Devil She Became (Devil's Angels Book 1) (22 page)

“Hi, sweetie. So nice to meet you! Your daddy has told me so much about you both. I couldn’t wait to meet you. You are both so beautiful!” Reese smiled warmly at the two girls.

Olivia looked at Reese in awe. “You’re so pretty. Is she a princess, daddy?”

Harrison held Olivia in his arms. He exchanged a smile with Reese. “Kind of, baby. She’s very special.”

Alaina narrowed her hazel eyes and folded her little arms across her chest tightly.

“Grammy said that you were going to try and be our new mommy. I don’t want a new mommy! Make her go away, daddy!”

“Alaina! Your behavior is not acceptable. You do not tell me what to do. And no, she isn’t going to be your new mommy. Your mommy was special, and no one can take her place.” Harrison sat Olivia between himself and Reese and reached out to cradle Alaina in his arms.

Reese turned to the angry little girl. “Honey, I will never try and take your mommy’s place. I know you loved your mommy very much and she loved you. I just want to be your friend is all. Can we try and do that?”

“Alaina, Reese is a very wonderful and sweet woman. I would never bring just anyone to meet you both. She wants to be a friend to all of us.”

Alaina quietly studied Reese.

“I like your earrings.” She said shyly.

Reese grinned at her. “Thank you. I’m glad you like them.”

Harrison reached into his jacket pockets and pulled out two small boxes. “Here. I brought you both something very special.”

The girls squealed and took the boxes. They each tore open the shiny paper to reveal blue velvet boxes. When they opened them, heart-shaped gold lockets were inside with a picture of their mother holding the two of them in each.

“I love it, daddy!” Alaina cried.

“It’s mommy!” Olivia cried, trying to pull it over her head.

“Reese picked those out for the both of you. She thought it was important for you to remember your mom.” Harrison smiled at Reese, who was helping the girls put on the necklaces.

Alaina looked up at Reese with newly found respect. “Thank you,” she said.

Reese and Harrison smiled as the girls then began telling them all about the fun things they had been doing while staying with their grandparents.

With much reluctance, the Battens invited Reese and Harrison to stay for dinner. The girls played several board games with Reese and Harrison. By the end of the evening, they had both warmed up to Reese quite a bit, and they even allowed her to help Harrison tuck them into bed. As Reese excused herself to freshen her makeup, the girls talked to Harrison about her.

“Daddy, is Reese going to live with us in Chicago?” Alaina inquired, holding the covers up under her chin.

“Do you want her to, baby?” Harrison sat on the bed with the girls.

Alaina shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I do! I do! She plays games with me!” Olivia clapped her hands together.

“Yes, she does. She might come live with us. Is that okay, Lainey?”

Alaina pursed her lips together and thought.

“Not sure. Would mommy be okay with it?” Alaina wondered aloud, looking at the picture in her locket.

No, not really
, Harrison thought.
Especially after what I have done.
He cringed at the thought.

“Yes, baby, I think so.”

Alaina nodded. “It’s okay, I guess. She’s fun.”

As Reese was exiting the restroom, she paused in the doorway to hear the conversation. The biggest hurdle of all was cleared! The girls liked her!
Amazing
, she thought.
I took Lisa’s husband and now her children.
She laughed to herself. Most people would have felt terrible guilt spending the day with the children of the woman they had contracted to kill, but not Reese. She felt a slight sense of sympathy for the children losing their mother, but she felt they were better off with her as their stepmother. Passing a mirror in the hallway, she swore she could see a devilish glint in her angel eyes. She had lost her wide-eyed, innocent look and it had been replaced by the devil she had become. No longer did her blue eyes reflect purity. Now, looking into their depths, she saw lust, greed and passion.
No
, she thought,
I have done a bad thing, but I am not a bad person.
Not if she and Harrison could love each other so much. Lisa was simply in their way. If she would’ve given Harrison a divorce, she could have still been alive.
She brought it on herself
, Reese thought.

