Scattered Thoughts (Betrayed by Love Book 1) (19 page)

I lifted the metal dome off the tray. The aroma made my mouth water: roasted rosemary potatoes, steamed green beans, grilled chicken. My stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten all day. I picked up the fork and dug in, happy now for the distraction of food. The food Alec ordered.

My cell phone rang but I ignored it and kept eating. The food was delicious and I wasn’t about to risk ruining my appetite. Bite after bite, I stuffed my face, until I couldn’t possibly eat any more.

Feeling full and satisfied I moved to the couch to lie down, switching on the television. Getting lost in the mindless activity, before I knew it, I started to doze.

Startled by the ringing of the hotel phone, I jumped up off the couch. Pain pierced my side, a reminder of my earlier fall. Still groggy I picked up the receiver. “Hello,” I answered quietly.

“I’ve been trying to call you.”

“Val? Is that you?”

“Of course it’s me, why haven’t you called me back?”

That was Valerie alright, self-centered, always-about- me, my best friend in the whole world. “I’m sorry. Things have been so crazy around here lately.” It wasn’t a total lie. Things
had
been crazy: the divorce, the attack, Alec. But I couldn’t tell her any of that, not over the phone, not without hurting her feelings that I hadn’t trusted her enough to keep my secrets. And hurting her wasn’t something I ever wanted to do again. No, I’d done that once and the pain she felt nearly killed us both.

“Crazy. Let me tell you about crazy,” she said. “He left me, Izzy. Cody left me.”

“What?” I couldn’t have heard her right. She left him, definitely. But he left her? Not likely.

“Yes,” Val cried into the receiver. “He left me, Izzy.”

“Oh Val, I’m so sorry. Tell me, what happened?”

She cried louder. “It wasn’t my fault, Izzy. Well, not really. He’s been so distant, and he was never home. I was just lonely.”

My head started to spin in anticipation of what she was about to say. “What are you saying, Val?”

“I cheated on him.” The wound in my heart split open as her words sunk in. “It was a stupid thing to do,” she continued. A queasy feeling started to take over. That was what Spencer had said, as if those words would magically take away the feelings of betrayal. I mean, no shit! Of course it was a stupid thing to do. Spencer hadn’t understood that no words would ever erase the memory of knowing he’d been with another woman. Valerie wouldn’t either.

Would it matter if whoever she cheated with meant something to her? Spencer had said his affair meant nothing. Maybe that was what really bothered me, knowing he’d thrown away the sanctity of our marriage for
nothing
. “Is it serious? The affair I mean?”

“I love him, if that’s what you’re asking, but he’s married too.”

No. It hadn’t helped. Knowing she’d cheated with a married man was way worse. Why did I have to ask? My stomach contracted and I had to swallow hard to keep the food I’d just eaten down. “Val, I don’t know what to say.” There was more than enough drama in my own life. Dealing with her affair was more than I could take. And she certainly wasn’t going to like anything I had to say about what she’d done to Cody.

I did my best to listen, but I couldn’t really make out what she was saying between the tears. Not to mention the pounding of my heart. I didn’t bother to ask who the new guy was because truthfully, at that moment, I didn’t really care. She’d cheated on Cody, the man she’d sworn her love to.

We talked for a while longer before she finally calmed down. With a promise to call her in a few days I got off the phone. Not even bothering to change out of the robe I was wearing, I crawled into bed and wrapped my arms around one of the spare pillows, closing my eyes, focusing on the sound of the waves coming in from the open window. The storm had long since passed and the ocean was once again calm and peaceful. Slowly but surely, my breathing slowed and my body began to relax.

My eyelids were heavy. I pried them open and looked around. It was so dark. All I could see was night. Waves were crashing violently against the shore, and I could hear the faint sound of thunder in the distance. A cold wind blew through the opened balcony door, making me shiver. I reached for the blanket, but my arm wouldn’t move. I tried the other arm. Nothing. My heart started to race. “Please, let it be a dream,” I whispered over and over again, praying that’s all it was, the stress of last night sneaking up on me while I slept.

A familiar voice stole my breath. “Welcome back, Bella.” My heart beat even faster.

I turned toward the sound but it was too dark, and I still couldn’t see anything. “Who’s there?” I asked frantically.

“Don’t you know who I am?” The voice was so familiar, but I couldn’t place it. My mind was too fuzzy.

“Who are you? Why are you here?” My voice echoed in my ear. Pain. There was so much pain.

“Ask yourself that question, Bella. You brought me here.” A sharp pain pierced my neck. My eyes were so heavy.

• • • • •

I jolted upright in bed. I pulled my arms toward my face, relieved when they moved. Beads of sweat covered my forehead. The sun peeked through the drapes, so it was easy to see. My eyes darted around the room. The lock on the sliding glass door was firmly in place. “It was just a stupid dream,” I said out loud. Pain pierced my side as I inhaled deeply, a reminder of my fall on the beach last night, of Nathan. A chill ran down my spine. “It was only dream,” I said again, but with certainty that time.

