Victoria (12 page)

The connection was alive and well, according to her natural and strong response while he caressed her body.

There was no way she didn't love him or want to be with him as much as he wanted her.

"Hey, Steven! Get your rear back inside! This party is for you!” He heard his father yell from the back door and reluctantly, put the thoughts on hold as he headed back inside Phill's.

Through the binoculars, he watched as Victoria pulled into her driveway. He was careful not be seen, knew he was taking a chance by watching this closely, but he couldn't resist. He wanted her now, needed to have her, and the decision made. She wasn't part of his plan, but once he'd met her and gotten to know her, he couldn't get her out of his head. She would be difficult at first, but he loved a challenge, and so far, none of his victims had given him any, especially, not the drunken, greedy cop who was out cold in the backseat.

She, however, would remain alive the longest, and if she cooperated, she could be his until he got bored of her. Either way, the pleasure of getting away with another murder was invigorating. He was on a high right now, unstoppable.

Observing her every move as she got out of the car, he was certain she was the one. Besides his body's sexual alertness from the sight of her, something else sent a spark of curiosity through his system—the slow motion of her body as she exited the driver's side then closed the door, the slim fitting pants, and the fitted blouse. He could clearly see the cleavage emerge between her abundant breasts.

His fingers slowly magnified the image, zooming into her close with the binoculars as his breath caught in his throat.

He re-adjusted his sitting position, focused on her face and her complexion while the anxiety built.

Red eyes, blotchy chest, deep inhales and exhales of breath, something was wrong. She was upset and had been crying. His first inclination was to run to her, console her, embrace her, feast on his Victoria. Reminding himself it wasn't the time, he studied her instead.

Zooming in closer as she leaned her head back against the car, clutched the purse against her chest, he could see the droplets of tears clinging to her long, dark eyelashes.

What or who had caused this sadness?

His breathing grew deeper the longer he watched her. The sight of her, so feminine and needy, caused his insides to heat, his manhood to throb, and his lustful stare to intensify.

As if she sensed his presence, Victoria pushed away from the car, glanced around appearing panicked then quickly headed for the front door. Dropping her keys on the landing, glancing over her shoulder directly toward where he watched her, she finally managed to unlock the door and enter.

He knew she couldn't see him, yet he felt she sensed his presence. It was a sure sign that they are destined to be together.

Disappointment filled him the moment she disappeared behind the closed door. Soon, they would be together with no interruptions. Very soon.

Victoria got undressed and took a long hot bath. She had five messages on her answering machine and knew that at least one of them would be Celina. Victoria had seen Celina's cousin, Margaret, bartending at Phill's tonight.

Bret had called to say hello and ask about the ceremony on Sunday. That would be the next time she would see him and she was certain Steven would be there as well.

Just as she got into the hot bath, the phone rang, and she was glad to have a cordless phone as she answered it.

"It's me, baby. Are you all right? Do you want to talk about it? I can't even imagine what you're feeling right now.” Her mom's voice came softly through the receiver. Victoria lay in the tub with the phone by her ear, and she began to cry.

"Do you want me to come over? I can get dressed and be there in fifteen minutes?"

"No, Mom, it's all right. Everything is going to be fine. I can handle this."

"Well, what about Bret Collins? You're not serious about him, are you?"

"No, Mom, we've just started dating."

"I don't want to sound old-fashioned, Tory, but he's too old for you and his fear of commitment along with his reputation aren't encouraging. You're young, intelligent, beautiful. Don't sell yourself short, sweetie. I didn't,” Sherry said.

Victoria stayed silent. It was obvious Uncle Patrick hadn't told her mother about the latest angle in Dad's case.

"Listen, Mom, I'm fine and I really need to go. I'll see you on Sunday."

Victoria hung up, and once again, her head pounded and her heart ached. Thousands of images ran through her mind. Including the image she would never forget, her father's crime scene pictures. It was torture to look at them, but it kept her motivated to put the killer or killers behind bars.

Then visions of Steven emerged. He was alive, in the flesh, and she couldn't fully acknowledge it or show her relief and emotions.

