Kisses and Revenge (7 page)

Adam grinned up at her with those words, and she felt an aftershock of pleasure roll through her, making her shiver and moan. His cock twitched inside of her, and he lifted her to carry her into the bedroom. "Oh, I'm sure there are going to be a lot of fun things this trip. But first, I'm putting you to bed so we can continue on with round two."

Chapter Nine

Leslie was walking around on cloud nine ever since they got back from their trip. It had been perfect. They had basked in the sun, ran on beaches, danced the night away, and made love so many times she would be shocked if she had not conceived a child for them. It had been so long since she had seen Adam so carefree, her heart swelled with pride. She had missed that about her husband, and she was glad she could give him the relaxation he needed.

Once they returned, Adam got back to work, wanting to make sure nothing went wrong while they were gone. He called telling her how surprised he was. Warren had done an amazing job keeping the company going in his absence, and he was seeing a huge change in his wild brother. That, too, pleased Leslie, who had been sure all Warren needed was a place to focus his energy. She was glad it had worked out for the best and her idea had managed to benefit both of them.

Now she was meeting up for lunch with her friend Sharron to tell her all about her trip and how excited she was to see if they were successful. Heading down to their favorite café, Leslie had a bounce in her step and a glow on her nicely tanned face. The ocean had been wonderful for her, and she was sure it showed in every aspect of her. Entering the building, she saw her best friend sitting at their usual table, spreading butter over a roll. With a wide smile on her face, Leslie made her way over to her and plopped down in her chair.

"I feel like a million dollars," Leslie drawled out with a bit of a moan. It was as if they were back in high school, and Leslie was going to tell Sharron about her date the night before.

"I'd hope so; you just spent a week out on the ocean living the high life. So, tell me all about it? What did you two do? Do you think you got pregnant?" Sharron asked in rapid fire, amusement and joy making her face radiant like the sun. Sharron had always been beautiful in the most natural of ways. There had never been a need for her to wear a lot of makeup or do much with her hair. It was as if God had said this one could have the perfect genes.

"Well, we did the whole Caribbean cruise thing. He made sure we went on every excursion, so we got to snorkel and visit some interesting places. We also spent a lot of time on the beach, playing like we were young again. He chased me around and, I don't know, it was just fun. There was no need for us to be adults, so we didn't act like adults. Oh, Sharron, it was perfect. Then, when we were on the boat, we went dancing and played games. There wasn't a moment he wasn't holding my hand or touching me. I swear it was like a second honeymoon. And we were all over each other the whole time." Leslie blushed when she said the last part, and Sharron's lip curled up in a smile. Unlike her, Sharron was more experienced in the ways of the world.

"So, he fucked you good while you were gone?" she asked, being cruder than Leslie was used to. A deep blush spread over her cheeks, and she suddenly felt very warm.

The waiter came and took their orders, bringing Leslie's glass of raspberry lemonade. They came so often the wait staff knew what they liked. After the waiter went to put in their ticket, Leslie turned back to Sharron. "You do that on purpose. I swear. I bet you knew he was on his way over, too."

Sharron laughed, her head falling back, and the sound making everyone in the room look toward them for a moment. "You are just so easy to embarrass. But seriously, was it good?"

Blushing deeper, Leslie took a sip of her drink and a deep breath before continuing. "Yes, it was good. It was more than good. I haven't seen this side of Adam in a long time, and I swear there is no way he didn't get me pregnant. We were all over each other."

"That is when you know it is perfect. You two have been together for a long time now, and if you don't keep the passion hot, then you will grow stale. Several of our friends from school have already gone through a divorce. The fact you and Adam have been able to get through all the stress and keep your bedroom hot is a good thing."

"Yeah, I know how lucky I am to have him. There isn't a day that goes by that I am not thankful for him. Sure, I gave up some of my dreams, but this, this was the big one, and he is just as excited to see this happen. Adam is going to be such a great father. Now that things are better between him and Warren, I think he is going to feel even more comfortable with the growth of our family." Leslie crossed her legs under the table and laid her napkin over her lap before taking another sip of her drink. 

