Deadly In Stilettos (36 page)

             
Demi fought hard with herself not to go after Makei. They had their chance, though. It had not worked out for them, and life must go on. She was finally at a place she liked and she would not let anyone steal her joy. After a long bath, Demi crawled into her comfortable bed, pulled the covers up, and then drifted into a peaceful sleep, dreaming of her and Makei making love. The next day she went to her office, checked her emails, scheduled meetings, and made flight arrangements back to New York. Greg had not called her for more than a day, and that alarmed her. What was keeping him so busy that he could not pick up the phone to say hello? When she called him, she only got voicemail. She went home to pack and call her friend Sidney. They had not spoken since the death of Demi’s father. Demi knew it was time to catch up. She missed her friend. After a number of rings, Sidney finally answered.

             
“Hey, girl, what took you so long getting the phone? I was about to hang up,” Demi said. Sidney was breathing hard. Demi wondered if she had caught her at a bad time. As she was about to ask, Sidney spoke, “I was just getting out of the shower. Just got home from the gym, and girl, you know how I do in those Zumba classes,” Sidney laughed. She sounded a bit strange, not like herself, and Demi asked if she should call her back.

             
“No, it’s cool. What up with you, stranger? It has been a minute since we last spoke. Are you doing okay?” Demi heard a male voice in the backgroun
d
. ‘That can’t be…
’
She suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Thinking her ears were playing tricks on her, she listened carefully. Sidney must have told whoever it was to be quiet, because Demi did not hear the voice again, although she knew exactly who it was. She called Greg’s cell phone. It went straight to voicemail. Now she was sure it had been him in the background with Sidney. Why was he with her and how did they know each other, and just how well? A million questions flooded Demi’s mind. As she replayed the day at the airport, she realized it was Sidney she’d seen Greg kiss when he got into that car. How could she have been so naïve again? Every bone in her body ached from the pain and anger soaring through her. Sidney Kickass and Greg Stanley had some explaining to do, but first, she would at least give Greg a chance to explain his side before she took to drastic measures, or call Makei.

             
After putting the last pieces of clothing and accessories in her suitcase, Demi walked into her closet to retrieve the new pair of shoe she’d placed in there when she first arrived the other day. They would make the perfect choice for Greg when she saw him begging for mercy. And Sidney would get a brand new pair for the occasion.

             
The wind was blowing and rain was about to fall any minute when she left her condo. She made it to the cab just in time as the rain poured from the sky, nearly ruining her navy blue suede Jimmy Cho boots. Had she watched the weather report, she would have never put them on. Looking at them carefully to make sure not a single rain drop had landed on them Demi was relieved when she saw they were still flawless.

The airport was nearly empty,
just as she preferred it to be. Catching the red-eye was beneficial to a flyer that did not care for crowded planes and nosy passengers. First-class was half full. Demi would have a peaceful journey. She had a little time to wait, and as she sat in the lounge, she thought of Makei. Maybe they would get their second chance after all. She wanted to call him, but she couldn’t bring herself to. She wouldn’t know what to say to him. As soon as she landed in New York, she would call him and ask him to join her. Maybe Greg would get a taste of his own medicine. Thinking better of the situation, she decided to find out the truth first before calling Makei. It could possibly be a big misunderstanding on her part. It could have been someone else with Sidney who sounded and looked like Greg. It could have been someone who looked and drove the same kind of car as Sidney at the airport picking up Greg. Demi tried to believe her thoughts, but the more she thought about it, she knew better. Who else had a license plate that read: KICKASS? She knew deep down inside what was true, and the fact that she had been betrayed again by people she loved and trusted.

Chapter 25

             
GREG COULD not believe how careless he and Sidney were. Demi would be devastated if she knew he was involved with someone else. He tried ending it with Sidney several times, but each time it got harder and harder. Sidney Kickass was a woman not to be messed with. Her name fit her perfectly. How was he to know she and Demi were friends
?
‘What a small world,
’
he thought. How could he have let himself get caught up in such a mess?

Yes, Sidney and Demi were friends, but Sidney knew for certain that Demi had killed someone very close to her. Going over to Melvin Bradshaw’s house had started out as a
dare, put to her by another one of her friends. Soon, spending time with Melvin, Demi’s father, became her priority. She cared about him more than she ever could have imagined. They began a beautiful love affair, one like none Sidney had experienced before, and she did have her share. There was just something different about Melvin than all the others. Demi robbed her of that. Now that no one knew where Anya Bankston was, Sidney was on her own. Anya was the only person insane enough to try blackmailing Demi.

             
Sidney had just been pulling up to Melvin’s house that night when she saw Demi walk out of it. At first, Sidney thought it would be great if they salvaged what relationship they had left. The three of them could become a family. But when she found Melvin lying face down on his bed, dead, Sidney wanted nothing more to do with Deminis Bradshaw. It made matters worse that when she called to tell her about his death, Demi talked as if he had never existed. Yes, Sidney knew that Melvin had rejected his daughter. She also knew that he loved her and wanted to build a relationship with her before his untimely death. No one had known of Sidney’s relationship with Melvin, and she kept it that way after he died. Now that Demi loved and cared about someone else, Sidney was going to take that from her, giving her a taste of what it felt like to lose someone special. She would humiliate her in front of everyone. Demi would never be happy again. It had been so easy to get Greg. All she’d had to do was put on her charm, a tight dress, and a great pair of stilettos. Men loved a woman in stilettos, especially when they didn’t wear anything else with them.

