"Well, I have to go now but I'll be seeing you," Nikolai said. With a smile and a jaunty wave, he was gone, leaving me to deal with the aftermath of our little tryst.Maggie was still standing in the doorway, looking at me. I turned to her slowly, sheepishly."Guess what?" I asked. Her eyebrow shot up in question.I raised the key in my hand in front of her face and jiggled it.She frowned. "What is that?" "Nikolai bought me a car," I said.Maggie gasped. She leapt forward and snatched the key from my hand. She gushed as she examined the key closely, turning it over in her palm over and over again.What she walked in on--or out on--was completely forgotten in that moment."He bought you a car!?" She exclaimed.I nodded. "It's in the parking lot," I supplied, starting to feel giddy again as I caught on to Maggie's excitement."Take me to see it right this minute!" She demanded.I giggled. "Yes, ma'am. Right this way." I stepped aside, bowed and pointed in the direction of the stai
~ Bella ~The drive home that evening was slow; really show, as I contemplated the approach to take in presenting Nikolai's gift to me to Parker.Parker was a sweetheart so I knew he wouldn't raise too much of a fuss but he would probably have questions and I wasn't sure how to go about answering them.I loved the car so much already and I knew that even if I didn't, Nikolai wasn't likely to take the car back. So it was mine.The only other option if Parker insisted on me returning it would be to sell it off or give it away but I really didn't want to.I pulled up to the house and saw that Parker's car was already parked out in front. I pulled in behind his car and sat in the car quietly. But he must have heard my car pulling in because the door opened soon after and Parker walked out with a smile.The smile turned to a look of shock when he realized that there was an entirely different car in the parking space and I was in it.He walked towards me slowly, circling the car contempla
~ Bella ~"Maggie? Maggie? Hi!" I said, running around my room, blindly grabbing clothes and tossing them onto my bed."I just got a call from the police station now..." I paused to listen to her question. "No, I haven't been commiting any crimes... No, I am not being arrested."She let out a stew of more words. I listened impatiently, my feet tapping restlessly against the floor."Maggie!" I finally cut in. If I didn't stop her, she could continue talking for hours and I didn't have all the time in the world."I just got a call that one Darrell Shelby is at the station and says I'm his lawyer. Do you have any idea who that is?" I asked."Darrell Shelby?"she repeated. "I don't know who that--hold on, give me a second. I want to check something."While she checked whatever she was checking, I continued looking through my clothes for something to wear.Before having my bath, I'd tossed my clothes into the laundry and I couldn't imagine wearing them again.That meant that I had to start
~ Bella ~I arrived at the station first. Nikolai was no where to be found but I wasn't surprised by that. I'd only just called him a few minutes ago.I couldn't wait for him though so I went in on my own.This station was in a different precinct entirely from the one I was interrogated at but it was still so similar that I had to stop for a second when I walked in.Officers sat at different desks or bustled around the room, taking down statements, leading people away and so on.My brain dug up my memories of that day and flashed them into my mind and I immediately had a little panic attack.No one paid me any mine. They were all too busy. And it was better that way honestly because I couldn't imagine them taking me seriously if they did and I needed them to take me seriously if I was going to help my client.We already faced enough issues as female lawyers. There was no need to add this to it.I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I took a few more until I felt the bile in
~ Bella ~"What the hell is going on here?" a voice boomed behind me.The man dragging me back stopped, just as shocked as everyone else in the room.Confusion warred on their faces but for me, my heart leaped with joy as I immediately recognized the voice."I said, what the hell is going on here?" Nikolai repeated clearly.The man holding me began to turn backwards but he didn't get to turn very far. The first thing I felt was the steel of the gun leave my face. It left behind it's cold imprint on my temple.Nikolai must have grabbed the gun from him. My knees went weak as I imagined what could have happened if the gun went off in the process but Nikolai did a smooth job.The next thing I felt was the man's body yanked away from me. But because he had his hands and the chain around him, it yanked me with him.The chain dug into my neck, choking me. I gulped like a fish, trying and failing to pull it off.Nikolai circled around the man and came to stand in front of me. 'Apparentl
~ Bella ~Dylan Shelby smiled at me familiarly. "Remember me, Bella?"I blinked in surprise. "Am I supposed to?" I asked, instinctively leaning closer to look at him. I squinted at his face.From the moment he walked into the room, he'd struck me as someone familiar but I'd assumed be simply had one of those faces.He was a good looking man, that was for sure. But wouldn't I know if I'd met such a good looking man before?Something niggled at my memory. Dylan... Dylan Shelby.... Dylan! "Oh my god! You're Dylan! Dylan Myers."He smiled and nodded. "That's right, little Bell. About time you remembered me.""Oh my gosh! You've grown do much!" Now I remembered why he looked so familiar and yet so unfamiliar at the same time.The memory of the face was over a decade younger. Dylan Myers had attended the same school as I did.He was in high school when I was in middle school. I'd had the biggest crush on him back then. I'd followed him around like a love sick puppy back then and somehow, h
~ Nikolai ~Bella, Bella!She didn't know how close I was to ripping Dylan's head off his shoulder.Or I suppose I should say 'Little Bell' Instead. I scoffed.Her face was as bright as a tomato, eyes shining like little stars.If I didn't know better, I'd think this guy was the one who put the stars in the sky.I'd never seen her look at me like that. Hell, she'd never looked at Parker that way either.It was so child-like. Like a child seeing cotton candy for the first time.It was infuriating...and she'd never looked so pretty.I frowned at Dylan and leaned forward, purposely cutting off their stupid little staring game.One more second and Karl would pop out snarling and we'd have a bloody murder on our hands.Murdering someone in the middle of a police station probably wouldn't be the best."That's not the important question here," I pointed out.Thanks to Bella being so wonder-struck, she wasn't even asking the real questions here.The man was sitting here in jail. It wasn't bec
~ Bella ~After making that scary as hell declaration, Nikolai stormed off, leaving me in the parking lot.I knew he wanted me to believe that he would kill Dylan or anyone who showed the remotest interest in me, but I couldn't bring myself to do it."What was that about?" I heard behind me suddenly.I spun around. "Oh, Dylan! Sorry, I didn't hear you come up.""What was that about?" he repeated, frowning. "He's not threatening you or anything, is he?" he demanded.Before I could even answer, Dylan was suddenly off his feet.Literally! He was dangling with his feet off the ground while Boulin held him up by the scruff of his neck."Oh my gosh, Boilin!" I screamed. "Put him down right this minute!" He gave me a side eyed look."I know him! He's the client I came here to see!" Hearing that, he finally let Dylan down and stamped away to stand a few steps away from us.Dylan watched with walk away with a shocked look on his face."What the hell is that," he muttered. "It's not a thing.