He's My Killer

Chapter Thirty-Six

UNKNOWN

"I see he's on to me." I said bitterly.

"David is gone and Candace is missing. What's the next step?" Duke, the undercover man asked me.

I tapped my pen on the table. "Get a team and find out where he is. I want his full name, any known living family members, and get me a background history. Candace did not give much info."

"And Tiana?" He queried.

I sighed. "I want you to keep an eye on her for now on. Make sure she doesn't get in trouble and look out for new faces."

He gave a nod before walking out of my office.

This day gets even more interesting. Here I was going over better plans for my business and it came in trouble. I had Candace go back and forth with David, who was our look out until I got the knowledge of his body being dumped in a dumpster in Vegas.

I was close to getting what I wanted from this strange man. I did not know his name on a personal level. All I know is he goes by his last name Maso. How do I know that family has much history? Dark secrets on how they really became the most feared people.

But not me.

I got what I needed to know now and I was going to lay on the low until then.

I was close to the prize and he is catching on.

Patience was key.

****

TIANA

It's almost two in the morning and I was getting tired. I've been at Carter's penthouse rental for a few hours now. He drove here and placed one of his bodyguards outside the suite door.

Making sure I don't escape again.

Honestly, I'm starting to think I will never ever get away from him. If I escape he would just end up finding me sometime later. Doesn't matter when, he'll find me regardless.

He told me he had some business to handle and that made me think back to Xavier. I had no idea what Carter's problem was with Xavier flipping his car and nearly killing him in the process.

I sat on the soft sofa and looked around. This was a nice penthouse.       

I stood to my feet and looked outside. The beautiful city lights were a sight. I looked towards the stairs then at the door.

Don't do it, Tiana.

My feet moved on it's own and I made my way up the stairs. Nothing could be bad up there......right?

But he told me to stay down here and watch tv. He could get over it. My feet moved up the steps and once at the top, I looked down the empty hall. I stepped forward and headed to the first room. I twisted the handle and pushed it open. I felt for the light switch and the room lit up. It was the bathroom. I cut the light off and closed the door back.

As I continued down the hall, I could smell an awful smell coming from down the hall. The smell got stronger and it started from behind the third door.

It smelled horrible.A burning smell. I twisted the door open and pulled it open.

Then something heavy fell on top of me, knocking me to the ground.

I winced in slight pain before pushing whatever fell on me but I paused when I felt hair strands. I actually looked and my eyes went wide in horror soon followed by a scream.

It was a body.

An actual bloody female's body. I couldn't tell who it was either but that wasn't the point. He killed a girl and put her in the closet

I pushed it off me and stood to my feet, running straight for the stairs. I didn't care that I left the body in the hallway like that.

I was getting out of here. This man was psychotic.

My mind was racing as I ran down the stairs and through the living area, past the kitchen. I placed my hand on the main door and pulled it open. I was going to put up one good ass fight with the bodyguard but just to my luck, Carter was right there. In the doorway with a smirk on his face.

My breath got caught in my throat as I stared at him. The monster he was.

He frowned suddenly when he took in my appearance. I looked down and caught the sight of blood stains on my top.

"You've been going through my shît?" He walked in and I instantly backed away from him.

He closed—slammed the door shut and walked over to me with a crazy look on his face.

"Why do you never listen, babe? Huh? Do you do the curious shît on purpose?"

He was walking closer to me. I backed up into the kitchen. Without answering him, I looked around for anything to use as a weapon. There were no knives, no plates, or silverware in view.

There was nothing.

"Y-Your sick! Who the fvck keeps a body in their closet?!" I asked when I finally found my words.

"You just figured me, baby. Why do you have to be hard headed, Tiana. If I tell you to do something then do it."

I shook my head at his words. "What did you do to Xavier?"

He gave me an irritated look. "Why? Worried I killed your boy toy?"

I scoffed. "We're only friends."

"Is that right?"

"Yes." I said and turned away from him and walked around the island to go into the living area. "I came to Phoenix to not only get away from you but to confide in my brother but neither worked out. I thought he could help me find our parents but he doesn't even care. He hates them because of the way we grew up. I did not have a good childhood, Carter, and me saying this to you is weird but what's the point if you'll end up killing me in the end." I said sadly as I took a seat on the couch and ran my hand over my face.

I looked at him to see him watching me with an unreadable facial expression. I sighed and looked off to the city lights.

"Carter, why do you keep coming after me? I meant it when I said I would not tell. I have a lot of shît and you are just an addition to my list."

A moment of silence went through the penthouse. Carter moved and took a seat on the couch. He reached over and grabbed the half filled bottle of bourbon. After opening it, he took a long swig.

"Honestly, babe, I could give a shît about your past problems." He said and that somewhat hurt me in a way.

I shook my head. He did not have to be so mean. "You know, you're an asshole."

I heard him chuckle. "That's news?" I did not say a word after him. He finally stopped laughing and spoke up again. "All jokes aside, Tiana. I plan to take you back to Italy with me."

My head snapped back to him. "No, I'm not."

"I'm trying to help you—"

"By forcing me to go? If that's help, I don't want it."

"What if I convince you? I hate that we go back and forth, Tiana."

I scoffed once again. "And who's fault is that?"

