The Tango (7 page)

“Ha ha,” I said, pulling my sweater over my head. “So why are you selling?” I knew I was pushing it. I’d barely made my way back into his good graces.

“I never wanted this club. I might enjoy the lifestyle, but I do not want to host it. That’s not me. That’s... just not me,” he said, turning off the light and opening the door as I grabbed my purse.

“So how did you end up with it?” He gave me a hard glance. I had a feeling his reluctance to answer had more to do with his stubbornness than his grudge against me.

“I’m late, Violet.”

He held my hand as he walked me to my car. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled the collar of my jacket so we were a hair away from our lips touching.

“My cock will text you.” He graced me with another slow and devastating kiss. This man had moved me. Pulling away from his kiss, I saw it in his eyes. I mattered. To Rhys I still mattered, and that was enough.

“Bye, Rhys.” It was the first time I said his name without consequence, and he gave me a knowing grin. I was pushing it again.

“You know why I wouldn’t let you say it?” He still held my collar and his scent was stirring me again.

“Why?” I asked as he noted his effect on me. I was dizzy at our proximity.

He leaned in closer. “Because the first time you said it, I knew no other woman could ever compete.”

“I knew you loved the way I said your name.” I smiled. “If I say it again, will you come home with me?”

“I can’t,” he said, giving me one last kiss. “Goodnight, Violet.”

“Night, Rhys.” He groaned playfully as I opened my door. This time he pulled out and gestured to me with his hand to go in front of him.

I slept better that night than I had in years.

R: The Barracks 10 pm. Ladies’ choice.

I read the message as I gave the last of the candy bowl to the neighboring children. If they only knew their neighbor was a sex crazed nymph at the moment, I was sure they would be snatching them away with a look of judgment on their faces. What exactly was I doing again? Didn’t I want to be a parent? Weren’t my dreams tied into a nice neat bow along with the rest of the world? My priorities were simple as a young adult: win the love a good man, have a successful marriage, and a child to go with it. It wasn’t exactly original.

I had plenty of time; I knew it. Today was a day that reminded me that time was of the essence. I was thirty-three. I took a hard look in the mirror after my shower. A slight touch of crow’s feet, a little dimple in my thighs here and there, I could live with that.

“Overall, you still look good, girl.” I laughed as I jiggled my butt a little for effect. “And you are slightly insane too, Vi.”

Then again, no one makes it out of this life unscathed. Normal was an illusion, and every single person on earth had flaws and idiosyncrasies, no matter how well they were hidden. Why I was suddenly ashamed at my increase in libido and blatant sexual appetite was beyond me. There were millions of people out there who daydreamed about the way I’d been fucked in the last two months and never had the guts to actually ask for it.

Not to mention you swore you wouldn’t beat yourself up about it, Vi.

Also, it’d opened a whole new world to me, which led me to my current happy place: Rhys. We had started texting again regularly and he promised that as soon as he could he would take me out and we could start fresh. He had some interested buyers in the club. Between his day job, his family obligations, and trying to get out from under the club, his time was limited. I told him that was fine as long as he made my birthday memorable. Clearly, he intended to.

I pulled up the black stockings and attached them to the garter belt. I’d gone all out tonight. I found a set of really interesting leather lingerie, and while it wasn’t exactly comfortable, it looked hot! I hoped to make him squirm a little, though my beautiful man rarely did. My stomach fluttered with anticipation. This might be my best birthday yet. I pulled out a simple dress, knowing it didn’t matter what covered what lay beneath, and some sassy red heels and I was ready.

I was making my rounds in my house to turn the lights off and went to shut the front door. I’d left the screen door open all night due to the large amount of trick or treaters. I heard a shuffle of footsteps in the dining room next to me and gasped when I felt a hand cover my mouth.

“Don’t you fucking scream.” I saw a dark silhouette raiding my dining room and realized quickly I was being robbed while I had been shaking my stupid naked ass in the mirror. I lived in an amazing residential area that hardly had an ounce of crime. Well, until … until, now.

Terror raced through me as I realized just how bad the situation was. My phone was in my purse that was being removed as I thought of it by the man gripping my mouth.

“Where’s your husband?” He lifted his hand briefly and I spoke softly, not wanting to rock the boat. “He’ll be home soon.”

“Well then we better hurry.” He dug his erection into my back. I felt my eyes well. “Don’t worry, baby, we don’t have time for that. I’ll come back for it later.” His smell was putrid and I gagged against his hand. He slapped the side of my head with an open hand.

