––––––––
When Rei stepped into Justin’s inner sanctum, he was already waiting for her.
The office felt cold, impersonal, and the look on Justin’s face wasn’t any better. He was leaning against the front of his desk, arms folded and expression serene as he waited for her to cross the room to him.
“Lock the door please.”
His voice made her jump, and pulse racing, she complied. She hadn’t expected him to want to see her again so soon after their confrontation. But something about his demeanor told her that he hadn’t called for her because he was in a forgiving mood. She crossed over to him, stopping when they were only a few feet away.
Raising one eyebrow, he crooked a finger.
“Come closer. I don’t bite.”
That was debatable.
She took a step closer and his hand whipped out. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her stumbling against his chest. Still gripping her wrist he wrapped an arm around her waist and held her still for his kiss. The meeting of lips was a rough one. There was no passion in it, just cruelty, his teeth nipped her lips and his flesh was cold against hers. She shoved against his chest but instead of letting her go he forced his tongue into her mouth.
With a sound of outrage she bit him. His head jerked back, and his eyes blazed with the first stirrings of honest emotion she’d seen since she’d stepped into the room. Temper spiking she drew back her arm and slapped him as hard as she could across the face. Grabbing both of her wrists now he shook her, upper lip curling in derision. Then a thought seemed to occur to him and he set her back.
“I almost forgot.” He said softly. Pulling a simple gold band from his finger he grabbed for her hand. She tried to tug away from him and for a moment they struggled. She cursed when he finally managed to pry her clenched fist apart and slip the ring snugly onto her thumb.
“What’s this for?” she asked, breathing ragged.
His lips quirked in surprise. “Payment. I don’t know what the going rate is these days, but I figured this would cover it.” He shrugged. “I don’t have any cash on me right now.”
She hit him again, grunting with the force of the blow, and his head whipped to one side.
“You son of a bitch.” She snarled, fury making her words come out low voiced and hoarse. She tried pulling the damned ring off, but he grabbed her. She shoved against him and somehow he lost his balance, falling to the floor of the office and taking her with him by the simple expediency of refusing to release her.
She found herself glaring down at him from less than an inch away, their noses brushing with the rise and fall of their breathing. She searched his eyes, and without thinking, without hesitation, Rei leaned forward and kissed him.
His lips were unyielding beneath her own, but she angled her head, caressed the side of his face with trembling hands, and coaxed them to soften. Her tongue brushed across the seam of his mouth, searching, begging entrance, and oh so slowly, he gave into her. Gave in to the warm promise of her lips, the drugging slide of her tongue against his own, the promise of danger her teeth offered with every playful nip against his flesh. He groaned into her mouth and the sound set her blood to boiling. Her kisses were no longer soft, no longer careful. Instead she demanded and what he didn’t give, she took.
Rei struggled to get her pants undone, tugging them low over her hips and freeing one leg, even as she refused to pull away from Justin’s mouth. Her fingers tangled with his as they both worked to undo his buttons and zipper, pulling the length of him through the opening they’d managed to make. Instead of fighting to take off her panties she held them to one side while her free hand struggled to encircle the width of his cock and hold it still. She worked by feel alone, looking into his eyes while she positioned the head of his dick against her weeping slit.
Rei straightened above him, biting her lip as she worked to shove his entire length inside of her. She wasn’t wet enough to make the job easy, so she had to rise and fall, once, twice, three time, hips rolling with the motion so that she could force him deeper and deeper. She felt him spreading her open, pushing past flesh that wanted to resist his entrance until it realized just how sweet he felt there.
When she had him inside of her to the hilt, she could feel his cock pulsing inside of her and the sensation brought about a shuddering wave of pleasure that left her twitching restlessly. Her nipples hardened as she sat there, glorying in the feel of him, rolling her hips around and around, a sensuous dance with only one step, just so she could watch the agony suffuse his face.
“Rei.” He gasped, muscles straining as if he wanted to flip her onto her back and take over. She slapped a hand over his mouth.
