Cold Deception (His Agenda 4): Prequel to the His Agenda Series (10 page)

“We have a contract. I’ll sue your ass. I’d think twice if I were you.”

“No, I’d think twice if I were you.” Terence held George’s gaze. “Unless you want your wife to find out about your side fuck. I have an idea of whose baby the secretary is carrying.”

The confidence holding George’s lined face together crumbled.

Terence smiled with triumph. “Yes, I know all about it. I’ve seen you two fucking like rabbits in your office. Next time, close the blinds all the way. You don’t want your wife to walk by and see you, do you? She owns this business, after all. Yes, I know that too.” Terence paused. “Give me my check and I’ll be out of your hair. I won’t say a word.”

George stumbled back into his office, and Terence heard him opening metal file drawers. He had yet another idea, and it lined up perfectly with what he had planned so far. He knew the best job for him, one that could bring him a lot of cash if done right.

George walked out of his office and handed him a check. There was a small bonus on top of his regular wage. Such was the power of blackmail.

“Remember to close the blinds.” Terence turned to leave.

Next he paid Dudley Plumbing & Repairs a visit. Dudley was just as surprised as George when Terence walked away, a second final paycheck burning a hole in his pocket beside the first.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Lacey

Lacey took a sip of her tea and sighed. She was sitting inside the dining hall of Oasis, talking to Lilliana. She had not visited for a long time while she was taking time to heal. She had wanted to avoid the questions, the looks of pity from the people she used to work with. But Oasis still felt like her home, and she had woken up today in desperate need of a friend.

Breakfast was over and most of the residents had already left to go and make money on the streets or at low-paying jobs.

“I love Terence.” Lacey exhaled slowly. “Even after what we went through… the baby, that hasn’t changed. But I’m so tired of being told what to do. In a way, he’s controlling my life. Each time I bring up the issue of me working, we end up fighting or he gives me the cold shoulder.”

Lilliana leaned forward. She looked different. Her once short, spiky hair was cut in a flattering bob that softened her face. “Sounds to me like you’re living his life. If I were you, I wouldn’t stand for it. You are a free woman, Lacey. From what you’re telling me, you want opposite things. This could end up breaking your marriage. One day you will want to get out of his grasp. Who knows how he could react.”

Lacey shook her head vehemently and a smile crept over her lips. “Terence would never get violent with me. He’s not that kind of man.”

“You can’t tell from the outside how a person will react when they don’t get what they want.” Lilliana tipped her head to the side. “I’m your friend. Tell me the truth. You say you still love him. But are you happy?”

Lacey dropped her gaze to the table, found a scratch in the wood between her hand and her mug. She studied it for a long time, until a tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away as if it were intruding and looked up at Lilliana. “He’s my husband, the only man I’ve ever loved. But I can’t—” She swallowed a flood of tears. “I feel as if something is missing… a piece of me.” She looked down again and traced the scratch with the tip of her finger. “I just want him to understand, to support me and be there. He should love me enough to let me be myself. Why can’t he see that? I feel like I’m losing not only me, but us. I don’t seem to know how to hold on.”

“You need to tell him this. Tell him exactly what you told me. It’s your life, and he should love and trust you enough to make decisions that make you happy.” Lilliana leaned back and took a swig of her coffee, draining the cup.

“What he’s doing to you is unfair,” she continued. “You deserve a life too. If you ever want to help out here, you’re welcome anytime. You know we don’t pay much, but at least you’ll get a chance to get out of the house, to do something that gives you a sense of worth. Don’t feel you have to stay with him if he makes you so miserable.”

“It hasn’t been all bad. We had some good times in the past and we still have them occasionally, but there’s always this thing, this big elephant in the room.” She missed the way they used to be before the baby, before Terence became so controlling. It had been so easy to look into each other’s eyes then, when nothing stood between them.

