Devil She Became (Devil's Angels Book 1) (14 page)

Lisa rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah, didn’t help me either. I actually got breast implants, but Harrison told me they looked terrible, which they did,” She laughed bitterly. “So I got them taken out. Now I’m just a mess.”

Ava gave her a sympathetic look. “That’s terrible. I’m sorry to hear that. The things we have done for these men! Shit!” Ava shook her head.

Lisa nodded, “Exactly. Then they just go off and find a prettier, thinner woman after all the years we have given him. I have taken care of his kids, washed his clothes, cooked his dinner… just makes me so mad sometimes.” Ava watched Lisa’s face change from a portrait of sadness to flashes of red-hot anger.

“Enough of me. So what helped you out?” Lisa composed herself and brushed her hair from her face. “Well, as I was saying, my girlfriend was telling me about a new antidepressant she had started taking that changed her life. I decided to go to my doctor and get the same thing. Turns out, it was the best thing I could’ve done. It made all the difference in the world! I felt like my old self again. I went out and got a new job, got my confidence back. It was a godsend for me.”

Now I’m here painting with you and trying to re-establish some of my old passions!” Ava smiled winningly.

Lisa cocked her head. She appeared to be contemplating what Ava had told her. “That sounds amazing. I’ve never really thought about taking anything. Maybe it would help. I don’t know. I don’t really have time to be depressed with the kids!” she laughed, “but I don’t feel like my old self; that’s for sure.”

Ava had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. This is too fucking easy. God, why didn’t someone give her a challenge for once? These suburban types were all the same.

They had it all, yet they were still either suffering from depression, alcoholism or having extramarital affairs.

“Would you like me to give you the medication information? I have the bottle here in my purse.”

“Sure. I would like to do some research online and see if it’s right for me.”

Ava quickly wrote the information out for Lisa. “Here you go”

Lisa took the paper, “
Eschaliopram.
That’s the generic I guess?”

Ava nodded.

“Never heard of that. I will have to Google it later. Thanks.”

Ava smiled to herself. That was so easy it almost scared her. As if she could ever be frightened by anything, she laughed.

A smoky mist flashed across the cold night air accompanied by a female scream. A young woman was lying still and unmoving on the cold, hard pavement, a dark liquid pooling under her. Her legs were lying grotesquely twisted underneath her long white dress. Another young woman was screaming at the horrific sight. Slowly, she knelt down and turned the woman over. Her face was shattered and hardly recognizable as human. Suddenly, a hand with long cold fingernails reached up and grabbed her arm.

“Why did you do this to me?” A raspy female voice demanded.

Sitting straight up in her bed, Reese screamed out. Breathing heavily, she clutched her chest. It’s just a dream, just a dream. Slowly, a sick, queasy feeling began developing in the pit of her stomach.
What have we done?
She thought. My God, a woman is going to be killed because of her. How could she live with this? Reese shuddered at these thoughts.
Is Harrison worth all of this? What if we got caught?
This was such a terrible secret to live with. She rolled out of her bed rubbing her neck. Reese grabbed her new laptop from the other room and sat down on the leather couch. She began to search for the penalty for conspiracy when she remembered Ava’s warnings. Maybe she shouldn’t do that. All online activities could be potentially scrutinized by the police. She put down her laptop and decided to get dressed and go for a walk.

Just as she was walking out the door, Harrison stumbled inside almost knocking her over.

“Harrison! What the hell?” She stepped back as he fell into her arms. “What’s wrong?” Reese asked horrified at his nightmarish appearance. His fine, dark hair was matted and stuck up in the back, his clothes were stained and wrinkled, his face covered in dark stubble. Most of all, his eyes were bloodshot and deeply shadowed. Helping him to the couch, she could smell burning fumes of alcohol emanating from him. That was it. It had been nearly fifty days since they had met with Ava, and Harrison had been stumbling over to her place drunk at least three or four times per week. She was wondering if he was beginning to regret contracting Ava or having second thoughts about their relationship. It’s not as if she hadn’t been having second thoughts herself, but she loved Harrison, and true love meant suffering through unpleasant consequences to be with the one you loved.