“Shut up.” She growled. His hands gripped her by the hips, fingers digging into her flesh. It was only when he nodded that she finally began to ride him. One hand still over his mouth she pressed her free hand on the floor next to his head for leverage. His knees bent and his lifted his hips for her, hands guiding her hips so that they met in a flurry of movement. Her hips slammed down to meet his own, the sound of wet flesh slapping against wet flesh loud in the otherwise silent room. Their fucking was almost violent in its intensity, in the effort each made to go faster.
Deeper.
He struck her cervix with each frenzied thrust, his cock so deep it hurt and the hurt so exquisite that it left the taste of ecstasy in her mouth. She’d never understood the need some people had to talk dirty, to scream out filth at the top of their lungs. But now she felt her orgasm building, felt the power she held in every clench of her inner walls and every gasp of pleasure she made. She found herself dragging her nails across his chest, twisting the material of his shirt in her hands, grinding herself down over his cock and wanting, needing, him to come inside of her so badly that she was mindless to everything else.
“Fuck me.” She told him viciously, “If I’m such a whore fuck me like one.”
He growled, a low hungry sound, and suddenly his hips were lifting, dancing beneath her so that all the power she’d thought she’d had was taken away. There was a strength in him, in the way he gripped her body and slammed her against his pulsing cock that made it painfully clear that even if she was the one on top, he was the one in control. She felt like a rag doll, like an instrument of pleasure, and every thought in her head simply flew away. There was no more Justin, no more Rei, no more misunderstanding. The only thing she could focus on, the only thing she could care about, was how good it felt to be fucked. How agonizing and wonderful it was to have her pleasure ride that fine line between pain and perfection.
She came with an agonized cry. Her body jerking on top of his and her hips rolling in a desperate bid to drag out the pleasure. She felt that tale-tell wetness between her thighs again, that rush of cum that dragged the last of her strength along with it. She collapsed onto Justin’s chest, still jerking, pussy clenching around his straining flesh as he pressed their hips together, sealing them as one as his own orgasm ripped a curse from him.
He was coming inside of her again, physical proof of his satisfaction, and she tightened her thighs around his waist, trying not to cry out at just how good it felt to have his jizz filling her insides.
When she could breathe without whimpering she rolled off of him. Her body cried out for her to stay, to linger just a little longer in his arms, but her mind was too busy replaying what had happened earlier. She had to use his desk to help her get to her feet and even then her legs were trembling so hard she was afraid she’d collapse and ruin her exit. She tugged off the goddamned ring he shoved onto her thumb, and dropping it onto his chest, she stepped over him and stumbled from the room.
********
Rei found herself fighting back tears as she began to gather up her things. She couldn’t keep this up, couldn’t keep doing this to herself. Even if Justin realized that she had been on his side this entire time, that didn’t change the fact that he was still getting married. She’d told herself that she wasn’t going to get attached. That this whole thing would be nothing more than sex. An arrangement between two adults who knew what the stakes were and understood that there was no room for emotions.
She’d thought she was grown up enough to handle an affair, sex without strings, but she wasn’t so sure about that anymore. Or maybe being grown up had nothing to do with it? Maybe it wasn’t the sex but the man who was throwing her emotions into chaos.
Either way, she was through. She wasn’t about to drag this out any further, not when she knew that things would only end in heartbreak. Rei wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do, all she knew was that she had to get away. Shoving the last of her personal effects into the deep recesses of her purse she got up from the desk that had never really been hers, and hurried for the elevator.
The great metal doors were sliding shut when she looked up to see Justin standing in the doorway of his office. He opened his mouth, and whether it was to call her back or wish her good riddance, Rei didn’t know. By then it was too late, the doors had slid shut and the elevator began the long, ponderous journey to the first floor.
********
Justin had never felt so stupid in his life.
