Master of My Mind BN (14 page)

“I’d like that.” I nodded ever so slightly.

The tension was thick, and I found it hard to breathe, even
more so when Tony leaned in and slanted his lips over mine. I’d spent weeks,
days,
hours
dreaming of tasting his fiery passion,
again. But nothing prepared me for the conflagration of hunger twisting inside
me.

Gliding his tongue over the seam of my lips, I opened my
mouth, inviting him in. The electrifying invasion of his tongue had me gripping
the sleeves of his suit coat. I held tight as Tony ate at me with devastating
precision.

Pushing me up against the door, he gripped my wrists,
pinning them above my head as he ground his thick erection against my belly;
sucking in my mewling cries of delight. Stripping me of all inhibitions, I
arched my pussy against his driving shaft, silently cursing the clothing
barring him from being inside me.

And just as quickly as he’d seized my passion, Tony pulled
back. A look of alarm blazed in his hungry eyes.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “I’m sorry,
Leagh
.
I shouldn’t have done that.”

“No… it was…”

Tony shook his head and took a step back, leaving me wet and
aching for his warmth. “I’m not going to make the same mistake twice,
sweetheart. When you’re ready, let me know.”

Clenching his jaw, he turned and stormed down the hall. In
stunned silence, I stood watching as he jammed his key into the lock of his
door and disappeared into his room.

I bit back a growl of frustration, went inside my room and
crawled into bed.
        

#

Seated in Reed’s office the next morning, waiting for Hayden
to arrive, all the reassurance and comfort Tony had showered upon me the night
before was but a foggy memory. Attempting to calm myself, as he had taught me
was like trying to piss up a rope. It was not happening.

Tense and on alert, I was desperate for Tony’s soothing
magic. Why hadn’t I let him come with me when he’d all but demanded at dinner
the night before?

Because
you’re a stubborn idiot.
My inner voice of reason, mocked.

Reed sat at the head of the long conference table to my
right. Tapping my toe nervously, I watched as he opened a large manila folder
then reached inside and pulled out a small white envelope before handing it to
me.

“It’s a private message George left for you,
Leagh
. You can read it now if you’d like. Or wait until
you’re somewhere private. It’s yours to keep.”

My fingers trembled, and my throat constricted. Staring at
the familiar scrawl, I smiled. George swore his writing was legible, but it
wasn’t. Tears stung the backs of my eyes as memories filled my mind.

George had brought a card to the café one night. He’d handed
it to me with a broad smile.

“Card,” I’d replied.

“Yes. It’s a card. For you,” He’d confirmed, as a confused
frown lined his face.

“What’s does this say?” I’d asked. Pointing to the word he’d
written on the front, I’d thought he was playing a game.

“What do you mean, what does it say? It says
Leagh
!”

“Oh. I thought it said
guess
,
so that’s what I did,” I’d laughed.

The envelope I now held I my hand bore the word, ‘Guess,’
which was of course ‘
Leagh
’ in George’s horrific
penmanship.

I brushed my fingers along the indentation of my name as if
were a lost treasure. This was the only tangible piece of George that Hayden
and Sloane hadn’t destroyed. The conference room door swung open, and I quickly
slid the priceless note inside my purse.

Reed’s secretary stepped inside the room as Hayden
and
Sloane waltzed in. The poor man didn’t
bother masking his surprise.

“What the hell is she doing here?” Sloane thundered. Her
expression looked damn near demonic as she slashed a cold stare at me.

“Please, take a seat, Sloane. I should ask the same of you.”
Reed arched his brows awaiting the woman’s reply, as his secretary quickly
vacated the room.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten the terms of my divorce, have
you, Reed?” Sloane purred as she and Hayden moved to the other side of the
table. Their identical feline-like movements unnerved me.

Reed’s lips drew together in a tight angry line as his jaw
ticked. “No, I’ve not forgotten a damn thing. And neither did George. But he
was a cautious man, so if you’re thinking about contesting a single word of his
will, you’re wasting your brain cells, dear.”

