A Deadly Betrayal✔ [Completed]

Chapter Two



Thump. Thump. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She pressed a hand to her chest willing herself to calm down. Deep breaths. Annie sucked in a mouth full of air then released it slowly through her nose. As the familiar heat of her apartment surrounded her, she felt the fear clawing at her stomach eased. Her legs were shaking: weakened from fear. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders.

In safety of her apartment, Annie felt more grounded as the thick cloud of adrenaline oozed from her pores in the form of perspiration. All kinds of thoughts bombarded her mind. What in the hell just happened? Could it be her mind was playing tricks on her? Was someone following her? Did she imagine it all? It had to be. No. It was all real.

If it wasn't for that man... She and Reon would already be dead. She shuddered in revulsion at that horrible thought. The left side of her head throbbed. A migraine was coming on. God, how she hated headaches.

Reon whimpered, breaking through the thick fog of thoughts that clouded her mind. She looked down at her baby secured in her arms. His little light-brown eyes roved over her face. He smiled at her showcasing his two baby teeth. Annie could see he was fighting not to fall asleep.

"Are you all right, baby?"

She ran her hands over her son as if expected to find a fatal injury. There was nothing. Only his little eyes fighting to stay open. She moved away from the door and placed the diaper bag on the ash-grey couch. The thing was so old; she had to be careful when sitting down. A tumble on the hard floor is something she wanted to stay clear of. With a heavy sigh, she moved away from the door.

Annie looked around her one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't much, but it was home to both her and Reon. She was thankful they had somewhere to come home to. Somewhere she could call her comfort zone. Something warm touched her arm. Looking down, she saw the long trail of drool: Reon had lost the battle with sleep. Tucking him closer to her chest, she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I love you so much, baby," she whispered.

Annie tracked her way down the short hallway and tried her best to avoid looking at the walls. She hated the color red. It always reminded her of misfortune. Poverty. Anger. It was weird but she couldn't help herself.

She toed off her shoes and walked into the bedroom. She moved over to the crib and placed Reon on the dolphin-printed blanket and patted his back when he whimpered. "Shh." Annie pulled off his sandals and brought the light blue blanket over his chubby legs.

She placed a kiss on his cheek before loosening the buttons of her shirt. When she turned around something caught her eyes. Her hands fell to her side. Heart pounding, she breathed hard. Her drawers were wide open and her clothes scattered everywhere. She didn't leave her things like that. With wide eyes, she looked around her bedroom. Everything ransacked. Someone had broken into her apartment...

A chill chased down her spine. Panic filled her throat, choking her. She was having a hard time focusing. Everything became blurry. Black dots danced in her vision and she blinked rapidly.

Hot tears scald her cheeks as they poured from her eyes. Annie wanted to curl into a ball and cry. But she knew now wasn't the time. She had to... Police! She had to call the police.

She ran out of the bedroom. Annie grabbed her bag and dugged her phone out. She dialed 911. Her hand shook so much that she dropped the phone twice. She scrubbed a hand over her eyes to get rid of the tears because she couldn't see the phone screen. "Come on. Come on." Her fingers dashed at the keypad.

BAM! BAM! BAM! Someone was pounding on the door. She let out a surprised scream and drop the phone onto the carpet. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. The words played over and over as she pondered the danger she was in... or about to be in. What if it's the same people who ransacked your apartment? Her heart hammered against her chest. Holy crap! What if it's the same person who was following you?

"Annie!" A deep voice shouted from beyond the door.

Her eyes widened, and she surged forward. The person knew her name. Then something clicked. What in the hell? She knew that voice. It couldn't be. Could it?

"Annie!" The deep masculine voice said again.

Oh, God! What was he doing here at a time like this? Deep in her heart, she knew she should open the door but was it the right thing to do? Hearing that voice brought back painful memories, she thought she had gotten rid of a long time ago. Everything came back like a hammer hitting a nail on its head repeatedly. The heartache, the betrayal, the deception, the-

"Annie, are you in there?" His voice took on a desperate edge. It was almost frantic.

Her mind reeled. What the hell's going on? First, someone tried to kill her. Then her apartment broken into. Ransacked. A horrifying thought slammed into her mind. What if he was the person who was following her? No! Andy wouldn't scare her so. She was sure of it. Well opened the door. Dammit! Her mind screamed. She tried to keep her voice steady but failed miserably. Annie was about to go crazy with if she didn't get her thoughts under control.

"A-Andy, is that you?"

"Yes, Annie, it's me. Open up."

"W-what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Open the door and I will explain everything."

"Okay, I'm coming." Her voice sounded weak, even to her own ears. She peered into the bedroom, making sure that Reon was still asleep. It had been two years since she'd seen Andy. Two painful years. If it wasn't for her son, only God knows what would've happened to her.

When she opened the door, the impact of their eyes meeting hit her like a fist to the chest.

What the heck was that?

Jet-black hair that curled slightly, resting at the top of his shoulders. Piercing light brown eyes, so like his son's. She couldn't believe that he was here. He looked the same. Except for the dark circles under his eyes and the grayish tone to his complexion.

"What are you doing here, Andy?" she asked, not wanting him to know she stood there ogling him.

For more than a year, her memory haunted Andy-her image always in his mind. Her body was fuller and her long curly hair different from when they were together in the past. Now it was just resting on her shoulders. Her rich brown chocolate skin glowing just the way he remembered.

Andy would know her voice anywhere because it had haunted him, too. He didn't even remember closing the distance between them, didn't remember reaching for her. But now he held her, his hand wrapped around her slim wrist. She looked up at him, and he saw it now in her big dark, midnight eyes. He saw fear, anger and something else. That he couldn't put his finger on.

"Annie, we have little time. We have to leave here now!"

Annie resisted the urge to pull away from him. She tensed. "W-what? You can't just barge in here after so many years and tell me what to do." She heard herself shouting. This time she tried to pull her hand away. But those strong masculine fingers tightened around her wrist. It wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable.

"Look, Annie, I'm sorry, okay. But we really have to go now. I know, I've told you I would explain everything. But we don't have the time now."

Annie watched as he took a quick survey of her small apartment. She felt her defenses rise. No doubt he lived a far better life than hers. In terms of security.

"You know..."

"Mama?" Reon called out, cutting off her words.

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