It was one thing to feel betrayed, another thing completely to take those feelings out on someone else. Letting his suspicions about Stan cloud him to his feelings towards Rei was worse somehow than finding out that his 'friend' had been stealing from him. Embezzlement wasn’t personal after all. In a way, it was just business. The way he felt for Rei, the way he knew he could feel for her if their relationship was given the chance to progress, was anything but.
He had to talk to her, apologize at least, but he couldn’t seem to find her. According to security she’d left the building, but when he’d gone by her apartment no one had been home. Since she also wasn’t answering her phone that left Justin with no way to locate her. He wondered if there was some sort of moral dilemma attached to asking the police to search for her. She’d been attacked after all, so he wouldn’t necessarily have to admit that she’d run off after he’d called her a money grubbing whore.
But maybe he should give her some time to cool down. If he left her alone for a day or two maybe she’d be more inclined to talk to him. To see him. If not, then he’d call in the police and make her talk to him. Hopefully she’d forgive him, but knowing his luck he’d probably have to do a bit of groveling first.
Not that he didn’t deserve it.
In the meantime, he’d need to talk to Bethany. Tell her the wedding was off. He didn’t know what could happen between him and Rei, but he owed it to them both to at least give them a chance to find out.
********
She wasn’t sure why she’d come here. Rei had gotten the voicemail a few hours ago and at first she hadn’t paid it any attention. But the knowledge was there, nagging at her, waiting in the back of her mind as she drove through the city until finally, she found herself maneuvering her car along a winding driveway. Rei pulled up outside the front door, staring at the house through her passenger side window and wondering what was wrong with her.
Why would she willingly come to see Bethany after everything that had happened?
The message hadn’t been very informative. Bethany had just asked that she come by her house tonight if she got the chance. Rei hadn’t expected to leave her own apartment again after she’d gotten there, but she’d been too restless, too upset, to stay indoors. Now she was here, at the last place she expected to be. Her hands clenched around the steering wheel and she thought about driving away, but in the end, simply decided not to.
Getting out of the car, she went up to the front door and rang the bell. She expected a maid or butler to answer. The house was certainly big enough to warrant one. But to Rei’s surprise it was Bethany who greeted her.
“You made it.” She said, smiling.
“I did.”
“Come in.” Bethany stepped aside ad Rei entered the house, eyes roving over the high ceilings and spiraling staircase. The foyer of Bethany’s home could hold Rei’s entire apartment, and she wondered if it were too late to go back out to her car and escape in a squeal of tires.
“I'm so glad you made it.” Bethany was saying as she led Rei deeper into the house. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come, and I needed to see you.”
“Is this about your wedding dress?” Rei asked dully, still examining the expensive artwork and antiques that seemed to be a prevalent theme in every room. In response Bethany laughed, looking over her shoulder to wrinkle her nose at Rei in surprise.
“Of course not. I wouldn’t call you all the way over here because of a dress.” The smile dropped from her face almost as quickly as it had appeared. “Especially since I won’t be needing one anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Rei queried, coming to a standstill in the middle of the hallway. There was light shining from a large open room at the end of the hall, but for now she and Bethany were both cast in shadow. All that Rei could see of the other woman was the bottom half of her face in the dim light of the hall and she took a step back as she watched Bethany’s mouth twist with rage.
“Justin called off the wedding.” Her words were low, evenly spaced as if she feared that they would escape from her if she allowed them free reign. Rei was momentarily distracted by a jolt of joy, of surprise; the emotion brought a smile to her face before she could smother it completely.
“Why would he do that?” she asked, hoping to project sympathy rather than glee. Bethany simply shook her head, taking a step closer to Rei in the process. All of a sudden, the hallway that had seemed spacious enough a few moments before now felt stifling.
“I think you know why.”
“Sorry but I don’t.”
“I hate liars.” Bethany snapped at last. “Almost as much as I hate cheaters. I told Justin not to cheat on me. It was in our contract. I gave him a chance to stop. But he just couldn’t leave you alone could he?”
“Bethany-”
“I love him.” Bethany hissed, overriding whatever Rei had been about to say. “I love him. I always have. Why can’t he see that?” She asked, growing sad. “Why can’t he see how much I’ve gone through just to keep us together?”