********

The next day, Reese and Harrison came back to take the girls sightseeing around New York. After they had said their goodbyes to the girls, the Battens stopped them as they were leaving.

“Reese, Harrison, would you mind joining us on the terrace for a drink before you leave?” Mr. Batten stretched his thin lips to form a slight smile, which looked more like a smirk.

“Sure, Clarence.” Harrison and Reese walked out onto the terrace, which had a magnificent view of the New York skyline.

As they sat down on the deep-green padded sofa, they were enveloped in the delightful fragrance of roses blooming in the terrace garden.

“What a lovely terrace,” Reese commented to Mr. Batten.

Looking around him, the older man shrugged. “Thank you.”

Taking a seat on the sofa across from them, Mr. Batten proceeded to order drinks from Rollins to be brought out to them.

As the butler sat out a silver tray of crystal goblets, Mrs. Batten appeared on the terrace. Very tall and thin with stylishly-clipped dark hair, she was every bit an elderly version of Lisa. She had the same bony figure and tightly-sewn lips. Although her clothing was obviously expensive, it did little to flatter her thin frame.

“Ah, Harrison, how was your day with the girls?” Mrs. Batten sat down next to her husband. Reaching for a goblet filled with scotch, Harrison leaned back before answering.

“Jillian, it was very nice. The girls had a lot of fun, and Reese enjoyed sightseeing with them. She hasn’t been to New York much.” The ice in his glass clinked as he sipped the scotch.

Mrs. Batten nodded. “I see. Well, Harrison, there’s no point in prolonging this. We asked you both out here for one reason.”

Reese tensed up, clutching her glass tightly. Harrison narrowed his eyes and sat on the edge of the sofa.

“And that is what?” Harrison asked with obvious annoyance.

“Frankly, Harrison, we don’t like you. We never did. You were an excellent choice for Lisa on paper, but as a husband, you were terrible to her. She told us all about your extramarital dalliances and what a skirt-chaser you are.” Mrs. Batten drew down her tight lips in a frown.

Harrison pursed his lips and gave her a furious look.

“My marriage to your daughter is over. She’s gone. The events of our former marriage are– were none of your business.”

“Be that as it may, Harrison, we still don’t like you. Your family is obviously one of the wealthiest in America, but you are nothing to us. We don’t like the way you treated our daughter. Now that she’s gone, we have our grandchildren to think about.”

Harrison finished his scotch and slammed the glass down on the table.

“Come on, Reese, we are leaving. I am not sitting here listening to your endless tirade about how I chose to live my life. Your daughter is dead and no longer my wife. Our only connection is my children. If you wish to continue to speak to me in this manner, I will take them home with me tonight.” Harrison’s eyes blazed with anger.

Mrs. Batten remained unmoved. She replied in a cool tone. “I don’t think you will, Harrison. Those girls are now my life, Clarence’s life. Our daughter is dead. We have nothing left.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Jillian. That’s why I have chosen to allow the girls to stay here with you both. I realize how painful Lisa’s death was for you both.”

Suddenly, Mrs. Batten jumped to her feet. Mr. Batten widened his eyes in surprise. “Do you, Harrison? Do you? You don’t know what it’s like to lose a child! Lisa was just trash to you, a burden, but to us she was everything! How dare you!” Mrs. Batten shook with rage as her face turned red.

Harrison moved his hands to try to calm Mrs. Batten down.

“Jillian, I realize that I don’t know what you both feel, and I hope I never do. But Lisa wasn’t a burden to me. I am devastated she is gone, but I must move on with my life.”

Mrs. Batten smirked, looking down at Reese.

“Oh, yes, with this little tart, hmmm? She’s exactly the kind of girl I thought you would like. Lisa told me all about the little slut you were kissing at the party. I guess this must be her. Same low-class, trashy look she described.”

