Reed's Reckoning

Ari finally decided to move to Jacksonville permanently. Sophie will rent her place. There are a few items she wants to bring up here, so we’ve scheduled movers to come a week after the wedding. After the way she was treated at the birthday party, we pulled Davis out of his daycare and found a private facility close that he starts today. It didn’t take long for her to find the errors in my finances and investments and she has mostly taken over. A few of my friends have asked for her advice on their portfolios as well. Phillip has called a few times but Ari refuses to go back. Her leave of absence became a resignation.

“Are you trying for the shortest engagement in history?” Bobbie asks.

“Yep, not taking any chances. I wanted to give her everything she’s ever wanted.”

“You know you’re a man right?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just checking because you sound more and more like a pussy every time you talk about her.”

I open my mouth to argue, but close it with no response. He’s right. I laugh along with him.

When we drive up to the house, my body goes on alert when I see Darius waiting in the driveway. Something feels off.

“What’s up man?” I ask confused why he’s not with Ari.

“Waiting on Ari to get here because she texted me that she stayed with Katy again last night. They have Grange with them. I agreed to meet her here this morning but she hasn’t showed.” He answers.

“You haven’t heard from her?” The hair on the back of my neck starts to tingle.

“Not yet.”

“Davis was supposed to start his new school half an hour ago.” I go into the house and look around to see if they did come home this morning. There’s no sign of them—no overnight bags or breakfast items in the sink.

“Something’s wrong.” Panic fills my mind. I pick up the phone and dial her number again. On the fourth ring, she finally picks up.

“Ari! Where the hell are you?” I yell.

“Well, well, well. I’ve been waiting for you to call.”

My heart beat stops and my knees go week. I grab onto the wall to steady myself. Alex Fucking Moore’s voice burns my ears. She got to them.

Ari

Please, please don’t let her hurt my baby. Davis’s face is full of fear and confusion and I want to rip Alex Moore to pieces. The zip ties she used as restraints are cutting into my skin as I struggle to break free. Katy is struggling as well and blood runs down her hands.

Staring at the unrecognizable woman in front of me with absolute terror. When the doorbell rang this morning, all I saw out the peephole was a mass of long black hair. Even though it was early, I answered, thinking it was the neighbor across the street. As soon as the door cracked, I was knocked down with the barrel of a gun in my face. I tried to scream but she slammed the butt of the gun in my temple and my vision blurred.

She threatened to shoot Davis if I didn’t do what she said. I had to call Grange and Darius and lie about the schedule this morning so neither of them would come to the house. Then I had to tie Katy and Davis to the dining room chairs with the gun pointed at my head. I wanted to fight back but knew Davis would never recover if he saw his mother shot in front of him. And I had to be there to protect him.

I tried my best to reassure him we would be okay if he was quiet and behaved. Alex ridiculed me trying to soothe him. Knowing she was delusional, I kept my mouth shut and tried to figure out how to get us out of this situation.

We’ve been tied up for two hours and Alex has been ranting about how her life is ruined. If I thought she was unbalanced before, I now know she is certifiably insane. In her mind, she had made up a future with Reed. I’ve listened to how much she did for him in college and then following him to Jacksonville to support him. The pictures in her head are so convoluted and twisted.

If I didn’t know her face, I wouldn’t recognize her. She died her hair rich black and got extensions so it falls to the middle of her back. She’s lost enough weight that her clothes hang on her figure. Her once blue eyes have changed to brown with colored contacts. And she’s applied her makeup in a gothic way with lots of black eyeliner. She looks nothing like the woman she was.

When my phone rings, my stomach drops. I know it’s Reed wondering where the hell we are. He’s called several times this morning but Alex wouldn’t let me answer. My time is limited. She looks at the call and I know this time, she is answering it. I can see it in her evil stare that she wants to hurt Reed. She’s beyond humiliated and angry. She wants revenge.