Chasing Paradise (Chasing Series #3) (26 page)

I was sure he was getting sick of this merry-go-round of games, but the culprit had been hiding and hadn’t attempted anything after the second delivery I had in Mayfair. I was almost positive with Blake purchasing this new home and our recent engagement; it triggered these creative gifts my way.

“
Edward, do you guys have any suspects yet?” I asked calmly, not wanting to show any emotions in regard to this annoyance.

“
There’s been a development today. I’m not sure if I should be the one to tell you. Maybe the boss will tell you himself when he gets back from the office.” Edward’s pale blue eyes eyed me with concern, looking almost sorry for me.

“
I’m not a little girl. I can handle it. Besides, this is my life. I deserve to know.” I was going to see what was in these boxes, come hell or high water.

“
Sorry, Miss Sienna. Truly, I am. You just look so young—and something about you reminds me of my daughter. She died so young after Leukemia.” He paused, looking more of a concerned father than head of my security.

Edward was what? Forty? Forty-five? He must’ve had the baby so young then. “I’m sorry about your child. I heard losing them is the hardest thing a parent can ever go through.”

“
It is.” He sighed, contemplating if he should show them to me or not. “I need to check on these, anyway. I suppose you could just stand right here and promise not to touch a thing.”

I held up my hand, promising, “Scouts honor.”

He nodded; now back into his roughened, hardcore persona. “All right then.”

Edward took his gloves out, scrutinizing everything before he deemed it was time to open the parcels.

The first box contained a picture in a cemetery with an empty plot. There was a large red x on it with a large indication “to be buried here” with a dead rat hanging off its tail, blood dripping from its throat.

The second present had a picture of me in a gown, with frame measurements from head to foot, my width and weight. Underneath it was a picture of a white coffin, attached with measurements that matched mine.

The third box had an eight-by-ten picture. The picture itself brought goosebumps out. It was a photo with the same burial plot in the cemetery, but now it had a marble tablet.

Sienna Richards

1992-2013

Died on June 28
^th
of 2013

An orphan. Unloved. Alone.

“
You live and die a filth. Rest well, in hell.”

“
Son of a mother fucking bitch!” Edward cursed, dropping the picture.

“
Wow,” I whispered, swallowing what was left in my parched throat. “Someone is seriously keen for me to die, huh?” I wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t muster even a fake or forced one.

Today was the twenty-seventh. Tomorrow, someone was planning to end me, my life.

“
I’m sorry, but you cannot leave the house until this is solved,” he informed me, worry evident on his face.

I nodded my head as I walked away, wanting the solitude of the bedroom. Walking down the hall, I got a text from Lucy.

Love, I forgot my keys inside the flat. I locked myself out. Would you be a dear and let me borrow yours? I’m still in class, so we can meet at the café outside school or in the flat. I’m off at three. Sorry, things have been so out of order and my mind is all over the place.

I smiled, even in my depressed state. It was so her to forget her keys again.

Okay, meet you back at the flat. Hope you’re doing better. Love you.

Lucy replied almost immediately.

I will be
.

She then added a massive smiley face on it.

Well, I hope she could finally move on now that Toby was married and expecting a baby, but judging by the looks I caught them sharing a couple of times, I doubt it will be anytime soon.

Lucy was an idiot to let him walk down the aisle. She had her chance. It was waving and jumping at her face, but she took the cowards way out and ran out of there the second she didn’t get her way.

I was sitting on the bed, thinking, when the door was yanked open and Blake stormed in, furious. “Blake!”

“
Are you all right?” He strode to my side, instantly sat next to me and scooped me into his arms, holding me tight.

“
I’m fine, but at the moment, I can’t breathe. You’re squeezing me.” I faced him, giving him a small smile. I didn’t like seeing him like this. He worried too much for me.

If I was going to die tomorrow, I know I’d go happy because of this man. He made me whole again. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for me.”

His eyes stormed. “Don’t you fucking dare thank me, Sienna! You’re not saying any of these good-byes crap because there’s no need for it. There’s still time to catch this person.”

Maybe, but I wasn’t hopeful. This person was too smart and too ahead of everything for us to catch her. “I was thanking you, there’s nothing wrong with that.” I kissed his lips, trying to calm him down. For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes. I didn’t like that at all. “I love you, Blake Knightly.”

“
Don’t. Please,” he murmured against my neck, wracked with pain.

“
Don’t you have to work? I know that there’s an important annual conference meeting about to start in two hours.” I tried to see his face, but he was attached to my neck.

