Her Kind of Man (20 page)

Carla was fair-skinned, almost as light as Allina was. They were built the same, both thin and tall, with brown eyes and light brown hair. One noticeable difference was their hairstyles: Carla wore her hair straight in a bob cut while Allina preferred her natural style. Looking at Carla across the table from her, Allina wondered if Isaac had got with her because she reminded him of the woman in front of her. He definitely had a type.

Eyeing the big manila envelope that Carla set on the table, Allina waited for her to break the ice. When minutes passed, Allina spoke up, unable to take the silence any longer. “Thanks for meeting me. I really appreciate it.”

Carla nodded and traced the rim of her coffee mug with her finger. “When I met Isaac,” she started, “he was so charming, so handsome. I was eighteen years old, had just accepted the Lord in my life after a horrible childhood. I joined his father's church and he befriended me. I'd been through so much—even at that age—that I thought no man would ever want me. But he did. And I was happy.”

Even their stories were similar. Allina had often wondered if any man would want her because of her past, the things her aunt did to her. She, too, found God after a horrific childhood.

“We fell in love and it was good for a while,” Carla continued. “I was his first.”

Shocked, Allina thought back to a conversation she'd had with Isaac about sex. He'd lied to her, then, told her he was a virgin waiting for his bride. She'd thought it endearing at the time, and so sweet. Leaning forward, Allina asked, “When did it change?”

Carla shrugged, picking at the edge of the envelope. “Things started unraveling after he proposed.”

Allina's breath caught and she squeezed her eyes shut. He'd made it clear that she was the only woman he'd ever thought good enough to be his wife. “You were going to be married?” she asked incredulously.

Nodding, Carla stared past Allina. “He asked me to marry him at his parents' house. I accepted with no hesitation. But he changed. I noticed he had some strange tendencies, quirks. He was so controlling. He didn't want me to go anywhere without him, and if I did, he had to know where I was and who I was with. He demanded I dress in a certain way, style my hair the way he liked, act how he wanted me to act.”

Allina felt nauseous. She'd fallen for and explained away those same tendencies. When he'd told her that he didn't want her going out without him, she'd told herself that he just wanted to be near her. Isaac had bought her clothes, telling her that he loved to see her in certain things. He paid for her to get her hair straightened because he said he loved the way her hair fell down her back. All those things seemed innocent enough at the time. And she'd willingly obliged his wishes.

“Finally, I'd had enough.” Carla's downturned facial features, the way she constantly looked down, and the distant stare told Allina about her state of mind. Her heart went out to the woman who'd been through so much. “I left him. And I suffered for it.”

“What did he do to you?” Allina asked, bracing herself for Carla's answer.

“I lost everything. He got me fired from my job. My boss just happened to be a member of his church and a close, personal friend of the bishop. He terrorized me. I'd go home and he would be sitting in my living room.”

Allina stared at Carla, unblinking. She clutched her throat, unable to find the right words to say.

“Everywhere I'd go, he'd be there,” Carla added, seemingly unfazed by the emotions Allina was sure were visible on her face. “I moved three different times, to different places. I went to stay with family, and he always found me. I reported him, filed petitions for Personal Protection Orders. The courts would always deny my requests and the police…” She shook her head. “They didn't give me the time of day.”

Allina shuddered. “But he was basically stalking you. You couldn't find anyone to help you?”

“His family is very powerful; you have to know that. Over a fifth of the police force are members of that church. Trust me, I tried. Then I gave up.”

“Is that when you ran?”

Carla let out a humorless chuckle. “Not exactly. It was obvious that he wasn't going to leave me alone. I'd resigned myself to never getting away from him. He'd already been threatening my family, the people I love.”

Allina thought about Isaac's disguised threats against Syd and her parents. She couldn't put them through that. And what if he found out about Kent?

“But he didn't stop there.” There was something in Carla's tone that made Allina look at her. Her eyes were empty, sad. “He killed my mother.”

