Chapter 150: Gone

Stella was happy that Tom had said he needed her. He had said he needed her even after his contracted wife walked out, and most especially even after everything Adrian had already done. For a moment, she held onto the warmth of his words unashamedly.

Until everywhere became quiet and she felt Tom’s stare on her, definitely waiting for her response.

She gulped gently then spoke up;

"What do you need me for?" she asked.

What followed blurred into desire being spoken through eyes, movement and quickness...

They chose her car, away from the hospital corridor and the eyes that had been everywhere. Tom used one of the items from the Heart of Temptation Shop and took her body with nothing but purpose. There was little room for slow romance in it, actually no room for it at all.

He pounded her as hard as the car allowed until the system marked the final count of his daily task complete. And Stella allowed him to use her just as he wanted.

To her, she believed he was trying to release the pent up anger that came from knowing it was Adrian behind the accident. And she was determined to let him feel desired, even after what Adrian had done.

With that, the third release was successful.

Afterward, Stella drove him home. The ride home was heavily quiet as if the duo hadn’t just had sex a few minutes ago. It was as if the unspoken annoyance about Adrian had settled in immediately after the sex.

When she finally arrived and parked in front of the house, Tom did not step down immediately.

"Do you know where my car is? And what condition it’s in?" he asked.

"It’s with the towing company," Stella said. Her hands remained on the wheel for a moment before she looked at him. "I’ll come tomorrow and take you to get another one."

Tom started to answer, she knew what could come out of his mouth so she spoke again before the refusal could form.

"Don’t say no. Please."

"Please let me fix this in my little way." She added gently.

The plead held weight. Tom blinked once, reading the insistence under her composure, then nodded.

"Alright."

Stella reached aside and gave him his phone. "It was found in the car. Luckily, it wasn’t damaged." she told him.

"Thanks." Tom said as he took it from her.

He opened the screen and it came alive. For a second he only checked that it still worked. Then his expression changed. The name and the meaning behind the crash settled back over him with ugly clarity.

"Adrian..." He clenched his jaw.

Stella exhaled, the sound coming out as a tired sound with no defense left in it. She did not rush to fill the silence.

"He doesn’t get to do something like this and walk away clean," Tom maintained sharply.

"There isn’t concrete evidence that he did it," Stella replied carefully. "He used people who would rather sit in prison than admit Adrian Cole sent them."

Tom’s jaw tightened more. "Then I’ll find another way. By every means available, I’m bringing him to account for this. He won’t go scotfree... I won’t allow him."

Stella turned more fully toward him. "I’m sorry. Truly. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure nothing like this happens again. I’ll make sure you’re protected." Her voice lowered. "I only hope this doesn’t stop you from seeing me."

Tom let out a long breath and did not answer immediately.

The pause itself made Stella’s expression falter. She watched him with a sullen, waiting tension, as if bracing for a door to close.

"If I’m answering you honestly, I don’t know." Tom said at last.

Then he opened the door and stepped out of the car.

~~~~~~~~~

Inside the house, Sienna was in the living room. Tom walked in to find her there.

She was standing, but the line of her body gave her away. She had only just returned to that position. She had been at the window. She had watched Stella drive onto the property and deliver him home.

Her eyes locked on Tom with hard intensity. She clenched her jaw then out of the blues;

"I can see you’re doing just great," she snapped.

Tom was taken aback. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Yeah, I am?" He didn’t know whether to make that a question or statement.

She narrowed her eyes on him for a moment then she nodded sharply. Without another word, she turned and walked into her room, with anger holding tight in every of her step.

Tom remained where he was for a second, reading the obvious fury in her body language and still not fully understanding the shape of it. He couldn’t determine why exactly she was angry. Was it fear from the video, jealousy from Stella’s presence, pride scraped raw by the hospital...?

However, he did not follow her. He went to his own room instead.

But he had barely stepped inside when his phone rang.

An unknown number... He stared at it for a second before answering it.

"How do you like that?" Adrian’s voice came through with open amusement.

Tom’s hand tightened around the phone. His face hardened at once. For a moment he said nothing, too occupied with the nerve of the man calling after sending a trailer at him. The memory of his windshield been filled with that trailer flashed back so clearly it almost put the taste of panic in his mouth again.

Then he spoke in a low and rough voice;

"Don’t think this is over."

"Of course it isn’t over," Adrian said smoothly. "You came out unscathed today. Tomorrow might not be so kind."

Tom’s breathing changed. His free hand curled into a fist at his side.

"Have you forgotten I can ruin you with what I have on you?" he asked.

Adrian laughed at that. The sound was easy, almost lazy, and it made Tom’s blood rise faster.

"The recording you kept on your phone?" Adrian asked then he laughed again. "Maybe you should try again. And harder. Smarter too."

Then the call ended.

Tom stood frozen. He held the phone still at his ear for half a second after the line died. Then he lowered it and opened his files with sharp, rising dread. He checked his recordings. His gallery, recent files, folders... Anywhere the Goldy evidence might still be.

It was gone.

The one clean weapon he had on Adrian had been wiped out of the phone as if it had never existed.

Tom’s face hardened and a low growl tore out of his throat.

"Fuck!!!"