Witness (4 page)

White hot ecstasy rushed through me as I dug my fingers into his scalp and bucked against his face.

I hadn’t even started to come down before he was over me and pressing into me. My legs spread open even wider as I welcomed him as deep as he could go, then they wrapped around him, keeping him from going anywhere but in and out of me.

Running my nails up and down his back, I couldn’t help but keep making little noises of pleasure. His muscles were flexing under my fingers, and it was sexy as hell, while I could feel his ass and thighs working to move his hard length in a slow, teasing rhythm.

“Fuck, you are so tight,” Eric moaned softly against the side of my head. After a few thrusts, he pushed up onto his arms so he could look down at me, or even farther down to where our bodies were connected. “And wet.”

“Yeah,” I breathed out the word while trying to use my legs to encourage him to move faster. I wanted to be fucked hard, not this slow, love-making type sex. When he didn’t take the hint, I dug my nails into his ass and forced him deeper. I whispered, “Harder. Faster. Deeper.”

“Demanding little thing, aren’t you?”  he said with a smile as he pulled out almost to the tip then slammed back in. “Want it hard and fast? I’ll give it to you hard and fast. I just didn’t think you could take it.”

“Oh, I can take it. Now fuck me,” I demanded.

He winked and smiled before seriousness fell over his face and he focused on putting everything into fucking me hard enough to slide me up the bed with each thrust.

I cried out every time he filled me and whimpered with every withdrawal until I was screaming as a second orgasm washed through me, and my nails raked down his back.

“Fuck… Yeah…” Eric moaned, his thrusts becoming erratic before he abruptly pulled out and started roughly jerking at his length until white spurts shot from the end, leaving him sucking air in big, heaving gulps. “Too close.”

“Close? Excuse me?” I said as reality crept back in. I’d just fucked a stranger without a condom. How fucking stupid am I? Jumping from the bed, I ran to the bathroom in time to get sick in the toilet. God only knew what the man had, and I’d happily exposed myself. Not to mention that I wasn’t on birth control and if he hadn’t pulled out I could’ve been really screwed.

Leaning back against the wall next to the toilet, I repeatedly slammed my head against the wall. I could still get pregnant from preejaculate.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Just what I needed. To worry about a child when I was on the run. I’d always be on the run. There would be no children in my future because they’d never be safe, and I refused to do that to a child.

Eric had said that Michele was still looking. Hell, he very likely was the one who would kill me. Maybe I did want to be pregnant. He wouldn’t kill someone carrying his child, would he? Did I really want to find out?
No
. I’d really rather not find out any more about the man who was stupid enough to forget a condom. Who knew how many other times he’d “forgotten.”

“You okay?” Eric asked, walking into the bathroom with his pants still on, but he’d tucked himself away at least.

Yep, that’s right. I was so desperate to get laid, I didn’t even get him naked. What a fucking mess.

“No. I’m not fine,” I snarled at him as I flushed the toilet again and pushed to my feet. Moving past him, I went in search of clothing so I wasn’t in just my shirt and unhooked bra. After pulling on a pair of yoga pants sans panties, I quickly pulled my bra straps through my shirt and tossed the bra toward my dresser uncaring of whether it actually made it. I turned to face Eric and put my hands on my hips, ready to deal with him. “You need to leave.”

“I’m not going anywhere. I already told you all this,” he said, crossing his arms like he could tell it wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. “Someone is after you.”

“So what? You can sleep outside my house for all I care, but you are most definitely not staying here. And what just happened won’t ever happen again. Mark my words.” I glared at him.

He didn’t seem affected at all by my anger, which just pissed me off more. After a minute, he sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. I couldn’t help but remember what we’d just done there, even if I wished it had never occurred.

“Sorry I didn’t use a condom. I was just as caught up in everything as you were. I don’t remember hearing you asking me to use one.  I’m clean, so you won’t get anything from me. Now take a deep breath and relax. We need to go through who is suspect in the town.” He brushed off all my unvoiced concerns and got back to what he’d initially showed up for.

“Just like that, huh?” I shook my head in anger. “What was that, just a stress reliever? Now back to business?”

I shouldn’t be so upset. I had thought of it as a good stress reliever, too, but I couldn’t get over the fact he hadn’t even paused to use a condom. I shouldn’t have had to remind him. Wasn’t that the guy's job to remember?

He groaned and ran a hand through his hair, staring at the ceiling for a few breaths before looking back at me.

“It wasn’t just a quick fuck to let off steam, okay? I’ve been watching you for a couple of months and have wanted to do that since I first laid eyes on you. You initiated it — I just went with it. It was fun, and I want to do it again, but we need to find out who is trying to sell you out so I can take my time next time.” He stood and walked to me. “I know everything there is to know about you on paper, but I want to spend the time to get to know the real woman. The woman that can’t be captured in words and pictures. However, I can’t focus when I know a killer could be right around the corner. I need to protect you if I even want a chance to know the real you.”