“I know what you mean,” Lilliana reached for Lacey’s hands and gave them a squeeze. “If you want to stay in this marriage, you have to stand your ground and address that elephant as soon as possible. You deserve a life too, a few hours away from your home… space to breathe a little.” Lilliana withdrew her hands and scratched her right wrist, over her butterfly tattoo. “I know you might not like to hear this.” Lilliana lowered her voice when she saw another volunteer enter the hall. “But I think what you’re going through is emotional abuse. It really sounds to me like Terence is abusing you. I’m your friend and I want to tell you the truth. Please don’t let him do this to you. Don’t let him kill your dreams.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Lacey had stayed at Oasis longer than she’d planned. She ended up helping with the cleaning of the halls and chopping vegetables for the evening stew. It felt so good to be needed by someone who wasn’t her husband.

When she got back home, she was surprised to find Terence already there. He asked her where she had been, and she told him the truth. A cloud swept over his features, but he simply nodded and told her he wanted to spend more time with her.

They cooked lunch together, made love, and spent the afternoon relaxing in each other’s arms. In the evening he took her to a nearby deli for dinner. Before climbing back into the car to head home, he gave her a naughty smirk and told her he wanted to take her someplace else.

“What do you have up your sleeve, silly?” she asked, laughing.

He answered her question with a kiss. He pressed her against the SUV, pulled her into his arms, and cupped her butt with his hand. Fire spread through Lacey’s body at a breathtaking pace. Terence’s tongue slid into her mouth and he hardened against her. She pulled back before it could go too far.

“So.” She touched her pulsating lips with the tips of her fingers. “What are you up to?” It felt as if they were dating again, as if they were back to the place she had loved so much.

“Stop asking questions, woman. You’re coming with me.” He tipped her chin upward and lowered his lips onto hers again, but instead of kissing her, he slipped her bottom lip between his teeth and bit it gently, sending sparks flying to every corner of Lacey’s body. “Let’s go.” He pulled out the car keys.

He refused to divulge his plans as they drove. Finally, he pulled up in front of a pair of high, metal gates. Behind them, a mansion was swathed in darkness.

He slid out of the car and helped her out, holding her hand tightly in his.

“What… where are we?” Lacey asked, perplexed. “Whose house is this?” House was the wrong word for it, she thought. The place was utterly enormous.

Terence waved a hand at the mansion and a big grin split his face. “This is the kind of place our future home will resemble.”

“Terence.” Lacey’s tone was disapproving. She was starting to get nervous. “What are you doing?”

He shrugged and pulled her to the gate. “I’m making my lady happy. Anything wrong with that?”

Lacey dug in her heels and refused to move forward. “Terence, seriously. What is this? Why are we here?”

“Come on, don’t spoil it. Let’s have a bit of fun for once.”

Lacey bit her lip as he thumbed some numbers into a little display and then pulled out a pair of keys from his pocket. She was scared, but curiosity beckoned.

“Did you just deactivate the alarm?”

Lacey’s chest tightened as she realized her husband was breaking into someone else’s home. Had he duplicated the keys? She released his hand and folded her arms across her chest, her gaze darting around, terrified someone might see them. “Terence, you’ll get us arrested. We can’t break into someone’s house.”

“This is the Holt Estate.” He turned to face her with a grin and kissed her. “When we got married, I promised you the world. I want to give you a taste of how that world will look. I want you to believe with me.” He pushed open the gate and waved her in. “Come on, don’t be afraid. No one will show up.”

“I don’t even want to ask what you have planned inside.”

“I’ll tell you anyway. What I have planned, my love, is a little fun. I’d like to fuck you inside this mansion.”

Lacey shed her inhibitions and giggled. She wanted to turn back, to be the responsible one and tell him to forget whatever plans he had, but she was secretly aroused by the adventure. “What if the owners come back?”

“They won’t. The house is for sale.” He pointed at the sign. “Deloris Holt is in a senior home. You have nothing to worry about.”

Lacey didn’t say anything more after that. She did what he loved most. She let him lead.