“
I know. I wanted to just stay here with you and tried to cancel it, but they weren’t willing to accommodate that request since a lot of them flew in from different continents.” Blake sighed heavily.

“
This sucks, doesn’t it?” I tried to laugh it off, but failed to even crack it.

“
Come lie with me. I just want to hold you.” Blake got us into bed, on our sides, faces close to each other. He was studying me with sad eyes.

My hand reached out, fingers tracing his brow, to the sides of his face and to his lips. “You should get going soon.”

“
I’ll leave in an hour and half. I’m sure they won’t mind if I’m a few minutes late.” Blake took hold of my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine. “You take my breath away, cara.” He kissed my hand.

For the entire time, he just held me. He didn’t even try to cop a feel, kiss or did anything sexual. Blake simply was there, loving me.

“
I love you.” He kissed my forehead, my nose then and a subtle kiss to my lips. “Per sempre, mi amore.”

“
Go, so you can get back to me quicker!” I pulled his face closer, kissing him with all my heart. “I’ll be waiting.” I kissed him one more time before whispering the words.

~S~

The presents I got earlier were now turned in to the police to be investigated. So far, nothing came up. I didn’t expect much. I knew it would turn out the same.

At two in the afternoon, I approached Gareth about Lucy’s key. I knew I wasn’t allowed to leave, but with him tagging along, I could very well get away with it.

After almost thirty minutes of pestering him and Edward, they finally relented. It was already half past three when we got to Covent Garden. I was in such a hurry to get to Lucy and thought Gareth was right behind me when I crossed the street, towards my apartment building. That’s when a black, heavy tinted sports car charged right towards me. I saw that it wasn’t slowing down to let me cross to the other side and the heavy choking-feeling was now back. It took a second for the realization to hit me before I managed to move on the side, avoiding the demonic car as it zoomed past me, just as I heard Gareth yelling my name to move.

“
Fuck!” I yelped from the pain on my foot. The car was too fucking close that it managed to run over my foot.

I was in the middle of the street. About to limp to the other side when I heard gears shifting. I nervously looked up, seeing the same car; the red brake lights caught my eye. It took a few seconds before it went in reverse at full speed. The loud screech of tires and the smoke it produced paralyzed me on the spot.

I was going to die right now
, the thought flashed in my mind as the red lights got bigger before my very eyes.

I wanted to move, but my feet were rooted on the spot, heavy. It was like everything zoned in and all I could see and hear was the car while my heart batted against my chest in slow motion. My breaths shallow as I watched the car about to hit me.

“
Move, Sienna!!!” Gareth yelled, launching himself to push me to the curb, hitting my head with it before blacking out.

Twenty-eight

Blake

The moment I saw Edward striding towards the boardroom, interrupting the meeting, with a hard look in his eyes, I shot out of my seat. “Where is she?” I yelled at him, hushing the rest of the room.

“
There’s been an accident. She has a concussion and is in the hospital. Heavily medicated, but is well, sir,” Edward rushed out, giving me the important details.

I loosened my tie, trying to breathe before I faced my grandfather, who was always present in these meetings. “I have to go.”

My grandfather nodded, standing up before he gave me a strong hug. “Don’t leave her side until she’s well. I need my great grandchildren soon. Don’t slack off with your duties. Go!” He gave me the hand gesture and shooed me out of the room.

Now in the car, Edward updated me with the events. Shock didn’t cover what I felt right now. “
Ivanna?
” I spat. “It was
her
all along?”

“
She’s in jail and being held without bail until the judge reviews the case.” Edward shook his head in disgust.

How the hell did that nice woman turn into a murderer? I was wracked with guilt. This was all my fault. I wanted to go see her, confront her, bring down all the bloody punishments to the damn woman who wanted Sienna dead, just because I ended the small fling we had last year, but Edward advised that I visit Sienna first, snapping me back to the main priority.

It was rather surreal, coming into the same hospital that I went to when Chad was admitted last year. I should’ve been running to get to her room, but my steps were slowed as I tried to breathe. Everything seemed acute.
Sienna was here, unconscious
. The words kept repeating in my head.

Chad was in New York with Luke. Toby was in Marbella and Lucy was in school. I was never one who needed friends to feel better, but right now, I’d give anything to have one of them talking to me, help me get some sense of the situation.

No matter what Edward said, I felt like this was my fault. Ivanna was the result of my raging rebellion against Sienna, trying implicitly to exorcise her from my mind and my heart, but I failed miserably. The second I touched Sienna; I went back to the besotted fool that I was and dropped everyone else. I might have been crass when it came to me ending ties with my past lovers, but they were done with good intentions, explaining the to and fro.