As I tried to comprehend what he was telling me, rapid, loud blasts preceding glass shattering somewhere in the front of the house rent the air. Before I could fully understand what was happening, I was being pushed to the ground, a heavy weight crashing on down on my back.

“What the…” I gasped out.

“That was gunfire,” he whispered before rolling off me. “Stay down.”

Like I was going to run into the room just torn apart by bullets! I wasn’t new to this life. I crouched and duck-walked to the nightstand to retrieve my weapon. I hadn’t had my house shot up before, but I’d dealt with assholes who liked to shoot at me before.

All the fear of being found that had haunted me was gone, only to be replaced with a courage I didn’t know I had. I crept over to the window and peered around the curtain. There was nothing to be seen, but that didn’t mean that the shadows of the night didn’t hide the person behind the unexpected destruction of my living room.

“Get away from there,” Eric barked.

I glared at him and dropped the curtain.

“Shut up. I’m not completely stupid, you know,” I answered with a sneer as I moved toward the door, still keeping low. Without waiting for him to follow or speak again, I walked in a crouch down the hallway with my gun at the ready.

“I beg to differ,” Eric growled quietly behind me as he stayed close.

“Fuck off. I’m not letting anyone just blow up my house and not go looking for who did it. Isn’t that what you said we needed to do anyway?” I hissed.

“Not like this. I meant for you to tell me and then I would go looking,” Eric sighed.

“Too bad, buddy. This is how
I
do things.” I paused at the corner and listened. No sounds. Creeping around the corner, I looked at the mess. Glass was everywhere; my front window was completely gone. Bullets had torn holes into the drywall on the opposite side of the room, but everything else appeared to be in exactly the same place I’d left it.

I watched in shock as Eric rushed the broken window and jumped over the ledge before disappearing into the darkness outside. And I was the stupid one? I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I didn’t plan on just running outside, that was for sure.

Still staying low, I made my way to the kitchen to check it out. Again, nothing was disturbed. Just as I was making my way back into the living room, Eric jumped back in the room.

“It’s clear.” he said standing to his full height. “There is no one around.”

I stood and cringed at the pain that shot up my back. Damn, getting old sucked.

“No sign of who did it?” I asked before heading to grab a broom so I could clean up the glass.

“Nothing,” Eric said, disappointment clear in his tone. He carefully stepped around the mess then started using his hand to sweep the tiny shards from the furniture.

Once everything was cleaned up, I was exhausted and just wanted the night to be over, but I doubted it would be. I couldn’t simply go to sleep with no window.

“Where are the cops?” I asked after a moment of staring at the gaping hole.

“I don’t know. This is your town; shouldn’t you know?” he retorted.

“Maybe no one heard and called the cops,” I offered with a shrug.

“I doubt anyone within a mile didn’t hear the report of the gunshots. Not to mention the breaking of glass.”

“Well, fuck. I don’t know then.”

“Doesn’t matter. You are coming to stay with me tonight. We’ll get the window replaced tomorrow,” he said, then headed back toward my room.

“Oh, I am?” I asked, aghast. Who the hell did he think he was, telling me where I was going?

“Fine. Stay here and let the attacker come back and finish the job they started,” he said, pulling on his shirt then his shoes.

“They obviously weren’t trying to hurt me. Who sits in a dark living room in the middle of the night? They had to be just trying to prove some point or something stupid,” I said with a shake of my head. Who understood why the mafia did half the shit they did? They were always trying to make statements that were pointless. At least, that’s how it’d been when I was with Michele.

“Doesn’t mean they won’t change their mind, you know, since they can sneak in much easier now,” Eric pointed out.

“So I’m just supposed to leave all of my stuff here unprotected?” I pouted but put on my own shoes knowing I was going with him whether I wanted to or not.

“What’s more important? Your life or your crap?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Fuck off,” I groaned and grabbed my purse, phone and keys then opened the front door wide. “Let’s go. I’m tired.”

He smiled and exited ahead of me.

“And it’s not crap,” I said quietly as I settled into the front of his car.

“No, but it is compared to your life.”

Chapter Three

It’d been two days since that fun-filled night. Eric had kept me locked away in his hotel room, while he supposedly took care of my window and the repairs to the wall. I don’t know why he bothered. Only two things could happen now. Either I left the area or they caught me. I wouldn’t be returning to my apartment, no matter how much security he put in the tiny place.

After his statement about wanting to get to know me, and then helping me secure my place after it’d been shot up, I begrudgingly trusted him. He’d had plenty of chances to turn on me and hadn’t. Plus, I had no one else to lean on.

