59 Blacktop Obsession
"Well, this room has got to go, Hector." Shayde shook her head, her anger feeling like it was going to burst out of control.
"Why the hell would he set this room up to look just like that night?" Hector asked after checking to make sure the scrambler was still on.
"You got me. I want to know how he got it so down to every detail as close as he did. I don't know. This really worries me. Either he's trying to test Kaidyn's memory or he's trying to play games with me and or Han. I am not sure to be honest." Shayde sighed, sitting down on the bed for a minute, her face feeling hot as the memories replayed in her head.
"You okay, Chica?" Hector asked quietly, knowing being brought back to the memory of that day was hard for her.
"I need to destroy this room or I am going to destroy many more lives outside." Shayde fumed, hitting the bed in anger. "I try to stay away from thinking about that day. But this room, being back here, is bringing it back." Shayde shook her head, rubbing her face.
"Let's go downstairs. I can have the boys clear out the room." Hector rubbed her back.
"No. I'm gonna do it my damn self. If it's the last thing I do." She vowed.
"Okay, I understand. I just want to help. I know this is hard." Hector said with an understanding nod.
"That day, I didn't remember a lot. I never understood why. I always slept lightly when I knew it was just her and I. That night, or dawn, I didn't hear the windows break or anything." Shayde got up and walked over to the window, lifting it up. She punched the class so hard it shattered. "I told him to make sure this window was locked and sealed. He knows she tries to escape." Shayde looked up at the ceiling and took in a deep breath and clenched her fists.
"Let me get something for your hand." Hector rushed to get up.
"No, let me get it on these curtains and sheets. Why not? It'll help my memory." Shayde fumed.
"Are you thinking something happened to you before that night?" Hector asked.
"I blocked some things out because I don't know, I just did. But it's coming back so quickly. Oh damn, my poor Kaidyn. She must feel like this all the time." Shayde said, the realization of how the memories flooding back were making her feel.
"It's okay. Deep breaths." Hector coaxed, texting Han.
"That day I was sent on some random job that never panned out. I came home and Carter said a meeting came up after we shared a glass of wine together. Then it goes blank." She shook her head.
"Hey, everything okay in here?" Han asked, sticking his head in the door.
"Everything is fine." Hector shook his head no and looked at Shayde.
"Why the hell would he do this? What is he trying to accomplish?" Han asked, shaking his head.
"It's like he's playing psychological games." Hector said, double-checking to make sure the scrambler was still on.
"Well, it just fucking backfired because I am remembering everything now." Shayde said, looking at them. "I don't know how I'm going to get through this without killing him because I am sure that night was his doing." Shayde grabbed the sheet and squeezed it, trying hard to control her anger.
"It's not too late. We can maybe get out of here." Hector said, looking outside the window.
"They have scopes on us. Oh hell no. They want to fucking die today." Shayde jumped up, seeing the red dot on Hector's face through the window.
"Shay, I need you to dig very deep right now. You told me you and him talked through everything and this was the plan. Dig deep and try to breathe for me." Han reminded her as she pulled out a gun and shot into the trees.
"Do not fucking aim anything at this window or you will all die!" Shayde leaned out the window and screamed. Han grabbed her by the back of her shirt, pulling her in. Brian rushed up the stairs.
"Unscrambling." Hector nodded at them all.
"You're going to all die if I see the scope aimed at this room again!" Shayde, still hanging out the window yelled again, firing into the trees.
"I'm hit!" A guy yelled from the trees.
"Yeah let me finish you off you asshole." Shayde fired more rounds into the trees. "You will not aim anything towards this house again." She yelled, breathing hard as she emphasized every word.
"Shayde! What happened to your hands?" Brian asked, his eyes wide.
"Call your guards and tell them to put their scopes down and not to ever and I mean fucking EVER point it this way again." All of a sudden Shayde grabbed Brian and slammed him against the wall as she threatened in a low voice.
"Shayde…" Brian coughed, trying to breathe. "I can't breathe." He said, his face turning red.
"Remember that feeling because if Kaidyn sees them doing that to her and has an episode, this is how she feels EVERY. FUCKING. TIME." Shayde growled, gathering up the bedding and tossing it out the window.
"I'm sorry, I'll make sure. I will handle it right now." Brian slid down the wall, choking for air after she let him go.
