The Straight Crimes (29 page)

Through the shadows, she reached the hallway and continued another few feet until she stood in front of her door.

Then, she slowly twisted the handle. The eerie creak was the only sound she heard over her tiny boots against the wooden floorboards.

Desperately craving the darkness, she shut herself in and carefully sauntered to her bed.

Suddenly, she felt the cold steel of a gun press against the side of her head. Brielle shrieked and dropped her steaming hot cup of tea.

“Shh,” the intruder warned as he cocked the pistol.

“No,” she cried. “Please, don’t.”

He roared sadistically. The limitless power made him feel untouchable.

Without looking at him, she whispered, “You don’t have to do this, Gage.”

“Yes I do. Thanks to you, they’re close—and your ass knows too much.”

Brielle adamantly disagreed. “You’ll be stopped.”

“They haven’t caught me yet,” he laughed.

“Mark my words. You 
will 
be stopped.”

“Kinda ironic about your so-called talent,” his gruff voice taunted. “Guess you just didn’t see this one coming.”

Unlike the other murders, he didn’t play games. It was less satisfying. Every fiber of his demented being wanted to draw it out. He craved the terror. The struggle was the best part, but at that point, things had changed. The police were hot on his trail and he was feeling reckless. There wasn’t time for cover up or precision. He knew he’d already been implicated.

Without mercy, he licked his lips and smirked. His heartless eyes flashed in the dark as he pulled the trigger and shot Brielle in the head.

It was exhilarating—watching her body drop the floor. Her sureness and visions infuriated him, provoking him to blast her with his firearm seven more times. There was no satisfaction in his hollow heart until the entire room was completely drenched in her blood.

Gage threw the black ski mask over his face and raced out of the house, slipping away into the blackness. There was no way he would get caught—not without a fight.

TWENTY-SIX

N
ik stumbled through his bedroom door, looking adorable and clumsy while trying to steady a full tray in his hands.

“What’s all that?” Harper sat up. “Let me help—”

“No, don’t.” He placed his hand out. “This morning, I just want you to relax.” Nik flashed a grin. “I thought you’d be sleeping so I could surprise you.”

“I see that.” Her eyes gleamed.

Nik gently set the platter in her lap. “Toast, fresh fruit, oatmeal, and milk. I hope you’re hungry.”

“No one’s ever brought me breakfast in bed before.”

“Well, what’s it feel like?”

“It’s real nice.”

He smiled. “I hoped you’d say that.”

“You want some?”

“Nah, I’m all right.” Nik rested his arm against the bed and placed his freehand on his black pajama pants while he stared at Harper. “Well go on, dig in.”

Harper tied her hair into a ponytail and stared back at Nik in awe. “So what’s the occasion?”

“No occasion.”

“Are you up to somethin’?”

“Of course not.”

“Really, so what, you’re just bein’ extra sweet?”

“Would that be so uncharacteristic of me?”

“Maybe,” she joked.

Nik placed his hand over his heart. “Your suspicion truly hurts.”

“Stop,” she laughed as she playfully slapped his shoulder. “C’mon, I know you’re always doin’ nice things for me.”

“Like this?” His eyes glistened against the bright sun, shining through the bay window. He admired her perfection while giving her a single kiss.

Every time their lips met, Harper felt a spark, a sweet jolt deep within that made her heart race. Her skin flashed in sudden heat.

Nik knew how to drive her crazy in all the right ways. God—how she craved him.

However, it was Nik’s calling stare as he looked into her soul, during those breathless moments just before their lips met and before his mouth parted hers, which she craved more than anything. Harper always watched as his green eyes rolled in the back of his head and closed in absolute pleasure.

“Dessert before breakfast, you really are spoilin’ me. A girl could get used to this.”

“You’ve done so much for me the last few days that I wanted to show my gratitude. I want you to know that I really appreciate everything you’ve done to get my mind off losing my father.”

“You were there for me when I lost Mama and Aunt Faye. I couldn’t have gone through that alone, but that’s what we do, Nik. We take care of each other.”

