LIKED - A Dark Romance Novel (Story of Dangerous Obsession and Lust) (13 page)

“Come on,” she said. “We have to get out the back before we fall in.”

They left their seats and walked back through the cargo section toward
the opening as the van teetered forward and backward between the girders of the
bridge.

They walked out far enough where they could see the steaming flatbed with
two holes through the windshield. Susan sat up in the owl mask holding her
shoulder. The engine revved and the truck barreled toward them.

Gia and Justin jumped off the back of the van and ran to the side toward
the Mount Seller end of the bridge.

The truck hit the van launching it out over the river. It flipped over
upside down as it splashed below. The truck smashed into the girders and bent
the supports of the bridge. Gia felt the vibration through her bare, aching
feet.

The transmission ground and the truck backed up tearing free of the
twisted metal. The wheels turned and the truck made a slow turn toward them.

Justin bowed his head and spit blood out on the paved surface of the bridge.
“We need to run.”

They turned and charged toward the end of the bridge as the truck picked
up speed. Justin was uneasy on his feet and Gia could feel the glass in her
feet. They cleared the end of the bridge as the truck began to roar behind
them.

Gia realized they were holding hands as they ran.

They veered left toward the parking lot. The building was the same as she
remembered from when she was sneaking in. The neon was dark and read “The
Seller Summit”. Gia couldn’t even remember what it used to be called.

As they ran over rocks in the parking lot, her pace slowed. Justin
scooped her up in his arms and ran with her toward the door. Gia cried and on
impulse kissed him on his cheek.

He sat her down on the patio and they pulled at the door. It was locked.
They knocked, but saw no movement inside.

The truck turned into the parking lot spitting up rocks as it raced
across. Justin picked up the ashtray canister by the door and smashed it
through the window in the door. He reached through and pulled the latch.

They stumbled inside facing down a bearded man with a double barreled
shotgun. “Don’t think of moving, you two.”

“Someone is chasing us,” Justin said.

“Didn’t ask. Don’t care. Tell the police.”

“Call them. Now. Please,” Gia said.

The man narrowed his eyes as he kept aim on them.

Gia turned and saw the truck closing on the porch. “Justin?”

Justin pushed her sideways and they knocked chairs off the tables going
for the floor.

The gun went off blasting splinters out of the wall.

The truck smashed through the patio overhang and then took out the front
of the bar. Tables and chairs scattered all around them. The man with the gun
went under the front of the truck and the wheel went over him. He screamed and
then went silent.

The door opened. The owl dropped out gripping her bloody shoulder. Susan
shook as she bent down and lifted the shotgun in both hands.

Her voice came sharp and slushy behind the hard mask. “Time for a new
game.”

Justin shoved a table up and over against Susan and the truck. He pulled
Gia to her feet and they ran back through the tables toward the back bathroom
hallway.

The shotgun fired and blew out a mirror on the wall.

Justin pushed them sideways into the ladies’ room. They limped across and
shoved open the door to the handicapped stall. The door to the bathroom burst
open behind them and the owl limped in carrying the shotgun. Gia heard sirens
before the door swung back closed.

Instead of closing the stall door, Justin moved Gia behind him against
the wall and blocked her with his body. Susan limped forward breathing hard
inside the mask. She stopped and raised the gun slowly. Gia heard the hammer
click back.

Justin whispered. “Do what you’ve got to do. I understand.”

“You should have protected me,” her harsh voice accused from inside the
mask.

The hammer clicked dry with no report from the gun.

The door to bathroom burst open and a man’s voice shouted. “Turn around
and drop it.”

Susan whirled around in the owl mask and aimed at the officers. “Make
me.”

Justin pulled Gia sideways to the floor beside the toilet.

Two shots blasted out through the bathroom. Susan pitched backward and
landed on her back inside the stall. Gia wasn’t sure if it was better to see
her face or the owl mask that covered it.

The officer leaned in with his gun still out and said, “Who the fuck are
you two and what’s going on?”

Justin and Gia held up their hands. Justin looked at Gia and back at the
officer. “She’s my sister. She killed Don Blackheart and left his body in her
car back in Los Angeles. And then we kidnapped …”

“She kidnapped us,” Gia said. “She murdered Don and then kidnapped us.
She had us chained to a radiator in the abandoned group home up on the hill. We
escaped and she tried to kill us. She’s crazy.”

The officer looked down at the body in the owl mask and then up at Gia
and Justin. “Come out of there slowly and come with me until we can sort this
all out.”

***

What now?

Gia stood over her mother’s grave and stared down at the old, tall grass.
Someone needed to mow. She supposed she didn’t have much room to complain, if
she never came out to visit.

Justin Simms stepped up beside her and took her hand. She glanced at him
beside her. His hair was sculpted up to its usual messy perfection. He had
bright, white tape over his nose. The rest of his face was bruised and swollen
too. The scab on his chin actually looked the worst.

Gia knew that she didn’t look much better. She was wearing black slacks
and a white and purple flowered top instead of pajamas, so that was an
improvement at least.

“Did you see any photographers?” Gia asked.

“Not yet,” Justin said. “We didn’t do much to shake them from the hotel,
so they will probably be here soon.”

She nodded. “It’s not even the Hollywood paparazzi. It is crime photographers
fascinated about … Susan.”

“A picture here in the cemetery is probably gold for them.”

“We should go.”

“Back to the hotel?”

Gia shook her head. “No, the police have cleared us here. We should go?”

Justin licked his lips staring down at the grave and asked. “So, what
now, then?”

“We should head back to LA. Investigators there will have questions.”

“A lot more photographers too,” he said.

“They can’t wait to splatter our relationship over every website and
magazine after all of this,” Gia said.

Justin shook his head. “And they don’t even know the half of it.”

“And they never will.”

They turned and walked down the path toward their rented car. “Can I ask
you a question, Gia?”

She smiled. “Sure.”

“Why didn’t you turn me in to the police?”

Gia sighed. “I don’t have many people, Justin. None left that would put
their life on the line for me. Maybe we started all wrong. I’m sure we did. But
we both need someone willing to go to extremes for us.”

“We certainly have done that.”

“Do you think you can stick to the details of our story when we get back
to LA?”

He nodded. “I’ve had lots of practice. I may not be an actor of your
caliber, but I’ll pull it off.”

“Good,” she said. “I still get to tie you up whenever I want. Remember?”

He groaned. “Maybe we could go with normal, loving sex for a while.”

Gia laughed. “Now that is weird game.”

They got into the sedan and backed out into the street just as the
photographers pulled up along side them. Justin drove forward toward the
highway as the cameras followed.

THE END

I do so hope you have enjoyed this
little yarn of darkness...
If you'd like to read even more of my lusty tales, simply click
:
Diana Quippley Mailing List
and join the spam-free, private list!
Or
click here to visit my author page over on amazon