn’t want to subject you to my mother any longer. Besides, I wanted to get you alone.” I took her hand and brought it to my lips to give it a quick kiss.

“Your mom isn’t so bad. A lot of mothers are protective of their sons.”

“One of the things I love about you is that you always seem to find the positive side to everything and everyone, but my mother takes it to another level.”

“She’s fine. Besides, I was having an interesting conversation with Kenny.”

It was then I remembered how intimate their conversation had seemed. “Oh, and what exactly were the two of you talking about?”

“Oh, nothing, maybe I…Maybe I shouldn’t say anything.”

“Or maybe you should. We’re not keeping secrets from each other, are we?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that I have some concerns.”

“Oh?”

“Kenny’s condition lately. It seems to be getting worse, and the new meds he’s on aren’t helping. He told your mother about it, but she says it for the best. She refuses to take him to another doctor. I mean if the meds he’s taking are making him feel bad, I don’t think it would hurt to try something else. Maybe you could talk to you mother about it.”

“What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m just making a suggestion that Kenny might need to try new meds. He says the ones he’s taking is making him feel awful. He tried to tell your mother, but she says to stick it out.”

I don’t know why what she was saying bothered me so much. She was a nurse after all and would know what she was talking about, but my walls rose and I became defensive. “My mother has been taking care of Kenny since he was born. Are you saying she doesn’t know what’s best for him?”

“Of course I’m not, but perhaps she’s too close to the situation and could use a second opinion. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help.”

“I don’t know what you’re implying about my brother’s care but he’s fine, and my mother has made many sacrifices for him.”

“And I’m just saying that based on what Kenny told me, it wouldn’t do any harm if at the very least he can seek out another doctor who will address some of his concerns. Honestly, I’m not sure why he’s not already advocating for himself. His condition doesn’t prevent him in any way of letting a medical professional know his symptoms. Maybe it’s time for your mother to let him make his own medical decisions.”

Frankie didn’t say anything that hadn’t already been in the back of my mind for a while now, after all he was 25. But hearing the words out loud from someone who’d only known my brother for a few months I said, “my mother is doing the best she can, and if Kenny really had an issue with it he would have said something about it.”

“But he said something to me and—”

“I said Kenny is fine. Now stop sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.” The words came out much harsher than I intended, and the second they were spoken, I wish I could take them back. “Look, I didn’t mean it to come out like that, but you have to understand—”

“No,” she shook her head, “You don’t have to explain a thing. I won’t bring it up again.”

The mood for the night was officially killed. And while I felt like a complete jackass for snapping at her, I was still more than a little annoyed that she thought she could speak on my family at all.

But I got over it, although it wasn’t the last time she’d bring it up. In fact, the last time she’d been so insistent, it led to our break up. And within a month, she was married to my brother.

Thinking about how she’d manipulated me and my brother reignited my fury. I had to get her out of my system. I opened my phone and pulled up my banking app to confirm that the payment I’d sent her to go had gone through.

It had.

And that meant one thing. She was now mine for the next two months, and by the time I finished with her, she was going to wish she were as dead as my brother.

Chapter Six

Frankie

I stared at the large sum of money sitting in my bank account which hadn’t been there the day before. Yesterday, it held the grand total of 27 dollars and 82 cents because the final check from the nursing home job had not come through yet. I had only asked for the 50 grand up front, but Nick had added a little more which would be enough for me to at least maintain first and last month’s rent along with a security deposit for a new place.

I shuddered when I thought about what I’d have to do to earn this money, and I asked myself, not for the first time, if this was worth it. Then I thought about Adam. Though my brother had let me down time and time again over the years, he was still my brother, and I loved him. He was all I had left, and it was difficult to simply let go. Maybe with the extra money I could send him to a different rehab center, one that would give him the incentive to see things through this time.

I could only hope.

But then I wondered once Adam got the money he needed, would he just disappear from my life and I wouldn’t hear from him again for another chunk of time. Or at the very least, until he wanted something from me again.

As I mulled over this dilemma, another popped in my head in the form of a 6 foot 3 sexy ass demon who went by the name of Nick. I hated his guts for what he was making me do, what else I might have to do. I squirm in my seat as I remember what he did to me in his office. It was going to be a long two months. I doubted I’d be able to walk away with my dignity intact, but there was no turning back now, especially when Nick had held up his end of the bargain.

In the meantime, I’d remain in this state of nervous tenseness until he decided to contact me.

“What are you looking at on your phone that’s putting that ferocious frown on your face, Sis?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin because I’d momentarily forgotten that I wasn’t alone. I looked up to see Adam looking paler than I’d ever seen him. His once vibrant brunette waves were now stringy and lifeless while rings of black underlined his dull, watery blue eyes. His shirtless frame emphasized how emaciated he was, and my heart sunk.

I jumped up and swiftly crossed the room to stand beside him. I briefly touch his skeletal chest, and I wanted to cry. “Adam, are you okay?”

“Couldn’t be better.” But the grimace on his face belies his words.

“Don’t lie to me. You look like shit. Adam, you need help. Today.”

“Sis, I’ll be fine. You have to stop worrying so much. It will age you.”

“Says my younger brother who looks twenty years older than me. Adam, you can’t go on like this. You’re going to die if you keep on this path. Is that what you want? Please tell me it isn’t. Tell me you’re willing to fight for your life and you’re not just here to get what you want and disappear. Do you have any idea what it’s like living in a constant state of fear that one day the police will come knocking to inform me that your body has been found in some gutter. Do you think this is what Mom and Dad would have wanted to become of your life?”

“There you go playing the mom and dad card,” he snorted.

“It seems to be the only card I have left to play because apparently you don’t give a shit about letting me down after the many times you’ve hurt me. You are sick, and you need help. This sickness is the reason you got involved with these sketchy people who are literally threatening to kill you. Maybe you don’t give a shit, but I certainly do!”

He opened his mouth and then closed it as if he was reconsidering his words. Adam licked his dry, cracked lips before raking his fingers through his hair. “Believe it or not, I do care, Frankie. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. Did I tell you that the guys I owe money to dangled me off the side of a 20-story balcony? I fucking shit my pants, and that’s when I knew if I survived that ordeal, I’d get my act together. They gave me this souvenir as a reminder for what I did.”

“You make it sound so casual when, in truth, you had no business getting involved with these characters in the first place. If your life weren’t on the line, I’d go to the police, but I can’t take that risk.”

He placed his hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes.  “Sis, I admit I’ve wronged you, and if I’m being perfectly honest, I can’t say I wouldn’t have done it again, in the state of mind that I was in at the time. As fucked up as it is, it’s the truth. But I want to change. I don’t want this for my life, hustling and stealing for my next hit. I thought I could pull a fast one on this local hood and look what happened. It was my wake-up call. It’s why I came to you. I do want help. But I’m in pain right now, and all I could think about last night was sneaking out and looking for another hit. Not even to get high but to feel better. These withdrawals are painful. I literally feel like I’m going to die.”

It was the first time he openly spoke about his addiction. Every other time I had brought it up, he’d brush me off or made it seem as if he was under control. Maybe his brush with death had indeed been the rock bottom he needed to get himself together. Maybe I would regret this decision later, but at least I could say that I’d done everything I could.

“Well, I know of a methadone clinic nearby that can help get you sorted out. It’s an outpatient service, but they do take on patients for 72 hours and sometimes up to 7 days if necessary. That should at least give me enough time to find a proper rehabilitation facility for you to get your act together. But Adam, this time you have to really want the help and not just give me lip service. Because I swear if you burn me this time, this is it. There won’t be anything else I can do for you.”

He nodded. “I understand, Sis but…won’t this be a financial burden on you?”

I bit my lip to stop myself from telling him that I’d made a deal with the devil which would see him through this. He didn’t need to know. Besides, though Adam may have had his selfish moments, he basically had a good heart. If he knew what I had to do to get this money, he wouldn’t accept it. “I’ll be fine I ugh, got a bit of an inheritance from Kenny’s will.”

“I swear one day I’m going to pay every single penny back to you.”

I’d heard this promise before and didn’t put much stock in it, but I suppose time would tell. “You can pay me back by getting better.”

This time he placed both hands on my shoulders. “No, Sis, I mean it this time. When Mom and Dad died, you and I were all we had, and you have been there for me every step of the way. Time and time again, I’ve failed you. One of the reasons it took me so long to come back around was because I was ashamed of what I’d done. And I didn’t think you would forgive me. I know I’ve said it a million time, but this time will be different.”

I studied his expression for several seconds which seemed earnest, but I couldn’t help thinking about the past. Finally with a heavy sigh, I wrapped my arms around his slender waist and rested my head against his boney shoulder. “Words are fine, Adam, but actions are much stronger. Prove me wrong this time.”

“I will, Sis.” He returned my hug, and I could just cry at how stick like his arms felt around me. My once all-American athletic brother had been physically ravaged by his addiction, and it hurt knowing that there was only so much I could continue to do for him. He had to want this for himself, and I prayed this time around that he did.

I pulled away from him to meet his gaze. “So what we’re going to do now is get this money to the guys, and I want you to be done with them.”

He nodded eagerly.

“Good. We’ll go by the bank, and I’ll get a cashier’s check made out to cash and—”

“No, that’s not going to work. These guys deal in cash.”

“Don’t you think if I asked for the amount in cash the bank would be suspicious. As a matter of fact if I recall clearly from working as a teller while I was in college you have to fill out a suspicious activity report for any cash transaction over 10 thousand. I don’t want that kind of scrutiny from the government.”

Adam groaned. “Well…there is a way. I know a guy who will cash a check for any amount for a 15 percent fee.”

“That’s outrageous. So you mean to tell me I’d have to pay an addition 75 hundred dollars to get a check cashed?”

“If there’s no way you can get the cash, then yes.”

There went my plans for the extra cash after that first 50 was gone. But I’d still have a little left over, and I had my final check still coming. I’d be fine for a bit. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. Why don’t you go take a shower and I’ll fix you something to eat? Then we’re going to get these guys off your back.”

“Sis, I don’t want you getting involved in any of this.”

“I’m not. I’m just making sure the money will go to where it’s supposed to.”

“Okay. But no thanks on the meal. I think I’d get sick if I ate anything. I haven’t been able to hold anything down in the past 24 hours. It won’t be long before the shakes set in.”

I hated seeing him like this, but I was glad that he was acknowledging what he was going through was a step towards his getting better. At least he was being cooperative and not making excuses.  That was all I could ask for.

Despite him declining breakfast, I made him a small bowl of broth and toast because he needed something in his belly even if it didn’t stay down. He was too thin for his own good.

Adam returned to the kitchen freshly showered and dressed looking somewhat better. I even got him to take a few bites of toast and a couple sips of broth before I got myself ready.

My day went from bad to worse at every turn starting with the bank needing several forms of identification from me to get money out of my own account. It took my demanding to see the manager before someone was willing to take care of my transaction. Being a Black woman in America, I often had to deal with micro-aggressions to outright racism, some of which I had to let slide or else lose my sanity.  I was already so stressed out from everything happening in my life at the moment that I was furious by the time the manager explained to me to why they had to take extra precaution because there had been some fraudulent activity in the past. I completely blew up then.

“Fraudulent activity in my account? There has never been so much as an overdraft on my account. What do you mean fraudulent?” I spoke louder than was probably necessary, but I was holding on to my temper by a thread.

“Well, I mean, wouldn’t you feel safer that we’re taking these precautions? I mean, it is kind of suspicious that you’ve been wired such a large sum of money only for you to remove it.”

“I didn’t realize that I had to run it by the bank before I received a deposit.”

“Well I-I mean you don’t. It’s just we’re looking out for you, Mrs. Evans.”

“After I gave two forms of identification and entered my PIN that should have been the end of it. But not only are you making this more difficult for me than it actually needs to be, you’re gaslighting me. Would you be so vigilant if my skin were a more acceptable color?”

The manager turned bright red and sputtered. “Thi-this isn’t about race, ma’am. We were just being cautious. I’ll handle the transaction myself.”

What should have only taken a few minutes, took over an hour before I walked out of the bank with my cashier’s check.

I barely managed not to snap at Adam when he asked what took me so long once I returned to the car.

The second leg of our trip was equally frustrating. We drove an hour and a half to get to a sketchy little part of a town I’d never heard of. There were prostitutes on the corner, and one guy tried to recruit me to be one of his girls. I think if Adam weren’t with me, he might have tried something. We found ourselves in a back alley that led to a door guarded by two large non-descript men wearing sunglasses. It felt like something out of a movie.

I let Adam do the talking, and after sizing us up, we were let in where we met a guy named T-bone. I couldn’t tell if he was wearing gold fronts or if that was simply the color of his teeth, but he wouldn’t stop grinning at me. Adam had told me to be cool before we entered, and it made me a bit sick to my stomach the kind of people he had dealt with just to live with his illness. I was reluctant to give T-bone the check, but my brother assured me that I could trust him. T-bone said he’d only take a 10 percent fee if I let him take me out and “show me a good time.” I respectfully declined. To my surprise, he produced the 50 grand in cash and even allowed one of his goons to escort us back to my car, which I was thankful for. I was almost worried that my car wouldn’t be there when we returned, but a homeless man had told me he’d watch the car for five bucks. I’d given him ten for good measure.

And another five upon our return.

I couldn’t get out of that town fast enough.

Finally, we needed to drive another hour to get to a guy named Big Jer who turned out to be a grandfatherly looking accountant in a respectable looking storefront, but for some reason, he was even scarier than T-bone. It was clear from the guys hanging around his office that this man was connected. I said a silent prayer that we’d get out of this alive.

Big Jer seemed like a friendly enough man, but I knew on instinct that he was dangerous. Once one of his men counted the money, his demeanor changed to the smiling grandpop he actually looked like. But we didn’t leave without a word of warning.

“If I were you, I get myself clean and stay out of my town. You have a lovely sister who seems to care of you. Shame if something were to happen to her.”

I don’t think I’d forget that threat for the rest of my life. The destination of the day was to the methadone clinic where I had to fill out tons of paperwork. There was usually a waitlist to be taken in for the 72 to 7-day period, but I was fortuitous enough to know one of the nurses who worked there who managed to pull some strings for me. I was reluctant to leave Adam there by himself, but we both knew it was for the best. It was the first step to his getting and staying clean although this would be a difficult journey.

It was well after dark before I made it home, alone, hungry but drained physically and emotionally. As soon as I pulled into my driveway desperately wanting nothing more than to sleep for the next 24 hours, I saw another car in the driveway and immediately froze.

I didn’t have the strength to deal with him. Not after the day I’d had. I would have just as soon pulled away and driven off but there was no running because I had no doubt that he’d give chase.

With an aggravated sigh, I slowly got out of the car. I saw out of the side of my eye that Nick’s car was empty, which could only mean….

I’d forgotten Nick still had a key to the house from when Kenny was still alive because Kenny had thought that Nick should have it in case of emergencies.

Once again I was tempted to turn and run, but I’d made a deal, and I intended to see it through.

I barely stepped into the house when Nick gripped my neck in one hand and practically slammed me against the wall.

“Where the fuck have you been and whom were you with?”

Chapter Seven

Nick

I loathed to admit it, but I was jealous.

It was an emotion I thought I’d buried, pushed to the deepest recesses of my brain never to be thought of again. But I was kidding myself because it didn’t go away. I’d simply been ignoring it, and while I did, it had grown into an unrecognizable monster.

I had been scheduled for several meetings today, but after the first two I’d had my assistant rearrange the rest. Besides, I doubted I would have been able to concentrate anyway because I kept staring at the email giving me confirmation that the first transfer had gone through.

Even my business partner had asked me if something was the matter. I couldn’t explain it without sounding like a complete lunatic, but there I was leaving work early and heading to the house. I figured she’d be there since she wasn’t currently working. But when I arrived, her car was gone. It wasn’t quite noon, so I figured she might be running errands.

“If you’re looking for the lady who lives in that house, she’s been gone for a while now,” an old lady watering her flowers called from the next house over.

As annoyed as I was having what I already knew confirmed, I turned to the neighbor. "Oh, did she by any chance tell you where she was going?”

“She didn’t tell me anything. She keeps to herself that one, but she and her young man left out together. They seemed pretty chummy considering he’s been staying there for the past few days.”

Clearly this woman was the neighborhood busy body, but I brushed that aside upon hearing that Frankie had a man staying with her. Had she already taken a lover? Is he who the money was for? The more I thought about it, the hotter my blood boiled.

“Well, I’ll tell her someone was looking for her when she comes back.”

I left to go back to the office. After several attempts to actually be productive, I gave up.

“Are you alright man,” my best friend and business partner, Chris, asked as I was heading out the door for the second time that day.”

“I’m good, just not feeling one hundred percent. Thought I could push through, but I guess I can’t.” I hated lying to him, but this beast that had gotten a hold of me would not relent.

“Are you sure it’s not something else because you haven’t really been yourself all week.”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing that a day of rest won’t fix. You know how to reach me in case something turns up.”

He gave me a long hard stare before shrugging his shoulders and walking off. He probably knew it was pointless to argue with me.

When I made it back to Frankie’s place, her car was still gone, and it was well past lunchtime. So I decided to wait. Remembering I still had a key to her place, I let myself in. I shut down the alarm system, thankful she hadn’t changed the password. Like the key I had in case of emergencies when my brother was alive.

I paced the house waiting as my jealousy grew into something ugly. I wondered what she was doing with this mystery man. Were they lovers? Did she enjoy his touch? These thoughts were driving me insane as I pictured him touching her, and I seethed. Would she make those cute little moans she used to make with me? Did she still taste of cinnamon and vanilla? Were her lips still softer than a feather?

I would probably be damned for the feelings I had toward my brother’s widow, but dammit, she’d been mine first.

I had scoured her house, searching for a stiff drink, and all I could find was a bottle of wine which was still three quarters full.

I finished off the bottle as my rage was stoked by the flames of jealousy within me.

At some point I must have dozed off because the next I knew, I heard the sound of a car pulling up in the driveway. My anger renewed upon seeing that it was close to midnight, and she was just coming home. Maybe I had gone a little insane because that could be the only explanation for my waiting in a dark house for her to come inside.

Something inside of me snapped when she walked into the house as casually as she pleased. I gripped her by the neck and pushed her against the wall, my body covering hers. I didn’t give her the chance to answer the question I’d demanded of her before grinding my lips angrily against hers. This is what I’d waited for all day…wanted…needed.

I don’t know if it was the shock from seeing me or genuine disinterest, but she kept her lips shut which only further drove me to madness. While keeping one hand on her throat, I used the other one to thread my fingers through her short curls. The length of her locks was just enough for me to get a nice grip on her scalp.

“Open your mouth, goddammit,” I growled against her lips.

When they remain stubbornly close, I dug my teeth into her bottom lips, causing her to gasp. I took advantage of those parted lips to slip my tongue to inside to taste her sweetness.

She struggled against me, but perhaps it was the madness because the fight turned me on. The feel of her softness against me made my dick spring to life. I grinded my erection against the apex of her thighs. I was a tall man at 6’2 but Frankie’s 5’8 frame aligned perfectly with mine. I pinned her body against mine and savoring her every second of being close to her, punishing her for daring to be with another. At least that’s what I told myself.

The truth was that I’d thought of nothing but this since she’d chosen my brother over me. Releasing the grip in her hair, I gripped her wrists in one hand and pinned them above her head.

Frankie twisted her head, breaking the tight seal of our lips. “Stop this!”

“You were willing to spread your legs for some other man for free, so you’re sure going to do it for me!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. What other man?”

“Don’t fucking lie to me. I know about the man who’s been staying here for the past few days.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “The only person who stayed over here was my brother, you psycho. Is that what this is all about?”

I froze at her declaration which apparently gave her the momentum to finally push me away.

“What the hell is wrong with you? I understand that we made an agreement, but you can’t treat me like this. Now that you have the answer to your question, could you please leave? I’ve had a long day, and I’d like to go to bed.”

Part of me wanted to apologize for jumping to conclusions, but then I remembered why I’d come here in the first place. It didn’t matter whom she was with.  She could have been with the Pope.  It didn’t change the fact that she wasn’t here at my convenience. I didn’t care that it wasn’t fair. That was the deal. I owed her no courtesy, and she wouldn’t get an ounce from me.

“Perhaps I should be asking that question of you. But we both already know the answer is that you’re an amoral bitch. In case you’ve forgotten, let me refresh your memory. I was more than prepared to write you a check to disappear from my life forever which you declined.”

She narrowed her gaze and folded her arms over her ample breasts. I fought to keep my eyes on her face instead of staring at her body that tempted me to do things that would make even the staunchest sinner blush. “What does that have to do with you waiting in my house like a damn stalker?”

“Seems as if you’ve forgotten another important detail my dear. This is my house. You’re only here on my largess. And I’m the one asking the questions here. Anyway, after you not so graciously declined, I was ready to wash my hands of you. I was quite willing to never even speak your name again, but you were the one who contacted me. Do you remember?”

Frankie flared her nostrils before giving me a curt nod.

“You’re an adult, Francesca, use your words.”

“Yes, but I don’t—”

“When I told you I’m no longer interested, you came to my office and begged me. Even dropped to your knees like a good little cocksucker to show me how desperate you were. Am I right?”

She shook her head. “You bastard.”

“Is that a yes?”

“I hate you so much right now.” Her eyes spit fire, and I was certain that if she were capable of killing me with her glare, Kenny wouldn’t be the only son my mother had to bury.

“I’m sure you do. You hate me but not my money. But that’s not the answer to my question.”

“I don’t know what your point is but—”

“The point is that we made an agreement. That agreement stated that once the amount of money you requested hit your account, you belonged to me for the next two months. The fact that you weren’t available when I wanted you is a problem Francesca. I’m a simple man who believes in following through with a deal, and I’ve come to collect.”

I take a step closer to her, unable to ignore her scent which was driving me crazy. She might deny that she didn’t like what I did to her, but I could smell her arousal.

Frankie took a step backward. “I know what I agreed to, but you need to be reasonable. I’ve had a long day, and it’s very late. I’m exhausted and just want to go to bed. Maybe we can talk about this in the morning. Now I need you to leave please.” She attempted to walk around me, but I grabbed her arm refusing to let her past.

“No, we’re going to talk about this now, or else you can pack your shit and get out of this house right now. And in the meantime you can return the money I sent you, or I can make this a legal issue. Your choice.”

Her eyes still narrowed, she raised her chin defiantly before her shoulders slumped in what I could only assume was defeat. “I know you’re angry with me, but how was I supposed to know that you’d be in contact so soon. I have some things to take care of today that couldn’t be put off. My brother—”

I shrugged, uninterested in her excuses. “You can keep your story to yourself. That’s not why I came. But now that I’ve had a chance to think about the situation, I think it’s best that you pack your bags. You see, I can’t stomach the idea of fucking you in the house you used to share with my brother.”

“But you have no problem fucking me otherwise?” She spat the words with such venom that she made herself sound as if she was the wronged party in the situation.