"You are lucky, and it is good that you realize that. Adam is a good man, and he takes good care of you, but you also have to see that most of us don't get that. I have never had a good relationship. Just a lot of fuck buddies and rotating doors. You have it good, but don't forget you are still you. Don't turn into some sort of Stepford Wife trying to be all perfect for him. Adam isn't perfect either," Sharron added.

Leslie knew it was a sore spot for Sharron to still be single. They had both wanted to find a good man and get married, but Sharron never seemed to find the right man. Instead, she found the “right now” kind of men. They were usually attractive but lacked in everything else. It bothered Leslie that her friend was unhappy, but she couldn't do much to change it. All she could do was try to support her and love her.

The food was delivered a moment later, and the two of them began to eat. Leslie knew deep down that Adam wasn't perfect, after all, no one was. However, in her world, Adam was perfect for her, and that was all that mattered.

For the rest of the meal, the two of them simply gossiped about life and laughed. It was fun to spend a couple of hours with her friend, and by the time she was heading home, Leslie felt even more amazing. Finally, after several months of feeling weighed down by depression, it appeared they were getting back to normal, and she had missed normal.

***

A strange cold chill ran down Leslie's spine as she pulled into the driveway of her house. Adam's car was there, which she hadn't been expecting, but other than that, nothing seemed out of place. Getting out, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

Once inside, the feeling didn't seem to want to subside. Her heart began to race as she slowly walked into the house. She called out Adam's name but didn't hear him moving about anywhere. Panting, she threw her purse down on the counter and frantically called out for him, searching every room for her husband. For some unknown reason, she could not help but think something was wrong.

He was nowhere to be found in the front of the house, so she raced down the hall to their bedroom. Maybe he was sleeping and couldn't hear her. It would make sense after their long vacation. Forcing herself to think it was only that, she slowly pushed open the bedroom door so not to wake him, and then her world stopped.

A river of blood had trailed its way across the floor to the doorway. With her body shaking, she followed that scarlet stream to the source. There, on the floor, dressed only in a pair of slacks, was her husband. Crimson flowed from a hole in his head where a bullet had been shot through. His eyes stared blankly in her direction, but there was no life behind them anymore. He simply lay there in a crumpled heap.

It took several breaths before Leslie could process what she was looking at, but once she did, the screams began. She screamed and screamed until her throat ached, and then she screamed some more, rushing to his side, lifting him into her lap. Tears poured from her eyes, and she sealed them shut, forcing herself not to believe what she had just walked into. She had no idea what to do or even where to start. All she could think about was her husband was dead in her arms. She would never see him again. Their child would never know him. More tears came and hysterical sobs burst forth from her. Leslie wasn't sure how long she sat there, letting his blood soak into her clothes before she finally reached for the phone to call the police.

When the dispatcher answered the line, no actual words came from her. She sobbed and screamed, and the woman on the other end did all she could to calm her. She heard her say someone was on their way out, but the panic was too strong, taking root of everything inside of her. Time seemed to slow down to nothing, and then there was a banging on the door. Heavy footfalls sounded from down the hall with men calling out to her, but her throat was sore from screaming, and she could barely form sound.

Men burst through the door, guns held in the air and pointed at her. She jumped and sobbed as they rushed to her. From there the world turned blurry. People were yelling and rushing about. Questions were fired in her direction, but she couldn't figure out what anyone was saying. Nothing made sense, and when she was finally pulled away, she snapped. Kicking and screaming, she fought to get back to her husband. If she didn't leave him—if she held him—he would come back to her.

It all had to be a nightmare. None of this could be real. She was still tired from the trip and had fallen asleep after lunch. That had to be it. This was a nightmare she would wake up from eventually. She had to wake up. There was no way she could go on with her life without Adam beside her.

Someone she did not know came over to her and began to do an exam on her, checking her eyes and vitals. Then they gave her a shot of something. Deep inside, a part of her knew it was a paramedic; however, her insides were dying. With every passing moment, she felt herself shutting down and trying to escape the Hell she found herself in. It was as if the hysteria left her and ice replaced it, freezing everything inside of her. Sleepiness washed over her, and she wavered uneasily on her feet.