“There is no stipulation about contesting, Reed. I would
never have agreed, otherwise. Surely you don’t take me for a fool,” her tone
was unmistakably condescending.

“You’re a lot of things, but a fool isn’t one of them.
However, George ensured there was a loop hole,” Reed replied with a satisfied
smile.

“I doubt that highly, Reed. But we’ll see, won’t we?” Sloane
sneered.

I had no idea the meaning behind their tense volley, but I had
a sneaking suspicion I would soon find out.

“Can we get on with this, charade?” Hayden interrupted as
her arrogant gaze homed in on me. “I have decorators to meet. I need to gut
every room in
my
house and dispose of all
the sleazy, disgusting shit left behind by a certain squatter.”

Hayden’s insults stung, but imagining the look on her face
when she discovered the toy bag under our bed or the cross and spanking bench
in the guest room had me howling - on the inside. Somehow, I managed to keep my
mouth shut and not ask if she was sure she didn’t want to keep them in case she
wanted to get her kink on.

Reed cleared his throat and withdrew several sheets of paper
from the folder. Pages that held my Master’s last wishes…his last words. It
seemed paltry in comparison to the abundance of light he’d brought to my life.

As the legal jargon rolled off Reed’s tongue, I focused on
George and ignored the two venomous women seated across from me. Anger and
resentment roiled off them in a choking wave but I was there for my Master, not
them.

“As per my divorce decree dated the sixteenth of May, two
thousand and one,” Reed recited, “My ex-wife, Sloane Ingram Marston and Hayden
Ingram Marston, will share equally the remaining assets of my estate.

Reed’s words wrapped around my brain, sending a shock wave
clear to my toes. I couldn’t imagine George leaving Sloane a steaming dog turd,
let alone half of his estate. Why on earth would he do such a thing? I was
beyond flabbergasted. It obviously had something to do with divorcing the shrew
but half his damn estate? That had to be in the millions. Why the hell didn’t
he throw both her and Bernard under the bus when he discovered their affair?
The whole thing made absolutely no sense.

“If any beneficiary,” Reed continued, “directly or
indirectly contests any provisions set forth designed to thwart my wishes, the
contesting beneficiary provisions shall be revoked and all provisions shall be
disposed of under the terms set forth in the sealed addendum to my Will.”

Reed lifted another document and began speaking again as I
tried to silence the questions racing through brain. “With the exception of
separate trust established November 16, 1978 in the sole name of Paula
Willhite
-Harrington, shall be—”

“That wretched whore,” Sloane spat in disgust.

I had no idea who this Paula woman was, but she was not a
friend to Sloane, that much was obvious. Did George have another daughter?
Another ex-wife perhaps?
Questions continued bombarding me.
Reed ignored the blast of contempt pouring off Sloane and kept right on
reading. Once this was over, I planned to ask him about the mystery woman,
Paula.

 
“And one million
dollars,” Reed announced, “already established in an account at the Federal
Community Bank in the name of
Leagh
Marie Bennett.”

My heart thundered in my chest as his words echoed in my
ears. Stunned by George’s generosity, relief slowly seeped through me. I could
buy a new identity, enroll in college, and get my degree in advertising. Best
of all, I could pay back my friends. The amount of money George had set aside
for me was staggering. What touched me most—more priceless than the amount of
money—was George’s need to keep me protected and safe. It was the one thing I
loved the most about him.

“Over my dead body,” Sloane screamed as she leapt from her
chair. Her face twisted in rage as she glared at me and slammed her fist on the
table. “You’re not going to touch one red cent of
my
money. Do you hear me, bitch?”

Her venomous outburst jolted me from my daydreams and filled
me with fear. Snapping my head in Reed’s direction, the man looked as if he
were struggling to control his own anger. Gripping the hinge on his glasses,
Reed tore them from his face and slashed the evil bitch a scowl.

