Eighteen
ZAC
AFTER DROPPING Alyssa and Ella at the mall to meet up with the other girls and Bray, I made my way to the Mercedes-Benz dealership.
I smile as I remember the look of horror he had on his face when I told him he would be joining in on the girls’ shopping.
The horror faded quickly, turning into more of a scowl when he looked Reilly’s way.
I’m sure I’m likely to get pushback from Alyssa about this purchase, but I don’t care how much of a fight she puts up.
She needs a car and I have the means to get her one.
It’s a no-brainer, really. We’ve been here for around two hours, and I’ve finally decided on the car.
I’m waiting for the paperwork to be finalised.
We’re sitting in an office, waiting on the salesman to come back in with the final paperwork.
I’m working on getting my hard-on to go down after texting with Alyssa.
Why the hell couldn’t I be in the Victoria’s Secret with her right now?
I know she’s in the dressing room trying on lingerie, and I can’t stop picturing her creamy skin in red lace.
Groaning, I shake the thoughts from my head.
Dean looks over at me. “What’s up with you?”
“Alyssa is at Victoria’s Secret, trying on lingerie right now,” I say, needing no more explanation.
Dean laughs. “Man, you have it so bad. You know, I think she’s good for you, keeps you on your toes.”
Yes, she does.
“I know it’s quick, but I’m one hundred percent certain that she’s the one.”
Dean processes this—that’s what he does, always quietly processing and analysing everything.
“Then why the fuck are we shopping for a car and not a ring? Because you really should lock that shit down before she wakes up and realises what she’s been lumped with.”
Looking over at him, I think about it. “Do you think she’d accept a ring yet? We could go hit up Tiffany and Co. next,” I ask in all seriousness. Dean laughs as the salesman enters the office.
“All right, Mr. Williams, it’s all ready. One red Mercedes-Benz G-Class G63 AMG, in the name of Alyssa Summers. The car will be ready for delivery on the twenty-second of the month.”
At first, I was told I’d have to wait until February for the car—it’s the middle of December now.
When I not so kindly informed them that I’d be paying cash and I expected to have a car delivered prior to Christmas day, the salesman almost shit himself.
He came through though. They always do when they realise you have money.
I figured I’d put a big-ass bow on it and call it a Christmas present.
She can’t reject a Christmas gift, can she?
“I just need you to sign here, and here,” the salesman says, pointing out where I need to sign. “You’ll need to leave a twenty percent deposit today and the rest will be due two days prior to delivery.” Pulling out my wallet, I hand over the black card and say, “Put it on this.”
He takes the card, and standing, he goes out to the front, returning a moment later before handing over the card and paperwork.
I hand the paperwork over to Dean. “Hold on to this for me, will you?”
He looks at me confused. “Ah, why?” he asks. “Because I don’t want there to be any chance that Alyssa finds out about this purchase before Christmas Day,” I reply as though that should explain it.
Thanking the salesman, we make our way back out of the building. I’m about to get in the car when my phone plays “My Girl.” I smile, knowing immediately that Alyssa is calling, with the hope she changed her mind on the FaceTime request while in the Victoria’s Secret dressing room.
I throw the keys to Dean. “You drive,” I say as I answer the call and walk around to the passenger side. “Sunshine, change your mind about a dressing room FaceTime call?” I ask, hopeful.
“Zac, hi. Umm, no… no FaceTime call, sorry.” There’s a slight hitch in her voice.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, knowing something’s made her upset.
“Ah, nothing’s wrong. I’m fine… just, umm… wondering if you can meet us at the wine bar. We’re heading there now. But if you’re busy, that’s okay. I’ll just… just see you later.”
Shit, she’s rambling. There is definitely something wrong. “I’m never too busy for you, babe. We’ll be there in about fifteen minutes, okay?”
I know she’s not okay, but I also know she’s not about to tell me that right now.
“Sure, I’ll see you soon.” Shit, she sounds fucking sad but before I can add anything, she quietly says, “I love you, Zac.”
“Love you too, sunshine. I’ll be there before you know it.”
I’m trying to stay calm, to not let on that I know she’s not okay. I don’t want her to be any more upset than she already is. I can tell how much she is trying to keep it together.
“Okay,” she says before hanging up.
“Fuck, get to the mall as quickly as you can, Dean.”
In my head, I’m running through all the possibilities of what could have happened at the damn mall to make her so upset.