Again I shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect.”

“So where am I supposed to go?”

“You’re coming home with me.”

Chapter Eight

Frankie

After what I’d already gone through, the last thing I expected was to be driven to Nick’s place voluntarily.

I thought after dealing with characters like T-Bone and Big Jer my day could not possibly get any worse. Besides, all I had to do was make it to my bed, and I could at the very least recharge. I wasn’t expecting Nick to go all caveman on me, accusing me of being with another man. I had a pretty good idea that my neighbor Miss Betty couldn’t wait to tell him I had someone over. That woman was so nosey that I made it a point to avoid her at all costs.

But she was the least of my worries. It seemed as if I kept finding myself in one predicament after the other, and there was no escaping. Nick had me over a barrel, and he knew it. I’m sure he couldn’t just kick me out of this house without proper notice regardless of whether he owned it or not. Someone with his resources could make my life more of a hell than it already was, and I had neither the money nor stamina to fight him. I prayed the next two months would go by quickly, and then I would never have to see Nick again. It was hard to believe that I was once head over heels in love with a man who had become my worst nightmare.

Thinking back to how we got together, I remembered how he was so charming and sweet and though I wasn’t particularly looking for a relationship at the time, he literally and figuratively swept me off my feet.

I absolutely hated these events, but I promised my supervisor that I’d show up in support of the hospital as it was hosting a charity event to raise money to renovate its children’s wing. I hadn’t been at the hospital for quite a year yet, so I felt it would have looked bad if I refused. Though I preferred to work in a smaller setting like private health care and nursing homes, this particular hospital paid better than any position I had had, and it provided exceptional medical benefits, one of which allowed me to add my brother on the family plan. That was the biggest pull to working here.

I wasn’t crazy about hospital politics otherwise, but I did enjoy my job and giving patient care. I pulled my phone out of my purse to glance at the time. I’d only been here for an hour, and I told myself that I’d stay at the ball for at least an hour, long enough to be seen by the people I worked with.

I sat at my table that had been reserved for some of the nurses who were in attendance. I was stuck on purse duty because I wasn’t really up to dancing, and I always felt super awkward at fancy dress up parties like this event. Two of my coworkers returned to the table, Ian and Gillian, their foreheads dotted with sweat.

“Aren’t you bored just sitting here?” Gillian asks grabbing a glass of water.

I grinned. “Not at all. I’m enjoying myself just watching other people. Besides, I’m watching purses.”

Ian held out his hand to me. “Well, enough being a wallflower, let’s go dance. Gillian can watch the purses.”

“Gee, thanks for volunteering me,” the other woman rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be like that Gil.  You’ve been dancing all night.  Give our friend here a turn.” Ian winked and smiled at Gillian who seemed susceptible to his charm.

She let out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. But I don’t want to be stuck here all night.”

“Just one dance,” Ian assured her before taking my hand.

When we were on the dance floor, he twirled me around until I burst into a peal of giggles. “You know, I never actually said I would dance with you. Gillian is going to be upset.”

He grinned. “She’ll get over it. Besides, I’ve been looking for an excuse to get you on the dance floor all night. And now that I have you, I going to relish every moment.”

I laughed again, but this time it more out of nerves than anything else. I didn’t know if he was just teasing me or being serious. Ian was of course a handsome devil with his smooth bronze complexion, pale gray eyes, a mop of curly brown hair. All the other nurses referred to him as nurse sexy, and often our female patients would request him once they caught a glimpse of that mischievous grin. In different circumstances I could probably see myself falling for him as well because he wasn’t just easy on the eyes, he had an easy-going personality. But it was always difficult for me to get close to other people because I felt as if every time I did, I ended up losing people.

Maybe it was my fault for shutting people off, but it was a block I couldn’t get past because I always seemed to lose the people I cared about. My biological mother, my grandmother and my adoptive parents. Some of my problems stemmed from being a black child adopted by white parents. My parent had been generous and loving but even though couldn’t shield me from the ignorance of the world. So for a chunk of my life I felt like I had to keep people at arm’s length to prevent myself from getting hurt. Only recently had I started going to therapy to address some of my issues, and I was in the early stages. I had a long way to go, but I did want to be more open healthy relationships with other people.

Maybe just for tonight at least I could let my guard down and have a good time instead of watching other people enjoying themselves.

Ian was a bit of a goofball, and he had my sides aching from laughter. We must have danced through three songs because I looked toward our table to see a fuming Gillian. The last thing I wanted was personal drama to affect my work environment. “I think we should probably head back. Gillian doesn’t look too happy.

Ian’s eyebrows shot up. “Or is it that you’re looking for an excuse to get away from me.”

“Not at all. I’m actually having a great time, but we did promise her that we’d be on the dancefloor for just one dance.

“One more dance. This is my jam.” He started doing the Carlton Dance, and I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

I was jolted out of my revelry when a hand fell on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my dress in shock from the jolt of what felt like an electric pulse going through my bare shoulder when contact was made.

I turned around, and before I could help myself, a gasp tumbled from my lips. It was the guy from the coffee shop. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever see him again. When he’d asked for my information and I declined, I thought that would be it. When I saw him at the shop again a different time, he’d let me know in no uncertain terms that he was there for me. And I was very tempted to take him up on his offer, but something held me back. I couldn’t quite put my finger on the why at the time, but now I knew.

This man was trouble.

I don’t know what it was about him. Sure he was easily one of the most gorgeous specimens I’d ever laid my eyes on. He was literally the walking embodiment of tall, dark and handsome. I’ve encountered several good-looking men in my lifetime, but this man was head and shoulders above most of them. And yet it wasn’t his looks that had me frozen to the spot and had my tongue cleaving to the roof of my mouth.

I’d been rendered speechless and immobile at once, and instead of using words like a normal person I stood there staring. It had been easier to talk to him in the coffee shop because I thought he was someone I could put to the back of my mind, but seeing him here in his obviously tailored black tuxedo, our encounter almost seemed fated. That was the part that scared me. Somehow I knew this man would have the power to do things to my heart that I’d allowed no other to. Maybe I should have run, but I remained where I stood.

“Yes?” I finally found my voice, and it came out in a raspy croak. I wanted the floor to open up on me.

“So we meet again, Frankie. I’d say this encounter was destined.”

“Is it?” I wish I could have said something more intelligent, but this man had the ability to make me feel like a little girl at a boyband concert. I might have been speechless on the outside, but I was screaming on the inside.

“Oh, absolutely, and I absolutely insist that I have this dance.”

He didn’t wait for answer before he hooked his arms around my waist and practically lifted me off my feet and twirled me away from Ian. In the back of my mind I knew he was still there, but I couldn’t tear my eyes off of Nick.

I think I spent the rest of the night in a daze as we danced until we were the only two people left on the dancefloor.

From there we’d gone to a twenty-four-hour dinner and chatted over coffee until the sun peeked through the horizon. By the time I made it home, I knew I was in love with him. My heart told me this was the man I was going to risk everything for and spend the rest of my life with. We became inseparable after that. He was my everything. My handsome knight in shining armor. I didn’t think anything could come between us…until I met his brother.

A sharp poke to my side jolted me upright in my seat.

“We’re here. Get out.”

It took me a moment for my senses to return. I must have dozed off on the way to Nick’s house. I was so exhausted from the long laborious day that once my body was cradled in the soft leather of his car seat, I could no longer fight the sleep that had been threatening to take me out.

I let out a deep yawn before getting out of his car. There was a time when Nick insisted that I wait until he opened the door for me. But this was just a subtle reminder that I would be receiving none of his hospitality.

I was surprised that he took my suitcase, but I didn’t say anything. I was too exhausted to speak which would probably just lead to an argument with him anyway.

Most of the house was cloaked in darkness. but it was just as I remembered save some minor changes here and there. Nick didn’t give me much chance to look around anyway because he headed upstairs, and he didn’t need to tell me that I was expected to follow.

Part of me breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he led me to one of his guest bedrooms.

“You can sleep here tonight. If you need anything, you can get it yourself. My housekeeper is taking a much-needed vacation, and I might as well put you to use while you’re here. Set your alarm for six o’clock to fix me breakfast as I’ll be downstairs at 7:45 for my meal.”

“Wait, you expect me to cook for you?”

“Among other things.  Will that be a problem Francesca?”

I thought about it for a moment, and while I didn’t think he would bring me here in the capacity of a maid, maybe that was better than the alternative. Cooking and cleaning I could handle. The other stuff…well, I didn’t want to think about it.

I shook my head vehemently. “No, I have no problem with it. I suppose you want me to clean the house for you as well?”

“I guess no one could ever accuse you of being stupid. You can clean all the rooms except mine. I’ll take care of that myself. Mary keeps the cleaning supplies in the utility closet by the laundry room. I will call you when I’m on my way home from work. I will expect dinner by the time I get home. You should have plenty to do during the daytime. You are not to leave this house without my permission.”

“What if I need groceries?”

“Mary has set up a weekly delivery. If you need something added to the grocery list, then you can leave a list on the refrigerator for me to add. Any more questions?”

A lump formed in my throat. I didn’t know why after all this time and all that he’d thrown at me up until now sliced into my heart. I shook my head.

He stared at me long and hard, his expression giving nothing away. For a moment I thought he would approach, but instead he turned on his heel and headed out the door. Just as he made it to the threshold, he turned.

“Francesca, welcome to your new life for the next two months. Don’t for one second think this will be a walk in the park for you. As I said before, I’m a man of my word, and I intend to make you suffer for what you did.”

And with that, he was gone leaving me standing in the room feeling as if my entire world was about to explode.

Chapter Nine

Nick

This was a huge mistake. I shouldn’t have brought her to my home, but I couldn’t stop myself once the words were out. Maybe it was because I wasn’t 100 percent sure that she was telling me the truth about the mystery man in her house being her brother. When we were together, she wasn’t that open about her family, only saying that her parents were both deceased and that she had one brother.

I figured since she didn’t talk about her only surviving family member much that they weren’t close, so I never pressed. I always assumed she’d eventually open up. It just seemed odd now that he would show up out of the blue.

It didn’t matter because she was mine for the next two months, and it was my intention to break her. She’d be damaged goods by the time I was done with her.

So why did I get up before the crack of dawn and head to my office just to avoid her? I’d specifically told her to be up a certain time so that she could have my breakfast ready, but I avoided her instead. It stayed on my mind all morning and put me in a foul mood. I found myself snappy at everyone around me. Cheri took the brunt of my ire and was now avoiding me. I barely made it through my meetings without completely blowing up. By mid-afternoon I was done.

I was on the verge of calling it a day when my office door burst open. Only one person could do that and get away with it.

“What the hell is your problem, man?” Chris, who was probably one of the most laid-back people I knew, stormed inside and closed the door none too gently.

I really wasn’t in the mood, especially since my head was starting to throb with tension.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I’m sure you’ll tell me?”

“Cut the bullshit. These last few days, you’ve been an absolute asshole, and today you were borderline rude to one of our biggest clients in this morning’s meeting. Now I see Cheri crying at your desk. You might tell me its none of my business, but it damn sure is when it’s affecting this company. If you can’t tell me what the problem is as your business partner at least tell me what’s going on as your best friend.”

Chris wasn’t one to meddle so the fact that he was so passionate about what was upsetting him told me that he wouldn’t relent. I wanted to tell him to fuck off, but it would just lead to another blow up I didn’t want to deal with. Besides, while I didn’t expect more from my employees that I didn’t expect of myself, my goal wasn’t to make them run away in fear from me. As for Cheri, I couldn’t ask for a better assistant, and the fact that I’d upset her to the point of crying didn’t sit well with me. I made a mental note to have some flowers sent to her.

“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Chris demanded, breaking me out of my silent musings.

“It’s complicated.” I released a heavy sigh while slumping in my seat.

“It’s only as complicated as you make it. Look man, you brother hasn’t been dead that long, and I know how much he meant to you. You only took a week off, and that was because you were helping your mother plan the funeral. Have you actually taken the time to properly grieve?”

I was about to deny his claim, but Chris held up his hand halting me before I had the chance.

“No, hear me out. I know what you’re going through. When my dad died, the first couple months I went through the motions. I didn’t cry, and I tried not to think about him that much. But one day I just woke up angry, and I didn’t understand why. It wasn’t until his birthday rolled around and I broke down. All those emotions I was going through was because I couldn’t allow myself to say goodbye to him. Because if I did, that would mean acknowledging he was gone. Maybe you should take some time off to get yourself together.”

“I don’t need to take any time off; besides, I have meetings lined up for weeks.”

“They can be rearranged. You’re not doing anyone any good here. In fact, I insist that you take some time off. We have competent people here that are more than capable of stepping in. I know how to reach you in case of emergency.”

Maybe I hadn’t truly said goodbye to Kenny, but there was something else going on that I couldn’t ignore. Against my better judgment I found myself confessing. “Frankie is staying at my house.”

Chris’s eyes doubled in size, and his mouth fell open. “Frankie as in Kenny’s widow?”

“Yes and before you ask me why, it’s for reasons I don’t want to get into now, but it certainly doesn’t help issues.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t considering you never got over her.”

I snort, shaking my head in disdain. “More so disgusted.”

“Well if you’re so disgusted then why is she staying at your place? Look, you don’t have to answer, but I hope you know what you’re doing. I know how torn up you were when the two of you broke up. Strange thing is, even after what she did to you, I never got the impression that she’s not a horrible person.”

I rolled my eyes. Chris had a soft spot for beautiful women, but he didn’t know this succubus the way I did. But now that she was the topic of the moment, I at least didn’t have to focus on the loss of my brother. I could direct all my emotions to the woman who was responsible for it. “You don’t know her like I do.”

“Maybe not. But if she’s so bad, why invite her into your home? I don’t see why you’d want more chaos in your life.”

“As I said, I have my reasons. I shouldn’t have brought her up. You’re right. Maybe I do need to take a little time off, but I can’t completely stop working. How about this: I take a few weeks off and work mostly from home. I’ll teleconference in for the meetings I can’t miss. I’ll turn over some of my portfolios to some of our more promising associates. It might give them a chance to shine.”

Chris stuffed his hands in his pockets. “You are a perpetual workaholic, but if this is the best I can get out of you, then I suppose your solution is a fair compromise. It’s okay to rely on other people sometimes.”

“I know. I appreciate your looking out for me.”

“I hope when you’re home you’ll take some time to relax and maybe just sit and think.”

I doubt that was going to happen with Frankie in close proximity. On the other hand, with my being home I could keep her on her toes. Perhaps working from home wouldn’t be a bad thing after all. “I think I have something I’d like to do while I’m home that will keep me occupied.”

“Care to tell me what that is?”

“Not right now, but I’m sure we’ll talk about it at some point.”

“Fine, be secretive if you want, but I’m just glad that you’re heeding my advice. In the meantime, you really should go out there and apologize to Cheri. The poor woman is beside herself.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Good.”

“I don’t have any more meetings today so I’m going to pack up and take off early.”

Chris stood up. “Okay, man, you take care of yourself, and if you need anyone to talk to, you know I’m always here for you.”

“I know.”

I couldn’t think of a time when Chris didn’t have my back, and I was grateful he was here to tell me things that I didn’t want to hear but needed to.

As I was packing up, I picked up my phone to let Frankie know that I would be on my way home, but I stopped myself. I’d be there earlier than usual, and though I hadn’t told her what time I usually left the office, it was still early enough where most people would be at work. I wanted to catch her off guard to see what she was actually doing with her time.

My heart pounded in my chest and my pulse raced at the thought of seeing her. I told myself that it wasn’t because I was happy to see her but all the things I intended to do to make her miserable. I was dead serious about making her life hell. Now that I’d be home most of the time, it was something I could do more thoroughly.

After packing up, I called the florist and ordered the largest bouquet to be sent to my assistant, but I knew that wasn’t enough. On my way out I gave Cheri a verbal apology for being so difficult, and I was thankful that she quickly accepted.

Once I was out of the office building, my mind was razor focused on one thing: getting home to torment Frankie. When I stepped inside, the house had the kind of quiet that signaled no one was in residence. My house was large because I had bought it as a good investment, and when I’d first started dating Frankie, I could picture us raising a family inside these walls. That was simply a foolish man’s pipe dream. This house would be her prison.

She wasn’t in the kitchen or any of the other common areas, and once I admitted to myself that she wasn’t actually here, my anger from earlier returned with a vengeance.

I pulled out my cell phone and dialed her number.

No answer.

Had she backed out of our arrangement already? The woman had absolutely no honor, so I shouldn’t have expected otherwise. As I was stewing however, I heard the front door opening, and she walked in wearing a pair or yoga pants and a sports bra. Beads of sweat glistened all over her body giving her the appearance of glowing. It was clear that she’d left the house for some exercise, but I wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable.

“Where the fuck did you go.”

She rolled her eyes heavenward. “As you can see, I’m dressed to work out. I went for a run if that’s okay with you, Your Majesty.”

“Cut the attitude? What part of don’t leave the house is so hard to comprehend.”

“When you said that, I figured getting a little exercise on a nice day wouldn’t be a big deal. Don’t tell me I’m literally stuck in the house all day?”

“My words were don’t leave the house. Which means all activities outside of the house counts as leaving. You couldn’t wait one day before defying me, but I should have expected that from someone like you.”

“I honestly didn’t see the big deal.”

“The big deal is that I told you to do something, and you fucking disobeyed. That’s the big deal. Do you know what happens to people who can’t fucking follow instructions?”

Frankie placed her hands on her hips, which pushed her breasts out even more than they were. “I’m sure you’ll tell me.”

“10…”

“Ten what?”

“9…”

She cocked her head to the side. “What are you doing?”

“8…”

“Why are you counting, Nick?”

“7…”

“If you’re trying to intimidate me, it won’t work.”

“6…” I took a step forward.

She took a step back.

“5…”

“You’re being ridiculous Nick.”

“4…” I took two more steps.

Her eyes widen, and she begins to back up. “I just needed some air. You can’t expect me to stay cooped up inside all day; it’s inhumane.”

“3…” That she dared to utter something being inhumane only justified to me that she deserved everything coming to her. Inhumane was what she’d done to my brother.

She continued to step back as I advanced. “Stop this.”

“2…”

She held her hands out like a protective shield. It wouldn’t stop me.

“1….run!”

Frankie turned and took off faster than I expected. She made it halfway up the stairs by the time I caught up with her and gripped her ankle, making her trip. To my surprise, she turned over and shoved her sneaker-clad foot against my chest sending me flying backward.

She scrambled away as I hit the ground hard. With the wind temporarily knocked from my lungs, it gave her enough time to successfully get away. I lay in the same spot for a moment to make sure nothing was broken, and I thanked God I was in good enough shape to take a fall like this. Slowly, I stood up and headed up the stairs with menacing determination.

When I found myself in front of Frankie’s bedroom door, I discovered it was locked.

There was no point in knocking. I knew that without even trying. Perhaps she didn’t take this seriously and it was all a game to her, but by the end of the night I would be the winner.

Chapter Ten

Frankie

The man was insane.

I was more than willing to follow through with what he’d asked, no demanded of me; so when my alarm went off at an ungodly hour, I got up, showered and dressed to make his breakfast of a Greek omelette with a side of toast, and then I waited. And waited. After an hour passed at the time he said he usually ate his breakfast, stupid me thought I’d go check on him to make sure he was okay.

I knocked on his bedroom door, but there was no sound. I figured he might had slept past his alarm, so I poked my head in to see that his bed was already made, and he was gone.

To say I was annoyed was an understatement. After the big fuss he’d made about me taking over his housekeeping and cooking duties, that fucker had the nerve to go.

I ended up eating the meal I’d prepared since I hated wasting food and set about cleaning. The house was enormous with a kitchen, dining room, family room, sitting room, game room, full finished basement, five bedrooms, four full baths and a power room. Thankfully, it was relatively in order, so all I mainly did was some dusting and vacuuming. However, as I went through each room, my heart twisted a bit when I thought about the first time I had visited this place and how Nick had proudly gave me a tour. He’d intimated that it was the perfect place to raise a family, and there was a time when I could actually see myself here with him.

But then Kenny happened.

I never thought I’d step foot in this place again, especially not in these circumstances. By the time I finished cleaning the house to the best of my ability, I was tired and emotionally drained and frankly feeling a little cabin fever. I remember I’d packed some work out gear because I needed to expend some energy. Sometimes I’d ran to clear my head, and my thoughts were as chaotic as they were going to get.  I know Nick said that I wasn’t to leave the house, but I interpreted his instruction to mean not to leave the neighborhood. I was certain he didn’t expect me to not want to go outside at the very least for some fresh air.

So I ran. And even though it didn’t solve any of my more pressing issues, it was a coping mechanism that allowed me to destress a bit. It was my intention to shower and started looking through the fridge for dinner ideas. But when I walked into the house, I was met with an enraged Nick. His usually bright green eyes had gone so dark they had appeared to change color. The scowl distorting his features made my pulse race in fear.

I didn’t believe I’d done anything wrong, but apparently Nick thought otherwise which is how I found myself running away and locking myself in my bedroom. I did feel kind of guilty for kicking him in the chest, but I had no idea what he’d do to me once he caught me. I had no intention of leaving my room until I was sure he had calmed down. Once the door was firmly locked, I sunk to my knees.

All the stress that had been building up over the past several days came back with a fury. I took deep shallow breaths to fight off a full-blown panic attack.

I’d never seen him so enraged.

Not even when I left him for Kenny.

It was ironic that we were meeting in this exact same coffee shop where our worlds first collided, but it was in the middle of the city and an easy place for us to get to. I’d been dreading this meeting for a week. We hadn’t seen each other since the huge blow up with we’d had, and he probably thought I had contacted him to work things out.

I nursed the caramel latte in my hands not really tasting the frothy sweetness. My stomach was in knots, and my whole body shook. I didn’t know how he’d react when I told him the news, but I didn’t have long to dwell on it when he came into the coffee shop looking better than a cover model on a high-end men’s magazine. Clad in a pair of worn jeans and cream sweater, his look was casual but still screamed expensive. His hair was wet and slicked back like it didn’t have a chance to dry before he came here. The lower half of his face now sported two-day stubble giving him a primal appearance. More than anything I wanted to leap out of my chair and right into his arms, but I remained in my seat with what little will-power I had left.

I thought of Kenny and realize I had to stay strong no matter what I wanted. I had to do the right thing. And unfortunately, the right thing meant a big heart break coming my way.

With each step Nick took to my table my heart sped up. He grabbed my hands and yanked me out of my chair, pulling him against the hard plane of his body. “I’m so glad you called. I was going crazy.”

The woodsy scent of his cologne clung to his skin reminding me of home. As he held me, I pressed my head against his chest, cherishing that moment one last time before I gently pushed him away.

Nick bent down to give me a kiss, but I turned my head away and his lips grazed my cheek.

His brows shot up. “Are you still upset with me? I’m sorry for the things I said. I was angry but really that’s no excuse. I’m just glad to hear from you.”

