“Yeah. I just—” He faltered, realizing nothing he could say would make him look any better.
“I don’t mean you. It’s sickening, what she’s doing to people. Absolutely sickening.”
Graham swallowed. “I’m glad you aren’t making fun of me for that.”
“How could I make fun of you? You’re the victim. Your mind was hijacked! She was intentionally manipulating you.”
“I guess you know a little how that feels, huh?”
“Well, I was one of the few that didn’t get brainwashed by that Nicodemus guy back in Pueblo.”
“I meant daily—you deal with being mentally influenced on a regular basis.”
“It’s not the same thing, but yeah. I can imagine how invasive it feels to be under Violet’s enchantment.”
“I’m just glad Chloe didn’t see me like that,” Graham said. “There’s no way I would have a chance with her after that—I mean, not that I do now.” He cleared his throat and looked at his lap.
“So you still like her then?”
“Of course.”
“So everything you said when you were under Violet’s spell was—”
“Total hogwash.”
She blew out a breath, and Graham realized something. “You thought he didn’t care about you anymore, didn’t you? Logan, I mean.”
She bit her lip but didn’t answer.
“Oh, Jade. I have no doubt he’s still in love with you. After those messages—”
“It doesn’t matter.” Her voice came out rough like she’d swallowed a wad of sandpaper. “We can’t be together, and it has nothing to do with this. I’m not going after Violet because she stole him from me. I’m only in this,” she gestured between herself and Graham, “because he’s a prisoner, and he deserves to make his own decisions. About her. About everything.”
“You don’t have to convince me about your intentions,” Graham said. But she must have felt she had to convince someone—herself, maybe. He wanted to offer her some type of encouragement—to tell her she could get Logan back and live happily ever after. But he couldn’t make that happen. He’d given her all he could as her emotional punching bag. If that wasn’t enough, he had nothing else to offer. Nothing but the closure of setting her ex-boyfriend free from Violet’s clutches. And there wasn’t much Graham wanted more.
He felt like part of him had always been connected to Violet—would always be. Maybe that was why he was so desperate to stop her. He needed not just to get her out of his dreams, but he needed her to release her hold on him. Not just the one that came and went as she fancied enchanting him, but the one that had roots within his heart.
They pulled up to the Rousseau estate a few minutes later, stopping at the tall, decorative security fence that blocked the drive. When Jade looked at Graham, unsure, he told her to press the call button on the intercom, and he leaned forward, craning his head past her to speak into it.
The voice of a security guard greeted them with a request to state their identity.
“It’s Graham,” he said.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Mr. Vega,” the guard said. “Come on through.”
Jade arched a brow at him as the gate swung open.
“Last time I visited was last month, after Violet’s accident, when she was in the coma. But Dad left me an open invitation. Roxy’s not super keen on seeing me, but as long as I don’t run into her, I don’t have to face her grumpiness. And she pretty much keeps to her own suite.”
“So you and Violet have the same dad, but different moms?” Jade said.
Graham nodded. “My mom was Violet’s nanny when she was younger.”
Jade’s eyes widened in realization. “Ohh. That’s why her mom hates you?”
“Yeah. I can’t really blame her for being bitter about it. I don’t take it personal—I know it’s all directed at my mom, really.” He shook his head. “That’s where Vi and I differ. Once she found out, she couldn’t ever let it go.”
“Like mother, like daughter.”
“I guess. Though it seems like so much more of a stretch for her. Your husband cheats on you—sure, of course you’d be pissed. But you find out your dad had an affair decades ago and that the union of it brought, for all intents and purposes, your best friend into the world, wouldn’t you at least be a little forgiving?”
Jade gave an unsure shrug with one shoulder.
“But instead she takes up a grudge with me—not my mom, not even really her dad. She’s mad at me, the kid who had no say in the affair. The one who got the raw end of the deal, only growing up with one parent.”
“Not to mention a bit of a financial disadvantage, I’m guessing,” Jade said, glancing up as they pulled up the long driveway through perfectly manicured rose bushes. They stopped in front of the sprawling three-story structure.
“Well, I guess that’s true,” Graham said, “although I wouldn’t trade my one-bed apartment with my mom for this. Actually, I take that back. I’d trade it if my mom didn’t have to work so much.”
“Didn’t your dad pay child support?” she asked.