In the edges of her vision, she could see them starting to pick Adam up from the floor to put him on a gurney. They covered him with a sheet, causing patches of blood to seep through the white. None of this seemed real, and yet she knew she could not escape it. From the other room, the sound of a familiar voice called out.

"Warren!" she screamed out, trying to push away from the paramedics.

Warren ran through the door and rushed to the gurney, falling to it and crying out for his brother. He pushed at the people trying to tear him away from it, shoving at anyone who tried to keep him from his brother's body.

Leslie rushed over to him, something in her letting her know she needed to help him. She was torn and broken, but she was not so shattered she could not see that Warren had lost his entire family in less than a year. When she reached him, he started to push her away as well, and then he fell to her. Their arms wrapped around each other, and they cried together, collapsing to the floor. She had never seen Warren like this, and it broke her heart. More tears flowed from her, and the two of them shook in each other's arms.

"What happened, Leslie? What happened? Oh God, I can't do this again. I can't bury him, too. I can't," Warren sobbed.

She had no words of comfort for him. Her own heart was broken in a million pieces, and she knew anything she said would only pull both of them further down. It made her not feel so alone to have him with her, and something in her told her that Warren would always be there for her when she needed him. She decided she would do the same for him. After all, she was all he had left, and her own family had become distant.

"I have no idea what happened, Warren. I have no idea," she finally managed to sob out with a quivering voice. She knew she had that ugly cry going, the kind of cry that left her face splotchy and her nose running. It didn't matter. Her world had ended.

Chapter Ten

She was fairly certain she had not eaten in days, and her body was weak and shaking. The few times Sharron had tried to get her to eat something, it only made her sick. Ever since Adam's death, officers had been coming and going from the house, asking her a million questions. Many of which she had no answerers for. They had even made her go down to the station and give an official statement. It had freaked her out, and she had ended up back in the emergency room.

Her parents had tried to console her, but she didn't want to hear it. All of this was a shock to her, and nothing anyone said seemed to help. Who would want to kill her husband? What would they gain from it?

On top of that, Warren was just as broken up about it as she was. In less than a year, he had lost his entire family, and now he had a company to run. While he enjoyed being a part of it now that Adam had given him the opportunity, he had not fathomed having to be fully in charge of it. He came over nearly every night and had a drink with her, trying to help comfort her. It was a strange relationship they had developed, and she found it the only comforting things she had left.

Sitting at her table, Officer Marker looked over the notes they had acquired over the last several days. There were not a lot of clues. The bullet was a common one. The shot had come from outside, and there were no witnesses. There weren't even signs of struggle. None of the neighbors had seen anything, or if they had, they weren't coming forward with it. The sad truth was, finding Adam's murderer was going to be a lot harder than they thought.

This news did nothing to ease her mind and heart from the pain of losing her husband. "I wish I had better news for you, but I can tell you that we will do everything we can to find your husband's killer and get justice for you. You just have to stay strong and let us know if you think of anything else. Adam was a powerful man, a rich man; he had to have had enemies."

Officer Marker had been trying to jar her memory to think of someone with a motive for days now. He looked at her sometimes with a look of frustration and accusation. Never once did he come out and say it, but he suspected she had something to do with Adam's death. She had inherited a fortune from it, but she would give it all back to have her husband with her again. "I know it is hard to believe, but everyone loved Adam. Everyone looked up to him and wanted to be close to him. He had always been kind and hardworking."

"That may be, but no one goes through life without making some enemies. There has to be someone, but I'm sure you are still too frustrated to think of who it might be right now. Just let me know if anything comes up. I know you have a lot going on." Officer Marker stood, brushing down his deep blue uniform as he began to head for the door.

Leslie moved behind him, walking as if in a haze to see him out. She went through the motions but never really seemed to feel anything. Once she had finished the hysterics, she became cold and dead. It was the only way she could feel close to her husband anymore, and she decided that was the only way she would be happy. Shaking Officer Marker's large hand, she smiled and watched him head for his car before she closed and locked the door.

The house was quiet, too quiet, and it made her feel as if something was lurking around every corner. She hated being there, but she refused to leave. Walking back toward the bedroom, she went to his closet and fell into Adam's clothes, breathing in the scent of him that still lingered on the fabric. Several articles pulled free from hangers as she fell to the floor of the closet and bundled the clothing in her arms. More tears, more fears, it was an overwhelming and uncontrollable fountain of emotion which she so desperately needed peace from.

