Operation Revenge (13 page)

Food was the last thing she wanted, but to please her sister she forced herself to eat. The food was tasteless.

The phone on Simon's desk rang shrilly, interrupting his lunch. He set his fish taco on the wrapper it came in, wiped his hands on a napkin, and reached for the receiver. "Hello?"

"Have you talked to Haley yet?" Marian inquired.

"I have." He cleared his throat. "She said she'll think about it and talk to you when she reaches a decision."

"She had better say yes," Marian snapped. "If she doesn't-"

"If she doesn't you are still going to move in with me and we will find you a caregiver."

"No, I will stay in my home and find my own caregiver," she stated.

Simon sat back in his chair. "So you'll live with me only if Haley is part of the deal, but if she isn't you'll stay in your home. Why is that, Gran?" She didn't answer him. "Could it be that I was right and this is just a scheme to get me and Haley to-"

"The nurse is here," she cut in. "I'll talk to you later." The line went dead.

"Score one for me," Simon muttered, dropping the receiver back in the base. "I've got your number, old woman."

Just then, the intercom came on and Paula spoke. "Mr. Irwin is here to see you, sir."

Simon pressed the intercom button. "Send him in."

The door opened and Chad entered the office. He marched to the desk and tossed a sheet of paper at Simon. "My letter of resignation. Consider it my two week notice."

"I would ask what brought this about, but I have a feeling it has to do with Haley and I." Simon grabbed the paper and glanced over it. "If this is what you want then I won't argue with you. Feel free to add me as one of your contacts when you're filling out your resume."

"Why?" he sneered. "So you can tell whoever interviews me that I was a shitty employee and they shouldn't waste their time on me."

"No." Simon put the paper down and looked up at Chad. "So I can tell him or her that you were an excellent employee and-"

"Like you would say that," he said coolly.

"You know I don't let personal issues interfere with business," Simon reminded him. "What goes on outside of work stays outside of work. It's a shame you can't do that."

"You stole my girlfriend," Chad growled.

"She broke up with you. You two were over before I stepped in." Simon sighed heavily. "I don't want to go through this again. You gave me your resignation. If that's all then please go."

"Gladly." Chad left, slamming the door behind him.

Making a mental note to find a replacement, Simon went back to his lunch.

Haley let herself into the house that evening, deposited her keys and purse on the table, and slipped out of her shoes. She headed to the bedroom, where she changed into a pair of faded jeans and a t-shirt. Hungry, she trudged to the kitchen in search of something to make for dinner. A quick look through the freezer and cabinets, she knew what she wanted to eat and went to work cooking.

Ten minutes later, Haley sat down at the table with a plate of food. She had just cut into a pork chop when the doorbell rang. Putting down her fork and knife, she rose from her chair and went to answer the door. She peered through the peephole and swore under her breath. It was Chad. Not in the mood to deal with him, she quietly went back to the kitchen, ignoring the doorbell and the pounding on the door. After a minute, it grew quiet. Breathing a sigh of relief, she relaxed and ate her dinner.

After dinner, Haley loaded the dishwasher and then wiped the counters clean with a damp dishtowel. Once she was done, she turned out the light and left the kitchen. Walking into the living room, she stopped dead in her tracks. There, sitting on the couch as calm as can be, was Chad. Her heart began to pound and her mouth went dry. She swallowed hard and moved toward him, stopping a short distance from him.

"Did you enjoy your dinner?" he asked, getting to his feet.

"How the hell did you get in?" she demanded to know.

"I used the key you gave me." He dangled his keys in front of her. She grabbed for them and he quickly moved them out of her reach. "I don't think so. I'm going to keep it."

"Go ahead," Haley sneered. "I'll have the locks changed. Get out!"

"I will, but when I'm ready." Chad moved closer to her. "We're going to talk without interruptions . . . without Wilcox getting in the way."

"How many times do I have to say it? I don't have anything to say to you."

"Fine." He snatched her by the arms. "I'll do the talking. You can listen."

"Let go of me!" Haley growled.

"You used to like my touch." His hands moved down her sides, settling low on her hips. "All those nights we spent together."

"They meant nothing to you," she whispered, her heart aching.

"That's not true," he mumbled. "They meant something to me."

"Then why did you cheat on me?" Haley croaked, eyes filling with tears.

"Because I'm a fool." Chad locked eyes with her. "A damn fool. I was weak. Temptation was everywhere and I couldn't fight it, but if you give me another chance I swear-"

"No!" She shoved him away. "You had your chance and you blew it. We're through."

"I won't accept that," he said stubbornly. "I love you and I know you love me."

"I've moved on with Simon," Haley told him.

Chad crossed his arms in front of him. "You keep saying that, but you know the more I think about it the more I'm starting to wonder if your relationship is just a ruse to get back at me. I'm right, aren't I?"

