Killer Results

Moving On

POV Lauren

I woke up wrapped in David's arms, his chest firmly against my back and his face nestled in between my shoulder and neck. It tickled when my hairs danced along my collar bone from his exhaling, but I was enjoying how close we were. Last week was lonely without him. I couldn't understand how a man I barely knew made me feel this way, but I did know I never wanted to be without him again. I felt David's grip tighten around my waist as he pulled me closer to him, try as I might I had to flinch from the pain that came from my injuries. He must have noticed.

"Did I hurt you?' Concern laced his words as he loosen his hold around me.

"Only a little." I put my hands on his and wrapped them back around me. I could handle the pain if it meant I could stay like this a little longer. I leaned into his warmth against me, it was such a welcoming feeling.

"I'm sorry." David whispered in my ear. He laid soft kisses along my shoulder and neck giving me goosebumps. 

"For what? You have nothing to apologize for." I squeezed his arms tighter around me, begging for more of his attention. 

In one smooth motion, David shifted and pressed me to the bed. He rested above me on his elbows, just floating out of reach, looking at me with those brown eyes. He had such longing in those eyes.

"I should've never left you alone."

"I told you to leave, you were just listening to me." He looked so worried, like he was confessing a deep dark sin.

"But I should have stayed."

"It's okay, David." I leaned forward to kiss him, but he didn't return the affection. Was I the only one feeling what was happening between us right now? I didn't believe my feelings were one sided, because I could feel his ever growing presence against my thigh.    

"Lauren." David sat up on his knees, still straddling me. "I went hunting while I was away. I didn't plan to, but it just happened. She wasn't even my type."

"I don't understand. You told me you didn't kill anyone." I pulled myself forward to sit up so I could face him.

"I swear to you, I didn't kill her." His eyes begged me to believe him, and I wanted to. 

"Did you hurt her?" I needed to stop asking questions, but my mouth was moving on its own.

"I did." He looked ashamed.

"How?" I needed to know how the man I was falling for had hurt another woman.

David looked me in the eye and said, "When I heard you were in trouble I abandoned her to come to you. She wasn't very happy about that, I may have hurt her feelings."

David smiled and leaned forward to kiss me. What started off as a gentle parting of lips became a passionate embrace I didn't know existed between couples. My experiences were lacking or poorly direct, I hoped David would take mercy on me.

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POV David

Lauren was making my body behave in all sorts of strange ways. After this morning's interesting spooning and confession session I felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. It was nice falling into a routine with Lauren here. We showered together, got dressed and headed to breakfast.

Carmen was headed out as we sat down for breakfast.

"I could get used to having Carmen's breakfast every morning, while it's not as good as your cinnamon rolls, she makes the best omelette." Lauren bit into a folded chunk of omelette Carmen had prepared for her, while I drank my coffee.

"Beats cereal." Lauren laughed, almost coughing up eggs. "Try to chew your food before swallowing, Lauren." She is adorable.  

"No jokes while I'm eating, please." She went back to focusing on her food. It was so good to see her eating. She lost far too much weight over the last week.

"Well Lauren, on a serious note. Now that you're starting to feel better, we should make plans for when you've fully recovered."

"Are you kicking me out?" The color left Lauren's face and her worried tone had me back tracking.

"Of course not. Where you go, I go." I moved my chair beside her and wrapped my arm around her waist. "I told you last night. I will never leave you again."

Lauren took a deep breath and seemed to accept those words as truth. She went back to eating.

"My question to you is this. If you could do anything, what would you want to do?" I was hoping she'd realize that I wanted to help her find closure in all the things that life had thrown upon her at such an early age. If she could find peace with it, then we could move on together.

"I want to bring my daughter to live with us, if you will accept her. She is part of me and therefore part of the package." Lauren looked nervous, as if I may turn away her child.

"I would love nothing more than to meet your daughter. However, I do believe we need to discuss the matter of her birth father first." I wanted to know why the man who created the child was not held responsible for her. Lauren had told me she fell in love with him, so I can only assume that the s*x was consensual.