“Sit down, Sloane. George’s directives are not up for
debate. You will refrain from your snide commentary until the will has been
read or I’ll have you escorted from my office.” Sloane huffed and issued a curt
nod. “George had every legal right to name
Leagh
as a
benefactor. Need I remind you that George inherited his fortune? You simply
married into it, Sloane. The exterior of your grief stricken ex-wife persona is
showing cracks.”

“How dare you sling insults at me?” she fumed. Her face
darkened to a deep crimson.

“It’s not an insult, Sloane; it’s the truth,” Reed passively
replied.

I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from laughing.

 
“If I were you,” he
warned. “I’d count my blessings that George didn’t liquidate every goddamn
penny and give it to Paula, ten years ago.”

“Our divorce decree supersedes his will, Reed. Don’t think I
haven’t done my homework. You biased prick.”

“I’m sure you’ve received a plethora of legal advice from
Judge Bernard, both in and out of bed, Sloane,” Reed drawled with an
exaggerated roll of the eyes. “But you’re entitled to what is left of George’s
estate. You don’t get to dictate who he bequeaths a fucking dime to. If
Bernard, your all-knowing legal advisor were here he’d inform you the same.”

“Oh, he’ll be hearing from me. In fact…Immediately,” Sloane
hissed turning her hateful gaze toward me. “You won’t touch of dime of my
money, you white trash gold-digger. I’ll have your account frozen while your
bony whore ass still sits in that chair. Don’t think I won’t.”

“Christ, Sloane. You can’t do that, and we both know it.
Stop being so goddamn dramatic,” Reed’s tone teemed with exasperation.

Sloane flashed him an icy smile as she pulled out her phone
and began texting. My heart was in my throat. She obviously carried tremendous
power as Judge Bernard’s personal fuck-toy, and I was convinced this was just
one of many tricks up her sleeve. Giving a cursory glance at Hayden, I
discovered a smarmy smirk poised on her lips. My blood pressure spiked. I
wanted so badly to lean over the table and bitch slap both her and Sloane for
attempting to thwart George’s wishes.

Sloane slid her phone back into her purse, leveling an
arctic glare Reed’s way. “Let it be noted that I’m contesting George’s will,
and paperwork on my behalf is being filed as we speak.” She and Hayden stood in
unison, tossing their noses in the air, as if they’d practiced the move for
years.

“You’re actually going to throw away thirty million dollars
because you’re panties are in a twist that you violated your pre-
nup
, Sloane?” Reed chuckled.

She stopped and turned toward Reed. “Don’t think for one
second you’ll be presiding over this case. Need I remind you it would be a
gross conflict of interest? And if you stick your nose into any of this, I’ll
have you disbarred.”

“Suffice to say, Bernard won’t be presiding over or actively
engaged in the process either. I’ll make certain he suffers the same fate. I
don’t have qualm one about revealing your little secret or having that son of a
bitch disbarred. Are you certain you want to play hard ball with me, Sloane?”
Reed smirked, arching a brow.

I couldn’t help myself. I laughed. It was empowering to
watch Reed stick up for all the shit George had to swallow down in order to
live in peace from his hateful ex. The haughty hag had that and more coming to
her.

“I don’t know what you think you’re laughing at you kinky
little bitch,” Hayden screeched as she rushed around the table looking like she
was ready for a throw down. I lurched from my seat and curled my fists. Lunging
forward I baited her to take a swing. I wanted nothing more than to knock her
flat on her arrogant ass.

When Hayden recoiled in fear, I smirked. “Sticks and stones
may break my bones, but whips and chains turned your Daddy on like a goddamn
light bulb. I made his dick so hard a cat couldn’t scratch it,” I taunted in
fiendish glee.

Reed grabbed my arm and pulled me back just as Hayden
lurched toward me with a feral scream. Simultaneously, Sloane grabbed a fistful
of her daughter’s hair and hauled her back.

“I’m going to kill you. You fucking bitch! Then every penny
of Daddy’s money will be mine!” Hayden spat as her eyes bulged, and her face
blazed bright red.

