Squeeze Play

by Pierce, Nicolette

  “Go away, David!” Mya cried between heaves. “Until you find Nadia’s attacker, I have nothing to say to you!”

  Celebrity Mash staff infiltrated the stage, attempting to remove the unraveling scene but only managing to make the situation worse. One unfortunate soul slipped in Mya’s . . . mess. The woman—or maybe it was a man—took one look and shrieked. Between the sight and smell, it was only a matter of seconds before she was doubled over and adding her accounts as well.

  Greyson and Caleb jumped onstage to help where they could. But even their help was adding to the chaos.

  “Remy!” I called. If anyone could diffuse the situation, it was him.

  He meandered over to the side of the stage with crossed arms. “What?”

  “A little help, please,” I shouted over the growing mayhem.

  “You’re on your own, Jet. It’s bad enough that I was dragged here.”

  I screamed as something whizzed past my head. “Damn it, Remy! Why are you being stubborn?”

  “Stubborn?” His arms uncrossed as he stepped menacingly closer. “I’m not stubborn, just smart!”

  “By letting this spiral out of control?” I shouted. “I hardly call that smart!”

  “No, by staying away from you!” he shouted back.

  “Damn it, Remy! I can’t believe you’re afraid of one little kiss. Get your butt up here and help!”

  Greyson whipped around. “You kissed him?”

  Come on! I cursed the dark spirits. How did he even hear that over several very loud shouting matches?

  “He kissed me!”

  “It was an accident!” Remy bellowed.

  “How do you accidently kiss a woman?” Caleb barked from the other side.

  “She’s a pain in the ass! I didn’t mean to kiss her, but how else do you shut her up?” Remy barked back.

  “I can think of a hundred ways!” Greyson argued.

  “Although kissing does work the best,” Caleb acknowledged even though his voice was still raised. “But it’s only a temporary solution with her!”

  Greyson gave a nod of agreement and then stopped. He turned to Caleb with an accusing finger. “When did you kiss her?”

  “We’re dating! I kiss her all the time!”

  “You’re not dating her! I’m dating her!” Greyson stepped in between Caleb and me.

  Caleb brushed him aside to glare at me. “Is that why you’ve been MIA? Are you seeing Greyson?”

  “She’s been MIA with me too,” Greyson said and then pushed Caleb aside to demand, “Who else are you seeing?” His eyes shot over to Remy, coming to his own conclusion.

  “Would you two shut up!” Frankie burst through with Mark hot on his heels. “You’re both dating her!”

  “Frankie!” I shrieked.

  “It’s the truth! But my money’s on Remy! The dude kissed the hell out of you,” he bristled and then flew backstage with Mark in pursuit, harping about quilted covers.

  Holy . . . !

  I felt the hard stares of three angry men. I gulped and took a step back.

  “I . . .” What do I say?

  “This is why I stay away! Damn women!” Remy barked and stormed off.

  I bit my lip and glanced at Caleb and Greyson. Both were wearing stunned expressions. “I’m sorry. I was confused. I told you both I needed time. I’m sorry,” I said again.

  Caleb shook his head in disbelief. He turned his back and walked away without another word.

  “Caleb,” I called.

  “Let him go,” Greyson said, watching me with hard eyes. “Did you and he . . .”

  “Have sex?” I filled in the obvious.

  He gave a tight nod.

  “No. Same reason I didn’t with you.”

  “Do you love me?” His voice was as rigid as his jaw.

  “Yes.”

  A beat of silence passed before he asked, “Do you love him?”

  “Yes,” I answered.

  Chapter 21

  “Thank you for coming to the doctor’s office with me,” Mya said, dropping into the passenger’s seat.

  “It’s no problem. I’m happy to drive you around. Looks like they gave you a ton of information,” I said, eyeing the stack of pamphlets and booklets in her lap.

  “I didn’t know how complicated it was to have a baby,” she said. “Or how miserable I’d feel. I almost didn’t change my underwear today. It takes too much effort.”

