The Psychopath's Prisoner Page 10

  Chapter 22

  The possibilities with my classic beauty are very limited as long as he’s in the picture. Her romance with that loser is getting stronger. I have to stop him from interfering between her and me. He’ll soon realize that she belongs to me. Why does she insist on being so defiant and turning away from having everything with me? I know exactly what I have to do. Of course, knowing her, she’ll be resistant at first. Once she opens her eyes to what I’m doing for her, she’ll appreciate me so much more. She’ll never want to see him again. If not, then we’ll have to see what she forces me to do. However, before I can deal with him, I have someone else to take care of. He is going to die. No one messes with my woman.

  Chapter 23

  There was a knock on the bedroom door. She checked herself in the mirror. The pink tank top and white shorts looked good on her. Maybe Michael would think so too. She shook the thought off and ran a brush through her hair. Then she pulled it into a ponytail.

  “Come in.”

  Michael opened the door. “Hey there. If you’re hungry, I’ve got some sandwiches made.” He looked her up and down and cleared his throat. “Whenever you’re ready, come on down.” He never took his eyes off her.

  “Okay.” Cheyenne tightened her pony tail.

  He slowly backed away, but kept staring at her. When Cheyenne heard the door click, she checked to make sure he was gone and then began to jump up and down. She couldn’t believe the way he looked at her. In all honesty, she really liked the attention. “I better go eat lunch. Don’t want to miss my first lunch ‘date’ with him.”

  Cheyenne leaned against the door, closed her eyes, and placed one hand on her stomach trying to steady her nerves. Why did she feel like this? Shouldn’t she be sad? She did, after all, just get a divorce. Did that mean that, perhaps, she was never truly in love with Tyler? Maybe she never really loved him, after all.

  She breathed out and decided not to think about it for the moment. Her stomach then growled. “Okay. Okay. I know I need to get some food in you.” Excitement bubbled up. “I get to have lunch with Mr. O’Neill, er, Michael.”

  She walked down the stairs and began to wonder how his ex-wife could cheat on him and give all this up. Her mind raced at how gorgeous this place was and how could his ex give Michael up? He was sincere, generous, kind, and easy to talk to. Not to mention, good looking.

  “Hey Cheyenne.”

  “Michael.”

  “I’m going to get something out of my car. I’ll be right back. In the meantime, you can go to the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to start eating.”

  “No problem.”

  He smiled sincerely and walked away. Cheyenne watched him as he walked. He has a nice butt.

  With a deep breath and arms at her side, she licked her lips and started toward the kitchen, her heart beating wildly. There were two plates on the table with two glasses of lemonade. The ‘table’ was a stainless steel island in the center of the kitchen. Everything seemed to be stainless steel, the refrigerator, kitchen counters, and even the cabinets. She felt it was a bit odd, but if that was his taste… The floors were white tiles with blue squares in the center of them, the only homey thing in the entire kitchen.

  She noticed the chicken salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, and sliced apples on the plate. She took her place on one of the stools and bit into one of the carrot sticks. Her thoughts drifted to what had been happening to her. When would it be over? Who had she ever offended this much? Yes, Daniel was strange and creepy. Yes, she had her suspicions, but there was no proof to back them up. As far as Tyler went, well, he didn’t really want the divorce, despite the circumstances when she confronted him. Now he was showing up after all these horrible incidents. All of this was exhausting and stressful. It was ridiculous and she was sick of this mess. This had to end. She didn’t want to stay with other people for the rest of her life. Her independence was at stake and she couldn’t let that be taken from her. Hopefully Detective Lawrence would figure all of this out… and soon. Tears welled in her eyes.

  Michael strolled into the kitchen. “Sorry about that, but I had to get my wallet and briefcase.”

  “That’s okay.”

  “What’s wrong?” Michael asked with a furrowed brow.

  “Nothing.” Cheyenne sobbed. “Everything.”