My mind lacked the mental sharpness a good night’s rest usually provided, which was odd, considering I’d gone to bed pretty early and had managed to sleep in until after sunrise. The stress of everything that had happened in the past few months was playing tricks on me. I needed to clear my mind and rid myself of the horrible feeling that was stirring inside. A run, that’s what I needed.

Alec was coming back this afternoon and I knew opportunities to run would be limited, so I changed into my running clothes, pulled a bottle of water from the mini fridge, and quietly opened the door so Frank wouldn’t hear me leave. Looking to the right, then to the left, he was nowhere to be seen. Gently, I closed the door behind me and hurried to the stairs, hustling to the lobby, knowing that if Frank figured out I’d left he’d surely come looking for me. And I really needed some time alone.

The morning sky was a brilliant blue, all evidence of last night’s storm long gone. A gentle sea breeze blew off the water, cooling the air, perfect weather for a run. I jogged down the beach toward John Beasley Park, slowly at first but quickly picking up speed. Faster and faster I ran until the stabbing pain in my side become impossible to ignore. I slowed my pace but kept moving. I’d had enough of that taking it easy crap. I was ready to get my life back to normal; whatever that was now.

My lungs were screaming for air by the time I made it to the park, the pain in my side serving as a constant reminder of all the chaos in my life lately. I spotted an empty park bench near the water. There was so much for me to sort out and, since I wasn’t in any hurry to get back to the hotel, right now seemed like a good time to start.

I’d been trapped inside that suite for too long. What I really needed was to get out of there. I made a mental note to add moving out of the hotel to the ever growing list of things to discuss with Alec when he got back.

Where are you gonna go, Izzy?
my inner voice chimed in. I closed my eyes to consider the question, seriously this time. Spencer and I each owned half the house so I could live there. The house was big enough for us both, especially with our travel schedules. The downstairs bedroom Sara used when she stayed over had its own bathroom. Surely, it would be better than a hotel. And it was closer to my home office than my old bedroom, the bedroom Spencer and I once shared.

Goosebumps covered my body as I thought back to our lives together which made me think maybe sharing a house wasn’t the best idea I’d ever had. The last thing I needed was to complicate my life any more than it already was.
This is ridiculous, Izzy, just buy a new house
, my inner voice offered.

“That’s it,” I shouted. That was the answer I’d been looking for. I’d buy a new house, a house of my very own. Of course, I’d need to get back to work so I didn’t lose my job. It’d be impossible for me to buy a house without an income.

I was more than ready to get back to work and I planned to add that to the growing list of things to get straight with the control freak later, too. And if he wasn’t going to let me do my job, then I resolved to find a client that would. Dimarco had plenty of clients that would love to have me on their team, clients who’d actually want me to do my job, and who wouldn’t feel the need to give me or my kids inappropriately extravagant gifts.

Satisfied I’d come up with a solid plan, I jogged back to the hotel.

Frank was pacing up and down the beach when I got back. I spotted him long before he saw me. When he finally figured out it was me jogging alone on the beach he started toward me at a rapid pace. “Damn it, Izzy,” he snapped when he was close enough to ensure I’d hear him. “We talked about this. You’ve got to let me do my job.”

“Well, good morning to you too, Frank.”

“Mr. Payne is not at all happy right now.”

I walked past him without stopping. “Exercising is a great way to improve your mood. Maybe you and Mr. Payne both need to go for a run.” Frank exhaled loudly, obviously not any happier with my suggestion than with me going out alone, but I didn’t care. I was an adult and if I wanted to go for a run, then that was exactly what I would do.

I got straight in the shower as soon as I made it back to my suite. Frank said Alec wasn’t happy, but I had a few complaints of my own that I couldn’t wait to discuss. I wasted no time washing up either. Alec must already be back if he knew I was out alone. Surely, Frank wouldn’t have volunteered that information and gotten himself in hot water for letting me out of his sight, would he?

I’d just finished dressing when the bedroom door swung open. My whole body tensed. All the talk about my safety had me so paranoid, I couldn’t stand it. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. Then I saw him. “Damn it, Alec,” I shouted. “You scared the hell out of me.”

He closed the gap between us, pulling me into his body. “Good, because you scared the hell out of me.”

I put both hands on his chest and pushed, simultaneously loosening his grip and giving me the space I needed to get through the conversation I had planned. “Seriously?” I snapped. “You need to get a grip, Alec. I needed some time alone, so I went for run, on a public beach, in broad daylight.”

Alec’s jaw tightened. “You went for run? Alone?”

Shit. I thought that was what he was talking about. “If that’s not your problem, then what is?”

He pulled me back into his body, wrapping his arms tightly around me. “Someone broke into your house. Your office was destroyed.”

“Drew, Anna, Spencer, is everyone okay?”

