Building Something Hot Read online

  Or would he?

  Briella suddenly remembered the sounds she heard over the phone months ago, when she was sure Kason was having sex with the housekeeper. She remembered all the doubts and fears. They came roaring back and drove her to pick up the phone and dial Kason’s phone. Kason picked up almost immediately. “Kason, you need to come to my office right away.” Her voice sounded very cold and detached.

  “Briella? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

  “Just hurry up and get in here!” Briella snapped.

  Kason was worried about Briella’s tone. She never sounded that way, so he jumped up from his desk and ran to her office. When he walked through the door, Briella was standing by the window, looking outside but not focusing on anything. She was in a daze, and barely noticed that Kason had come in. He walked over to see what was wrong, but she held her arm stretched out straight so that he couldn’t move closer.

  “I’m trying to be objective here, and not jump to conclusions, but I’m in shock right now, and I’m not thinking clearly,” Briella said, her voice distant. She motioned toward the photographs on her desk.

  Briella watched his reaction as he looked through the pictures. From the stunned look on his face, she immediately knew it wasn’t him in bed with Parker. The relief flooded Briella, and she walked slowly to him and wrapped her arms around him.

  Kason jerked as if he had been burned. He backed out of her embrace.

  “You actually thought this was me? You thought I’d do something like this?” Kason asked.

  Briella looked up into his face. He was furious, so furious.

  “Kason, look at it from my point of view for a minute,” she shot back. “The guy does kind of look like you from behind, and it’s clearly our bedroom. I told you I wasn’t thinking clearly…I was totally caught off guard!”

  Kason tossed his hands into the air.

  “What about trust? You don’t trust me enough to know that couldn’t be me? How about giving me the benefit of the doubt? You automatically accused me of this.” He shoved the pictures under her nose, demanding she look at them. “Look at the pictures, Briella. First of all, this guy is the same height as Parker. You know I’m almost a foot taller than her…that’s a big difference. Second, this guy doesn’t have ‘Big Tex’ tattooed on his shoulder. You just jumped to the conclusion that it was me before you even thought about it.”

  Kason was yelling now, his face red with anger. “That’s just great. Glad you trust me so much. I’ve got to, I’m taking the rest of the day off,” Kason said, threw the pictures back on her desk, and tore out of her office.

  Briella stumbled over to her desk and fell into her chair, feeling as though she had been punched in the stomach for the second time that day. She knew that Kason was partially right. She had jumped to conclusions, but not because she didn’t trust him. Briella was sure that if Kason had been put in the same position, he would have done the same thing, wouldn’t he? Briella put her elbows on her desk and buried her face in her hands.

  After a few minutes, Briella heard a tentative knock on her door. Mila stuck her head in, and when she saw Briella crying, she came in and shut the door. “What just happened in here?”

  Briella handed the pictures to Mila. Mila gasped. Her eyes narrowed. “That bastard! I can’t believe he did this!”

  “No, Mila, it isn’t Kason. It’s just a guy who looks like Kason from behind,” Briella said, now eerily calm.

  Mila squinted at the pictures. She went through them slowly. “Yes…yes, you’re right. Something about this guy is off. It’s not Kason.”

  Briella nodded. “I showed the pictures to Kason, and he thinks I was accusing him of being with Parker. He thinks I don’t trust him.” Briella began crying again. “I just didn’t know what to do when I saw the pictures, and I needed him to confirm it was a trick. He got so mad. I’ve never seen him that angry. He stormed out of here, and I don’t know where he went.” Briella buried her face in her hands. Her voice was muffled as she sobbed. “I’ve really messed up this time.”

  “I’m sure he just needs some time to cool off,” Mila reassured her. “Come on, I’ll take you home. You’re in no shape to work.”

  Briella simply reached for her purse and headed for the door. When the women got to the house, Briella went upstairs and looked everywhere, but there was no sign of Kason. Stella was working in the kitchen, and said she hadn’t seen him at all since the morning.