  “Would you like to talk about it?” He moved to sit on the stool across from her.

  “I don’t know. I have no idea of who or why.”

  “Maybe it would take away some of the stress if you talked about it.”

  “Yeah. I know.” She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I’ve always dealt with things on my own. There’s so much I don’t tell my sister so she doesn’t worry. But this, well, this is too much to take. I’m constantly wondering who could be doing this to me and whatever I could have possibly done to make Tyler cheat on me. I also wonder how I could have lost so much control over my life. How could I have allowed a total stranger inside my apartment? All I have left of my family is my sister. You know what? I haven’t worked out since the divorce nor can I concentrate on my writing like I used to. My sister’s car was set on fire. Needless to say, I’m frustrated, scared, angry, confused, hurt, sad, upset… I could go on. It’s just… well… I just don’t know what to do any more. All my life, I knew what direction I wanted to go. Now I’m sitting here wondering where it went.” Another bout of sobbing came on. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload like that. I guess it has been building up for a while.”

  He reached over and patted her hand. “It’s best to let it go. If you don’t, it’ll drive you crazy. I don’t mind because I understand. You know I’m here whenever you need to talk. We all go through hard times. Things will get better. Look at you. You’re beautiful, smart, sweet, and kind. Not to mention, independent. You’re putting your life back together one step at a time.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  ”For letting me stay here and listening to me rant.” She paused. “And for being my attorney. You know. Just everything you’ve done for me.”

  “No problem at all.”

  They ate their lunch in silence. Once finished, Michael cleaned up. Cheyenne offered to do it, but he insisted on it.

  “Well then, I’ll go and work on my book.”

  “Why don’t you hold off a little bit?”

  “Why?”

  “I thought we could go for a walk. If you want to that is.”

  She grinned and nodded in acknowledgment. “Sounds great.”

  “I’ll be done in a couple of minutes.”

  ~

  He came out of the kitchen and offered his arm. “You ready to see the garden?”

  “I sure am,” she replied as she looped her arm through his.

  He led her through the dining room and through the sliding glass door, out to the patio. There was a rectangle table with an umbrella in the center of it. It had eight chairs around it. The patio itself was made of red brick with steps leading into the backyard. Flower pots lined the patio with various flowers in them. She surveyed the yard. Two large gardens could be seen from her position. One garden had all kinds of vegetables and the other had a wide variety of flowers. A few trees lined up perfectly a few feet apart from each other. His entire yard was gorgeous… and huge. There was more room to plant more trees or something.

  “Wow. Your yard is incredible, but I’ll bet it’s a lot of upkeep.”

  “Thanks and it sure is, but I like it. It’s mine and I can do what I want. My next project is to build a shed for my gardening tools.”

  “Where do you keep them in the meantime?”

  “Usually, I just leave them in the garden or under the tree. That’s why I really need the shed.”

  “Your home is really beautiful.”

  “Thanks, but as beautiful as it is, it’s too big for one person to live alone.”

  “Why don’t you sell it and buy something smaller?”

  “Because I’m hoping t
o find someone to settle down with and start a family. I really want kids.”

  “I hear that. It’s the one thing I want most out of life. It pains me that he’s got a baby with her. It’s like I wasn’t good enough for him and that hurts.”

  “I can imagine. My ex didn’t want kids.” Michael guided Cheyenne to the rose garden. “At first she lied as she adamantly said she did, but then she decided she liked spending my money more and having her affairs. She was buying him gifts with my earnings.”

  “That’s bad.” She leaned down to smell a rose with a beautiful shade of coral.

  “Yep.”

  They were silent as they fell deep into their thoughts. Cheyenne kept fighting the urge to lay her head on his shoulder. In fact, it wasn’t the only urge she was fighting. She only hoped she didn’t do something reckless.

  “Maybe we should get back.” The words cut into her thoughts. “I’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m sure you do, too.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Yes I do. Okay.” Cheyenne smiled at the man who held her arm. “Let’s go then. I really do need to get some writing done. Thanks for the tour; what an absolutely beautiful garden.”