Curling into a ball around what was left of her husband, she shook and cried. Since his death, she had not slept in their bed. It just felt wrong to sleep there without him by her side. Instead, she fell asleep on the couch after staying awake as long as she could while watching late-night infomercials. Her eyes burned and her face had grown pale.

Somewhere in the midst of her bout of depression, she woke to the feel of someone's hand on her shoulder. It took her a moment to blink her eyes awake. They were crusty and thick from the mix of tears and lack of sleep, and she was forced to rub at them to get herself to finish waking up. When she turned, she saw Warren kneeling next to her, a concerned look on his face. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him and cried into his chest. They looked so alike, and if she didn't think about it, she could pretend he was Adam. However, he didn't smell right or feel right to truly be her husband. Once she found her calm, she pushed away trying to compose herself.

"It took me a while to find you. I didn't expect you to be in here, but I knew you were home. I started to freak out a bit thinking something had happened to you," Warren whispered, helping her to her feet.

They disregarded the clothes on the floor. It was something that could be dealt with another time. Instead, Warren took her hand and led her back to the kitchen. The smell of chicken filled the air making her stomach turn. "I don't know what came over me. I was upset, and then I just couldn't bring myself to do anything else. I wanted to be close to him, and that was the only way I could think to do it. I don't think I can take all of this anymore."

The look Warren gave her made her see he was in the same position. His parents, now his brother, all gone to leave him abandoned and alone in a world none of them had prepared him for. Sure, Warren could have taken more initiative, but they could have tried harder as well. "I know what you mean. How do you think I feel? I look in the mirror and see his eyes, his hair. We look a lot alike, and it freaks me out sometimes. But I also know if I fall apart, so will everything else. So I'm trying really hard to put that mask on and just be the person everyone thought I couldn't be."

Leslie tried to smile for him as she took a seat at the counter, trying her best to fight the desire to throw up at the scent of the food. "You have always been a wild one, but you do good with the company. I think the fact you are a little wild helps keep everything around there fresh and new. Don't beat yourself up over that."

"Then what am I supposed to beat myself up over. I don't have a family anymore, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I swear if I didn't find ways to laugh through the day, I would spend all day crying, and I am not the type of man that sits around crying. Leslie, I know this isn't any easier on you than it is for me, but you have to understand that this is how I deal with things. Well, this is how I'm dealing with things, because I figure I don't have the luxury of doing what I did when my parents died."

It took her a moment to think over what he said. After his parents’ death, he had gotten pretty crazy with all of his partying. Now to have lost his brother on top of that, he had to be lost, and here he was taking care of her. Leslie couldn't understand how it was possible for him to be so strong when he had been shot down so much. Reaching out, she gave him a hug and held him close for a moment. He deserved to have someone caring for him as he did her. She had been selfish, and she realized it.

Letting the hug last a moment, she then pulled away with a smile and a blush. He had been right; he looked so much like his brother that it was hard for her to keep it separated, and with how lost and broken she felt, she could see herself falling into him easily. "I don't know how you do it. I don't know how you are so strong when I feel like my whole world is falling around at my feet. I feel so selfish."

"Hey, don't do that to yourself. I'm not strong. Just for you. That is the only time I am able to do what I need to do. When I am away from you, I'm a fucking mess. I just also know that Adam would have wanted me to take care of you. He would be angry to know that I let you suffer alone in silence," Warren interrupted. It was startling how he was able to do that for her.

"I'm sorry. I can't help it. I feel bad that you are suffering, and you spend your time taking care of me. I should be helping take care of you," Leslie answered.

Something flashed through Warren's eyes a moment before he shook his head and it disappeared. It was an intense look she had never seen on his face before. A shiver ran down her body, and she had to look away to keep from shaking further. "Leslie, when Adam married you, you became the most important person in the world to him. I became second banana. So, no, I should be taking care of you, because it is what he would have wanted and because you have the right to hurt more. He may have been my brother, but he was the love of your life. It would be selfish of me to take that right from you."