Reese clenched her fists in anger. “Excuse me, Mrs. Batten, with all due respect I am not a tart. I am not a slut. I, too, am sorry for your loss, but you don’t know me. So I would appreciate you not dragging me into this.”

Harrison reached down to touch Reese’s shoulder.

“Jillian, you are completely out of line. I am taking the girls back with me. They will not stay here and listen to your childish tirade.” Harrison grabbed Reese’s hand to leave.

Mr. Batten stood up next to his wife.

“Hold it there, boy. My wife is right. You and this low-rent slut were together before my daughter died. I wouldn’t be surprised if you both had something to do with her death.” Mr. Batten’s face was bright-red and he shook with rage.

“I have heard enough! You are both absolutely insane with grief! That is absurd. I didn’t know Reese prior to Lisa’s death. I certainly wasn’t seeing anyone else. I loved Lisa. We had our problems, but I loved her. I love our children. Lisa knew I was an excellent father. How dare you imply I would hurt Lisa! You both are seriously crazy if you think that. I am a lawyer; I uphold the law. I wouldn’t hurt anyone, ever.” Harrison raged at the older couple, gripping Reese’s hand tightly as he did so.

Harrison’s outburst seemed to calm the Battens.

“Harrison, I don’t like you, but I don’t think you would harm our daughter. I think you were a pig of a husband to her, but I don’t think you tried to hurt her. What happened was a terrible accident. Right, Clarence?” She nudged him.

Clarence’s color returned to normal and he looked at the ground. “I was out of line, Harrison. I apologize for implying that. However, my wife is correct that you were not the best husband to our daughter.”

Harrison sighed and nodded. “I wasn’t. I will agree with you there. Perhaps we should’ve never been married, but we did have two beautiful girls that I have to take care of and raise now. I don’t want to take them from you, but if you continue to speak to me in this manner, I will.”

The pair nodded. Mrs. Batten sighed deeply.

“Reese and I are getting married. You don’t have to like it. You don’t have to like us, but if you wish to see your grandchildren, then you will treat us both with respect. Also, you will not say anything to them like you’ve said here tonight. If you do, I will see to it you never see them again. Don’t think for one second I am kidding.” Harrison’s voice was firm, controlled. Reese was impressed.

“No, Harrison, we don’t approve of your marriage to this girl, but I suppose it’s not our business. We do have rights though as grandparents. Please do not turn this into a legal battle.

“I don’t plan on it. I plan to leave the girls here with you until our new home is finished.”

The Battens nodded. “I do request this, Harrison. Please don’t involve them in your wedding. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it would be…”

Harrison shook his head. “What? Why the hell wouldn’t I?”

Mrs. Batten sighed again. “What I was saying is that the funeral was very traumatic for them. I think that being inside a church again so soon will bring up terrible memories for them. You didn’t hear the nightmares those girls had for months after their mother’s funeral. I used to awaken to their shrill screams of terror, kiss their tear-stained cheeks until they fell back to sleep. Every time we pass a church, Olivia still cries thinking mommy is in there. Don’t bring that up for them again.” Mrs. Batten insisted.

Harrison paused for a moment.

“You know, Harrison, maybe she’s right. If it will bring up such bad memories, why put them through that? They don’t have to be there.” Reese stroked his arm lightly.

Harrison swallowed hard, nodding. “I didn’t think of that. I suppose you are right.”

Holding Reese’s hand tightly, Harrison walked towards the French doors.

“I agree with you on that, Jillian. The girls can stay here until after the wedding. But please do not fill their heads with vicious lies about myself or Reese. That’s all I ask. If you want to continue to see them after they come home, you will refrain from expressing your opinion about my life.”

Jillian looked quickly at her husband. “All right, Harrison. I can do that. I only want to see my grandbabies. You and your ‘tart’ fiancé can do whatever you please. My daughter is dead, so you are of no concern to me now except as my grandbabies’ father. We will keep them until after your wedding.”

Mr. Batten bit his lip and gave Harrison and Reese a disgusted look.