"You better. Hector, I don't know what kind of clothes Carter thought our daughter would be wearing but I assure you it is not hooker clothes. Please pack them up a day gather them and throw them out the window. We are going to have a hell of a bonfire tonight because all the white shit in my closet, all her hooker clothes and this whole room is going up in flames." Shayde promised with a hateful smirk. She looked directly at the camera. "Carter, I hope you are hearing this, Sweetheart. This room is getting a redo and you will have to deal." She warned as she talked to the camera. She knew her phone would be ringing before long.
"Let me clean your hands, Chica." Hector offered.
"I'm okay. He wanted me to remember the blood, might as well add my own fucking blood again to make it more memorable." Shayde shrugged. She walked to the window. "This window will get sealed up and will get blocked off. I will not have your security guards looking in her window and you're nuts to think she'd wear any of that…" Shayde yelled to the camera knowing it would make him call. She was counting how long it took him to actually call.
"Do you want the whole closet out? Shoes too?" Hector asked, knowing full well she did but was playing along.
"God yes. She will not be wearing no heels like that. She is not a hooker and she's not going to get married anytime soon so I don't really know what my wonderful, oh so loving husband is thinking." Shayde replied with ire.
"Just making sure." Hector said, not wanting to piss her off.
"2 minutes and 24 seconds, I'd say you're lagging today, Mr. Verone." Shayde spat as she answered her phone.
"My Shayde, let's not do this with everyone. We should keep our matters private." He started, not shocked at how mad she was.
"PRIVATE?! LET'S TALK ABOUT PRIVATE." She yelled, her hand reaching on impulse for her gun as she walked to the window. She shot out the window towards the trees. "How's that for private, Carter? We agreed the window would be sealed shut and what the fuck is up with them being able to see in her window? Want me to give them a show!?" She asked, breathing heavily as she was pissed off to no end.
"What are you talking about, My Shayde?" He asked, his voice sounding confused.
"Oh don't be daft and dont play dumb with me. They have high end binoculars and scopes. You know damn well they can see in here and she could escape this room." Shayde growled.
"Oversight on my part, I am sorry." He said, knowing if he pissed her off he'd lose more men.
"Sorry!? Doesn't cut it! Did you want her to try to escape so they could use her for target practice?!" Shayde asked, making Hector look at Han who was helping in the closet with worry.
"No, of course not, Sweetheart." He promised.
"Don't fucking sweetheart me." She warned, her voice breaking. "Why would you set her room up like it was that night? Just humor me and tell me why." Shayde said, looking in the camera with tears. She was angered beyond anything and these tears were a part of her game. She was wanting him to think he had upset her and weakened her. That's what she needed him to think.
"What? No! I would never do it to hurt you." Carter said in a fake caring tone. "I am so sorry. I wanted her to like it, I really thought she might like it, it's the last thing I knew she liked was those things. It's been eight years, I wanted to surprise you both. I didn't think it would be bad since she can't remember." Carter stumbled to explain, sounding very upset he had upset her.
"Really? You hurt me and Han too, since he was the one that saw us and saved us." Shayde said quietly, seeming to calm down.
"I am so sorry, My Shayde. I would never hurt you. It wasn't meant to upset you." He swore, feeling like he was convincing her to calm down. Relief washed over him.
"And the clothes? Explain that if you thought she'd like the stuff when she was ten?" Shayde demanded, chunking things out of the window as she talked.
"I don't know, I was trying. I might have hired someone to do the clothing." He admitted.
"Who? You're whore, Monica?" Shayde hissed.
"No, of course not." He said, looking at the meeting room he had stepped out of.
"Well, it's getting burnt tonight. In a bonfire. I'm ordering all new stuff for us and redoing this room and you can deal." Shayde warned.
"Yes, I'll be right in." Carter nodded to his assistant.
"CARTER!" Shayde yelled, blood trickling down her arm from her knuckles. She walked back to the window and fired again at the trees.
"Shayde! I am in a meeting, I will have to call you back. Please try to calm down and let them handle your hands. Have Han and Hector get someone for the window and we will need to talk about the charge on my credit card for the 750 thousand." He warned.
"Oh, our conversation is over. Those are all my new toys I ordered. Eight years and no anniversary gifts, I figured you could buy me stuff like you used to. I haven't had a car here and don't need one, so weapons it is." She sighed.
"Shayde, we really will talk later." He promised.
"Sorry, I have a meeting with a bonfire, sweetheart. I'll try to work you in." She turned around from the camera and smiled at the guys with an evil smile after hanging up in Carter.
"Scramble time." Hector nodded.
