Troy And Athena (Forbidden Love Series Book 15)

Troy accepted the call from one of the officers who had visited them yesterday, Officer Brimley. "Mr. Wagner, our Nevada Highway Patrol team has recovered Gavin Young's body from Interstate 15 near Mesquite. We have alerted the Patrol Team in Arizona too. Gavin had been shot dead at point blank range and currently Jessica Maine, our prime suspect, is absconding," said the officer. 

"Thank you for informing us, officer. I hope she gets arrested soon. My fiancée and I are actually unable to go out to work under such threatening circumstances, " said Troy. 

"We're doing our best, Mr Wagner. Let's hope she gets arrested soon, " said the officer. After he disconnected the call, a grave Troy sat down to think about the situation that they were in. There was no doubt that Jessica was a psycho killer if she could so easily kill a criminal like Gavin Young. Athena walked out of the kitchen and sat down beside him. 

"What did the officer say?" She asked curiously. Troy repeated what the officer told him. Athena's face paled hearing the news of Gavin's death. 

"She killed him? I'm scared Troy, " she whispered. Troy held her hands and sat with a grave expression on his face. In his mind he cursed the day he had met Jessica. If only he could undo that part of his past, he would. He felt guilty since it was because of him that Athena was in this situation.

"I'm not going anywhere, love. Don't be scared. I'll arrange for police backup security soon," he told her. Athena nodded but she had the feeling that despite all protection, Jessica would come and get her.

"This apartment is very safe. Our bedroom suite has a double locking system. No one can break into it without knowing the code and at the moment only we both know the code. You do remember the code, don't you?" Asked Troy. 

"Yes, I've memorized it," said Athena. 

"Good, in case of any emergency we could lock ourselves in and call the police," said Troy. Athena nodded, digesting the information. "The wrap around terrace has a fire-exit too. Come, I'll show you," said Troy. He led her upstairs to their bedroom and showed her the fire exit from the adjoining terrace which opened to the common terrace. 

The next morning however, officer Brimley called up with the grim news that Jessica Maine hadn't gone to Arizona as thought. The Arizona highway patrol team searched for her everywhere which only meant that she was still in Nevada. The police team had raided the bar where she regularly used to visit to inject her doses of drugs. It seemed she hadn't visited the place for the last ten days. 

"She might have expected a raid and changed her whereabouts. We're dealing with a very shrewd criminal here, Mr Wagner. She's one step ahead of us all the time," said officer Brimley. 

"I need police protection, officer. I have the eerie feeling that she'll be back," said Troy. 

"Yes, Mr Wagner. I'll send an officer today to your apartment, " said officer Brimley. Troy thanked him and disconnected the call. 

However soon he received another call. This time it was from the security guard of his condo to inform him that a parcel had arrived for Athena. Troy was immediately on alert. "Who delivered the parcel? Did you check?" Asked Troy suspiciously. 

"A bearded man who claimed to be a delivery boy of some courier service delivered it, Mr Wagner," said the guard. 

"I'm coming to get it," said Troy with a sigh. After disconnecting the call, he turned to Athena. 

"Lock everything and wait here. Don't open the door to anyone. I need to go down to check a parcel that has been delivered just now. I might need to call the police if it looks suspicious, " said Troy. Athena nodded, looking scared. Troy went outside and down the elevator towards the main gates. He saw the scared look on all the guards as he approached them. 

"What's up? Where's the parcel?" He asked with dread. 

"Mr. Wagner, we think there's a bomb inside the parcel. We all heard a strange ticking sound coming from inside. We've called the police. They're arriving with their bomb squad," said one of the guards. Troy was immediately on alert. He had been suspicious of the parcel already. 

In five minutes, the police arrived and they opened the parcel and found a time bomb inside ticking away and ready to explode. The bomb squad worked in it and finally deactivated it. Troy released a sigh of relief when he received a call from Athena. 

"Athena?" He asked with worry. There was a sound of heavy breathing coming from the other side. Troy's mouth dried up with panic. Something was terribly wrong. 

"Troy, she's here," croaked Athena. All the blood drained out of Troy's face hearing Athena's scared words. 

"We're coming up right now. Where are you?" He asked worriedly. 

"Inside the bedroom. There's a man outside near the fire exit while she's inside the house. She's armed," said Athena. 

"Stay inside. I'm coming up with the police," said Troy. He didn't disconnect the call. He needed to keep hearing her. He informed the situation briefly to the officers and they all went upstairs. A team went to nab the man at the fire exit. Troy was unable to figure out how Jessica entered his home. They had locked up everything. They took their positions outside his door while he punched in his security code. The police slowly and cautiously opened the door and peered in. There was no one. 

They stealthily crept inside, searching each and every corner. Jessica wasn't there downstairs. A team stealthily crept upstairs. Troy unlocked his bedroom and went inside with an officer to find Athena safe and sound but unconscious with fright. 

Suddenly like a dash of lightning, a series of gunshots rang in the air, injuring several officers at one go. Jessica dashed into their bedroom with a gun pointed at them. Her wild eyes were hooked upon Troy with Athena in his arms. She pulled a shot at the officer in the room before he could approach her. The officer fell to the floor with a thud. 

"How dare you touch her with the same fingers which touched me? How dare you move on, Troy?" She hissed, taking steps towards a panicked Troy. He placed Athena on the bed and stood like a wall in front of her, blocking her from the evil plans of Jessica. 

"You were the biggest mistake of my life, you b*tch," gritted out Troy. 

"Really? I still have a copy of our love making. I watch it everyday. It's because of you that my life is so dismal. It's because of you that I'm into drugs. I've loved you for the last ten years but you never ever looked at me except that night when I spiked your drink, " complained Jessica. Troy's mouth hung open with surprise. Ten years? What was she talking about? She had spiked his drink that night?

"Yes, for ten years I've watched you but you never even knew my existence. I used to live in the house opposite yours. Now do you recall who I am? I'm the same Daniella Graham, whom everyone called a 'mentally sick girl'. I'm the same girl who lived all locked up at home the whole day. Everyone left me, my parents died when I was eighteen, still I survived. Do you know why? It was only because I loved you," screamed the woman. 

Troy now saw the reality. She knew about the sick girl of the Graham family who lived opposite to their house. No one had seen her since she never came out of the house. After her parents death, no one heard of her and soon everyone forgot her existence. 

"Why drugs, Daniella? You could have gone to a therapist and then when you were better, you could have approached me normally, " said Troy. 

"I could have if you were with me, Troy. But you've hurt me and pushed me to drugs. Still I was surviving because I hoped that one day you would love me back. That night at the bar, I could reach out to you but you just had a night of fun with me and discarded me like trash. Yet I didn't give up hope. I changed my name so that you wouldn't know who I was. I pursued you but your parents had to involve the police. For years I've watched you. I would have approached you but you had to get involved with this b*tch," shrieked Daniella, lifting her hand and pointing the gun at Athena. 

"Put the gun down, Daniella. This is between you and me. Don't unnecessarily involve Athena in this. She's innocent, " said Troy with panic. Thankfully he could see three of the officers, creeping into the room stealthily without Daniella's knowledge. 

"Even though I was innocent, Troy, you destroyed my life. If I kill this b*tch, you can be mine again," she yelled, pulling the trigger but her gun didn't fire a single shot thankfully after she'd emptied the bullets on the officers. 

"Stop this nonsense immediately, you mad woman. You destroyed your own life," said Troy, approaching her.