             
It was a challenge getting his attention at first, but that changed when Greg saw her out on night dancing. The way she moved as she watched him was all it took. That night she learned that he was a detective working on a case in New York. When she asked questions about his personal life, he told her everything she needed to know. Funny how a little alcohol and pussy could get information out of anyone, especially a horny man.

             
Greg told her that he was in a relationship, but it was new. He also told her that he wanted to see her again once he returned back to Dallas. Each time he left and came back, though, he was more distant. Finally, when he shared he was in love with someone else, Sidney was heartbroken. Although she wanted to get back at Demi, her feelings for Greg were deepening. Losing Melvin was hard to cope with, and having Greg there to fill the void helped her deal with his death better. Demi was about to steal someone else from her, but not if she could help it. Sidney would make sure Demi was never happy again. That was why when Demi called her she made sure she would hear Greg’s voice. What people will do for love, Sidney smirked.

             
Although she and Demi loved and cared for each other deeply, their friendship was now damaged beyond repair, Sidney cherished the times she spent with Demi and would miss them dreadfully. Once Demi had been her rock, someone she looked up to. They had been best friends for years, always watching out for each other. Now, none of that mattered. Sidney simply hated the ground Deminis Bradshaw walked on. She thought of the many times at school they both had been picked on. Demi always tried to defend her. She even got into a few fights for Sidney, Sidney almost backed out of the plan she had for her former best friend. But no, she needed a taste of her own medicine. And all Sidney needed was evidence linking Demi to her father’s death. Anya was the only person with that information. Where was she? Sidney had not heard from or seen her in days. That worried her. She would just have to pay Anya a little visit at her home. That way they could talk face to face. Anya Bankston was known for many things, and being honest was not one of them.

             
As Sidney pulled up to Anya’s lovely home just outside Dallas, she was amazed to see several cars parked in from of the house. As she got out of her car and slowly walked up to the front door, she noticed that everyone she saw was dressed in black and looked extremely melancholy. Sidney looked down at her bright red dress and heels, and immediately felt out of place. A handsome, well-dressed man walked up to her and asked if she needed any help. He scanned her attire with a puzzled look, but brushed it off. She was obviously unaware of what was going on.

             
“Yes, can you please tell me what is going on here? I just dropped by to see my friend Anya, but I guess I should have called first? Looks like she having some kind of gathering.”

             
The man looked down at his feet. Sidney saw the look on his face when he finally looked back up and immediately realized what was going on. She lost her footing, almost falling to the ground. The man quickly grabbed her, holding her as she fought back tears. Anya was her friend. Now she was gone. Sidney and Anya had become best friends when Demi left. Anya had been destroyed by her leaving. Sidney watched Anya fall apart as if she and Demi were twins. It broke her heart seeing her like that. One day, they concocted a plan to get revenge on the stunning Demi for causing Anya pain. Sidney kept up her friendship with Demi as a ploy, going on vacations with her, their weekly phone calls, and the other things they shared. They were great, and all ways for Sidney to gather information about Demi. Anya even attended the same college as Demi and dated some of the same men, just to get information that would someday destroy her.

             
Although it had taken them this long to finally complete their plan, she and Anya knew it was for the best when other people Demi had once known began turning up dead. Sidney did not wish death upon anyone except Deminis Bradshaw. If Demi was responsible for Anya’s untimely passing, she would be even sorrier. Getting under control, Sidney asked the man what happened to Anya. He explained the terrible accident, saying that the police ruled it as a suicide, which he did not believe. “It is hard for me to believe that my sister would kill herself like that. Even though she was sick, she would never end her own life.”

             
Was he serious? Sidney knew of Anya’s several failed suicide attempts, and gave her brother a doubting look. He saw the look and dismissed it. “The police did not find anything but one of her shoes. There was nothing left of her body. When the car exploded…Please excuse me,” he said trying to keep from breaking down again. Before Sidney could say anything, he was gone. She heard muffled sobs as he walked away with the weight of losing a sibling on his back.

             
Everything that Anya’s brother had just said also weighed heavily on her. It was hard to believe Anya was no longer around. Sidney had been through everything with Anya, even when she dated Greg. She suddenly felt bad about sleeping with him. But she wondered about the shoe the police found. She had to see it. That would tell her all she needed to know about Anya’s death. Even though Anya had mental problems she was still a great friend to Sidney. When she was raped in college by her professor, Sidney was the one who took care of her. When Demi walked away from both of them, she was the one who helped Anya get over it. Even Melvin, Sidney was there for him. Now the people closest to her, besides Greg was gone, and he was preparing to walk out of her life too, all because of Deminis Bradshaw; well, not if she had anything to do with it.