I couldn’t even look him in the eyes. I needed to get this over with before I completely fell apart.

“I think you should sit down.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed briefly. I think it was at that moment he picked up that I didn’t call him to work things out between us. “What’s this all about?”

“Can we just talk, Nick? Why don’t you have a seat?” Again I avoided eye contact with him because if I looked at him properly I knew I’d break down, and I wouldn’t be able to go through with this.

“No, tell me what’s going on first.” His escalated voice drew the stares of some of the patrons in the coffee shop.

“Please, you’re making a scene.” I returned to my seat hoping he’d take my cue.

Thankfully he did, but judging by the furious furrow of his brow, he wasn’t pleased.

“Okay, I’m sitting down. Now talk.” His words were now terse making my shakes return.

“This…this thing between you and I…it’s just not going to work. I’m sorry Nick but we can’t be together anymore.” My focused remained on my latte so I wouldn’t lose my nerve.

When he didn’t respond right away, I was forced to look at him. His expression was stony, giving nothing away.

“I…I’m sorry.”

He was statue still. The only indication that my news affected him at all was the flex of his jaw muscle.

I bowed my head waiting for him to speak next. I was certain that whatever it was wouldn’t be good, but I owed him his say at least. I nervously brought my latte to my lips and took a hasty sip because my throat had gone dry.

The silence stretched and I squirmed in my seat unable to take the growing tension. Finally I was the one to speak. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

“You’re the one who owes me an explanation, so I’m waiting. I understand that we both said things we shouldn’t have when we argued, but I never took you for the kind of woman who would cut and run when things got tough. So explain.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It was the explanation that I feared more than the break up. “It’s more than just the argument. Look, I gave what you said a lot of thought, and you’re right about me seeming to care more about your brother than you. Kenny means a lot to me, and I want to be with him. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”

“What did you say?”

“I said Kenny and I are getting married. I know this seems abrupt but—”

“You fucking bitch.” The words were spoken with an underlying steel that made me want to run.

“I’m really sorry, Nick. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“My mother was right about you. Kenny mention his trust fund, and all of a sudden you became interested in him because you know he’s easier to manipulate than me.”

I shook my head vehemently in denial. “That’s isn’t the reason I really care about him. I—”

He slammed his fist against the table making me flinch. “Shut your fucking mouth. If you think you can get away with messing with my brother’s head just to get access to his money, then you have another thing coming. My brother is naïve, and of course he’d fall for the first woman who gives him some attention.”

Hearing Nick talk about Kenny as if he didn’t have his own autonomy was one of the very reasons I had to do this. “Kenny may have medical issues, but he’s still a man. You shouldn’t talk about your brother as if he doesn’t have his own mind and know his own heart.”

“When did this happen?”

“Does it matter?”

“When. Did. This. Happen.”

“I said it doesn’t matter,” I raised my voice. At this point I didn’t care if people were staring at us or that my heart was breaking with each word we exchanged. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to marry him, and you can’t stop us. Kenny is an adult of sound mind. So if you don’t want to lose him too, I suggest you back off.”

I stood up then but he grabbed my arm. “You don’t get to walk away like his!”

“Leave me alone!” I yell at the top of my lungs making the entire coffee shop go silent. “I don’t love you anymore, and you just have to accept that.” Using all my strength I yanked my arm out of his hold. I couldn’t bear to look at the hurt on his face, and I especially didn’t want him to see me cry.”

Reliving that day weighed heavy on my spirit. I understood why Nick would be angry with me after I’d hurt him and what he believed I had done to Kenny, but this personal vendetta of his was slowly breaking me down, and this was day one.

I’m not sure how long I sat on the floor torturing myself with the memories of the past. There was no taking back the things I’d done, but if I had to be honest, I didn’t regret it. In my head I’d done what was necessary regardless of what Nick or his mother thought. I doubt he would believe that I’d married Kenny as much for his sake as I did his brother’s.

Darkness seeped into the room signaling nightfall, and though I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, I was too frightened and too tired to dare venture out of my room. Maybe in the morning Nick would have calmed down enough so that we could talk like rational adults. I undressed and headed to my bathroom and showered making the water as hot as I was able to stand. I stayed underneath the stinging spray until my skin puckered.

The bed was calling me, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Once I slipped under the covers I slowly drifted off.

Maybe it was a dream, but I could feel someone tugging at my arm followed by the sound of a decisive click. I stirred but couldn’t open my eyes. My other arm met the same fate, and I attempted to turn to my side but couldn’t. In fact, my arms were restrained, and I couldn’t break free. This didn’t feel like a dream at all.

I opened my eyes and immediately closed them against the light beaming down on me. I was certain I’d turned off my lamp before I got into bed. Slowly I raised my lids again to see that the lights were indeed on and I wasn’t alone.

I was certain that I locked the door, but it was missing. It had been taken off of its hinges. I attempted to sit up, and it finally dawned on me that my hands were tethered to the bed by handcuffs.

But the scariest part, standing over my bed like a silent predator, was Nick silently watching me, and he was holding a knife.

Chapter Eleven

Frankie

I closed my eyes and opened my eyes again to make sure I wasn’t in the middle of a fucked-up nightmare.  I pulled at my restraints and sure enough, they were as real as my missing door. To say that I was scared was an understatement. If there was any water in my bladder, I was certain I’d pee myself.

Nick stood at the foot of the bed staring at me, holding that knife by his side. To be truthful, the knife didn’t scare me half as much as the blank stare on his face. Had he snapped? Was this my last night on Earth. So many questions ran through my head. When Nick had vowed to make me pay, I didn’t think he’d do it by murdering me.

I yank at the cuffs holding me hostage again. “Nick, this isn’t funny let me go.”

He didn’t respond. I hated when he did that because I wasn’t sure if he had actually absorbed my words, or he was just standing there to terrify. Either way it wasn’t cool. “Nick, stop this now. Let me go. If you’re upset because I left the house today, then I’m sorry. It won’t happen again, so could you please end this horrible prank and let me out of this?”

The harder I yanked the more the cuff rubbed roughly against my skin.

He continued to watch me, and I think for a moment I stopped breathing. Realizing it was useless to fight, I went limp as the terror continued to mount.

After what seemed like hours, although I’m sure it was just a few minutes, he yanked the covers that had now pooled at my waist off of me. Although I was in my usual sleep uniform, a tank top and a pair of boy shorts, I felt exposed under his heated gaze. If I didn’t know better, I thought I spied a spark of desire in his eyes, and that frightened me more than the possibility of being maimed.

His gaze lingered on my body falling on my breasts. To my utter embarrassment, my nipples pebbled. I bit my bottom lip and turned my head away so that I wouldn’t have to see his smug perusal of me.

“Are you feeling helpless, Francesca?”

His words startled me, mainly because that wasn’t what I expected him to say.

“You have me cuffed to the bed, what do you think?”

“I want to hear you say it, Francesca. Do you feel helpless?”

He moved to the side of the bed and placed the tip of the knife against my neck. Although he didn’t press it forward, if I took too deep a breath, it would nick my skin. “Yes,” I croaked, hoping that once I answered he’d pull the knife away.

Instead he slid the knife along the column of my neck down to the valley of my breast. Without warning, he sliced my shirt wide open making my breast spill out. With his other hand he ripped the remainder of the shirt off my body.

“If you want sex, then uncuff me. It doesn’t have to be this way. You’re really scaring me.”

“You don’t get to call the shots.”  He ran the sharpened side of the knife across my already hardened nipples gently enough not to slice my skin but enough to feel it sting. I attempted to shrink away from the blade, but it was impossible in these cuffs.

“You’re scaring me, Nick. Is that what you wanted to hear? Then yes, I’m scared. Would you please let me go?”

“Scared, huh?”  He circled one nipple with the knife and tweaked the other between his thumb and forefinger.

I gasped. Even though my feeble attempts to suppress my arousal were a complete fail, I kept my body as still as possible. “Yes,” I finally replied.

“Your body isn’t. You can’t be that scared because you clearly want this. He moved he knife further down my body lingering over my navel until moving lower still. He grazed my thighs with the knife avoiding the area around my pussy. I nibbled my bottom lip as I quickly headed down the path of losing control.

Nick took his time running his blade along my skin. The combination of danger and the gentleness of his motions made me shake. I hated that he was able to make me feel this way.

No part of my skin was left untouched. Finally, he slid the knife under the seam of my panties, which were then given the same treatment as my tank top.

He pulled what was left of my underwear away from my body leaving me buck naked. Then he did something completely unexpected. Nick turned the knife around and rubbed the head against my labia. He teased my entrance before pushing it inside of me.

“Oh, God!” He’d taken me completely by surprise. I arched my back and lifted my hips trying to pull away, but it sent knife deeper inside of me. “Please stop this.”

Nick chuckled. “You don’t want me to. In fact, you love it.” He pulled he knife out and held it just a few inches from my face. The knife handle glistened with my wetness. “Your cunt is dripping. Doesn’t look like you want me to stop. He pressed the handle against my lip, smearing them with my juices. “Lick it like the greedy cum slut you are.”

I don’t know if it was a subconscious action or nerves, but my tongue darted out and licked up the wetness.

“That’s a good little bitch.” Nick pulled away from me and to my relief placed the knife on the nightstand. I moved away from the bed, and I thought he was leaving the room. Instead he halted in front a bag I didn’t notice was there. He pulled out two more sets of cuffs before returning. He captured one ankle before snapping an end of one cuff around it before tethering the other end to the bed post. Though I tried to kick out at him as he tried to do the same with the other, it was useless because he easily overpowered me. With both of my ankles now secured, my legs were wide opened.

I’d never felt more exposed in my life. I felt as if I were in a crazy version of a bad premium cable television movie.

Again he stared, sliding his gaze along each inch of my skin. The instinct to fight was strong but pointless. The only thing I could do was to appeal to whatever shred of decency he may have left in him. “Nick, please let me go. This isn’t you. I’m sorry for leaving the house, and it won’t happen again. This is not funny.”

“You’re right. This isn’t funny. Never has been. Do you know why I’m doing this?”

“Because you’re a big bully?” I figured no matter what I said he’d punish me anyway, so I said what was on my mind.

A sadistic smile curved his lips. “Sweetheart you don’t know the definition of the word bully. What you call bullying, I call payback. You see, when this is all over, you’re going to learn that you can’t manipulate people for your own personal gain without consequences. You’re going to learn how it feels to be at someone’s mercy, begging, pleading, and maybe just maybe receiving it. Or maybe not.”

“I never manipulated anyone.”

“Lying has become second nature to you. I bet you actually believe it, don’t you? Kind of like you’re lying to yourself that you don’t want this. Not only am I going to prove that you do indeed want this, but I’m going to make you beg for it. I’m not going to let you cum until you do.”

“I will never beg you. You disgust me.” I may not have been able to do much with my hands and feet restricted, but there was one way I could still fight him: resistance. I wouldn’t give in to him no matter what. My pride was all I had left.”

“I thought you’d say that. But I have some things that might change your mind.” As he spoke, he lifted the shirt over his head and tossed it aside revealing his toned chest liberally sprinkled with dark brown hair.

I bit the inside of my lip willing myself to remain strong. This was nothing I hadn’t already seen before. Nick was an excellent lover, the best I’d ever had in fact, not that I had a lot of experience. I’d only had a couple of lovers in college, but the sex was so uninspired I believed I was the problem until I met Nick who managed to make my body do things I didn’t think it was capable of.

But this wasn’t my Nick, not the loving man I once knew. This demon was on a mission to destroy me, and the truth was, he just might.

Nick retrieved a bowl on the nightstand. He must have put it there when he’d taken my door down. He pulled out a cube of ice.

“Don’t,” I whimpered as old memories came flooding back.

A smirk curved his lips. “So you remember. That one time we played with ice, your body got so heated that the ice melted as soon as it touched your skin. You loved every second of it, didn’t you.” He sat on the bed next to me.

I refused to answer because if he forced me to think about the time when I was head-over-heels in love with him, I would cry, and he couldn’t have my tears.

“You don’t have to answer. I see that you do. Those cute little whimpers you made when I did this...” He circled my lips with the ice and then slid it into my mouth.

In an act of defiance, I spit it back it at him.

Instead of angering him, however, he actually grinned. But there was no amusement in that smile. There was something sinister and dangerous about it that made me shiver.

“Naughty girl. No worries. I have something for filthy little sluts who like to spit.” Nick slid off the bed, but he didn’t get far. He rummaged through a black plastic bag and pulled out what looked like a leather necklace with a red ball in the center. It took me a moment to realize what it was. “Don’t you dare?”

He returned to the bed and dangled the contraption in my face. “Seems you don’t have a choice in the matter, Francesca.”

“I didn’t realize you were into this kind of thing.”

“I didn’t either, but while I was lying on my back after you kicked me down the stairs, I decided you needed a special kind of punishment. Something that would leave you feeling helpless and used.”

“Not that I intend to, but how are you supposed to make me beg with that thing?”

He shoved the ball gag in my mouth and strapped it around my head. “Oh, you don’t need your mouth. You can beg me with those fuck me eyes of yours, or nod that pretty little head of yours.” He pulled away then probably to admire his handiwork.  The lasciviousness of his gaze made me shiver, and I knew it was going to be a long night.

My humiliation was complete, but I would not give him the satisfaction of begging.

“Now where were we?” Nick retrieved another ice cube. “What should I do with this one?”

I glared in response.

He chuckled. “That’s right. You can’t answer at the moment. No worries. I have an idea. Nick lowered the cube along my neck and then slid down the center of my breasts. The cold of the ice raised goosebumps along my skin. He then circled one of my nipples with it making it pucker to a rock-hard pebble. I didn’t want to react to this sensual torture, but I moaned behind the ball gag.

I arched my back and struggled against my confinement. Nick turned his attention to my other nipple rubbing it.  The melted water dripped down my body, and as much as I tried to numb myself, a fire spread in the pit of my belly spreading throughout my entire body. My pussy throbbed, and with my legs spread apart, there was nothing I could do to temper the heat burning like an out of control flame. The ice wasn’t the only thing producing liquid. My inner thighs grew sticky with my juices.

When Nick lowered his head, lapped each nipple and sucked on each in turn, I rolled my eyes to the back of my head. My resolve was running thin, and if he kept this up, he’d get exactly what he wanted.

When Nick captured a hardened tip, I found myself arching my back, practically shoving my tit into his mouth.  He gave my nipple a sharp nip with his teeth, taking me by surprise.

Nick raised his head baring his teeth. “Seems like you’re enjoying this way too much.” He bit my other nipple. “To even things up.”

He grabbed more ice and continued to torture my breasts, alternating with his lips, teeth and tongue. I couldn’t keep still, and I was so close to cumming. The ball gag made it impossible for me to bite my lip which was what I would have done to stop moaning.

As if sensing I was nearly my peak, Nick lifted his head. “I knew this would drive you crazy. Your body is so sensitive to my touch.”

I shook my head vehemently.

His brow shot up. “Still lying? Well there’s certainly one way to see if you’re telling the truth.” And with that, Nick positioned himself between my thighs and without warning, shoved too fingers inside my pussy.

“Mmmmmmm!” My scream was muffled by the gag. I tried to wiggle my hips, to do something against this erotic intrusion. I wanted to allow myself to release, but I was fighting a battle that I was on the verge of losing. But I still had some fight left in me.

“You little liar. You’re going to deny how much you want this when your hot cunt is soaking my fingers? I have something that will cool you down.” Before I could realize what he was about to do, he grabbed another piece of ice and rubbed it against my clit.

The shock of the cold spread throughout my entire nervous system making a series of shivers to flow through my body. But Nick didn’t seem satisfied because he slipped the ice inside my pussy.”

The cold was nearly too much for me to handle, but the despite this, I was still very aroused.

Nick lowered himself until he was eye-level with my pussy. “You smell so fucking good. I wish you could see how your little button is so swollen and dark pink that its peeking out, begging for me to suck it. So, you want me to suck your pussy, sweetheart? That’s fine, you don’t have to say the words. Your eyes do it for you.”

I thought he’d just tease me and prolong my torture. Instead he buried his face between my legs and devoured my pussy like a rabid wolverine. He licked, sucked bit and made me bite down on the ball in my mouth. He even wrote his fucking name in it. Drool slid down the corners of my mouth, and once again he brought me to the edge. Just when I was one the cusp of exploding, he stopped.

“No, not yet slut.”

I winced from the degradation that cut so deep. Tears weren’t far behind not only because of how Nick used my body so carelessly, but also for the fact that my body wanted this. I wanted this.

I didn’t realize until now how much I missed his touch, and all the things he used to do to me. I thought when I’d walked away from him that would remain a part of my past, but he’d managed to awaken something in me that I didn’t think I’d feel again. I was every bit of the whore he thought I was. I was loath to admit it.

He rolled off the bed and proceeded to strip out of his pants and boxers, revealing his long, thick cock that was red, veiny and angry. Nick gripped it in his hands, his gaze locking with mine. “You see what you do to me? I can tell you want it. And I’m willing to give it to you. So, all you have to do is shake your head if you want me to end this.”

I wanted to shake my head, but I my brain wouldn’t cooperate. The only thing I could do was shut my eyes tight to block the smug curve of his full lips.

He chuckled before returning to the bed and positioning himself between my legs. Nick didn’t give me a chance to react to his closeness because he slammed his hips forward thrusting himself so deep inside of me I could feel him in my belly.

“Mmmm!” My muffled scream had no effect on him.

Nick pulled back until just the tip remained inside of me and then shoved every inch of himself back in. He gripped my hips, riding me rough. With each thrust my entire body vibrated as I remained bond and helpless to his will.

“Fuck! How are you able to do this to me?” The question seemed to be more for himself than me because it wasn’t like I could answer.

He slid his hands beneath my ass and lifted my lower body making him go deeper still. My walls tightened around him, and my toes curled. The flames that he’d ignited threatened to consume me until I couldn’t take anymore.

He’d denied me completion already, but I wouldn’t give him a chance this time. My body erupted from the inside making me very close to the point of passing out.

“That’s right. Cum on my dick like a good little bitch,” he taunted.

And just like that, all the ecstasy that I felt shriveled up in that moment. Nick might not have denied me, but he made damn sure I would hate myself for letting go.

He continued to plow into me like a man holding a jack hammer, stretching my walls to their absolute limits. Just when I didn’t think my humiliation could get any worse, Nick pulled out and shot his seed all over my stomach and chest.

“You’re welcome.”

He rolled off the bed, retrieved his clothing and walked out the door.

My total shame was complete.

Chapter Twelve

Nick

Some would say I had gone completely mad. Some would be correct. It would be my only justification in court if I considered murder.

As I lay on my back after she kicked me down the stairs, all I could think about were ways I would actually kill her, such was my rage. Then I thought she’d be getting off easy. She’d used my brother, mentally tortured him, and then he died. She didn’t deserve death, but I would make her wish she were dead.

So I left the house to take a drive, mainly to cool down. I so wanted to wrap my arms around her throat and choke the life out of her. I drove for over an hour before I came up with a plan of what to do with her. I found myself buying some items to enact it.

Taking the hinges off Frankie’s door wasn’t my most inspired moment. Neither was cuffing her while she slept, but I couldn’t be deterred. I didn’t consider what I’d done cruel because she deserved everything coming to her. Maybe I did go a bit overboard with the knife, but I still felt not the least bit remorse. I relished the fear gleaming in those big brown eyes because I didn’t believe it. She was trying to gain my sympathy and tap into that part of my heart that remembered she used to own it.

I forced myself not to feel anything besides my baser emotions. I let my cock guide me even though there was a brief moment when I nearly lost it. Touching her dark velvety skin made me want to uncuff her and explore her body properly. I wanted to press my lips against her full soft ones. I remembered how sweet her kisses tasted.

The more that I tortured her, however, I felt as if I were doing it to myself. And that made me angrier and meaner. I lashed out, and when it was over, I couldn’t look her in the eyes.

Even as I walked out the door, the sound of her sobs taunted my ears. I had to push away any and all guilt that threatened to surface. That bitch didn’t deserve my sympathy.

I know she only married me for the money. I keep telling her how I feel, but she just laughs at me. She will never love me, and it’s killing me. She’s killing me.

Those words were burned into my memory, and I would never forget them. A few days after Kenny died, my mother had wanted to go to his house and go through some of his personal effect as a keepsake. Since Frankie was in residence, I didn’t think it would be a good idea considering the fragile state she was in.

I’d made an arrangement with Frankie to look through his things while she was out so we wouldn’t have to see each other. Even if she’d said no, I would have kicked the door in to get what I wanted before she could get rid of his belongings.

I hired movers to help me go through the house and collect his things. I’d been so angry going through that house they’d shared together, secretly hating her for leaving me for my brother and secretly jealous of my brother for being the one she chose. I went through the house retrieving items that belonged to him, his wheelchair, crutches, books, his favorite shirts. I didn’t want her to touch anything that used to be his.

The last room I inspected was Kenny’s office. My brother’s cerebral palsy made it difficult for him to work in a regular office setting, so he did a lot of freelance writing. From the time we were kids, he enjoyed reading and writing poetry. His hands may not have cooperated with him all the time, but he used a computer to get his words across and to show his brilliant mind.

I took every piece of furniture from that office, as well as the computer. Before it was packed away however, I noticed that there was a thumb drive plugged in that I pocketed before it was packed away.

Later than night after having my brother’s things placed in storage, I plugged the drive into my computer to see what was on it. There were several files of his past works. A lot of it was for his job and some of it was personal. Tears poured down my face as the beauty of his poetry touched my heart. This was the side of my brother he didn’t often let me see before because I had never been a poetry kind of guy. I would often brush him off when he used to show me a poetry or humor him until he just stopped showing me. I truly regretted that. I’d be so wrapped up in my own shit that I didn’t get to know this side of my brother. I stayed up for hours that night, reading every poem and committing it to memory.

Then I found a folder titled My Life. I thought it would be another collection of poems, but it turned out to be a journal. I was getting tired and debated on whether to save it for later, but I started to skim through the pages and stumbled across Kenny’s retelling of his life with Frankie. He talked about promising her money to get her to marry him, pretty much confirming what me and my mother had already expected. But it was those damning words of how she was throwing his feelings back in his face which really fueled the hatred I felt for her.

All I had to do was think of those words and any feelings of regret vanished. It was why Frankie didn’t deserve another restful moment for the rest of her life.

I was tempted to leave her bound for the rest of the night, and I almost did, but I remembered she needed to get up and make my breakfast. I left her for an hour to make her suffer a little.

Frankie was still wide awake when I entered the room. The only light in the room was the lamp by the nightstand that illuminated her body. My seed had dried up on her body, and her hair was mussed. Dried tear streaks stained her cheeks, and her eyes were puffy. She looked so fucking pathetic, like one of those puppies in the animal rescue commercials with the sad music playing in the background. In normal circumstances I might have actually cared, but again I told myself that every bit of pain she experienced was on her.