“Wrong, princess. It’s not yours and never will be. You have
to share it with Mommy dearest. You want to tangle with me? Bring it, you
repulsive, pampered bitch,” I hissed. “I’m not afraid of you or your childish
threats.”

As the words tumbled off my tongue, my body trembled. Not in
anger, but in a mixture of self-preservation and adrenaline. I could tell she
was ready to scratch my eyes out—not because of the money—for pure spite

“Did you just threaten
Leagh
in my
presence, Hayden?” Reed barked as he stepped in front of me and blocked both
women from my view.

“Of course she’s not, Reed,” Sloane quickly assured as her
voice quivered. The woman was clearly shaken by her daughter’s behavior and
back-peddling to smooth Reed’s retribution. “Hayden is despondent over the loss
of her father. She has no idea what she’s saying.”

“Blow those lies up someone else’s ass. If anything happens
to
Leagh
, if she breaks a goddamn fingernail I’m
pressing charges. Do you understand?” Reed was screaming. His body taut and his
hands clenched at his sides. “I can’t stand the sight of either one of you.
George was a good man. This meeting is over. Get the hell out of my office.
Now!”
Reed growled as he pointed at the door.

Peering over his wide shoulder, I watched as Sloane yanked
the door open before shoving Hayden out. As soon as it closed behind them, Reed
turned and leveled me a gaze brimming with anger.

“What the hell possessed you to bait Hayden like that?” he
spat.

I blinked in confusion. “What did you expect me to do? Stand
there and take her death threat without trying to defend myself?”

“Yes!” He yelled.

“You’re insane,” I countered. The worry in his eyes doubled
my own fear. “Why are you so upset, Reed? What do you know that you’re not
telling me?”

“Christ,” he sighed and scrubbed a hand through his thinning
dark hair and paced for a long minute. “The college kid that was found dead in
his car about eight years ago, do you remember that?”

“I wasn’t living here then. What does some dead college kid
have to do with Hayden?”

“A twenty-two year old Loyola University student was found
inside his brand new Camry. He was parked outside his apartment complex with an
epi
pen shoved in his chest. Inside the vehicle was a
swarm of bees. The kid was highly allergic to bees.”

“Okay. I still don’t know what this—”

“Let me finish,
Leagh
,” Reed
scolded as he held up his hand. “The locks on his brand new car had been tampered
with. He’d been unable to get out of a car filled with bees. The coroner’s
report estimated he’d been stung over three thousand times.”

“You’re telling me this…because?” I had no idea where Reed
was going with his story.

“His name was Ethan Breuer. He was Hayden’s boyfriend.”

My mouth fell open. Time seemed to freeze as Reed’s words
knocked the air from my lungs.

“Are you trying to tell me that Hayden killed him?”

“I never said that. But possibly, like me, you find the
details surrounding the young man’s death a bit more than coincidental. I have
no proof that Hayden killed him and I don’t have proof that Sloane didn’t do
it, either. I’m simply saying I wouldn’t put it past either one of them.
They’re both cut from the same cloth and crazier than a couple of shit-house
rats.”

My mouth went dry, and the room began to spin. I gripped the
back of the leather chair I’d been sitting in to support my trembling legs.
“Why would either of them want this kid dead? What did he do?”

“Hayden had made up her mind that she was going to marry
Ethan. In fact at the time of his death, she and Sloane were shopping for
bridal dresses. Both had iron clad alibis. Ironically they went shopping the
day
after
Hayden caught Ethan and another
girl in bed together. Tell me, do you get the impression Hayden is the
forgiving type? That she’d find the man of her dreams in bed with another woman
and race right out to the bridal boutique the very next day?”

“Not in this lifetime.” My head swam. “So Hayden got a taste
of what George felt like when he found Sloane and Bernard in bed that day.”

“Oh, Hayden doesn’t know a damn thing about Sloane’s
affair.”

“Right, because Sloane would run the risk of Hayden being
crushed and end up hating the nasty heifer. And she’s invested way too much time
and energy grooming Hayden to be a perfect little mini-me,” I scoffed with a
brittle smile.

