Page 2 of The Perfect Escape
When he placed his hand on my cheek, my head jerked, a response to getting hit again. Smiling, he leaned in, his whiskey breath close to my ear. “You are a beautiful woman, my sweet Reyna. Don’t give me a reason to kill you. I would hate for you to end up like your mother.” The feel of him pressing his lips to mine made the bile in my throat rise. “I’m going to shower. When I return, I trust you will have breakfast ready for me. I’ll take it in the garden.”
When he left the kitchen, my body fell to the floor. I hated him. Even though he didn’t come out and admit it, he killed my mom. I was sure of it. Stay strong, Reyna. Your days with him are almost over.
~1~
Five years ago
Davian
“Gwen, sweetheart. If you don’t hurry, we’re going to be late. My father went to a lot of trouble to plan the reception dinner.” The last thing I wanted was to piss off my father by being late.
“I know, Davian. It’s just that I want to look my best.”
Little did she know, she was already beautiful. As I stepped behind her, I reminded her of just that. “You’re gorgeous, baby. My father already loves you, and so do the guys.”
It wasn’t a lie. Gwen’s beauty surpassed the word gorgeous. From the day I met her at Cross Enterprises, I had to have her. She was the daughter of Crosby and Delilah McCall, both very close friends of my father’s. My father hired Gwen to head the legal department at Cross Enterprises after she graduated from the University of Chicago with a JD in business law. It wasn’t her intelligence that attracted me. It was her beautiful green eyes. Like rare uncut emeralds, they glistened every time she smiled or when a ray of light hit them just right.
Fidgeting with her long blonde hair, she finally gave up and pulled it into a long ponytail, securing it with a hair tie at her neck. She wrapped a few strands around the tie and secured it with a bobby pin. It was simple but elegant and matched the black sheath dress she finally chose to wear after three dress changes. Personally, I thought all three were gorgeous on her.
We headed out the door, tipping very close to being late. If we hurried, we could make it in time to get our menu order in. My father harped on punctuality. But the way Gwen looked, even he would let it slide. My father always had a soft spot for beautiful women.
Twenty minutes later, with less than five minutes to spare, we were at the restaurant and escorted to the back room, which my father reserved for the Cross party of twelve. Before we made it past the doorway, ten sets of eyes were on us. Crosby and Delilah McCall sat at the far end of the long table, closest to the wall, while the rest of the Cross men, Marcus, Calvin, Patton, Sean, and Axe, occupied five of the remaining seats. Next to Axe sat Gwen’s maid of honor, Eve, and next to her was Mika. Only three seats remained—one at each end of the table, which my father and I took, and the seat next to Patton, which Gwen took.
Gwen’s other girlfriends, Kimberly, Becca, and Elena, who would have completed the wedding party, decided planning Gwen’s bachelorette party was more important. Otherwise, it would have ended up as Cross party of fifteen. On this of all nights, the girls insisted on surprising Gwen with her bachelorette party. It didn’t matter what I thought. Bound and determined, nothing would have stopped them.
Above everything, I wanted them to have fun, but I also wanted to make sure they stayed safe. I told Eve to let me know where they would be and let me know if they left and went somewhere else. Taking the extra precaution, Axe and Calvin would be there, remaining out of sight, in case the girls ran into any problems. I hated to think about what would happen if Gwen found out they had two babysitters.
The dinner conversation was light, focusing on where the groomsmen would stay while Gwen and her bridesmaids got ready. The wedding wasn’t a traditional church wedding. Gwen and I decided the Cross Estate would be the perfect place for a wedding. When Gwen told Mika of our plans, Mika jumped for joy. Not only because the wedding was taking place at the estate, but also because Gwen had chosen her to be one of her bridesmaids. The way Mika’s eyes lit up when Gwen told her what we had planned warmed my heart. Mika had enough excitement for the both of us. The thought of spending the rest of my life with Gwen was a dream come true. I loved her more than life itself, and I would spend every day showing her just how much.