On the third day, I finally got tired of only having four boring walls to look at with horribly dull daytime television to keep me company, so I decided I’d walk to the nearby grocery store to pick up a few things to snack on. We didn’t have a kitchen at all, so we were doomed to have to survive on takeout. However, that didn’t mean I couldn’t have some yummy snacks to survive on between meals.

I’d filled a cart with my favorite things and was checking out when Sheriff Aaron appeared next to me.

“Where you been hiding out?” he asked with a flirty smile.

“I haven’t been hiding,” I said with an eye roll. The man was always all up in my business.

“I haven’t seen you around the diner and it looked like you were having some work done on your place,” he observed.

“Stalker much?” I glared at him as I handed the cashier enough cash to cover my bill.

“You know, I’m just looking out for you, since you are a single woman,” he groaned in frustration.

“Thanks, but I think I have it handled on my own. I’ve managed this long just fine,” I said, gathering my bags and walking away.

I took the long way back, making several turns and detours that I didn’t need to in order to make sure if anyone was following me, they’d have a hard time keeping up.

Once back in the room, I unpacked the few items on the dresser and was just trying to decide what to do next to waste time when my phone rang.

“Yes?” I answered when I saw it was Eric.

“Why did you go out?” he barked angrily.

“Because I was bored. You know, I don’t get to traverse all over town at a whim like you do,” I snapped back.

“Why were you talking to that sheriff? What did he say?” he asked, and I pulled my phone away to glare at it.

“How the fuck do you know who I talked to? That’s creepy as hell. And nothing unusual. He’s not the one behind this shit,” I decided.

Eric let out a long sigh.

“Will you just be careful?” he finally said, worry evident in his voice.

“I am,” I groaned, falling back on my bed. Thankfully, the room had two queens, and I got my own space to sprawl out and not have to worry about touching the infuriating man.

Eric just grunted then hung up on me.

Just as I was putting my phone down, it rang again. I immediately answered, thinking it was him calling back.

“What do you want now?” I snapped.

“Well, nice to hear you are doing okay after you missed work,” Mark said, none too pleased by the sound of it.

“Sorry. Things are a bit crazy right now. I meant to call and let you know I wouldn’t make it in this morning.”

“Well, we are slammed and getting our asses handed to us. You need to figure out how to get here, and soon,” he demanded in a stern voice.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I exhaled exaggeratedly.

“You’d better,” he barked then hung up.

What was it with men hanging up on me? Seriously, saying “bye” wouldn’t hurt them. At least now I had a way to spend the afternoon, and Eric couldn’t be too pissed about me going to work. It was where I could keep an eye on everyone and look for anything weird without looking out of place.

I changed into jeans and a tank top then walked the distance to the dinner. Slipping in the back door, I moved to grab an apron so I could get started on helping out, but I was surprised to find Mark waiting for me.

“Mark, hi. I’m here to help,” I said with a slight smile hoping he wouldn’t want to yell at me since I had indeed shown up.

“About fucking time,” he growled, stepping closer to me.

“I said I was sorry. Let me get out there and get the customers taken care of. You can reprimand me later, okay?” I said, taking a step back. He was way too close for comfort after everything that had been happening.

“Not going to happen.” He let out a low grisly laugh that sent a chill up my spine.

I tried to get away, but he snatched a handful of my hair and pulled my back to his front, with a hand snapping over my mouth.

“Time’s up, sweet thing,” he whispered in my ear before licking the side of my neck, making bile rise in my throat.

He was much larger than I was, with much more bulk, so it wasn’t hard for him to muscle me back out the exit and into the back of the restaurant van. Something heavy and hard collided with my head, and the world blacked out around me as I heard the slamming of the van’s back door.

The next thing I knew, my head was pounding, and everything was still black. Fabulous! So I couldn’t see, but I could feel the pain they’d already started inflicting. The only thing that was bothering me besides the back of my skull was my wrists where they’d been pulled behind my back and held together. I’d have guessed rope by the abrasiveness of the material.

“Wakey, wakey, sunshine,” a deep male voice said, startling me. Before I could even figure out where the voice had come from, I was being yanked to my feet. “Time for some fun.”

“Can’t wait,” I mumbled. Really, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. Except, like anywhere else in the entire world, but no one ever asked me what I wanted. “Are we having drinks and appetizers first, at least?”

The man only grunted in response before I tripped and fell to the ground. With no way to stop the momentum, with my hands bound and all, my head slapped against the ground, and it was my turn to grunt.

“Asshole,” I hissed through clenched teeth.

“The more you talk, the more painful it’s going to be,” the man told me as I was once again hefted to my feet and forced to walk.