  Briella took a deep breath. “Stella, can you please take the bedding in my room and get rid of it? I’ll get something new delivered, but just throw all the old stuff away. Also, if you could clean the bedroom really well today, I’d appreciate it.”

  By seven, Kason still hadn’t come home. Briella began to worry that something had happened, or that Kason didn’t want to be with her anymore. She began pacing around the room, not quite sure what to do. She just couldn’t sit still.

  Kason finally walked into the house an hour later. Briella ran to the front door to see him, and stopped when she got to the edge of the foyer.

  Kason kept his eyes focused on the floor as he leaned against the wall. Briella kept searching his face to give her some kind of clue as to what he was feeling. She didn’t know what to say or do.

  Kason finally looked up with tears in his eyes, and rushed over to Briella and embraced her. “Oh Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier, and I’m sorry for being gone so long, and I’m sorry for making you worry.” He hugged her tight. “I know that you trust me, and if I had seen similar pictures, trying to make it look like you were having sex with someone else, I would have reacted the same way. Will you please forgive me?”

  “Only if you forgive me for being an idiot, and letting a shadow of a doubt cloud my thinking earlier,” Briella said, sobbing.

  “Of course. Oh Briella, I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ve been doing nothing but torturing myself for the past few hours,” Kason said, then placed kisses all over Briella’s face.

  “I’m sorry, and I love you too. I’ve been going crazy since you left my office. I don’t like fighting with you, especially not over something that vindictive bitch did.” Briella took a deep breath. “I had Stella throw out the old bedding, and I have new stuff arriving soon. We’re going to need to get the locks changed too, so that psycho can’t get in here again.”

  “Good idea. She must have come in when Dexter and I went to the city on Saturday. Maybe I should call the cops and file charges?”

  “I thought about that too, but I doubt the cops would do anything. It’s not like she stole anything, or at least I haven’t noticed anything missing. Maybe we should just handle this ourselves,” Briella reasoned. “One thing is for sure, though. If we keep letting her get to us like this, then she will have won. I refuse to let her come between us, Kason.”

  “She won’t,” he vowed, and kissed her.

  Instead of going into work the next day, Briella went to see Parker. She drove over to her house and knocked on the door. A man with dark hair answered the door, half dressed. Briella thought he was probably the man in the pictures with Parker, but didn’t ask.

  “I’m here to see Parker,” she said politely.

  Parker came to the door a few minutes later. A smug smile spread across her face when she saw Briella standing there.

  “Ah, I see you got the pictures. Pretty entertaining, I bet,” Parker smirked.

  “Yes, I got the pictures, but if you are trying to break me and Kason up, you’ll have to try a lot harder.” Briella took a deep breath and looked Parker right in the eye.” You see, I have something of his that you never have had, or ever will have. I have Kason’s heart. He loves me with everything he is and everything he has. You will never have anything like what I have.”

  Briella looked Parker up and down as the former housekeeper crossed her arms and glared at her. “You are a very broken person. Stay out of our lives, and stay away from Kason. This is the l
ast time I’m going to tell you!”

  Parker grinned. “He may pretend he loves you, but I know that he really loves me, deep down. It’s only a matter of time before you see it.”

  Briella shook her head. “You know, you’re more delusional than I thought. Get some help, Parker. You really need it,” Briella said as she turned to leave.

  “See you soon!” Parker yelled out to Briella as she got into her car and drove to the office.

  By the end of that week, it seemed as if everything had calmed down. Briella and Kason had been busy working on wedding plans. Kason helped out wherever he could, and that made Briella’s heart soar. They picked out the flowers, the menu, and sent out invitations. Everything for the wedding was starting to fall into place.

  Work seemed to be going well also. On Friday morning, Briella had an appointment to meet with a new client. They had specifically requested to meet with Billie Fox at the potential building site. Briella was excited, as this would be her first design since she had moved to Texas.