“Mom never would accept it,” Graham said. “She’s the most stubborn person I know. Sometimes I wonder if she’s been punishing herself all these years as penance for her mistake so long ago. She’s never dated, either. It’s like she doesn’t think she deserves to be happy.”
“That’s horrible,” Jade said. “Do you think she still loves him?”
“I don’t know,” Graham said. “I guess I’ve never considered that. I don’t even know if it was about love or just a passionate fling when she was younger and less…restrained.” He grimaced, trying not to think of the details. Analyzing his mother’s relationship with Bruce would never get any less awkward for him.
“I didn’t mean to be nosy,” Jade said.
“It’s okay. I’d like to know more about all that, but she never opens up to me about relationship stuff.”
Jade killed the car’s engine.
“Ready to go in?” Graham asked.
“Yeah. Looks like it could take a while to search this place.”
At the door, the butler greeted them. Graham recognized Hubert, who watched over the estate while the Rousseaus were away. “Welcome, Mr. Vega. How can I help you this evening?”
“Is Dad home?” Graham asked. “I know he was out of the country, but I can’t remember when he said he’d be back.”
“Mr. Rousseau is still away on business, as is Mrs. Rousseau.”
“Oh. Okay,” Graham said. “What about Violet? Has she been over lately?”
“Miss Rousseau has not visited since the accident,” the butler said.
“What about tonight?” Graham asked. “In the last hour or so? Have you been on duty since then?”
“I have, sir, and no one has entered the premises of the estate.”
Graham frowned. “Are you sure? Not even through the staff entrance?”
“No,” Hubert said. “You forget that Mr. Rousseau has surveillance on all entrances.”
“Oh. Right.” Graham’s shoulders fell. So much for his one idea of where to find Violet. “It was worth a shot,” he told Jade.
“Will you be staying for dinner?” the butler asked.
“No,” Graham said.
“Can I get you a drink then? Perhaps an aperitif?”
“No, thanks. We can’t stay.”
The butler gave a courteous nod. “Then can I do anything else for you? If Miss Rousseau arrives, should I have her contact you?”
“No,” Graham said quickly. “Don’t tell her I’ve been here.” He considered it a moment. “Actually, there’s one thing you can do. If she shows up, will you call me?”
“Of course, Mr. Vega.”
Graham patted his pocket and remembered he still didn’t have his phone. “Only don’t call my cell—I, uh, lost it. Instead, could you call my friend’s phone?”
The butler nodded, and Jade gave him her number.
“Where to next
?” Jade asked when they were back in the car. “Any other ideas where she might go?”
Graham considered Violet’s frantic call to him several weeks back. “Maybe she didn’t run because of me.”
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe she missed a dose of her pain medication like before.” Though he couldn’t imagine her missing a dose again after that.
“So she could be lying in a field somewhere? What about Logan? Would he still be connected to her if that happened?”
“Good question,” Graham said. “I don’t know. But I do know that if he were still under her influence, he’d be getting her to the hospital ASAP.”
“So we check there next?”
“Yeah. Let’s start at the one where she stayed during her coma, then branch out if we don’t find her.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
~
“You know how to make a martini, don’t you?” Violet asked.
Logan rubbed his jaw and shook his head. “Sorry,” he mumbled.
She sighed. “You mean after all this—lugging all of our stuff here and setting up camp for the night—I have to make my own drink?”
“I can do it,” he said. “Just tell me how.”
“First, we need to find the gin. Where’s the box of stuff from the pantry?”
Logan dug around in the box closest to him.
As Violet opened a box near her, she scowled. He was getting on her nerves. Now that they’d gotten away, she decided it was time to up her game with him. Her only regret was leaving the Graham thread dangling. She still had his cell phone, which meant she couldn’t directly contact him. But she could work on getting him later.
For now, she’d found an ideal spot where she and Logan could be alone and no one would ever find them. It was quiet and intimate. But Violet had moved beyond wanting intimacy with him.
Logan had been her love interest and her personal slave, but she needed more than that now. It was time for him to pay for everything he’d put her through. She needed a slow, painful revenge. She would punish him a little at a time. Her fingers raked over some of the items in the box of tools she’d brought: pliers, a battery-operated drill, a hammer, and her personal favorite—a cheese grater. Packed in the same box was a stocked first aid kit. She would show him that she was the one to bring pain and comfort. The idea of drawing it out as long as she could was the most tantalizing bit of it all. If she played her cards right, she might be able to live years on the thrill of slowly extracting her payment.
