Operation Revenge (27 page)

"No!" she snapped.

"You're going to break up with him," Chad repeated, "and you're going to move out of his house. End it, Haley. If you don't I will." He grinned cruelly. "You wouldn't want something bad to happen to him, would you?"

Haley's heart leapt into her throat. "You wouldn't."

He arched an eyebrow. "Wouldn't I? Test me and you'll find out what I'm capable of doing."

The thought of cutting Simon out of her life made Haley feel physically ill. Her stomach churning she closed her eyes and took deep calming breaths. "I can't leave him," she croaked.

"Of course you can," he replied. "Give me a reason why you can't."

"Because-" She opened her eyes and stared at him. "I love him." She hated it that it took losing Simon for her to realize that she was in love with him.

Chad grinned. "Good. That will make your separation more painful." He pushed back his chair. "Two things before I leave. Don't involve the police, and I want you moved out by next weekend. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He stood and walked away.

It took a minute for everything to sink in. When it did, the tears started to fall. A hand holding a tissue suddenly came into her line of vision. She glanced up and found the man she had been eyeing earlier standing there.

"Take a few minutes to pull yourself together and then I'll walk you to your car," he told her.

"Who are you?" she asked, taking the tissue.

"My name is Chris Holt." He cleared his throat. "I'm a security guard at
Wilcox Advertising.
Mr. Wilcox asked me to keep an eye on you."

Simon's concern for her made Haley cry harder.

Simon heard the front door shut. He closed the book he had been trying to read, set it on the coffee table, and got up from the couch. Crossing the living room, he stepped into the foyer and saw it was Haley. The sight of her red swollen eyes and tear-stained cheeks tore at his heart. The need to hold her . . . to comfort her came over him. He made his way toward her.

"Not now, S-Simon," Haley said hoarsely. "I don't want to talk right now."

"Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"No." He watched as tears filled her eyes. "No, I'm not all right."

Simon stopped in front of her, eyeing her closely. "What's wrong, sweetheart? What did he-"

"Please, I just want to go upstairs and lay down." Haley sniffled. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"I'm sorry." He raised his hand and touched her cheek. "Go rest and we'll talk later."

She gazed at him for a moment. "I'm going to miss you." She turned and headed upstairs.

Simon watched her go with a frown on his face. What did she mean she was going to miss him? He wanted to go after her and demand she explain herself. Instead, he retraced his steps to the living room. Once there, he grabbed the phone and quickly dialed Chad's number. He had questions that needed answering now. Chad came on the line after the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"What did you say to her?" he demanded to know.

"Ah, Simon," Chad said. "I've been expecting a call from you."

"Do I have to repeat myself?" he snarled.

"No, I heard you loud and clear the first time. You want to know what I said to Haley. I'm surprised she didn't rush home and share the news with you. Oh well. Let me give you a brief outline of what I said to her. I told her that I wanted to see you and she suffer and what better way to do that then for you to be apart. I told her that she is to break up with you and move out of your house. I-"

"No!" Simon said forcefully.

"Funny, she had the same response," Chad told him. "I more or less told her that if she didn't obey me something bad would happen to you. She didn't believe that I meant that. Anyway, she said she couldn't leave you. When I asked her to give me a reason why she couldn't, she said it was because she loves you. You have no idea how much that response thrilled me, Simon. Being separated will make it that much more painful for her and you. Lastly, I told her not to involve the police and that she has to be moved out by next weekend. I think a week is sufficient enough to move. You-"

"She's not going anywhere," Simon stated through clenched teeth.

"Really?" Chad drawled. "You and I both know Haley's not going to stay with you. She knows if she disobeys me, something bad is going to happen to you. She couldn't live with herself if something happened to her precious-"

"Nothing is going to happen to me," he told him.

"You sound so sure of yourself, Wilcox," he uttered in a pleasant tone. "Just try me and you'll see. Now I have to run. You enjoy your last week with Haley. Bye now." The line went dead.

Swearing long and loud, Simon slammed the phone down.

"Someone needs his mouth washed out with soap," Daniel announced, strolling into the room. "What's the problem, little brother?"

Sighing heavily, Simon turned to look at Daniel. He had bags under his eyes and needed a shave. His hair and clothes were disheveled. "I'm not going to burden you with my problems. You have enough of your own."

"It'd be nice to hear someone else's problems for a change. Let me hear it."

Even though he knew Daniel couldn't help him, he told him everything that Chad had told him.

