Cellar Door (7 page)

Liam

My time researching Madonna after my trip to the coffee shop was quite productive. My heart aches for her after finding out what this girl has been through. What a story. She was dropped off at a local orphanage as a newborn. I’m surprised she wasn’t adopted right away since newborns are in such high demand, but I guess that just wasn’t her destiny.

And since her destiny is to be with me, that’s just as well.

She saw me at the coffee shop. Our eyes met and she was glad to see me, I could tell. I had been watching her for half an hour as myriad emotions crossed her face. Even as she typed, she seemed deep in thought. When she finally gazed out the window, she seemed so sad and troubled.

I can’t help but wonder if she is more aware than I originally thought of the danger that surrounds her.
I
don’t pose a threat, of course – I’m her savior, even if she doesn’t know it yet. But Lance and his creepy puppet? They want to kill her. Not me -- I want to give her a new life and fill it with everything she craves, everything she deserves.

I couldn’t have created a more ideal subject for a kidnapping if I’d tried. This is probably the first time anyone’s ever shown an interest in her that wasn’t motivated by obligation. No doubt she’s starving for attention, for affection, for someone to belong to. I will give that to her, and more. She seems so alone in the world but when she gazed down at me from her window, our eyes met and we connected. I’m sure of it. It may not take much effort on my part to help her see my plan for the life-changing gift it is.

She needs me, pure and simple. And I’ll be there for her like no one ever has before. She will discover, as I have, that I need her as desperately as she needs me. She will soothe my tortured soul and I will give her true freedom, the freedom to weave words that will stand the test of time. Yes, we will give each other what the other lacks, yet craves.

I’ll need to move quickly before Lance’s pathetic sycophant puts his plan into action. And I’ll not only kidnap her for her own good, but I won’t stop there. I’ll kill that son of a bitch if that’s what it takes to keep my angel safe. I’ll risk everything – my career, perhaps even my life – for this woman.

Until now, women have been just a means of sexual release for me, barely more than orifices I would use to temporarily sate my baser needs. No emotions, no compromises, no regrets. My woman is different. She’s special. There is no way that I will allow Lance and this sicko to desecrate or destroy my perfect angel.

Madonna

No matter how much I tell myself that I’ll be safe as long as I’m careful, I never feel safe and it’s beginning to wear on my nerves. That is, until I looked down from my window and saw Dr. Chambers looking up at me. In that moment, I felt truly safe for the first time in…forever. I hope I get to feel that way again soon. Sounds easy enough…until I find myself looking over my shoulder every five seconds. I wonder if the rest of the world can see the paranoia that’s simmering just below the surface.

I shake my head in an attempt to clear it. After a brief pause, I fix a polite smile on my face and push open the door to Mr. Williams’ room. I’m already running late and I don’t want to disappoint him.

“Mr. Williams, how are you today?” I ask as I step over to the window. Sunlight brings a welcome warmth to the sterile room as I open the blinds.

“You look tired, dear, are you sleeping well?” His voice is noticeably raspier today, and my heart clenches at the inevitability of the situation. In the short time I’ve known him, I’ve grown quite attached to him. I’ve never lost someone close to me before, my family was already long gone to parts unknown when I was abandoned. I find the prospect of his eventual death more than a little overwhelming.

I chuckle but it sounds forced, even to my own ears. “Your eyesight may not be as bad as you’ve let on.” I put my hands on my hips and smile impishly down at him, “Are you playin’ possum so I’ll read to you?”

“I never said I was blind, young lady, but I do enjoy a pretty girl reading to me. I’m not dead yet, you know,” he guffaws before a bout of coughing leaves him shuddering. I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t appreciate being fussed over, so I take a seat next to his bed and wait patiently until he settles back against the pillows.

“Oh, I’m fine,” I assure him. “I’ve been doing some soul searching is all. The best time to do that is at night while the rest of the world sleeps.”

“Soul searching? Well, now, I do hope you’ve listened to my advice about writing. What you’ve read to me is so moving, but you really should be putting your own thoughts and stories on paper for the world to see.”

“Actually, yes, I’ve had an epiphany of sorts and I have you to thank,” I say as I pat his hand. “You see, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I stayed up all night finishing my final ghostwriting project, and I’ll be starting on my own work tonight. Of course, there’s a catch -- if I find myself immersed too deeply in my writing it could mean less time with you, and I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you.”

“Oh, I have a feeling that I’ll be freeing up some of your time very soon. Now, none of that,” he murmurs when he notices my eyes glistening with unshed tears. “So I’m fine with that, dear, I’ll just treasure every moment you can spare for me. Far be it from me to hinder inspiration.”

He nods at me, a sign for me to begin reading today’s selection. I clear my throat and open the book in my lap. I know exactly what he’ll request, but I ask anyway.

“What would you like today?”

“Some Frost, I think. You know the one.”

Indeed I do. I pick up the Robert Frost book and begin.

Liam

She has no idea I’m standing here listening or that I often manipulate my schedule just so I can hear her read poetry. It isn't the poetry I crave; it’s the lyrical sound of her voice that sates the monster in me.

It grieves me to hear she isn’t sleeping because I know her insomnia is caused by that psychopath who’s been following her around. It’s time for me to make my move. Her room is ready with the basics: a cot, desk, and chair.

I can’t take the chance of losing her. Even though I know I could lose everything I’ve worked for over the years if I get caught, I can’t take the chance of him killing her. I’d never forgive myself.

What’s even crazier than what I’m planning is how much I’m looking forward to it. I yearn to see her in chains, her delicate limbs weighed down by forged iron. I want her to writhe and strain against the restraints while she pleads with me. Every plea for mercy will mean she’s one step closer to my goal: absolute submission to my will.

I’m so distracted thinking about the things I’m going to do to her that I don’t notice her finishing up and heading to the door.

“So…you
are
following me. I guess that means I have two stalkers now,” she mutters as she blows past me and walks briskly down the hall. I follow her, trying not to sound as desperate as I feel.

“Guilty as charged, I’m afraid. Who else is following you?”

“Let’s get that cup of coffee and talk. What are you doing here on a Sunday anyway?” She glances up at me and I can see the trust in her eyes. I pray she doesn’t hate me for what I’m going to do. I would rather she hate me and be spared from death than me hate myself for allowing her to be killed. If hate is all she can give me, I’ll take that over having nothing at all.

“I just stopped in to follow up on a matter of great importance. There are no days off when time is of the essence.”

We progress through the hospital cafeteria line in silence. When we’re seated in a booth she looks up at me. In the harsh lighting, I can see her fatigue and anxiety in the dark circles under her eyes. There’s so much I wish I could tell her, to reassure her that I’ve all of this under control.

I’ll tell her everything someday. I’ll tell her that the man orchestrating this dark chapter in her life is my twin, that I sent her hooded stalker to the gates of hell, personally. Then she’ll know the reasons for the god awful things I’ll be subjecting her to. If things go really well, I may even tell her how much I enjoyed it. But for now, I must wait patiently for her to tell me what she wants me to know.