“Oh, like you are going to take it easy on me anyway?” I snorted. I didn’t know why my sassy side had decided to come out when it was clear I was going to be paying with blood and screams. Probably because I was pretty sure it was the end. There was no way I’d escape the hands of the mafia enforcer. While I couldn’t remember his name, I knew that he was the sickest, darkest, most twisted individual in the whole organization. He had to be, when he was the one doing all the dirty work for the Boss.

“You never know,” the man told me as I was shoved from behind to keep walking.

I snorted again, but didn’t say anything. If anything, I was hoping I pissed him off enough that he’d just make it fast and get it over with.

Eventually, I was pushed into a chair and the bag over my head was torn off. I squinted into the bright light of the room I was now in. There was nothing recognizable in the large room. Surprisingly, it was well lit, and I could easily see the whole place. There was a table with glistening metal pieces on it, but it was taller than I was seated, so I couldn’t see what exactly they were. Glancing down, I noticed there was a drain right below me. Easy clean up. Glad they were thinking ahead. Then again, torture was pretty much a weekly thing for the mafia.

“Ah. I have wanted to get my hands on you for so very long, sunshine,” the man who had brought me into the room said from behind me.

Flicking my head to the side to try to get a look at him was a bad idea as my entire brain felt like it burst at the quick movement. I squeezed my hands into fists to avoid making any noises to let the jerk know he’d caused me pain without even trying.

“Why don’t you come around here so I can look at who my torturer will be this fine day?” I asked.

“Ah, but don’t you recognize my voice?”

“Nope.” I shrugged. “Should I?”

I listened as heavy steps slowly moved around me until a long, lanky body came into view, and I instantly knew who it was.

“No. It was you this whole time? Why are you here now? Didn’t you just turn me over to Michele’s people and then be done with it?” I spit out questions as fast as they entered my head. I would never in a million years have pegged Sheriff Aaron as breaking the law. He couldn’t be an enforcer. I would’ve recognized him. It just wasn’t possible, was it?

“Well, that’s sort of a long story,” he said as he picked up a power drill off the tray. Seeing him examine different bits had me tensing. Holding one up, surveying it, then putting it down to look at another one. Finally, he selected one and slid it into the barrel of the drill then turned to look at me. “Well, we weren’t initially here for you. We were here taking care of another idiot who thought they could get away. Then look at who falls right into our lap. I’d already killed off the good ol’ sheriff so I thought I’d keep playing the part. No one around here seemed to notice the switch anyway. Then again, we do look quite alike, being brothers and all. Nothing a haircut, shave and tan couldn’t fix.”

He killed off his brother? What the hell? How’d no one noticed the sheriff had changed?

“A faked accident to cover the supposed loss of memory,an
d
voil
à
, the perfect cover. Add in a sick little crush by a manager, and I had the perfect way to get my girl when the time was right. All I had to do was promise him he’d get some alone time with you once I got some questions answered. Too bad he won’t ever get that chance,” Aaron said with a sinister smile. “No one touches my girl but me.”

I watched as he walked back around me where I couldn’t see him anymore. Every time he flared the drill to live, I jumped. Even when I tried not to, I did. I couldn’t help it. When his fingers slid through my hair, I gritted my teeth so I wouldn’t yank my head away in disgust.

“I must say that I do like the new color on you. Looks much better than that crappy bland brown you always had before. Longer is so much more fun, too. More to grab onto and hold you with.” Aaron laughed and ran his fingers through my hair again. That time I did pull my head away in an attempt to get him to stop touching me like a lover would.

“Oh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, sunshine. I think you should be a lot nicer to me than you have been since you landed in this crappy little town. I was supposed to kill you right away, you know. It would’ve been quick and painless. You see, I’ve been watching you for a very long time. I was tempted to steal you away from Michele a long time ago, but that would’ve just caused a big, dirty affair. Before I could even figure out how I was going to get you to leave him, you went and did something so incredibly stupid…”

I cut him off.

“I didn’t do shit! Michele is the one who was stupid.
He
is the one who decided to kill the man he’d invited over to fuck me without telling me.
He
is the one who wanted to watch someone else fuck his wife then got so insanely jealous he killed him when he touched me.
He
was the one who forced me to then stand by, covered in blood, while he had his men come in to clean up his mess. Then, and only then, was I allowed to shower and clean the dried blood off myself. And when I decided that I didn’t want to stay married to a psychopath who had already threatened my life on numerous occasions, it was all my fault that he did all those things. NO! It was
not
my fault, damn it. Kill me if you want to kill me, but stop saying it was my god damn fault.” I was out of breath, my chest heaving by the time I finished shouting the words that had spun round and round in my head for the last five years.