  Before Briella left the office, she told Mila about her new client and where she’d be meeting with him, and if she was needed, she’d have her cell phone with her. After that, she headed over to say goodbye to Kason, and tell him she would be back to meet him for a late lunch. She grabbed her messenger bag, tucked in a sketch pad and pencils, and left the office.

  Briella’s stomach was filled with butterflies as she drove. She was anxious to get back to designing, and this was her first design since her mother’s passing. She wanted to make her proud. Briella blasted the music and sang along as she drove, trying to shake off the nerves.

  As she was following the directions that the client had left for her, Briella started to get really nervous. She had made a turn from the major highway, and since that turn, the roads were fairly deserted. When the road turned from pavement to dirt, she hoped she was getting closer. She also hoped she’d be able to find her way out of there after the meeting, with all of the twists and turns she had to make.

  The road finally came to an end at an old run-down warehouse. Briella stopped the car and looked around, already in architect mode. She knew the building would have to go, but the land was lovely. It would make a perfect spot for designing almost anything. She got out of the car and grabbed her messenger bag, slinging it over her shoulder, already picturing the possibilities in her head.

  She walked to the door of the warehouse and opened it, calling out, “Hello?” to see if anyone was there yet.

  Briella walked further into the dark warehouse, and was startled when she saw movement in the shadows. She stopped and looked in that direction. Was that a person or an animal over there?

  “Hello?” she called out again. “I’m Billie Fox. Is anyone here?”

  A figure made its way out from the shadows, and Briella froze when she saw who it was. Her hand tightened on the messenger bag.

  “Well, well, well. What do we have here? Hello, Briella. Told you I’d see you soon.”

  Parker’s voice sounded somehow detached, as though it were floating on the air rather than coming from her body. Something about that tone scared Briella deep down, where it really counts. But she wasn’t about to be cowed by this woman.

  “Why did you bring me out here, Parker?” she demanded. “I have more important things to do than play your sick little games.”

  Parker laughed. “This is no game, Briella! I told you that I always get my man, and you have done nothing but interfere ever since you met Kason. He’s mine, and since you can’t realize that, you will have to be taught.”

  Parker pulled out a small, shiny gun.

  Briella’s heart began to pound. Her mouth went dry as she looked at the gun. She wanted to cower and cry, but she tried to sound strong and brave. “Don’t do anything foolish, Parker. You know that if you hurt me, Kason will never forgive you. Let’s be reasonable…we can talk about this!”

  “I’m done talking,” Parker said calmly, and pulled the trigger on her gun.

  It all happened so fast. Briella realized in the split second before the massive sound that Parker really did mean to shoot her. She heard the way the sound echoed through the warehouse. She felt the searing pain that seemed to engulf her whole body. Her knees buckled and she hit the ground hard. Briella stared at the red spot on the ground beside her, the one that was already spreading.

  Then her whole world went black.

  Parker saw Briella hit the floor. Satisfied with the outcome, she rushed to the car she had hidden behind the warehouse. As she drove away, Parker reached for her cell phone and dialed a number by heart.

  “Kason Harris,” Kason said, as he answered his cell phone.

  “Hey, Baby. How are you?” Parker asked.

  “Who is this?” Kason barked into the phone.

  “Honey, you’ll really need to get used to my voice. It’s Parker, silly. We need to talk.”

  “We have nothing to say to each other. Leave us alone.”

  “You know, you really shouldn’t take that tone with me. I have something very important to tell you, and I know it’s something you’ll want to hear. Besides, you don’t need to worry about me leaving Briella alone anymore…”

  “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

  “I’m outside your office right now, so meet me out here and we can talk. Don’t keep me waiting, Sugar,” Parker purred into the phone.

  Kason ended the call and yelled for Mila and Dexter. When they came up to him, Kason’s face was pale. .