A
llina's hand flew to her chest. “What?” she asked, meeting Carla's now steady gaze. She couldn't have heard the other woman right. Isaac
killed
her mother? Murder?

“He killed my mother,” she repeated, this time more slowly, each syllable more pronounced.

“That can't be true,” Allina said, shaking her head rapidly. “He wouldn't kill somebody.” Despite all the evidence that Isaac could possibly be a sociopath, Allina could not fathom him committing actual murder. Probably because that would mean he really was capable of anything, even hurting her and the people she loved.

“The last time I talked to my mother,” Carla explained, “he was with her. He'd shown up at her house while we were talking on the phone. She must have thought she hung up, but I was still on the line. They argued. She accused him of ruining my life, making it so I couldn't do anything. He promised he'd do worse if she didn't tell him where I was. That was all I heard before the call was disconnected.”

Allina listened intently as Carla finished the story. After the infamous phone call, Carla tried to reach her mother. When she wasn't able to get in touch with her, she'd panicked and called an old friend to go over to the house to check on her. Carla's mother was dead. They found her slumped over on the toilet.

The coroner deemed the death an overdose, even though Carla insisted her mother never did hard drugs. Carla had rushed back to town only to find her mother's house had been seized by the police department. She hadn't even been able to go in and get the cross her mother wore around her neck.

“Of course, I was never able to prove that it was him,” Carla cried, wiping a tear from her cheek. “But in my heart, I know he had something to do with it.”

Allina didn't know what she'd expected when she met Carla. But even the worst-case scenarios she'd thought up paled in comparison with the truth. “Is that when you changed your name and moved here?”

She smiled sadly. “A friend of my mother's put me in touch with this guy who helps women disappear. And that's what I did. I didn't even go to my mother's funeral because I knew he'd be there, waiting for me. The only person I've been in contact with is my aunt. Karen and I aren't really close. We have different mothers. Isaac never knew I had any sort of relationship with my father's side of the family. So, despite being told to never contact anyone I know again, I talk to my aunt every now and then. It gets lonely here without family.”

Allina imagined the isolation would be like hell on Earth. “I don't know how you do it.”

“I don't,” Carla said. “I suffer anxiety, I can't sleep. I live in seclusion, barely venturing out. I have minimal interaction with the world. The only people I see regularly are my neighbors, my doctors for the medication I have to take, my shrink, and the delivery man who brings my groceries. I live my life in fear that he will find me and finish what he started.”

“Why did you agree to meet me?”

Carla slid the huge envelope toward Allina. “Because maybe you can help us.”

Allina picked up the envelope and opened it, skimming through the pages. There were names, dates, and notes. All about Isaac and the many women he'd tormented through the years.

“That's the file I gave to the police,” Carla said. “I'm pretty sure they burned the originals but I had copies. My aunt told me your father is a judge. They'll believe
you
.”

Except Allina had a deep, dark secret of her own. A past that was as damning as Carla's.

“Take that,” Carla instructed. “Use it against him.”

“What will you do?” Allina asked, suddenly feeling responsible for the woman in front of her.

Hunching her shoulders, Carla grumbled, “Maybe I can go home one day, see my family. Who knows?”

“The number you gave me…Is that your permanent phone number?”

Carla shook her head. “No, but you can use it. I really hope you can get that monster off your back—our back.” She stood up. “I better get going. I borrowed my neighbor's car. And she has to get to work in a few hours.”

Allina stuffed the papers back into the envelope and stood. “I'm so glad you came,” she told Carla. “You have my number if you need anything.”

Carla gave her a curt nod and started to turn away when Allina reached out and embraced her. Carla tensed and jerked back away from her, but Allina couldn't bring herself to let her go. Carla didn't hug her back, but she heard the woman sniffle.

Finally drawing back, Allina wiped the tears that had fallen from her own eyes. “Take care,” she said, squeezing Carla's hand. Seconds later, Carla disappeared around the corner.

A
llina had handed her father the huge envelope of evidence the minute she'd walked out of the hotel. Later that day he left for home to turn the evidence in. Fortunately, the Judge knew a few heavy hitters of his own—in the FBI. He turned the file over to them. The next week Isaac was arrested and scheduled to be arraigned.

