Stephanie laid in between the cool sheets, trying to toss and turn her way
to sleep. David always stayed out until dawn broke, so she knew there were
hours she could get some semblance of sleep.
It didn't matter what she did, she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept well in days and there was only one possible explanation for that.
"Damn you Rocky," Stephanie muttered as she got out of her bed and walked to the window. She liked to think at night, but lately all of her thoughts were centered on one person.
She seemed to be drawn to cocky men with great smiles. First on the long list of arrogant men she had felt anything for was Andrew Martin. And his smile had sure melted her knees and made her want to see those smiles for the rest of her life.
Then there was Hunter. He had to be one of the most arrogant men she had ever come in contact with. But on him, arrogance fit well, kind of like a good pair of jeans. And his smile was a big reason they stayed married as long as they did. He would look at her with those great eyes and that penitent smile and she could forgive anything.
There was Jericho, the first man she dated after her failed marriage. Even he knew he had an ego the size of a small planet. And his grin made her want to kiss him until both of them were completely out of breath.
Stephanie closed her eyes as she pictured Kurt's smile. His smile warmed her heart like nothing else could. She hoped her child had his smile. And his great eyes that would light up whenever he smiled at her. She could deal without the Olympic-sized ego though.
And now she seemed to want The Rock. He definitely gave all four men a run for their money when it came to cockiness. The man called himself the Great One. At least Hunter only called himself The Game. And his smile was something wonderful. The man was made to smile. Every time he smiled, Stephanie could picture most women and a few guys drooling.
How had he gotten into her heart?
Sure, he had been with her through the ordeal of Kurt's funeral and he went with her to Linda's funeral. And he was one of the few people who knew what she was doing with David Flair. Jericho was willing to trust her because they were best friends. Shane knew what was going on. Most everyone else had alienated her for siding with the enemy.
Stephanie jumped as her phone rang. She prayed it wasn't David asking her to come pick him up at some bar.
"Hello?" Stephanie asked into the receiver.
"Hey beautiful," responded the caller. "I can't get you out of my head."
"Can you read my mind?" Stephanie asked as she cradled the receiver against her shoulder. "It's a little late to be calling, don't you think?"
"A friend called and said David was at some bar getting shit-faced," Rocky answered. "I felt like now would be a good time to talk to you."
"I'm glad," Stephanie said softly as she sank into a soft chair.
"How are you baby?" Rocky asked. His concern flooded through the phone and warmed her heart. She smiled softly to herself.
"Wonderful now," Stephanie said. "I wish you were with me. It seems like everything in my life is so messed up right now. But when I think about you I know everything is going to be fine."
"It will be," Rocky said.
"David sent the will back to his lawyer today," Stephanie said. "It's already been notarized and everything."
"So we only have to wait a little longer," Rocky said. "We don't want it to seem like we planned anything."
"We?" Stephanie asked in horror. "No, you aren't going to be a part of this. I feel bad enough having told you and Shane that I'm going to do something. I don't want you involved in this. I want your hands clean."
"Stephanie, I love you," Rocky said. "I won't let you do this alone."
"You don't have a damn choice," Stephanie said. "I need someone who won't be arrested who will be able to take care of my baby."
"Stephanie, we can make it look like an accident," Rocky protested.
"And if we can't?" Stephanie asked.
"We can," Rocky said confidently.
"I don't want to argue with you," Stephanie said. "All I know is that I have to finish this before he has a chance to find out this baby is Kurt's."
"That does put a time limit on things," Rocky said.
"Oh my God," Stephanie said in a horrified whisper.
"What is it?" Rocky asked, feeling something deep inside of him twist and tear at the pure terror in Stephanie's tone.
Stephanie's breathing became labored, but she said nothing. "Stephanie?"
"He's here," Stephanie whispered. A moment later she let out a shrill scream and the phone went dead.
Rocky stared at the phone in his hands. "Oh my God."
In the next moment he was dialing Shane's phone number. "Shane. Get to Stephanie's house. I'll meet you there. I think David's going to hurt her!"
He felt like his body was on auto-pilot as he grabbed his keys and flew out of his hotel room. He took the stairs, not willing to risk a slow elevator. He held his cell phone in his other hand and repeatedly dialed Stephanie's number. No one picked up the phone.
"What the hell is wrong?" Shane asked as Rocky pulled into David and Stephanie's driveway.
