Chapter Thirteen Extinguish My Flame #2
I take off in a near run, having no idea if he’s following me. Why is it that the closer you get to a bathroom, the more urgently you have to go? I barge through the door, find the nearest stall, lock it, and barely make it to the toilet.
As I finish and sigh in total relief, a manila folder slides under the stall door.
Holy shit! In my haste to see Bonnie or whoever the hell is stalking me, I stumble over my panties, still down around my ankles, and slam into the stall door.
By the time I get situated and out of the stall, the bathroom door closes.
I rush out the door, only seconds after whoever was in there with me, but all I see are shoppers and their carts, busy finding what they came for, not paying me any mind, having no idea of what went down in the bathroom.
I scan their faces, looking for anyone familiar, but it’s to no avail. Whoever it was is gone.
I reenter the bathroom and wash my hands, peering over my shoulder to the envelope lying on the floor behind me. I keep staring at it as I dry my hands and collect my purse. With a resolved sigh, I pick up the envelope.
It’s addressed to me, no surprise there.
I have two options. I can wait to open it with Joseph at his parents’ house—not my favorite choice—or I open it now, so I can be prepared.
I open it.
And nothing could have prepared me for what I find inside.
Nothing.
There’s three pictures.
And a note.
Jesus, those pictures.
I force my emotions down. I can’t afford to get upset now.
My hands are shaking, making it difficult to put it all back into the envelope and stuff it in my purse.
Don’t think. Move.
I exit the bathroom.
Don’t think. Move.
I head to the nearest exit, glance over and see William busy checking out. He doesn’t see me.
Don’t think. Move.
Outside, I hail a cab.
Breathe. Close your eyes and breathe.
The cab stops at my destination. I pay and get out. I don’t have long.
Don’t think. Move.
I ride the elevator, unlock the door. Quiet. Empty. Hurry.
Don’t think. Move.
I grab an overnight bag, haphazardly throwing items inside. Hurry.
Keys.
I run to Joseph’s office and grab the keys I need. Hurry.
Don’t think. Move.
With a final look around our penthouse, I close the door and take the elevator, sending Michael a text.
Me: I need you. Don’t bring Joseph. Find me like you always do.
I unlock the door. Cold. This doesn’t feel like home. I drop my bag at the entry and walk to the nearest couch. My phone chimes.
Michael: Fuck, Sam. Why’d you have to ditch William? I’m coming. Don’t move.
Me: I’m safe. I’m not going anywhere. No Joseph.
Michael: I heard you the first time. I understand.
I turn my phone off. Even if Michael succeeds in leaving Joseph behind, there is no way Joseph won’t call me. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to reject his call—but I need to.
The envelope in my purse is taunting me. I take it out and throw it on the coffee table. Maybe the taunting won’t be as loud over there.
There’s no knocking; only Michael opening the door alerts me to his presence. Of course, he has a key. He always has a key.
“Princess.” He approaches me slowly, assessing. His eyes land on the coffee table. “When did that arrive?” He stops in front of me, standing between me and it.
My chin starts to quiver. Dammit, I was doing so good too.
“Oh, Sam.” He’s at my side before my first tear falls. He pulls me into a hug. He’s big and strong, but he’s not Joseph. He’s not my home, and that makes me cry even harder. “Shit,” he murmurs into my hair. Feelings are not Michael’s favorite thing.
I pull myself together enough to speak. “Someone slipped it under the bathroom stall at the grocery store.”
He doesn’t seem surprised. William must have told him about my pee emergency. “Did you see who it was?”
I shake my head.
“Did you open it?”
I nod.
“It is worse than the last one?”
My tears start to fall again.
“I’ll take the fact that you ran away as a yes.”
“I didn’t run away. I ran home.” I look around. “Well, almost.”
He smiles. “Thank you for that. It’s easier to protect you at MCI than anywhere else.”
I don’t have a death wish. “That’s why I came here.”
He eyes the envelope. “I need to open it.”
Taking a deep breath, I sit up, allowing him to extricate himself from my side.
He pulls plastic gloves from his pocket and slips them on. “I came prepared.” He opens the envelope and tips it up, letting the contents slip out. “Fuck.”
“Yep.” I can’t look away as he picks up the first picture—I should—but I can’t.
It’s a picture of a woman lying on her back, legs spread wide, held open by strong, powerful hands. A beautiful man with dark hair and emerald eyes feasts on her with a look of pure desire in his eyes—my Joseph’s eyes.
He picks up the next picture. This one is basically the same—same woman—except it’s from a different angle where I can see the woman’s face, smiling at the camera, looking into my soul—laughing at me—as Joseph eats her out with his eyes closed, and I can nearly hear him growling in pleasure.
The window is open behind them with a beautiful view of the Las Vegas strip all lit up at night.
Loving Vegas! Rings in my ears as an echo from the second letter.
I point at the pic. “That’s Veronica Hamm.” I can’t believe it as I say it. I’d hoped the face I saw in the pictures in the bathroom was a mistake, but now that I see them again with the shock worn off... It’s her.
“Who’s Veronica Hamm?” Michael points a gloved finger at the woman’s face. “Her?”
“Yep.”
“How do you know her?”
“It’s a long story. She used to date Jace, and now she doesn’t, because of me.” I laugh, but it’s humorless. “Jokes on me, huh.”
“It looks like we found our Bonnie.” He sets it down and pics up the last picture. “Holy shit.”
“Yep.”
“That’s Lydia.”
“Yep.”
The third and last offering is a picture of Lydia on all fours with Joseph fucking her from behind. Again, Vegas is in the background, and if you look closely enough, you can see Veronica’s reflection in the window flipping me off as she snaps the picture.
Michael points it out as he notices Veronica’s reflection.
“Yep. It’s icing on the fuck-you cake she’s worked really hard to deliver.”
“Fuck. This girl has to be crazy.”
“Nope. She really doesn’t like me. She never has, and I don’t know why.” I’m not sure it matters anymore. She’s obviously gotten what she wanted. To take away the man I love—to leave me feeling like I’m nothing. Nothing at all.
“Sam, I’m so sorry.”
The pity in his eyes is more than I can take. “Read the letter.”
He loves my pussy.
He can’t get enough of my taste or the way I feel around his cock.
He’s mine. LEAVE. NOW!
Sincerely,
Joseph’s favorite meal
P.S. I let Lydia get a feel of his massive cock as he pounded her from behind, watching me the entire time. See, I’ll share my Joseph—just not with you.
Michael puts everything back in the envelope, sets the discarded gloves on top, and slumps back into the couch.
“I don’t know what to say. I want to tell you it’s all bullshit.
That those pictures aren’t real. And there’s a very good chance they aren’t.
But given that it’s this Veronica chick and Lydia, both of whom have a connection to you and Joe, I really don’t know anymore. ”
“You understand why I don’t want to see him, then?”
He huffs. “Oh, I understand, and I don’t blame you.
But, I also know Joseph. I believe in my gut he would never cheat on you.
I can’t explain anything in that envelope, but I promise, I will work night and day to find the truth.
Not what Joseph says is the truth, but the actual truth. I can promise you that.”