I watched him bite his lip a bit before a shocking smile made its way into his face. I could see the small dimple and I tell you now, he almost had me.

"You're making this more difficult than it has to be, baby."

I sighed. "If you suddenly 'convince me' then we'll talk."

"Deal?"

"I'm not falling for that again. Just tell me what you want me to hear."

After a moment he began speaking. "That night you went to your parents house and you saw blood everywhere but not their bodies, I want to let you know that it wasn't me. After you left, I went back to Italy to handle a problem and that explains the body upstairs. I'm sending a message."

"What message?" I couldn't help but ask.

"To quit fvcking with my money which brings me back to your first attempt to escape me. Where did you get that money?"

I turned away from him, unsure on how to answer. I would be putting Amelia in danger and I was actually thankful for her help.

"I don't know." I lied through my teeth, not looking his way.

I suddenly heard glass being slammed on the table. Not a second later did I feel a hand grip my face and turn it his way. He looked angry. He knew I was lying.

"I'm testing this out, babe, and you're about to fail." He said dangerously slow while his grip grew tighter on my face.

"I'm not going to let you hurt someone else because I don't know where they got the money from. So, I. don't. know." I say every word calmly.

He released a long irritated breath while pulling away from me. I watched him walk away from me and towards a black duffel bag. I heard the zipper unzip then zipped. He walked back over to me with a tablet in his hand. He turned it on then turned it my way.

I felt my heart clench when I saw Amelia tied up. She looked so weak and tired. Her hair was a mess and she was sweating all over her face. A cloth used as a gag in her mouth as she sat there.

"Amelia has been very useful to my men back at home. I don't tolerate liars nor people who steal from me." He said and that's when I realized Amelia did not tell him it was her money. Her yearly savings.

I still had them and I vowed to give it back to her. I was thankful for her because she was a real one. A real friend to me.

I met his eyes and they looked lethal. His hand came up to my cheek and stroked my cheek with his thumb. I pulled away from him and that's when I realized I was crying. I wiped my own tears with the back of my hand.

"Amelia was a good one but she knew the consequences for helping you escape from me."

"She did not steal from you!" I blurted out. I hate that he did that to her. She looked so helpless. "It was her money. Her savings and she did not want me to end up like that girl that stayed in the room I was in."

Just like that, his whole mood changed. "What do you know about her?"

"Nothing. Only she stayed in that room and now she is gone or is one of your prostitutes that you never speak of."

He sighed. "What is your brother's name?" He queried randomly changing the subject.

"Why?"

"Just tell me, Tiana?"

"Troy." I said.

He gave a nod before standing up. He walked to the door and pulled it open. He said something to the bodyguard and the man gave a quick nod before heading in then up the stairs.

I sat there quiet. I watched him open up his suitcase that was by the other side of the couch. Once he found what he was looking for, he pulled out a black sweatshirt. He then tossed it my way.

"Go take your clothes off and change into that. There's another bathroom down the hall."

I got up a bit thankful. I still felt sick that there was blood on me. I went into the bathroom and locked the door before stripping out of everything but my bra and panties. I slipped on the sweatshirt and it was like a dress on me. There was no surprise here though. Carter was much bigger than me.

I folded my clothes and walked back out to see Carter was typing on his phone.

I cleared my throat and gained his attention. "Do you have a plastic bag?"

"No, babe. Doesn't matter anyway, I'm burning your clothes."

"What?!" I actually liked the top and sadly I did not have another. "You don't have any peroxide? I don't want to get rid of this top."

"Afraid not."

I sighed in defeat before handing him my clothes.

"We can talk more in the morning." He said just as the guard made his way downstairs with a black bag that could fit a person in there, over his shoulder and walked out the door.

"Come on." I heard him say causing me to take my attention off the door. I followed him up the stairs and down the hall. He stopped at the last door on the right and pushed it open.       

"You can sleep in here. I'll take the couch." He said.

"I'm not—"

"It's late, Tiana, and I'm not going to argue with you. Just get in the bed."

I rolled my eyes but went over to the bed and pulled the covers back. I slid in the bed and got in a good sleeping position. This bed was comfortable and the sheets were soft.

"I'll see you in the morning." And with that, he cut the light off.

The city lights reflected in the mirror and that was the only light in the room. My mind was all over the place. Honestly, I had no idea what to do.

About thirty minutes later I was half asleep when the door opened and closed.

I heard footsteps come closer until they stopped at the bed. The sound of the covers being pulled back and the dipping on the bed.

"You said you were on the couch." I muttered in a sleepy tone and my eyes were still shut.

"That couch is not good for my back." He replied back in a simple tone.

A moment of silence hovered over us and I tried my best to go back to sleep. Then I felt a strong arm over my waist and resting on my stomach, pulling me back against his chest.

I groaned in irritation. "Carter—"

"Shh, just go to sleep." I could feel him smirking.

I shook my head and let the silence hover me and minutes later, I was asleep.

____________

Who is UNKNOWN?

Tiana is pissed at Carter?

What do you think Carter did to Xavier?

Tiana is angry at Carter for what he did to Amelia?

Whose body was in the closet?

And Carter in bed with Tiana?

Their conversation continues in the morning.

TeamTiana/ TeamCarter