CHAPTER 2

TYLER

I don't know what keeps drawing me back to her. This time I had walked out with a bag full of clothes and claimed that I'll only return after a week but it did not even take three days before I walked back ,into her sweet warm embrace. She melted my heart everytime she smiled,exposing her gracefully set teeth. I have always known and accepted the fact that nothing can set me free from her spell. Last night she was very emotional for the fact that I had not proposed to her and I really felt guilty about that. Is it really the perfect time for that? Not that I didn't love her:she means the whole world to me. The only hindrance between our love is my career choice. She has always believed a lie; that I am a soldier, with a great rank within the army.

I work with the National Intelligence Service and it has always been a hard secret to keep from family members and friends, especially from the woman I dearly cherished. She knew less of me and I have always kept details of my life and history in the dark. Its not that I didn't love or trust her,but it was better for us that way. The reality would break or maybe drive her away from me and that was the last thing my dark past needed right now.

I have always been in two worlds; Keller Franklin and National Intelligence Service. And both are demanding and are in a revolutionary course and each seemed to veer off into the trajectory of the other. The world of Keller Franklin demanded attention,ring,time and love that only Cupid could offer and the world of the NIS demanded results; results that required me to use my ass as a scapegoat. The country was in a mess,our city in a fuss and the police department in a helpless state. Many prominent figures were either dying or vanishing into thin air,the hospitals reporting cases of mass death within the ward sector ,the manufacturing sector claiming that there were a lot of counterfeit drugs in the economy and the government was turning a blind eye on it. It's never pleasing to walk into a street and what hits your eye is a group of helpless children,lying hopeless, raising their hands in a bid for you to drop a coin. The media was flaunted with unwitnessed news and the rehabilitation centres was getting an overflow of people with situations they've never handled. Drug peddling and teens dropping out of school was becoming a norm and the only thing the panic-stricken parents would do was to sit back in numb silence and shed tears..

Who would rescue the perishing?

Who would care for the dying?

* * * * * * *

"Tyler,where are you?"

"I'm driving towards the agency, I'm I needed urgently?"

I answered my boss sharply. At times he was bossy and I didn't like it.

"You were but she's gone."

"Who is gone?"

"Palmer is dead. The serial killings are heightening and I think it's a high time we do something about it. His wife was here and she is ready to do or spend anything to get hold of the husband's killer."

"Frankly asking Mr William. What does Palmer's death have to do with me? And why was the wife looking for me?"

"We both know the police department is a toothless dog without us. Investigating killings and deaths is their work but seemingly they aren't that good at it. Mrs Palmer wanted someone who could really produce results and at the moment Tyler you are the best we got."

As much as I hated responsibilities and work that wasn't mine I didn't see the need of arguing with my boss.

"So what I'm I expected to do."

"She wants to meet you today at 4pm at Emory Hotel to give you the details of Palmer's latest movements and who she suspects might have cut his life short. But I am for the opinion the murder was done by somebody in power or an organization that has connections in the government."

"It's okay. I'll meet her there. Have a nice day sir"

"You too Tyler. Remember to be nice to her. She's going through a tough time."

To be honest I was flattered by William's remarks. Bosses really know how to get into someone's nerves and at the same time feeding their ego. I guess that's what makes the superior than us anyway.

***********

*KELLER*

He was gone again but his presence still illuminated the room,the smell of his cologne still irradiated my nostrils. In my ears,his deep male voice echoed in the room and I smiled whenever the part of 'I love you Keller ' hit the note. His arms around me,his waist grinding my thighs played a perfect episode and my lips dilated and all I could do was brush my teeth over the lower lip in a snail-like manner. Some say friendships only pass by,show up, gone like strobe lights but with him I felt something real.

Life with him existed beyond the horizon,his smile penetrated the thick walls and the odourless air smelt of him. He quenched the thirst of my soul with a simple kiss,he filled my soul till I wanted no more; my well would never run dry with him.

We are not married yet and that is what is spearing my soul. Does he really love me the way I love him? I want to walk down the aisle with him,push the ring down his finger and feel his vibrant smile on my pale cheeks.

I want to see his lips quivering as I touch his brow on our wedding night. I want to see sweat trickling his spine as I mouth the soft,blunt tip of his cock. I want him all over me on the night of our special day. The more I thought of it ,the more it weighed me down.

I clutched to my bedsheet and it gave in, in a crackling sound as the world of illusion swallowed me whole. I prefer living in the world of fantasy but today I hated every single bit of it. Everything was moving away from me at a supersonic speed and my frail legs could not match the pace. A few of the things that were matching towards me bumpered at my face as I fell with a thud on the angry dust. The ring,the veil and the gown,his domineering smile,all seemed to be beyond my reach. My eyes were moistening and I wished he was here to kiss my tears away. Emotionally, I was drifting apart. Every single bit of me was shattering to minute pieces. The debris,the thick flowing blood;all seemed to know the way to the trash bin.

**********

"I love your heels."

She looked startled by my comment,smiled rather sheepishly,and looked at her heels as if she was seeing them for the first time. She cast another look at my fingers and I immediately figured out what she was looking for.

"I'd love to get such for my girlfriend,where did you buy them?"

This time she looked at me straight in the eyes and I realised that she had more to offer than the heels.

She had a fine light skin tone, and wore a red lipstick .

"Gama stores."

"And where could that be, miss....."

She laughed at that and her eyes sunk in ,the lips parting to showcase the beautifully set teeth.

"I'm Tyler,at times I forget to introduce myself."

"And I'm Regina,nice to meet you Tyler."

"Beautiful name ,nice to meet you too."

She had a thick lustrous hair that hung loosely on her back.

She ran her fingers through them,an effort meant to comb them. She is one of those ladies who looks cuddly,who you would imagine in your arms,their head resting on your chest as you take in the smell of their hair.

She has a defined waistline and the ripped blue denim jeans had done an extra job of defining her fine ass.

Damn! I felt like pinning her against the wall, squeezing her butt as my tongue mined the treasure in her mouth . I wanted to watch the lipstick on her mouth fade and the speed of her moans increasing beneath me.

"So why are you here?"

Her eyes spoke volumes. I looked straight into them and I could see how her soul was entangled in the mystery of loneliness. Part of her spelt a lioness let loose to take her prey down;only that the prey wasn't found yet.

"I am here to meet someone. Office work to be precise. You?"

"I am on a vacation. I figured out I needed some time alone."

"So I guess I am not allowed to request for dinner or coffee sometime later."

"Not really. It's only that....."

"It's only what, Regina" I implored smiling while looking straight into her eyes.

"It's only that I have been through a rough past and I really need to be alone at the moment."

She seemed to be honest as she looked at me feigning a smile.

"You can give me your number. I'll call when I need a shoulder to lean on." She said , trying to be polite.

I gave her my business card and watched her being led by a lady into her room upstairs.

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