Frazzled by the fear that Hayden would actually make good on
her threat, I began to panic. It had been a long time since I’d felt death loom
so close. It was as immobilizing as it had been in the past. Then something
strange began to happen, anger began to bubble over and consume my fear.

“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before the meeting,
Reed? I’ve just signed my name to the top of Hayden or Sloane’s hit list.”

“I didn’t think things were going to go to hell in a hand
basket, but the minute I saw Sloane walk through the door I knew it was going
to get ugly. I wish I’d never asked you to come today,
Leagh
.”

“That would have pissed me off even more,” I hissed.

God, I was lashing out at George’s best friend trying to
blame him for my own mistakes. If I hadn’t run off at the mouth and had kept a
lid on my anger I wouldn’t be choking on a mountain of fear. Their animosity I
could live with; the prospect of being at the top of their hit list – not so
much.

“Look, I’m sorry, Reed. I’m really not blaming you. I’m mad
at myself and…shit. Hind sight is a steaming pile of crap isn’t it?” I sighed.
“Did George know about Ethan’s death?”

“He shared his suspicions with me, and we discussed the
possibility of Hayden’s involvement. But all we had was speculation. The
official police report concluded that a queen had built a nest in the wheel
well of Ethan’s car, and the bees migrated through the ventilation system.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” I snorted in disbelief. “Was
there a hive anywhere in Ethan’s car?”

“No.” Reed pursed his lips and shook his head.

“I didn’t think so either. And that piss poor excuse was the
best the cops could come up with? Who the hell was heading up the
investigation…Bernard’s friends?” I was furious.

“George and I suspected that Bernard put pressure on the
Police Chief. They’re hunting buddies.”

My mouth gaped. “You’re telling me that George,
my
George, had an inkling his daughter or maybe
his ex-wife committed murder, and he did nothing about it?”

I couldn’t fathom any part of Reed’s story. George, the man
I
thought
I knew, would never have
ignored either woman’s involvement in a petty shoplifting, let alone murder.

Reed held up his hands, deflecting my anger. “He considered
the possibility, but again, he had no proof. He certainly never confronted
Hayden or Sloane. But after Ethan died, George became extremely cautious. He
would only visit Hayden in a public place. He was tenacious about staying safe
when he had to deal with either woman.”

“I can’t imagine him living like that.” I shook my head,
wondering if I ever really knew George at all.

It was unfathomable for me to imagine the man I’d spent
three years with living in fear of his own daughter and ex-wife. And silly me
had assumed the reason he met with Hayden away from the house, was to shield me
from her caustic tongue. But knowing now, he’d done it to protect himself from
potential harm sent a chill down my spine.

“But all this happened after their divorce.”

“Yes, a couple of years later. Why do you ask?” Reed’s brows
furrowed.

“I’m trying to figure out why George agreed to leave Sloane
half of everything. I mean, I know he wanted to keep peace among the judges and
all that, but there had to be something more. Why did he do it, Reed? Why did
he leave Sloane half of his estate? You knew him longer and better than I did.
What was she holding over his head? And who is this Paula person? Why did
George start a trust fund for her some thirty odd years ago? Is she his
daughter?”

Reed clenched his jaw. Inhaling a deep breath, he stared at
me but didn’t speak for a long moment. “Leave it alone,
Leagh
.
It has nothing to do with you, okay?”

“I need to know, Reed. Even if it has nothing to do with me,
it has something to do with George, and I need to know.”

“No, you don’t.” He shook his head.

“Tell me, Reed. I have to know,” I begged.
My stomach twisting into knots.

“Nothing good can come of it,
Leagh
.
Just let it go,” Reed pleaded.

“Goddamn it. Tell me,” I screamed as I stalked toward him,
standing toe-to-toe with the tall man. Anguish flashed in his eyes, and sorrow
lined his face. My heart thundered in my chest as I tried to prepare myself for
the bombshell I knew he was about to launch.