“Reeessse… help me.” Harrison stammered, his head rolling back. “Where am I?” His eyes scanned the room seeing everything as a blur.

In a drunken haze, he reached out to grab her and fell flat on his face. “Help!” He cried as he laid helplessly sprawled on the floor.

Reese felt herself beginning to get fed up. He had to get ahold of himself. Where was the once handsome, arrogant, debonair man who had such swagger? The man who had literally swept her off her feet into ecstasy? Now all she saw was a drunken slob stumbling around her apartment, crashing into things and breaking priceless works of art. His appearance had also changed drastically! Just two months ago, Harrison had been so arrogant, had held his head so high and prided himself on his good looks. His clothes had been impeccable and he had always been clean shaven. Now he had put on a few pounds and would go for days without shaving, leaving unattractive stubble. His hair was messy and matted. And the sex! When Harrison had been drinking, he would come at her like an animal… grunting, clawing, and slobbering on her. It repulsed her to the extent she would rather not see him than go through that again. Disgusted, she looked at him on the floor writhing about and moaning. She was going to have to do something before they lost everything.

Quickly, she went into her kitchen to get a glass of water and some ibuprofen.

“Here.” She cradled Harrison’s head in her hands and helped him drink and take the pills.

“Blah… what’s that?” He grimaced as water dribbled out of his mouth.

“It’s to sober you up. Now take it and drink!”

Struggling, Harrison managed to hold his head up and take what Reese gave him. He balanced himself on one elbow and rolled to a sitting position against the couch.

“Baby, I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to do this… I… I’m just all messed up. I just don’t know how I can do this…” He trailed off, his head falling back slightly.

Reese stroked his unshaven cheek. “I know. I feel the same way, but, Harrison, we can’t let this tear us apart. We have to keep it together.”

“I know, baby. I just need… I just need… to sleep.” His voice stopped as he slumped to the floor. Within seconds, he was snoring.

Now that’s attractive
, she thought as she covered him with a blanket. With tears welling up in her eyes, Reese slowly walked to her medicine cabinet. Reaching for a bottle, she took a handful of tranquilizers and lay down on the floor next to Harrison.

As night fell over their exclusive Gold Coast home, Lisa Grantham tucked her two children into bed, unaware she was being watched. A sleek black Mercedes sat parked outside as Ava, dressed in her typical black attire, observed her target. As Ava had already met her, it wasn’t Lisa she was studying as much as the layout of their home. Harrison’s descriptions and even photos of the house weren’t really enough to give her an idea. To form the perfect plan, Ava needed to see for herself exactly where everything in the home was located. As she observed the home, she made special note of the dark, hidden corners. She also made notes of the neighborhood and how many neighbors were around, etc. She also carefully tracked how long it might take emergency responders to reach the home. Observations of targets gave Ava much time to reflect. Many people would think she would reconsider during those times as she could see with her own eyes the innocent lives she was about to take. Ava’s cold blue eyes observed the young children whose lives would be shattered by the loss of their beloved mother. She felt nothing; no hatred, no remorse. It was just a job to do; nothing more, nothing less. Cold, hard cash ruled her life. All she could feel was utter disdain for the men who contracted with her.
They are complete fools
, she thought,
giving me millions of dollars to protect their reputation as a ‘good family man’ and to maintain their assets
.
Instead of being able to get divorced and show the world their true face, they hid behind Ava’s shadow. Funny, she was the spider, a cavatica that hid in dark corners, but these men’s true selves were more deeply concealed than she was.

Perhaps this was why Ava hadn’t had a relationship with a man in years. Lisa Grantham was just one of the many women dumb enough to marry an arrogant, ruthless, jackass like Harrison. Now, after he found a shiny, new play toy, he wanted her eliminated. She shook her head. And that silly little Barbie he had taken up with… she was just as dumb as Lisa, if not more so.

