The Florencia Lozano Homepage - Fan Fiction
AFFLICTION
BY TROG |
CHAPTER
29 |
CHAPTER 29
“You’re not going anywhere near Aaron Blackmoor...the guy’s a freak!” said Todd as he and Tea walked into the penthouse. Tea had not said a word since they had left the park.
“I don’t understand this, Todd. I mean...Aaron doesn’t know that we know who he is...or what he is? What the hell was the meaning of that...of shooting a beautiful, defenseless creature like that. I don’t get it.”
“Maybe it was meant to be symbolic...it was meant for me. When he came to my office today, he practically threw Ben’s murder in my face...like a warning. It was meant to scare me...I was that swan. If I don’t stay away from you that’s how I’ll wind up...that’s what he’ll do to me.”
“He knows! He knows that we’re on to him!”
“No! He doesn’t know...he suspects...that’s all.”
“Amor....what are we going to do?” she asked, her eyes glistening with fear as she walked into his arms and let his powerful body engulf her, submerging into the refuge of his embrace.
Todd closed his eyes and rocked her slowly against him when the doorbell suddenly rang and they jumped apart, startled by it’s loud intrusiveness. Todd walked over and opened it quickly. Bo Buchanan and Antonio Vega were standing there.
Todd threw Antonio a hostile look thinking he had betrayed them.
“What the hell do you want?” asked Todd.
Bo pushed his way in and Antonio followed him into the livingroom. Bo stopped when he saw Tea.
“Tea...well...isn’t this interesting,” said Bo sarcastically.
“I don’t recall inviting either of you in...what the hell are you doing in my house,” said Todd, slamming the door.
“Well, Manning...I just had a rather strange call. It seems that a swan was shot to death in Llanview Commons...”
Todd and Tea exchanged an anxious glance.
“So? Some bird got blown away...what does that have to do with me?”
Bo walked closer to Todd.
“Funny you should ask that. According to witnesses the bird was shot near a park bench where a woman with long dark hair and a well-dressed man in a brown suit...like yours...a man with a scar across his right cheek...like yours...were sitting. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out who the man was, but now that I see Tea...well I guess we know who the woman was too. Were you at that park an hour ago when that bird got shot?”
Todd sneered at Bo.
“YEAH! So what! Is it a crime to sit on park bench and talk to someone?”
“Well according to witnesses...you and ...Tea...weren’t exactly talking. I believe the witness said you were sucking each other’s face off.”
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE! What...have we broken some high and mighty Llanview moral laws...is that why you’re here? You slimy hypocrite...you who screw every bimbo blond that crosses your path and you think you have the right to judge me? So what...Tea and I were sitting on a park bench and some bird got offed...what the hell does that have to do with me? Is this what the Llanview PD has been reduced to...chasing down birdie killers? Why don’t you get your fat, lazy ass out there and find out who murdered my sister’s husband instead of hunting down swan swatters!”
Bo’s face bloated with anger but he kept his cool as Antonio looked nervously at Tea and placed his hat on the table by the door.
“Well...I’ll tell you what’s interesting about this dead swan. We found a bullet nearby...a golden bullet. An unusual bullet...just like the one we found in Ben Davidson’s head. Now the only link between that dead swan and Ben Davidson...is you, Manning.”
Tea walked right up to Bo.
“What are you implying? Are you accusing Todd...my client...of something?”
Bo looked over at Tea in full lawyer mode.
“No...I’m not! But you must admit, Tea, it’s quite a coincidence.”
“That’s all it is...a coincidence. And unless you have more than this...I suggest you leave before my client sues you for harassment and slander...not to mention unlawful entry since you were never invited in...and I don‘t think you have a warrant, do you?”
Todd smirked as Antonio rolled his eyes at Tea who had her hands on her hips and her face in Bo’s.
Bo shook his head with righteous indignation and headed for the door with Antonio right behind him.
“Some people never learn, Antonio,“ said Bo looking at Tea. “This isn’t over Manning. I think you’re involved in this somehow...and I’m gonna be watching you,” he said as he opened the door and walked out.
Antonio threw them a look and shook his head before walking out.
“Great...this is all I need...Bo Buchanan on my back,” said Todd, running his fingers through his hair. He breathed deeply and paced around as Tea stood by wrapping her arms around herself. Todd walked over to her. “Hey...I like when you do your lawyer thing...it really gets to me,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her but the doorbell rang as their lips touched and Todd groaned with annoyance as he opened the door angrily.
Antonio was standing there.
“I forgot my hat...” he said entering, as Todd grabbed him violently and slammed him against the door viciously.
“You traitorous son-of-a-bitch! You said you wouldn’t go to Bo until we had something solid on Aaron Blackmoor! See, Tea? You can’t trust a cop...their all lying, self-righteous bastards! What is it, Antonio...are you bucking to make detective by selling us out?” shouted Todd.
Antonio struggled to pull away from him, but Todd was too big and powerful...and angry. Tea rushed over.
“Todd...let go of him!”