“Paula was George’s mistress,” Reed whispered.

“You mean before me, right?” My fingers tingled, and my
mouth grew dry.

“I mean for the past thirty-eight years, up until he died.”

Time stopped. Air seized in my lungs. My heart clutched. My
body began to tremble, and my stomach lurched to the back of my throat.

Blindsided, no amount of preparation could have ever
equipped me for Reed’s confession.

“That’s impossible,” I shrieked. “I
lived
with him! Why are you lying to me?

“I’m sorry,
Leagh
. It’s not a lie.
When George married Sloane, she signed a pre-
nup
that
she would take no other lovers. George was already in love with Paula at the
time, but her husband—

“Stop!
Not another fucking word. I
don’t want to hear this,” I cried as I slung my purse over my shoulder then
turned and ran.

“
Leagh
.
Wait!” Reed called out as I yanked the door open and raced down the hall.

Unwilling to wait for the elevator, I found the door to the
stairwell, tore it open, and ran down the stairs. Tears streamed down my face
as I gripped the railing. Propelling myself down, flight after flight, taking
the steps as fast as my feet could carry me.

A Mistress! For thirty-eight
years, George had a fucking Mistress? Where? When? Was he spending time with
her when he was supposed to be at work? All those times he went out of town for
research? Had he really been gone or simply shacking up with her? Did he love
her more than me? Why did he want another woman? Wasn’t I good enough?
“Oh god, why George?
Why? How could you do this to me?” I
sobbed.

Sliding off the last step, I gripped the railing tight as
forward motion flung me headlong. Wobbling backward, my ass bounced on the last
step. Panting and gasping I couldn’t stop shaking. The life I’d shared with
George had been nothing but a well-choreographed lie.

“
Leagh
?”
Reed’s deep voice echoed down the stairwell as the sound of footsteps from
above reverberated in my ears.

“No,” I whispered as I stood and forced myself to pull back
the door leading to the elegant lobby of the office building. As it slammed
behind me, people glanced my way, stared for an uninvolved second, and turned
away. Digging through my purse, I clasped my keys and made my way out the
revolving door.

The sidewalk teemed with businessmen and women, all
scurrying about their busy day. The sunlight blinded me. I raised a hand to
shield the glare as I stepped off the curb wanting only to find refuge in my
car and cry.

Reed’s deep voice screaming my name was cut short by a horn
blaring. The deafening squeal of tires, a thunderous boom, and pain exploding
through my body were my only warning before blackness devoured me in one
horrific bite.

#

Deep, familiar voices tugged me from the darkness, urging me
to float above the inky abyss.
 

“Any change yet?”

“No.”

“You look like shit, Tony. When was the last time you slept,
man?”

“A couple days ago.”

“Go, home. Get some rest. I’ll stay with her.”

“I’m not leaving her, Mika. What if she wakes up?”

I tried to call out to them, but my throat was blocked. My
eyes were so heavy I didn’t have the strength to lift my lids. And though I
tried to stop myself, I couldn’t keep from sinking back into the empty void
below.

The nightmares came fragmented and real. Matt’s snarling
voice…the gun.
The dead baby boy, Nathan, still and peaceful
in my arms.
Tears and lullabies.
Hospitals and blood.
My father’s angry
face.
My mother’s laughter morphing into silent
screams.
When the blessed peace settled in my head, the pain throbbed
sharp beneath my flesh. Sounds melted into an irritating cacophony before
falling silenced and still, I floated between heaven and hell. Unsure when or
which realm I would finally awaken.

Beep

Beep

Beep

The incessant alarm buoyed me to reality. I opened my eyes.
The room was dark except for a soft glow leaking beneath the foot of a door.
Looking around, I saw machines and tubes. The pungent smell of alcohol and
flowers assaulted my senses in an unsettling combination. Rolling through
thoughts in my brain, I had no idea what had brought me to this strange place.
As I tried to sit up, pain sliced deep in my head, and a muffled moan rumbled
in my chest and reverberated against a blockage in my throat.