Excerpt Not That Nice by Michelle D. Rayford – Spice Anthology
Kelsee braced for his reprimand and anger. Both were as familiar as breathing. She knew how much Alex hated the light shining in his face. She couldn’t believe she’d forgotten to close the blinds.
Everything had to be perfect. Always.
When she couldn’t take the silence a moment longer, she chanced a peek and released a sigh of relief at the sight of the empty pillow beside her. Then she remembered. He wasn’t there. The reason, for the moment, escaped her.
Kelsee snuggled deeper in the sheets and stretched out in the middle of the bed. She tried to relax and reclaim sleep, but her brain was already churning. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d forgotten something.
The phone rang, and she checked the caller ID screen and groaned. She composed herself before answering, “Hello, Mariam.”
Her sister-in-law skipped the usual greeting of ‘As-salamu Alaykum’ and asked, “Are you ready?”
Kelsee’s mind froze. Ready for what?
“I can’t believe I have to do this,” Mariam’s usually strong voice cracked.
Memories flooded in. Today was the funeral.
Two days ago, her husband left to play “golf” at the Chandler Park Course in the Five Points area in Atlanta. Kelsee made him a fruit smoothie. He downed it in silence and left without saying goodbye.
Kelsee went about her regular Saturday chores of cleaning the house, stripping the sheets, mopping and vacuuming. She was washing their dishes when the phone call came. The call that changed everything.
Her mask firmly in place, Kelsee lied, “I can’t believe it either.”
She closed her eyes, listening as Mariam sniffed and repeated the same rambling from yesterday. “Why would Allah take him from me so soon? My baby brother. Why?”
Kelsee didn’t respond. No one in that family listened to her anyway. Instead, she padded to the bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror, wincing at the fresh bruise. A final rebuke from her loving husband.
Kelsee ended the call and mentally prepared herself to play the part of the grieving widow. Make-up would camouflage the bruise. Dark shades would hide any other remnants of what had become of their marriage. Or maybe she’d display what he’d done. This was one secret he wouldn’t take to the grave.
They met in the emergency room where she worked. The cop, with the chiseled features and sexy smile, had a habit of trying to coax a reaction from her. She never obliged. Kelsee had convinced herself that she didn’t need the distraction.
What happened next was a blur. Kelsee remembered tending to a gunshot wound patient. She remembered a loud banging sound coming from the admitting area. She remembered the doctor turning toward the hall and screaming. All she could recall was the shape of the gun a teenager pointed at her.
***
Kelsee came to on a cot. For a blissful two seconds, she didn’t know where she was. Her memory returned in waves. The controlled chaos of the emergency room. The smell of sulfur from the gunpowder.
And then a baritone voice said. “I knew I would get you in bed, but I didn’t envision it happening this way.”
Her eyes snapped open. Officer Williams’ dark hooded eyes lasered into her own. Up close, she noticed a scar under his clean-shaven chin and his scent, a heady blend of musk cologne.
“What happened?” Kelsee croaked and swallowed hard. She tried to sit up but couldn’t navigate the mechanics of her body.
He extended his hand. “Some punk tried to finish off your patient. My partner had to put him down.”
Kelsee turned to leave and winced from a jab in her side.
“You may feel that for a while,” he said, “I had to tackle you.”
“I didn’t even get dinner first.” Kelsee blinked in horror. Was she really flirting with the man right now? “I mean, I owe you a thank you.”
“I’m Alex, by the way.” He cleared his throat. “How about we get a coffee or something?” He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “As you can see I’m a nice guy. You have to say yes this time.”
His touch fought for space in the jumble of thoughts clouding her mind. Kelsee sighed. Maybe she should give Mr. Nice Guy a chance.
And she did. Officer Alex was her real-life hero. Someone had finally arrived on time. Kelsee thought she would never have a reason to be afraid again.
She was wrong.
In the anthology, SPICE readers get a taste of the most anticipated fiction offerings of the year. Readers will enjoy this eclectic blend that will stay with you long after the pages have been turned.
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