"He's not worth our time. He took advantage of me. I was young and dumb, as my father so kindly put it. He was my boss and married. I thought he really loved me, he took me on dates, courted me and then one night he took my virginity. I thought for sure we would live happily ever after, but that didn't happen. Instead, we had a few more fun months, I found out I was pregnant and my father marched me into his office demanding he take responsibility." Lauren pushed her plate away and lifted her coffee cup.

"What did your employer do?" I wanted to know how a father storming in with his pregnant daughter and demanding that the boss take responsibility accomplished anything other than shaming the family.    

"He laughed! Said to my father that he couldn't prove that it was his child. That it could be any man in the building's bastard. Then he proceeded to fire me for lacking moral values!" Lauren's voice was getting louder as her anger rose recalling the memory of her former employer.

"How did your father handle it?" 

"He took me home, packed me a bag and kicked me out! I begged to stay, I didn't do anything wrong, I made a mistake. I fell in love with the wrong man, and now I was being cast out. How could they turn their backs on me! They were my parents, they were supposed to protect me." 

Lauren leaned into my shoulder and started to cry. Her parents betrayed her when they turned her out. If they only knew the harm they caused her. I would make sure they knew, I wanted them to know that I would take care of their little girl, because they failed her. Until then, I would let her cry, soon there would be no more tears left to shed.

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POV Lauren

It felt so good to tell someone how angry I was. I never once said out loud how much I hated the decisions my parents made, or how much I wanted to hurt Mr. Randal when he fired me. He corrupted me with his false promises and kind words. I wanted to ruin him the way he ruined me.

"I want him to pay for what he did to me." I stopped crying as I started to realize I wanted to do something about my past.

"Who?" David wiped a tear away from my cheek and caressed my face.

"Mr. Randal, My boss, Misty's father. Well birth father, sperm donor, whatever he is. The bastard should have to pay for ruining me."  I was flustered, I wanted justice.

"Sweetheart, you're not ruined." David smiled.

"No man will marry a woman like me, I'm damaged goods." Why couldn't David get why I was so mad at Mr. Randal, he took my innocence and my value as a woman.

"Is that what you want? To be married?" 

"I want to be an honest woman, I want Misty to grow up with a dad that loves her, in a house that would never disown her and I want Mr. Randal's wife to know that she is married to a man that took that away from me. Will you help me do that?" I was overwhelmed, I needed David to support me. If I wanted to get justice, I had to have him behind me, otherwise I would fail before I even began.

"It would be my honor." David smiled, stood up and took our dishes to the sink. 

Somehow I feel like we were having two separate conversations, but no matter David agreed to help me. Now to call Mrs. Donavan to extend Misty's visit for a little longer so her momma can finish old business.

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POV David

I set the dishes in the sink, while my mind raced. Did Lauren just ask me if I was willing to marry her and raise her daughter? The revenge part was easy, no matter what Lauren wanted from me I would support her. Any man that would willingly hurt her, would pay for what they did, but could I be a good man for her. I wanted to be. That had to be a good start. 

I needed more information about Mr. Randal. I would make a few phone calls later to see if I have any contacts in the city that could arrange a meeting. No better way to learn about a person than in the flesh. Plus, I haven't been to the city in a while, so it might be nice to take Lauren to see the sights, take in Broadway and maybe do a little shopping.  

"Penny for your thoughts?" Lauren whispered as her arms slipped around me. I was still standing at the sink.

"Just thinking about taking a trip to New York City. Would you like to go?" I rotated to face her and held her in my arms.

"I didn't have the best experiences there the last time.'' She said as she laid her head against my chest.

"We could have fun making all new memories together. We could do anything you wanted while we're there and if you'd like we could arrange to visit your parents." I knew it might be a touchy subject but I wanted to meet the parents.

"Why? They won't want to see me." She sounded so bitter. "Last thing my mother said to me was, find a church, they won't turn you away.''

"All the more reason to go say your proper goodbyes. I promise after this visit you'll not only feel much better but you'll never have to visit them again if you don't want to."

With that Lauren conceded. I knew she missed her parents. As much as she was angry at them, they raised her. She loved them once and that need for their approval was going to haunt her, if she didn't find closure. I was going to make sure she found it.