arrived at her friend’s condo. Stephanie paid and they headed into the building, toward the elevators.
The condos were upscale and a security guard sat at a booth up front. He nodded to them as they walked past.
The elevator ride, like most of her day, was spent in silence. Stepping off onto the twenty-second floor, they walked down the hallway and rang the doorbell on the nearest door. A woman in a tight black dress, with jewelry over every inch of her manicured and tanned hands, answered.
“Come here , sweetie,” she said, hugging her. “How you holding up?”
“Great actually,” Stephanie said. “I feel relieved. A little sad, but mostly relieved.”
“And who’s this?”
“Thomas . Thomas, this is my friend Cindy. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to her in private.” Before he could protest, she shut the door.
The condo was elegantly decorated , but to Stephanie, it felt like a hotel room. Considering the number of men Cindy had coming through here, maybe that was the look she was going for. They sat and Stephanie ran her fingers over the leopard-print blanket thrown over the white sofa.
“I never like d Paul,” Cindy said. “I didn’t tell you this, but at your wedding, I got the feeling he was hitting on me.”
“I’m sure he was.”
She rose and walked to the kitchen, returning with two glasses of wine. “Can I ask you something personal? Why’d you marry him? You’re ten times smarter than me and I saw he was a sleazeball the first time I met him.”
“I don’t know. It was a combination of loneliness and his charm I guess.”
“Well I hope you skinned him in the divorce.”
“He doesn’t have any money,” she said, sipping her wine. “It was all my money.”
“Well did you at least—”
A loud thump sounded against the door. It was sudden enough that both women looked over. Cindy took another sip of wine and then rose to see what it was. She opened the door but didn’t see anyone out in the hall.
Shutting the door and locking it, she said, “Your bodyguard’s not there.”
“He probably went for a walk or something. I actually need a little break from him.”
“So,” Cindy said, sitting back down, “what were we talking about? Oh yeah, Paul being a piece of shit.”
“I—”
The doorbell rang. Cindy placed her glass down and swore under her breath as she walked to the door and opened it. Outside, several men stood staring at her. The one closest to her wore a suit and was balding with glasses. He smiled as he pushed his way past her.
“Excuse me,” Cindy said, grabbing his shoulder.
The man twisted around and flicked her wrist in a way that sent waves of pain through her. She yelped as another man came up behind her and pressed his hand against her mouth. Once all the men were inside the condo, they shut the door behind them.
“Hello , Congresswoman,” the man with glasses said. “Please sit back down.”
Stephanie watched as the man holding Cindy thrust out his tongue and licked her ear before putting it in his mouth and sucking on it.
“Who are you?” she said, lowering herself back down.
“My name is Caleb. I’m here to spend the afternoon with you.”
She glanced from Cindy back to the man. “What do you want with me?”
He grinned. “ Haven’t you figured it out yet? We just want you to die.” He pulled out a thick knife with a serrated edge.
Stephanie flung the wine glass in his face and darted for the balcony. Before she could reach it, the man jumped on top of her as two other men ran over and held her arms and legs. They flipped her around as Caleb cut her blouse off.
Stephanie closed her eyes and screamed . Time seemed to slow. She felt warmth on her face and realized that the men’s grips had loosened. She opened her eyes, and saw that half of Caleb’s head was gone.
One of the men jumped up and immediately fell to the ground as the balcony ’s glass doors shattered and rained glass over her. A hole appeared in
The condos were upscale and a security guard sat at a booth up front. He nodded to them as they walked past.
The elevator ride, like most of her day, was spent in silence. Stepping off onto the twenty-second floor, they walked down the hallway and rang the doorbell on the nearest door. A woman in a tight black dress, with jewelry over every inch of her manicured and tanned hands, answered.
“Come here , sweetie,” she said, hugging her. “How you holding up?”
“Great actually,” Stephanie said. “I feel relieved. A little sad, but mostly relieved.”
“And who’s this?”
“Thomas . Thomas, this is my friend Cindy. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to speak to her in private.” Before he could protest, she shut the door.
The condo was elegantly decorated , but to Stephanie, it felt like a hotel room. Considering the number of men Cindy had coming through here, maybe that was the look she was going for. They sat and Stephanie ran her fingers over the leopard-print blanket thrown over the white sofa.
“I never like d Paul,” Cindy said. “I didn’t tell you this, but at your wedding, I got the feeling he was hitting on me.”
“I’m sure he was.”
She rose and walked to the kitchen, returning with two glasses of wine. “Can I ask you something personal? Why’d you marry him? You’re ten times smarter than me and I saw he was a sleazeball the first time I met him.”
“I don’t know. It was a combination of loneliness and his charm I guess.”
“Well I hope you skinned him in the divorce.”
“He doesn’t have any money,” she said, sipping her wine. “It was all my money.”
“Well did you at least—”
A loud thump sounded against the door. It was sudden enough that both women looked over. Cindy took another sip of wine and then rose to see what it was. She opened the door but didn’t see anyone out in the hall.
Shutting the door and locking it, she said, “Your bodyguard’s not there.”
“He probably went for a walk or something. I actually need a little break from him.”
“So,” Cindy said, sitting back down, “what were we talking about? Oh yeah, Paul being a piece of shit.”
“I—”
The doorbell rang. Cindy placed her glass down and swore under her breath as she walked to the door and opened it. Outside, several men stood staring at her. The one closest to her wore a suit and was balding with glasses. He smiled as he pushed his way past her.
“Excuse me,” Cindy said, grabbing his shoulder.
The man twisted around and flicked her wrist in a way that sent waves of pain through her. She yelped as another man came up behind her and pressed his hand against her mouth. Once all the men were inside the condo, they shut the door behind them.
“Hello , Congresswoman,” the man with glasses said. “Please sit back down.”
Stephanie watched as the man holding Cindy thrust out his tongue and licked her ear before putting it in his mouth and sucking on it.
“Who are you?” she said, lowering herself back down.
“My name is Caleb. I’m here to spend the afternoon with you.”
She glanced from Cindy back to the man. “What do you want with me?”
He grinned. “ Haven’t you figured it out yet? We just want you to die.” He pulled out a thick knife with a serrated edge.
Stephanie flung the wine glass in his face and darted for the balcony. Before she could reach it, the man jumped on top of her as two other men ran over and held her arms and legs. They flipped her around as Caleb cut her blouse off.
Stephanie closed her eyes and screamed . Time seemed to slow. She felt warmth on her face and realized that the men’s grips had loosened. She opened her eyes, and saw that half of Caleb’s head was gone.
One of the men jumped up and immediately fell to the ground as the balcony ’s glass doors shattered and rained glass over her. A hole appeared in
Similar Books
