Read Online Veiled (A Short Story) by Kendra Elliot - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kendra Elliot
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“She didn’t care for what you’d done
to Will? She didn’t fall into line with your surprise plan?”
“She couldn’t see that I’d done it for us .That I’d done it to clean up her life. So we could have a fresh start. She
panicked. She wanted to call Terry. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Lacey briefly closed her eyes. Had Patty really
felt something for Mathews? Had she returned his affection, or had it only been
in his head? What had Patty thought when Mathews told her Will was dead?
“Did you take the missing beer cans from the
cabin? Were you up there with Will?”
“I suggested we go up for beers and steak. Will
wouldn’t pass up free beer. He’d already been hitting the rum when I got there.
By the time he slammed three beers, he was on the couch.”
“You called Patty from his phone?”
“Sometimes she didn’t answer my calls, but I
figured she’d answer his. And she did, but she got pissed when she realized it
was me.
“I wanted her death to count for something. So
I dug out her dress and took her to the hotel. They’ve been making such a big
deal of this hotel being the wedding destination. It was time to make
them eat their words. They destroyed a lot of people in this town.”
He was taking revenge on the new hotel? “Who
did the hotel hurt that you cared for?” she asked. “You said you were
correcting another wrong. What did you mean?”
They had reached the level concrete area by the
gazebo. Looking down, Lacey realized it wasn’t just a huge slab of concrete. It
held a large intricate star of shell and rock and wood. Something created by a
master craftsman. It was beautiful. Mathews breathed heavily behind her. She
looked up at the gazebo, a simple but elegant wood frame that covered a small
deck. The cliffs dropped off dramatically, a sturdy wood side fence protecting
sightseers from plunging to the waves crashing against the rocks fifty feet
below.
Fear washed through her as she stared out at
the thundering ocean. Mathews was trying to make a statement. And she suspected
it involved her in a bridal gown going over the railing.
Jack. She couldn’t breathe.
“Strip.”
“What?” she turned her back to the ocean and
stared at the big man.
He tossed the dress at her feet. “Strip, and
put it on.”
“It’s not my size.”
“You think I care?” He glared at her and took a
half step closer, the gun a yard away from her nose. “Put. It. On.”
She held his stare for a full two seconds and
then unzipped her sweatshirt. She tossed it at his feet just as he’d tossed the
dress at hers. She kicked off her sneakers and shimmied out of her yoga pants,
staring defiantly at him the whole time. She’d performed in gymnastic leotards
in front of thousands all through college. She didn’t give a shit about one man
seeing her in a camisole and panties.
He watched with no expression, his gun steady.
“Who did the hotel hurt that you cared for?”
she asked again. She picked up the wedding dress and waited.
His gaze locked on her breasts.
Creep.
“My mother. She worked there for twenty years
as a housekeeper. That bald manager, Lott, fired her after two weeks. He
wouldn’t even give her a reference. She couldn’t find another job. She rarely
leaves the house now.”
Depression.
She held his gaze, injecting every ounce of
sympathy she could into her eyes. “You need—”
“Put on the dress!” he screamed at her, tendons
popping in his neck. “Now!”
Heart pounding, she bent over and shook out the
dress, trying to find a way to step into the mass of tulle without falling
over. She struggled, her arms shaking. For a woman who could still do full
twisting backflips on the beam, she could barely keep her balance to find the
ground through the dress. Somehow she got both feet through and pulled the
dress up. It was strapless. Reaching to her back, she realized it didn’t have a
zipper. It had dozens of tiny buttons that she could never fasten with her
to Will? She didn’t fall into line with your surprise plan?”
“She couldn’t see that I’d done it for us .That I’d done it to clean up her life. So we could have a fresh start. She
panicked. She wanted to call Terry. I couldn’t let that happen.”
Lacey briefly closed her eyes. Had Patty really
felt something for Mathews? Had she returned his affection, or had it only been
in his head? What had Patty thought when Mathews told her Will was dead?
“Did you take the missing beer cans from the
cabin? Were you up there with Will?”
“I suggested we go up for beers and steak. Will
wouldn’t pass up free beer. He’d already been hitting the rum when I got there.
By the time he slammed three beers, he was on the couch.”
“You called Patty from his phone?”
“Sometimes she didn’t answer my calls, but I
figured she’d answer his. And she did, but she got pissed when she realized it
was me.
“I wanted her death to count for something. So
I dug out her dress and took her to the hotel. They’ve been making such a big
deal of this hotel being the wedding destination. It was time to make
them eat their words. They destroyed a lot of people in this town.”
He was taking revenge on the new hotel? “Who
did the hotel hurt that you cared for?” she asked. “You said you were
correcting another wrong. What did you mean?”
They had reached the level concrete area by the
gazebo. Looking down, Lacey realized it wasn’t just a huge slab of concrete. It
held a large intricate star of shell and rock and wood. Something created by a
master craftsman. It was beautiful. Mathews breathed heavily behind her. She
looked up at the gazebo, a simple but elegant wood frame that covered a small
deck. The cliffs dropped off dramatically, a sturdy wood side fence protecting
sightseers from plunging to the waves crashing against the rocks fifty feet
below.
Fear washed through her as she stared out at
the thundering ocean. Mathews was trying to make a statement. And she suspected
it involved her in a bridal gown going over the railing.
Jack. She couldn’t breathe.
“Strip.”
“What?” she turned her back to the ocean and
stared at the big man.
He tossed the dress at her feet. “Strip, and
put it on.”
“It’s not my size.”
“You think I care?” He glared at her and took a
half step closer, the gun a yard away from her nose. “Put. It. On.”
She held his stare for a full two seconds and
then unzipped her sweatshirt. She tossed it at his feet just as he’d tossed the
dress at hers. She kicked off her sneakers and shimmied out of her yoga pants,
staring defiantly at him the whole time. She’d performed in gymnastic leotards
in front of thousands all through college. She didn’t give a shit about one man
seeing her in a camisole and panties.
He watched with no expression, his gun steady.
“Who did the hotel hurt that you cared for?”
she asked again. She picked up the wedding dress and waited.
His gaze locked on her breasts.
Creep.
“My mother. She worked there for twenty years
as a housekeeper. That bald manager, Lott, fired her after two weeks. He
wouldn’t even give her a reference. She couldn’t find another job. She rarely
leaves the house now.”
Depression.
She held his gaze, injecting every ounce of
sympathy she could into her eyes. “You need—”
“Put on the dress!” he screamed at her, tendons
popping in his neck. “Now!”
Heart pounding, she bent over and shook out the
dress, trying to find a way to step into the mass of tulle without falling
over. She struggled, her arms shaking. For a woman who could still do full
twisting backflips on the beam, she could barely keep her balance to find the
ground through the dress. Somehow she got both feet through and pulled the
dress up. It was strapless. Reaching to her back, she realized it didn’t have a
zipper. It had dozens of tiny buttons that she could never fasten with her
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