"I thought you lost your head for a minute. You scared me this time." Han admitted, looking relieved as they talked in the walk-in closet.
"Not my first psycho I'm dealing with. Don't worry." She promised, still angry.
"I really gotta bandage the hand." Hector said, wiping off the blood.
"I wish I had his face to punch." Shayde growled. "Poor Brian. Hope he's okay." Shayde shook her head. "Tell him to meet me in here, please." She requested.
"Will do." Han promised.
"You needed me?" Brian asked, his cheeks still flushed as he walked in a few minutes later.
"We're good to talk. I guarantee you I don't have long before Carter calls me back but I wanted to say you are safe and that was for show. Sorry I didn't warn you." Shayde explained.
"That was very convincing." Brian said, still standing back a bit.
"Did I hurt you?" She asked, looking at him.
"No, I'm okay." Brian admitted.
"I did that to protect you because as long as he thinks I hate you, he'll want to keep you here." Shayde explained.
"She's trying to keep Carter from having any stupid ideas." Hector promised as he bandaged her hand.
"I get it." Brian nodded.
"I am on my way to my room to cool down a bit. So bonfire tonight, say sunset?" She grinned at them.
"Sounds good." Brian nodded.
"Your security will flip out. Better tell them now because Kaidyn will be out there too." She warned as she walked out.
"I will let them know." Brian promised.
"Good because I will hunt them in the woods and sharpen my knives if I see a red light whatsoever. I will bathe in their blood in the moonlight." She promised.
"I believe this." Brian nodded quickly, knowing she wasn't exaggerating by any means.
"Wow, that was a very fast meeting, Carter." Shayde said as she answered her phone 20 minutes later. She had walked downstairs and checked on Kaidyn, who was still asleep on Tej and made her way to her room to wait for Carter to call her back. She knew things that were going to need to be said would need to be in private and her room was the best place for that.
"I cut it short." He snapped.
"Ohhh, really? Wonder why? Because of me? Nah, couldn't be." Shayde said, laying in the bed, hanging off the side like a teenage kid.
"Hmm. Think this is funny, do you?" He asked, his lips pursed to the side.
"Oh, no, I sure don't. Not at all. In fact, I think quite the opposite." Shayde's playful smile disappeared quickly.
"Good, that makes two of us." Carter sounded annoyed.
"Well, let me tell you, I do not appreciate that room being like it was eight years ago and I damn sure don't know what you are thinking." Shayde huffed.
"We are not going to go over this again. First, we will talk about that 750 thousand dollar transaction. What in the world did you buy?" He asked, knowing he couldn't let Shayde's temper start to flare up again.
"Well, you said you'd make up the last eight years to me and this was a start. All my anniversaries missed, I figured a little fire power and weaponry wouldn't hurt anyone." Shayde shrugged.
"You think you deserve more weapons with your temper tantrums?" He asked.
"I think if you want this place protected and you respect my profession, you will want to keep me very happy. I am an assassin, it is my job to have the latest and greatest and to protect you and this place of yours." She hissed.
"Do you honestly think you need that much?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I have the latest and greatest or I can tear up this house and make my own. You decide. Makes no difference to me." Shayde reasoned.
"And how do you think it's getting delivered to you, hmm?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you consider this?" He asked.
"It's coming by boat tonight. He's making a special provision for me." Shayde smirked.
"No, he will not come here. See if your cousin is able to deliver it. If not, we will need to wait until Shadow is available." Carter ordered.
"Worried someone will find us?" She asked, looking at the camera.
"I don't want anyone knowing where we are at, period. Anyone else other than Shadow and the boat will be shot and taken down. You know what, I'll call him myself." Carter growled.
"What's wrong, Carter? You don't want me to do my job?" Shayde batted her eyes, knowing she was pissing him off. His tone and controlled voice told her all she needed to know.
"I do. I'm going to contact Shadow and arrange it." He sighed in defeat.
"I appreciate that. I am happy to contact him if you'd like." Shayde offered.
"If you think you can get him, fine." Carter said, his lips pursed.
"I wouldn't want you to have to do extra work. I mean, I'm in this house with nothing to do other than protect so I'll get a hold of him." Shayde said. "I am sure you have more meetings to get to." She said, knowing his business meeting was likely put on hold.
"Next time I expect you to wait for me." He nodded to the assistant.
"Yes, of course, Mr. Verone." They replied. "I will go have them wait to get started, Sir." He replied, getting a nod from Carter.
"Not yet, My Shayde, we have another matter to discuss." Carter sighed.