"I was on the phone with Stephanie and she said he's here and she screamed," Rocky said, stalking toward the front door.
"Why would she scream?" Shane asked.
"Because she had just finished telling me she had to get rid of David before Kurt's baby was born," Rocky said. He tried the knob, but it was locked. "Damn!"
"Back door," Shane said.
"Not enough time," Rocky said. He looked around and took off his sweatshirt. He punched through the glass next to the door and reached in to unlock the door. The house alarm blared.
Shane and Rocky paid the alarm no heed as they raced upstairs to Stephanie's room. They could hear her sobs from down the hall.
"Stephanie!" Shane called.
"Help!" Stephanie screamed. Rocky flinched, still hearing the terror in her voice. But he was so glad she was still able to scream. Only God knew what David had done to her.
Both Shane and Rocky gasped as they stepped into the room. Stephanie was lying on her back on the floor, blood flowing from her temple. David was sprawled across her, his own head bleeding.
"Get him off of me!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I can't move him!"
Rocky moved forward to drag David Flair off of her. Shane helped her to her feet and asked her if she was okay.
"How long has he been out?" Rocky asked.
"He's not out," Stephanie said. "I hit him with a steel paperweight Kurt gave me. I hit him hard."
"Stephanie," Shane whispered as he turned to look at David. He knelt next to him and tried to feel a pulse. "He's dead."
"I know," Stephanie said.
"The police are going to be here any minute because of the alarm," Rocky said.
"He was going to kill me," Stephanie said. "He was trying to kill my baby."
"Come here," Rocky said softly, holding open his arms to her. She limped over to him and let him hold her while she cried.
"Just tell them that Stephanie," Shane said.
"But why would he want to do that?" Stephanie asked her brother. "Why would he all of a sudden want to kill my baby?"
"Because he thought you and I were having an affair," Rocky said.
"I couldn't do that to you," Stephanie said.
"I'm doing it to me girl-of-mine," Rocky said, kissing her forehead.
"I killed him," Stephanie whispered in horror.
"And you feel a lot more guilt for that than he felt for killing our mother, his father, and your husband," Shane said. "He was going to hurt you Stephanie. You have a right to defend yourself."
"Lets hope the cops feel the same way," Stephanie said.
Stephanie let Rocky hold her as they listened to the police sirens approach the house.
It didn't matter what she did, she couldn't sleep. She hadn't slept well in days and there was only one possible explanation for that.
"Damn you Rocky," Stephanie muttered as she got out of her bed and walked to the window. She liked to think at night, but lately all of her thoughts were centered on one person.
She seemed to be drawn to cocky men with great smiles. First on the long list of arrogant men she had felt anything for was Andrew Martin. And his smile had sure melted her knees and made her want to see those smiles for the rest of her life.
Then there was Hunter. He had to be one of the most arrogant men she had ever come in contact with. But on him, arrogance fit well, kind of like a good pair of jeans. And his smile was a big reason they stayed married as long as they did. He would look at her with those great eyes and that penitent smile and she could forgive anything.
There was Jericho, the first man she dated after her failed marriage. Even he knew he had an ego the size of a small planet. And his grin made her want to kiss him until both of them were completely out of breath.
Stephanie closed her eyes as she pictured Kurt's smile. His smile warmed her heart like nothing else could. She hoped her child had his smile. And his great eyes that would light up whenever he smiled at her. She could deal without the Olympic-sized ego though.
And now she seemed to want The Rock. He definitely gave all four men a run for their money when it came to cockiness. The man called himself the Great One. At least Hunter only called himself The Game. And his smile was something wonderful. The man was made to smile. Every time he smiled, Stephanie could picture most women and a few guys drooling.
How had he gotten into her heart?
Sure, he had been with her through the ordeal of Kurt's funeral and he went with her to Linda's funeral. And he was one of the few people who knew what she was doing with David Flair. Jericho was willing to trust her because they were best friends. Shane knew what was going on. Most everyone else had alienated her for siding with the enemy.
Stephanie jumped as her phone rang. She prayed it wasn't David asking her to come pick him up at some bar.
"Hello?" Stephanie asked into the receiver.
"Hey beautiful," responded the caller. "I can't get you out of my head."
"Can you read my mind?" Stephanie asked as she cradled the receiver against her shoulder. "It's a little late to be calling, don't you think?"
"A friend called and said David was at some bar getting shit-faced," Rocky answered. "I felt like now would be a good time to talk to you."