The Holt Estate was the most beautiful house she had ever stepped foot in. Even though it was for sale, all the furniture was still there, waiting to be sold along with the house. The nearly sixty-acre estate was another world. All throughout the tour, Lacey was speechless. She even forgot they were trespassing. Her eyes danced along with the chandeliers as she took in the vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces, and state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor kitchens. They held hands as they walked out onto screened porches, and looked out at the river that gurgled past the house. Terence took her upstairs to the master bedroom, the one with the leaky bathroom, a spacious wood-paneled room.

Lacey’s mouth dropped open and, without thinking, she lowered herself on the massive bed, sucking in the luxury, letting it seep into her bloodstream. She stood and walked around the partition wall with a fireplace tucked into it and entered the separate sitting area. Terence stood at the small office area situated next to a door that led to a private balcony.

He watched her with satisfaction. “I’d love for you to live in a place like this. You deserve to have a home as beautiful as you are. Want to see the bathroom?”

She nodded, too overwhelmed to speak. Much as she loved being surrounded by luxury, deep down she felt this wasn’t her world. Excitement gushed through her, but still she found it hard to believe a home like this could belong to a girl like her.

The bathroom was breathtaking, but Terence didn’t just show it to her—he made her experience it. She didn’t object when he pulled off her clothes and then his. She squealed when he pulled her into the shower, under the jet of warm water. He ran his hands down the length of her body, pulled her to him, and made her dizzy with his kisses. He turned her around, raising her arms above her head until the palms of her hands rested on the marble wall. Then he wrapped an arm around her middle, pulled her toward him so she bent over. When he entered her, gliding in and out, first slowly and then at great speed, she cried softly.

The moment was beautiful, one she would never forget. But she couldn’t help thinking about their life beyond the walls of the Holt Estate, their real life. Terence had dreams for them, dreams she might not even share. He had never asked her. If bringing her to the Holt Estate was meant to bring them closer, he had succeeded, but it also pulled them apart. It strengthened her resolve to take steps toward her own dreams. She knew exactly what she had to do in the next couple of days. But she would enjoy this moment, would relish having him deep inside her, before her decision broke them.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Terence

When Terence quit his jobs two days ago, he’d had a fuzzy idea of what he wanted to do. George had only strengthened his decision. He wanted to work as a private investigator, but not just any old investigator. He wanted people to pay him to find evidence that their spouses were cheating. His online research assured him people would pay a lot of money for that kind of peace of mind. Marion could show Terence the basics. Terence would work alone at first, and then he would grow his business. He was in this to make money. Then one day soon, he would buy Lacey a home like the Holt Estate.

“So, what do you think?” He pushed his hands into his pockets and looked at Marion. They were walking along the shore of Serendipity Lake. The temperature was low, but Terence was too fired up to feel the cold. Marion, on the other hand, was hunched against the cold wind. Terence had asked to meet at the lake. Ideas seemed to come faster when he was walking.

“I think you made a mistake quitting both your jobs to enter an area you don’t know much about.”

“You’re wrong,” Terence said. He had always been good at watching people. In fact, it was the one thing that had kept him sane during his childhood. He’d had a treasured pair of secondhand binoculars, which he used to spy on the neighborhood. At first he looked for happy families, watching TV together or eating a meal. In his mind’s eye, he placed himself among them, made himself part of their happiness. It had created a welcome distraction from his own miserable life. But soon he saw more than just the good. He saw the ugly side of family life, often similar to his own. Through the binoculars, he watched men beat up their wives and children, saw children cowering in corners. And now that ugly side of relationships was going to make him rich.

“Whatever I don’t know, I can teach myself. Hand me the basics, I’ll do the rest. I didn’t ask you here to talk me out of it.”

A twig snapped under Terence’s boot. He waited for Marion’s response.

Marion sighed. “I’m not trying to talk you out of it. You might have a solid idea here. I only thought it would have been wise for you to keep the jobs you already had while your business found its footing. You have a wife to support.” He paused. “Frankly, I don’t understand why you don’t want her to work.”

“That’s my business.”