reckless hearts: vegas nights (8 page)

              Bella Rose sat and wrote as the baby had his nap she didn’t know when she was going to be in the studio again, Georgiana ruined that for her, it took a lot for her to continue being calm. Time was wasting and she hated it, her mind was spinning. She wanted to hurt Georgiana for threatening their lives, but she knew it wouldn’t have done any good. They couldn’t hide out in the apartment forever. There had to be more information about Georgiana, things none of them knew; something that would be useful for them.

She knew that Brock wouldn’t let her leave the apartment by herself. She had to talk to Georgiana’s family, if she could find them first. The library would have given her what she needed.

“What if Georgiana isn’t who she says she is?” Those  words grabbed, Luanne’s attention.

“What do you mean? Switched identities?” It made more sense to her, if Georgiana had gotten in trouble before.

“A girl like her is capable of having done this before.” Luanne knew she was on to something, but how were they going to talk Brock into it and do it without Georgiana finding out about it.

They hoped he would see it from their point of view.

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He had no choice but to see it their way, maybe it could have even helped them.  Georgiana’s mother graciously invited them in. Brock was surprised to see how Georgiana lived, how hard it must have been to raise such an ungrateful daughter. They were taken to the living room where her mother asked for tea.

“I know why you are here.” Her mother began, “My daughter’s in trouble again isn’t she?”

They didn’t know how to answer, “She’s been stalking Brock.” Luanne answered.

It was as though she didn’t need to say it, she knew exactly why they were there and how deep of trouble she was into.

“I told them she wasn’t ready to be out, she couldn’t function in the real world.” They were confused as to what she meant. “She had been in a hospital before for the same thing.”

Bella Rose didn’t want to be right and she worried about how that outcome turned out.

“You were right to come here.” There was a sadness and disappointment in her mother’s eyes. “Georgiana always has to have what she wants no matter what the cost.”

Bella Rose shook her head, “Do you know what triggered this behavior?” She asked cautiously, not to get the  mother any more emotional than she was.

“When she was young, Georgiana didn’t have anyone. I was a single mother, her father had been locked up her entire life until this day he is still behind bars.”

Luanne wondered if it had been because of the separation from her father that caused her to become so dark.

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              Georgiana lied about her last name, they knew she lied about so much more.

“There was a man she had become infatuated with, a doctor. She began showing up at places she knew he would be, stalking his wife; stalking his children. She attacked his wife physically and was put into a mental institution.”

Bella Rose didn’t know what to think, why hadn’t she known? How did Georgiana keep such a big secret to herself?

They knew now they had every reason to be afraid, Georgiana was unstable.

It was worse than what they had thought.

They left with strange feelings in their stomachs, Christopher Samuel was the only one who wasn’t upset.

“She fooled us.” Bella Rose felt ill. The whole time she had been friends with a stranger. What made them different, Bella Rose could never harm a soul.

“She has to be stopped.” Luanne spoke what they were all thinking.

“But how?” Asked Brock.  “Without us all getting killed.”

She already threatened Luanne’s life, he knew Georgiana wasn’t finished, she was just getting started.

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                                                                                    Chapter Nine

              “I know of a place we can go, she won’t know of.” Luanne suggested, “It’s a cabin forty five miles from Vegas with a river and mountain views, its perfect.” She could tell they were loving the idea as well as the thought of leaving Las Vegas being away from the city was like a dream and Bella Rose knew her son would enjoy it. A small vacation away from danger, it was perfect.

“We’ll leave in the morning, she won’t be awake to follow us at the crack of dawn.” They all nodded their heads happily.

Luanne hadn’t been at the cabin since her sister died, it was the last place she had been to with her. The memories still fresh in her mind. She knew it would be hard to go, to see everything again, but she knew it was there one chance to get away.

She couldn’t wait until morning, Bella Rose could feel the excitement lifting her higher and higher. She packed Christopher Samuel’s things and what belongings she had.

If only they could stay there forever, she thought. Hearing her son giggle made her glad to know there was not all bad in the world. They all needed the trip, maybe it was all happening for a reason, to show them that they do have the strength they needed to get by in life.

She hoped they didn’t have to keep running that they could rest long enough.

Brock knew he would have to make a decision soon when it was all over, Bella Rose or Luanne and he wasn’t sure if he could. He looked at both of them and saw where he wanted to be, he knew it couldn’t be both neither of them would have accepted that.

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Luanne was relieved when they pulled into the drive of the cabin and the birds chirping their morning song. It was just like she remembered it, home. There were memories everywhere, pictures on the wall, everything left the same; her sister’s bedroom still the same.

