The weekend was spent mostly in bed with Em
erson and Stone. Although they did make love in the kitchen, the dining room table, the bathroom shower, the laundry room, and the living room floor.
She fixed her dress and ran her fingers through her newly dried hair.
“So, you’ll come by Bliss to see me after work?”
“You betcha,” Stone said as he and Emerson walked her downstairs to the cab the doorman had hailed for her.
She waved hello to the doorman, Fred, and he smiled.
“Nice to see you, Miss DeLuca.”
She winked. “How did Claire like these lemon muffins?”
He looked around and then walked closer and whispered to Toni. “She loved them. Hit the spot and was the perfect ending to a wonderful date. Thank you,” he told her as Emerson and Stone looked on, listening.
“No problem. Let me know how this Friday’s date goes?” she asked.
“Will do,” he said then went back to work. She was smiling as Stone took her hand and pulled her to his side.
“What have you been up to?”
“Oh, just lending a hand to Fred,” she said.
Emerson caressed her hair, and then kept a protective hold on her neck under her hairline. They were flanking her on either side as the cab waited. Fred stood by the doorway holding it open for another person who lived in the building.
She stepped toward the cab.
“So, I’ll see you two around seven, right?” she asked.
“You won’t see them ever again!” someone yelled. People screamed, and there was Olivia St. James. She was holding a gun and pointing it directly at Toni.
“Olivia, don’t!” Stone called to her. Olivia waved the gun around.
“Stay away from me. She will never have you two again. You’re both mine.”
“No, Olivia, please. Don’t do this. Let us help you,” Emerson said.
Antoinette could see that Olivia was out of it. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her hands were shaking. The gun was pointed at Antoinette’s chest.
“Please, Olivia. You don’t want to hurt me.”
She stared at Antoinette as sirens blared in the near distance, and security, as well as police foot patrol, ran onto the scene.
“No, I don’t want to hurt you. I want you dead.”
As Olivia took a step forward, Stone went to grab her and Emerson jumped into her path. Two consecutive shots went off. Antoinette felt the instant pain. She saw Emerson fall. He was bleeding from the shoulder. It was oozing onto the concrete.
The police and security grabbed Olivia and the gun.
“Antoinette?” Stone called to her, his eyes wide with concern and fear.
She reached up to where she felt the pain.
“She shot me,” Antoinette said. Stone grabbed her as her legs gave out and she fell against him.
“We need an ambulance. They’ve both been shot!” he called out.