While I was holding those thoughts close to my heart, I realized the pre-rehearsal dinner had ended. Soon, Gwen and Eve would be with the rest of the girls celebrating Gwen’s last night out as a single woman. Tomorrow night, Patton, Calvin, Marcus, Sean, Axe, and I would have our night to celebrate. Even though they all worked for Cross Enterprises, they were all friends. They were men that I respected, risking their lives, protecting our country. I would have been right there with them if it hadn’t been for a fluke accident, which left me legally blind in one eye. I could have fought the military on it, but I didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day when all I wanted was to fight for my country on the front line.
After kissing Gwen goodbye and reminding her to be careful, I watched them drive away before getting in my car. I wasn’t ready to drive back to the Cross Estate, so instead, I drove to the pier. It was the best place to go to clear my head. In a couple of weeks, Gwen would be my wife, and we could finally begin our lives together. Two years of being engaged were two fucking years too long. I respected Gwen’s decision to wait until she finished undergraduate school and passed the bar, but damn if I didn’t want us married the very minute I set eyes on her.
There was something about the pier that always gave me the peace of mind I needed. Sure, my life was going to change, but damn if I wasn’t ready. I only wished that my mom could be there to share it with me. I was dreaming. She would never get better, at least not enough to remember me.
After walking for what seemed like hours, I headed back to Cross Estate. The time was approaching 1:00 a.m., and Gwen would be home keeping our bed warm, waiting for me to take her. Just the thought tented my trousers.
As I pulled up to the estate, it was obvious something was off. The gate to the estate was open. I gave specific instructions to make sure the gate was closed at all times. Putting my car into park, I stepped out and walked over to the security booth where Theo patrolled the entrance. When I opened the door, the chair he always occupied was empty. “Damn. What the hell?” I said with only the night air to hear me.
Going back to my car, I was about to open the door when I saw a figure walking toward me. As I kept my eyes on the private road leading to the estate, the outline of a large frame neared. As he got closer, I could see it was Theo coming toward me. He kept his head lowered, with his hands resting in his pockets. When he looked up, there was nothing more unnerving than the look on his face.
Standing face to face with me, Theo was silent. “What is going on, Theo?”
It wasn’t often that he was at a loss for words, but when his jaw turned tight and strained, it was evident that something was wrong. “It’s Ms. Gwen, Mr. Cross.”
Theo didn’t need to say another word. I heard it in his voice. Turning away from Theo, I headed to my car and got in. It was a short drive to the house, but every passing second was one second too long.
Cars parked front to back overtook the circular drive, but my sights were only on one. The police car I parked behind was unmarked, and there was only one reason it was here. Throwing my car into park, I headed up the steps two at a time. I reached for the handle to the door, but my shaky hand prevented me from turning the handle. Whatever awaited me beyond the door, my gut told me it would tear me in two.
When I stepped into the living room, it looked like nothing more than a social gathering. I knew better. The somberness was thick. This was a vigil, and Gwen was the only person not in attendance. I couldn’t accept what I was witnessing. Looking at my father, I asked, “Where is Gwen?”
When my father walked over to where I was standing, it was clear. I stared back at him when he placed his hand on my shoulder. “I think it’s best if you take a seat.”
“I don’t want to take a seat. I want to know where Gwen is.” Every emotion filtered through my body, and my father took the brunt of it. “Where the fuck is Gwen?”
As I looked around the room for answers, I saw the women’s eyes were filled with tears while the men’s faces stayed dry, contorted with grief. Before my father could answer, a man I didn’t recognize stepped behind my father. “I’ll take it from here, Lorenzo.”
Looking at the man, I waited for answers. “My name is Detective Olson,” he announced, clearing his throat before he continued. “I’m sorry to inform you, Mr. Cross, but we found Gwen McCall’s body in the alley behind Harper’s Corner Bar. We believe someone forced her outside and later killed her.”