I kept my gaze averted as I released her cuffs. Frankie didn’t acknowledge me while I accomplished my task. She simply stared at the ceiling. As soon as she was free, she sat up and massaged her wrists and ankles.

I didn’t want to linger or look at her; for that matter I couldn’t help it. I wanted to join her on the bed, but I grabbed on to the anger and pushed that thought away. “You should probably get some sleep, so you can get up early enough to fix breakfast.”

“What? You want me to cook only for you to already be gone?”

“If I wanted you to cook for a legion of lepers, you’d do what you’re fucking told. And don’t forgot that, Francesca. As it stands, I will be here in the morning because I’ll be working from home for the next few weeks. So get used to seeing me around.

“Will you at least put the door back on the hinges?”

“No…I don’t think I will.”

“Then can I at least switch rooms? I think I should be allowed some privacy.”

“You’re allowed what I say you fucking are. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re not here as my guest but to work off your debt, and I’m going to make you earn ever single penny you’re getting.”

She opened her mouth as if to speak but then closed it. Instead she rolled off her bed, headed for her bathroom and closed the door. It reminded me that I would take that door down as well. Sure, it was a dick move, but I wasn’t particularly disposed to being kind to her.

I headed out of the room just as I heard the shower turn on, and I paused when I thought I heard her sob. Why it caused me to hesitate was something I couldn’t comprehend because I didn’t want to feel anything but disgust for her. Somehow she still found a way to penetrate the walls I’d erected around my heart.

I barely slept a wink that night tossing and turning when I should have been sleeping like a baby. The sound of her cries in the shower was more upsetting. It pissed me off, and by the time the morning rolled around, I was in a lousy mood.

It didn’t help the first sound I heard when I did manage to doze off was my phone going off. I turned around to try to go back to sleep, but it kept ringing. With an angry growl, I grabbed my phone to turn it off then remembered that it could be Chris calling from the office, so I checked the caller ID.

It was my mother. Even worse. I contemplated ignoring her, but knowing her, she would show up on my doorstep if she wasn’t acknowledged immediately. I couldn’t have her finding Frankie here.

“What?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line followed by an exaggerated sigh. “Is that how you greet people on the phone? I’m quite sure I raised you better than that.”

“If I recall clearly, you left me to my own devices quite a bit.”

Her reply was another pregnant pause, and honestly I wasn’t in the mood to placate her.

“Mother, I’m sure you had a reason for calling me, so would you mind telling me what it is?”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve such an ungrateful son. After everything I’ve done for my children, you all treated me like I’m nothing. First you decided to take off to live your life miles away from home even though I needed you. I haven’t heard from your sister in years, and Kenny took off with that…that woman and because he didn’t listen to me, he’s dead. I don’t even know why you bothered to move back in this area if all you were going to do is keep breaking my heart. I had to bury my youngest child not too long ago, and you can’t be bothered to answer the phone without being rude ad disrespectful. After all I’ve done for you….” There was a sniff that followed her guilt-inducing soliloquy followed by a full-on cry.

A dull throb in the back of my skull slowly moved to the front of it threatening to become a full-blown migraine, and the last thing I needed was this. I had to remind myself that my mother was lonely and grieving. The least I could do was not make things harder for her. I needed to reserve my anger for the person who deserved it: Frankie.

I released a heavy sigh. “Mom, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry.”

“I raised the three most ungrateful children, one who was had special needs, singlehandedly because God knows your father didn’t give a damn. And this is how you treat me. I don’t deserve this.” Her sobs became harder. I wasn’t sure if she was sincerely crying or playing it up, but she had a point.

“You’re right. I just didn’t sleep very well, and now I feel a headache coming on.”

“You’re not feeling well? Maybe I should come over and cook something for you, take care of you the way I use to when you were a child. You may be an adult now, but you’re never too old to be taken care of from time to time. I could come over now.”

“No! Don’t come over.” I couldn’t imagine how disastrous it would be for my mother to just show up considering her last confrontation with Frankie. “I mean, I don’t want you to go out of your way to come over here. Besides, all I need is to pop a couple of aspirin and get some sleep, and I’ll feel better.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem at all to come over. I don’t have anything on my schedule today.”

“I appreciate it but please take some time for yourself today. I will be sleeping, so all your fussing will be wasted on me.”

She sniffed. “You always were the most independent out of the three of my children. As I said, there’s nothing wrong with leaning on someone from time to time.”

It was then I realized she wasn’t pushing to come over just to take care of me. She was lonely. I needed to be more cognizant of her situation. “Mom, I’ll tell you what, how about I take you out to lunch some place nice this week?”

“Anywhere I want? How about the country club? I haven’t been there since before my sweet Kenny passed. It would be great if the ladies there can see me with my successful handsome son.”

“Of course, Mom. Whatever you want. I’ll be in touch with you later this week.”

“Okay, I just wanted to call to check in on you. You are all I have left, so I worry sometimes.”

I didn’t think now was the appropriate time to mention that she had another child. so I kept my mouth shut. “Of course, Mom. I need to lie back down, but thanks for calling.”

“Of course, sweetie. I love you.”

“Love you too.”

Sometimes I thought my mother was addicted to wanting people to feel sorry for her as horrible a thought as it was. After the funeral when we were back at the house to host sympathy givers, she seemed to thrive beneath the many condolences she received that day. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but it felt as if those kind words invigorated her in some way. Maybe it was all in my head and there was nothing to it, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I pushed those thoughts away because there was no point in dwelling on it. My mother had always been this way since I’d known her. Maybe it was one of the reasons I’d moved as far away as well as possible once I graduated college. And it was guilt that brought me back. I wanted to be a better son for her, but apparently I could do no right in her eyes most days.

Knowing there was no chance of me falling back asleep, I slid out of bed and headed to my bathroom in search of some headache medicine before getting into the shower.

As the hot water beat against my skin, I couldn’t help but think about the woman only one door away from me. I couldn’t tell if she was up yet or not because my room was pretty insulated which made it difficult for me to hear anything around my house with my bedroom door closed. Images of her spread open and restrained beneath me awakened my dick. As if my hand had a mind of its own, I wrapped my hand around it and stroked.

I felt dirty and ashamed to jerk off to a woman I absolutely despised, but she somehow had a hold on me that I couldn’t explain. I pumped my fist along my length and closed my eyes imagining how her tight little cunt wrapped itself around me that I lost all semblance of control.

“Frankie,” the name tumbled from my lips unheeded, and I’d never been more grateful that no one could witness this embarrassing scene especially her. My seed shot against the shower wall, which I quickly wiped away with my washcloth.

By the time I got out of the shower, I felt somewhat better, but my mood had not improved. I immediately knew someone was about to have a bad day, and it wasn’t going to be me.

Chapter Thirteen

Frankie

I didn’t want to get out of bed because by the time I actually fell asleep my alarm went off. As tempted as I was to roll over and throw the covers over my head, I forced myself to sit up as the events of the previous night came flooding back to me. I remained under the shower’s spray allowing the water to mask tears. I endured the heated liquid until my skin puckered. Even then I didn’t feel quite clean.

And even after Nick degraded me and used me in the most humiliating way another human being could use another, I didn’t hate it. In fact, my body responded to his hand like a fine-tuned instrument under its master’s touch. It was the part messing with my head the most. It filled me with shame and self-loathing that I could be degraded in such a manner and still crave it.

Maybe a part of me still had feelings for him. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that someone I once deeply cared about could treat me this way. More than anything I understood his grief and even his anger. The way things ended didn’t exactly put me in the best of lights, but I know I had done the right thing at the time. And it was something I could never tell him. He could never know why I’d ended things with him and married his brother because at the end of the day, the things that I knew if exposed would not only shake his foundation from the core but would completely implode his world.

I’d made a promise, and I intended to keep it.

In the meantime, I wouldn’t take the chance that he had left for work already like today, so I dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs to fix his breakfast. I remembered his saying that he would be working from home for the next few weeks, but he could have very well said that to fuck with my head. If last night was any indication on how things were going to go between us, then I had to be on my toes.

I still remembered the things he liked to eat from the time we were together, so I whipped him up scrambled eggs toast and three strips of crisp bacon. I placed his plate aside and put a cover over it to keep it warm until he came downstairs. Just as I’d finished up, my phone rang.

I dug my phone out of my pocket to see that it was the clinic where I’d dropped Adam off. My stomach dropped. I hope this wouldn’t be another call where they’d tell me he’d gone missing.

“Hello?” I couldn’t keep the wobble out of my voice because my nerves were already on edge.

“Sis, it’s me.”

I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Adam, why are you calling? Is everything okay at the clinic? I didn’t realize you were allowed outside calls.”

“Technically I’m not supposed to, but one of the nurses took pity on me and gave me five minutes. She’s standing beside me right now to make sure I’m not calling a dealer.”

“Let me guess you threw her one of your brilliant smiles and she swooned?” That was the thing about my brother, he could charm the bees from the flowers. He always had a way of getting exactly what he wanted. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I always gave into his needs.”

“You know me so well. Actually, I just wanted to check in on you and see how you’re doing? When you dropped me off, you looked really…I can’t really describe it, but I was really worried about you. I just wanted to check in.”

“That’s actually very thoughtful of you, Adam. I appreciate your calling to check in on me. I’m fine.” There was no way I would tell him that I was at my ex’s paying off a debt because of him.

“Are you sure? You don’t sound good. Look Sis, I just wanted to assure you that this time is going to be different. It’s been tough so far, but I want you to know you don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

“You’ve said that before, Adam. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t get better for my sake. Do it for yourself. You’re so smart with so much potential, and you’re wasting it the way things are right now. I just need for you to follow through and live up to that potential. In the meantime, I’ve made some calls to a few in-house rehabilitation centers. I’m hoping by the end of the week I’ll have something set up for you.” I hoped. With this rule not to leave this house, I somehow had to figure a way to slip out and tour some of these facilities and set up some meetings. I only had until the end of the week, and I didn’t want to leave Adam to his own devices. He needed to be in an around-the-clock facility. This was our last hope, and I couldn’t waste this opportunity.

“Thank you for having faith in me, Sis. I won’t let you down again.”

“No words, Adam, action. I’ll see you at the end of the week, okay? You hang in there.”

“I will. Love you, Sis.”

“I love you too.”

“Who the hell are you talking to?” The booming sound of Nick’s demand startled me to the point where I dropped my phone in surprise.

I quickly picked it up to make sure that there was no damage. The screen protector was slightly cracked, but that could easily be replaced. I turned back around and grabbed the plate I’d fixed for him. “Your breakfast is ready. Why don’t you go head and have a seat? I put his food on the table and stepped away.

Nick shot me a stony stare, and the muscle twitched in his jaw which wasn’t a good sign. “I asked you a question. Who were you talking to, Francesca?”

I raised my chin and narrowed my eyes to meet his gaze. “That’s really none of your business. You’re not entitled to know everything in my life.”

I was met with silence, and I thought that would be the end of the conversation. Before I realized what was happening, he moved across the kitchen so quickly, I barely saw him move. I didn’t get a chance to run because he gripped me by the forearms and started to shake me. “Who the fuck were you talking to, Francesca?”

“I pushed against his chest, but he wouldn’t move.”

“Leave me alone! I came downstairs and made your damn breakfast as you wanted. I don’t understand why you’re getting on my case?”

“Well, I could take you upstairs and teach you a little lesson in obedience. I can make last night look like a walk in the park, and trust me, I haven’t introduced you to half the toys I have at my disposal.”

I gulped as I searched his face to determine if he was bluffing. The darkening of his green gaze gave me the answer, and it was a resounding no. I really didn’t feel like he had the right to know about Adam, but if I told him part of what was going on, he’d at least get off my back. Besides, I had to find a way to get out of the house for a bit later that week.

“It was my brother, okay? I don’t why you had to barrel in here like King Kong and demand answers as if I’m your prisoner.”

He gave me one hard shake, making teeth rattle. “You are who I say you are. When you agreed to this arrangement, I told you the way it was going to be. If you’re just going to offer me resistance in every instance, I’m happy to end this arrangement right now, and you can pay me back in full what I’ve already wired to you.”

And therein lied the problem. All that money was nearly gone. Not only that, I needed that next installment to help pay for Adam’s rehab, which was going to be a pretty penny. I was between a rock and a hard place, and it seemed Nick was determined to make this hard on me. If I could survive last night, I couldn’t imagine him doing any worse.

I lowered my head. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Won’t you please sit down and have breakfast? It physically hurt me to make my voice as docile as possible.

Though I was no longer making eye contact with him, I could feel the heat of Nick’s stare on me as his grip briefly tightened on my arms making me gasp.

“You have no idea how much I want to hurt you right now, do you?”

I forced myself to keep my head down and not answer. I would not allow myself the luxury of tears, nor would I let him see them. As the silence stretched, I couldn’t take it anymore. “Could you please let me go? I need to start cleaning up.”

For a moment, I didn’t think he would let me go, but finally he released me; no he basically pushed me away from him making me stumble backward. I barely managed not to lose my footing and remained upright.

When he finally sat down in front of his plate, I started putting the cooking utensils I’d used to make breakfast in the sink so that I could wash them.

“What the fuck is this?”

I turned to see a ferocious frown marring his face.

“I’m sorry, what is what?”

“This,” he answered in a way that made it seem like it should be obvious to me as he pointed to the plate.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Look.” He jabbed his fork into the eggs as if that actually provided an explanation.

Cautiously I approached the table and took a look at the food. It seemed fine to me. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Nick scooped up a bit of egg and shoved it inches away from my face. It was then I noticed a piece of shell.

I barely managed not to roll my eyes. “I’m sorry about that. I’ll take it out for you.”

“Make me more eggs and get it right this time.”

“But I could just—” The look he shot me cut my words off in mid-sentence.

“Apparently he was in a mood, and I had to get on his good side so that I could ask him about leaving the house to view a couple of rehabs facilities. Of course I didn’t plan on going into detail, but I needed that time.”

I took his plate and dumped the eggs but left the bacon and toast since there was no point in getting rid of those which seemed to already be cooked to his satisfaction.

It took me five minutes to whip him up some more scrambled eggs, and this time I took great care to ensure that no shells had gotten past my inspection.

I placed the food in front of him, and I waited with bated breath while he inspected what was on his plate. He took a few bites of his eggs and said nothing. I stood and waited, in case he found fault in anything else.

My wait wasn’t long before he tossed the bacon back on his plate. “Too chewy. Can’t you fucking get anything right?”

I balled my fists at my sides and took a few calming breaths. He was deliberately pushing my buttons, but I wouldn’t fall for this trap. “I can make you more bacon.”

I didn’t get a chance to rectify the situation because he wiped his arm across the table and sent the plate flying to the floor with a crash.

“Oh my God!” I yelped in surprise at his action. “Why…why did you do that?”

“Because you can’t fix a simple breakfast. Now pick that shit up.”

“But you….” I trailed off knowing it was pointless to argue with him. If he was trying to make me cry, he was doing a damn good job of it because tear stung the back of my eyes. I don’t care what he thought I did; no human being deserved to be treated like this. Part of me wanted to refuse and tell him to pick it up his damn self, but I had to keep reminding myself that I wasn’t doing this just for me. If I were, I would have walked away after last night.

I walked to the utility closest to retrieve the broom and dustpan when he shook his head.

“No, I want you to get on your hands and knees and pick it up by hand.”

“Now, you’re being ridiculous, Nick. I don’t see why I can’t just—”

“If I have to toss your ass on the ground myself I will. I said pick the goddamn mess off the floor, on your fucking hands and knees!” he roared. If his face had gotten any redder, he would have been the color of a ripe tomato. Placing the broom against the wall, I took the dustpan and dropped to my knees as he requested. I quickly wiped away a tear that slipped out of the corner of my eye hoping he didn’t see.

When Nick had brought me here, I knew things wouldn’t be easy, but within a space of 24 hours, he’d humiliated me in ways I didn’t think he was capable of.  I numbed myself as best as I could while picking up pieces of food and broken plate. Nick watched, like a predator waiting to pounce on his prey at any second. When I was finished, I remained on my knees for several moments to compose myself because the tears were on the way. I could feel them.

“What are you sitting there for? Get up and make me a proper breakfast,” he barked in the most dehumanizing way, making me shudder.

Instinct told me to tell him to shove breakfast up his ass, but in his frame of mind, there was no telling what he would do to me.”

I wobbled to my feet and threw out the contents of the dustpan. I washed my hands, then made him a fresh breakfast within fifteen minutes.

He inspected the contents of his plate with a discerning gaze. “You know what? I think I’ll just have some juice.”

I could no longer hold my tongue. “Are you kidding me? This over the top act of bullying is beyond ridiculous. If you’re going to make me stay here with you for the next couple months, you and I are going to have to coexist. Can’t you please cut me a little slack?”

“Did you cut Kenny any slack when he told you that he loved you, and you laughed in his face?”

“What?” I truly didn’t know what he was talking about. But since he was on a Kenny tangent, I felt the need to defend myself.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I would have never nor did I ever laugh in Kenny’s face. You may have formed your own opinions about what my marriage with your brother was like, but that is never something I did.”

“You lie so much you don’t even know how to tell the truth do you, bitch?”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Why? That’s what you are. A lying bitch in heat. And you are in heat, aren’t you. What the fuck were you thinking wearing something like that anyway?”

That comment threw me off guard because it had nothing to do with what we were talking about up until now. “What?”

“You’re a fucking cock tease, aren’t you?” His hand snacked out, and he grabbed me by the wrist, catching me off balance. I fell in his lap.

I tried to get up, but he wrapped his arm around my waist. Before I realized what was happening Nick unzipped my pants and shoved his hands inside my shorts and beneath my panties.

A gasp tumbled from my lips as his fingers grazed my clit. “Nick, please let me up,” I whimpered.

“You don’t want me to. This is what you wanted the second you decided to come dome down here in those shorts that barely cover your ass and a shirt so tight I can see the outline of your tits. If you didn’t want me to touch you, you shouldn’t have dressed like a whore.” While he spoke, he rolled my clit between his thumb and forefinger and squeezed.

I tried to resist once again by attempting to get off his lap, but his arm around me was like a steel bar. He tugged and squeezed my clit until I melted against him, tilting my head backward until it rested on his shoulder.

“That’s my good little fuck toy.” Nick chuckled with triumph ringing in his voice. He released my clit only to slide three finger knuckle deep inside my pussy. He curved and twisted my fingers and found my G-spot, and I found myself riding his hand. “That’s it. Fuck my fingers like the good little cum slut you are.”

Ignoring his degrading words, I closed my eyes and gave way to the waves of sensation coursing through my body. For a moment I didn’t want to think about the circumstances of why I was here and what this man had done to me.

All I wanted was to feel good if just for a moment. As my climax barreled toward me, my body convulsed, and I screamed out. “Oh God, Nick!’

He continued to fuck me with his digits until I was a boneless mess. Finally when Nick removed his fingers, he pulled out of me and held up the glistened hand that was drenched with my juices.

He smeared it against my lips, coating them before finally shoving his digits into my mouth. “Lick it clean.”

I hesitated for only a moment before doing what I was told. I ran my tongue over his flesh tasting myself on him.

Nick released a low moan which sent a rumble of need through my body. “You just can’t fucking help yourself, can you, whore?”

Suddenly, he pushed me off of him, catching me off guard and sent me crashing to the ground.

He stood up abruptly and stormed out of the kitchen leaving me to wonder what the hell just happened.

Chapter Fourteen

Nick

I avoided Frankie for the next couple of days because I couldn’t stop thinking about that lost expression her eyes that reminded me of a kicked puppy. She had no right to look so wounded when she was the one who’d caused the irreparable damage.

I didn’t necessarily have to trip her that way at breakfast, but I was still angry and confused. It had been my intention to make her uncomfortable, but the harsher I was toward her, the guiltier I felt. Maybe it was time I reread Kenny’s journal again to renew my justification for treating her exactly the way I had been.

I couldn’t keep letting her get under my skin. Every time she was around me, my dick had a mind of its own, and I could think of nothing else than to touch her, hold her, devour here until she had no other thoughts than me. Most importantly, I wanted her to realize that she’d made a big mistake leaving me for Kenny. I wanted to whip him out her memory until I was the only man in her thoughts.

It made me feel like a shitty person for having such uncharitable thoughts about my own brother. It was bad enough my brother had been dealt a tough hand with his disability, but to have had someone like Frankie attach herself to him who basically found a way to shorten his life was worse. The coroner had said that he’d died of natural causes, so there was no real way to prove that she had harmed Kenny in some way.

My mother was certain of it. My mother was always full of conspiracy theories and had a bit of a persecution complex, but this time I had to agree with her. Maybe if I continued to make Frankie miserable enough, she’d end up confessing somehow. And there it was: excuse number 125 for why I had taken her into my home. It seemed as though a new one popped into my head to justify the fucked up thing I was doing. It was my way of dealing with the guilt.

I glanced at my watch impatiently as I waited for my mother to arrive for lunch. She was the one who suggested the country club. I hated coming here because it was nothing but a bunch of pompous jackasses and overpriced food.  This place was nothing more than a status symbol where people could flaunt their wealth amongst themselves.

The only reason I had purchased a membership here was to entertain clients, and it afforded a degree of privacy that wasn’t given in public restaurants. I had added my mother under my account as a member, and she loved it here. It was funny how she loved this place so much considering we didn’t grow up wealthy. After our Dad left, my mom struggled like most single mothers. It had been up to me to be the man of the house, and I was the one who helped her with my younger siblings.

According to my mother, I had done a horrible job at it. It was half an hour past the time she was supposed to arrive before my mother came sauntering inside dressed to the nines. If nothing else could be said about her, she never left the house looking nothing but her absolute best. Her designer skirt suit combo seemed tailored just for her, and I could tell her hair was freshly done by the way her silver curls glisten. Make up expertly, done, she could actually pass for an older sister rather than my parent.

I didn’t know why my mother never remarried because she never seemed to be short of male attention. She smiled as she made it to our table and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek just enough not to smear her lips stick. “How are you, darling? I’m so sorry I’m late but I wanted to look my absolute best for my son. I had an appointment with Mr. Maurice, and one simply does not rush Mr. Maurice.” She fluffed her hair with a smile as she waited by her chair.

I hoped to my feet and went to pull out the chair for her. “My apologies.”

“I was wondering where your manners were.”

“I suppose I have a lot on my mind.”

“Hmm, well, you’re forgiven this time.” She looked around. “It looks as if they’ve redecorated this place since I’ve been here last. I’m glad they changed that dreadful wallpaper.” She reached across the table and touched my hand. “I’m so happy that we can get together like this. It’s been so tough since…well, you know. I feel so lonely without him.”

“But Kenny hadn’t lived with you for a couple years. He’d moved out of the house when he got married.” I don’t know why I needed to point that out, but something seemed off about my mother today, and I didn’t know what it was. Everyone grieved in different ways, but my mother loved saying how sad she was about my brother’s passing, but it was hard to tell if she wasn’t actually talking about it. It could have been a situation where she was putting on a good front to cover her emotions, but I wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was all in my head.