With the threat from Isaac gone, Allina felt like a huge weight had been lifted, like she could finally move forward. She and Kent continued their little dance. Every day, he'd leave for work after they'd spent the mornings with each other, kissing and touching. Every day, she hoped he'd take things a little further, but he didn't. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

It was frustrating her to no end. And now she was just ready to forget the BS and let him take her, preferably in his bed because it was comfortable. Unfortunately, after that one night, she'd never slept in it again—and he'd never touched her in
that
way again.

To keep from obsessing about her predicament, she'd thrown herself into work. She and Cali had finally talked and agreed to give the business another try. Thankful for her trusty rental car, she was able to get out of the house, come and go as she pleased. She was able to buy fabric and a new sewing machine. She was back in business.

As she turned the corner and drove down Syd and Morgan's street, she thought about their upcoming wedding. She pulled into their driveway a short while later and made her way to the door. Everything was getting back to normal for Syd, so she'd asked Allina to come over and show her some of her dress designs.

Her friend opened the brand-new front door with a smile. There were workers all over the place, fixing walls, repairing the wood floor, and painting. Her friend looked relieved to be moving past the ugliness of the altercation with Den.

“I'm so sorry for the mess.” Syd motioned her inside. They stepped over tarps and tiptoed into the back of the house. “They've been going strong for a while now. I'm so glad Mama took Brynn. She would have been so irritated with the noise.”

Allina set her sketch pad on the kitchen table. “It's cool. I'm just happy they are fixing everything. It'll be over before you know it.” She sat down at the table and crossed her legs. “How are you?”

“I'm good. Tired, but I'm a lot better. Den is going to stay in a facility for a little while. That helps. I hope he can get himself together.”

Kent had already told her Den's status that morning. He'd spent the past few days going back and forth with Mama and Morgan about where they would send his brother. In the end, they decided it was best that he be placed somewhere farther north, an hour or two away. That way he wouldn't be distracted.

“Good for him,” Allina said. “Maybe it will stick this time.”

“Enough about that. Let me see what you got.”

Allina opened her sketch pad and pulled out her phone to show Syd what she'd worked on using that app. Syd's eyes lit up as she looked at the gowns. They talked fit, color, and whether she wanted lace or tulle or both. Cali arrived a short time later and joined in the conversation, laying out her vision for the wedding.

Syd had decided on an intimate wedding, no more than fifty people. She wanted the space to be romantic, chic, and sexy. While she was talking, Cali and Allina were jotting down notes. Allina already had a few ideas for how to tweak the dress to match the theme.

“Wow,” Cali said, closing her notebook. “I think we have enough to work with. Allina, when are you going to start on the dress?”

Shrugging, Allina finished the outline of a new sketch. “I'm thinking it will take me about a week to finalize my sketch. Then I can start putting it together.”

“You're going to be a beautiful bride,” Cali said.

Allina noticed a flicker of sadness creep across Syd's face. She hoped her friend could embrace her pending marriage without thinking about Den and everything that had happened between them.

“So, now that we're done,” Cali said, shifting in her seat to face Allina. “Are you going to sleep with Kent?”

Allina's head jerked back, and she almost slipped out of her chair. “What?”

“Oh God, Cali,” Syd said, shaking her head. “What a question to ask.”

Allina's face burned and she ducked her head, picking at the edge of her sketch pad. “My sentiments exactly,” she murmured.

Over the years, she and Cali had clashed on a lot of issues. They had different philosophies on life. Cali was more straightforward and Allina held a lot back. But when it came to men, Allina had always admired Cali for knowing what she wanted and with whom. Syd had told Allina once that Cali thought Allina looked down on her because of her views on sex, but it was just the opposite.

“What's taking you so long?” Cali teased, a mischievous grin on her face. “I mean, he's fine. You're beautiful. Get busy.”