The migraine made her stomach churn. The pain came on so suddenly and violently that she had to rush out of the tub. Slipping and nearly falling as her wet feet hit the tile floor en route to the toilet, she almost didn't make it in time. Pushing up the lid, but not having enough time to push up the seat, all at once, she threw up until there was nothing left but the dry heaves.

After cleaning up the bathroom and brushing her teeth, Victoria collapsed on the bed in a state of exhaustion.

Through the night, she dreamed such wild scenes, horrible visions, and acts of murder—a dirt pit filled with souls screaming. Bodies with no faces, gurgling for help. In the center was her father, beaten, bloodied, eyes full of fear.

She tried to reach out to him, she wanted to help, needed to help him, but something or someone held her back. Then suddenly, she heard a laugh, an evil cry of pleasure and amusement. Then ropes lay around her body, holding her arms, her legs together. She had lost all her power and control.

Victoria tried to break the restraints. She needed to save her father. Fear engulfed her body as she looked him in the eye, his disappointment plain as day and her heart broke into a thousand pieces.

The shadow in the darkness breathed down her neck, long hard breaths. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he smiled, amused at the scene, at Victoria's defeat. She turned her head to look at him, and she completely lost her breath.

The killer had no face, but every part of her knew who he was, and she woke up screaming.

Victoria, startled at hearing Uncle Jack's voice echo through her room, abruptly opened her eyes. It wasn't until she heard the message on her answering machine that she jumped up and interrupted her uncle.

"I'm here, Uncle Jack, what's wrong?"

He explained about her mother's reaction to the news about her father being involved with Linda Delaney.

"I'll be right over. I have to get dressed, and I'll be right there.” This was exactly what she'd feared.

The lack of peaceful sleep laid a toll on her body. Exhausted, nauseous, and feeling faint, she grabbed a roll, just to get something in her stomach. It was after eleven in the morning.

Twenty minutes later, Victoria arrived at her mom's house. Everyone was there. Her uncles, her aunts, cousins, and brother, Peter, sat in the kitchen and living room waiting for her to arrive.

Family support was never lacking in the Mardullo and Malley families.

"Where's Mom?” Victoria asked.

"She locked herself in her bedroom. She wants us all to leave her alone,” Aunt Jane said.

"So why don't you?"

"That's not what she needs. She shouldn't be alone,” Aunt Sarah, Uncle Jack's wife, responded.

"Let me try and talk to her.” Victoria headed upstairs.

"Is she going to drop Bret now that Steven is back in town?” Jane asked her husband.

"It doesn't look that way.” Patrick took a sip of water.

"She's acting pretty funny, definitely not herself. You should have seen her last night at Phill's. She loves Steven. It was obvious,” Peter added.

"Well, tomorrow is the anniversary of Danny's death. Maybe that's where it stems from?” Jane added thoughtfully.

Victoria knocked on her mother's door.

"Leave me alone. You're all a bunch of pains in the asses.” she yelled, and Victoria laughed.

"I know what you mean, Mom. They've done it to me too."

Her mother apologized and unlocked the door.

When Victoria entered the bedroom, she closed the door and locked it.

Her mom had the window open and smoked a cigarette.

"What are you doing with that? That shit is so bad for you, Mom."

"Ah, I found it in your father's top drawer. It was his cheating pack. Only eight are left.” She held onto the pack for dear life.

"So you heard the news about your father? It's not true, you know that, right, baby?"

"I know that, Mom, and I'm rather surprised that you're reacting this way. Who cares what anyone thinks. He was your husband, your partner and lover. Plus, he would never cheat on you."

Her mom was silent as she stared out the window.

"Why is that, Victoria?"

It was obvious to Victoria her mother felt a little insecure and needed some reassurance. She cautiously looked toward Victoria, seemingly needing to hear a positive answer.

"Because he knew that if you found out, you would chop off his you know what and serve it to him for dinner.” Victoria took the pack from her mom who was now laughing, and she lit a Marlboro Light for herself.

