for so long.
“There’s coffee if you want. I
would bring it to you, but the others want
to see you.”
I smiled at the sweet gesture. He
had no idea what was about to conspire,
or perhaps he did. I could not prove it
was he who anonymously tipped off a
bidder that a hit was placed on me, but
they used the information in exchange for
reformulating
a
drug
they
were
unsuccessful in stabilizing. I did not
want to believe it when I was
approached, but the evidence was
irrefutable. They were all in on it,
including Shepard. I tried to tell myself
if he knew that his involvement would
mean witnessing my last breath, I doubt
he would have agreed. I wondered if
they really thought they were protecting
me, keeping me safe. No. They were
insuring a billion dollar payday for a
power hungry dead man.
“I will get dressed and be out –
give me just a moment.”
Hesitating to leave the room, he
finally turned and walked out the door.
More than anything, I wanted to shout for
him to stop and throw myself into his
arms, clinging for dear life. I thought I
was being cruel by withholding my
affections, but my intuition proved to be
right last night. If Shepard was back in
my life to be a willing participant in my
murder, there really was no longer a
reason to breathe. My reflection in the
mirror was the clearest I had ever seen.
Past the dark circles and sallow skin, my
eyes sparkled with resolve. Carefully
styling my hair into a sleek ponytail and
tasteful makeup, I looked the way I felt. I
was ready.
Walking into the main room, I saw
everyone sitting around the table,
looking somber as the news played on
the flat screen TV. The anchor was
speaking in French, yet the subtitles
were in English. A new drug had been
announced that would revolutionize how
diseases were treated. The owner of the
company came across the screen,
popping corks off champagne with his
research team explaining the discovery;
along with the news story flashed my
photo.
It was called an amazing day in
medicine, a breakthrough in science that
would save millions of lives. Without a
word, I poured a cup of coffee and
began to munch on one of the pastries
sitting in a white box on the counter.
Everyone stared at my nonchalant
behavior as I milled about the room,
ignoring them. I was impressed at their
silence. I could see the questions burning
in their eyes, along with the fear on their
faces. Hopping up onto the counter, I
broke the tension with a little dark
humor.
“Since you are going to put a bullet
in my head, we should probably go
outside; it will make cleaning up go a
whole lot faster.”
The raspberry jam in my sweet
started to ooze out of the side with each
bite. Licking my fingers, I felt euphoric.
The adrenaline pumping through my
veins made it impossible to sit for very
long.
“You sabotaged the auction, Violet.
How did you know?” David’s voice
strained as he tried to figure out how I
was able to fool so many people,
including him. He was no longer Doc in
my eyes; he was a monster I wished I
had never met.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” I wagged my finger
back and forth.
“That’s a secret. However, in my
defense, how could I not? I knew the
moment I opened that hard drive, you set
me up. You thought I was some spineless
woman who would never believe her
beloved mentor would offer her up like
some sacrificial lamb. You manipulated
everyone around you in this sick game to
get what you wanted. I bet they even
thought they were doing something noble
by protecting me.”
Walking around the room, I gave
the hand gesture of air quotes to
emphasize
the
word
protecting.
Everyone watched as David and I
embroiled in a battle of wits.
“What did you promise them,
David? What does it take to get someone
to look the other way while innocent
people die? Oh wait, we have already
discussed this. I am not innocent am I?
What did you call me? Oh, that’s right; I
am wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
I laughed as I took another bite of
my pastry. Never once had I used the
Doc’s
given
name
before.
The
implication of what it meant was not
lost. Walking towards a speechless
Shepard, my head began to shake back
and forth as the words hissed out of my
mouth. “You are worse than him.” Just
as I did with his father, I spit in his face
with disgust. This time I was fully aware
of the consequences of my actions.
As I took one last look around the
room, still no one spoke. They were
unbelievable cowards. “Let’s get this
over with.” I was not afraid, nor was I
angry. If there were an ounce of
compassion in them, it would be swift.
The sun was beating down as the
small crowd gathered in a half circle on
the deck. With my back to the mast, I
dropped to my knees. Closing my eyes, I
brought my hands up to my chest, lacing
the fingers in prayer. I wasn’t asking for
my life to be spared; I was giving thanks
for the life I did have. It was not idyllic,
but it was as I requested. My aunt had
successfully contacted the bidder with
the information I gave her, along with
instructions to broadcast the discovery if
I was unreachable on this date.
The company was kind enough to
honor my request to wait before
announcing the drug. Knowing that today
was supposed to be the auction, it was a
gentleman’s agreement. If David had his
way, he would be one of the most
powerful men on Earth, and I would be
nothing more than a memory. That was
not to be. I was able to fulfill my
purpose, so my life was not lived in
vain.