Well, when she said it like that… “Cali, you do realize that it isn't a decision that should be entered into lightly?”

Cali exchanged a knowing look with Syd before turning her attention back to Allina. “Have you kissed him more than once in a sitting?”

“Yes,” Allina told her friend. “We've kissed a lot, actually.”

“Have you kissed him anywhere other than the mouth?” Cali asked.

“Yes, I've kissed him on his neck and other parts of his face.”

“Oooh, you're getting hot and heavy,” Cali said sarcastically, wiggling her freshly waxed eyebrows. “Has he touched you below your waist?”

Allina gaped at her nosy friend. “Wh-what? Um…” She scratched the back of her neck, remembering his tongue on her. “No,” she lied, fidgeting in her seat.
Please, let her not push this
.

“Cali, stop,” Syd said. “Can't you see she's uncomfortable?”

“Better to talk to us than fumble with Kent,” Cali retorted. “So when are you going to let him touch your stuff?”

Allina's face flushed hotter. Wanting to huddle in a corner, she sank into her chair. “I don't know.”

“Better yet, when are you going to let him touch your stuff with his stuff?” Cali prodded.

“Hey, I haven't committed a crime,” Allina told her persistent friend. “You've been with Red too long. Stop badgering me.”

“Look, you have to be prepared. Or you'll get caught with your pants down with no idea how to work it.”

Syd choked on her drink, spraying it on the table. “Oh my God, Cali. You're ridiculous.”

“Come on, Syd,” Cali said with an innocent shrug. “You know I'm right.”

Allina swallowed. It was the perfect time to let her frustrations out about Kent's gentlemanly behavior. “Um, I guess…well, we did something. Then, we didn't. And I'm a little frustrated,” she babbled.

“Why?” Syd asked, leaning forward. “What happened?”

Sighing, Allina finally answered, “If I tell you this, you can't say anything. Ever.” Both of her friends nodded. “Kent will kill me if he finds out that I told you.”

“What is it?” Cali asked, tilting her head to study Allina. Then she leaned back in her chair. “Oh my God,
did
he touch you below your waist?”

“Yes.” She groaned.

Syd and Cali wore identical grins, a mile wide; then they gave each other a high five.

“That's what I'm talking about!” Cali shouted.

Allina just wanted to hide. Closing her eyes, she rushed on, “But he won't…I want him to…He stops…”

Cali placed her hands flat on the table, inclining her head. “What? He won't, what?”

“Ugh, it's hard to say it,” Allina grumbled, clenching her hands into fists, then releasing them.

“Allina, you can tell us,” Syd said, concern in her hazel eyes.

Raking a hand through her hair, Allina blurted out, “He doesn't want to go further than that. He did it that one time, but he won't again. He won't even let me touch him either.” She slapped a hand over her mouth.

Her friends stared at her, eyes wide and mouths hanging open. The back of her neck tingled and her chest tightened.

“When you say he won't let you touch him, what exactly does that mean?” Cali asked. “I mean, did you try to grab his balls? Polish the bishop?”

Syd jumped up and covered Cali's mouth with her hand. “Cali, shut up. Allina, don't pay attention to her.”

Closing her eyes, Allina wished she could blink and be in the safety of her car. She may have been stuck at second base, but she knew what Cali meant. The thought used to mortify her. “I can't believe I'm talking about this.”

“We're not,” Syd stated firmly. “Right, Cali?”

Cali nodded. When Syd removed her hand, Cali rolled her eyes and shifted in her seat.

“I want to,” Allina admitted softly. She'd told him she was ready to be with him, and she meant it. Mostly. Her attraction to Kent seemed to grow by leaps and bounds. “But he keeps putting a halt on it. Frankly, it's irritating.”

“So the one time that he touched you, did he…what actually happened?” Syd asked.

Cali jerked her head back and glared at Syd. “So you get to ask the questions, but I can't?”

“Stop, Cali,” Syd hissed. “I'm just trying to help her figure out what the problem could be.”

Allina waited as the two bantered back and forth about the correct way to ask a question and how much was too much to know about Kent and Allina's potential sex life.

