Page 81 of Deadly Conflicts

22

Twenty-Two

“Jake and Jamesare going to rip your heart out and feed it to you!”

Ally rubbed her arm, glaring at Vince as he paced behind the couch. He broke through her front window minutes after she locked him out. She had time to press the panic button on the security system before he physically threw her into the couch, but she couldn’t find her phone in time to call for help. She had to hope the security company would call the police because Vince was obviously deranged.

“Oh, your brother couldn’t find his own ass with both hands,” Vince snapped. “He’s not going to do anything to me.”

“You’re dumber than you look,” Ally said, frowning at the angry red marks on her arm. They would eventually bruise, which ticked her off more than the broken window for some reason. “You’d better hope the police get you before Jake does. He’ll kill you.”

“What is it with you and the carny?” Vince exploded. “He doesn’t even wear a suit, for crying out loud.”

Ally rolled her eyes. Despite the surreal situation – and Vince’s erratic mannerisms – she didn’t believe he truly meant to harm her. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t if he was boxed in, of course. She had no idea what his agenda was, but she knew she had to keep him talking until help arrived.

“I love Jake,” Ally said. “I love him with every fiber of my being. I don’t care that he doesn’t wear a suit. Who needs a suit? He looks great in his jeans and I like him even better when he’s naked.”

Vince shot Ally a challenging look. “You used to like me when I was naked, too.”

“Yes, well, I used to like soaking up the sun and the occasional cigarette back then as well,” Ally said. “That doesn’t mean any of those things were good for me.”

“Oh, come on, Ally,” Vince prodded. “We were great together.”

“And then you left and I realized that I just thought we were great together,” Ally said. “The reality was something much different. You didn’t care about me. You didn’t even really care about yourself. We never had long conversations where we bared our souls and admitted what frightened us … or what the future held.”

“And your carny does that?”

Ally ignored the “carny” remark. She knew Vince was only using it to get a rise out of her and she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. “Jake is my soul mate.”

Vince made an incredulous face. “Your soul mate? Do you really believe in that crap?”

“The fact that you don’t just tells me how stupid I was to spend time with you,” Ally replied. “I do believe that there is one person out there for everyone. Jake is that person for me.”

“And why do you think that?”

“He listens to me when I’m upset. He enhances my dreams when I tell him about them. He’s always excited to see me. He comforts me when I’m afraid.”

“So he’s like a dog? Is that what you’re saying?”

Ally scowled. “Jake is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“And yet he hasn’t married you,” Vince said, returning to his old refrain. “Doesn’t that tell you something?”

“Yes, that it’s not time yet,” Ally answered, not missing a beat. “He’ll propose when he’s ready.”

“And what if he never does?”

“He will.”

“How can you have blind faith in him like that?” Vince asked, leaning over the back of the couch and making Ally’s skin crawl. “If he loved you he would’ve already proposed.”

“You can’t mess with my head where Jake is concerned,” Ally said, relieved to find she actually meant it. “I know he loves me. I feel it in my heart. I don’t know why you’re here … I don’t know what you expect to accomplish … but you can’t make me doubt Jake, so stop trying.”

“Well, I guess it was worth a shot.” Vince didn’t appear overly upset by Ally’s admonishment. “As for why I’m here, I think you’re going to be pleasantly surprised.”

“Oh, why?” Ally adopted a mocking tone. “Are you here to steal my virtue?”

“You gave that away for free a long time ago,” Vince said. “It wasn’t that good to begin with so don’t let your ego get away from you.”