The smile that had curved her lips fell. “I don’t know why you enjoy hurting me, Nicholas. As far as I’m concerned, that marriage was null and void. That woman took advantage of my poor sweet baby, and she ended up killing him. I should have fought harder to rescue him from that bitch. I swear to God I will kill her if I see her again.” There was a low threatening timber to her voice that made me realize she meant every word of what she was saying.

I was playing a dangerous game with Frankie staying in my house. If my mother were to find out she was staying in my house, she would have a fit.

“Well, it’s not likely you’ll see her again.”

“Hmm, I should hope not. You know, honey, I was thinking, I live in that big house all by myself, and I get so lonely…”

I stiffened hoping she wouldn’t suggest me moving back in with her or her moving in with me, so I preempted her by saying, “Well I could come visit more and keep you company, and maybe you might consider joining a support group for parents who have recently lost a child.”

She rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively before grabbing a menu. “I don’t want to sit in a room listening to a bunch of other people cry. Besides, they didn’t know my Kenny, so they couldn’t possibly understand how I feel.”

“Mom, it’s a support group. I’m sure they have an idea of what you’re going through. They even have specific groups for parents who lost children with special needs.”

My mother looked up from her menu. “No, thank you. As I said, I’m not interested. Besides, I didn’t finish what I was saying before you rudely interrupted me.”

“My apologies for offering a suggestion make things better for you.”

“Your sarcasm is not necessary, young man. You may be an adult, but I’m still your mother.”

I grabbed my water glass and took a gulp to keep myself from making a retort.

“Anyway, since, I’m alone in that house all by myself, I was thinking of maybe fostering some children. Maybe children with special needs. So many of those little darlings need homes too, and I have so much love to give.”

This was the last thing I expected her to say. “Mom, that’s a time-consuming endeavor. Besides, you should be enjoying your golden years. Maybe take a cruise and see the world. Enjoy yourself. Taking on another child especially one that had medical issues can take its toll. You remember how things were with Kenny. He was mostly independent, but with all his health problems, you had no time to yourself.”

My mother was silent for a moment seeming to take in my words. She tilted her head to the side. “Are you suggesting I’m too old to do something like this?”

“Mom don’t twist my words. I’m simply suggesting that there are other ways to occupy your time. Besides, you may need help like a nurse depending on the severity of the child’s issues.”

“You clearly don’t think I’ve thought this through. If I need to get a private nurse, then I’ll get one. I wasn’t telling you this to be judged but as a courtesy. I’ve already started the paperwork.”

My brother hadn’t been dead that long, and she was already looking for a replacement. Was this her way of filling the hole any parent would have in their heart after such a loss. “I just don’t think this is a good idea. Besides, there are programs out there where you can mentor a child if that’s what you want to do.”

“Apparently you think I’m not capable of running my own life.”

“I think you’re quite capable, but with Kenny not being gone for that long, you might want to consider holding off, and when you’re in a better frame of mind, you can revisit it.”

“If I had known I wouldn’t have your support, I wouldn’t have brought the subject up.” She picked up her napkin and dabbed the side of her eyes even though no tears seemed to come out. All I’ve ever done was love, support and take care of my children, and you all just hurt me in some way. Even my sweet Kenny who took off with that bitch. But I blame her mostly. And then your sister. Well, she was always a headstrong one.” My mother shrugged on that last part.

I frowned. She didn’t often talk about Robin, but when she did, it was usually to be dismissive as if it didn’t matter.

Robin, my younger sister, who was a couple years older than Kenny, had always been a bit headstrong, and she and my mother would often bump heads. I tried my best to be the intermediary between the two of them but there always seemed to be tension between the two of them. It never felt like the regular mother and teenage girl dynamic. As my sister got older, she was often rude and disrespectful to my mother.  Until one day, I had to intervene. It was shortly after graduation Robin had learned she was accepted to school overseas in the UK. She packed her stuff and left.

My mother seemed to take Robin’s leaving in stride which I’d found strange at the time, but as I thought about it maybe she had gotten tired of the arguing. Kenny, however, took it the hardest because he and my sister were the closest. I visited her school to talk to her, but she refused to tell me why she never wanted to come home again, said that it was best that I just forget about it.

The only clue that she gave as to why she’d decided to cut us all off was some cryptic parting words when we parted.

“Please watch out for Kenny. She’s not well. I wish I were strong enough to stick around, but I just couldn’t take it anymore. I’m sorry for letting this fall on your shoulders, but I need to do this for my own mental health.”

To this day I still didn’t understand what she’d meant. A few years back, I had gone to the UK for business and had coincidently met someone who knew Robin. Apparently, she’d moved to France with someone she’d met in school, and they were married.

As heartbreaking as it was that I had to find this information out from a stranger, I was glad she was happy. I’d tried to locate her when Kenny died, but I had no way of getting in contact with her. Maybe it was for the best. Her absence had been felt, at least by me. My mother didn’t bring her up.

“Don’t you ever think about her?” I wanted to gauge my mother’s thoughts because it was very rare when she brought Robin up except to say she’d raised three children on her own.

She shrugged and returned her attention to the menu. “She made her decision. I suppose she’s doing well. You told me so, remember?”

We could have been talking about a stranger from the way this conversation was going. My thoughts drifted back to Frankie. I wondered what she was doing right now.

Even though I’d been avoiding her, I imagined she was doing her best to stay out of my way. She was probably home cleaning the house and moping with that sad look in her eyes.

By the time lunch ended, not only was I emotionally drained from dealing with my mother’s emotional papercuts and guilt trip, my headache was back full force. All I wanted to do was lie and work later so that I could forget about everything going on in my chaotic life.

When I arrived home, however, I knew something was different. The house had the eerie sensation of being empty. I knew without going to her room or looking through the house that Frankie was gone.

Chapter Fifteen

Frankie

To say my day was long and laborious was an understatement. But I’d accomplished what I set out to do. I’d gone to see three rehabilitation facilities. The first one was only one step up from the state-run operations that looked more like a prison than a treatment center. The second was the type where celebrities went for “exhaustion.” While it had every possible amenity one could ask for, the price was beyond my budget. Adam needed to be in treatment for at least six months, and even with the rest of the money I’d receive from Nick, I’d run out of funds before that time was up.

The third time was a charm. It had everything I was looking for at reasonable price. I was even able to arrange for transportation for when Adam was released from the methadone clinic, with an escort, to make sure he got there safely. This place wasn’t cheap either, but it wasn’t as exorbitant. I would still have some funds left over to get an apartment while I looked for work. Speaking of which, I needed to call the board of nursing to find out when my hearing would be to dispute my claim.

Once all my errands were complete, I pulled up into Nick’s garage hoping he wasn’t home. I’d used a ride share service to pick me up and take me to my car. I saw no reason why I shouldn’t have my car with me since I’d be here for several more weeks.

Besides, Nick had to eventually relax his no going outside rule which I found completely unhinged even for the way he was treating me.

Because of what I needed to pay for Adam’s rehab, I would need every bit of that money coming, and I just had to figure out a way to survive.

I knew the minute I stepped foot in the house Nick was home because the lights were on. I took a deep breath and headed straight to my room without incident. I still had no door, but I was getting used to it. At least when I went to my bathroom, I was afforded some privacy. I placed all the pamphlets and paperwork I’d filled out in the desk drawer.

I was surprised Nick had yet to confront me yet. Maybe he realized his rule was stupid and decided to no longer enforce it. I showered and put on a pair of yoga pants and a tank top before heading downstairs to start on dinner. I made rigatoni in fresh homemade marinara sauce and a grilled chicken breast with a side of sautéed string beans.

Nick still didn’t appear, and I had no plans to seek him out. I didn’t think I was equipped to deal with another confrontation. I put his plate in the microwave for when he finally showed up, and I fixed something for myself.

Maybe I was just really hyper aware because Nick barely made any noise when he walked, but I heard his feet stalking against the hardwood floor of the kitchen.

Without a word, he took the seat across from me. I popped out of my seat to heat his food. I was nervous in case he decided to have another episode like at breakfast a few days ago. With shaky hands, I placed his dinner in front of him.

He examined it for several moments before digging in. When I was certain he would toss it on the ground like the last time, I relaxed and took my seat. We ate in silence. He’d barely acknowledged me, and his expression was unreadable.

Even as I ate, the tension refused to leave my shoulders as I waited.  The food went into my mouth, but I tasted nothing because my stomach was tied in knots. His movements reminded me of a calm cobra who eyed his prey looking for the right time to strike.

Finally he pushed his meal away and stood up and headed out the kitchen, but he stopped and turned around.

“Oh, I was wondering where you were today, by the way.”

I froze. This was it. “I had a few errands to run.” It wasn’t a lie, but I’m sure it wasn’t the answer he was looking for.

Nick seemed to consider my answer for a moment before stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Hmm.” He then walked out the kitchen without a word.

That seemed a bit too good to be true. Maybe he really didn’t mind my leaving today. I had tried to ask him, but I didn’t see him much even though we were both in the house. I wasn’t allowed to enter his office while he occupied it, and that’s where he spent most of his time.

After cleaning the kitchen, I headed to my room and changed into my night set which consisted of an oversized sleepshirt and a pair of boy shorts. It wasn’t terribly late, but I was exhausted. I dozed off as soon as my head hit the pillow.

I snuggled under the covers having a restful sleep when I felt them violently being ripped off me. Still half sleep, I didn’t have a chance to open my eyes before I was I was doused in something wet and ice cold.

“Ahhhh!” I jumped out of bed as body responded to the sudden stimulation.

An expressionless Nick stood near holding a bucket.

“What the hell, Nick!”

“I don’t know if you enjoy defying me, or you’re just that stupid. What was one of the rules I gave you?”

“I know I’m not supposed to go outside without your permission, but this was an emergency. I needed—”

“I’m really not interested in your excuses. The only thing I need you to do now is strip and come to my room. Two minutes and counting. If I have to come back to get you, this won’t go well. If you even consider running, everything I plan for you will be ten times worse. That is not a threat; that is a promise. Do you understand?”

I could only nod. This man was a true psychopath. Did I really want to test him when my situation was so dire? My teeth chattered as I nodded in acknowledgement.

“I know intelligence isn’t your strong suit, but I know you can speak. I want to hear the words, Frankie.”

“Yes, I understand.” My words came out a lot more aggressively than I intended, but there was no way I could hold back the anger and hopelessness welling in my chest. This was only the end of the first week, and I had already cried myself to sleep every single night. How was I going to make it through another seven weeks of this crap?

“Two minutes,” he reminded me and turned on his heels leaving me with my now cold night clothes clinging to my body like a second skin. I peeled my way out of them, but I was still freezing. I wanted to grab my blanket and wrap it around me to warm up, but it too was wet. Just when I didn’t think he could come up with any other ways to torture me, Nick found a way.

I took a deep resigned sigh and crossed my arms over my breasts as I headed to Nick’s room. His door was wide open. I hadn’t stepped foot in here since we’d been together.  The memories of the many nights we’d spent making love came crashing against me like a restless ocean.  And now I was reentering this room as his prisoner.

“The fuck you standing there for? Get in here!”

His back was turned to me, so I don’t know how exactly he knew I was standing there. I desperately wanted to turn and run because whatever he had in store for me wouldn’t be good. Or maybe it would be too good.

Goosebumps prickled my skin and a shiver ran down my spine, not so much from my forced, icy shower but from fear of the uncertainty of what was to come.

I stopped when I was standing only a few feet away from Nick who seemed to be occupied with the contents of his nightstand drawer. He pulled out a clear bottle and a large cylindrical object. It appeared to be made of rubber or a similar material. I didn’t know what it was, but I had a feeling I was about to find out. Finally he turned to face me, giving me a long hard stare before closing he distance between us.

“Lower your arms.”

I was so cold I didn’t immediately obey.

“It wasn’t a request, Francesca.”

I dropped my arms down and looked away, ashamed at how I was still so attracted to this man when all he’d done since I’d been in his home was degrade me.

Nick gripped my chin forcing me to look at him. “Look at me when I talk to you. I have very generously given you a break these past few days when you don’t deserve one. And how is my generosity rewarded? With your blatant disrespect. Now tell me what my rule was again, Francesca.”

I ran my tongue over my suddenly dry lips. “I had a good reason. If you would allow me to explain, I— ahh!”

He tightened his grip on my chin so hard, I was almost certain there would be a bruise in the morning despite the dark hue of my skin. “I didn’t ask for an explanation. Repeat the rule.”

“You said I wasn’t allowed to leave the house without permission.”

“And have you broken this rule before?”

“I did but—”

He released my chin and pressed his index finger against my lips. “The more you disobey me, the worse you’ll make it for yourself. “I don’t make a habit of repeating myself, so answer the fucking question.”

“Yes, I broke the rule, but it’s a stupid rule.”

“Watch your fucking tone.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from screaming.

His green gaze slid over my face, seeming to miss no details. “Francesca, you are many things, most of which are unflattering, but even you are not this stupid. So I ask you, are you deliberately trying to piss me off?”

“Of course not.”

“Then I guess you are stupid because my rules are fairly simple, yet you keep breaking them. Maybe the last lesson wasn’t the right one. Hopefully this one will stick.” As he spoke he unbuckled his belt and yanked it out of his pants loops and snapped it with the precision of a lion tamer with a whip.

I took a step backward. “Nick, what are you going to do with that?”

“It’s not for you to ask the questions. Now walk over to the bed, bend over and place your hands shoulder distance apart and spread your legs wide.”

“But—”

“I will wrap this fucking belt around your neck and chock the shit out of you. Do it!”  Nick emphasized his roar with a snap of his belt.

I rushed to the bed knowing he absolutely would carry out that threat. I positioned myself exactly how he instructed me.

I thought being tied up spread eagle on the bed would be the most exposed I ever felt; instead, bending over the bed with my ass was much worse.

I trembled, waiting in fear, agony and anticipation for him to get this punishment over with. Expecting the belt, I was surprised to feel his hand sliding along my ass. Nick rubbed and stroked my bottom coming dangerously close to my pussy.

“Mmm.” The moan rumbled from my throat before I could stop it.

“You like that don’t you, you little slut.” His grazed my folds with the tip of his fingers before sliding two digits deep inside of me.

“Your cunt is wet just as I suspected. You just can’t get enough, can you, whore?”

Shutting my eyes tight I tried to block out the names he showered on me. I wanted to scream that this was not okay, but I didn’t want him to stop. What the hell was wrong with me, and why was I so weak when it came to this man?

He massaged the inside of my pussy with his fingers making me wiggle my hips.

“Stay still, slut,” he barked. Nick smeared my juiced along my swollen labia.  But when he spread my ass cheeks and caressed my asshole, I stiffened.

“No, please.”

Smack.

He brought his hand down on my plump cheek. Hard.

“Oh!”

“Be still.” He stepped away, grabbing the bottle and the cylindrical object. Before I realized what was happening, I felt something cold and sticky on my anus. My body automatically resisted, but he wrapped one hand around my throat and squeezed until I could barely breathe. My loss of breath prevented me from screaming out when he shoved what I stupidly realized was a butt plug into my ass.

My first instinct was to push this foreign object out of what had never been touched in this way before, but Nick tightened his grip around my neck.

“That’s it, whore. Take it.”

Tears stung the backs of my eyes, but then Nick began to caress my ass again as he loosened his grip on my throat without completely releasing it.

My ass felt incredibly full, but as my body adjusted to the sensation, I didn’t completely hate it

“That’s it. Relax your body. Now I want you to count out ten, and if you miss the count, you will start over.”

“Wait…what?”

Nick grabbed his belt and wrapped it around his fist.  He brought the belt down on the meatiest part of my bottom, but the shit still hurt.

“Son of a bitch!” I screamed out.

“What was that?”

My mind couldn’t seem to process what he was asking until he brought the belt down again, and it was then I remembered to count.

“One!” I screamed.

He spanked my ass with his instrument of torture, and I counted every single one. Tears freely ran down my cheeks by the time he reached ten. My knees threatened to give out on me, and just when I thought they would, he gripped my hips and shoved his dick deep inside my pussy.

His strokes were monstrous thrusts that shot past her cervix.

“Why do you keep bringing me to this? Why does it have to be you?”

I had the same questions, but I gritted my teeth and took his dick. It rubbed against my spot every single time making my eyes roll to the back of my head. Gripping the sheets, I tried to hold my upper body steady, but my arms wobbled and I fell forward. It, however, didn’t stop this sex demon from plowing into me like a crazed beast.

My climax snuck up on me in one powerful explosion, but Nick keep going drawing another orgasm out of me. And then another. The third one, everything went black.  I passed out only to wake up to find him still going.

He beat my pussy up as if it stole his last dollar. I wouldn’t be able to walk straight in the morning; of that I was certain.

This ongoing sexual torture finally ended when he shot his seed deep inside of me.

“Fuck!” he groaned before collapsing on top of me.

We lay in this position, his resting on my back for what seemed like hours although I am sure it was only a few minutes, but in that moment, time stood still, and I could almost pretend that we still cared about each other. The truth was I had never stopped caring about him, and that was something I had to deal with.

I closed my eyes tight to hold back the tears.

“Why?” his whispered question surprised me.

I wasn’t sure what he was asking, but I didn’t have to wait long for an explanation.

“Why do I keep doing this…betraying him…with you?”

Nick rolled off of me, and I turned my body to face him. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought the suspicious gleam in his eyes were tears. I reached out to touch his shoulder, but he flinched away from me.

“Get out.”

“Nick…”

“I said get out!”

I rolled off the bed and hurried out of his room. I rushed to the bathroom so that I could close the door. As soon as I did, I crashed to the floor releasing the tears that I’d been holding back.

When would this stop hurting so much?

Chapter Sixteen

Nick

My obsession with that woman was driving me to madness.

I’d had a goal of working her out of my system by using her in every degrading way possible. I wanted her to suffer and feel at least part of the pain she’d caused me and my mother. I was a fool for telling myself that it would only take one or two times fucking her before I grew tired of her.

She had been in my home for a month now, and my need for her had yet to wane. She consumed my every waking thought, and it made me angry that she still had this power over me.

During the day I stayed in my office only coming out for meals, and I ignored her for the most part. Except for the nights.

The nights I fucked her until the demon that rode my back was satisfied.

This was starting to take a toll on me. The guilt had become too much. She might had been mine first, but ultimately she had been my brother’s wife, and there was no amount of justifying what I’d done.

I had to face facts that it might be time to send her off and forget about her. Clearly I couldn’t trust myself around her, and maybe I never would be able to. Feelings that I thought I had buried had resurfaced, and the times I thought I was punishing her, I was really punishing myself.

I pushed away from my desk and left my office with the intention to confront her.

Frankie was in her room looking through an old photo album I had stored away in the basement. She didn’t seem to notice me at first, but I watched her as she thumbed through the pages. The sight of her gazing so casually at our family pictures angered me.

I strode over to her and snatched the album out of her hand. “This is off limits to you.”

She didn’t answer or even look up at me which further fueled my ire.

“Get your stuff together. You’re leaving today.”

That seemed to get her attention because she finally looked at me. “You’re actually allowing me to go home?”

“I don’t care where you go, but you need to leave today.”

Frankie slowly rose to her feet. “Will I still get the rest of the money?”

Her answer shouldn’t have surprised me, but it did all the same. “You’ll still get your money, bitch. I just need you to be gone.”

“You act as if I didn’t earn every single penny of it. You have made me regret life every single minute I’ve been here. I will gladly leave, but you won’t make me feel guilty about accepting the money.”

“It’s always been about the money with you. You married my brother for his money and then ended up killing him. I’m not sure how you did it, but given the fact that you’re a medical professional, you found a way didn’t you.”

She took a deep breath. “Kenny died from natural causes. I’m sure you spoke to the coroner who told you the same.”

“As I said, you probably found a way to make it look natural.”

She sighed. “Believe what you want, Nick. If you really think I did something to Kenny, you would have contacted the police, but you never did.”

“You know damn well there wasn’t anything I could do about it without definitive proof.”

Frankie sighed heavily before moving past me.  I grabbed her by the arm. “Oh no, you’re not going to walk away from me. I’m not finished talking to you. Just fucking admit what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything! No matter what I say you will never believe me.”

Deep down I knew she was right, but I wasn’t willing to just let this go. “What did you do to my brother?”

“Stop this, Nick.”

“Tell me!”

“Just let it go, okay? If you keep pushing for answers, you’re not going to like what you hear.”

She ripped her arm out of my grip and started to walk away, but I wrapped my arms around her waist and tossed her on the bed.

Before she had a chance to sit up, I held her down, pinning her wrists above her head. Looking down at her, I wasn’t sure whether to kiss or strangle her. “You killed my brother because you thought you’d be able to get your hands on his money, didn’t you?”

“Believe what you want. If you think I’m responsible for Kenny’s death, I’d say you and your mother are just as responsible.”

I don’t believe there was anything else she could have said that would have angered me more than that declaration. I could only see red, and a rage of the likes I had never experienced welled up inside of me and exploded. I released her wrists and wrapped my hands around her throat and squeezed with all my might.

Frankie clawed at my hands and tried to break free. Her eyes bulged, and I realized that if I continued I would actually kill her. I released my grip on her and pulled away. Frankie gasped and coughed. When her regular breathing pattern resumed, she sat up and slapped me so hard my head turned.

She then pushed me completely off of her. Frankie scrambled off the bed, rushed to the bathroom and closed the door. A decisive click indicated that she had locked the door.

My cheek stung like a mother fucker, and I can’t say I didn’t deserve that. I’d crossed a line. No matter what she did, I was no murderer, and I had come very close to making a huge mistake.

All this time I had convinced myself that she I was taking revenge for my brother’s sake when the truth was, I was really taking vengeance for myself. Kenny wouldn’t have wanted this. She might have married him for his money; she may have even treated him badly, but Kenny had loved her.  The fact that he had been in the process of changing his will before he died was an indication that my brother had still thought highly of Frankie.

No, I had been punishing her on my behalf. For leaving me. I still wasn’t over her, so I had convinced myself that I hated her.  Maybe I did a little but not really. If she had really done something to my brother, then karma would take care of her.

I walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door. “Frankie, could you please come out?”

“Fuck off you, psycho!”

I deserved that. “I’m sorry. I took things too far.”

“You think?”

“Look, if you come I promise not to touch you.”

She didn’t answer, and I didn’t think she would. But the door opened. “Nick, whatever you think I’ve done or of my motives, I cared very deeply for Kenny and would never hurt him.”

“Then what happened?”

“Just leave it alone. As I said, if you keep asking questions, you’re going to get answers you don’t like.”  “Look, I really need to pack, so if you don’t mind…”

I wanted to press her and demand she tell me everything, but I owed her space after what I’d done.

While she was packing, I went to the basement and collected my toolbox and the door I’d removed. By the time I had fixed the door, Frankie had finished packing.

She stared at it and rolled her eyes.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I followed her downstairs. She was a foot away from the door when the doorbell rang.

