Friday afternoon Sophia stopped at the gates of St. Peter’s hospital. She paid the cab driver and straightened the simple long-sleeved black gown she wore before entering the building. Everything was the same as always in the busy reception. She received a few surprised greetings. Everyone knew she declined Tager’s offer to return to work. She waved back and returned greetings before making her way to the top floor where she was supposed to meet with this Liza Gianne. She had just put out her hand to open the door when it was thrown open. Stella walked out with Tager in tow. “I couldn’t have closed your job if I wanted to. I would have easily found a replacement though,” Tager was saying. He paused when he locked eyes with her. Stella grinned and slapped Sophia’s arm playfully. “Just in time, Soph.” “Blanc,” Tager murmured with a nod. She did the same. “Tager.” “I will see you around Stella,” he said and walked away. Sophia watched him wondering what caused the sudden change in
When Sunday evening rolled around, St. Peter’s hospital was covered in lights. The parking lot was crowded with cars so much that valets had been hired immediately to maintain order. Lights hung on every side of the hospital. The empty space for the new laboratory was the venue for the event. It was large and nicely decorated. Liza had ordered ornamental plants and some of Maple Albatross’ less explicit metal sculptures. Red vintage lanterns hung overhead cast a warm glow on the people gathered. Dresses and pieces of jewelry sparkled in the light. It was a small and humble affair still Liza’s many wealthy invitees dressed flaunted diamonds and designer clothes. The whole decorations and food had been taken care of by the company Liza hired and some of the workers of the hospital. Servers holding platters of cocktail wine and hors d’oeuvre moved around dressed in white and black uniforms offering drinks to guests. Sophia and Stella arrived together; Sophia dressed in a simple-cut white
All the space in the world would not be enough to feel safe as long as this man was in it. Sophia closed her eyes briefly hoping that it was all a nightmare and she would wake up shaking but relieved that it was just a dream but when she opened her eyes he was still in front of her, watching her with that wolfish grin the same way he did more than 8 years ago. She was 16, young and naïve, and always eager to please. Now standing in front of him after all these years she wanted nothing more than to erase the past and erase him from her life and memory. “Aw, no need to act so scared now, Buttercup. I am not here to hurt you, we just have unfinished business.” The feel of his fingers around her wrist was like a heavy chain and the sweat on his palm felt like slime. How far was the door? How near was the closed weapon? Maybe if she knocked him out with something…all those years of self-defense class and this man brought her best efforts of finding strength crashing down with just his pre
The tension between them was so heavy a knife could cut through. The after effect following Carter’s assault hung in the air like a hot air balloon, unanswered questions about the situation ignored for now. All Matt wanted now was to convince Sophia to come back with him. She had given Carter a fair fight even though he was much bigger and she looked ready to fight him too but he didn’t want that.He couldn’t help but notice how lovely she looked tonight. Right from the moment he saw her that evening under the warm glow of the glowing lanterns he could barely suppress the urge to tell her how beautiful she looked.But she didn’t look as happy that see him as he was to see her. While she had initially welcomed his help with disposing of Carter, she looked mildly irritated with him now.“I will go home,” she finally said. “But without you.”“What about that guy?” he asked quickly.Her confidence faltered and the fear returned to her face. Why was she so scared of him? He was curious and
A comfortable silence came over them, with it was the awareness that they could feel each other, reach out slightly and touch each other. The small space in the car offered intimate privacy and when they both got off in front of Matt’s condominium the intimacy remained. Without touching at all they could feel each other’s presence. It was as if the days spent apart heightened their senses for each other. They exchanged glances from time to time and without words, one could tell that the other was happy to be there rather than anywhere else.As they walked to the private elevator Matt finally placed the palm of his hand on Sophia’s back. She leaned into his hand. They rode the elevator that way. And when they got up to the dark apartment illuminated only by the electric heater whatever resistance the other had secretly abhorred fell to nothing.“I’m not leaving tonight.”Matt looked down. Sophia was looking up at him, her face shadowed by the darkness but he could see the sincerity in
Matt kicked at the blanket around his waist. The room was warm enough thanks to the heater but even in sleep he couldn’t help but notice that the other side of the bed was cold. He groaned and reached out to pat the side of the bed Sophia had been laying on the night before, her sexy, warm body pressed against him. His back still stung from having her rake her nails across them. He smiled, she was such a wild minx and he enjoyed every bit of her passion.Now, where was she?His eyes were wild open now and brain clear, in the dim light of the room, he could see she was not in bed, and if the cool sheets were any indication she had been out of bed for a long time. Did she leave? It wouldn’t be the first time.How had he not heard her moving around?‘I’m not leaving tonight,” she said last night.His heart fell. Oh well…He pushed the covers away and sat up then paused because there on his chaise was Sophia curled up with her head on the high side of the backrest, she was wearing his shi
Sophia lifted her head off his chest and offered a watery smile. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, caressing her face slowly. She leaned into his hand against her cheek, bringing her hand up to touch his hand when her fingers came in contact with the scar on his wrist. She ran her thumb over it and gave him a questioning look. His eyes hardened but he didn’t look away like he usually did when he tried to avoid deeper conversations.“It was a knife. A plastic knife.”Her thumb paused its gentle caresses. “A plastic knife?”He laughed bitterly. “You will be surprised what a plastic knife can do in the right hand and with the right pressure.”Sophia frowned. She shifted so that she wasn’t pressed up against his chest again but was still sitting close enough to feel the heat of his body. “Who did that to you?”He looked away for a second, when he looked back at her she could see the pain in his eyes. He looked more vulnerable than when he met him drinking in his kitchen.“My dad.”“He di
She stared into his eyes waiting for an answer while her heart thumped in her chest. Sophia held her breath. If he killed his father then Zach had it coming for being a terrible father. Yet… “As much as I wanted to,” his voice was low but clear enough. “I didn’t pull the trigger that ended his life.” He looked down at her. His eyes were dark with shadows, memories of the past, tormented. “I was the first on the scene.” He looked away. “I came home that night and slipped on the water someone spilled on the floor in the doorway, except it wasn’t water…it was my father’s blood and when I fell I landed right on his cold, stiff body.” “He was dead for hours before you walked in?” Sophia asked with a frown. He nodded. “When the police finally arrived I was covered with his blood so naturally I was the first suspect until they couldn’t find the murder weapon.” He looked back at her, his eyes were darker with emotions. “He was shot in the face beyond recognition. Whoever killed him hated hi