My best friend Rob was the only other person aside from my father that knew about my job, and he didn’t even know about the house. I was a firm believer that everyone didn’t have to know everything. After we left the restaurant, I checked to make sure my father hadn’t put trackers on Vanya’s car or mine. I followed her to the hotel and made sure she made it in safely to get all of her things. I wouldn’t be able to stay at the house twenty-four seven to watch her, but the crib had cameras and a security system. There was also a panic room that I made in case I needed to hide from the police. The house had cost me a little less than a million dollars. At least someone would be living in and using it for a little while.
Vanya seemed more relaxed at the house, but there was still an air of uneasiness about her. That was to be expected though. “I won’t let you stay here the first night alone. I’ll be in my room.You good?” I asked as she stood in the center of the bedroom that I had shown her to.
“Yes, I’m good. Thank you.” Vanya gave me a small smile.
With a brief head nod, I left the room. Inside my ensuite bathroom, I stood underneath the running water in the shower and thought about the fact that I’d basically declared war against my own father. Never in life would I be so thirsty for power that I’d do my own kids wrong. Eventually, I’d get over Tasha. It wasn’t just about her. It was the principal. I wasn’t killing Vanya, and I was having fun watching my father be pissed off. If she hadn’t said anything to the police, I doubted that she would. He could have just given her the money and let her leave town, but he had to be in control of everything. God forbid someone had the balls to challenge Kalim Moore. He would have a damn fit.
Even though I didn’t stay at the house, I made sure to always have essentials stocked there. I could show up with nothing and have everything I needed in place. When I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and brushed my teeth. Since I wouldn’t be taking over the construction company, I had to come up with another idea for cash. It was about time for me to step away from contract killing.
Once my teeth were brushed, I walked into my bedroom and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs and some pajama pants. Since I was exhausted, I set the security alarm from my phone and got into bed. For as much as I paid for the mattress and the sheets, a good night’s rest had better happen. The shit was comfortable. So comfortable that I damn near moaned. A nigga was tired. So tired that I didn’t think twice about closing my eyes and going to sleep with Vanya in the house. I was trying to keep her alive. The dumbest thing in the world that she could have done was cross me.
CHAPTER 8
VANYA
Fallingasleep in Pearce’s house wasn’t easy. The home was gorgeous. The place was spotless, and I’d never felt a more comfortable bed in my life. But a rich, powerful man wanted me dead. No matter how physically tired I was falling asleep in the house of my enemy’s son was challenging. The exchange between them at the restaurant seemed very real. A blind man could have noticed the tension between the two of them. But they were father and son. What happened if they made up, and Pearce decided to go ahead and kill me the way he’d been hired to do.
Being in his home might not have been the smartest move but anywhere else, I was a sitting duck. As much as I tried to fight it eventually, the battle was lost, and I drifted off to sleep. When I opened my eyes rays of sun were peeking through the blinds. I stretched and realized that I’d actually gotten some good sleep. The drool on the pillow was one sign of that. Grabbing my phone off the nightstand, I looked at the screen and saw that it was after nine am. I slept way later than I had intended to, but it wasn’t like I had anywhere to go.
My leg wasn’t completely healed anyway. Standing on my feet for more than fifteen or twenty minutes made an achingpain shoot through my thigh like lightening striking during a thunderstorm. Just like using my arm too much did the same with my shoulder. I was almost out of pain medication and made a mental note to pick something up from the store. Could I go to the store? Would it be smart to be out in public by myself?
Pearce’s home was insanely gorgeous, but that still didn’t mean that I wanted to be a prisoner for weeks or even months. Thinking that Kalim would ever decide that he didn’t mind me being alive was more than likely delusional on Pearce’s part. I really didn’t see it happening, but he knew his father better than I did.
There was a light tap on my door. Clearing my throat I sat up. “Come in.”
The door eased open and when Pearce came into view my yoni throbbed. The resemblance between him and his father was almost scary, but Pearce was handsome. His looks aroused me while seeing his father’s face repulsed me. It was odd indeed.
“Hey. I need to run out for a few hours. You’re good here. When I leave, I’ll set the alarm from my phone. There’s food in the kitchen. You want me to bring you something back?”
“Um, maybe some Tylenol. I’m almost out of the medicine that the doctor prescribed me. And also um,” I bit my bottom lip. “Since I have a lot of time on my hands, I kind of wanted to braid my hair, but I need braiding hair.”
“Send me a picture of the hair that you want, and I’ll get it.”
“Thank you.”
Pearce closed the door, and I pushed out a sigh. His sexy ass was really protecting me from his father because if it was a lie and he was going to kill me, why drag it out? What would be the reason? He could have killed me last night. I heard the alarm system activating. Easing out of bed, I went over to my suitcase and removed clothes for the day and items to take a shower with. When I was dressed, I would call my mother and tell her that Iwas fine. I needed to think of a reason to tell her as far as why I wasn’t at home. She wanted to take care of me when I was discharged from the hospital, but I didn’t want to be at her house not knowing if Kalim was looking for me. That man had turned my entire life upside down. It was very easy to see why his own son disliked him. There wasn’t much to like about Kalim from what I’d seen.
Pearce shocked me when he stuck to his word and gave me $50,000. With that and the money I got from Kalim; I had enough to work with and really wanted to say forget the million. Something was absolutely better than nothing. I had an intense desire to look around the house, but I was sure he probably had cameras. There was nothing wrong with seeing where I would be staying, but I just didn’t want it to look like I was snooping. There was a television in my room, so I found something to watch. Ten minutes into the show, my stomach growled.
Pearce had a muscular physique. The kind that made him look like he knew his way around the gym. At dinner, he’d eaten steak and grilled shrimp. Hopefully, there was more than protein bars and frozen meals in the fridge. In the kitchen I found bread, sandwich meat, cheese, a variety of potato chips, Hot Pockets, eggs, sausage, grits, and a few other items. It was enough to make something shake. I had just cracked two eggs when my phone vibrated. Looking at the screen made me realize I’d never called my mother.
“Hey. How are you feeling today?”
I couldn’t tell my mother where I was and I for sure couldn’t tell her why I was there. Knowing her she would want to come by and visit, and I’d have to think of something to tell her. “I feel pretty good. Thinking about when I’m going to feel confident enough to drive to Florida and check things out there.”
“You’re really serious about moving?” she was trying to hide it, but I could hear the disappointment in my mother’s tone. Iwas her only child, and she didn’t want me in another state. She’d get used to it, and I’d come visit. Or she could come visit me.
“Yeah, I just need a change of scenery. You might even like it. If you wanted, you could move down. Stay with me until you get your own place. Just throwing it out there.”
My mother chuckled. “You know I’m stuck in my ways. I’ve been in Diamond Cove my entire life. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself in another state.”
“Ummm live. Experience new things. Shoot, for a second or two, I thought about moving to Thailand or somewhere over there where the cost of living, food, and healthcare is cheap.”
“Girl, if you hate me just say that. You done went from living in another state to another country.”
“What?” I laughed shocked by my mother being so dramatic. She didn’t even own a passport, so getting her to come visit me in another country would be a waste of begging.
My mother released a sigh. “You know I always want you to do what’s best for you. If possibly living in another country will make you happy then don’t rule it out. I just want you happy.”