I wasn’t expecting anyone. I didn’t order any packages. I took out my phone to look at the security camera feed to see who it was. “Fuck.”

It was my mother.

It would have been a disaster if these two were to see each other. Frankie, why don’t you go out through the garage entrance?”

“Why? Who’s at the door?”

“My mother.”

“So?”

“So, do you want her to see you here?”

“I never asked to be here. This is on you. If she gets upset because I’m here with you, then tell her why. I’m leaving out this door, and you can deal with her.”

She opened the door, luggage in hand.

“You!” my mother screamed when she came face to face with Frankie.

“Don’t worry. I’m leaving.” Frankie pushed her way outside, but apparently my mother had other plans.

“Oh no, you don’t. What were you doing here? Was it not enough for you take one of my sons? You want to take the other too, you black piece of shit?”

I’d known my mother to make rude comments but nothing this egregious or racist.

Frankie stiffened before turning around and punching my mother in the mouth. “That is for Kenny, you sick, unstable hag!”

My mother clutched her mouth and dramatically dropped to the ground.

Chapter Seventeen

Frankie

My hands gripped my steering wheel until my knuckles nearly lost color. My nerves threatened to get the better of me as I remained fearful of going inside to see for myself what I’d suffered through had actually been worth it. I’d been let down so many times my expectations were low.

Taking a deep breath, I finally got out of my car and headed inside of the rehabilitation center that had more the appearance of a manor home than an actual lifeless building. It was one of the reasons this place appealed to me. It seemed less hospital like and would be the most comfortable place to receive treatment.

It had been four months since I’d seen Adam. As a condition of his stay, he was to have no outside contact with anyone for the first several weeks. I suppose I could have visited him sooner, but in a way I was angry. Angry at him for putting me in a predicament where I had been subjugated to a month of physical and mental torture with someone I still couldn’t bring myself to stop caring for.

It was a lot to unpack, so I had stayed away to get my feelings in check. Releasing a resigned sigh, I got out of the car and walked into the facility.

“May I help you?” The blonde receptionist shot me a friendly smile as I approached the day.

“I’m here to visit Adam Robinson.”

She typed something on her keyboard and examined the screen in front of her. “Oh, yes, he should be expecting you. The visitor’s room is down the hall and the second entrance on the right.”

I nodded in appreciation. “Thank you.”

Following the directions given, I steeled myself to prepare myself for the worst but still hoped for the best. At the very least it was a positive sign that I hadn’t received a call from the facility that Adam had left in the middle of the night. That had to mean something I was sure.

When I walked inside, the sight I was greeted with made me freeze. Adam was sitting at the table with another man similar to him in age playing chess. Adam looked...healthy.

He’d filled out considerably. His skin appeared smooth and healthy. His hair had grown out to shiny blond waves that would have made any model jealous. He looked like my handsome little brother again. For the first time in a very long time, the tears that sprang to my eyes were happy ones.

As if sensing he was being watched, he looked in my direction and smiled.  He stood up and held out his arms, and I immediately rushed into them.

We held each other tight for one beautiful moment in time. The last time I’d hugged him, I could literally feel his ribs. He was still thin but more solid. I finally pulled away to stroke the side of his face just to ensure this wasn’t a dream.

“You look great Adam. I mean really great.”

He brushed away a tear that had slid down my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t go crying on me. You’re going to make me feel like a bigger asshole than I already am.’

“I’m not going to dispute the asshole part.”

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to this hot little number? Is this your woman? Gotta say you did well, man,” called the grinning guy still sitting at the chess table.

Adam and I both pulled away from each other and gagged.

“Dude, she’s my sister.”

The man’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, not much of a family resemblance.”

Having grown up with white parents we got that a lot.

“Well, I have a disease called reverse melaninitis.” Adam was so deadpan even I would have believed him if I didn’t know he was just fucking with his friend.

I popped him playfully on the arm and turned to the confused man. “He’s joking. I’m adopted.”

“Oh. You single?”

Adam growled. “Cut it out, Puck. Why don’t you make like a tree and leave.”

The man called Puck rolled his eyes. “That’s not very original.” But he stood up and walked over to me.

Puck took my hand and brought it to his lips in a kiss before revealing a smile with every other tooth missing. “Well, sweet lady if you ever need someone to keep you company, give Puck a call.” He walked away with his chest puffed out like a rooster in a pin full of hens.

I wasn’t exactly sure how to react to that, so I said nothing.

Adam waved dismissively. “Ignore him. He’s not a bad guy, but he thinks he’s the Romeo of this facility even though romance is against the rules.”

“Then why hasn’t he gotten in trouble.”

“His parents have a lot of money and donate generously to keep this place open.”

“I see. Makes sense.” I stared at him again unable to stop smiling. “You look so good Adam. You really do.”

“Thanks, Sis. How about we head out to the patio where it’s nice out, and we can have a little privacy.

Once we were out, we took our seats on the lawn furniture.

“Sis…I could tell by the surprised expression on your face that you didn’t expect to see me in this condition,” Adam began with his head hung. He scratched the back of his head. “I mean I haven’t given you a reason to think I would actually follow through with treatment, and I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry for everything I’ve put you through. I’m sorry for the late night I was out getting high with my friend. I apologize from stealing from you. I apologize for letting you down over and over again.”

“And I want to be completely honest right now. When you got that 50 grand, I had considered taking it when you weren’t paying attention and disappearing. I know that’s a shitty thing to do. Then I saw the dark circles under your eyes, and the stress etched in your face, and for once my conscience overruled my need for another hit. I’m really sorry for putting you in that position. I’ve learned accountability. I can’t continue to keep blaming our parent’s death on my problems especially when I know you were doing the best that you could. There was a point where I blamed you for seeming to have your shit together when I was falling apart.”

His confession was like a blow to my chest. Though he didn’t go through with it, the fact that he thought of double crossing me yet again hurt. But it was pointless to get upset over something that never actually happen and the fact that he’d even told me about it showed a growth on his part I hadn’t seen before.

“Do you really think I had my shit together all the time? I didn’t, Adam. For as long as I can remember, I had to be all and everything for everyone.  I had to hold it in my pain after losing the people I love one after the other. First my birth mother, then my grandmother, and then our parents. I had to be strong for you because you were all I had left. I used to cry myself to sleep every night while trying to juggle school, work, and a resentful teenage boy who stayed out all hours of the night. You had so much potential, and you threw it away on heroine. So, my life was a shambles.”

Bright red spots surfaced on Adam’s cheeks, and he hung his head. “I didn’t realize. I’m sorry, Sis. I didn’t make things easy on you, did I?”

“No, you most certainly didn’t. But seeing you like this has given me the hope that I haven’t had in a very long time. I appreciate your commitment to getting better.” I reached over and grasped his hand. For once I actually believed him.

We held hands as a comfortable silence fell between us. I was just starting to piece my life back together, and knowing that things were looking up for Adam would take a big load off my shoulders.

“So how have you been, Sis?”

“I’m actually well. I got a new job as a private nurse, so I will be taking care of one patient, a very lovely woman who has lived a very colorful life.”  I had managed to clear up the issue with the nursing board and soon after had found a position something that paid well and provided decent benefits.

Nick had kept his word and wired the rest of the money to my account. I had put most of it away to pay for Adam’s rehab, but I still had enough money left over to find a cute little two-bedroom apartment just outside of the city. I had even managed to rebuild my savings to an amount that would cover a rainy-day emergency.

I was finally finding my new normal, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Nick. He should have been the last person I was thinking about after all he had done to me but deep down inside I still cared. Maybe it was a bit of Stockholm Syndrome. Whatever it was I couldn’t stop thinking about him to the point where I figured something was clearly wrong with me to have suffered through that and still maintained feelings for him.

It bothered me so much that I had started therapy. I was taking baby steps, but things were starting to come together.

“That’s great to hear, Sis.”

“When you get out of here, you’ll stay with me of course.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it. And I promise I will do what I can to earn my keep. I will get a job, and I have plans to apply to art school.”

“That’s great, Adam. You were always very talented. It was a shame when you dropped it.”

“Look, I’m going to be honest with you Frankie.  This is the longest I’ve ever been clean since becoming an addict, and when I leave rehab, it will be a daily struggle.  The counselling here has taught me other coping mechanism to deal with my issues. I’m an addict, and I always will be, but I am going to fight like hell to maintain my recovery status.”

“And that’s all I could ask of you. And I promise I’ll be here every step of the way.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and had lunch in the cafeteria. I was exhausted by the time I made it home, but it was a good kind of tired.

I didn’t have to go into work until later tomorrow afternoon, so I spent the rest of the day cleaning my apartment. At night when I settled down with in front of the television with dinner in hand, I flipped through the channels stopping on a cable news network when I recognized someone on the screen. A doctor was being led out of his private practice in handcuffs by police. Doctor arrested in the biggest prescription drug scandal in recent medical history.

It was Kenny’s former doctor.

Chapter Eighteen

Nick

“I’m in trouble.”

I’d been expecting this since I’d learned the news. As soon as I’d learned the connection between some random doctor and my brother, I’d felt a sinking feeling deep in my gut. For the past two months, every free moment I had, I scoured the internet for information on Dr. Gregory Laski. At first it had just been another news story that I didn’t pay much attention to, but once the national networks picked it up, it spread like wildfire making the story difficult for me to ignore.

I then realized the name sounded familiar, especially since it was local. I couldn’t pinpoint where I’d heard this name before or why it nagged me so much. It came to me suddenly. I had been in the meeting with a few clients, and I randomly shouted “Kenny.”  They stared at me as if I had two heads, so I quickly steered the meeting back on track. The doctor’s connection to my brother, however, remained in the back of my head, so much so that I’d gone straight to my mother’ house after work.

I was almost certain that man had been Kenny’s doctor since he was a child, and my mother swore by him. She always said that she never trusted anyone as much as she trusted Dr. Laski because he was the only one who knew how to treat Kenny properly. According to the news, the man basically ran a drug mill for addicts and anyone who needed anything prescribed to them without a proper examination. Apparently, he wrote hundreds of prescriptions a day. What I couldn’t understand was why my mother would take Kenny to someone like him.

I didn’t bother knocking when I arrived at my mother’s house. Instead, I used the key I had to get in just in case an emergency came up. I couldn’t think of anything more important than this at the moment.

When I walked in, the place looked like as if it had been ransacked. There were knick knacks and decorations all over the floor. Paintings had been pulled off the wall off. It seemed as if a pack of wild animals had come through.

But the most surprising sight was my mother sitting on the couch smoking a cigarette and drinking a glass of wine. It clearly wasn’t her first of either, judging from the empty carton at her feet and the bottle at her feet. Her hair was unkempt and was a disorganized nest around her head. Her face was barren of makeup, and she appeared several years older than she actually was. To top it off, she wore a stained track suit. In all my years, I’d never seen her in a state like this. Hell, I didn’t even know she smoked.

Even as I stood there and stared, she didn’t acknowledge my presence. “Mom!”

She didn’t even flinch. Instead, she took a long drag of her cigarette and kept her gaze focused straight ahead.

I started picking up the debris laying around her feet and discarded it in the trash before returning to her side. “Mom.” I plucked the cigarette out of her hand and flicked it into the plate on the table she was apparently using as a makeshift ashtray.

“What’s the matter?”

She didn’t answer right away, and I didn’t think she would, but then she broke into tears. “You blame me for this, don’t you? You think this is all my fault, and I’m going to lose you too. I won’t have anyone.”

My instinct was to take her into my arms and offer her comfort, but I wanted answers. I patted her on the back and waited silently for her to calm down.

However, the longer it went on, her hysteria increased. Her sobs became full on screams.  She started to clutch her chest, and her breathing became so erratic she dropped to the floor.

I tried to help her up, but she seemed inconsolable. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. She didn’t even act this way after Kenny died. I finally joined her on the floor and held her. “Mom, if you don’t calm down, I’m going to have to take you to the hospital. This isn’t healthy for you.”

She seemed to heed my words and clung to me. “I’m s-sorry b-but…so d-devastated.  Didn’t know. Scammed.”

Though her words were difficult to make out, I assumed she was talking about Dr. Laski. Obviously I couldn’t question her in her current, so I lifted her off the floor and carried her to her room so she could rest. I sat with her for the rest of the night because she was clearly a wreck.

I was scrolling through my phone looking through articles while I stayed with her until she asked for a glass of water. I went to the kitchen and got it for her.  When I returned, she was sitting up and taking a few pills.”

“Mom, what are you doing?” I rushed to her side and snatched the bottle out of her hand.

“They’re just some sleeping pills. I need them so I can get to sleep. I wasn’t trying to harm myself if that’s what you were concerned about, although I’m very surprised you cared enough to stick around to see that I’m all right. You always did your own thing. Broke my heart when you went off after college leaving me alone with your brother and sister when I really needed you.”

The last thing I expected was for her hysteria to lead to another guilt trip, but I remained silent. If there was something she needed to get off her chest, I’d let her have her say. “I’m sorry you feel that way, Mom, but the life I made for myself that you like to complain about provided you the life of comfort you now seem to enjoy. Maybe I wasn’t always here, but I did the best that I could.”

“Sure you did.” Her tone was heavy with sarcasm.

“Mom, I didn’t come here to argue with you. But I need some answers, the first being why didn’t you know this about Dr. Laski? Is that why you looked so frazzled when I came here today?”

“He had me fooled too, son. I trusted him, and I’d been taking Kenny there for a long time. As far as I knew, he was giving Kenny the best care possible. You have to believe me.”

She was my mother, and I’d personally witnessed how attentive she had always been to Kenny so why wouldn’t I believe her? In this state, however, I realized I wouldn't get any answers from her, so it was up to me to find them myself.

She placed the bottle of pills she’d been holding on her nightstand and released a lengthy yawn. “I’m getting sleepy. Could you stay with me for a bit? I really need you, son.”

“Okay.”

She took a drink from the water glass before lying down. She was sleep within minutes. I stayed by her side for several more minutes to make sure that she wouldn’t wake back up. The sleeping pills had finally kicked in.

As I stood up, I glanced at the bottle on the nightstand. I’m not sure what compelled me to pick it up. I read the label and who prescribed it: Dr. Laski.

I released a long heavy sigh as my mother entered my office, handkerchief in hand. Her eyes were already glistening with the watery sheen of tears, and immediately my guard went up. The show was about to begin, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react to this.

After seeing her pill bottle prescribed by the same doctor that had treated Kenny, the one who had been accused of running a prescription drug mill, I started to question everything. All my life I thought she was giving my brother the best of care. For as long as I could remember, my mother had always taken it upon herself to see that my brother was always cared for, ate a proper diet, and took his medication.  She generally fussed over him.

Honestly, there had been times when I thought she fussed over him a little too much. Considering how sick he had always been, I figured she knew best, after all Kenny never really complained. Besides his cerebral palsy, my brother had had other health issues such as seizures and migraines. He was so sensitive to certain foods that even the smell of them was likely to cause him to get violently ill.

I remembered once when I was in high school, I’d gone out with some friends for pizza. There had been a few slices left over that no one else had wanted so I took them home to eat later. When my mother saw the pizza box, she freaked out and told me how selfish I was to bring that into her home, knowing how sick my brother was. She’d made me feel two inches tall, and by the time she was through with, I tossed the pizza in the trash can. In fact, it wouldn’t be for another few years before I even touched another slice of pizza.

Maybe that was part of the reason I couldn’t get far enough away from home when I finally graduated high school. The few occasions I came back to visit, Kenny’s condition seemed to worsen. There was a time when he could walk with the assistance of crutches, and then a walker. Finally, he was wheelchair bound. My mother had said it was completely normal. Looking back, I should have questioned her more, especially after Robin up and left without a backward glance.

I should have been paying attention, shouldn’t have let my guilt for moving away blind me to what was going on. My mother was nursing Kenny into an early grave. It was either that or she was being willfully ignorant about what was going on, and neither one of those options made her look good.

“What can I do for you, Mother?”

She froze, watery green eyes widening. “You…you only call me Mother when you’re perturbed with me. I don’t understand why I had to track you down at your office, and why you’re not returning my calls. This isn’t the way a son should be treating his own mother. All I’ve even done was love and sacrifice for my babies, and this is how I’m treated.” She delicately dabbed the corners of her eyes with the handkerchief.

“Why don’t you have a seat? Since you’re here, let’s talk about why I haven’t been taking your calls.” I left all emotion out of my voice and steeled myself to remain focused on what I needed to say.

And just like that her tears magically disappeared almost as she sensed her histrionics wouldn’t work on me at the moment or perhaps never again. She took the seat in front of my desk with an exaggerated huff. “I supposed you’ve been reading about what’s going on in the news.”

I shrug with a nonchalance that belies the tumultuous feelings raging inside of me. This is my mother, and if she’s complicit in what I suspect she is, then there’s no telling how I would react if I allowed myself the outburst threatening to come forth. It was the reason I’d been avoiding her. I needed time to determine what was what, but apparently my mother wanted to push my hand. “How could I not? The story has picked up nationally. The country is watching.”

She didn’t speak for a moment which was unlike her. Maybe she was calculating her next move, but whatever she had in store, anything she had to say, I planned to take with a grain of salt. “I’ve messed up.”

She got me. I definitely wasn’t expecting her to admit any kind of fault, but still I posed my next question cautiously. “What did you mess up exactly? And I want you to be very clear. No cryptic words.”

She made a show of dabbing the corners of her eyes and sniffed. “You have to believe me that I only wanted to do what was best for your brother. Kenny was very ill, and I’d taken him to numerous specialists. They kept telling me they couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but I could see what kind of pain he was in, and he was having seizures. You’d even witness them.”

I nodded slowly. The first time I witnessed that had been one of the scariest things I’d ever experiences. “I recall.”

“So, as I was saying I wouldn’t give up trying to get him help. And that’s why I was recommended to Dr. Laski who specialized in pain management and neurological disorders. After I started taking your brother to see him, I saw a marked improvement. Kenny seemed happier and more independent. He was even able to finish his education and do his freelance work. You saw how he thrived. Do you honestly think I would have kept taking him to see Dr. Laski had I known the illegal dealings he’d been involved in?”

When put like that, what reason did she have indeed. Though my mother’s words seemed to make perfect sense, I couldn’t shake the sensation that something was still off. “So, answer me this? Why were you getting prescriptions from this doctor? If he was treating Kenny’s issues, how were you a patient of his as well if he specializes in something you wouldn’t need to see him for?”

“Nicholas, you’ve seen the news reports. He was running a prescription drug mill, so he took advantage of me. I might have mentioned that I was having trouble sleeping. He said that he could give me something to help. Of course, I didn’t think anything of it at the time because he’s a medical doctor.”

Again her answer was plausible, but I still wasn’t 100 percent convinced, and at this point I was certain I wouldn’t get the truth from her. So I played along.

“You mentioned being in trouble. What kind of trouble?”

“The DA wants to interview me given that I have a long-standing history with him. I don’t think it’s in my best interest to talk to him without a lawyer, and I wanted you to retain one for me.”

I cocked my head to the side and narrowed my eyes slightly. “Wouldn’t taking a lawyer with you to answer the DA’s questions give you an appearance of guilt? If you haven’t done anything wrong then, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.”

“You know how lawyers are. They twist your words around and make you look bad. Besides, he’ll probably want to subpoena Kenny’s medical records.”

“So?”

“Because of that bitch, I don’t have any say about them being released. She was his wife. What if she’s somehow used her connections to have his records doctored as some sick revenge?”

“Revenge for what?”

The tears that she’d been dabbing so delicately only seconds ago were completely gone. “Are you going to help me or not? At the very least you could ask your friend Chris to come with me.”

“Chris is a corporate lawyer. Besides, he’s out of the country handing business at the moment.”

“So what you’re saying is that you won’t help me?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m simply asking questions. When do you have to meet with the DA?”

“Two weeks from tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can arrange for you. Anything else?”

She turned her palms up in a questioning gesture. “Is that it?”

“What exactly do you want me to say?”

“You see me going through this crisis, yet you don’t offer me any comfort. You’ve always been a cool one, but I never thought you’d treat your own mother this way.”  The tears returned full force.

I realized I wouldn’t get her out of my office unless I gave her what she wanted.” I pushed down the ire roiling within my being before sliding out of my chair and walking over to hers.

The moment I was by her side, she stood up and threw herself against me and started full out sobs.

She must have been loud because Cheri poked her head in the office. “Is everything okay?”

I nodded and waved her off.

I wasn’t sure how long my mom held on to me, but by the time she released me, my shirt was stained with tears and snot. Finally I convinced her to go home.

Only when she was gone did I know what I had to do. It had been something I’d been putting off for the past couple months since I’d learned of her whereabouts.

It was time to talk to Frankie.

Chapter Nineteen

Frankie

“You know, you didn’t have to take me to such a fancy place for dinner. I would have been happy with a burger and friends. That place didn’t even have prices on the menu.” I rubbed my belly which was overwhelmingly stuffed. I had a feeling that I would have to do an extra hour of cardio to in the morning just to burn off at least half the calories I’d consumed.

Adam waved his hand dismissively and scoffed. “Nothing’s too good for my big Sis. Besides, I wanted to take you someplace special. It’s the least I can do for everything you’ve done for me.”

“You should be saving up your money. I don’t want you blowing everything on me. Buying Louis was enough of a gift.” Louis was my new tabby kitten. Adam and I were watching television one night, and a cat food commercial came on. I’d mentioned offhandedly that I wouldn’t mind having a little furry friend. The next day Adam surprised me with a kitten I named Louis.

Since Adam had been home from rehab, his life had taken a full turn. He got a job at the grocery store in the butcher section. He was taking coding classes at the local community college and was looking to enroll in art school for graphic design. He also regularly attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings. I had to be honest; I was very worried when his stint at rehab was over. I watched him like a hawk, not exactly trusting that this time would be different, but there was a change about Adam. He seemed to have a purpose.

If I was being honest with myself, part of me was still scared that he would go back to his old ways, but every day of his sobriety, I relaxed just a little more. It was his goal to stay with me for at least a year until he was able to save up for his own place, but I didn’t mind having him around. He turned out to be a good roommate now that he had this new lease on life. I’d wake up every morning to a freshly brewed pot of coffee.  He cleaned up after himself, and he was good company. It was just like when were kids again. My Adam was back.

The last few years of my life did not feel like my own, and because I’d tried to save a friend, it was ripped apart. But finally, I was getting my life back. I enjoyed my new job, my apartment. I even made a couple new friends I met at the gym. We went walking on local park trail for a few miles every Sunday morning. I’d started going through therapy again to get past my issues not just in the past but my most recent ones.

I thought about the ordeal I’d gone through with Nicholas, and I knew what he did to me wasn’t okay, but I could see it for what it was. It was ironic that the thing that had sent me back to therapy was seeing that news reports about Dr. Laski. I hoped that man burned in the deepest depths of hell failing to uphold the oath he swore to.

