Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Addie was floating when Price took her back to the apartment later that night.
She wasn’t even concerned about the trial in the morning.
Price’s appearance had taken away every worry.
He gave her a tender kiss and said, “I have to leave on a job in the morning. I’m sorry I won’t be there for the trial. ”
“It’s all right. I feel confident about it. Will I see you when you get back?”
“The very moment.”
She smiled and she kissed him. It quickly turned deep and passionate. Price backed her into the door and took advantage of her mouth in a way that had her floating and seeing a future with him.
The door flung open behind her, and she would’ve fallen if Price hadn’t held her up.
“Hey.” Price turned her into his side and smiled at her friend. “Gillian. It’s an honor to meet you. Thank you for being there for Addie.”
Gillian’s hazel eyes were wide. “You’re back with him?”
Addie looked up at Price. His dark gaze was begging her to say she was. “I’m letting him buy me banana pudding on a consistent schedule,” she said. “We’ll see where it goes from there.”
Price chuckled and squeezed her closer. “We’ll see,” he agreed. “Nice to meet you, Gillian.” He focused in on Addie when Gillian didn’t respond. “I’ll see you soon, Addie.”
“Are we talking four days between puddings or four weeks?”
“Probably a week. Ten days at most.” His gaze intensified. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.”
He grinned at her, gave her a soft kiss, nodded to Gillian, and strode for the stairs.
Addie watched him go. Turning to Gillian, she was surprised to find unbridled anger in her friend’s eyes. “Jill? Are you all right?”
Gillian looked at her. The anger didn’t abate. “I thought you were done with him. He lied to you and broke your heart.”
Addie stepped inside the apartment. There were cameras out here that the police were monitoring. She didn’t need Detective Thayne hearing the conversation.
“I’m working to forgive him,” she said. “Price is incredible.”
“Says you,” Gillian hurled at her, slamming the apartment door behind her.
“Says me,” Addie returned. “What is your deal?”
“You always have to have every guy.”
“Wow.” Addie held up her hands. “You know my issues with men. Can you please be happy that I’ve found a good one I can trust?”
Gillian rolled her eyes and stalked past her to the kitchen.
Addie had no idea what was going on. Was Gillian so jealous of her and Price that she’d act like this?
Following her friend, she touched her arm. “Jilly, I’m sorry. You know I appreciate you and don’t want to fight.”
Gillian whirled to face her, a long knife in her hand and a wild look in her eyes.
“Jilly?” Addie arched away, carefully stepping back. “What are you doing?”
“I tried to be your friend, but you have to have every man love you. Jamison loves me. Not you. You were only a fling for him. If you die, Jamison will go free. There’s no proof that he attacked you. It’s all your word against his.”
Addie’s gut churned. She carefully retreated. Gillian followed, the knife held at the level of Addie’s heart. If Addie could get out the front door, the cameras would pick this up.
“I didn’t know if I could go through with killing you like Jamison needs me to.” Gillian’s words were level, but her eyes were wild. “But then you prove that you don’t care about me, only about your newest fling. Jamison is right. You deserve to die.”
“When did you fall in love with Jamison?” Addie asked, hoping to distract her, still taking cautious steps backward.
“Years before you knew he existed. He always loved me. Always. You were only a distraction, and your lies about him attacking you are going to land him in prison. Roger brought me messages from Jamison, explaining how we had to take you out so he could be free and we could be together.”
“Gillian.” Another step back. Her heart was racing out of control, her palms sweating.
Should she scream for help or try to race out the door?
Gillian was close enough she could stab her when she stopped to fling the door open.
“Jamison is using you. Roger told the police everything. How he and Jamison plotted to torment me and kill me. How Roger took those pictures and sent the notes. Don’t get mixed up in Jamison’s lies and get yourself sent to prison. ”
“Roger didn’t take the pictures. I did. It’s you who’s a liar. A flirt and a liar who has to have every man. Well, you can’t have my man. I’m going to free him.”
“Put that knife away.” Addie took another step back. She still had twenty feet to the apartment door. “Are you crazy? You’ll go to prison if you hurt me.”
“Don’t call me crazy!” Gillian raged. “And I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to kill you.”
“Help!” Addie hollered at the top of her lungs. She turned and raced for the door, but Gillian was right on her heels. The knife swiped at her back, cutting her sweater and stinging her skin. “Help!”
She grabbed at the door handle, but Gillian loomed over her. She’d stab Addie in the back. Her friend had completely lost her mind.
Whirling, she dodged to the right. Gillian flew forward, jabbing the knife and barely missing Addie’s shoulder. The blade dug into the door.
Gillian screamed like a wild banshee, yanking on the knife to pull it back out.
Addie shoved her from the side, praying she could get her away from the door and get out of the apartment. She was no fighter like Price, but her dad had taught her a few self-defense moves. She jabbed her fist into the side of Gillian’s throat.
Gillian gasped and grabbed at her neck with her left hand. With her right, she ripped the knife out and swiped at her. “I’m going to enjoy slicing you up,” she said in a hoarse snarl. “You were never my friend. You only used me to get more men. To steal my men. Jamison told me everything.”
“Jamison’s insane and so are you.” Addie edged back from the knife again. She kicked Gillian in the leg, causing it to buckle, but her former friend caught herself against the door. Addie, on the other hand, lost her balance and fell to the floor.
“He was right,” Gillian shrieked. “You deserve to die!”
She pushed off the door and dove straight at Addie.
The door flung open, crashing into Gillian’s back and sending her sprawling.
Addie rolled to the side as the knife went flying.
Price sprung through the doorframe and easily pinned Gillian to the floor. She screamed and flailed, but he held her down.
“Addie?” Price’s dark eyes were full of horror. “You’re all right?”
“Yes!” She placed a hand over her racing heart. “Gillian lost it. How did you know to come?”
“I felt like something was off. I prayed, double parked my car, and raced back here.”
“Thank you.” He was her hero. Once again.
He nodded, serious. “I will always come for you, Addie.”
Addie trusted him. He would always come for her. She loved him. She wasn’t ready to tell him that yet, but she felt it.