"You're never right," she hissed, trying to keep the truth from showing on her face. "Simon was there for me when I needed someone. The more time we spent together the more I realized there was something between us. I was convinced of that when he kissed me."

"He kissed you?" he growled, his eyes flashing with rage.

Haley smirked at him. "He's an amazing kisser." It was the truth. The kiss they shared had been like nothing she had ever experienced. He had awakened in her feelings she'd never felt before. Even now, thinking about the kiss awakened a yearning inside of her and made her tremble. "Better than you could ever hope to be. You pale in comparison next to him. He is-"

With fury on his face, Chad hauled her against him and crushed her mouth beneath his. There was no gentleness in his kiss. It was brutal, punishing. He bit her and the taste of blood filled her mouth, making her want to gag. Struggling against him, she managed to get one arm free and hit him on the side of the head. He grunted, but instead of releasing her as she had hoped, he grabbed her wrist, twisting it. Pain shot up her arm and she screamed against his mouth.

Desperate to get away from him and nurse her aches and pains, Haley did the only thing she could think of. In one swift motion, she brought her knee up and kneed him in the groin. Suddenly, she was free. Backing up swiftly, she cradled her injured arm and watched with satisfaction as he sank to the floor, holding himself and groaning. "That felt good. I should've done that a long time ago."

"You bitch!" he roared, curling into the fetal position.

"You asked for it." Haley hurried to her bedroom. Once there, she removed her small handgun from the nightstand, checked to make sure the safety was off, and rushed back out to the living room. "Give me back my key and get the hell out of here," she said through clenched teeth as she pointed the gun at him. "Don't think I won't use this gun. You trespassed and that gives me every right to shoot you like the dog you are. Now get up."

Slowly, Chad got to his feet. He retrieved his keys from his pocket, found the right one, and removed it from the keychain. Tossing the key on the floor, he said, "This isn't over, not by a long shot."

"I disagree," she said. "Let's go." She followed him to the door, the gun trained at his back. The minute he crossed the threshold she slammed the door shut and locked it. Alone, she sank to the floor, shaking, and burst into tears.

Chapter 1
4

Alone in the examination room, Haley waited anxiously for the doctor. She had just come from having an x-ray done of her wrist and was waiting to hear the results. Tired and in pain, she longed for the comfort of her bed. Shifting on the uncomfortable table, she glanced at her watch and sighed heavily. It was after nine. She had arrived at the hospital shortly before seven. Impatient, she shifted again and breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened.

"Thank you for waiting, Ms. Denton," the doctor said, walking into the room. He closed the door and moved toward her. "I have the results of your x-ray. Good news is you don't have any fractures. The bad news is you have a sprain." He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms in front of him. "I want you to rest your wrist for the next forty-eight hours."

"I suppose that means no work," Haley said. "I'm a secretary. I do a lot of typing."

"I would recommend taking the rest of the week off," the doctor told her. "Ice the wrist for twenty to thirty minutes every three to four hours. I suggest doing this for two to three days." He removed an elastic bandage from the pocket of his coat and stepped to the table. Carefully he wrapped her injured wrist from the base of her fingers to the top of her forearm. "Remove the bandage before you take a bath."

"How long do I need to use it?"

"For at least a couple of days," he answered. "After you ice your wrist, you need to keep it elevated. Use a pillow or a sling to keep your entire arm above your heart. It will be necessary to do this for several days." He released her arm. "Once the swelling has gone down, a little bit of moist heat will be fine. You don't have to put heat on your sprain, but if you decide to you can warm a towel or washcloth under hot water. This should help to relieve any lingering pain in the area of the sprain."

"How long will it take for my wrist to heal?" Haley asked him.

"It depends," he said. "After three to five days, you should start to notice that your wrist is feeling normal again. When you are comfortable, slowly begin to use it again. Don't expect too much at first. Just take it easy for the first week or two, until you feel comfortable using your wrist fully. Do you have any more questions before I let you go?"

Haley thought about it for a moment. "No."

"You can take any over the counter pain reliever to ease your discomfort," he said, helping her off the table. "I think we're done here. I'll let you get out of here, so you can go home and rest."

"Thank you," she muttered, grabbing her purse off the table.

"You're welcome."

Haley left the room, turned right and walked down the corridor. At the end of the corridor, she passed through a set of double doors and entered the waiting room. Sandra, who was flipping through a magazine, glanced up. Before she could say anything Haley spoke. "It's just a sprain. I'll be fine."

"Thank goodness." Sandra put down the magazine, gathered up her things and stood. "Come on, you're staying with me tonight."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'd like to sleep in my own bed."

"You don't need to be alone tonight," her sister said concerned. "What if you need help? What if he comes back?"

Haley smirked. "I have my gun." She squeezed Sandra's arm. "I'll be fine, sis. Don't worry about me."