“Hello beautiful, how can I be of service to you?”
Amber stepped into a home security store and smiled nervously at the storekeeper. She glanced around the store, it wasn’t very big and she couldn’t walk past the counter for it stretched across from one side of the wall to another.
She was hoping to be able to buy her items discreetly. She looked at the storekeeper’s name tag, his name was Ben.
She cleared her throat, “Ben, do you sell stun guns here?”
Ben, who was barely a few years older than Amber raised an eyebrow on his freckled face. He propped an elbow on the counter and cupped his chin, “We do…we have a range actually. Are you looking for a mild one? Or a –“
Amber placed both hands on the counter, drumming her fingers nervously, “Give me something small, concealable and strong.”
Raven haired Ben frowned and scratched the back of his ear, “Sweetheart, are you in some kind of trouble?”
Yes, I’m about to meet a murdere
Amber sucked in her breath, her eyes never leaving Fabian’s piercing black ones. I think I’ve fallen in love with you. The words echoed through her mind like the humming of a sweet melody and it brought a subtle smile to her face. “Is this some kind of joke?” she whispered, still standing in the cocoon of his arms. She wondered if she was dreaming. Fabian chuckled a little and brushed off a strand of hair that had fallen over her eyes, ignoring the curious looks from people who walked past them. “No, I’m serious, “ he replied, his voice soft and full of emotion. “You got me on your first day of La Fire. I just didn’t realize it,” he said simply before swooping in for yet another kiss. She should have stopped him, but she didn’t. She should have run, but she couldn’t. Her heart was already his the day she surrendered her body to him. There would never be anyone else. As the kiss deepened, Amber’s lips quivered and someh
Anson opened his eyes with great difficulty. His head felt groggy and his vision was somewhat blurred; almost as if he was swimming underwater. He forced his eyes to open but for some reason, one felt like it had been glued shut while the other had too many boogers in it. He must have groaned from frustration for suddenly, the door to his room opened and a young nurse peeked in only to have her orange-hued lips drop to an open. “Anson Banks is awake!” she called out to someone in the hallway outside and the door swung to a close, leaving him alone once more. He felt like death warmed over but it was so much better compared to the numbing wave of paralysis that engulfed him earlier. He hadn’t even been able to make a sound when Amber visited him earlier, let alone move his fingers. The temporary paralysis was, without a doubt an experience he never wanted to go through again. He recalled waking up not being able to move or speak and feeling as if he had been f
Amber wished the day would never end. She had spent the afternoon with Fabian, strolling down the streets, sampling on freebies and admiring window displays before retiring with Fabian to his residence. Come evening, Fabian suggested for them to order pizza and watch a movie in his living room; something they had never done before together. “What do you want to watch?” he asked as they unboxed their dinner. The aromatic smell of Neopolitan pizza filled the room as the sun dipped below the horizon, illuminating the room in hues of warm orange shades. A side of buffalo wings laid on a pristine white plate on the carpeted floor along with two glasses of sparkling wine. Amber bit her lips, it had been years since she sat down to watch a movie with anyone. She couldn’t even remember the last movie she watched. She shook her head and smiled sheepishly as she helped herself to a pizza slice. Steam rose from it as she pulled the pizza from the pizza box and c
Amber burst into the private hospital room and was greeted by the sight of her bandaged brother in a green hospital gown sitting at the edge of his bed. “Anson!” She immediately ran over and threw her arms around his neck. “Amber…oof!” Her brother patted her on the back, “You can let go now, you’re kind of suffocating me…” Oh… Quickly she pulled back and wiped a teardrop that had escaped her eye. Anson smiled at her and touched her trembling chin with his good arm. One of his eyes was still swollen purplish blue but at the very least, he could open it now. And the fact that he was sitting up and swinging his legs back and forth meant that he was getting stronger. “How are you feeling?” she asked, pulling up a chair next to his bed. She looked at him from head to toe, trying to size him up and see if he was in any kind of pain. “It still hurts here,” he touched his shaved scalp gingerly and pointed to his abdome
It was nearly midnight when Amber finally left the hospital. And as the glass door of the hospital entrance slid to a close behind her, she pulled out her phone to make a call. There was no need for secrecy anymore. She could make the call freely now without any fear of Fabian finding out. The cat was after all already out of the bag. “Amber…” the recipient answered her call almost immediately. It was Liam Smith and the very sound of his voice made her blood curl. “I have what you want.” She could practically hear him gloat over the phone. “Come to me, I’m at home.” He sent her his location, he didn’t have to. She had already googled up his place beforehand and found it to be surprisingly near the hospital. It would take her less than twenty minutes on foot to reach his place. She ended the call and looked up at the sky. It was a cloudless night and above her, the stars twinkled to a silent song as the moon continued to cast its pale h
“Drinks?” Liam smiled lazily, offering Amber a glass of half-filled champagne as he stood on a mountain lion rug in his living room. The place was full of bling. A diamond-studded chandelier hung above where he stood and Amber had to be careful not to step on the head of the lion. She shook her head, fidgeting at the straps of her denim bag. Her free hand found its way into the bag’s pocket where her phone lay and without Liam noticing, she pressed the call button. Miles away, John Grant’s phone rang. It was a call from Amber Banks. “No thanks. Where’s the video you took on the night of the murder?” Liam chuckled and settled himself on his L shaped sofa. He patted the plush cream coloured sofa, signalling for her to take a seat. Amber shook her head again, “I have the blueprint that you asked me to steal from Fabian Williams.” I sound like a TV announcer. She hoped it wasn’t too obvious, but she needed to make sure sh
Amber gasped as Liam slumped forward and fell on top of her. The sudden impact of his body caused Amber to drop the stun gun and it rolled under the crushed diamond coffee table. Liam was heavy and for a moment, Amber was suffocated by the weight of his body.Did I kill him?She lay there on the cold marble floor and stared at the pristine white ceiling above in shock as Liam lay motionless on top of her, unmoving. She could hear her own heartbeat thumping furiously but for some reason, she could not move. She was paralysed with fear.Did I kill him? the question repeated itself over and over again in her mind. She willed herself and with all her might, she finally moved a hand up to Liam’s neck to feel for a pulse. But her hands were trembling so much she could not tell whether there was a pulse or not.Oh God, she stiffened back a sob as she tried to roll him over, but he was just too heavy. Why was he so heavy? She grun
Liam knelt on a knee next to where Amber lay helplessly, trembling from both fear and pain. An obscene grin spread across his thin lips as he sat on top of her once more; the weight of his body pressing on her and to an extent began suffocating her. Amber fidgeted and tried to push herself away from him with her legs but to no avail. For some reason, her vision kept alternating between stars and tunnels and it felt as if a ton of bricks balanced precariously on her head.“You know Amber, you’ve been a very naughty girl. I asked for you to do one thing. One simple thing and yet you still failed me.”He shook his head and tsked as he ran a finger along her cheeks. Amber whimpered and tried to kick him but he held her under his weight.“You’re such a disappointment….and here I thought that your brother’s life meant more to you than having Fabian fuck you,” his finger trailed down her neck and to the top of her tee wh