"I'm glad," Stephanie said softly as she sank into a soft chair.
"How are you baby?" Rocky asked. His concern flooded through the phone and warmed her heart. She smiled softly to herself.
"Wonderful now," Stephanie said. "I wish you were with me. It seems like everything in my life is so messed up right now. But when I think about you I know everything is going to be fine."
"It will be," Rocky said.
"David sent the will back to his lawyer today," Stephanie said. "It's already been notarized and everything."
"So we only have to wait a little longer," Rocky said. "We don't want it to seem like we planned anything."
"We?" Stephanie asked in horror. "No, you aren't going to be a part of this. I feel bad enough having told you and Shane that I'm going to do something. I don't want you involved in this. I want your hands clean."
"Stephanie, I love you," Rocky said. "I won't let you do this alone."
"You don't have a damn choice," Stephanie said. "I need someone who won't be arrested who will be able to take care of my baby."
"Stephanie, we can make it look like an accident," Rocky protested.
"And if we can't?" Stephanie asked.
"We can," Rocky said confidently.
"I don't want to argue with you," Stephanie said. "All I know is that I have to finish this before he has a chance to find out this baby is Kurt's."
"That does put a time limit on things," Rocky said.
"Oh my God," Stephanie said in a horrified whisper.
"What is it?" Rocky asked, feeling something deep inside of him twist and tear at the pure terror in Stephanie's tone.
Stephanie's breathing became labored, but she said nothing. "Stephanie?"
"He's here," Stephanie whispered. A moment later she let out a shrill scream and the phone went dead.
Rocky stared at the phone in his hands. "Oh my God."
In the next moment he was dialing Shane's phone number. "Shane. Get to Stephanie's house. I'll meet you there. I think David's going to hurt her!"
He felt like his body was on auto-pilot as he grabbed his keys and flew out of his hotel room. He took the stairs, not willing to risk a slow elevator. He held his cell phone in his other hand and repeatedly dialed Stephanie's number. No one picked up the phone.
"What the hell is wrong?" Shane asked as Rocky pulled into David and Stephanie's driveway.
"I was on the phone with Stephanie and she said he's here and she screamed," Rocky said, stalking toward the front door.
"Why would she scream?" Shane asked.
"Because she had just finished telling me she had to get rid of David before Kurt's baby was born," Rocky said. He tried the knob, but it was locked. "Damn!"
"Back door," Shane said.
"Not enough time," Rocky said. He looked around and took off his sweatshirt. He punched through the glass next to the door and reached in to unlock the door. The house alarm blared.
Shane and Rocky paid the alarm no heed as they raced upstairs to Stephanie's room. They could hear her sobs from down the hall.
"Stephanie!" Shane called.
"Help!" Stephanie screamed. Rocky flinched, still hearing the terror in her voice. But he was so glad she was still able to scream. Only God knew what David had done to her.
Both Shane and Rocky gasped as they stepped into the room. Stephanie was lying on her back on the floor, blood flowing from her temple. David was sprawled across her, his own head bleeding.
"Get him off of me!" Stephanie exclaimed. "I can't move him!"
Rocky moved forward to drag David Flair off of her. Shane helped her to her feet and asked her if she was okay.
"How long has he been out?" Rocky asked.
"He's not out," Stephanie said. "I hit him with a steel paperweight Kurt gave me. I hit him hard."
"Stephanie," Shane whispered as he turned to look at David. He knelt next to him and tried to feel a pulse. "He's dead."
"I know," Stephanie said.
"The police are going to be here any minute because of the alarm," Rocky said.
"He was going to kill me," Stephanie said. "He was trying to kill my baby."
"Come here," Rocky said softly, holding open his arms to her. She limped over to him and let him hold her while she cried.
"Just tell them that Stephanie," Shane said.
"But why would he want to do that?" Stephanie asked her brother. "Why would he all of a sudden want to kill my baby?"
"Because he thought you and I were having an affair," Rocky said.
"I couldn't do that to you," Stephanie said.
"I'm doing it to me girl-of-mine," Rocky said, kissing her forehead.
"I killed him," Stephanie whispered in horror.
"And you feel a lot more guilt for that than he felt for killing our mother, his father, and your husband," Shane said. "He was going to hurt you Stephanie. You have a right to defend yourself."
"Lets hope the cops feel the same way," Stephanie said.
Stephanie let Rocky hold her as they listened to the police sirens approach the house.