“I had a feeling that was something to do with it all,” said Kiefer. “He kept talking about a birth certificate and some other forgeries. But I never put two and two together.”“Well, she told me to go, as a matter of fact. Told me that I was no good, that it was all my fault.”“And you believed her, you left her?” Asked Kiefer.My phone began to ring, I bring out the phone and I check them, when I check the screen , my grandparents were calling, I didn’t want to speak with them but then I thought of their safety.I picked the call.“ Hello? My Grandmom began to scold me over the phone.“Riley, How could you abandon your wife?! Listen and listen carefully, I want my granddaughter in law and my grand kids back home, bring them back home” she said firmly.I hanged the call and look towards Kiefer.“ You can’t just sit here because she pushed you away?I scowled, then looked away. “I don’t have to justify myself to a man who walked out on his own family,” I said. “I did my best to help. B
Not until I know they are safe.Inside the tower, it was musty and damp, and water dripped from the tall places and plashed on the floor beside me as I climbed the metal staircase around the sides of the structure. It seemed to take forever, and more than once, I had to stop to catch my breath, which I was drawing in and out of my lungs in painful gasps. I tried to be quiet. What if Lena heard me and decided to act?What if she and Amanda and their men are there?Eventually, I saw a doorway to my right, and entered through it. But I almost fainted when I looked down.I was high-up now, on a gantry, some fifty or sixty feet above the ground. It ran around the whole length of the warehouse, and two platforms ran across its center, connecting the pair of them. I stepped gingerly back, trying not to look at the distance stretching down below me.“Well, if it isn’t Chloe.Chloe Anderson . Or is it Chloe Sam?”It was Lena. She stepped out from the shadows, calling to me. Then Amanda walked to
RILEY.“Well,look who’s come to join the party,” said Lena. “And just in the nick of time, too.” “ What a perfect way to have a wedding between you and my daughter”I scoff.“ So what has my wife and kids got to do with all of this ? I ask.“ Uhm…Lena scoffs, who’s with you?“Check for yourself” I said.Is men quickly rush out and return that I was the only one. Really could that be true, how did I know here if there is no one with me? I thought.“ Okay, why should I fight you, my mom and dad was murdered by you and now I am sure your plan is for me to get married to your daughter so that you will have that total right to my inheritance” I said.“Well,well well, Your father was a bastard, I proposed marriage to him but he went ahead to marry your mom and to add to it all, he found out my truth , he was going to block my avenue to run my father’s company which has flopped, I had to do the needful” Lena said.“ So that you can continue stealing and you succeeded in doing that for twenty
“I think we need it,” I said.“Where is daddy? Henry asked.Not long Russell O’Rourke stood at the door, he stepped in. My sons backed up in their separate bed in fear.“It’s okay, kids,” I said, giving her a reassuring glance. “This is the man who saved you.”“Judging by what the ballistics guys have just told me,” growled O’Rourke, “it was Riley who saved the two of you.”I lowered my eyes, and felt a rush of blood spread to my cheeks.“Daddy was the hero,” Harry asked, and suddenly I felt tears rushing up through my body.“Yeah,” I said. “He was.” And I began to cry.***Sara came to sit with my kids for a while. There was something I knew I had to do. If I didn’t do it now, I wouldn’t sleep a wink. And more than anything, I needed to sleep now. Needed to know that the nightmare was over.Only, it wasn’t.Because Riley hadn’t woken up yet.When Lena had gone over the side, Riley had gone with him. Lena was handcuffed to a bed in a different hospital somewhere.He was medicated out
RILEYFew days later we return home, our kids were having nightmares.My Grandparents have been helpful, they came spend some few days with us then left, they always call to know about our well being. they couldn’t sleep alone, we had to share bed with them I practically left her off balance when I leaped from the shower and kissed Chloe. But then, as I cradled her, with nothing but a towel around my waist, she put a hand knowingly to her lips. And then I remembered that our kids were fast asleep.“It’s three walls of soundproofed insulation,” I said.“I still want to be quiet,” Chloe said, playfully.I grinned and wrapped my arms around her head as I kissed her. In turn, she put her arms around me, and the feeling of the soft linen material of her shirt as it pressed against my naked back was ecstasy. In the low light of my bedroom, I picked her up easily, and span her as we kissed, making her a little dizzy. By the time I threw her onto the bed, cushioning her fall with my arms, I
Once we’d figured out what normal was.“What are you thinking?” I said, and Chloe turned around, and smiled. But there was a sadness in her eyes.“Been a long time since anyone asked me that,” she said.“I’m making it my business to know these days,” I said, as I took her in my arms. I cradled her waist and pulled her up to me, and we kissed, her eyes glinting with the far-off neon and streetlights of New York City beneath us.“I’m thinking that I’m going to miss this view,” she said.“You don’t have to miss it just yet,” I said. “After all, you’re still going to need to find a new apartment.”“I guess so,” she said thoughtfully. “And a job.”“Well, when the company’s rebuilt in November, I’ll be sure to give you a ring.”“Actually, I was thinking that I’ve been working as a PA for too long,” said Chloe.“ I want to earn better now and go back to my crumbled business” Said Chloe.“The jewelry business…..uh?she nodded.“ I guess the boys need a little sister?She looks up to me.“not no