  “Maybe you should go home to David,” I said. “He’ll take care of you. I’m sure he’ll even change your underwear for you.”

  She gave a weak laugh. “I’m thinking about it.”

  “He’s doing his best to find my attacker,” I said. “And, I haven’t been attacked since he started searching. Maybe he scared the person off.”

  “It’s possible,” she said hesitantly.

  “I’m thankful to have you as my friend, Mya. But you have a wonderful husband who worships you. Don’t let my problems separate you.”

  “It’s not just you. He needs to know that I can take care of myself too. I want him to treat me like an equal partner.”

  “He’ll come around,” I said.

  “I hope . . .” she stopped and pointed out the window. “Is that Jessica?”

  I followed to where she was pointing. A woman who looked identical to Jessica pulled away from the curb.

  “Quick!” Mya said. “Follow her.”

  She didn’t have to tell me twice. I gunned the car and veered over to get behind the woman. We followed closely for nearly ten miles until she turned into an office complex. She parked and hurried into the building, glancing behind her as she slipped inside.

  “That has to be her,” I said, reaching for my phone to dial Caleb. It rang and then instantly went to voicemail. He rejected my call. I stared at the phone.

  “What’s wrong?” Mya asked, staring at the phone clenched in my hand.

  “Nothing,” I muttered. “Did Peter happen to leave you his number?”

  “No.”

  “Do you remember his last name?”

  “I can’t recall.”

  I sighed and then thought of a person who might know his number.

  “I’ll call Quiet Mike,” I said, scrolling through my contacts. He lived across the hall from Peter. If nothing else, he could knock on Peter’s door.

  “Yeah,” was the greeting, though it sounded more like a grunt.

  “Mike?” I asked. Of course, with his greeting, I probably didn’t need to ask.

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s Nadia.”

  “Hey.”

  “Do you have Peter’s phone number?”

  “Who?”

  “The guy who lives across the hall from you.”

  “No.”

  “Do me a favor and walk across the hall and knock on his door. I have to speak with him. It’s urgent.”

  A heard a rustling, and then a few moments later, he said. “He’s not there.”

  “Okay. Thank you,” I said and then blurted, “Have you heard from Caleb?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And?”

  “Dude’s fucked up.”

  “When did you talk to him?”

  “Saw him last night.”

  “And?” Damn the man was infuriating.

  “You fucked him up.”

  Thank God I was sitting because my knees felt as though a hinge had broken. “Mike, I know you don’t like to talk, but please help me out here. Is Caleb okay?”

  “Hang on,” he said. There was a grunt and a shriek that sounded as if it could be a laugh.

  “Way to go, Nadia!” Catarina cackled into the phone. “You brought the unconquerable Caleb to his knees. How did you do it?”

  “Cat, just tell me what happened,” I said between clenched teeth.

  “But that would mean I care. And I don’t.”

  “Cat,” I hissed. “Tell me!”

  Her peal of laughter grated. “Why would I tell you anything? I intend to pick up th
e pieces. And when I do, he’ll be mine. I should thank you, Nadia . . . but I won’t. If it wasn’t for you, he wouldn’t be so receptive. And last night he was very receptive.”

  Dammit! I gripped the phone, fighting the urge to hurl it through the window. Mya put her hand over mine and tugged the phone out. She pressed end and tucked the phone into her palm.

  “Don’t let Cat bother you. She’s full of lies and deceit,” Mya said. “She would tell you almost anything just to get under your skin and into Caleb’s bed.”

  I scrubbed my hands over my face, removing the image of Cat and Caleb together. She always had long black claws when my imagination took over.

  “I’ve ruined everything,” I said.

  “In between throwing up and arguing with David, I heard a little of what happened. You didn’t do anything wrong. You had asked them for time and to start over.”

  “Then why do I feel so guilty?”

  “Because you are a good person. You didn’t want to hurt either of them. You were just trying to find answers.”

  “A lot of good that did me.”

  “It did you a lot of good,” she argued. “You found your answer.”

  “And now they’re all furious.”

