He was a master at using my weakness against me.
On heavy feet I made my way over and sat next to my husband. The crisp clean smell of him made me angry. I hated how easily he was able to hide how evil he was behind the trappings of wealth.
He placed his hand on my thigh when I sat. I fought the urge to snatch away.
“So?” he said and cocked his head. “Did you enjoy your vacation?”
I rolled my eyes and shifted in my seat so his hand would fall away. He replaced it.
“Why did you come here, Ellis? We don’t even like each other anymore.” About a year after we’d gotten married, he’d morphed into an entirely different person. First was the name calling, then a slap here and there, then the demand for a baby, because his parents wanted grandchildren. The abuse ramped up after another year passed, and I still hadn’t become pregnant.
“I like you, Eden. I love you even. It’s you who can’t love me. You never will, Will you? Because of him.” He cocked his head and stared me dead in the eyes. “Do you think he’ll still want you when he finds out you killed his wife? Should we wait and tell him together?”
“I didn’t ever tell you I actually killed his wife.” I had told him about hitting her with the lamp.
“I already know. I dug the bitch’s grave and put her in it,”. King’s chilling voice came out of nowhere.
I saw the flash of fear in Ellis’ eyes, felt his hand tremble, but he recovered from the shock of hearing King’s voice faster than I did.
King walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face that the devil himself would envy.
Turning his attention from Ellis he smiled at me. “Good morning, beautiful.” His tone was light, but his jaw flexed. His eyes fell to Ellis’ hand he had moved it to my wrist, using his grip on it to hold me in place.
“Come here, Eden.” King ordered.
Ellis’ grip on me tightened, though I hadn’t attempted to move. “She’s exactly where she needs to be,” he said.
King winked at me and Ellis’s grip tightened even more. His nails dug into my flesh.
Ignoring King I turned to Ellis. “Just let me get my things and then we’ll leave.” I tried to deescalate the situation. I could tell King was itching for a fight. He had just gotten out of prison. I would leave with Ellis if that kept him from going back.
I was looking at Ellis. He was looking at King.
“See King, your queen has chosen.
The sound of what I’m sure was a gun clicking echoed off the wall.
My breath caught in my chest when King lifted his arm and aimed the gun directly at Ellis’ heart. His mouth was drawn in a thin fine line.
“Eden,” I recognized the tone as one that brokered no argument. My heart twisted, then sank. I yanked away from Ellis grip. I walked the scant distance to King’s side. A million ways to talk King out of what he was about to do —cycled through my mind so fast that none of them fully formed.
When I turned to face my husband, Ellis’ face was neutral, but smugness in his eyes. His lips twisted into a half smirk and I wondered what he had up his sleeve.
“I hope you didn’t think I came here alone?” he said.
King chuckled. “Of course, you didn’t. You never fight your own battles, unless it’s against a woman.” King taunted him.
“I tried to take a page from your book and bribe the two you left out front, like you did my investigator. But you paid your guys too well. They wouldn’t take bribes.” King threw his free hand up and shrugged. “So, I put a bullet in both of their heads,” he said nonchalantly, he managed to maintain a cool detachment, like he’d just told us he’d done something other than kill two human beings.
Ellis’ face dropped. a hint of anger twisted his features. His bleak cloudy blue eyes fell to the weapon King held.
I knew I should have probably stayed quiet, but I was curious. “What investigator did he bribe?”
King cut his eyes to me. “The one I had watching you while I was away, of course. You didn’t think I’d let you go anywhere without knowing? But it seems Michael the private investigator I hired left out a few details, like the ones about him beating you. But don’t you worry your pretty little head,” he said and tapped the gun to his own head. “He’ll pay for lying with his life when I find him.”
At the end of his explanation King returned his attention to Ellis, while I was left with more questions than answers.
I glared at Ellis, who was staring at King like he was about to soil himself. I wanted to be petty and ask him where all his big talk was now, but I wouldn’t make the situation any worse than it was.
King spoke up. “Don’t look so sad, Blondie. I’m not going to kill you.”
The relief surfaced on Ellis’ face immediately.
I cut my eyes at King. Then what was this whole set up about? I thought.
King stepped back away from me an inch.
“She is?”
What he said didn’t sink in right away. When it did my head flew in his direction. King shoved the gun towards me.
“What?” I stuttered. I took a step back. I knew my eyes had to be as big as saucers.
“I proved my love to you. Now it’s your turn,” he said as if I had actually asked him to kill for me.
I took a deep breath as I tried to calm myself. I felt like the world was slowly disappearing in front of me.
I drifted back to the past where Ashley, King’s wife, was still alive. Two nights after the incident with King and Ellis, I’d awakened to find Ashley sitting on the foot of my bed like she belonged there. The streetlight from outside had the room illuminated so I could see her clearly. She had her long red hair pulled on top of her head in a messy bun. She wore one of those matching spandex workout outfits, red and black from head to toe. I could smell the sweat and perfume wafting off her.
I figured she was just another one of King’s random bimbos wandering around the house. I’d once ran into one that was buck naked drinking orange juice right from the container. I hadn’t even been scared at first, just irked that some random woman was sitting on my fucking clean sheets.
“King’s room is two doors over, if you’re lost?” I said, as I pushed myself into a sitting position.
Her cold green eyes scanned me before she answered. “I’m Ashford’s wife.” There was a definite clip to her voice.
My head involuntarily reared back like she’d hit me.
“His wife?”
She cocked her head and scrutinized me for a few seconds. “You didn’t know?” Her tone didn’t convey just disbelief but anger, like she was mad that I didn’t know, because I should have. She waved her hand giving me a flash of a huge gaudy diamond.
“His wedding was a week after your parents got married. I was there.” She’d divulged voluntarily.
I tried to think back to seeing her, but one redhead blended into another. King had a definite thing for them. Maybe his wife was why.
“But he’s fucked a billion wom—” I stopped mid-sentence.
She chuckled under her breath. “Don’t hold back on my account. I know Ashford. There’s been many women, but you’re the first that didn’t know he was married. Not even his father said anything to you?” she asked.