Page 37 of Watching Her

“You think I need my father? Really?” Wow. The guy was clueless.

It was amazing to me how often the idiots tried to act as if they had control of the situation. The funny thing was he was serious, even reaching for the phone he’d tossed onto the nightstand.

“Tsk. Tsk. Randy. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it isn’t nice to try and force yourself on a woman?”

“Who the fuck are you to try and tell me a goddamn thing? I know your reputation.”

“Who am I?” I showed him the syringe, which at least caused his heart to begin to race. That would help with the poison. “Your worst nightmare.”

There was no pretense, just driving the needle into his jugular vein.

He gasped, both horrified and shocked at what I’d done. But as soon as that settled, he fought me more than most would, including able to get a solid punch to my face.

Wow. That I hadn’t expected.

I finally had to hold his arms, pushing them back to the bed.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you that women were to be treated like the queens they are? If only you’d learned.” While the poison was taking effect, I was given a bird’s eye view of the wound Penelope had caused. She’d driven the corkscrew in fairly deeply.

Excellent reflexes.

Within seconds, the drug had taken effect, leaving him breathing and able to feel every organ as it began to shut down.

My work was done here.

“I’m sorry it had to end like this, Randy. But aside from learning abuse of any kind is unacceptable, you definitely should have learned touching another man’s woman is a mortal sin.”

I cocked my head, lifting a single eyebrow as the reality of what he’d done began to settle in.

Once at the door, I took one last look, grinning as I did.

You bet I was an evil man, but no one was allowed to lay a finger on sweet Penelope.

With me as the exception, of course.

* * *

Penelope

Cof-fee.

No plane to catch, no work to get home to could take the place of me getting coffee. I was dragging my butt, praying the lovely kiosk the hotel usually set up with gallons of coffee was available this early in the morning. If not, I’d beg for more tiny little packages for the room.

I knew Starbucks wouldn’t be open, but that was just fine. Any coffee would do at this point.

As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I was faced with more noise than I thought there’d be at five in the morning.

The closer I came to the lobby, the stranger the sounds had gotten. I could also see the reflection of flashing lights indicating an emergency of some kind.

You bet I was one of those people, curious as to what was going on. As soon as I rounded the corner, I realized an ambulance had been called.

Someone was on a stretcher, EMTs surrounding the gurney while hotel staff and a few guests peered on.

As I walked closer, a lump formed in my throat, praying it wasn’t someone from the book convention. Could there be anything worse than attending a function and experiencing an emergency?

I recognized one of the girls and walked closer. “That’s terrible. Hopefully no one we know?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Some guy and definitely not a model or narrator.”