“We haven’t seen or heard from her in a while. Hopefully that’s a good sign for us.” Brock said as he carried the baby inside.

“We shouldn’t get our hopes up too high, we did that last time remember?” Bella Rose wanted a drink, her thirst wouldn’t let her forget it. “Any wine here?” She asked.

Luanne pointed to the wine cellar, “Help yourself.”

Meadowbrook, a tranquil setting for those who love nature. She didn’t know why she had ever left. Yes, the thoughts of her sister left her with a deep pain, but there were the good thoughts that were able to overshadow it. She was planning on staying there after the whole mess was over, she wasn’t sure how Brock would take it, but she knew she would want to raise the baby at the cabin not in a small apartment. It would be more comfortable. Her bedroom was on the second floor with view of the river, she knew it would be a perfect place for her thoughts to clear and worry less. Georgiana was a nightmare, she didn’t want to have to keep looking over her shoulders with fears of being assaulted or worse. She was pregnant, she had to make sure the baby was protected.

She knew she had to tell him of her decision, but when Georgiana wasn’t a problem anymore. Brock knew his albums were skyrocketing and it would only cause another situation he might not be so lucky to get out of. He regretted ever laying eyes on Georgiana giving her a smile or a wink, anything that might have made her think there was more.

Georgiana could think of the many ways she would have liked to hurt Bella Rose, after all she dated Brock a lot longer than anyone he had ever been with which was much to Georgiana’s surprise as well as his fans.

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              Detective Reese had thought of picking up the phone and telling Harvell he was on her trail, but he would have told him to leave it alone. He didn’t want anything being in the newspapers for his wife’s sake. The cabin, a place for her and her baby the stories she could tell. She was glad she had never sold it like she wanted to, they would find peace and she knew it well.

“This is a beautiful home you have.” Bella Rose said as she opened a bottle of chardonnay.

“My father built it when I was younger, for me and my sister. My mother didn’t take to it much because of the cold winters. She preferred the city.” Luanne didn’t talk much about her family not even to Brock. They were a lot alike, him and her father even though her father didn’t realize it the only difference was her father was faithful.

Brock put the baby’s bags in the second bedroom where he would sleep with Bella Rose, Brock got the loft either way he was happy to have a regular bed.

“Do you come here often?” Bella Rose had become interested the life of the woman who offered her, her home for safety.

“I try to.” Luanne lied.

She didn’t talk about her sister or about her death, it was too much to go through again. If it were possible she would have her back again, her sister was the only friend she had. She knew Avery would have been proud of her accomplishments. They were more like twins, they both wanted to strive in their own businesses, they finished each other’s sentences; they had a strong love for the outdoors. Avery would stand outside by the river and paint everything she saw many of her paintings still remained in the cabin. She hadn’t put them out, but she thought of it the second they entered how much color was needed and what her art would add to it. She would stay out there until sunset, taking in what creativity would come to her. It was a gift their mother had given to her, Luanne had gotten the gift of drawing. She knew she could have made a living out of it, opened a studio to sell her sister’s paintings, it was what they had talked about before she died.

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              It was what she had wanted, to display her work around the world. Luanne thought of the money she had saved in the bank and hadn’t touched since she began the collection for her own building. There was a strip mall in Meadowbrook she had always had her eyes on, she thought it would have been perfect if only she had gathered up the courage for what she needed.

Reese wasn’t one to let anyone get under his skin, but Georgiana did, his partner was going downhill because of what she did. The last thing he wanted was for her to destroy any more families. Mickey told him about Brock and how she was infatuated with him. He knew what could be meant for Brock and his girlfriend. With all the information he had on her, it still wasn’t enough to put her in handcuffs. Georgiana knew she was being followed and enjoyed the attention, even though it wasn’t the man she wanted it to be from.

Brock had thought of leaving Vegas after he finished his album, but with the way things were going with Bella Rose and Luanne he knew he was going to have a reason to stay.

They were two of the most beautiful women he had known, he didn’t know he had gotten that way.

Luanne wasn’t going to tell them of her plans of moving to Meadowbrook, she thought it would have been better if she left quietly.

Although not telling Brock about her pregnancy, would been a bad thing, she didn’t see herself in competition with Bella Rose not after seeing Brock with Christopher Samuel, she was his first love. How could she come between them?

She didn’t know how Brock felt about her or if he would have been ready for another baby but she knew their relationship was at a standstill.

If it hadn’t been for Georgiana, Luanne wouldn’t have gone back to the cabin and making her life changes. She was hoping their lives would find peace soon and she could begin what she needed, there was a shop with her name on it.

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