NICOLE I run up the dirty steps to get out of the NYC Subway system, cursing the backed-up trains, and tapping frantically on my phone. I can still save the morning, get to work on time, and make a good impression on my new boss if I take a ride share. I can get to work in...I hold my breath, watching the app’s loading signal. Ten minutes. That’s when the nearest car can get to me. I blow out a sigh of relief and wrap my puffy coat tighter against the winter cold. I can make that work. In my headphones, Summer walker is breathlessly singing about throwing a wish in the well. I love this song because you can hear the smile in her voice. I take a few more deep breaths and remind myself thatthis timethings are going to work out. For good. I wait for my heartbeat to slow from a sprint to a jog. The truth is, I’d be a knot of anxiety, even without the backed-up trains. I'm a 26-year-old graphic designer, and I have the worst possible luck with jobs. First there was the theater company t
Carlos puts a drink on the bar, and I snatch it before the Suit can. Victory, I think. And immediately I feel a little stronger, tougher, more formidable. I wonder if this feeling is why men are obsessed with winning. “Hey,” Nathan says, his voice low and stern enough to give a woman fantasies. Not me though. I am fantasy free. “That’s mine,” he says. “No, it’s mine,” I say, taking a swig of coffee. And then I’m coughing and gagging because of how black and bitter it is. No, it’s mine,” I say, taking a swig of coffee. And then I’m coughing and gagging because of how black and bitter it is. So much for the victory tasting sweet. “Never mind,” I croak, as Carlos sets my bagel and coffee on the counter. I pass this coffee to the Suit. “This one’s yours.” He looks down at the lipstick stain on the coffee lid with distaste. Then his phone buzzes, and he swears. He takes the coffee from me, and my stomach does a weird buzzy thing when our fingers touch. Probably leftover adrenaline
"I don't know what to think anymore Nathan. This is all just like a nightmare. I may never see her again, or my child. The thought scares me more than anything.""Don't lose hope my friend. I am certain that we will find Nicole eventually. Nothing bad has happened to her. Nicole is a strong lady; she can survive anything. I have a very good feeling that she's doing well. We will find her soon."NICOLE"Ash! Are you leaving already?" Claudia asked, coming into the house. She carried a bag with her, containing some items. Claudia is my close friend from college."Yes Claudia, my presentation at work starts in an hour." I was packing my bags, ensuring that I'm not missing anything. I checked to make sure that my health insurance card and phone are in the bag. I was going to visit the hospital right after work for my prenatal care. The hospital was just a few miles away from where I work.Four months have passed since I had met Claudia at the O’Hare airport as soon as I got into the city.
"He left? Where did he go to? Did he say where he was going?" I asked frantically."No, sir. He didn't mention where he was going. He only packed up his stuff and started leaving in a hurry, he was trying to call someone on the phone as he left"."Are you Ok, sir?" One of the employees asked. I ignored her and thought of what I could do next.It had been 3 months since Nicole disappeared with no trace and I hadn’t been able to get hold of Justin, either. He also left IM Corp after taking a few days off after that day.I received Justin’s contact information and tried to have face to face conversations with him several times, but there was no response from him. Eventually, I hired a private investigator to help me find them. One day, they informed me that they had found Justin working at another tech company, Sinews and living in a new apartment in the city.I cancelled my meetings for the rest of the day and hurried over to see Justin at Sinew with Nathan."Welcome to Sinews. How may
"How official!" He mocked, shielding his body from another violent hit from me."You're just crazy. Please don't forget to get me the plane ticket. I'll be all packed up and waiting for you to return this evening"."Alright. I'll be leaving now. I made you breakfast. Try not to throw up, please. It took me an hour to make those waffles.""An hour? Just to make waffles? Did you use sunlight to cook them?" I rolled my eyes at him. "All for some tasteless waffles."“Hey, if they were tasteless maybe you should save some for me. I didn’t want all that effort to go to waste.” He left the room while I laughed. I was certainly going to miss Justin. That is for sure!NATHAN"What happened? I heard Nicole resigned.” Nathan stormed into my office. I was totally in shock."What are you talking about? You informed me she was feeling unwell yesterday and asked for a sick leave. Isn't that why she still didn't turn up for work today? I checked her office today, but she wasn't there"."Yeah, yeah. I
