kisses me.
Paradise Lost
The kiss breaks the peace, as Chip yells “What the hell? We agreed no kissing.”
“Fuck off,” Jace carelessly answers. “She wanted it.”
“No fighting,” I snap, “sitting up. That was amazing, don’t ruin it.”
“We agreed what the limits were,” Chip argues.
“Man, you really need to back off. Sex isn’t about rules and you’re not my boss.”
“Well, technically, I am, Jace. Get the hell out!”
Suddenly, Jace produces a small gun from his jeans, pointing it directly at Chip.
“I think you should leave,”
He pulls the trigger and I scream as Chip sinks to the floor, blood pouring from his chest. My ears ring from the sound of the gun. The world grows hazy, but Jace is tugging on my arm to take me with him and I just sink to the floor by Chip.
Frustrated, Jace eventually leaves the room, and soon after Miss Norris appears. I am still naked, and she covers me with a robe. She says something, but it doesn’t register. My hands are covered with blood, but I just cradle Chip, rocking back and forth. The t-shirt I was holding to his body is steeped in blood, and Miss Norris brings me a clean towel.
A helicopter arrives to medi-vac him to Dallas, but he is pronounced dead when they arrive. The night is a nightmare of blood and police sirens. I have to explain exactly what took place, in excruciating detail. It’s hideous, but all I can think of is Chip’s lifeless body.
By noon the next day they have Jace in custody. He still has the murder weapon and confesses, so the police are confident in their case.
This is my nightmare. I left Texas so that Chip could have the job he loved and I am back for less than a week and he dies.
Miss Norris makes her most delicious meals, but I can’t eat. Even seeing Penny reminds me of riding with Chip. The last part I loved about the ranch is dead.
Mr. Reed is kind enough to visit me at the ranch, and doesn’t ask any questions not related to business. I’m relieved. It’s mechanical, the process of cutting my ties in Texas. I sell the businesses and bank that money, which would be enough to never have to work again, but I have other plans.
The ranch I leave to Miss Norris. She is terrified when I tell her, and keeps asking if I’m sure. She was the only one who hinted at the truth about Jace and she cared about the place.
“I’m sure,” I answered. “I know you’ll take good care of it.”
She cries, explaining she hasn’t seen her family in a while, trying to keep up with things, and now she can bring them to her. It is the best decision I could have made.
I ask the cowboys to exercise Penny every once in a while, and when they ask if I wouldn’t rather bring her, I’m too choked up to explain, but I think they understand.
The ride back to the airport is worlds away from the ride in. I sit in silence, in the back of a town car. The a/c is on, because the windows make an awful noise in the back when they’re lowered. And the sky is cloudy.
I could be a zombie, as I walk through the airport and board. My mind just repeats every interaction with Jace, wondering how I hadn’t suspected, hadn’t guessed this could happen. He was mysterious and mischievous, I’d known that, but everything had gone so far past a prank.
Months go by in Miami, until I hear the verdict: guilty. He is sentenced to life imprisonment. More details of the trial and testimony leak in the coming weeks. Apparently, Jace wanted to be the owner of the ranch, so he had planned to seduce me and then propose. Chip was an unexpected complication, because of our
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