Page 1 of Playing Hardball
Chapter 1
(Kimberly)
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“Hey, Kimmy. How’s it going?”
I almost jump out of my seat. I raise my head to look at the person who startled me. I had been so focused on my work, I hadn’t even noticed someone walk into my office.
“Ross. You scared me,” I chide softly.
I smile at the short, slender man standing at the door of my office. He has a big smile on his face and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You’ve been cooped up in here for how long, exactly?” he asks whilst shaking his head.
“I have to finish this proposal today. Richards wants it on his desk by tomorrow morning,” I tell him. Richard is the boss at the small firm I work at. I’ve had the job for about 2 years. It’s the steadiest one I’ve ever had.
“Are you close to finishing it?” Ross asks and I shake my head. He tuts.
“Tell you what, I take you out for some dinner, and after, you can come back in to finish your work.”
I hesitate. In the past, Ross has tried really hard to get me to go out with him. He’s a nice guy but I can’t date him. He probably thinks it’s because I have a problem dating a guy that’s a few inches shorter than me, but it’s not that.
One of the problems is that Ross is several years younger than me. On my resume to the company, my age is listed as 31 years old, even though I’m way older. I can’t date a guy who has no idea who I really am. It’s one of the reasons I’m 36 years old and very single. Another problem is my name. Ross knows me as Kim Solace. He thinks that’s my real name. He couldn’t be more wrong. He’s a sweet guy though and I would never unload my baggage on him.
“It’s not a date,” he hurriedly says when he sees the expression on my face. “I just want to get some food in you so you don’t collapse.”
I smile gratefully.
“Thanks, Ross. You’re the best.”
I get up from my seat and grab my purse. He’s right. I really do need to eat. I’m not even sure I ate lunch. He leads me into his car and we drive off to a small restaurant we frequent. It’s not far, only a ten-minute drive away. However, once we arrive there, unease begins to prickle at my chest. I stare at the familiar surroundings and wonder why I feel so uneasy. I tell Ross to go on ahead. I want to quickly put on a little makeup. He buys the excuse and hands me the key to his car, asking me to lock it when I’m done. Then, he walks into the restaurant to wait for me.
I sit in the car, trying to calm myself down. I'm not psychic but I swear my body always knows when I’m about to be in danger. It happens so often that I would be a fool to ignore it now. But then, I think of Ross. Sweet, innocent Ross, waiting for me inside the restaurant. I don’t want to ditch him. It would be rude. I also don’t want to lose the one friend I’ve managed to make since I moved to this town.
Steeling myself and convincing myself there’s nothing wrong, I take a shaky breath and walk into the restaurant. I frown when I don’t see him at our normal booth. I ask the cashier where he went. She points to the backdoor of the restaurant leading to an alleyway.
What is Ross doing out there?
The door has a small rectangular transparent box that allows you to see outside. It’s at the topmost part of it. I look through it and what I see chills me to the bone. I almost tell myself I must be hallucinating.
Ross is outside, standing with two men. One of them appears to be a police officer. He’s in uniform, with a gun visible on his belt. The other man is someone I prayed never to see again in my life. Someone who has haunted my dreams for more than 13 years. I remember the long, chilling scar on his face very clearly. Why wouldn’t I? I was the one who put it there.
Almost like he can sense me watching, his gaze shoots to the door. But I’m faster. I quickly duck, hoping he didn’t see anything suspicious. When I don’t hear footsteps approaching the door, I let out a breath. I should run. I should leave immediately. But, I’m curious. What is Ross doing with them? What is a policeman doing with the likes of that man with a scar? I do something extremely stupid. I don’t even think about it. I decide to open the door slightly in order to hear their conversation. I don’t want to leave without answers. I don’t hear much, but bits of it reach my ears.
“We should grab her now,” the man with the scar growls. The menace in his voice still sounds so familiar to me. Chills erupt on my arms at the sound of it.
“No, she trusts me. I can do it. Just wait a little more,” Ross says and I have to cover my mouth so I don’t cry out in surprise. Ross is working with him. The same Ross who has always been so good to me. I almost can’t believe my ears. But, it’s what the man with the scar says to the police officer that shocks me the most.
“You guarantee nothing will happen if she goes missing, right? No problems at all? No cops will try to look?”
“Of course, sir. Even the head of the police department is aware. She’s currently using a fake ID so we couldn’t care less what happens to her,” the policeman answers. Only his voice sounds unfamiliar out of the three.
“Good,” comes the reply, and I hear the unmistakable pleasure in his voice.
Of course, at that moment, my shitty luck decides to make an appearance. Wind blows and the door snaps hard in my face. I cry out in pain. Then I shut my mouth a little too late. They probably heard that. I peep through the transparent part. Another dumb mistake. He sees me then. His electric blue eyes meet mine. His face contorts in anger. It's the last thing I see before I bolt. I run out of the restaurant and into the night. The three of them run out a few moments later but it’s too late.
I’m already in Ross’ car. I zoom away, without turning back. Only when I’m far away from the town do I finally stop. My hands shake and my head pounds with the amount of information swirling in it.