  “You’re welcome,” Michael replied as he opened the back door to allow Cheyenne to enter the house.

  ~

  “You have work to do, he said,” Cheyenne whispered, shook her head and stared at the single line of text on the otherwise empty page. “All I can do it think about you Michael. One full afternoon with thoughts I know will lead me into trouble.” She giggled. “Old enough to know better but still too damned young to resist.”

  Chapter 24

  He sat in the darkened room, fuming. So, she decided to stay with her new boyfriend. Well, not for very long. “She belongs to me, Michael,” he yelled into the darkness. “Why can’t you see how much I love you?” How stupid and blind can someone be? Anyone can see how I feel about her. Of course she wants to be with a successful man who lives in a gated mansion. His money doesn’t hurt either, but there is nothing beyond these things I could see her wanting this guy for. Who could blame her?

  I know what I have to do to win her back. Once she’s with me again, she’ll fall head over heels in love with me and we’ll live happily ever after. The first requirement is to eliminate my competition. Then I’ll have everything: her love and all the money she’ll receive from all her books sales. Not to mention what she probably already has. How could she not with a career like hers? Work no more for me. I’ll be well off because of her. Her checks will be mine. There will be more housing options available to us. I’ll even pick the house—maybe even Michael’s mansion once he’s dead. Everything is working out in my favor so far. By staying at home, I’ll be able to monitor her at all times.

  Cheyenne will carry my children and always be a lady. She’ll wear the dresses I pick out for her. Of course, they won’t be too short or low cut. I will be in control of my new family. She will obey me and be the perfect wife.

  A wicked smile formed at the thought. She’s going to be all mine. No Michael. No Raina. No best friend. No one but me, her, and our children. That’s a great thought. We are going to be happy together for the rest of our lives.

  Chapter 25

  On her second night in Michael’s place, Cheyenne tossed and turned in bed. She couldn’t sleep. The dream she kept having prevented her from sleeping. It was a violent dream and scared her. She threw the covers back and pushed herself up from the bed. Maybe a glass of milk would soothe her.

  She opened the door and popped her head out to see if Michael’s door was open. She saw it wasn’t and tip-toed downstairs to the kitchen where she poured herself a glass of milk. She tried to shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

  She was still standing at the kitchen counter when all the lights came on. She jumped and the glass she was holding fell onto the floor. It didn’t break, but milk was everywhere.

  “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.” Cheyenne immediately started to look for something to clean the mess. “I thought you were sleeping. Did I wake you?” Michael rushed over to her.

  “No. I couldn’t sleep.” She glanced over at the clock on the stove and noticed it was three thirty in the morning.

  “Me neither. A nightmare prevents me from doing so.”

  Michael nodded at the floor. “The glass of spilled milk tells me that you couldn’t. Tell me, what was your dream was about?” He pulled open a drawer and grabbed a couple of towels.

  Cheyenne bit her lip and debated whether or not to tell him. Upon deciding to, she questioned where to begin. “It was a pretty gruesome and brutal nightmare. Where do I begin?”

  “How about from the beginning. Take your time in doing so.” He bent down to begin the cleanup process.

  “This is my mess. I should clean it up,” Cheyenne said.

  “No. I’ll clean. You describe your dream.”

  She nodded fastidiously. “It was just so strange. There was someone chasing me through the woods, you know, like what you see in the movies. I kept running and running, but got lost in the process. As I stood there and looked around, trying to find a place to hide, someone attacked me. Though I couldn’t see the face, I knew it was a man. We struggled on the ground until he subdues and handcuffs me. He winds up taking me to this house, I think, and into the basement. Once I’m in the basement, he starts beating me and when he’s done he stands over me with an incredibly wicked smile. Next he squats down and starts caressing me. Mind you, my arms and legs are bound. The next thing I know, he’s on top of me. After he…” She gulped. “When he’s done, he starts stabbing me. It’s so brutal and terrifying. I have never had a nightmare like that before.”