"You're right about that.” Her mom looked at the wedding picture that sat on the nightstand.

"I'm sure, not a day goes by, Mom that you don't think of him. He was a part of you, still is, and you need to look at those feelings, those memories, and the strength and power of the love you two had, still have. There's no way Daddy would have been involved with another woman. You already know that."

"I wish he was here right now, holding me, telling me in his own special way how foolish I'm acting. Neither of us were ever the jealous type, you know? I'll love him forever."

Victoria's eyes filled with tears, and her mom allowed her own tears to fall.

Victoria couldn't help but think of Steven. She took an enormous chance right now. She could lose him forever.

On the other hand, hadn't he chosen the war over her?

She loved her father and needed to find out the truth, to put his killer behind bars.

Her mom embraced her as the tears fell.

"Now what we really need is a bottle of some hard stuff and we'll be good to go,” Victoria said.

Her mother got off the bed and went into the closet.

Inside, on the top shelf was a nice crystal bottle of brandy along with matching crystal goblets.

"Mom, you're shocking me."

"I've had this for years.” She smiled as she held the bottle in her hands and appeared lost in some wonderful memory. “Your father and I would lay here late at night after, you know, and we'd have a drink with our fancy crystal goblets and expensive brandy. Only a little bit, though, because of the price of the stuff.” Sherry filled the two glasses.

Victoria laughed. “That doesn't sound like something any unhappy couple in an unhappy marriage would do."

Sherry got her daughter's message, and she wrapped her arms around Victoria's shoulders, then they sat together on the floor.

"Well, now that I've got that out of my system, what about you? What are you going to do about Steven and Bret?"

Victoria refilled their glasses with the brandy and was glad it went down so smoothly.

Her mom drank the first two shots rather quickly.

"I don't know, Mom. I just don't know."

"I know he hurt you, Tory. I understand the pain and the fear you went through after he left for the war. Soldier or not, he was still your man, your boyfriend, when he left. It wasn't easy was it?"

"No, Mom, it was hell and then some.” Both women took another slug of brandy from their goblets.

"He's back now and alive and well. Very well from what I'm hearing,” Sherry winked.

Victoria smiled.

"Tory, I can see that sparkle in your eyes at the mere mention of Steven's name. What are you doing? Don't you love him still?"

"I love him, Mom, but things have changed. I need to be ... careful."

"Well, you can't have them both. Or maybe you can, who knows.” Her mom giggled, obviously affected by the couple of shots of brandy she'd drank.

"Have you slept with Bret yet?"

"Mom, that's kind of personal."

"Honey, you're my daughter, and I want to save you the aggravation of making that kind of mistake. He's older, wealthy, and handsome, and has a great body, but twelve years is a big age difference. He won't fulfill your needs in bed like a man closer to your age will, nor will you be going through the same changes together like someone your own age will. This will matter later in life. Besides, he doesn't seem like the family man type. I know you want to start a family some day."

"I haven't slept with him, Mom, and I'm very confused right now."

"Steven loves you, baby. He wants to make it all up to you. I heard about the way you two looked at one another last night. The way he embraced you and you did the same. The love you have for one another is true and still very alive."

Victoria smiled, and placed her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I've changed, Mom. I've just recently gotten used to the fact that he didn't love me anymore, that he didn't care. Now I have to accept that he's alive and well. He can't expect me to just jump into his arms."

"Why not? Hear him out, baby. Find out why he didn't try to contact you, and if the reason isn't good enough, then make your decision and move on."

The two women sat silently, drinking too much too quickly, but enjoying the silence and each other's company.

"I love you, Tory, and I'm so proud of you."

"I love you too, Mom, and everything is going to be just fine."

"So do we unlock the door or what?"

"Nah. I'm not getting up,” Sherry said and Victoria laughed.

A while later, the bottle of brandy was half-empty and Sherry passed out on the bed. Victoria unlocked the bedroom door. There was silence downstairs. She assumed everyone had left as she took the picture of her parents off the nightstand.