Page 8 of Dreaming

Tilting Nicki’s face up, she stared into tear-filled eyes. “Figure out your shit. Take a year away from Chicago, away from our neighborhood, and look at things new. If you don’t, Nicki…you’re going to ruin your entire fucking life.”

“I hate you.”

“That’s alright. I don’t hate you.” Letting her go, Nia stepped back. “Maybe one day, you’ll realize how much Mom and I have tried to protect you, love you, no matter what stupid games you played. Maybe you’ll find the life, the happiness, we want for you.” Inhaling deeply, she added, “Pack what you need. I’ll ship everything else.”

Her sister turned on her heel and stomped down the hall, slamming the side of her fist into the wall and screaming until she got to the living room.

Rubbing her forehead, Nia returned to her desk, sat, and pulled up her calendar. She needed a locksmith to come out, the security company, a cleaning service, and a contractor. She also needed movers to pack up whatever Nicki left behind and get it to her in Florida.

There were only three days until she left for Germany and there was a lot to get done.

* * *

Dennis parked across the street two houses down and watched service people come and go at Nia’s house.

It was the third time he’d returned to the place where he’d committed a crime.

He’d gone way beyond stalker territory at this point, something he’d never cared enough to do for any woman ever. After what happened between them, Dennis needed to see her, to judge for himself that she really was alright.

Two days before, he watched a screaming Nicki get in the back of a black Town Car with a lot of luggage.

Her big sister threw her ass out.

After she was gone, a black SUV pulled into the driveway. Two men dressed in suits got out. From the way they moved, he thought they might be ex-military. They walked around the house, checked exterior sensors, and went inside.

Nia was upping her security system.

Dennis certainly didn’t blame her.

He stared at the house he now suspected belonged to the older sister, not Nicki as the younger woman had implied. A three-bedroom with a pool in this area went for serious cash.

The second car in the garage was the one Nicki drove so he figured that belonged to Nia, too.

A crew of workers exited the house and got into a van with a logo for a painting company on the door. A few minutes after they drove away, two women left in a car with a magnetic sign for a cleaning company.

He debated knocking on Nia’s door and decided against it. While he sat there thinking, the garage opened and a black Jaguar backed onto the driveway.

Braking suddenly, a woman got out and returned to the house. A minute later, she opened the passenger door, dropped what looked to be a laptop bag on the seat, and walked to the edge of the driveway to check her mail.

Dennis’ tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. There was no way he was getting enough air as his heart pounded in his chest.

Nia was stunning.

Taller than Nicki, Nia possessed banging curves. She was dressed in a tailored dark blue business skirt suit and sleek overcoat that was supposed to be professional but managed to make her look like a specialty call girl. High heels emphasized long legs that were strong and, he knew, soft as silk. Her long hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore expensive sunglasses.

Flipping through her mail, she got back in her car, lowered the garage door, and drove away in the opposite direction.

She’d told him she had a trip to Germany. When Dennis got back to his house, he sat at his desk to see if she had a Facebook page. He’d already stalked her ass in person, why not virtually to really make him a fucking creep?

He found Nicki, realized they had a pending friend request that he didn’t accept, and located her sister from there.

Nia Webber. Senior forensic financial analyst.

He had no idea what that was so he Googled it and blinked several times. Forensic accountants investigated white-collar crimes. They dug into securities fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering by organized criminals.

Nia Webber was even better than on his level.

Obviously, she was smarter than him or anyone he’d ever dated. Dennis needed to up his game. He’d been settling for too long.

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