Murder in the Night

by Cassandra Sunn.

I wrote this story quite a while ago. I had gotten into Dean Koontz and this came out. I have rewritten it so many times! It was always too tame. Even this is not good enough. Oh, well. I may rewrite it again someday.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

“Hey, Max, baby. I have it,” I said as I sauntered into the dark alley. “But why did you want to meet here?”

“So no one can see.” Max Catelin stared at me his sexy brown eyes twinkling dangerously. “Alexia, you have been so useful to me, in more than one way. But you must know that nothing lasts forever.”

That didn’t sound good. I swallowed nervously. “I have the money.”

He slid his fingers through his short, wavy brown hair. He glanced behind me. I turned quickly. Two big musclemen were hovering over me.

“Your goons? Max, honey, you only have them when...” I stopped, not wanting to believe it. “Max, what’s wrong? Do I not satisfy you well enough? Please baby, I love you. Don’t do this.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Damn it, you know I hate this. Don’t make it any harder than it has to be.”

I narrowed my eyes. If pleading didn’t work, I’ll use anger. “Bastard.”

“Shut up, Alexia.”

“You sick fuck!” I had started shrieking. “How could you?! You damn asshole!”

“Shut up, Alexia!” Max raised a pistol. “Smith and Wesson. 9mm. Excellent model.”

“I know what type of gun it is, shithead.”

He pulled the trigger. I screamed and flung myself to the ground. I heard a thud and a groan behind me. Max cursed me. He can be quite creative, given the right incentive. Pushing my shoulder-length red hair from my face, I turned. One of the goons lay on the ground, bleeding heavily from his stomach. If I had stayed standing, it would have pierced my heart. Tells you how tall these bastards are.

“You bitch.” Max glared at me. “You moved.”

“No shit.” I glared back as I pushed myself to my knees.

Just then, the other goon fell forward with a strangled gasp, a knife jutting out from the back of his neck. He nearly fell on me. That would have hurt.

“Damn it, no! Get lost! She’s not yours, she never was!” Max screamed. I turned to see a man standing over me. He had chin length black hair and an even tan. Very handsome.

“Doesn’t matter.” The man had a deep, sexy voice. “Now, let’s see what happens next you only have one bullet left in the Smith and Wesson. No other weapons. You’re too confident. You’ll die tonight, you cocky bastard.”

Max raised his pistol again. “I’ll see you in Hell!” He squeezed off a shot. The last shot, if the mysterious hottie was to be believed.

Hottie quickly side-stepped. He chuckled as the bullet zoomed harmlessly passed. Some passerby was going to get hit. The man pulled out a revolver. I recognized it as a Korth .38. German. Nice. “Good-bye, Max.” He shot him point-blank.

“Okay, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” I yelled as I stood up.

“My name is Ken Ryden. Max is an enemy of mine. Who are you?”

“Alexia Lace.”

“Nice to meet you.” He smiled. Very nice smile. Better than Max, who liked to show off all his teeth.

His smiled faded as he began to speak. “Max has, for the past five years, tried to kill me. Why he can just hire hit men is beyond me.”

“Max is stubborn.”

“You’re telling me. Anyway, every time I get a girlfriend, Max steals her from me. Gets her to do his dirty work. And when he tires of her, he sends me a message, telling me where he is. By the time I get there, she’s dead and he has one bullet left for me.” He sighed. “I decided to stop going out. Thought maybe that would stop the bastard. I see it worked.” He looked straight at me. He had blue eyes. They were much more seductive than Max’s eyes. “Now you. How did you get mixed up with this ass?” He pointed at Max’s body with his gun.

I shrugged. “Met him at a bar about a month ago. He offered to by me a drink. I agreed. Woke up the next morning in his bed. Been with him ever since.”

“I’m sure there’s a better way to meet guys. And better guys to meet.”

“All I saw in him was a few free drinks.” Smiling, I slipped closer to him. “Ken.” I let his name slide over my tongue. “Ken, let’s forget Max. He’s dead. The dead must be forgotten.” I placed my head on his shoulder. “C’mon, now what? How about us? In the movies, the hero sweeps the damsel in distress off her feet after defeating the villian. The villian looks defeated to me. C’mon hero. Sweep me.” I grinned flirtatiously.

“I’m sorry. This isn’t the movies. Reality doesn’t quite work like that.” He hesitated when I pouted. “But a date is always nice. How about Saturday? I know of a nice little Mexican place a few blocks away.”

“No, I like French.”

“Uh, okay French it is.”

I win! I thought.

(-)(-)(-)(-)

It took two weeks for me to dump him. I like diamonds and gold, he was used to sticks and pebbles. And he wouldn’t change for me. What a dickwad.

Six months later, I met an married a millionaire. He’s kind of old, so I don’t have long to wait. When he croaks, I’ll be famous. Maybe I’ll start an acting career. The world’s an oyster and I’m the pearl. World, open up and set me free!

I haven’t seen Ken since I dumped him. I heard he married some girl he met at Starbucks. What a waste of good looks.