I didn’t want to think about that asshole. I was now at least able to sleep better at night knowing Dr. Laski was finally getting what was coming to him if the news reports were to be believed.

I was so lost in my thought I didn’t realize that Adam had pulled into the apartment complex, and he’d parked the car. “We’re home, Sis. Where were you just now?”

“I was just thinking about how happy I am. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.” I smiled as I got out of the car. I was glad I let Adam drive home because I was so full and slightly sleepy. The only thing to end this perfect evening would be a nice hot bubble bath with my new raspberry lemonade bath bomb. I could hear it calling my name.

I linked my arm through my brother’s arm as I basically lead me up the stairs to our second-floor apartment. All the good feeling whirling within me was gone in an instant when we made it to our door. Standing in front was the last person I expected to see.

After I’d left his house, I didn’t think he’d actually see him, but there was Nick leaning against our door, hands in his jean pockets. He was usually so well put together, and there was really nothing wrong with his appearance now. It was just different. His hair was longer as if he hadn’t gotten it cut since I’d last seen him. It fell in soft brown waves around his face that looked as if he’d raked his fingers through it several times. His face seemed thinner, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes as if he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in ages. Part of me wanted to be satisfied that apparently things weren’t going well for him, but the other part of me didn’t want to see him like this.

Despite his slightly disheveled appearance, he was still every bit as handsome. I couldn’t understand why he would show up now unless... It suddenly clicked why he was here, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that because it was too little too late to come searching for answers.

I cursed my heart that skipped a beat upon seeing him again. Maybe I was sick in the head for still having this reaction to him, but I simply couldn’t help it.

Nicholas straightened up when he saw us approached, and his eyes widened before they narrowed slightly when he gazed at Adam’s and my linked arms. But just as quickly his expression was once again neutral giving nothing away.

Adam reacted quicker than me to Nick’s presence. He pulled me behind him and walked up to Nick. “Excuse me, what are you doing in front of our door?”

“Our?” Nick said the words so quietly I would have missed it had I not read his lips.

“Who are you?” my brother demanded.

I placed my hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. I know him.”

Adam frowned. “Kinda late for visitors, don’t you think?”

Nick looked past, my brother completely ignoring him. “Frankie, I promise I won’t take up too much of your time. but I need to speak with you please.”

“Nick, I have a pretty good idea about what you want to discuss, but honestly it’s just too late. I can’t deal with this right now.”

“Nick?” Adam glared at him before looking at me. “Is this the Nick?”

I’d told Adam a little bit about my tumultuous relationship with Nick but not everything. But apparently it was enough to piss him off. Before I could finish nodding, Adam charged and slammed his fist right into Nick’s face.

Caught off guard, Nick stumbled backward and fell on his ass.

Adam stood over him. “Get up, motherfucker! Who do you think you are showing up like this after what you did?” When it looked as if Adam would hit him again, one of the neighbor’s I had never spoken to poked his head out the door.

“What’s going on out here? Do I need to get the police involved?” the older man threatened.

“No. Please. We’ll keep it down.”

The man grunted before closing his door again.

I gripped Adam’s arm as tightly as I could to hold him back, not really because I was scared he’d beat Nick up. It was the opposite. My brother was in better shape than he had been in for a while, but I knew for a fact that he’d only been able to knock Nick down with the element of surprise. Nick worked out and took care of himself. He had even boxed a little when he was younger, so my brother didn’t stand a chance.

“Look, Adam why don’t you go inside and cool off, and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“I’m not leaving you out here with that asshole.”

“I can handle him. Just go okay.”

Adam looked as if he wanted to argue but then decided against it. He shot one last glare in Nick’s direction before heading inside.

When Nick and I were alone, I held out my hand to help him up. “You shouldn’t have come Nick.”

He took my hand and rose to his feet, but he didn’t immediately let go. “You look well, Frankie. I always liked that color on you.” His green gaze roamed my body making me feel naked. My blue spaghetti strap dress was modest by most standards, but the way Nick made me feel was anything but.

I quickly yanked my hand out of his grip. “I’m sure you didn’t come here to comment on what I’m wearing.”

“Didn’t take you long to move on did it?”

“What?”

“You lover is very protective of you.”

I scrunched my nose in disgust. “Lover? Eww, that’s my brother, you weirdo.”

It was Nick’s turn to be confused. “Your brother?”

“You assumed because he’s white and I’m black that I’m living with some random guy only months after what you did to me? I know you had a low opinion of me, Nick, but even I wouldn’t stoop so low as to sleep with my own brother.”

“I’m sorry. It was a stupid assumption.”

“It was. I’m quite sure I told you that I was adopted.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “Yes, you did tell me that, and I’m sorry for my assumption.”

The last thing I expected was an apology. I didn’t really know what to say right away. “Ugh, it’s fine. Story of my life, I guess.”

“Frankie, look, I know I have no right to be here and ask questions, but I need to know…did you know about Dr. Laski? Please, I…Kenny tried to tell me, and I think you did too, and I didn’t listen. And now it’s too late. I’m just as guilty as that whack job on trail….”

Nick seemed so lost and unsure of himself. It was strange seeing him like this, and while telling him to go to hell would be cathartic, I couldn’t do it. I was tired of holding on to this secret that I had no business keeping.

I bowed my head and whispered a silent sorry to Kenny before returning my focus to Nick. “Let’s take a walk outside. I don’t think it’s a good idea to go in with Adam on the warpath.”

“Does he know?”

“That we used to date? Obviously.”

He shook his head. “No about…”

“How you basically kept me captive at your house and treated me like absolute garbage. He knows that you hurt me, but I didn’t go into details. Look, you came here looking for answers, and I have them. Ask your questions now because after tonight I’ll never talk about this again.”

Chapter Twenty

Nick

I didn’t get a chance to respond before Frankie turned on her heal and headed down the stairs and out the front door. I practically had to jog to catch up to her. She didn’t stop until we were a few feet away from her building. “There’s some benches out back. We can talk there.”

I nodded, following her in silence.

She took a seat first, and I sat next to her. Though it was nighttime, the lamp posts illuminated the area making it easy for us to see each other. I couldn’t lie to myself, seeing her after all this time, being so close, did things to my libido that made me discreetly adjust my pants.

Frankie looked absolutely stunning. Her dark brown skin seemed to glow with health, and her beautiful afro-textured hair was now worn in long waist length braids that accentuated her gorgeous face. I wanted to reach out and twirl one of the braids around my finger, but I was certain my touch wouldn’t be welcome. By her body language of folded arms and stiff posture, I knew this wouldn’t be an easy conversation.  I couldn’t exactly blame her after what I’d done.

If I were being honest, when I’d seen Frankie approaching her apartment linked arm and arm with another man, my blood boiled. She’d seemed so happy and relaxed with him. I had forced myself not to be get violent because I didn’t have the right even though jealousy ate away at my insides like acid.

It was because of the way I treated her that she had moved so easily. I lived with that shame, and even the self-loathing I felt probably couldn’t come close to what Frankie was feeling. I’d come to the conclusion that no matter what happened between her and my brother, I shouldn’t have treated her the way I had. Sure, at the time I’d justified it by convincing myself that she’d done something to my brother when in the back of my head I had my doubts. Now I couldn’t take it back, and I wasn’t sure if she’d accept my apology. There was one matter of hand I could resolve at the moment, and that was finding out the truth about Kenny.

I moistened my now dry lips with the tip of my tongue. “I like your hair.” The second those words left my lips, I groaned internally. I’m sure Frankie thought I was an idiot because I certainly thought so.

And my assumption was proven correct when she pursed her lips and scooted as far away from me as possible without falling off the bench. ‘I’m sure you didn’t come all this way to compliment my hair. You said you wanted answers, so ask your questions.” She folded her hands in her lap with her head bowed almost as if she was scared to look in my direction.

“You’re right. I didn’t. I…I don’t know where to begin.” Before I came over, I had a rehearsed list of questions I wanted to ask her, but seeing her, my brain was scrambled. At that moment I didn’t think I was capable of forming a coherent sentence.

“Look, it’s been a long day, and I’m sure if I don’t go back in soon, Adam is going to come looking for me, so whatever you have to ask I don’t have much time to waste.”

I ran my hands through my hair frustrated. Maybe I was stalling because even though I had my suspicions surrounding my brother, if I learned the definitive truth, there would be no closing that Pandora’s Box. And I could no longer deny my own culpability. “What do you know about Dr. Laski, and how long have you known?”

Frankie clenched her hands her lap tighter than before, head still bowed. “I had my suspicions about the Doctor when I started spending more time at your mother’s house and observing Kenny.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’d told me he had Cerebral Palsy before we even met, so I pretty much knew what to expect when I met your family. I didn’t think anything was out of the ordinary when I met him, but he was wheelchair bound.”

“So? What does that have to do with anything?”

“You’ve always been very proud of your brother, and you would share stories about him when you were growing up that he had stood up to a bully and beat him over the head with one of his crutches. From that I assumed he, at one point, used to walk. Then I observed some symptoms in him that I quite possibly could have been imagining, and I casually mentioned it to your mother since she’s his caretaker. She immediately got defensive and told me I didn’t know what I was talking about and that my nursing degree was garbage. But there was something else she said that didn’t sit well with me.” She paused as if she was trying to gather her thoughts.

“What did she say?”

“She said if I knew what I was talking about, then I would know Kenny’s condition was degenerative. Cerebral Palsy is not a degenerative disease, and anyone who had been taking care of him for as long as your mother had would have known that. The only reason I couldn’t be sure about the symptoms I believed he had was because they could have very well been his Cerebral Palsy. So I observed him. By then Kenny and I had become friends, and he’d come out with us sometimes. Remember that time when he got that really bad headache when we’d gone to the art gallery. He said that he had some pills for the headaches. I got the pill bottle out of his bag and noticed the drug he was taking. It was seizure medication.”

“Kenny did suffer seizures,” I interjected.

“Right, but he specifically said it was for the headaches, and the type of medicine he was taking if he wasn’t truly a sufferer could cause seizures. In fact, most doctors are hesitant to prescribe that particular medication because too many patients were experiencing severe side effects. I saw the name on the prescriber and got very concerned. No one could really prove it, but there had been rumors about Dr. Laski for years. Anyway, I took my concerns to your mother again, and she completely went off on me. Called me everything but a child of God and told me that you would eventually get tired of me because I’m trash who is trying to make trouble.”

I frowned. This was the first time I was hearing this. “When did this happen, and why did you never say anything?”

“About what your mother said? Would it have made any difference? I had stopped by her house to speak with her because I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt that she wasn’t aware about what was going on. I knew if I told you about the conversation, you would either take her side or mine. If you would have taken hers, I would have, of course, been crushed; but if you had taken mine, that would have caused a rift between you and your mother. If nothing else, at the time I believe she loved her children. So, I kept my peace. I started asking Kenny questions, and that’s the reason we started talking about how he’d suspected for a while that something was wrong with him. To clarify, he felt different, not the regular struggle he was suffering. That’s when I went to you. You got angry with me. I tried another time, and you completely lost it. So I didn’t really know how I was going to get Kenny the help he needed if you weren’t willing to listen, and Kenny didn’t want me to get social services involved to get his mother in trouble.”

My chest got tighter like someone had put their hand around my heart and squeezed as I listened to Frankie’s explanation. Everything was starting to come back to me. I’d refused to listen to her when she was only trying to help. “And then what?”

“I tried to keep an eye on Kenny, but your mother was always around watching like a hawk.  It was like she didn’t trust me to be alone with him. Even though Kenny was an adult, he said his mother took care of all his medical decisions. It concerned me that Kenny didn’t have much input in his own care. He was very outspoken in all other things, but as far as the medical stuff, he just let your mother take care of him. I don’t know if you remember this, but he was displaying some troubling symptoms. A lot of them could also have been from the Cerebral Palsy, but the kind he told me he had didn’t lend credence to this.”

I was curious now because as I scoured through my memories, I vaguely remember a few times when something seemed off with Kenny, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. And every time I’d asked, he would wave it off and say he was fine. “Could you tell me what those symptoms were?”

“Facial tick, labored breathing, slurred speech. That’s just off the top of my head. There were other more subtle symptoms, but I couldn’t be sure unless he had proper tests, and it was just a guess even though in his age range it shouldn’t have been likely.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I believed that there was something else going on with Kenny besides the Cerebral Palsy, and he believed it too. So he asked for my help. He was starting to feel worse. Kenny felt helpless because his mother refused to listen, and he’d already figured out that Dr. Laski was a fraud. He says he even tried to tell you, but you brushed him off. Kenny did some digging into how much control his mother actually had over his medical decisions. With Kenny being in his twenties, I was surprised he hadn’t questioned her until then, but I get how difficult it is for some people to go against their parents.” Frankie paused to squeeze the bridge of her nose and released a sigh.

“Sorry, I’m going on a tangent. Anyway, when your mother was at one of her lunches, Kenny invited me over, and we went through the house searching for paperwork to see what kind of conservatorship she had over Kenny’s records. Basically, all we found were documents that Kenny signed giving the doctor permission to discuss his medical information with her. She always went to his appointments and always took over. Kenny let her because he thought at the time she was at least doing right by him, and it seemed to make her happy. At least that was the reasoning he gave me. Anyway, once we realized she didn’t actually have any say over his medical decision because Kenny was an adult of sound mind, I got an appointment for him with a neurologist at hospital where I worked.”

“When it came time for that appointment, Kenny convinced your mother to be out of the house around the time of his appointment, and I picked him up and took him to the doctor. Kenny called me as soon as he got the results. He was so upset, and he asked for my help. He wanted out of your mother’s house. At the time I had my own crisis with Adam. I think I told you that my brother had some issues which is why I didn’t see him often. The truth is, he was addict and had recently OD’d. I wanted to get him into a treatment facility, but the one I was considering was expensive. Kenny knew this and offered a proposal. We’d get married, and I would become his caretaker so that your mother wouldn’t be able to contest me being in charge of medical and financial decision. And in turn, I would get the money to get Adam into rehab.”

I knew there was still a lot missing from the story, but the fact that she had gotten money from my brother instead of coming to me with her problem hurt. I was really fucking hurt, and I wasn’t okay with this. I tried to bite my tongue so that she could finish, but I couldn’t help blurting out what was on my mind. “I fucking adored you! I would have given you anything you asked for. Why—”

“Why didn’t I come to you? Because every time I brought up Kenny, you shut me down, and the last time you told me to mind my business. You even implied that you mother was right about my meddling and trying to cause trouble. As far as the money, why would I ask you for help when you’d made your opinion about people with addictions abundantly clear?”

I furrowed my brows and scratched my head. “What are you talking about?”

“You probably don’t remember this, but I recall your telling me about the man you had fired at your company when you learned he was messing with the numbers and stole some money?”

I nodded slowly. “Yes, I remember. He was stealing money, and he came to work stoned out of his mind. Of course I fired him as he should have been.”

“And remember when you were telling me how you intended to press charges against him on behalf of your company. I’d suggested that maybe you should think about getting that man some help because there comes a point where addiction will make you do all types of crazy things. You said it was his choice to take drugs and that he needed to be in jail away from the rest of civilized society because those kinds of people will never change. At exactly what point do you think I should have told you about my brother when you said that? To be quite honest, I’d considered breaking up with you over it, but I figured it was something maybe I could eventually talk to you about when your anger wasn’t so fresh.”

I remembered that. One my most trusted accountants who’d actually left the last company I’d worked for to join me and Chris had completely destroyed my trust. It turned out that he’d found a way to siphon off money from our clients’ accounts. I was just thankful that it had been caught early on before we took a huge lose. His excuse had been that he took the money to fund his addiction, and he’d begged for help. I of course did not want to hear his excuses. Maybe I had let my anger get the best of me, but I’d felt betrayed because I’d had so much trust in him. I didn’t realize my reaction to that would cause Frankie to withdraw from me.

“I would have understood, I mean if you explained it to me….” Even as the words left my mouth her slightly narrowed gaze and pursed lips told me she didn’t believe me. I wasn’t sure if believed me either.

“Would you have? I’m not so sure Nick. But does it really matter? I couldn’t trust you with this, and at the time I felt I had to choose between you and my brother. I had promised our parents to look after him. It was a promise I took seriously. Anyway, I was in desperate situation as was Kenny. He had some suspicions about your mother.”

“What are you talking about?” It took me a moment for my head to jump back to the original conversation because I wanted to find out more about what had gone wrong between me and her, but I needed to remember the reason why I’d come.

“Kenny had trusted your mother up until she found out that she was lying to him about having complete control of his medical decisions. She’d had him so convinced that she had this control that he never questioned it. And it may have seemed like something very simple and easily disputed, but when someone has been taking care of you all their lives and telling you certain things, there’s a certain amount of brainwashing involved. Anyway, as soon as he knew he was free to seek treatment elsewhere, I got him an appointment as I said.”

“How did you manage to do that? I’m sure my mother couldn’t have made it easy for you. How did you pull it off?”

“As I mentioned, your mother had her weekly luncheons with her social group. Kenny knew she’d be gone for a few hours, so that’s when we scheduled his appointments. We made sure that any results would only be discussed with him. There were three appointments in all – two with the original neurologist and the third for a second opinion.”

“What are you getting at, Frankie?”

“Kenny’s Cerebral Palsy had masked his real condition. I didn’t want to be right because typically that kind of illness doesn’t occur until someone hits their 40s.”

“Just spit it out.”

“Kenny had ALS, and it was progressing pretty quickly. He knew he had about two, three years tops. That medication he was taking was what caused his seizure, and he’d been taking it so long that it probably exacerbated his condition.  Your mother had to know that she was making him sicker. She wanted him to be sick so bad that she actually didn’t realize that he’d actually become sick. She’d been slowly poisoning him for most of his life. My instinct was to go to the police, but Kenny didn’t want that. He said she was a sick woman. There’s a term for what she has actually, Munchausen by Proxy. He just wanted to get away from her and live the rest of his days in comfort. That’s why we got married. So I could get him away from your mother, and he would help me with my brother. Only the money he gave to me for my brother, my brother ended up taking and disappearing. But I kept my end of the bargain because he needed me, and I’d already lost you.”

A lone tear slid down her cheek and had to ball my fists in my lap to prevent myself from reaching out for her. I doubted my touch would be welcome, especially now when I realized how much she’d sacrificed.

A long silence fell between us. It was a lot to process. All these emotions welled within me: anger at Frankie and Kenny for shutting me out when I’d loved them both; shame for feeling jealous of their connection; guilt for neglecting him and for treating her the way I had; and most of all, rage toward my mother for what she’d done. My sister’s cryptic words finally made since. Had my mother tried to make her sick as well?

I stood up abruptly.

“There are no words I have for you right now, Frankie. I’ve treated you so horribly. I let my brother down. I lost the last years with my brother because I was too blind to see what was going on. I…I don’t have the words right now to offer you the apology you deserve. But I’ll be back Frankie because you and I have unfinished business, and we both know it.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Nick

I wasn’t a fan of the country club because it was full of pompous jackasses who had more money than common human decency. But I kept my membership to entertain clients for my business and for my mother who enjoyed having luncheons here. It was why I chose this location to meet her.

I fully expected her to put on a show and make a grand entrance as she normally did, so when I walked into the dining area and headed to our reserved table, I was surprised to actually see her sitting at the table. She casually sipped from a martini glass as she scrolled through her telephone. As I approached, she must have noticed me and put her phone away.

She was her usual put together self. Her hair was pulled back into a severe bun and her makeup was impeccable. She wore a power suit, and anyone would mistake her for powerful executive.

She smiled as I took my seat. “Sweetheart, thank you for coming. When you called to say you’d meet me here, I was so pleased. There’s so much we need to go over. I have been in discussion with Ethan Harrington. I believe the two of you went to high school together. I still talk to his mother on occasion, but apparently like you, he made a name for himself in the city at some hot shot law firm. But he’s come back home to start his own firm. I hear he’s quite good at what he does, and he only requires a 5000-dollar retainer which is more than reasonable. I just need you to transfer the money into my account, or if you’d like to handle the details yourself, I can give you the information.”

Not so much as a how are you. My mother was an audacious woman at times, but now knowing what I did about her, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I didn’t even have the words to express the contempt I felt for her, the absolute loathing I had for her.

It didn’t help matters that I’d received a package at my office this morning from Frankie. Normally I let Cheri open my mail, but she thought this particular item should be opened by me. I was surprised that Frankie had sent it to the office. I hadn’t seen her for a couple days because I needed to sort some things out first, but I had every intention of seeing her again.

Inside the package was a thumb drive similar to the ones that I’d found with the rest of Kenny’s belongs. There was also a note that simply said: I thought you should know. I kept this because Kenny didn’t want you to find out, but now that you have, you should learn the whole truth. Frankie.

I immediately plugged the thumb drive into my computer and realized it was another one of Kenny’s journals, and it was far more damning than the others I’d read. This one centered on my mother, Kenny’s suspicions of her deliberately getting him ill. His sense of betrayal when he’d learned that the medication he was taking was doing more harm than good. He had even suspected that she was putting something in his food to make him sicker. Kenny had said that every time he would assert his independence, he’d mysteriously get sick. This passage stuck out to me the most.

Is it a sin to feel so much resentment towards your own mother? I know what she’s doing to me, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s doing this because she’s a sick woman or just loves people feeling pity for her. It could be a little bit of both. Robin tried to warn me, and I wish I had listened. I tried to tell Nick, but he’s too wrapped up in other things. I just want out of this mess. I’m so thankful to have Frankie in my life. Without her intervention, I wouldn’t have found a way out of this mess.

That appeared to be one of the last entries on this drive, so it appeared he knew what my mother was doing. I couldn’t imagine what he must have been going through, and I hated that he felt that he couldn’t come to me. Maybe I was too wrapped up in my company and Frankie to not see what was really happening. I’d failed him and had taken that out on the only person who’d actually tried to help him. And I’d always have to live with that guilt.

Regardless of whether my neglect of Kenny had been intentional or not, there was no way I could ever make this up to him now that he was gone. I could still do right by his memory by making sure the people responsible his suffering pay for what they’d done.

I thought long and hard about my mother’s role in this, and while Kenny and Frankie believed she was a sick woman, she knew right from wrong and had a firm grasp on what she was doing. When I think of all the time my mother had guilt tripped me into believing I was a horrible son for daring to move away for school and pursue a career far away, my angry grew to a boiling rage. She made it seem as if I was wrong for abandoning her even though she’d spent most of my life telling me what a useless ungrateful son I was. There was only so much I could take before I had to get away. Looking back, had I known what was going on, I wouldn’t have left Kenny. I would have protected him and Robin from what my mom was doing.

“Are you even listening to me, Nicholas?” She snapped her finger in my face, and I nearly lost it right then and there.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself because I wanted to make my words comprehensive so there would be no mistake how I felt about this. “I’ve been listening to you since I was a child. I listened when you told me that I was an ungrateful child, a recalcitrant teenager, a thoughtless son. I listened when you would guilt trip me into believing that my soul purpose was to please you. I didn’t even date until I went far away to college because any girl I brought around was never good enough. But nothing was ever good enough for you. And you made me feel less than. Is it a wonder I wanted to get as far away from you as possible?”