The tears in her eyes overflowed, and she fell into him once more, clinging to him as all of her emotions broke free of the icy wall she had built. He held her close; his strong arms wrapped tightly around her, making her feel protected. It was such a sweet relief to just let go and cry. His hand stroked her hair, and he kissed the top of her head, comforting her, whispering to her how he was not going to let anything bad happen to her. Guilt mixed with her overwhelming need to be comforted and loved. Her hands fisted in his shirt as sobs consumed her body. For several long moments, nothing else mattered but being in his arms and letting go of all the pain and frustration she felt over having lost her husband. Warren was right. She was in far more pain than she wanted to believe, and through it all, he had been there for her.

When her strength finally returned, she pulled away, wiping at her eyes and turning to find a tissue to clean her nose. Warren said nothing as he watched her, a strange look in his eyes. Something was different about him, and she simply could not put her finger on it. As she worked to pull herself together, Warren went about setting up dinner so they could eat. The release of the tears allowed her stomach to settle some, and Leslie was glad to finally sit down and eat something. However, within a few bites, Leslie was racing for the bathroom. No amount of hunger was going to let her keep the food down, and she was embarrassed Warren had worked so hard to ensure she had food, just for her to turn around and throw it all up.

As she leaned over the toilet, she felt strong hands pull her hair from her face and rub her back. "It's okay. Look, I know a doctor you can talk to, and maybe they can give you something for the nausea. You need to be able to eat, or you are never going to heal. Even mental health requires food; besides, if you lose any more weight, nothing is going to fit you."

Pulling back, she took several deep breaths to calm herself as she reached over and flushed the toilet. Warren grabbed a washcloth and soaked it in cold water before handing it to her. She wiped her face then folded it to rest on the back of her neck. "I can't sleep, I can't eat. It is crazy just how badly I feel. I don't know what to do with myself, Warren. I just don't know."

"You don't have to. Come on, go see my doctor and see if they can do anything for you. Get out some of these emotions you are feeling. If you don't, you are going to end up with them tearing you apart. I can help call and set the appointment up for you. Hell, I will even take you to it, just please agree to go." Warren stared at her from where he leaned against the counter. His tall body towered over her making her feel small.

"How is a doctor going to help me? They are just going to put me on a bunch of drugs and send me on my way. I don't want to be drugged up," Leslie protested, bracing herself on the toilet so she could pull herself up.

Warren reached out and helped lift her from the floor. "They can help you. There are doctors who do more than write out scripts. There are doctors who care. Come on, Leslie, give it a try. What is the worst that could happen? I just want you happy, and I want you to feel better. Is that so wrong?"

She knew Warren was doing all he could to make her happy. He was a good man like that, and it meant everything to her that he was so willing to look after him. But the idea of talking to some stranger about missing her husband, and how she suddenly felt like she couldn't take care of herself, was horrifying. She couldn't stand the idea of having to face that and honestly had no desire to try. "Look, I just don't want to do it. Please, drop it, Warren. I'm sure after a couple of days I will feel better and be able to eat. It is just all the stress, especially with the police coming by and asking so many questions all the time. Give it some time, and I will be fine."

Even she didn't believe her words, and when Warren shook his head and turned to leave the bathroom, she was certain she had offended him. Tears formed again, and she quickly became angry, punching her fist down on the bathroom counter. The one person who seemed to give a damn about her, and she was pushing him away like she was everyone else. Finding her legs, she went to rush after him, but the sound of the front door slamming echoed down the hall before she could reach him, and she knew he was gone.

That intense eerie feeling of being alone hit her hard, and this time she knew it was her own damn fault. If only she could get past all the pain she felt. If only she could find a way to make herself believe that Adam's passing was not the end of the world for her. Maybe if she could do that, she could move on and stop being so hard on the people around her. Even Sharron had stopped coming around because of how unstable Leslie had been. She was sure her friend didn't mean to hurt her, but she also knew she had lashed out at Sharron, just as she had done with Warren. They were only trying to help and she was being a complete bitch.

Shaking her head, she shuffled back down the hall toward the guest bedroom. There was not enough strength in her to sleep in "their" bed, so she would lie down in the guest bed and try to get enough rest to heal. She would need to if she was ever going to get better.