Barbie really believed that Harrison loved her and would never do to her what he was doing to Lisa. She was actually going to participate in a conspiracy to get rid of his wife just so she could have him. That was the ultimate in stupidity as far as Ava was concerned.
Some women are so blind
, she thought. Maybe it was love, maybe it was sex, who knew? Personally, she hadn’t had a good fuck from a man in years. The best sex she’d ever had had not been with a man, but maybe that’s why she held them in such contempt. Men make all the money, think they hold all the power and they still can’t give a woman an orgasm like another woman can. Ava laughed out loud in her car. Contrary to what many people thought, she didn’t hate men. She actually found some of them quite attractive, but for all its’ bravado, the penis was merely a crude apparatus to her.

********

His hazel eyes fluttered open to see a cloud of blonde hair staring down at him. Slowly, he sat up, feeling like his skull had been crushed.

“Reese? What happened?” Reese smiled at him, relieved he awoke finally.

“You were drunk off your ass is what happened. Harrison, you have got to stop this. You are going to cause us to lose everything!”

Harrison grimaced and slowly nodded his head in agreement. “I know, Reese. I’m just freaked out by all this. It’s been almost thirty days. I’m just dreading the day I get that card. Sometimes, I shake so hard at work I can’t hold onto papers; I can’t type. My brother came into my office yesterday to talk about my ‘disquieting performance’ at a client meeting.” Harrison threw his hands up, “I didn’t know what to tell him. It’s not like I can say, ‘Hey Mike, I’m fucked up because a hit woman is going to kill my wife any day now.’ What was I supposed to say?”

Reese bit her lip and looked down.

Harrison looked down at himself. “Look at me,” he pulled at his soiled shirt and pants. “I’m a fucking mess. This is disgusting.” He ran his hands over his unshaven face.

“Reese, this isn’t me. You know that. I just start drinking every time I think of Ava, Lisa, all this… I don’t know if I can do this.”

“I know this is awful, Harrison, but we can’t let everything fall apart now. We have to just go about life normally.” Reese put her arms around him.

“You don’t have to look at her every day, Reese, and know she’s going to die! And because of me! I just… this isn’t how I wanted it. Maybe there is a way I can just leave her.” Harrison paced around the room.

Reese panicked. “Harrison, I don’t know what you want me to say. This is a done deal. We can’t stop it now.”

Harrison grabbed her shoulders. “I know that, but I could send Lisa away and just divorce her when she comes back. Is my inheritance worth killing someone?” Harrison pushed her away and ran his hands through his hair.

Reese began crying. “I don’t know… I don’t know anything anymore. I’m not a bad person. You’re not a bad person. This is just crazy.” Tears began streaming down her face.

Seeing her cry stopped his ranting. Harrison cradled her in his arms. “Baby, it’s not that I don’t want you. I’m just worried sick for you, for my kids. I freak out thinking about getting that card from Ava. I just want all this over with.”

Reese sighed. “I know. Me too. I worry about you and your kids. I feel so badly about this. Do you think we can find Ava somehow and call this off?”

Harrison looked grim. “I don’t know. I have a feeling she’s not the easiest person to find. We could try, but I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

Reese looked at him blankly.

“Maybe we should just hang in there until it’s done.” Harrison sat his jaw tightly. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” With that, he turned and walked out. A few seconds later, Reese heard water running. He was taking a shower. Slipping off her clothes, she opened the door to the bathroom. Steam obscured her from his view. She opened the door, “You want company?” She smiled.

Startled, Harrison turned to look at her with a sly grin. He pulled her in with him. “You are so beautiful, Reese. What would I do without you?” His lips brushed her forehead as the warm water cascaded over them. Hot, wet and naked they pressed their bodies together as they kissed underneath the shower’s spray.

“I will always be with you,” Reese whispered to him. With that, she poured soap into her hands and began caressing him all over. His eyes widened as she poured soap all over her breasts getting them wet and slick. She then proceeded to wash him with her soapy breasts, rubbing them back and forth across his chest. Feeling his growing hardness, she poured more soap onto her breasts and nuzzled his shaft between them, stroking him. “Oh, my God, that feels good,” Harrison moaned as she kept stroking him, squeezing him between her big breasts. “Mm hmm,” she moaned as she felt him come. Harrison pulled her up by her shoulders and just held her with the water running over them. It felt so good to be pressed tightly together; the steam from the shower enveloping them, the water cleansing their bodies and souls of any misdeeds and washing them all away.