I heard glass breaking all throughout the house and felt the rage build. I hadn’t realized the man held a knife to my throat until I protested his hold and felt the sting of it. The blood seeped slowly out and I whimpered.

God, no, if he is going to kill me, please make it quick.

All I could think of were those trick or treaters and how I would leave this world without ever knowing what it was like to be a mother. The only people who would attend my funeral would be my parents, maybe a few realtor acquaintances, and Molly.

And Rhys
.

My chest heaved as I panicked. Rhys was waiting for me. I’d just gotten him back. If I didn’t show, what would that tell him? Would he even bother to find out why? I heard more glass breaking as I stood still, listening to the pig behind me breathe as he held my life in his hands. I couldn’t move my neck to get a better look at him. I heard a loud crash in the kitchen and jumped, feeling the knife go deeper. I held my whimper in.

I had done nothing in my life but live for a man for the last few years. I had nothing to show, no legacy to leave. What could they say at my funeral? What had I done that truly mattered? In that twenty seconds of rational thought, I’d come to two conclusions.

One, I didn’t want to die.

Two, if I lived through this, I would have new priorities.

“Stupid bitch doesn’t have anything here worth shit!” His partner came in and pulled up my left hand. I tried to take inventory but it was impossible besides height and weight due to the fact he was wearing a Halloween mask. He leaned in and I flinched, even more terrified as his disfigured clown mask inched closer to my face.

“Where is your wedding ring?” The truth that set me free might get me killed. I leaned into the man holding me prisoner as the knife dug in deeper.

“I sold it,” I said truthfully. He didn’t like my answer. I got backhanded and was unable to recover before I felt the next blow. The man released me from his grip and I felt the warmth spurt up my cheek and no longer had any clue what was happening as I took blow after blow. I refused to beg for my life. Somehow, I knew it wouldn’t help.

And then everything went black.

I came to on the floor, noticing my purse had been ransacked and was a few feet away on the floor. I moved toward the blue light as my head pounded. I felt the moisture on the floor and raised my hand to see it was blood. Fear raced through me as I reached my phone. The black was creeping back in. I fought it hard, sliding my thumb across my phone to open it. A text message came through as I grabbed it. I swiped the screen with my thumb again, trying to see through the streak of blood that I’d just put on it.

R: I’m leaving. I can’t stay.

He’d just sent it at midnight. It was 12:01 a.m.

I only managed to type one word and hit send.

V: Help

I knew the minute Rhys was by my side. He pulled me into his lap, then I heard cursing and his call for help before I was out again.

“Home invasion…didn’t take much…big items…neighbors saw nothing.” I heard the words coming from an unrecognizable voice as I faded in and out. I tried to open my eyes at the prodding of the voice directly above me.

“Violet, can you hear me?” I moaned and reached for the top of my head and my arm was brought back down.

“Listen to me, Violet, I’m going to get you to the hospital. I just need you to tell me you can hear me.”

“Yes,” I said, growing cold suddenly. I looked among the people crowding my entryway, searching for the pair of eyes that could make me forget, just for a second, the pain I was in. As soon as I wished for them, they were there. “Rhys,” I said, pleading for him silently not to leave.

“You are going to be okay, Violet, you are.” His voice was hoarse and his shirt covered in blood—my blood. His kiss on my wrist had tears coming down fast.

“Rhys,” I croaked, unable to keep from shaking.

“Violet, honey, I know you’re upset, but you can’t do that now.”

Another paramedic spoke to me now, waving her hands in front of my face to catch my eyes. She was a beautiful black woman with short hair and kind eyes. I gave her my attention.

“You have lost a lot of blood, baby, you need to stay with me, okay?” I looked back to Rhys and realized the woman above me was pressing hard on my neck. I felt the pinch of the pressure and winced. I fought the pain and turned to look at him again.

“He knows you love him, honey. If he didn’t before, he knows now. Don’t you, Rhys?” He nodded quickly as tears streamed down his face. “I do.”

“See, he knows. No, Violet, stay with me. Stay with me now—She’s crashing!”

I went in and out, thankful for every uncomfortable situation I was in, every bit of sleep that was interrupted, because it meant I was still here, still alive and fighting. I felt hands grab mine at times and then it was silent. I had no sense of time, only the bright light that greeted me each time I was interrupted from my slumber. I felt a warm soothing sensation flow through me from time to time and basked in the feeling, letting it warm me and take me to a more peaceful place.

I opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the light in the room. I awoke knowing what happened, but jerked anyway with the amount of activity I had to absorb since I’d been out. I heard my mother’s voice instantly.