"Son of a bitch." Daniel scratched his stubble jaw. "Let's hire a hit man."

Simon smirked. "Don't tempt me." He perched on a corner of the coffee table. "I won't let her leave. I don't care what she says. She's staying here with me."

"You can't tell her what to do, bro." Daniel settled on the other end of the coffee table. "It's her decision. If she wants to move out that's her right."

"I'm not trying to be controlling." Simon ran a hand through his hair. "Her safety concerns me. We don't know what Chad's up to. I just don't think it's wise for her to live alone. I would feel better knowing she's here, where I can keep an eye on her."

"You love her, don't you?"

Simon nodded. "And now that I have her I'm not letting go." His eyes took on a determined glint. "I'm not letting go."

Chapter 29

Later that day, Simon opened the door and slipped quietly into Haley's bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he made his way across the room. He grabbed a chair from the corner, put it down beside the bed, and sat down. He leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against
Haley's. She opened her puffy eyes and stared up at him. For a moment, they gazed into each others eyes.

"I didn't mean to wake you," he muttered, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry."

"I wasn't asleep," she mumbled. "I was resting my eyes and thinking."

Simon didn't have to ask her what she was thinking about. He already knew. "Sweetheart, we - we need to talk."

"I know we do." Haley sat up and leaned back against the headboard. "You're probably going out of your mind wanting to know what-"

"I already know." He cleared his throat. "I called Chad. He was only too happy to fill me in on the conversation you had with him."

She lowered her head and stared at her hands in her lap. "Then you know that I have to leave . . . that we can't be to-together anymore."

"You're not going anywhere, Haley," Simon said firmly.

Her head shot up and she looked at him. "I can't stay here. You talked to Chad. You know what will happen if I don't move out. S-something bad will happen to you."

"I will be fine, sweet-"

"No!" Haley said vehemently. "You won't be fine. You weren't there. You didn't see the look in his eyes. He's serious about this, Simon. I stay with you and fine will be the last thing you will be."

"I'll hire a bodyguard," Simon told her.

"He will still find a way to hurt you," she pointed out. "Besides, hiring a bodyguard will only make him angrier. That's something we don't want to do."

"I'm not afraid of him."

"Well I am." Haley took his hand and sandwiched it between both of hers. "I would rather leave you . . . never see you again than attend your funeral." She raised his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles. "If something happened to you I would never forgive myself."

Simon left the chair and joined her on the bed. He framed her face with his hands. "How do you know that you will be fine? Have you thought about your own safety? Alone you would be vulnerable and easy prey for him. I don't want anything to happen to you either. That's one of the reasons why I want you to stay. Here I can keep an eye on you and know that you're all right. If you moved out I would be going out of my mind worrying about you."

"You're not making this easy for me." She pulled his hands away from her face and grasped them tightly. "The thought of leaving you breaks my heart. I would give anything if I could stay with you." She paused. "I have to move out and we have to break up. I don't-"

"I won't accept your decision." Simon jerked his hands free of her grasp. "You're not going anywhere."

"Damn it, Simon," Haley snapped. "Why can't you just let me go? Why do-"

"I love you," he growled, glaring at her. "That's why I can't let you go."

"You l-love me?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yes," he answered quietly. "I think maybe I always have."

"I love you too," Haley admitted softly. "And I hate that it took something like this for me to realize it. A small part of me wishes we didn't love each other. It would make walking away easier."

"You're not walking away." He wrapped an arm around her. "I don't care what you say. You're not leaving me."

"Yes, I-"

Simon silenced her with a finger against her lips. "We're not going to argue about this anymore. I'm putting my foot down. You're staying and that's final."

Haley slapped his hand away. "The only way you're going to keep me here is by locking me in the basement. Come next weekend I'm gone and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. I will not stick around and put your life in danger."

"You know," he said, cocking his head slightly. "Locking you in the basement is starting to sound like a good idea."

She gaped at him. "You - you wouldn't do that to me."

Simon smiled crookedly. "No, sweetheart. I wouldn't do that to you, but I will find a way to keep you with me."

Sighing, Haley slipped her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his. "There isn't a way, love. As much as it's killing me to say this you have to let go."

"Never," he breathed.

. . . .

An hour later found Simon in his office. He was sitting behind his desk, deep in thoughts of Haley and the dilemma that they were facing. His heart felt heavy. For the first time in his life, he felt powerless. He didn't have a plan and with each tick of the clock, time was flying by. One week was all he had before Haley said goodbye and walked out of his life for good. One week.