That was around the time the alarm bells started going off in Rei’s brain. Her life didn’t flash in front of her eyes or anything. Instead it was every Lifetime movie she’d ever seen, replaying in her mind in high definition. There were usually three roles that had to be filled before a person’s life had the makings of a Thriller.
Sexy man.
Check.
Crazy, homicidal, white girl.
Double check.
Love interest that gets killed halfway through the movie?
Rei sighed. She should have kept her black ass at home after all.
********
Stan liked to think that he was an adaptive man. The kind of man who could think on his feet. In some cases he was. When it came to money, he was a veritable genius. Running from the law however? They didn’t exactly teach you how to do that at Yale. He couldn’t hide himself, so that meant letting someone else do it for him. Bethany was the only person he knew who had as big a stake in all of this as he himself did. After all, she’d found out about his activities years ago when she and Justin had first gotten together. At first he didn’t know why she hadn’t said anything. Then he'd realized it was so that she could have some sort of leverage to hold over his head.
Bethany had pumped him for every scrap of information he could give her about Justin Reese. His likes, his dislikes, his family history, all of it. She’d even gotten him to keep her updated on where Justin went, when, and with whom. Helping someone stalk Justin had made Stan feel worse than stealing money from the man. So when it seemed as if Bethany’s tactics for making Justin fall for her were actually working, Stan had been able to assuage his guilt.
Then Justin had broken off their engagement, and Bethany had come up with another plan entirely. She’d taught him what to say, what to take, where to hide it, and how to keep his activities under wraps. She’d helped him take a small operation to the next level and he had fallen all too willingly under her wing.
“Take it all.” She’d told him.
And he had.
He’d thought her driving need to see Justin lose everything had been a simple thirst for revenge. A woman scorned and all of that. It wasn’t until she pitched the idea of marriage that Stan had managed to see the big picture.
A woman who spent two years planning something so involved wouldn't want to see it all fall apart. Which is exactly what would happen if Stan was caught and decided to reveal what he knew. Bethany would lose her freedom, but most importantly to her, she would lose Justin. If that happened, Stan doubted she’d get a third chance at him.
So maybe he had more resources than he’d originally thought.
He was a weak link, a loose end, and as long as Bethany still planned on walking down that aisle with Reese, then she would do everything in her power to keep him from ending up in the back of a squad car.
So he’d stay with Bethany until he could skip town. With her money and connections she’d even be able to set him up with a fake ID and passport. Stan nodded, smiling to himself as he worked through the details. He felt a lot better now that he’d come up with a plan. Staying in Bethany’s guest bedroom was much better than hiding out in some semen riddled motel room in a bad part of town.
Safer too.
********
Bethany smiled at her, and after swallowing several times, Rei managed to smile in return.
“I can see why he likes you.” Bethany admitted, turning on her heel to continue down the hall. Rei hesitated, looking at the front door that seemed to shine like a beacon in the opposite direction. She took a step towards it.
“You’re pretty. You’re smart. You’re determined. But I’m all of those things too.”
Bethany stopped walking and Rei watched as her shoulders began to shake.
“Why would he choose you over me?”
‘Probably because I’m not fucking crazy.’ Rei thought caustically.
Turning abruptly, smile plastered to her face, Bethany walked over to link her arm through Rei's. She led them down the hall and they turned to step into a monochrome kitchen. Everything was gleaming metal and high tech electronics. Rei glanced over the spotless surfaces and decided that either Bethany had one hell of a maid or nothing had ever been cooked in this kitchen before. Both were completely plausible though Rei suspected that the truth had more to do with Bethany than her cleaning woman's skill.
There was a tray of cookies on one counter and Bethany drug Rei closer to it so that she could indicate them with a broad sweep of her hand.
“I made these for you. Well, bought them, but they're still for you.”