“What’s wrong?” Dean asks.
“I don’t know, man. I could just tell something was off. She wouldn’t say, but I just know. Fuck. I should have gone with her. I should have had Bray go pick out the car.”
Before I know what I’m doing, I’m dialling Bray’s number. He’s been with her… Why the fuck didn’t he call me himself if something happened?
“Hey, bro, what’s up?” he answers the phone in a way too cheery voice—that’s his giveaway that something happened.
“What the fuck happened to Alyssa, Bray? And don’t lie to me right now. I know something happened.”
I hear the intake of breath, and the tell of a hand covering the phone, before he not so quietly says, “You didn’t tell him? Damn, Lyssa,” in the background.
“Bro, she’s fine, okay? Not a hair out of place.” Great, now he’s trying to placate me. The longer they are not telling me, the more pissed off I’m getting.
“Bray, tell me what-the-fuck-happened,” I demand. I know I’m yelling, and if Alyssa is anywhere near Bray, she will be able to hear me. Taking a calming breath, I try again, voice quieter, “Please, Bray, I need to know.”
“Okay, while she was in the dressing room at Victoria’s Secret, someone slipped a piece of paper under the door. None of us saw anything. We were all in the store and we didn’t see the person.”
Closing my eyes, I’m doing everything I can to not yell right now. “What was on the paper?” I ask in a much calmer voice than what I am feeling.
“Ah, it was a photo of a tombstone,” he says hesitantly.
A tombstone, someone slid a picture of a fucking tombstone under the door. What the fuck.
“Whose tombstone was in the picture, Bray?” I ask, needing more information.
“Look, she’s okay, Zac. I’ve got her right next to me. Actually, she’s so close to me it would probably give you a coronary if you saw.”
He’s probably right, but I also know he’s trying to distract me.
“Bray, do me a favour and send me through a picture of the piece of paper. Keep her fucking close. I swear… if anything happens to her…” I let my sentence drown off, because the thought of anything happening to her is inconceivable.
“Okay, I’ll send a picture. See you when you get here, bro.” He hangs up before I can reply.
Bray sends the picture through straight away.
The moment I’ve zoomed in on the image, my blood goes cold.
There are two tombstones, one older looking one.
I can barely make out the name on it to be Sophia Summers.
The other tombstone, a newer looking tombstone, has Alyssa’s name on it. Her name and date of birth.
“Zac, we’re here, man.” Dean shakes me out of my frozen state.
Looking around, I see that we’re in the mall’s carpark.
I don’t recall any of the drive here. How long have I been staring at this image?
I’m going to fucking kill her. I’ve never killed a woman before, never even thought I’d have it in me to do it.
But the woman who is threatening Alyssa’s life?
I would enjoy watching the life fade out of her as I cut off her air supply.
“Zac, snap the fuck out of it. You can’t go in there like this. You’ll scare your girl more than she already is.”
Dean’s right. I know he’s right, but he hasn’t seen the picture. He doesn’t know the inferno that was just set inside me. I will burn down this whole damn town until I find the bitch.
“Dean, I need you to get copies of all the cameras inside the Victoria’s Secret store here. Find out what cemetery Alyssa’s birth mother is buried in and send someone out there. I want to know if this picture has
just been cleverly edited, or if that psychopath put a tombstone there.”
Dean scrunches his eyebrows. “Tombstone? What tombstone?”
“Someone slid a piece of paper under the dressing room door while Alyssa was changing. It was a picture of a tombstone. A tombstone with Alyssa’s fucking name on it.” I hold up my phone to show him the picture.
Dean nods his head. “Send me a copy of that. I’ll get on it.”
“Thanks, man. Take the car. We’ll get a ride back with Bray. Meet me at mine in a few hours?” I ask.
“Yeah, sure. Do you want to look at hiring personal security for Alyssa? It might be a good idea; we don’t know how far Caitlyn’s prepared to go.”
I’m not sure how Alyssa will take having bodyguards.
“I’ll think about it. I don’t plan to let her out of my sight again in a hurry anyway.”
Walking into the Barrel, the new wine bar that Alyssa wanted to take Ella and the girls to, I notice
her table straight away. I hear her laugh; it registers deep within my soul.
I stand there for a while, taking in the room.
It’s rustic, old wine barrels randomly placed around the middle of the room stand as bar tables.
The edges of the room are sectioned off with brown Chesterfield lounges and wingback chairs.