7. Harley
harley
. . .
M y hand was gripping the cool glass so hard my knuckles began to hurt. The room was dark around me and so quiet I could hear the sound of condensation falling from the glass to the floor.
What I thought would be a nice, relaxing night listening to the person I loved turned into something uglier.
I sat down with a drink, ready to share a meal with her. Well, with her in my ears and in my mind.
And then he showed up.
His presence wasn’t surprising. I had known about their little get-togethers for some time, but it was the first time I had set up bugs in time to catch their conversation.
That guy’s an asshole.
I frowned and took my headset off, unable to listen to another word. I wished I had cameras to see Laura’s face when he slammed the box down on the table, but audio was all I had. I barely managed to get someone there to install the bugs inconspicuously while she flew back to New York.
And while I wanted to see her face, I also didn’t. Because she deserved so much more than that asshole. And while I knew she didn’t give a fuck about him or his offer, I was bothered for her .
She deserved more than that sorry-ass excuse of a proposal.
She deserved to be spoiled. To be swept off her feet.
To be showered in everything she ever wanted and everything she would ever need.
Laura would work and make money because I knew it was her passion, but I would never let that woman want for anything in her life, whatever happened.
I would do what I needed to make sure that I had a safe cover for the both of us, but everything that was mine would be hers. My money. My heart. My life.
As soon as I saw her, my whole career path had changed. What had once just been money slowly building in my bank accounts was hers. Every single dime I had been stowing away had her name on it.
How could he not feel the same?
How could anyone on this earth see Laura and not want to lie themselves down at her feet and pledge their body and soul to her?
He was entitled. Egotistical, like most powerful men. But he’d just thrown the ring at her like it was his right to marry her.
The audacity.
And what an unimaginative, unworthy ring at that. I didn’t need the cameras for that part. I could tell by the sound of it falling into the glass that it was less than a carat.
I would never insult her like that. Never.
But inside, another emotion was brewing.
I was jealous that she even entertained the thought of sleeping with him, and I didn’t want her with anyone else, but more than that, I felt bad for her.
I loved her. I truly did.
All I wanted was to see her happy. So, to hear her being treated so awfully made me angry. And I would make him pay.
But first, I needed to make her mine—or at least bring her to my side—so I could show her how good we could be and how these other people didn’t matter .
I just wanted to spoil her the way she deserved. There would be nothing on this earth that would make me happier.
An idea popped into my head. One that would most certainly get me in trouble… but it would be worth it in the end.
After this, she wouldn’t be able to get rid of me.
It wasn’t often that Laura walked home. She usually had a driver who took her to and from the office.
Except on the days when she had a business dinner.
She made sure to leave the office exactly forty minutes before she was set to meet her client. She always had to get there first. Always had a table reserved and often had ordered in advance.
She picked an Italian place that had been owned by the same family for several generations. They knew her by name and greeted her like family every time.
They were secretive and trustworthy, which was exactly what she needed in her line of work.
And she wasn’t the only one. This spot might look like a family restaurant, but it was actually a great place to make deals in the dark. The family acted as protection for some of their favorite customers.
One of whom just so happened to be Laura.
Still, it was in a not-so-safe part of the neighborhood. It came with the territory. But even so, as long as I had been watching her, there had been no sign of anyone causing her trouble.
She walked the dark streets without even so much as a glance over her shoulder. Proof that she had been doing this for far longer than I had been watching.
Which meant her guard would be down.
The sun had set fully just a few minutes before she was set to walk through the specific secluded alley that led to the back door of the restaurant. The only things in that alley were the dumpsters and an emergency exit or two for the apartments above .
But most of the windows were high up, and it wasn’t likely they would catch on to anything. A risk, but not a big one. One I was willing to take for her.
I also made sure to block the door from the outside just in case anyone decided they wanted to go for a smoke break.
I was risking my cover. For the first time, I was letting her see the darkness inside me. The monster. The one who desperately wanted to feast.
For her.
He wasn’t my normal victim. Another risk I was taking.
My chest heaved as I took in one deep breath after another. The air around me was cool, but my blood and skin felt like they were boiling.
I let out a crazed laugh at the man when I stabbed him. This time, it felt less like a hobby and more like something I needed to do.
This part of my life came easy… once I accepted it.
Like breathing, burying a knife into a human chest came naturally to me.
Maybe it was because I was on a deadline, and this had to be done at a certain time. Or maybe I was just nervous about Laura seeing this side of me.
Nervous . No matter how excited the monster was, there was a saner part of me that worried this wouldn’t force Laura to my side but instead push her far away. Make it so that she would never want to be in my presence ever again.
But something told me Laura wasn’t like that . Call it a hunch, but I had the overwhelming feeling that Laura had a bit of darkness in her too.
Just as I heard the sound of her heels against the concrete, I reached down and grabbed hold of the knife, pulling it as I stood up and turned to her.
Right on time. Like always, Laura was punctual.
There was no way she wouldn’t see me. Just as there was no way she could deny it was me. She would have to face this part of me instead of hiding behind the mountains of paperwork and a silly restraining order.
She looked… calm. The only thing that gave her away was her shocked gaze and the fact that her breathing had all but stopped. I could almost hear the screeching halt that magnificent brain of hers came to.
She was a magnificent view.
Tight sweater dress that hugged her hips and breasts. A large black coat that I knew cost more than some people’s rent. And a perfectly placed teal alligator skin Birkin that matched the color of her pumps.
She had someone to impress tonight. Too bad she wasn’t ever going to make that dinner.
“Took you long enough, darling .”