  She shrugged. “That’s men for you. He’ll come around. Speaking of which,” she said with a smile, “who’s the lucky man?”

  I shook my head.

  Mya gave a small pout before changing tactics. “When did Remy kiss you?”

  I groaned.

  “I want to know!”

  “During one of the many times you were throwing up.”

  Her face twisted. “That’s not romantic.”

  “It wasn’t romantic, and it wasn’t in the apartment. He swung by and I met him in his car.”

  “Oh?” Her eyes begged for more information.

  “It was a mistake. You know Remy; he acts first and thinks later.”

  “I don’t think that’s it,” she said. “I’ve always thought he liked you. He just never made a move because of Greyson.”

  “Mya, please don’t make this more confusing than it already is. I’m in love with someone else.”

  “And Remy is in love with you.”

  My eyes slid to her.

  She nodded. “It’s true. If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s matchmaking. I see love as if it was a physical presence. Whether he admits it or not, Remy is in love with you. I think he’s too stubborn to see it and he’s going to be sorry when it’s too late.”

  Maybe in a different time and a different life, Remy and I may have been just the thing. But it’s not the right time, nor the right life. I still had the suspicion Remy’s heart had been wounded. Now, it’s just confused. And I happen to provoke enough of an emotion in him to react. Too bad that emotion is irritation, but there you have it. I irritate the man to the point of acting out.

  “And,” Mya’s knowing smile grew, “I know who you’re in love with.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Then I’ll tell you.”

  “You have a fifty-fifty shot. The odds are favorable.”

  “It’s not a guess. It’s . . .”

  “Jessica’s coming this way!” I spotted her as she hurried to her car and jumped in. I quickly backed out of the parking spot to follow her. “What’s she up to?”

  “I don’t know, but she seems to be in a hurry,” Mya said.

  “We have to follow her. I don’t want her slipping away!”

  Mya tightened her seat belt. “Step on it!”

  We flew down the road, weaving in between traffic to keep up. I wondered if she knew we were tracking her, but I didn’t want to give her too much lead and lose her.

  “Mya, call the police and see if you can find Peter.”

  As Mya fumbled with her phone between my jerky lane changes, I attempted to formulate a plan. Nothing was coming together until I saw Muffin lumbering down the sidewalk, elbowing people out of her way. I screeched to a halt halfway up the sidewalk. Pedestrians screamed and scattered.

  “Get in!” I ordered.

  She ducked down to peer in the window. “It’s about time! You left me alone with no food.”

  “Get in! I’ll buy you food.”

  “Chicken?”

  “Whatever you want!” I pleaded, losing sight of Jessica.

  She wrenched the backseat door open and plopped down. I stomped on the gas before she closed her door, nearly taking out a bench.

  “Are you insane?” she hollered, reaching out to close the door.

  “Yes!” I hollered back. And, at that moment, I did feel insane. My twitching eyes scanned for Jessica’s black Mercedes. “Do you see her?”

  “No,” Mya said.

  “Who?” Muffin asked.

  “Jessica,” we both answered.

  “I see her!” I shouted, swerving into the next lane to take a hard right.

  Mya clung to her seat belt. I instantly remembered the baby and went easier on the gas. “Sorry, I don’t want to hurt the little kumquat.”

  Muffin moaned at the mention of food.

  “How did you know that was the size of the baby?” Mya asked. “Oh, she turned left.”

  I turned quickly but not hard.

  “I had a lot of time to read pamphlets while I was waiting.”

  “You should have come inside the room with me,” Mya said.

  “I hate those rooms. They’re like stale, white coffins. I’ve seen enough of them to never want to see one again.”

  “Speaking of which, you shouldn’t drive with a broken arm.”

  “It’s a broken wrist and I’m driving just fine.”

  “No, you’re not!” Muffin argued. “Unless the object is to get into a car wreck. Where’s my chicken?”

  “I’ll buy you chicken after we follow Jessica.”

  “There’s a Funky Chicken at the next corner. I prefer Clucky Chicken, though. Their sides are better. Stop there. Hey! You didn’t stop!”

