6. Halo
Ashton’s choice of restaurant for our six-month anniversary was luxurious and French-inspired. Delicate chandeliers decorated the ceiling and the chairs we’d been seated in were plush red velvet.
The menu had even named several cheese blends that had my mouth watering in anticipation. Of course, he’d ordered the most expensive bottle of champagne on the menu.
My nerves had been trying to bubble to the surface because I’d only been on a few dates. None of them had ever gone anywhere.
I’d watched as he scanned the menu, his long dark lashes nearly brushing his cheeks as he read trying to find something he’d like.
After a few moments of silence filling the place, someone got up on the stage in the corner and sat down at the piano. I watched as they stretched their finger and proceeded to play.
“Okay, this is officially the fanciest place I’ve ever been,” I whispered to him over my menu. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
He chuckled as the waiter came back to take our orders. I’d settled on the chicken confit, confident that I’d said the words just right. The menu had given me a little bit of anxiety. I’d taken one year of French in high school to fulfill my requirement to graduate and hadn’t used it since.
For the next few minutes,we made small talk about nothing until I mentioned the girls. “Do you plan to be here for the summer?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why? Eager to get rid of me?”
I shook my head slowly, a wild curl bouncing into view. My hair refused to be tamed. “I…the girls and their horseback riding. I believe there will be a few mini-competitions. Maggie seemed eager…Luna not so much.”
He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It’s possible.”
“What’s possible?”
Ashton lifted the champagne glass to his lips and drank, when he was done the glass was empty. I sat waiting for his next words.
“It’s possible that I might stick around this summer, not just for my nieces but maybe for you as well.”
His gaze became so intense, that I was sure he was flirting with me.
My heart did a few summersaults in my chest and my palms started to itch. “For me?”
He nodded. “You’ve been taking care of the girls for me. That was a lot to throw on you. I’d need to be here to do my share. My work has kept me so busy, and I am sorry about that.”
My mouth had seemed to have gone dry, and his intense stare had my skin growing warm. Ashton didn’t strike me as the type to say sorry. My stomach couldn’t help but flutter. For six months he’d been aloof and distant. I’d thought that it was a mixture of a few things including him not liking me and also becoming a surrogate father so quickly.
“Just know,” Ashton leaned across the table and held my hand which immediately started to sweat.
Part of me wanted to yank it back and wipe the sweat against the silk fabric of the dress, the other part of me, the part that won out enjoyed his touch. “Nothing has gone unnoticed.”
I was thankful when the waiter returned with our food even though my husband”s touch seemed to linger long after it was gone.
Two glasses of wine later and a few soft laughs, I excused myself to go to the restroom. I peeked over my shoulder and caught him watching me walk away. It was so stupid, but I hadn’t worn any panties because I didn’t want any lines to show through the dress.
Chuckling to myself, I entered the empty restroom. Everything after that was a blur. Someone managed to grab me from behind and pushed me against a wall.
“Let go of me!” I managed to yell as the door to the bathroom slowly closed and the bathroom fell silent.
A hand clamped itself over my mouth and I felt something push against my side. “Golds…have you missed me? Because I’ve missed you...”
My mind was racing, and I was suddenly paralyzed completely by fear. They had found me. I wasn’t imagining that fucking note.
“Now listen to me, baby…I can’t take you now. No, not right now but soon. And its nothing even your criminal husband can do to save you. You belong to me. Always have...”
His other hand began to slide over my body, cupping one of my breasts in his hands and squeezing.
“I’ve missed you, Halo…”
My eyes widened and I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t find my voice. All I could feel was their warm breath blowing against my neck making me nauseous and fear riding down my spine like a river of hot electricity.
Baby, I thought.
It had to be him, the voice was so familiar to me but I hadn’t heard him speak in years.
White hot tears began to slide down my face and I whispered. “Please...please don’t hurt me.”
Finally, he flipped me around and I found him wearing a bear mask much like the ones my stepbrothers had worn for Halloween that year. It had to be him but where were the others?
“I’m going to hurt you, but not tonight…”
He began to ease the dress up, moving his hands to go between my legs while the knife remained pointed at my side.
“And you’re going to beg me for it, Halo, when it’s all said and done…”
I couldn’t stare at him for another moment and looked away as I tried to push his hands away from me. “Please stop, please!”
“I’ll be seeing you,” he whispered.
I heard the door open and didn’t dare look to see if he was gone. I found myself running into the large stall and pulling it behind me. My body began to rack with sobs, as fat tears fell down my face, staining the beautiful silk dress.
Ashton finally found me, still sobbing in the stall. He eased himself down onto the ground with me and I saw the guards looking around, their faces stern.
“Halo…!” His voice boomed against the walls, echoing around us.
I held my breath and waited.
“Tell me what happened….did someone hurt you?”
He eased my face up gently and we stared into each other’s eyes. “Come on baby, tell me what happened?”
Sobs still wracking my body, I finally managed to get something out. “Nothing happened, please just take me home.”
It took mere seconds before Ashton had scooped me up into his arms. The cologne he wore seemed to overtake my senses. As we moved through the restaurant, I tucked my head against his neck as I heard customers murmuring about what was going on.
I didn’t dare look again until we were sliding into the back of the SUV that had brought us. My body had finally calmed down, and my tears had dried.
Ashton sat beside me taking off his jacket that he draped across me.
I stopped him, my hand touching his. “Thank you.”
He simply nodded and didn’t say anything else for the rest of the ride. I didn’t want to explain to him what happened.
And Baby’s threat still hung in the air like cheap perfume.
He was going to get me and not even my husband could stop him.