Distractions (44 page)

for so long.

“There’s coffee if you want. I

would bring it to you, but the others want

to see you.”

I smiled at the sweet gesture. He

had no idea what was about to conspire,

or perhaps he did. I could not prove it

was he who anonymously tipped off a

bidder that a hit was placed on me, but

they used the information in exchange for

reformulating

a

drug

they

were

unsuccessful in stabilizing. I did not

want to believe it when I was

approached, but the evidence was

irrefutable. They were all in on it,

including Shepard. I tried to tell myself

if he knew that his involvement would

mean witnessing my last breath, I doubt

he would have agreed. I wondered if

they really thought they were protecting

me, keeping me safe. No. They were

insuring a billion dollar payday for a

power hungry dead man.

“I will get dressed and be out –

give me just a moment.”

Hesitating to leave the room, he

finally turned and walked out the door.

More than anything, I wanted to shout for

him to stop and throw myself into his

arms, clinging for dear life. I thought I

was being cruel by withholding my

affections, but my intuition proved to be

right last night. If Shepard was back in

my life to be a willing participant in my

murder, there really was no longer a

reason to breathe. My reflection in the

mirror was the clearest I had ever seen.

Past the dark circles and sallow skin, my

eyes sparkled with resolve. Carefully

styling my hair into a sleek ponytail and

tasteful makeup, I looked the way I felt. I

was ready.

Walking into the main room, I saw

everyone sitting around the table,

looking somber as the news played on

the flat screen TV. The anchor was

speaking in French, yet the subtitles

were in English. A new drug had been

announced that would revolutionize how

diseases were treated. The owner of the

company came across the screen,

popping corks off champagne with his

research team explaining the discovery;

along with the news story flashed my

photo.

It was called an amazing day in

medicine, a breakthrough in science that

would save millions of lives. Without a

word, I poured a cup of coffee and

began to munch on one of the pastries

sitting in a white box on the counter.

Everyone stared at my nonchalant

behavior as I milled about the room,

ignoring them. I was impressed at their

silence. I could see the questions burning

in their eyes, along with the fear on their

faces. Hopping up onto the counter, I

broke the tension with a little dark

humor.

“Since you are going to put a bullet

in my head, we should probably go

outside; it will make cleaning up go a

whole lot faster.”

The raspberry jam in my sweet

started to ooze out of the side with each

bite. Licking my fingers, I felt euphoric.

The adrenaline pumping through my

veins made it impossible to sit for very

long.

“You sabotaged the auction, Violet.

How did you know?” David’s voice

strained as he tried to figure out how I

was able to fool so many people,

including him. He was no longer Doc in

my eyes; he was a monster I wished I

had never met.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” I wagged my finger

back and forth.

“That’s a secret. However, in my

defense, how could I not? I knew the

moment I opened that hard drive, you set

me up. You thought I was some spineless

woman who would never believe her

beloved mentor would offer her up like

some sacrificial lamb. You manipulated

everyone around you in this sick game to

get what you wanted. I bet they even

thought they were doing something noble

by protecting me.”

Walking around the room, I gave

the hand gesture of air quotes to

emphasize

the

word

protecting.

Everyone watched as David and I

embroiled in a battle of wits.

“What did you promise them,

David? What does it take to get someone

to look the other way while innocent

people die? Oh wait, we have already

discussed this. I am not innocent am I?

What did you call me? Oh, that’s right; I

am wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

I laughed as I took another bite of

my pastry. Never once had I used the

Doc’s

given

name

before.

The

implication of what it meant was not

lost. Walking towards a speechless

Shepard, my head began to shake back

and forth as the words hissed out of my

mouth. “You are worse than him.” Just

as I did with his father, I spit in his face

with disgust. This time I was fully aware

of the consequences of my actions.

As I took one last look around the

room, still no one spoke. They were

unbelievable cowards. “Let’s get this

over with.” I was not afraid, nor was I

angry. If there were an ounce of

compassion in them, it would be swift.

The sun was beating down as the

small crowd gathered in a half circle on

the deck. With my back to the mast, I

dropped to my knees. Closing my eyes, I

brought my hands up to my chest, lacing

the fingers in prayer. I wasn’t asking for

my life to be spared; I was giving thanks

for the life I did have. It was not idyllic,

but it was as I requested. My aunt had

successfully contacted the bidder with

the information I gave her, along with

instructions to broadcast the discovery if

I was unreachable on this date.

The company was kind enough to

honor my request to wait before

announcing the drug. Knowing that today

was supposed to be the auction, it was a

gentleman’s agreement. If David had his

way, he would be one of the most

powerful men on Earth, and I would be

nothing more than a memory. That was

not to be. I was able to fulfill my

purpose, so my life was not lived in

vain.