“You are the most amazing man in the world. Do you know that? Wait. Don’t answer. I already know what you’re going to say.” A smile fell upon her lips.“Damn right, I am.” I kissed her.Our wedding was a blast. Between the alcohol, great conversations, and all the dancing everyone did, we all had a great time.I was talking with my brothers and cousins when Henry and Aunt Barb walked over.“Boys. I’m happy you’re all together. There’s something I need to tell you.”“What’s up, Mom?” Stefan asked.“Henry asked me to marry him, and I’ve accepted his proposal.” She held out her hand.“WHAT?” Simon spit out his drink.My brothers and I looked at each other and didn’t say a word.“Mom, are you serious?” Sam asked.“Very serious. Do you not see the diamond on my finger, Samuel?”“You haven’t known each other that long,” Sebastian said.“It doesn’t matter if we knew each other for a week. When you know you’re meant to be with someone, you know. Isn't that right, darling?" She kissed his chee
“Good. Then I’ll be connecting your credit card to my Amazon account.”“Now, now, Nicole. Let’s not get all crazy.”She laughed as I pulled her into me.“Shall we go greet our guests and thank them for coming to our wedding?” she asked.“Yeah. Let’s go.” I grabbed her hand. “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone.” I smirked.“Very funny.”NICOLEAfter the DJ announced us, we stepped into the ballroom while all of our guests shouted and clapped.“I’m going to grab a drink. Do you want a water or something?” Nathan asked.“Water would be great.”“I’ll be right back.” His lips met mine.“In case I haven’t told you. You look gorgeous.” Jackson smiled as he kissed my cheek.“Thank you, brother-in-law.” I grinned.“Hey, bro.” Conner walked over and handed me my drink.“This place looks as beautiful as it did when Georgia and I got married,” Jackson said.“Thanks. I did a good job, didn’t I?” A grin crossed Conner’s lips.“Excuse me?” I laughed.“What?” He cocked his head. “You were stil
“Thank you.”“Gabriel. Grayson.” She walked over and hugged them. “It’s good to see you both again.”“Good to see you too, Barb.” Grayson smiled.“So, Mom.” Simon walked over and hooked his arm around her. “We’re going to have a little chat once the wedding is over.”“A chat about what, Simon?”“About you and what’s going on.”“Nothing is going on, darling. Put your detective instincts away.” She patted his chest. “I’ll see you boys in the Gardens.”“Your bowtie is crooked.” Nathan walked over and straightened it. “Are you ready?” He gripped my shoulders."Are you? Your day will be here before you know it.”“Speaking of,” Jackson spoke. “Have you and Sofia set a date yet?”“No. Not yet. We’re discussing it.” He smiled.“It’s time,” Christian said as he glanced at his watch. “Let’s go get you married.” He patted my back.* * *I stood there with my brothers and cousins and wasn’t nervous. This day almost didn’t happen for two reasons. One was because we weren’t sure if Nicole was going
I think about it for a moment and realize that I really should focus on building my relationship with my Fiancee and baby daddy. We can do all of that later but now we should focus on knowing each other.Even though we should think of focusing on our upcoming project. He cocks his head slightly. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?I love you and I want to be with you and who knows? I could die before you.”Nathan glares at me. “Don’t talk about dying,” he replies angrily.“But it’s the truth, anything can happen so the age difference doesn’t bother me.”Nathan exhales. “What about your parents then? We should meet them again ?”Laughing, I shake my head. For what?. But I stopped letting them tell me how to live my life a long time ago. They are just going to have to accept you and love you like I do.” I smile at him and lean forward to kiss him.The kiss grows deeper, but Nathan pulls away before it can turn into something more. “If you weren’t so sore right now, I would take you right h
Her back bows,body quivering and thighs clenching as our bodies grow slick with heat and sweat. Soon enough, she stiffens and shatters in my arms, reaching that desired peak for the second time in minutes.I watch her with adoration,marveling at how extraordinary she looks right now as she rides her pleasure. Groaning loudly now, with her name on my lips, I follow her swiftly, thrusting with careless abandon until we are both riding that high.Later that night,after whipping up something for us to eat, I feed it to Nicole with one hand while grazing her hip with my other hand.After chewing and swallowing,she clears her throat and stares at me curiously. “What made you change your mind?” She asks.“What do you mean?”I reply, handing her another bite which she takes in her mouth.“Well,maybe you cast you spell on me, I am not doing al of this because of the baby alone but because I believe you will be the best daughter to Kiera and our unborn and I love you so much.”I drop the plate o
Slowly,my hands trail her upper body and settle on her breasts. Gently I squeeze both just as my mouth peppers kisses along her neck. She quivers, moaning loudly as my mouth descends on her nipple. Never before have I felt this way with any woman, not even Bridget whom I once loved.Although everything is happening so fast,I make sure to remain gentle with her and I take my time caressing her body, learning every inch of it. I am just as eager to pleasure her as much as I am pleasured, if not more.Suddenly,I pick her up and rise from the couch with her thighs wrapped around me. I carry her towards the bedroom she slept in the last time we were here. Once we’re in there, I place her feet gently on the floor and drop a kiss on her forehead before proceeding to pull off my own clothes and underwear.I guideher to the perfectly made bed and help her lie on it before going to lie beside her. “You are an enigma, Nicole, so beautiful,” I whisper into her ear as I begin to trail my mouth acr