“I’m always gonna take care of you. I promise, you’ll never be alone,” he assured her.

“You’d better not leave me.”

“I couldn’t do that to someone I love.” He began thinking of Patrick. “I never imagined I’d lose my father. When he ran away, it seemed like a nightmare, but I always thought he’d come home. Now he never will. And as hard as it is to know I’ll never see him again, I think my dad’s taking it harder than me.”

“I can tell.”

“He kinda seems different lately.”

“You think so?” she asked.

“It’s like he’s withdrawn. He doesn’t say much, and he hasn’t been drinking.”

“That’s good though...”

“Yeah, but it’s strange. To be honest, it kinda pisses me off that he couldn’t do that for my father while he was still here. If Dad could’ve sobered up, maybe Father wouldn’t have left.”

“I don’t know about that. He wanted to be with Andrea. There ain’t nothin’ your daddy could’ve done differently to change who your father was.”

“I know. You’re right.” Nik cleared his throat. “Speaking of my dad, he mentioned that you guys had a talk the other night while I was sleeping.”

“We exchanged some words.” Harper fought to hide her guilty expression.

“I can only imagine.”

“I was very respectful,” she assured him.

“I’m sure you were.” He blankly stared at Harper, waiting for a deeper explanation.

She bit her lip. “I think he needed to see things from a different perspective.”

Nik turned his head and folded his arms.

“Look, I held my tongue as much as I could,” she insisted. “So why’d he bring up our talk? Does he wanna kick me out?”

“No. Actually, he said you can stay.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth, but sometimes I can’t control the things—wait, what?” Harper looked astounded.

“You can stay.”

“Really, he said that?”

“Yeah, really…it must’ve been some talk you guys had.”

She slowly nodded. “Maybe, I guess. I basically told him he needed to wake up before it’s too late.”

“Too late for what?”

“Too late to keep from losing you. He didn’t tell you that?”

“No.”

“So what’d he say?”

“Just that you make a lot more sense than most people.”

Harper held her breath in astonishment.

“No one’s ever been able to get through to my dad—not my Uncle Jimmy, not my father, and not me, but somehow you did.”

“I guess that’s good, but I doubt what I said will actually make him change.”

“Maybe not, but at least you got him to think. That’s more than anyone else has ever been able to do.”

As Harper was about to speak, her cell phone rang and interrupted her thoughts.

“Who’s that?” Nik asked.

Harper reached over to the nightstand and lifted it up. “Kendall,” she said in a surprised manner.

“I wonder what she wants.”

“Yeah, me too, we haven’t talked since I left.” She tucked her hair behind her ear and answered the call. “Kendall?”

“Good morning. Did I wake you?”

“No, I was up. What’s goin’ on?”

“I just called to see if you were all right.”

“I’m doin’ better, thanks.”

“I’m so glad to hear that. I was a little concerned when you ran out during the party. Everyone was asking what happened.”

“Didn’t she tell you? I’m stayin’ with Nik.”

“I heard. I saw you arguing with Traci from the front window. It was quite a sight.”

“Glad y’all found it so amusin’.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I was worried. It sounded pretty intense.”

“That woman’s crazy as hell. I’m so sick of her bullshit. I can’t believe she told everyone that we were dating.”

“I can understand why you’d feel that way. Things sure got out of hand.”

“You ain’t lyin’.”

“Listen, I know you were only here a short time, but I really liked having you around. It’s not the same anymore.”

“Really?” Harper asked.

“To be honest, I don’t have friends. Andrea was the only one I had, which is why I really came to value the time you and I spent together.”

“I appreciate that, but I can’t stay with Traci anymore. She’s too much.”

“I understand. It takes a certain kind of person…a very special one.”

“Someone like you?”

“Yeah, someone like me, I suppose.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to stay.”

“I realize that. There just aren’t a lot of options out there for a girl like me.”

“Don’t know ‘til you try.”

“Trust me, I know.”