“I didn’t rat you out, Manning! Let go of me, goddamnit!” shouted Antonio shoving Todd away as Tea slipped between them and placed her hand on Todd’s chest to stop him.
“Enough...both of you!”
Antonio straightened out his uniform and grabbed his hat as Todd clenched his fists and eyed him coldly.
“I didn’t tell Bo anything! I’m a police officer...I go where my commissioner tells me to. I didn’t have a chance to warn you...Bo was with me the whole time. Jesus Christ! What the hell is wrong with you, Todd?” said Antonio, turning to Tea. “You better control his famous temper, Tea...or we’re all screwed!”
“What’s going on, Antonio? Does Bo know anything?” asked Tea.
“No...he just has his suspicions. But you can be sure he’s not going to let go of this...there‘s nothing more he‘d like than getting something on Todd Manning. You two better work fast...this thing is spinning out of control. And apparently so is your paramour.”
“I’m not OUT OF CONTROL....believe me, if I was out of control you wouldn’t live to tell about it! I’m pissed off...that’s all!”
“Querido, please. This isn’t Antonio’s fault. But he’s right...we need to end this before one of us...becomes his next victim.”
“Hey...I gotta go...I told Bo I forgot my hat. I’ll call you later if anything new comes up,” he said to Tea, ignoring a fuming Todd and walking out the door quickly.
“Todd? What was that? Antonio is putting himself on the line for us...I think you could act a little more grateful.”
“I hate cops...all of them. I don’t trust any of them.”
Tea walked away from him, shaking her head and leaning against the railing by the stairs.
“You don’t trust anybody, Todd,” she said looking at the floor.
Todd walked over to her and lifted up her face to him.
“I trust you. You’re the only thing in this world I trust. Look, Tea...I’m sorry I went off on Antonio, but there’s a lot going on. Blair, Aaron, Vicki, now Bo....and tomorrow...” said Todd suddenly walking over to the sofa and laying his head back looking up at the ceiling. “Tomorrow I’m suppose to see that shrink...Dr. Woolf.”
Tea sighed and walked over sitting beside him. Taking his hand in hers she raised it to her lips and kissed it tenderly, resting her cheek against its expansive, rough palm.
“Perhaps, amor...this is not the best time to go. Like you said...there’s so much going on.”
Todd stared at her before pulling her into his arms and burying his face in her hair.
“I don’t want to go...but I will. This is one promise to you that I don’t want to break...but, Tea...I’m not promising you that it will change anything....honestly...I don’t think it will.”
Tea sat up and caressed his face.
“Does he know, Todd? Does he know what your father did to you?”
Todd shot up and walked to the window. The sun was setting and the city looked peaceful.
“No. I told him everything...but not that part. Only you know about that...because...I only trust you with it,” he said quietly. Tea watched his body stiffen and he crossed his arms tightly across his chest, his defenses rising up like heavy drawbridges. Getting up she walked across to him...crossing the emotional moat that he created around him. When she came up beside him he shrank away a bit and it hurt her deeply to know how raw and fresh the pain of the heinous rape at the hands of his father still was. Todd turned to her. “Sometimes, Tea...I don’t know how you can stand touching me,” he whispered.
“Amor! I LOVE touching you. Never for a moment has that been an issue. What your father did to you has no affect on my love or desire for you. It only hurts me to know that I can’t take away your pain completely. I wish I could,” she said, tears springing to her eyes as she leaned against him.
“You do...you take all my pain away when you‘re with me. But...sometimes...when I’m alone...without you...I can’t stand being alone with myself. I start to remember what he did to me...what I did to others....and I feel so...so disgusting. And , Tea...I gave a baby away and told its mother it was dead...and I didn’t care. Peter Manning never leaves me, completely...he’s always there inside me. I want him to go away. I don’t want him to have any part of you...any part of us. I need to get him out of me...exorcise him out of me like the fucking demon that he is.”
“I know, querido...I understand. Do you want me with you? I’m suppose to bring Carlotta home, tomorrow, but I’m sure Antonio or Cris could do that? I want to be with you.”
“No! I need to do this alone, Tea.”
Tea reached up and caressed his scar...his sin...his burden.
“I love you so much, Todd Manning. It‘s maddening how much...and that will never change. You can count on me. You can trust me...trust my love.”
Todd embraced her and groaned softly into her shoulder. This pain was always between them no matter how much she loved him and it was frustrating to her, knowing she could never take it away completely...she could not erase his memory of it. Tea looked up at him, his eyes desperate and wanting...wanting affirmation of her love.
“Let’s go upstairs, Todd. Let’s forget everything like we do...at least for a while,” she whispered.
“You know, Delgado....there are only to sure ways to forget anything...drinking and ...uh...forming the beast with two backs,” said Todd, finally smiling a little.
Tea laughed.
“Well, querido...tonight, why don’t we do both,” suggested Tea with an insolent wink.
Todd raised an eyebrow playfully and walked off into the kitchen returning a few moments later with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
“Let’s get busy, Delgado...we have a lot of forgetting to do.”
to be continued...
2002 Copyright by Trog
FanFiction Home
Home
