Black Rose by Suzanne Steele Read Free Book Online Page A

is prepared and it is now time for me to make my move. Timing is everything and, right now, it couldn’t be more perfect. After all, in my world perfection is paramount…

Melanie
    Tommy’s screams wake me up and my head feels like it’s in a vice grip. I can’t even remember how I made it home last night. This isn’t like me at all and though I’m not exactly sure what took place last night, I’m one hundred percent certain it was against my will.
    A surge of panic races through me when I consider the possibility that I may have been sexually assaulted. I jump up and fight off a wave of nausea accompanied with dizziness as I slide my fingers into my underwear. Thank God there are no signs of recent intercourse. There is no soreness and, more importantly, no wetness… Ugh.
    My cell phone rings and I only pick it up because it’s the sitter. I don’t have many minutes on it so I get straight to the point.
    “What happened last night?”
    “I’m guessing, but I think someone at your job may have roofied you.”
    “How did I get home?”
    “I can only assume a Good Samaritan dropped you off. Someone knocked on the door and when I opened it, you were slumped against the wall with no one else in sight.”
    Fear clutches at my heart as the thought of her reporting the incident brings a whole new set of worries to my life. I make my way over to Tommy and begin cleaning him up as I talk on the phone.
    “Please don’t tell anyone. You know me better than this; I don’t do drugs.”
    “I would never tell anyone. Now go get in the shower and wash that caked-in mud out of your hair. I would have bathed you but it was all I could do to drag your ass into bed.”
    “Alright… and thanks for being a friend.”
    I make my way into the kitchen with a cleaned up Tommy in tow and grab a bottle out of the refrigerator to heat in the microwave. After it’s done, I give it to him to drink and place him on a clean blanket with some toys. He is in sight where I can see him as I shower.
    It feels good to let the water splash over me, washing away the caked on mud and debris from my hair. I’m extremely relieved that I wasn’t sexually assaulted last night yet, at the same time, I’m feeling very unsettled about it. Why in the world would anyone drug a woman just to leave her safely on her doorstep? It makes no sense to me and, eventually, I have to stop straining my brain trying to figure it out. Thank God Tommy and I are safe. That’s all that matters at this point. I’m certain it will come back to me over time. Maybe I’m better off not knowing, though I do wish I could thank the Good Samaritan.
    A feeling of dread washes over me as I think about the fact I will have to go to the laundromat now to wash my bedding. What is a simple chore for others is a pain in the ass for me. People don’t realize how much they take things for granted. I would love to have a washer and dryer. Oh well…I choose to focus on the positive. I’m so grateful I wasn’t raped or, worse yet, killed.
    I dry off and run a brush through my long, dark hair. I put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and start planning the day. First and foremost, I need coffee. I’m standing in the kitchen, lost in my head and impatiently waiting for the coffee to finish brewing, when a knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. I look out and view what I perceive to be a chauffeur or a delivery man with an envelope in his hand. I haven’t ordered anything and I’m curious if the poor guy has the wrong door. Rather than see him lost in a neighborhood like this, I open it.
    “Yes, how can I help you?”
    “I was instructed to give you this.”
    “Are you certain you don’t have me mixed up with someone else?”
    He chuckles, “No, Ma’am. I’m certain you are the woman whom I was instructed to give this.”
    I take the envelope but when I attempt to shut the door, he speaks again.
    “Ma’am, I was directed to await you reading that note.”
    “Okay,