"What would that be?" Shayde asked, her fake happiness making her want to throw up.
"Why did you feel the need to spend over 20 thousand on furniture and clothes?" He asked dryly.
"That's because I had to replace all of Kaidyn's clothes and redecorate her room. You're lucky it wasn't more." Shayde chided.
"Only because you threw a fit and didn't like how it was decorated." Carter scoffed.
"How it was decorated? Are you fucking serious right now?! I will show you a fit, Carter Verone if you want to keep at it." Shayde warned, venom dripping in her voice.
"Shayde, I can't keep doing this." Carter sighed.
"I'll be right back." Shayde jumped up angrily. She went to her closet and got the skimpiest outfit she could find and changed into it. "Carter, I am going to hang up now and go start some yard work." Shayde held up a finger as if to say hold on as she looked at the camera.
"SHAYDE VERONE. Don't you fucking dare." Carter growled, hitting the table.
"That's my name." Shayde nodded. "I'm sorry we are fighting, I'll let you go back to your meeting." Shayde shrugged, getting ready to go out the door.
"I am very serious. You will not walk out in that." He ordered.
"Exactly. So please tell me why our daughter's clothes looked cheaper than what I am wearing?" Shayde's smile disappeared from her face as she folded her arms.
"Fine, order her whatever you need but these temper tantrums better stop." Carter sighed in defeat.
"My dear husband, I've not thrown any temper tantrums. I'm merely getting my point across to you. I do like this outfit. I'll keep it for outdoor work today." Shayde smiled at the camera.
"The hell you will. I will be on a plane right now." He warned.
"Carter, relax. I don't understand why you're throwing a fit. I thought you wanted to show me off." Shayde smiled innocently.
"Shayde, you have got to be joking. I am throwing a fit? You have lost your mind." Carter's mouth dropped open.
"Carter, I still love you even though you're having a rough day. I'll let you get back to your meeting honey. I'm sorry your fit disturbed your meetings. I got work to do. Bye bye." Shayde said sweetly.
"No, we are not done with this conversation until you take that off and promise me you are NOT going out in that." Carter growled, his voice deep and angry.
"That growl tells me you like it. Does my husband enjoy this little thing?" Shayde laughed as she spun around.
"Shayde, I do not have time for this. Go change please." He ordered.
"Yep, be right back, dearest husband." Shayde walked back into her closet and changed into leather pants and a black shirt form fitting shirt.
"Much more appropriate since you are determined to have a bonfire with all my money you threw out the window." Carter said dryly.
"I do agree, this is appropriate for a bonfire." Shayde smiled sweetly.
"Uhhuh. I just bet you do." Carter mused. "Shadow just texted me back. He will be there at midnight. Wear a sweater and take someone with you." Carter rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Fine, I'll take your head of security with me so none of your 'fail to follow directions' men get any ideas." Shayde shrugged, using air quotes sarcastically.
"You're not to be alone with him. You will take Han too." Carter ordered.
"You already knew Han was going to go, so you know I wouldn't be alone with him. I don't think he's got it in him to be head of security but whatever." Shayde growled.
"Shayde, you'll have to try to get along with him. It is what it is. He's qualified." Carter promised.
"I guess. If you say so." Shayde conceded.
"I will be flying out of the country. But I will be back as soon as I can." Carter advised her.
"How long will you be gone? Kaidyn will be sleeping in our room until her room is finished." Shayde advised.
"What?!" Carter asked.
"You'll be out of town, it's fine." Shayde waved off his concern.
"It's not fine, why should she sleep in our room?" He asked.
"Well, you're right. I can just let her sleep in Tej's room." Shayde nodded, chewing on a nail like she was lost in thought.
"No, how long until her stuff comes in?" Carter asked.
"Depends on if my sexy import guy allows it to be imported. I think I know a guy who does importing and shipments that can probably get it here pretty quick." Shayde said flirtatiously.
"You do, do you?" He asked. "Hmm." He commented.
"I don't have to pay him, which is awesome. I just have to show my clothes off when he gets home." Shayde purred. She could hear his laugh and could tell he had to be smiling.
"You think that really will work, hmm?" He asked.
"I'm pretty sure it will. I tend to know him very well. He's a great husband." Shayde smiled.
"Fine, send me the order numbers and I'll get it taken care of. Send it over email. Why can't I stay mad at you, My Shayde?" He asked, shaking his head.
"Because the best part of fighting is making up." Shayde winked at him with a smile.