“Thanks.” Rei said cautiously, picking up a cookie and nibbling on the edge while she eyed her. Bethany had finally released her and no sooner had she moved over to the fridge to bring out a carton of milk, than Rei began to work her way towards the entrance of the kitchen.
“What's the occasion?” Rei asked politely, hoping conversation would distract Bethany as she edged further and further away.
“I was actually going to have a bridal party tonight.”
“You move fast don't you?”
“Well I don't have much time between now and the wedding. Or I didn't. I wanted to get an early start on things, have all my bridesmaids meet my Maid of Honor.”
The mention of other people was a temporary reprieve.
“Where are they?”
“Who?” Bethany asked, setting out a jug of milk and going to the cabinet to pull out glasses.
“Your bridesmaids.”
“They had other plans. It's a good thing no one else showed up, otherwise I’d have to explain what happened.” She leaned back against the kitchen counter and cocked her head to one side. “So.” She continued, “How long have you been fucking him?”
Involuntarily, Rei's eyes widened.
“I-um. I really don't think we should be talking about this.”
“Why not?”
“Justin and I? Whatever we are, it's not a big deal. I'm sure that whatever reason he had for breaking off the engagement, it had nothing to do with me.”
“You're very...naive aren't you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You've known him for how long? A week now? I've known Justin for years and I’ve never seen him so focused. So sure of himself. That's because of you.” She shook her head and her eyes lowered. “Not me.”
“Bethany-”
“Shut up.” She growled. “You did this to me. To us. Remember that. You brought all of this on yourself.”
Then she saw it, the barrel of the gun Bethany was palming, the gun she'd pulled from beneath the kitchen island after setting down the milk. Deciding it was long past time she escaped this house, Rei stopped inching backwards and ran from the kitchen. Her momentum pushed her into the wall when she turned into the main hallway and hands sliding over the cream colored paint, she propelled herself forward. Always forward, heading to the front door that represented freedom. She was moving quickly now, practically flying across the gleaming hardwood. Her hand had barely brushed the doorknob when Bethany, following behind her, brought up the gun and pulled the trigger.
********
Justin had said he would be patient.
And he was.
Or at least he was trying to be.
But she wasn’t answering his phone calls. He called her cell phone three times, voicemails becoming increasingly urgent as dread began to build. With any other woman he would have left things alone. But he'd learned a few things about Rei Donovan in the admittedly short time he'd known her.
She wasn't like some women. With Rei there was no room for game playing. It was a relief to be able to tell where he stood with someone at any given time. So he knew that if she could have, she would have answered his calls. If only to tell him to go and fuck himself.
Rei had a temper but he’d noticed early on that she couldn’t stay mad for long. Oftentimes he could see her wincing as soon as she’d snapped at him, sometimes even while she was in the middle of doing so. He probably didn’t deserve to be forgiven so easily, but this was different.
It felt off.
The same inner voice that had made him rich told him that something was wrong. He would listen to that voice. If it was wrong, then no harm no foul. But if it was right...
She’d barely escaped with her life the other day and Justin knew that he wouldn’t find any peace until he at least heard her voice. He had to know that she was alright, even if that meant pushing her boundaries a little. He’d rather have her alive and angry at him than dead and feeling nothing at all.
********
Rei screamed, her hand jerking away from the knob as the door frame shattered in an explosion of wood. She found herself moving, body flying to one side as Rei fired twice more, bullets biting deep into the body of the door right where she’d been standing. She could hear the other woman coming closer, heels striking the hardwood in a brutal cacophony of sound.
She rolled onto her back just as Bethany came upon her. She tried to scramble back but the other woman straddled her. Rei’s fist shot out and she punched Bethany solidly in the face. Bethany’s head flew back and she leaned to one side, balance lost. Rei lifted her upper body, prepared to hit her again, but Bethany recovered quickly. In the blink of an eye she was bringing the gun up and swinging it around. Then the butt of it connected with the side of Rei’s head, and her brain, already shaky after her encounter with Oscar Kennedy, gave up the ghost.