The answered prayer brought me
peace, despite how short lived it would
be.
Normally, the sound of a trigger on
a semi-automatic weapon being released
would send shivers of fear down
someone’s spine, yet I did not flinch.
Calmness washed over me as I heard the
bullets leave the chamber and slice
through the atmosphere.
The sound of lead hitting flesh is
unlike anything else on earth. The way
the air leaves the lungs and the
subsequent
gasps
for
more
is
unforgettable. Waiting for the darkness
to envelop me, I opened my eyes as
Shepard was lowering his shaking arm,
tightly gripped on the firearm. Instead of
hearing the panicked screams of those on
board, there was just Paganini’s
La
Campanella
playing sweetly in my soul.
I doubted Shepard could hear the words
that came out of my mouth, but he could
see them well enough. His eyes traced
my lips as they slowly moved before
curving into a weak smile.
“Thank you.”
Epilogue
“Open your eyes, Violet. Stay with
me.”
The pressure was too much to bear;
everything was falling apart and I had no
control. I tried holding on as long as I
could. Every synapse in my brain fired
in a rapid succession until the warmth
spread from my heart to the tips of my
fingers and toes. Shaking my head while
I screamed loudly, I felt every atom in
my being connect with the universe as I
died in his arms.
La Petite Mort.
He still liked to watch me. Now he
always wanted me to look back…to hold
his gaze as long as possible before
coming undone. I liked watching him,
too…even while he wasn’t being
serious.
“Stop smiling like that; it’s
creeping me out.”
His hips rotated softly between my
legs, knowing how painfully sensitive I
still was, while making a chipmunk face
with his cheeks puffed out to the sides.
“Better?’
“No, that’s worse!”
Shepard grabbed my hands and
held them above my head as he leaned in
closely and pulled his neck muscles
tight, flicking his tongue like a lizard.
“Oh my God, stop it!”
As I yelled again, writhing beneath
him, he laughed like a maniac while
pushing me back to the edge.
“You really want me to stop,
Violet? I will.” Withdrawing slowly
from my hungry center, taunting the
entrance, he made me plead with him for
mercy.
“No, please don’t stop.” I held my
breath as his hips sank back down,
feeling every inch fit exquisitely within
me. Each heartbeat shared with this man
made me complete, the void unbearable
as we parted. “What?” His thumb traced
my jaw before taking a gentle bite of my
bottom lip. He could tell I was starting
to drift away. Pulled back into his
vibrant blue eyes, I couldn’t get close
enough to him. “How could I be so
foolish? How are you able to forgive
me?”
He lowered down to rest on his
elbows, kissing me softly while he
remained snugly between my knees.
“Violet, everyone who enters your life is
there for one of two reasons. To bring
you closer to the person you can be, or
distract you from fulfilling that potential.
What no one realizes is that we choose
what role that person plays. I knew who
you were from the moment I laid eyes on
you. When I thought I didn’t have a shot
in hell, you still made me want more in
life. That never went away. The only
thing that changed was I wanted you
back at any cost.
Good people make bad choices
every day. Sometimes those choices hurt
people, people they love. We can
choose to stay angry and remain
imprisoned, or we can forgive and let
go. Once again, it’s a choice. I chose to
forgive you. That’s what love does.”
My lips trembled underneath his as
the tears flowed down my cheeks,
soaking his palms. When he tilted his
hips slightly, I remembered we were in
the middle of an intimate encounter, and
suddenly felt guilty for ruining the
moment.
Determined not to stay bogged
down in the somber mood, I asked him
to let me up for a minute. Appearing
somewhat
concerned,
he
watched
closely as I quickly ran into the other
room and plucked a book of sonnets by
Shakespeare from the shelf.
“Violet, what is that for?”
Crawling back into the bed I gave
my most coquettish smile. “Revenge,
darling.”
I pushed Shepard on his back and
straddled his waist. Lowering myself
down, I hissed at the delicious sensation
that never failed to overtake me. While
handing him the book, I smiled. “Pick
one.”
He licked his thumb before turning
the pages, eyeing me with mischief – no
doubt scheming about everything he
planned to do. He turned to the middle of
the book, and returned it to me while
lifting his hips slowly as his thumb
lightly circled my clitoris. Ignoring the
pleasure with all of my might, I began
with Sonnet 23.
“
As an unperfect actor on the
stage
Who with his fear is put besides his
part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too
much rage,
Whose strength’s abundance weakens
his own heart.
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love’s rite,
And in mine own love’s strength seem
to decay,
O’ercharged with burden of mine own
love’s might.
O, let my books be then the eloquence