  “Parker just called. I think she did something to Briella. I’m going out to talk to her right now. Try getting Briella on her cell phone. If you can’t reach her, call the police and report her missing,” he said, and ran out of the office.

  Parker was sitting on the hood of her car when Kason came outside. A huge grin spread across her face, and she rushed over to him to hug him. Kason pushed her away. “What did you do to Briella?”

  “We don’t have to worry about her anymore. She’s gone and we can be together. I did it for us, Kason.”

  Kason looked into Parker’s face. She looked so serene, so certain, that Kason realized she must be insane. His voice became softer, more careful.

  “What exactly did you do, Parker? Where’s Briella?”

  “I got rid of her,” Parker said and shrugged, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. I killed her…I shot her. She’s gone and we can be together.”

  Kason stared at Parker as the words sank in. Now he knew Parker was insane - but insane enough to kill the woman he loved? Kason tried to catch his breath.

  “Where is she, Parker? We need to see if she is dead,” Kason said, hoping to trick Parker into telling him where Briella was.

  “Don’t worry. She’s out where no one can find her. There’s no way she can live.” Parker said, with a proud smile across her face.

  Kason had never hit a woman before. It went against everything he believed in, everything he had ever been taught, so he was shocked when he found his fist slamming against Parker’s nose. It was over just as quickly as it had begun. The blow sent Parker reeling backward, then to the side. She fell to the ground, hitting her head on her car on the way down, knocking her out cold. Dexter and Mila ran out of the office right after Parker hit the ground. .

  “Kason, Briella isn’t answering her phone,” Dexter said. “The police are on their way.”

  Kason slumped to the ground, holding his head in his hands. “She’s dead,” he cried.

  “What? What happened?” Dexter yelled, grabbing Kason by the shirt, pulling him up to look at his face.

  “Parker just told me that she killed Briella. She shot her and won’t tell me where she is. She said no one will ever find her. What am I going to do without her? That bitch killed the only woman I ever loved. She should have killed me too!” Kason said, choking back sobs.

  “Well find her, don’t worry. Briella will hang on,” Dexter said.

  Everything from that momen
t on became a blur. The police roared up, their sirens blaring and lights flashing. Kason explained in halting words what he had learned. Parker was picked up and cleaned up, and as she came to the police began to question her. Then someone was in Parker’s car, looking at her GPS.

  The GPS.

  Everything seemed to become suddenly clear. If Parker had used her GPS, they would find Briella. Even as the police tried to keep Kason calm, he watched as the office jumped out of Parker’s car and into his own. His sirens were loud as he roared away.

  He knew where Briella was.

  Kason ran to his truck. He had to follow the police car. As he was pulling out, he ignored the demands of the police that were around him. All he could see was the ambulance that had just pulled into the street to follow the police car.

  “I have to be with her,” he said to the officer at his window. “I have to find her, please.” Then he hit the gas and was gone.

  The drive seemed to take forever. The road turned to gravel, then to dirt. As they sped down one of the dirt roads, Kason sat up straighter in his seat. “There it is! That’s Briella’s car!” he shouted.

  The police car came to a skidding halt beside her car. Kason swung his door open and ran to the warehouse, right behind the police officer. The sound of more cars pulling up was distant in his ears. He had to get to Briella.

  When they got to the warehouse, no one could see anything since it was so dark inside. The cop took out his flashlight and started scanning the large, open area. Off in a distant corner, his light found something. Kason ran over, as the cop kept his light on the figure.

  “Oh my God! Briella!” Kason yelled as he saw her. Blood was all over the floor where she lay. He hit his knees next to her, and took her hand in his.

  It was ice cold. They were too late.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Someone get over here and help her!” Kason yelled, with tears streaming down his face.

  The EMTs from the ambulance tried to move Kason out of the way so that they could work on Briella, but he wouldn’t let go of her hand. Finally one of them shouted into his face, “Man, you’ve got to move! If you want us to save her you have to move, now!”