My mother’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened. She placed her hand against her chest. “Where is all coming from? Nicholas, what has gotten into you?”

I leaned back in my chair with narrowed eyes and looked over at her long and hard. “What kind of woman are you?”

“I beg your pardon? Who do you think you’re talking to? I’m your mother. What kind of son speaks to his mother this way?”

“Perhaps the kind who is fed up with your bullshit. The kind who finally sees the truth. The kind who realizes that you needed to be the victim so badly that you poisoned your own children.”

Her mouth fell open, and she started to tremble. Just as quickly as that look of fear had crossed her face, it vanished behind a wall of bravado. She formed her lips into a firm thin line and raised her chin in righteous indignation. “I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about, but I suggest you watch what you say to me. You’re not too old to receive a slap for being so disrespectful.”

I chuckled humorlessly. “So that’s how we’re going to play it? You’re just going to brazen it out? I see. Well, let’s see how far you get without my financial assistance because I’ll be damned if I give you one red cent toward an attorney. You deserve every bit of what’s coming to you. You seem to think I’m stupid for thinking that all the District Attorney wants is to ask you questions. You’ve been doing business with Laski for years, so I imagine the DA probably wants to use you as a potential witness, but you fear he might learn something that would implicate you for what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done? How could you say these things to me? Your own mother.” Her eyes rapidly filled with tears, but I remained unmoved.

I folded my hands together and placed my elbow on the table to watch the show she put on. And as if from nowhere, she produced a handkerchief and dabbed the corners of her eyes and sniffed oh so delicately. I wanted to throw up. This was a manipulation tactic, and I was no longer going to fall for it.

She cried for an uncomfortable amount of time, but my resolve would not waver. She could cry a river for all I fucking cared. I’d never felt this much contempt for anyone in my life. Even when I thought I hated Frankie that feeling didn’t come close to the disgust flowing through my system for the woman who was supposed to love her children unconditionally and care for and support them.

After carrying on, my mother must have realized that I remained silent and had offered her no comfort. Her tears magically dried up. “After all I’ve done for you, this is how you treat me?”

“Let’s not get into all you’ve done for me because I guarantee that the list of cons would outweigh the pros. Like the fact that you were making the three of us sick since we were children. Maybe I had subconsciously blocked this memory but realizing what you did to Kenny and Robin brought it back. I was about six or seven, and I remember standing at the top of the steps one second and the next I’m practically flying in the air. I land on my arm so hard it broke in a couple places. As soon as it happened, you were there showing so much concern as most mothers would, but the way you carried on in the hospital, one might have thought that you were the one to break her arm and not me. It was only when I wasn’t in a tremendous amount of pain that I remembered that someone had pushed me. I told you, and you convinced me it was all in my head. But at the time you were the only one upstairs with me.”

“How could you think that of me I—”

“That wasn’t the first accident I had, and I suspect that there probably would have been more if it weren’t for Robin and Kenny. You were hurting them too. They were always sick, Kenny especially. You’d managed to keep them under your thumb until we all managed to escape somehow. That’s why Robin couldn’t wait to get away from us as soon as she could. She tried to warn me, but I wouldn’t listen.”

My mother stood up abruptly. “I don’t have to listen to this. I don’t know where you would get such ridiculous ideas, but I am leaving. Maybe when you’ve had some time to think about it, you’ll come back and apologize to me.”

“After you walk out of here, I will never willingly see you again. I should go to the police and tell them everything I know. But Kenny wouldn’t have wanted that. Despite what you did to him, he still loved you and didn’t want to see you face any consequences. I guess that’s the difference between me and him. He had a loving heart, but mine is full of wrath and vengeance.”

The woman standing before me was no longer mother. Instead she looked like the very monster on the outside that she was on the inside. Her face had twisted into something that looked like a snarl and a mask of rage. “It’s that woman, isn’t it? She put these foolish ideas in your head. I knew she was trouble when I first saw her. That woman is trouble, a disgusting whore who bounced from one brother to another.”

I banged my first on the table, uncaring that the people at the surrounding tables were now focused on our table. “Don’t you say one more thing about her. Frankie didn’t deserve the way you treated her. Or what I’d done to her. Hell, she’s probably one of the kindest, most caring individuals I’ve met. I don’t know many people who would have done what she did to the detriment of herself.  Frankie is the embodiment of the very selflessness you claim to be. And the fact that she waited so long to give you that much deserved punch, is a miracle. When I leave this building, I’m going to do two things: I’m going to track down my sister and hope that I can re-establish some kind of relationship with her.  But first, I’m going to Frankie and throw myself at her mercy. She was the best thing that happened to me and I treated her like shit.”

My mother shook her head with a vehemence that made a few strands of her perfectly coiffed hair come loose. “I don’t know where any of this is coming from. I could never hurt you or Kenny or your sister. You know how much it pained me when she went away.”

“So much that you can’t even bring yourself to say her name. You just shrugged your shoulders and called her an ingrate. You don’t miss her or Kenny. You miss the control. And that’s why you always held so much contempt for me because you couldn’t hurt me as much as I got older. That’s the reason you hated Frankie too wasn’t it? She wasn’t someone you could control or manipulate. And I believed all those foul things you said about her because I was jealous and didn’t understand what was really happening between her and Kenny. But now I see through you.”

She flopped down in her chair like a deflated balloon. All color drained from her face. “All I ever tried to do was take care of my children and do the best that I could do after your father left us without a word.”

“A father’s whose funeral you wouldn’t let us attend. I understand that he left you, and you claimed he wanted nothing to do with us, but knowing what I know about you now, I bet he did want to see us. You kept him away from us, and then he died. You just loved playing the role of the poor discarded ex with three sickly children to raise.”

“He left all of us. He lost his choice to see any of you after he left. The very fact that you’re taking his side shows me just how much like him you are.”

“You know, when I was younger, something like that might have hurt me, but now I’m glad I’m like him because he had the courage to walk away from your bullshit. And that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

I pushed away from the table and stood up. As I turned to walk away, she rushed to my side and grabbed by hand. “Wait, you can’t just walk away from me like this. What will I do? What will happen to me? Are you really going to do this to your own mother?”

I gave her one last long look because I swore to myself that I would never voluntarily do it again after today. Then, I ripped my arm out of grip. “I don’t have a mother.”

I left her where she stood not looking back. When I got into my car, I took several deep calming breaths. I’d had a long speech planned out for my mother detailing all of her misdeeds and explaining why she was the worst person on Earth. Midway through my tirade, I realized anything I said would have fallen on death ears. She felt completely justified with what she’d done, and there was no changing that.

But I could refocus my energy on making amends with the two people whom I cared about: Robin and Frankie. The woman I called my mother was now on her own. Maybe she was a sick woman who just needed help, or maybe she was simply a master manipulator. Whatever it was, I was done. Knowing my brother, Kenny wouldn’t have wanted me to seek vengeance. And I’ve already learned that revenge came with unexpected consequences.

I was telling the truth when I’d said I was going to try to make things right with Frankie, which is how I ended up outside of her apartment building waiting for her to get home.

I must have sat parked in front of her building for a couple of hours before I saw her pull up. She was still in her scrubs, and her long braids were pulled back in a ponytail. Her face was free of makeup, and she looked just as beautiful as I remembered.

Maybe I was an asshole for what I intended to do, but I doubted she would give me the time of day any other way. She didn’t seem to notice me as I got out of my car and followed closely behind.

“Frankie,” I called out to her just as she was about to go to her building.

She jumped and let out a loud gasp. Swiftly she turned with her hand against her chest. “Nick! You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing here?” From the wary expression shadowing her lovely face, I knew my work would be cut out for me.

“I told you I would return. We need to talk.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure this is a good idea. If you’ve come to apologize, then I accept your apology. Let’s agree to move on with our lives now.” Frankie moved as if to turn her back on me, but I placed my hand on her shoulder.

“I could if that were a possibility. But you see, I made a big mistake letting you go the first time around. I’m not going to let that happen a second time.” And with that, I grabbed Frankie and tossed her over my shoulder.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Frankie

Was this real life? This couldn’t be happening. One minute I’m coming home from a long day at work looking forward to putting a dent in my Netflix queue while finishing off some left-over Tai takeout, and the next, I’m being kidnapped.

To say I was stunned was an understatement. So much in fact that I didn’t react until Nick stuff me in the passenger seat of his car and pulled out of the driveway. “Are you nuts! Stop the car right now and let me out.

Nick kept his eyes on the road, seeming not the least bit put out by my annoyance. “You can get out when we get to where I’m taking you.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. Stop the damn car, Nick!”

“Like I said, when we reach our destination.”

“This is bullshit, Nick? Anything we have left between us has been settled. When I sent you that thumb drive, that should have answered all our questions.”

“And why did you send it to me. Why wait so long? You could have cleared your name a long time ago.”

“If that’s all you wanted to know, you could have just asked me instead of going all Neanderthal and dragging me off to God knows where.”

He shrugged his shoulder while keeping his eyes on the road. “So how about answering the question?”

I hated that his profile was so perfect. He looked a bit different from the last time I’d seen him. He’d gotten a haircut which was tapered on the sides but still a little long on top so that a few careless waves fell on his forehead. I folded my hands in my lap to resist the temptation moving one of those errant stands from off his forehead. God, what was wrong with me that I still was so wildly attracted to this man even after what he’d done?

“Are you going to answer the question?”

I didn’t realize I’d been daydreaming until he spoke again. I shook my head to break out of the trance I’d fallen under from looking at him. I quickly looked out the window so that I could think clearly. “I’d kept that thumb drive because even after all your mother had done, he didn’t want you to hate her. He had a forgiving heart.”

“Maybe a little too forgiving,” he muttered under his breath, but I managed to hear what he said.

“He had a kind heart. And that was one of the things I loved about him, his generous spirit. It’s his capacity to forgive that guides me now.”

“So why did you send it to me now?”

“Because eventually you would hear a lot of things come out in the trial, and there was a very good chance some of his more frequent patients like your mother would probably have to testify. I thought it would be best if you found out this way.”

“You knew what was on the thumb drive you took. Why didn’t you take the other ones, especially the one that made you look as guilty as hell?”

“I just glanced through them, and since they didn’t mention anything about your mother other than her being overbearing, I let them be.”

“But you have to know which one I’m referring to, the one that makes you look like you were using him for his money.”

I leaned my head against the window. Until I’d read that, I had no idea that Kenny had romantic feelings towards me. Sure, he said he loved me all the time, and I’d laugh because I thought he was joking. Had I known, we probably would have had a serious discussion about it, but I hate that I had unwittingly hurt him. “They were his thoughts, and I let them be. I didn’t know he’d felt that way about me actually. I loved him too, and I’m sure he loved me, but I believed it was in the platonic sense.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Frankie, kind, generous, and loyal. Why wouldn’t he have loved you? Kenny may have had health issues, but he was still a man.”

I stole a glanced at Nick once more. “Why are you being so complimentary to me all of a sudden? Is it because of your guilty conscience? Ultimately I did take money from Kenny to marry him.”

“Yes, for your brother. And that’s why you needed that money from me wasn’t? For your brother’s rehabilitation?”

“How did you—?

“How did I know?” He took his eyes off the road for a moment to shoot me a smile. “When you have means, there’s not much information you don’t have access too.”

“I see. I guess you no longer see me as a gold-digging whore?” I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest.

He let out a heavy sigh. “I wanted to give you a proper apology, but I guess I’m not doing a good job at this.”

I shrugged. “I mean, kidnapping me isn’t exactly the way to go about it.” Just then I noticed that he’d turned down a familiar street and then… “Oh hell no, take me home. I’m not going to be a prisoner in your house again.”

He ignored me until he pulled up into his driveway. “We’re here.”

“I’m not going back in there to be your prisoner.”

“You’re going back in there because we still have some things to sort out between us.”

I sunk into my seat and refused to move. Nick on the other hand got out of the vehicle, came to my side of the car, opened the door, and unfastened my seatbelt.  I slapped his hands away when he attempted to pull me out of the car, but he gripped my forearms and yanked me out. Somehow, I found myself over his shoulder once again. I kicked and screeched and beat his back as he carried me inside his house seemingly completely unfazed.

As soon as he put me down after closing the door, I reared my hand back and smacked him across the face as hard as I could creating a deafening sound. As soon as I did it, I regretted it a little, but only a little. He had that coming.

“What the hell is your problem? What did I do to deserve being dragged here so unceremoniously?”

He flared his nostrils and touched his now bright red cheek. “Are you finished having your tantrum?”

“Are you serious? You brought me here against my will, and you say I’m throwing a tantrum? Haven’t you taken enough from me already? My body, my self-respect, and heart? What else do you want from me?”

He raised a brow. “Your heart? Do I still have it?”

I didn’t need this shit. Even after months of therapy, I knew I wasn’t over him. I understood what he’d done to me was because he had been hurting too, but it didn’t mean that would give him the opportunity to hurt me again. I’d given up way too much for this family already. I tried to push past him so I could leave, but he pulled me against him.

He cupped the back of my head and smashed his mouth against mine. I tried to push him away, but Nick wouldn’t let me. He held firm. He then gripped my braids and yank just enough to take me by surprise. As soon as my lips parted, he slid his tongue into my mouth devouring me.

I wanted to fight and kick him or scream at the top of my lungs, but to my complete shame I melted against him.

I’m not sure how it happened, but without breaking the kiss, he gripped my ass and lifted me up. I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist before he carried me up the stairs. Maybe it was because I had lost my ever-loving mind, but after he put me down in front of his bed, I helped him out of his shirt and pants in between kisses until he was naked, and his rock-hard dick was pointing straight at me.

My scrubs were the next to go, and as soon as we were both naked, Nick pushed me on the bed and was instantly on top of me. I don’t know why I gave into to him so easily; maybe it was madness, or maybe it was no use arguing to myself about how I felt about him. My body needed this release, needed him.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, Frankie,” he muttered before raining kisses all over my face and neck. He slid down my body to lick and suck on my breasts giving each nipple equal attention. I slid my fingers through his hair and arched my back, offering myself to him needing to sate this fiery ache within me.

I felt as if I would combust as Nick continued his descent down my body, kissing my belly and circling my navel before settling between my thighs. There was no teasing or hesitating. He dove in face first and devoured my pussy like a man who hadn’t eaten in days. He devoured my pussy, destroyed it, wrote his name with his tongue on it. He completely destroyed my cunt until I squirted in his face.

“That’s it, baby. That’s what I want to see.” He slid two fingers inside of me fucked me with them in rapid motions.”

“Nick, what are you doing to me?” I cried out. This bastard was trying to kill me.

I rolled my head from side to side, writhing and gyrating.

“Reclaiming what’s mine.” He continued to finger me until I came again. Hard. Nick removed his digits and lapped my juices with his tongue.

“Please,” I moaned, not sure what exactly I was begging for.

Nick then went to his knees and settled between my thighs. “Oh, I intend to baby. I let you go without a fight once, but I’m not going to make that mistake again. You’re mine, and I’m not letting you go again.”

I didn’t get a chance to process what he’d said to me before he shoved his dick so deep inside of me it felt as if we’d merged into one person.

“Oh, my God!” I cried out.

“He can’t help you now, baby.” Nick gripped my thighs and plowed in and out of me like a madman.

“You.”

“Are.”

“Mine.”

“Mine forever. You can fight me all you like, but in the end, I will win,” he growled thrusting inside of me to emphasize each word.

He slammed in and out of me making me tremble in pure ecstasy.  I racked my nails down his arms and screamed his name. “Nick!”

He continued to claim my body over and over again until I exploded on his dick.

“Fuck! So fucking good. Mine!” he shouted before shooting his seed deep inside of me.

Nick then collapsed to the side of me and pulled me into his arms.

So overwhelmed with emotion, tears coursed down my cheeks. How could I have easily let him do this to me again? “Please let me go.”

His arms tightened around me. “Never. I already said I wasn’t letting you go again. Look, Frankie, I made the biggest mistake of my life not listening to you and then letting you go without a fight. Had I listened to you, we could have gotten Kenny help together instead of your sacrificing yourself. And I behaved abominably to you. I can never take back what I did. I will spend the rest of my days making it up to you. I also realize these past weeks that life short. I want to spend the rest of my life with the person I care about the most, the woman I never stopped loving even when I’d told myself I hated you. I love you so much, Frankie. I took a gamble bringing you here, but I needed you, and I think you needed me too.”

Did I dare give in to him when my wounds were still so raw? “But you hurt me. You really hurt me. I understand that you were dealing with your own pain, but you what you did…” I broke off with a sob.

“I know. I also understand that I will have to regain your trust, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes. But I’m dead serious about not letting you go. Losing you that first time broke me. I need you, and I think you need me too. You’ve been so much to other people, allowing them to use you. But now it’s your turn to lay your burdens on me. We can go as slow as you’d like to rebuild what we had, couple’s therapy, whatever you want. I love you, Francesca, and I know you love me too or else I suspect you would have fought much harder to leave.”

It was true. But did I dare say the words out loud. He’d hurt me. Could I give him another chance?

I turned within the circle and studied his face. I stared deep into the green depths of his eyes and I saw…love.

My next words came from my heart. “I never stopped loving you, Nick. But you have a lot to atone for. I’ve already forgiven you because I needed to be able to heal, but I’m cautious. If you hurt me again, say goodbye to your balls.”

He chuckled. “Deal.” He cupped my face and gave me a long deep kiss which I returned enthusiastically. Finally when he pulled away, he rubbed my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. “I’m not settling for less than forever.”

For the first time in a long time a new emotion swelled within my heart: Hope. I didn’t know what would happen between Nick and me. We’d been through much and had hurt each other but in the end, I believed this was where we were meant to be, with each other.

Epilogue

Nick

So much had happened within the last year. Dr. Laski’s trial took place over the course of a three weeks, and he was found guilty of a plethora of charges including 15 counts of illegal dispensing of controlled substances. He’d also been stripped of his license, and in my mind, Kenny had gotten the justice he deserved. He had been sentenced to 30 years.

My mother was one of the patients that was called as state’s witness against him. She was cut a deal for her testimony, probation. Of course without my help to buy herself a top lawyer, she had to make do with what she could afford. I’d stopped funding her lifestyle, so apparently she’d taken out a mortgage on the house that had already been paid off. But because she didn’t work, she couldn’t afford the payments, and it had gone into foreclosure.

She had come to my office in a demented raged demanding I pay up, but I had the police called to remove her from my building. Apparently that violated her probation, so she was sentences to prison for a six months. It was my understanding that it was a minimum-security facility, but I knew it would be hell to her.

I had a restraining order taken out on her for when she got out. I was dead serious when I said that I never wanted to see her again.

Things with Frankie and me had started out a bit rocky. I was frustrated because she wanted to take things slower than I wanted. I wanted her to move in with me, but she wasn’t ready. Plus, she didn’t want to leave her brother to fend for himself. I’d even offered to let Adam stay with us if that helped, but she’d declined.

I think what really helped us make a breakthrough was couples’ therapy. I knew that Frankie still loved me, but regaining her trust wasn’t easy. We worked through it and finally, we made it to a place of bliss. I loved that woman more than life and hated that at one time I could have ever doubted the kind of woman she was. And our love grew stronger every day.

It took a while for Adam to warm up to me, and I understood the hostility. I’d hurt his sister. It took a while before he even spoke a full sentence to me. But now we’d settled into an easy friendship. He gotten a decent job in IT while still taking some college courses.

Not wanted to rely on Frankie any longer, he found his own place with a couple roommates and seemed to be doing well. He had even started dating. Frankie was quite proud of him.  With Adam on his own, I finally convinced Frankie to move in with me.

I couldn’t be happier. We laughed and loved and sometimes fought, but we always made up.

Which brought us to this moment. I looked at the GPS on my phone to make sure I was in the right location. The little villa with its narrow roads had barely legible road signs which were all in French.

“I think you have to turn down this road.” Frankie was at my side trying to figure out the GPS as well.

It took us several wrong turns and some added frustration, but we finally arrived at our destination according to the map. The house we pulled up to was a modest family home. There were balls and children’s toys on the lawn. My heart skipped a beat as I parked.

I was frozen for a moment. This was it.

Frankie slid her hands in mine. “You got this, babe. I’m right here for you.”

I looked down at them. Her left ring finger had a three-karat, canary yellow, princess-cut diamond engagement ring. Frankie had cried when I’d proposed and given it to her. I loved seeing it on her hand because it meant that our commitment to each other would be formalized.

I took one of her hands in mine and brought it to my lips for a kiss. “I appreciate it.” I took a deep breath. “Well, here goes nothing.”

We got out of the car and headed to the door and knocked.

We only had to wait a couple moments before a tall lanky gentleman holding a baby in one arm while a small boy clung to his pants legs.”

“Are you Nicholas?”  he asked in accented English?

“Yes, is Robin here?”

“Of course. Where are my manners? Please come in.” He backed up enough to allow us entrance.

It had taken me months to trace my sister. I had to go through old high school friends she might have been in contact with. I kept coming up against dead ends, but I finally found a breakthrough when I managed to track down one of her own college friends. Through that lead I was able to find Robin in the south of France. Apparently she was married and had children as evidenced now. I’d contacted her through snail mail and didn’t know if I’d get a reply. It took months before she replied and invited me to see her.

Robin walked into the living room once her husband went to get her. She hadn’t aged much. Her once short bob was now in long brunette waves that hung around her waist.

“Nick?”

I nodded. She then ran into my waiting arms, and we hugged as if time had not stolen all those years from us.

Finally she pulled away with tears streaming down her face. “I missed you so much. I wanted to tell you but—”’

I shook my head to cut her off. “That’s in the past. I’m here to catch up with my baby sis and to meet your family.”

She grinned. “Of course.” She looked at Frankie. “You must be Frankie.”

Frankie smiled back warmly. “I am.”

Robin walked over to my fiancée and gave her a hug.  “I’m so glad to meet you. And thank you for making my brother happy.”

Frankie’s smile widened. “I’m very glad to finally meet you as well.”

Robin grinned at both of us. “I’d love for you to meet my family.”

My heart was so happy. I had the woman I loved by my side, and I had my baby sister back. Nothing could beat this feeling. I’m sure Kenny was probably somewhere smiling down on us.  “I’d love to.”

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Eve Vaughn has always enjoyed creating characters and stories from an early age. As a child she was always getting into mischief, so when she lost her television privileges (which was often), writing was her outlet. Her stories have gotten quite a bit spicier since then! When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, Eve is reading, baking, traveling or kicking butt in 80’s trivia. She loves hearing from her readers. She can be contacted through her website at: www.evevaughn.com.

Books by Eve Vaughn:

Perfect

Obsessed

Forever

Whatever He Wants

Jilted

Dirty

Relentless

Theirs

Runaway

Run

The Reinvention of Chastity

Burned

Broken

Holiday Hell