A Blind Fall

extra chapter

They hadn't known each other that long but he was fond of her, even beginning to have romantic feelings towards her. Albeit most times she was closed off and barely spoke a full sentence unless she was in his bed which made her even more beguiling, Gordon was beginning to suspect there was more to her quietness that met the eye.

It was one of those nights, like many before, she'd arrived at his house and had led him upstairs to bed. And after their lovemaking he'd been stolen by sleep which was inevitable with her finger twirling hypnotizing circles around his chest. Later, he'd stirred from sleep and extended his arms to pull her body to his but her bed side had been empty. Sitting up to survey around the vast room, he'd spotted her willowy body standing by the wall-to-wall window draped in nothing but his shirt which was just shy of her thighs.

She fascinated him really. Gordon felt she was almost sure she was always thinking about something, and as she stood there, arms hugging herself, long, black hair flowing down to her waist which otherwise during office hours would be in a professional chignon, he reckoned that she wasn't just exquisitely exciting to his loins but his heart too. But Gordon was weary of her ability to appear so unfeeling. It almost unnerved him.

"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" He had walked beside her and joined her in watching the city lights glowing above Paris. Just below his penthouse was a magical, long line of tree lights. "Linda?"

"You're naked."

She was deflecting, she always was but he chuckled anyway but tenaciously pressed again. "Are you ever going to let me in?"

Her gaze was fixated on something ahead of them. "Haven't I already?"

Frustration was just bubbling beneath his skin when he grabbed her upper arms and forced her to face him. "Stop doing that! What's going on with you? Why are you always so distant and detached? Does any of this even mean anything to you?" At the realization of what he'd done, he was quick to apologize. "Linda I'm so_"

"I killed someone."

"What?" It was with bewilderment as he sort to detect the possibility of this being a joke. But there wasn't any humorous glint in her eyes as they stared dead into his. "Linda_"

"She was going to hurt you. If I failed to meet her demands,  she was going to come after you and I couldn't let her." She was not babbling hysterically, she was calmly explaining herself.

Instead of being mortified or astounded, he found himself staring at her curiously. "Erica Hamilton?"

The woman had been found dead three years ago in her penthouse and an autopsy report had said that she'd drowned in the bathtub. Until now, Gordon hadn't contemplated how a woman who'd deep-sea dived and swarm in some of the largest water bodies all over the globe could have drowned in a two by three metres bathtub with barely knee-length depth.

Now that he thought about it, Linda had always grown rather nervous whenever Erica was around as the woman frequented the winery for either business or visitations to Oscar, Gordon's business partner. "They said she drowned." He muttered, his throat dry.

Linda nodded. "She did. She'd taken some pills, tranquilizers, when Oscar left her for Gabrielle after that book launch party in order to relax." She explained as if discussing the weather. "She must have dozed off while soaking in the tub."

He was speechless. He'd always thought she had a perilous aura to her but when they'd started their escapades, he hadn't seen it anymore and just like him, she'd shown so much passion and something akin to love to him.

"I thought you should know now that you want in." Linda said.

"Tell me one thing, what did she want you to do?" He had a feeling he would like it less.

Looking at him, she supplied with ease. "She wanted Gabrielle out of the way." Then her face dropped, softly,  she added. "But, I knew if I hurt her, I would be hurting you as well."

"My God." He stepped away from her. "Are you some sort of assassin?" He hissed, running his hand through his tousled hair and paced around. Her silence was deafening so he asked. "How do I know you won't_"

"Because you've opened my eyes. You've drawn me to light and I'd do it again if it means I get to keep you." At his silence, she added. "And no, I'm not some sort of assassin. I just get so blinded by love."

He knew he should have picked the phone and dialed the police. He knew it was insane and sick to even listen to this things without being revolted by her but he didn't. He couldn't. He found himself reaching for her hands and rubbing them consolingly, knowing very well he was about to make himself an accessory to murder.

"We're never to speak about this again." He commanded. "And you never hurt anyone ever again. Do you understand me?" With her nod of acceptance, he pulled her into a tight hug.

He wasn't quite sure of his sanity now that he'd turned a blind eye to everything she'd done but what he could ascertain was that he was never letting her go.

A/N

A short chapter to explain what happened to Erica. Bye for real now. 😆😂