“Stop, guys,” Allina said finally. “This isn't helping.”

“I'm sorry,” they both grumbled simultaneously.

“Maybe he's holding back because he thinks that's what you want?” Syd asked. Ever the sensible one. “I mean, Allina, you've always been a good girl. And he's not so good a guy—in his mind. You need to make sure that you really want to go this far with him. I mean, you've waited this long to have sex for a reason. I'm sure that's on his mind, too.”

“Yeah, but obviously, she's ready,” Cali mused.

Suddenly, Allina was hit with doubt. Syd had a point. She was the good girl, content to follow the Word. “I think I'm ready?”

“You think?” Syd asked, a skeptical look in her eyes. “Allina, you're a virgin. This is a big deal. Do you realize how things will change if you decide to give it up?”

“I do. I've thought about it. And this isn't the first time.”

“Can I ask you a question?” Cali asked.

A question from Cali, the wrong question, could derail the conversation again. But Allina nodded.

“Why didn't you go there with Isaac?” Cali asked. “I mean, you were supposed to be married. Did you never get close with him? I guess what I'm trying to say is…why Kent? Why now?”

Allina pondered the question. The answer was clear to her. It was Kent because he was Kent. She couldn't explain it without sounding completely vague. Isaac was the man she was going to marry, but it wasn't because he was the love of her life. He'd been attractive and kind to her when they began dating, and up until the wedding day—for the most part. She'd considered it, but he was a minister. It seemed inappropriate to engage in premarital sex with a man of the cloth before they were married.

Even more than that…Isaac wasn't Kent. He'd never awakened that desire in her that Kent seemed to open up with one touch, one kiss. It was the feeling that she'd always had around Kent that made her want to give herself over to him. She knew she'd be safe, that he would treat her respectfully. She trusted him.

“There has never been another man for me, not since I fell for Kent all those years ago. Don't ask me how I could feel that way for someone I'd never even kissed, but I did. I can't explain it. It's not even logical. And I'm not sure it's supposed to be,” Allina admitted softly.

She glanced up at her friends and noticed Syd dabbing her eyes with a Kleenex. “Are you crying?” Allina asked.

“I guess I'm just emotional,” her friend answered. “That was beautiful. I know the feeling. Trust me. And I'm so happy for you.”

“Are you nervous?” Cali asked, suspiciously unable to look Allina in the eye.

Is she crying?
Allina wondered if her other friend was “just emotional,” too. She smiled. “No. I'm not. I thought I would be, but I'm not. He's seen me and I didn't feel shy or scared. That's why I know this is right. He's right.”

Cali cleared her throat and pounded her fists on the table. “Then Kent needs to shit or get off the pot.”

Allina laughed. “You're crazy.”

“What?” Cali asked, as if she hadn't just used the old analogy she'd heard many old people use as a child. “We've got to get you laid. And quick. I'm thinking
you
need to step up your game. A few candles, a tight dress, and some kick-ass stilettos and Kent is all yours, baby.”

“Don't listen to her,” Syd said. “Look, just be honest with him. No games, no tricks, just tell him what you want.”

Allina thought about Syd's advice. Could she really just put it out there for him? She had been raised that a man should always be the aggressor. She'd already kissed him first, told him how she felt first. It would make her feel better if he was the one who made the first sex move.

“Then there's the nagging feeling I have that maybe he's just not that physically attracted to me,” Allina said.

“What?” Cali shouted. “Are you kidding me? Why wouldn't he be attracted to you? You're hot. I don't have busted girlfriends. I told you what to do.”

It was Cali's way. She was fiercely protective and always ready for a fight. Allina loved her for it. “I can't do that, Cali,” Allina told her. “I can barely walk in heels let alone wear some skimpy outfit and act like someone I'm not.”

“How do you know how you are? You've never been in the situation before, never had hot sex on a bed, a counter, or a couch. Who's to say you aren't a freak up under those two-sizes-too-big clothes? Hello.”