no big deal. What had she expected? Happily ever after? Looking back, she hadn’t really expected anything. She might not have known what marriage would be like, but she knew what she wanted.
The answer was so simple. She’d wanted a home. A place to belong, a family and a pet. She’d never had one and always wanted to save the strays she saw while traveling. Instead, being married was equivalent to being locked inside a mansion surrounded by people who had no love in their hearts.
“I need a bottle of water or maybe this place sells Gel Shots. Five or six of those and we’ll be ready to party again.” Linda staggered across the gravel parking lot to the food truck and banged on the window. When no one answered, she swayed back to the group. “I’m so envious. In three days you’ll be jet-setting halfway across the world for a fabulous Roman adventure. I, on the other hand, will be starting another boring semester of school.”
While starving herself to drop down to her agent’s ideal weight, she’d be wishing every minute for her friend’s boring life.
“Anybody want a fried oyster po’boy? Of course Sissy’s answer is no. She can’t waste calories on stinky food. The bun alone would be—”
Sissy tuned them out and let them make fun of the way she’d eaten while staying with them over the past two months. They didn’t understand that drastic measures were needed if she wanted her career back.
Even at the same weight there was the perception of what her body should be. She had to be thinner, taller, sleeker—more everything—to get back on top of the heap of girls who came along every day.
Fortunately, she hadn’t been out of the paparazzi’s eye very long. Her husband had made certain she’d been on his arm for special events. The press asked if she planned to return to her career after the honeymoon was over. Xander had assured them several times that their life would be a never-ending honeymoon.
But Xander Tenoreno was a liar and horrible person. If there was a villain in her life, it would be him. She was walking away from the divorce almost destitute. She’d been a dumb kid and rushed into marriage without a prenup. He’d taken everything. They’d been playing whose divorce attorney was the toughest until she’d realized that she could start over if she walked away.
It didn’t matter. All she wanted was Miss Kitty, mainly to save her from the wrath of the household. None of the family was happy about the divorce. They didn’t believe in it and took ‘till death do you part’ very literally.
No matter what Xander said or did, he couldn’t keep her down. He could keep all of the money. According to her agent, she was still in high demand because of the public life she’d led, but she was almost old in model years. Old and only just celebrating her twenty-first birthday next week.
She looked around at the isolated parking lot and wondered if Xander was trying to frighten her. He didn’t have to try hard. Would Xander or his family stoop to something that would hurt her friends? She shook her head, answering herself. Even they wouldn’t be that public.
“What happened between you two, Sissy? Why did your Mr. Hunky-poo start sleeping around? He was so much fun to party with.” Linda asked, hands on her hips, expecting an answer.
Okay, everyone in the parking lot expected an answer. After all, her life was continually up for discussion. Her every move was up for debate.
The threats and demands had been plentiful after their wedding vows but she hadn’t told anyone. Not a soul. Not even her attorney. “I was supposed to stay at the mansion and be traipsed out whenever he needed someone to hang on his arm. It wasn’t my scene.”
“Barefoot, pregnant and cooking over a hot stove? You?” Janna laughed and everyone joined in.
That scenario would never have happened, but it was close. Of course she didn’t get pregnant. Then a dozen doctors all agreed that there was no reason they couldn’t have children. The consensus was that they shouldn’t be in such a hurry. Give it time. But Xander had just quit. He tended to want immediate gratification for everything he did. People seemed to show up injured if he didn’t.
“I don’t have to think about that anymore.” She laced her fingers, then pulled them apart, sitting on them to keep still. He can’t hurt me if I’m not there.
The Tenoreno family wanted her out of the way.
Gone. Forever.
As long as he’d finally agreed to give her Miss Kitty, she could leave Texas and never look back. She looked around at the isolated food trailer. No other cars. No parking lot lights. It was just such an odd place for a man who liked everything shiny and new.
Including his women.
“It’s eight forty-five. How long do we have to wait? That new band is opening at the Bat House. Is he always this late?” Darren paced.
“Yes. Time means nothing to him.” She’d never thought he’d be here on the dot. But if roles were reversed and she was the one late, he would euthanize Miss Kitty as he’d threatened more than once to keep Sissy in line.
A super big SUV drove by. Smoke curled from the dark windows as it slowed. The bass of the music inside echoed through her chest it was so loud. Her friends danced to the hip-hop rhythm.
“We need music,” Janna said, dancing to the fading beat over to the food truck window. “Come on. Can’t you open up for a second? Even for water?”
Sissy swatted at her neck and shivered. It felt like something was crawling on her. Or maybe someone had walked on her grave. Wasn’t that the saying? She discovered a tendril of her long hair had blown free from its intricate braid and tickled her skin. Her imagination had gone super wild.
As if she wasn’t already scared enough. Now the thought of spiders in her hair had her all itchy. Another vehicle approached the three-way intersection with the same low bass thump. Another SUV?
Was it her imagination or an odd premonition that made her stand and move to the side of the trailer? She didn’t know. But as the SUV drew even with the lot, she saw the gun barrel in the open window. She screamed. She dialed the number she’d had ready on her cell since they’d arrived.
The gunfire was maddeningly loud. She tried to get to the car. The gravel popped up in front of her hitting her legs first one direction and then the other. They shot all around her, missing. She was their target. She didn’t doubt that for a second.
“Nine-one-one, what’s your emergency?”
The voice was drowned out by more rapid fire of another weapon. Laughter from the men as they opened the car doors. She wanted to recognize one of the men who followed the Tenoreno family everywhere. She couldn’t be certain. But the family wanted her out of the way.
Gone. Forever.
There was nowhere to run. No one to call out to for help. She was about to die and wanted to scream louder. Scream hysterically.
The phone was still in her palm. She couldn’t be certain the police would respond. Her husband might have paid them to avoid the area. She prayed someone decent was on the other end of the call, trying to discover what was happening in this remote parking lot.
The gunfire stopped.
Sissy looked up, blinking hard to see her attackers. Maybe they were just trying to scare—another burst. Linda’s screams were cut off. Janna’s followed. Her eyes never shut as she fell to the ground.
The stinging fire in her side whipped her around. Another stabbed through her arm like a hot knife through butter...quick, silently tearing her flesh. A third and fourth pierced under her arm that had flown above her head.
Darren wrapped his arms around her but they fell. She landed hard under him. His body protected her from the full force of the bullets. The white gravel that had been hard to walk through minutes earlier turned dark. It registered but there was no pain. She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t speak.
The phone wasn’t in her