“Yes, yes, Isabella. Everyone is fine.” He squeezed his eyes tightly closed. “You weren’t answering your phone and when Frank came to check on you, you were gone.” He stared me in the eyes. “The police haven’t figured out what this psycho wants or how far he’s willing to go to get it. You have to be more careful.”

Tears filled my eyes.
More careful?
I was already suffocating. How could I possibly handle more?

Alec kissed me on the forehead. “Frank is there for your protection. You have to let him do his job, baby.”

Tears rolled down my cheek. “Alec—”

“Promise me, Isabella. I want you to promise you’ll stop ditching your security.”

No, no, no. This was not the plan. There was no way I could promise him that, not if I planned on being honest. But I also knew he wouldn’t just let it go either. Distraction was my only hope. “We’ve been through this already, Alec. You can’t always get what you want. Now, tell me about the break-in.”

Every muscle in Alec’s face tightened. He latched on to my arm. “Come with me,” he said, pulling me toward the door.

“Where are we going?”

Alec didn’t say a word, but rather opened the door and pulled me down the hall. “Wait,” I pleaded, “I need to get my purse.”

“You won’t need it,” he said over his shoulder. He dragged me inside the elevator, his hand still tightly gripped around my arm.

“Alec, stop. Where are you taking me?”

He looked deep into my eyes. “I want you to see the damage for yourself, Isabella. Then maybe you’ll finally understand the danger you’re in.”

I opened my mouth to object but closed it again. A big part of me wanted to see what all the fuss was about. For all I knew Alec was blowing everything way out of proportion and going could prove to be the evidence I needed to set him straight.

Preston was waiting at the car when we got there. He opened my door. “Ms. James,” he said with an icy tone.

Great, he was mad at me too. Rolling my eyes I slid into the back seat without saying a word. Alec climbed in beside me and Preston took his place behind the wheel. In no time at all we were speeding off toward my house.

The five mile drive seemed endless as my anticipation built. It had been almost a month since I’d been home, since I’d walked on
my
beach, slept in
my
bed, worked in
my
office. I wondered if the house would look the same, if my new Lionheart Tango lilies had bloomed and if they were as blue as the salesman had described.

Staring nervously out the window, I wondered if Spencer would be there. That was a possibility I hadn’t even considered until that moment. Was I ready to see him? What would I even say? The thoughts spun around and around in my mind until I was dizzy.

We pulled up to the gate and were stopped by a uniformed officer. “This area is closed,” the officer said.

“Mr. Payne and Ms. James to see Detective Rux.”

“Oh yes, Detective Rux is expecting you.” The officer pressed the code into the keypad and the gate opened.

“A guest at my own house,” I whispered, the whole situation becoming harder and harder to believe.

Spencer’s car wasn’t in the garage when we pulled up and I was beyond relieved. On the drive over I decided I wasn’t ready to face Spencer yet, especially not with Mr. Control Freak glued to my side. The last time the three of us were in the same room together, it ended with some pretty harsh accusations from Spencer.

Alec squeezed my hand. “Are you ready?”

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves I said, “Let’s do this.”

Anxious to see the damage, I headed straight to my office.
How bad could it be?
my inner voice said, coaxing me to open the  door. Quickly, I turned the knob and stepped inside before I had the chance to change my mind.

My heart dropped when I saw all the destruction. It was much worse than I’d imagined it’d be. My office had been completely destroyed; papers were strewn all over the room, desk drawers tossed onto the floor, every bookshelf emptied. “What’s mine is mine,” was spray painted in large red letters covering every wall. The glass had been broken out of the pictures that once hung neatly on the walls. All my paintings had been sliced to pieces, the cushions on the sofa torn to shreds, the lamp smashed into a thousand pieces all over the floor.

A flicker of light near the bay window caught my eye and drew me toward it. Broken glass crunched beneath my feet, making it impossible to get all the way to the window. I squinted, trying to get a better look. Something had been etched in the glass. I gasped when I finally made out the words. “DIE BELLA.”

“Do you understand the danger now, Isabella?” Alec asked. He’d moved in behind me and was wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Promise me you’ll let Frank do his job, baby.”

Seeing the destruction with my own eyes brought a whole new perspective to the need for security. Whoever was after me was deadly serious. There was no denying that now. I closed my eyes and melted into Alec’s arms where I felt safe. “I promise.”

Alec turned away from the etching, taking me with him. To my surprise, Detective Rux was standing in the doorway. His hair was ruffled and the stubble on his face was far beyond a five o’clock shadow. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in days.

“Detective,” Alec greeted him. “Did you figure out how he got in?”

“I’m afraid not, Mr. Payne. The alarm was active when we arrived on the scene and, just like last time, there was no sign of forced entry.”

“Did you check the security video?”

“Someone hacked into the wireless network and wiped the hard drive.”

“Damn it. I knew I should’ve handled the security.”

“Our computer crimes division is checking to see if anything can be recovered.”

“How long, Detective? It’s been over a month since the first attack. How long is it going to take to get some fucking answers?”

“We’re working as fast as we can, Mr. Payne.”