Jack was standing, looking over the railing. “Is something wrong?” “No, do you want to see him now?”
“Yeah, I want to get it over with,” she said.
He took her hand and led her down the stairs. “He’s in the tea
room. It’s down the hall. Do you want me to take you there?” “Yes, and I was right, this house is way too big,” she smiled.
“Tea room,” she laughed.
“Yeah, it’s atea room. I have my grandmother’s collection of
teacups in there. That’s about it, except for a few pieces of furniture. Tea
room.”
She kissed him softly. “Then, in our new house, we’ll have a tea
room, too.”
“Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Jack, somethingisbothering you. Tell me. I didn’t mean to
tease you about the house.”
He touched her face. “You were right. It is way too big. My life
meant nothing unless you were in it. I will never forget how I hurt you.” She wiped his tears. “Don’t. Please, we’re passed that. Last night
was so amazing and loving. You’re a very loving man. You just needed
someone likemeto show you that you can be that way.”
“You’re so right,” he said, as he opened the door to the tea
room. He held her face and kissed her softly as Parker watched. “Go on.
If you need me, I’ll be right there.”
“Thank you,” she said, as she headed into the room and faced
her betrayer. She looked at the man who stood over him. “Who are
you?”
“Number two,” he said.
“What’s yourname?” she asked.
“Lionel.”
“I’m Sam.”
“I know who you are. I’m glad that you’re here … where you
belong.”
“You think I belong with Jack?” she smiled.
“I was theonlyone he trusted enough to talk to about you,” he
smiled. “I am glad you’re here.Thisman hurt you?”
“Yes,” she said.
“What do you want with him?” Lionel asked.
“Untie him and please leave.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she said.
He did as instructed and then left the room. She glared at Parker,
who looked up at her. “So, what are you going to do? Kill me, too?” “I thought about it but, no, I’m not. I want you to tell me why
you did all this.”
“I fell in love with you. You fell in love with me. Remember
what we meant to each other.”
“All that crap was alie. I can’t live a lie with you. Youliedto me.
Tell me the truth or I will beat the livingcrapout of you.”
He stood up. “Youcouldn’thurt me. Youloveme,” he said softly. She punched him in the face and he grabbed her arms. He pulled
her into a strong kiss. She lifted up her knee and kneed him in the groin.
“Sit down and don’tevertouch me. You don’t know what love is. Love is
when you’re truthful.”
“You’re sleeping with yourrapist! How stupid is that?” She shook her head. “Hedidn’trape me. Ilied!”
“Youlied? I saw the bruises.”
“I like it rough sometimes. That’s all. It got a little rougher than
normal. Why’d you kill my brother?”
“He was going to tell you that I was a dirty agent.”
“So, that’s why he came to my place that day?”
“Yes, we followed him. I didn’t expect him to hang on that long,
but then,youwereunableto save him,” he laughed.
“I’m much stronger now, you know.”
“Yeah, you’re akillernow.”
“And so are you and I taught you how to be one again. You can
thank the use of your hand for me.”
“I do appreciate everything you did for me. Sam, I do love you.
At first, I wanted to use you, yes, to kill my brother.”
“Why? What did Jackeverdo to you?”
“He has everything and I have nothing. He has power and
money and women … I had nothing. I wanted what was his.” “Did you know that Jack and I were involved seven years ago?” “No. I didn’t know until I heard you two talking. I figured he
had told you what I did.”
“I don’t know what to do with you. Lies. You killed me inside.
You broke my heart. You betrayed me. Idon’tforgive betrayal. You and
I will never be anything, ever again.”
“What’s Jack going to do with me?”
“He left it up tome,” she said, as he stood up.
“Sam, please, you loved the way I made love. You said you never
felt that way before.”
“I hadn’t. I never felt like this before. I tried to get passed my
love for Jack, first, with Ed and then … withyou. By the time you and I
were together, I was so hell bent on hating Jack, that I enjoyed being
with you. Now, I see you for who you really are. You’repathetic. You not
only betrayed me. You killed my brother. You shot my best friend.No
one touches my family.”
“You’re with Jack again, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, and I’llalways be with him, as long as he keeps his
promises and I keep mine. I am my own woman. You never owned me.
Jack doesn’t own me. The one thing about Jack is that heneverlied to me
about who he was. He loves me and I love him. I’ve loved him for a
long time. I just thought a long time ago, that I was never getting him
back. Now that he’s back in my life, I’ll do whatever I can to keep him
with me.”
“What aboutme?”
“You? That’s all you care about?” she shook her head. “Ihate
betrayal. You are so lucky that I don’t have my gun right now. I just
want to kill you for what you did to me and Luke.”
“Take yourbestshot,” he snapped.
She turned towards the door and then spun around. She kicked
him across the room. He flew into the wall and landed on the floor. She
walked over to him and kicked him in the chest. “I should’ve let you
bleed to death on the balcony. Now, I know why he wanted you dead.
You’re nothing to me. If Jack wants you around, that’s his business, but
if you ever touch me, talk to me, or evenlookat me, I won’t hesitate to
kick the crap out of you,” she said, as she headed towards the door. Jack was standing in the doorway, smiling at her. “Feel better?” “Much. I didn’t break any teacups. They areverybeautiful,” she
smiled. “I’m hungry. I guess I worked up an appetite.”
“There’s some food in the kitchen. Go ahead. I’ll be right there,”
he said, as he kissed her softly. She headed down the hall and he went
into the room.
He stared at his brother. “Stand,” he said.
“You knew … you knew it was her, when you sent me for her,
didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did. I hadn’t seen her in a long time, but after what Kyle
did… I was going to tell her. Youweren’tsupposed to kill him. You were
supposed to bring him to me soshecould deal with him. You’re such a
loser. Always have been. You know, if I knew you were going to sleep
with her, I would’ve killed you before you got the chance.” “Jack, I love her, too.”
“Yes, and look at how you showed her. I know that I hurt her
once, but I didn’t mean to. Ineverlied to her. I was always truthful with
her. You, on the other hand, you have no honor and no loyalty.” “What are you going to do with me?”
“You … have two choices,” he smiled.
“Which are?” Parker crossed his arms.
“You can work in the bar as a bartender or you willdie. You
choose,” he smiled.
“Bar? I blew it up,” he said.
“It is being built as we speak. In a few weeks, theRazor’s Edge
will have two owners. Younotbeing one of them.”
“Sam?”
“Yes, isn’t that wonderful. We’re together. Last night, we made
passionatelove and the best part of it is because we truly love each other.
I may not do a lot of good things, but now that I have her back in my
life, I’m changing my life around. You should’ve thought aboutthat.
Maybe you wouldn’t have lost her back to me.”
“Death orbartending?”
“Yes, since you blew up the bar, Steve quit. I guess it was a little
too close for him. Such awuss.”
“I’ll bartend, I guess. Doessheknow?”
“Why?”
“She threatened to kill me if I even look at her,” Parker said, as
he put his hands in his pockets.
“I will tell her. Don’t piss her off and don’t touch her or Iwill
kill you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You are lucky.”
“Why? Because you didn’t kill me?”
“No, becauseshedidn’t,” he said. “Go now, oh, by the way …
your friend Drew…”
“He’sdead, isn’t he?”
“Yes, and you’llneverfind him.”
“I figured as much. I can go?”
“Leave, but youwillbe watched,” he said, as Parker left the
house.