  “That’s quite a nightmare, but it’ll be okay. I’m going to keep you safe. You know, it could be fear of what could happen to you after the things that have happened to you lately.”

  “Perhaps.” She paused thoughtfully. “Now let me help.” She grabbed a towel.

  She focused on the mess, unaware Michael had quit cleaning and was now staring at her. Once the mess was cleaned up, she looked over at him and smiled. When she realized that he was staring at her, she suddenly felt shy.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered.

  “Whatever.”

  “You are.”

  “Stop it.” Cheyenne could feel the heat rising from her neck to her cheeks. She stared down at the floor.

  All of a sudden, Michael grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to him. His lips met hers. Cheyenne dropped the towel. Startled, she stared at him as he kissed her, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes. One of his hands began to untie her robe and slid it off her. She put her hands on the bottom of his undershirt and slowly pulled it over his head. He began to kiss her more intensely. They rubbed their hands over each other’s bodies. Leaning back as he began to kiss her neck, she moaned. He lay her down on the floor and Michael took her tank top off, exposing her breasts. She moaned as he caressed them. They were breathing heavily. Before they could go any further, the front gate buzzer sounded.

  “Oh my goodness! What were we doing?”

  Still on top of her, he shrugged nonchalantly and smiled. He kissed her again. “I don’t know, but for my part, there’s no regrets.”

  The buzzer sounded again. Cheyenne stared at him. “Are you going to get that?”

  He kissed her again before he pushed himself up. “I guess I’ll have to. Though I’m not sure who would be at the front gate this time of night.” He pulled his shirt back on and stared at Cheyenne’s bare breasts for a moment before he handed her tank top to her. “I’ll be right back.” He stood and said, “No regrets.”

  “No regrets.”

  Michael backed away as he gazed longingly at her. He smiled at her approvingly before he disappeared through the doorway. Cheyenne quickly put her shirt and robe on smiling to herself. Maybe she really was in love with him. It just felt so right and so good to have someone look at her the way h
e did and to have him desire her. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she bit her lip. It’s ironic that she almost made love with her attorney.

  “Cheyenne.”

  She looked up at Michael and Cheyenne’s smile quickly faded while her heart dropped to her stomach. Detective Lawrence was behind Michael and she felt sick. She was terrified to even ask, but whether or not she did, she knew she was going to find out.

  “Ms. Harrington.”

  “Detective.” Cheyenne paused and looked back and forth between Michael and the detective, confused as to why he was there. “What’s going on?” She held her hand up. “Hold on. I’m afraid to find out.”

  Michael walked over and put one arm around her shoulders. “Cheyenne, Detective Lawrence has something to tell you.”

  “I’m so sorry, Ms. Harrington, to be the bearer of extremely bad news. Do you know a Gabrielle Reisen?”

  “Of course. She’s been my best friend since we were kids.” The impact of Detective Lawrence’s questioning exploded within her mind. “Why? What happened to her? Is she okay?” Her eyes began to well up.

  “There’s no easy way to say to this, so I’ll just say it. Her body was found in a ditch a couple of miles out from your apartment.”

  “When?”

  Detective Lawrence and Michael exchanged glances. “Cheyenne. She was found an hour ago.”

  Tearful, Cheyenne started to panic. “Oh my goodness! Is my sister okay? Please check on her. Make sure she’s safe. Make sure my niece and nephews are all right. Please, please, pleeeeease.” She collapsed and Michael held her. “No, no, no. This isn’t happening,” she cried into Michael’s shoulder.

  ”Go check on her family. We’ll be here if you need anything.”

  Detective Lawrence nodded, but hesitated before he left. Michael eased Cheyenne to the floor and held her as she cried.

  “Why? Why me?” Cheyenne wailed.