The Mistress: Book Four in The Doll Collector Series

Chapter 26: The Mistress

Watching, studying, learning the routines of my targets was my least favorite part. There was no immediate need to do so. My targets were never taken down at home or in their places of work. They usually cancelled plans to go out with me, and they were generally killed at another location. With the exception of the good Dr. Karp, he was the only one killed in his office, as was his little mistress.

I did do it however, to ensure that my timing was say, perfect. It allowed for me to remove them from their lives during a time when their absence wouldn't be immediately noticed. It helped when I had to dispose of the body.

This target had been on my radar for quite some time now, but due to my time being taken up by Kris, my attempts hadn't been able to take off. His name was Scott Lawrence. He was a family law lawyer in the downtown area. He specialized in divorces and custody battles. How ironic.

We had been chatting on and off for a few weeks, his schedule and my schedule never did seem to sync up. However, now that the situation with Kris had hit its climax, time was once again mine.

Scott had agreed to meet up for dinner and dessert, tonight. He had an early court date in the morning and needed this to be quick.

A smile had curled on my lips reading his message. Quick was indeed my specialty. He needn't worry about missing his court date or making any of his others.

Motion near the entrance caught my attention. Scott Lawrence exited the building with a cute brunette attached to his side. Their hands were clasped together, as they huddled close to fend off the cold.

They scurried to the parking lot next door, kissing goodbye at the entrance as they split off and went to their respective cars. As soon as her head disappeared into a black vehicle, my phone lit up on the dashboard.

It was Scott, confirming that he was heading out to the restaurant to meet me.

He was unfaithful even to his mistress. Charming.

I confirmed our plans, then shifted the car into gear. We had a new babysitter, Clara Ramirez. She seemed trustworthy and the ultimate secret keeper, plus the children loved her. With her arrival into our lives, that meant I had freedom again, too.

The roads had been salted his morning, so my tires weren't sticking as much as they had been yesterday. Going out wouldn't be as dangerous. Killing this time of year was always so difficult. I wondered how Kris was coping since he wasn't used to these conditions.

We had spent a lot of time together over the last couple of weeks. He was such an interesting person to talk to and learn about. He walked me through his entire history, even his painful childhood.

It surprised me that he had revealed such personal details. But the moment he did, I couldn't help but rip open my own wounds. It was a raw experience to put my entire life out there. I hadn't shared that with anyone other than Alec.

When we had met, my walls were made of steel and it took him a while to break through. Thank goodness being an agent made him tough, because his persistence made it possible for us to have this life. 

But with Kris, it wasn't difficult to be honest. Letting go of such darkness was easy to share, because he wasn't taking it away from me, he was simply cradling it with his own. However, that wasn't a thought I liked giving much time to, Kris was not my husband, and that was inappropriate.

I made it to the restaurant Scott and I had agreed on. It was on Lake Yahola, a place I frequented with my dates. The staff had high turnover, so I wasn't exactly worried about being recognized. I stepped off the vehicle, hurrying into the restaurant. The wind chill had to be in the negatives. My teeth chattered as I made it to the host's podium.