THE TAINTED TRUST (Volume 2 of The King Trilogy)

CHAPTER 66

         Glen Cove. Monday, April 16.

The flurry in the kitchen resembled a fast forward video. Breakfast at the Dennis household on a weekday morning, normally a very controlled and civilized event, was vastly different on that morning. Kerri, Miles and Andrea, all victims of extraordinary and exhausting weekends, had slept late. Kerri, the first to arrive, proceeded to the refrigerator and removed her beloved orange juice. Andrea, still dressed in her pajamas and nightgown, arrived seconds later. Her eyes showed the affects of consecutive late nights. "Kerri, darling!" she said, delighted to see her. "I'm sorry we missed you last night. How was your weekend?"

Kerri grinned, gulping her juice and measuring ground coffee into a filter. "First tell me about Chicago," she replied.

"I asked you first," Andrea countered.

The kitchen door burst open and Miles rushed in. "Good morning, one and all," he sang, hugging Kerri with one arm and sticking the other in the sleeve of his blue suit jacket. He took a sip of Kerri's orange juice, then grinned at her. "How was your weekend?"

Kerri was about to reply when Miles glanced at his watch. "Sorry. You'll have to tell me later. We're late." He turned to Andrea. "Would you get the car, please, dear?"

Andrea stuck her tongue out at Miles, then reluctantly headed for the garage.

Miles and Kerri filled styrene cups with coffee, then hurried to meet Andrea in the driveway. They climbed into the car while struggling to hold their cups in a perpendicular position.

"Now speak to me, Kerri," Andrea demanded, then placed the gear shift in reverse and turned her head to look out the rear window. "I'm dying to know about your weekend."

"The first part was horrible. The second part was fantastic," Kerri said.

"Tell us about the horrible part," Miles said, his eyes fixed on Kerri.

To the horror of both Miles and Andrea, Kerri proceeded to disclose the story of her ugly confrontation with Brian.

Andrea frowned at Miles. "I told you something like that would happen," she scolded.

"Did he hurt you in any way?" Miles asked.

"No, but I'm sure he would have if..." Kerri paused to wipe tears from her eyes.

"If what?" Miles asked, his eyes bulging, his mouth open in anticipation.

"He made me take him to your bedroom. Then he forced off my clothes and..." Again Kerri wiped tears from her eyes. "He grabbed my hair and threw me on the bed...At that point I knew I was going to have to let him rape me."

Andrea slammed the brakes and brought the car to an abrupt stop in the train station parking lot. "My God!" she declared. "What..."

"We've got to run, dear," Miles interrupted, then exited the car. "Kerri will call you the minute she gets to the office. She'll tell you the whole story."

"Just tell me fast, Kerri," Andrea insisted. "It'll only take a second."

"It had a happy ending. I'll call you as soon as I get to the office," Kerri promised, running to catch up with Miles.

"I'll kill you if you don't!" Andrea shouted, cursing her decision to remain in pajamas.

"What did happen?" Miles asked as he took a seat on the train beside Kerri.

Kerri grinned. "I was rescued."

"By whom?"

"You'll never guess in a million years."

"Give me a clue."

"He's your biggest client."

"Louis Visconti?"

Kerri nodded. "Honestly, Miles, I've never been so happy to see anyone in my life."

"Well I'll be damned! How did Louis know?"

"He said he just decided to come to the house and see how I was. When he saw Brian's car in the driveway, he went in and followed the noise."

"How did he handle Brian?"

"He told him the police were on the way."

"What did Brian do?"

"He left."

"Incredible.! I'm going to thank Louis as soon as I can."

"I've already done that," Kerri said, smiling like the proverbial cat.

"How?"

"We spent the rest of the weekend together."

"You did! Where?"

"In his apartment."

"Out of gratitude, or did you really want to do it?"

"I resent that, Miles," Kerri said with a scowl of indignation. "I would never do anything I didn't really want to do."

"I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't."

Kerri was now compelled to complete her story. Her heart beat faster. She moved forward in her seat, then turned to face Miles. "It was more than gratitude, Miles."

"What are you telling me?"

"I love him."

"You love him! How could you? You barely know him."

"I know him better than I've ever known anyone in my entire life and I love him from the bottom of my heart."

Miles grinned. "I'm shocked, relieved, flabbergasted, and happy as hell for you...I suppose you're going to tell me you want to live with him."

"How could you possibly know?" Kerri asked, feeling an avalanche of relief. The one thing she had thought would be the most difficult to tell Miles had suddenly become a nonevent.

"I didn't have to be a rocket scientist. I brought up three kids in the seventies and eighties."

"Do I have your blessings?"

"You have my blessings, and only one piece of advice."

"I've learned to respect your advice. What is it?"

"However strongly you feel about this relationship, move slowly and keep your eyes wide open. Remember, Louis is a lot older than you and he's lived in the fast lane for a long time."

Kerri kissed Miles on his cheek. "I will, and thank you for being so understanding."

"What are you going to do about your husband?"

"Louis is going to arrange an appointment for me with a lawyer he knows. Hopefully, she'll remove Brian from my life."

As promised, Kerri called Andrea the minute she arrived at her desk and completed the story of her incredible weekend.

"I'm disappointed to lose you and I'm insanely jealous," Andrea declared. "I'm prepared to bless this union on one condition."

"What?"

"I insist that you call me at least once a week and tell me everything that happens in your relationship with that hunk."

"That's the least I can do. I can't thank you enough for all you and Miles have done for me."