  “We’re following Jessica.”

  “Why did you bother picking me up then? I was almost to Taco Hut.”

  “I’ll buy you chicken and tacos,” I said.

  She leaned back. “I smell a rat.”

  Mya squeaked and tossed her legs on the dash. “Where!”

  “Nadia’s the rat,” Muffin grunted.

  Mya patted her racing heart. “Oh, I had a flashback.”

  I burst with laughter, remembering poor Mya holding what she thought was a furry rock. It didn’t seem like we met less than a year ago. I feel like I’ve known her all my life. Her bubbly personality grew on me quickly. My eyes flashed to the rearview mirror. Even Muffin, who sat surly and hungry in the backseat, had grown on me . . . sort of.

  “I think she’s going to turn into the parking lot ahead,” Mya said.

  Jessica’s brake lights flashed red.

  “Muffin, I need you to stop Jessica. Tackle her if you have to.”

  “I’m here for the chicken,” she said. “I don’t tackle anyone until I’m fed.”

  “You’ll get chicken when I have Jessica bound and gagged.”

  “You’re crazy!”

  “Says the woman who is really, really hungry. I can hear bear rumbling. Bear needs food,” I taunted. I was running out of time. Jessica found a parking spot and was stepping out of her car and heading up the sidewalk. I squealed to a stop and flew out of the car. “Stop! Jessica, stop!”

  Jessica glanced behind her. Her eyes widened when she saw me barreling toward her. She bolted as fast as her four-inch heels would allow. I catapulted, tackling her to the ground. We both screamed. My scream was purely from the pain shooting up from my broken wrist.

  Jessica twisted to escape, but I slammed on top of her with all my weight. She clawed at the ground and then turned her claws on me.

  “Get off!” she shrieked.

  “You’re coming with me!” I shouted. “Ow! You bit me!”

  “Get off!” she shrieked again. “Police! Help! Rape!�
��

  Rape? I lost my grip. She bucked, flinging me off. By the time I was up, she had tossed her shoes and was sprinting away.

  Dammit!

  I attempted to run after her but collapsed after just a couple of steps. Pain wrenched my ankle.

  I heard another shriek and looked up to find Muffin’s large hand wrapped around Jessica’s arm, dragging her toward the car.

  “I expect a bucket with all the sides!” Muffin demanded.

  I nearly clapped but then winced as I stood to hobble to the car. Mya was waiting with jumper cables.

  “What are you going to do with those?” I asked.

  “We have nothing to tie her up with,” she said.

  I gave a nod. “Good thinking.” It was better than nothing.

  Jessica struggled and screamed.

  “Do you have a scarf in that giant purse of yours?” I asked. Jessica screamed again. “We need a gag before she calls attention.”

  Mya dumped out her purse and rummaged around. “Would this work?” she asked, holding a roll of designer duct tape. The roll was printed with glittery pink zebra stripes.

  I grabbed the roll and ripped off a long strip. Muffin held Jessica in a headlock as I slapped the tape on. Jessica growled and twisted.

  “She’s rather volatile,” I said. “Let’s use the rest of the tape to tie her.”

  “She reminds me of you,” Muffin said. “Pint size with a gallon of crazy.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Well,” Mya said thoughtfully, “you are rather volatile when cornered.”

  “Just hurry,” I said, ignoring them. “We’re starting to draw unwanted attention.”

  Chapter 22

  When I finished the roll, I stepped back to admire my work. Jessica was bound with the entire roll of sparkly pink zebra tape. She twisted, trying to escape.

  “She looks like a very stylish mummy,” Mya said.

  “Get her in the car,” I said, opening the door for Muffin to toss Jessica in. Amazingly we hadn’t attracted a crowd. I didn’t want to push my luck.

  “Now what?” Mya asked once Jessica was deposited.

  “I guess we take her to the police,” I said. “Call Caleb and have him meet us there.”

  “Why me?” Mya asked.

  “Because he won’t answer my call,” I replied.