The answered prayer brought me

peace, despite how short lived it would

be.

Normally, the sound of a trigger on

a semi-automatic weapon being released

would send shivers of fear down

someone’s spine, yet I did not flinch.

Calmness washed over me as I heard the

bullets leave the chamber and slice

through the atmosphere.

The sound of lead hitting flesh is

unlike anything else on earth. The way

the air leaves the lungs and the

subsequent

gasps

for

more

is

unforgettable. Waiting for the darkness

to envelop me, I opened my eyes as

Shepard was lowering his shaking arm,

tightly gripped on the firearm. Instead of

hearing the panicked screams of those on

board, there was just Paganini’s
La

Campanella
playing sweetly in my soul.

I doubted Shepard could hear the words

that came out of my mouth, but he could

see them well enough. His eyes traced

my lips as they slowly moved before

curving into a weak smile.

“Thank you.”

Epilogue

“Open your eyes, Violet. Stay with

me.”

The pressure was too much to bear;

everything was falling apart and I had no

control. I tried holding on as long as I

could. Every synapse in my brain fired

in a rapid succession until the warmth

spread from my heart to the tips of my

fingers and toes. Shaking my head while

I screamed loudly, I felt every atom in

my being connect with the universe as I

died in his arms.

La Petite Mort.

He still liked to watch me. Now he

always wanted me to look back…to hold

his gaze as long as possible before

coming undone. I liked watching him,

too…even while he wasn’t being

serious.

“Stop smiling like that; it’s

creeping me out.”

His hips rotated softly between my

legs, knowing how painfully sensitive I

still was, while making a chipmunk face

with his cheeks puffed out to the sides.

“Better?’

“No, that’s worse!”

Shepard grabbed my hands and

held them above my head as he leaned in

closely and pulled his neck muscles

tight, flicking his tongue like a lizard.

“Oh my God, stop it!”

As I yelled again, writhing beneath

him, he laughed like a maniac while

pushing me back to the edge.

“You really want me to stop,

Violet? I will.” Withdrawing slowly

from my hungry center, taunting the

entrance, he made me plead with him for

mercy.

“No, please don’t stop.” I held my

breath as his hips sank back down,

feeling every inch fit exquisitely within

me. Each heartbeat shared with this man

made me complete, the void unbearable

as we parted. “What?” His thumb traced

my jaw before taking a gentle bite of my

bottom lip. He could tell I was starting

to drift away. Pulled back into his

vibrant blue eyes, I couldn’t get close

enough to him. “How could I be so

foolish? How are you able to forgive

me?”

He lowered down to rest on his

elbows, kissing me softly while he

remained snugly between my knees.

“Violet, everyone who enters your life is

there for one of two reasons. To bring

you closer to the person you can be, or

distract you from fulfilling that potential.

What no one realizes is that we choose

what role that person plays. I knew who

you were from the moment I laid eyes on

you. When I thought I didn’t have a shot

in hell, you still made me want more in

life. That never went away. The only

thing that changed was I wanted you

back at any cost.

Good people make bad choices

every day. Sometimes those choices hurt

people, people they love. We can

choose to stay angry and remain

imprisoned, or we can forgive and let

go. Once again, it’s a choice. I chose to

forgive you. That’s what love does.”

My lips trembled underneath his as

the tears flowed down my cheeks,

soaking his palms. When he tilted his

hips slightly, I remembered we were in

the middle of an intimate encounter, and

suddenly felt guilty for ruining the

moment.

Determined not to stay bogged

down in the somber mood, I asked him

to let me up for a minute. Appearing

somewhat

concerned,

he

watched

closely as I quickly ran into the other

room and plucked a book of sonnets by

Shakespeare from the shelf.

“Violet, what is that for?”

Crawling back into the bed I gave

my most coquettish smile. “Revenge,

darling.”

I pushed Shepard on his back and

straddled his waist. Lowering myself

down, I hissed at the delicious sensation

that never failed to overtake me. While

handing him the book, I smiled. “Pick

one.”

He licked his thumb before turning

the pages, eyeing me with mischief – no

doubt scheming about everything he

planned to do. He turned to the middle of

the book, and returned it to me while

lifting his hips slowly as his thumb

lightly circled my clitoris. Ignoring the

pleasure with all of my might, I began

with Sonnet 23.

“
As an unperfect actor on the

stage

Who with his fear is put besides his

part,

Or some fierce thing replete with too

much rage,

Whose strength’s abundance weakens

his own heart.

So I, for fear of trust, forget to say

The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,

And in mine own love’s strength seem

to decay,

O’ercharged with burden of mine own

love’s might.

O, let my books be then the eloquence