Harper clicked her tongue. “Then that’s your choice, Kendall. Even though I know you ain’t happy, I wish you all the best.”

“Then I take it you’ve moved out for good?”

“I can’t live with Traci. Our whole friendship was a lie. It was all an excuse for her to try and seduce me. I ain’t comin’ back.”

“But you didn’t bring anything with you.”

“I realize that.”

“You literally left everything behind.”

“Yeah, I know. I just wanted to get the hell out.”

“No matter where you go you’ll need your belongings.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know when I’ll be able to get that stuff. Do you think you could drop that stuff by Nik’s?”

“I was thinking about it, but my car is in the shop. I was in an accident yesterday.”

“Oh, Kendall, are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a little fender bender, but it won’t be fixed ‘til next week.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. Guess I’ll just have to wait ‘til then. I ain’t comin’ over while Traci’s around.”

“That’s part of the reason I called. Traci’s leaving tomorrow afternoon. She’s flying out of Grand Rapids to Chicago for a hair convention. She’ll be gone tomorrow night and won’t be back until the following day. If you could make it over here, I was thinking you could get your things without having to worry about seeing Traci.”

“Really, you’re sure she won’t be there?”

“Positive.”

“I could talk to Nik’s dad about possibly borrowin’ his truck. I’m sure if I explain the situation, he’ll let us borrow it.”

Nik sat across from Harper and emphatically nodded.

“To be honest, I was kinda hoping that it could be just you. It’s been a little lonesome here since you’ve been gone. Like I said, I don’t have any friends, at least not until I met you. I thought it’d be fun to have a girls’ night in, sort of a last hoorah. I’ll cook dinner. We can make some popcorn, watch movies, and just catch up. Then you can take your things and go afterwards. I’ll even help you pack. What do you say, does that sound all right?”

“Just you and me for a girls’ night?” she asked as she looked back to Nik.

He agreed again.

“Yeah, all right.” Harper smiled. She’d grown truly fond of Kendall. “You can count me in. If anything changes I’ll call you, but just let me check with Nik’s dad.”

“Great.”

“What time should I be there?”

“How about seven o’clock?”

“Seven it is. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Perfect, see you then.”

Kendall gently closed her phone and disconnected the call from Harper.

“Beautifully done,” Traci said as she rested her hand on Kendall’s cheek.

“This is wrong,” she griped.

“No, you were perfect. To be honest, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I feel horrible for lying to Harper.”

“Why? Didn’t you see the way she totally embarrassed me during the party? If anyone should feel bad, it should be her. Besides, it’s only a little white lie to get her over here and face me.”

Kendall nervously bit her fingernails as the knots twisted in her stomach.

“We have so much planning to do. We’ll need to run to the store, so grab your jacket.” Traci pulled Kendall to her feet and pushed her towards the coat closet. “I want dim lighting. I’m thinking the room should be full of candles of all different sizes. We can stop by that little florist on the corner and get some magnificent bouquets and white rose petals.”

“Don’t you think this is too much?”

Traci ignored her warning. “I want filet mignon, fettuccini Alfredo, steamed asparagus, and the best pinot noir we can find.”

“Harper isn’t old enough to drink—”

“I also need to get a manicure and facial. I’ve practically let myself go over the last few days. I’ll need to buy a new dress, of course. I can’t wear just any old thing. We’ll swing by the boutique before we go to the grocer. Oh it’ll be immaculate. I can picture it all now. Once Harper sees the decadent spread, the magnificent feast, and how absolutely stunning I look, she won’t be able to resist me a second longer.”

“What’ll you do if she still doesn’t want you?” she asked.

“God, Kendall, you’re such a killjoy. Harper wants me just as much as I want her. Don’t ruin this.”

“Traci, please listen to me. You need to be realistic. What’ll you do if it doesn’t work out? What if this all blows up in your face?”

“You’re being totally paranoid. That won’t happen.”

“But what if she runs away again?”

“Trust me, Kendall. She won’t—not if she knows what’s good for her.”