She settled back onto the air mattress, hands resting behind her head, and breathed in the cooling afternoon air.
Logan turned back to her. “I found the gin.” He held up the bottle.
“Perfect,” Violet said. “Now find the lemons. I like my martinis with a twist. And after that, I have a little surprise for you.”
Jade’s frustration level reached its peak. They’d checked all the hospitals in the area, and none had a Violet Rousseau. They’d even checked for Jane Does matching her description. Nothing. The more time that went by, the greater opportunity Violet had to take advantage of Logan. She could keep right on messing with his mind, even hurt him, if she so desired. And Jade couldn’t help wondering what the ramifications of long-term exposure to Violet’s influence might be. What if it made Logan’s false infatuation with Violet permanent? Jade couldn’t bear the thought of him—strong, immovable Logan—succumbing to such a manipulative force. Not to mention the constant risk for Graham until they figured out how to deactivate Violet’s power.
Her hands rested on the steering wheel. “Where are we supposed to look now?”
Graham shook his head. His tired eyes were bloodshot. She wondered if that was a product of stress or Violet’s enchanting power messing with him. He opened his mouth to answer then hesitated.
“What?” she asked.
“I was going to say I couldn’t think of anywhere else, but there’s one last place we could try. It’s a long shot.”
“Where?”
He met her eyes, hesitation evident like he was afraid of how she might take it.
“What is it?”
“What about Logan’s place?”
Jade blinked. She hadn’t even considered that Violet might know where Logan lived or want to spend time there. But under her power, he could’ve easily given up that information, or even taken her there.
The idea that Logan’s home might have been tainted with Violet’s presence twisted Jade’s stomach into knots. Not that she’d considered his home any part hers, but it was a place they’d had to themselves, a quiet retreat hidden away from society. It was secluded, private, and even a bit romantic, if she admitted the truth to herself. The idea that all their time there was now tainted in this way cut her deeply. Those sharp feelings rose up in her throat like a twisted mess of thorns. She choked on them, biting her lip to keep from uttering any telltale cries. But she knew Graham could feel every edge of her pain, and that the sharpness stabbed him too. She couldn’t bring herself to look over at him.
A gentle hand fell on her arm, and she reluctantly met his gaze. His eyes were pained, but his voice was soft. “I know this is hard, Jade. It’s okay. We don’t have to go there if you don’t want. Or I can go alone if that helps. I don’t know where he lives, but you can tell me, and—”
“No,” Jade said. “I won’t leave you alone. Not when she could control you at any moment. You need someone to slap you upside the head if you ask to try on her clothes again.” Jade managed a smile, even through her wet cheeks. She swiped a hand over them. Until now, she hadn’t even realized the tears were there. “And you’re right. It’s the perfect place for her to take him. She doesn’t know that you and I are friends, so there’s no reason for her to suspect that you would look there.”
He nodded. “Especially since I don’t even know where ‘there’ is.”
She took a deep, shaky breath. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Logan’s small, wooded cabin. When they pulled up, Logan’s blue truck sat in the gravel driveway, but there was no sign of any other vehicles. Jade didn’t have a key to his house, but it only took a quick peek into his windows—unadorned by blinds or curtains—to determine the place was empty. They checked his shed too, which he kept unlocked, but Violet wasn’t there either.
“Well, that was a bust,” Jade said. “Do you have any other ideas where we can look?”
Graham shook his head. “None. I’m tapped out.”
She sighed, feeling as if her body were a frail husk on the verge of collapse.
“I don’t know what else to do.” Graham shrugged. “I guess we call it a night until we come up with any other ideas?”
Jade nodded, resigned, and was about to answer when her pocket buzzed. She reached for her cell phone, thinking maybe the Rousseau’s butler was calling with information about Violet. She checked the number then met Graham’s hopeful eyes.
“Oh. It’s Chloe.” Jade answered the call.
“Where the hell are you?” Chloe’s high-pitched demand was more frantic than angry. Still, Jade was thankful her friend’s emotions couldn’t seep through the phone.
She swallowed and looked at Graham. The fashion show, she mouthed. His face paled as it dawned on him. Both of them had been too busy searching for Violet to remember their commitment with Chloe that evening.
“I-I’m with Graham—” Jade choked out.
Chloe cut her off. “It’s six forty. All the models are here, ready to go. Did you guys get into an accident or something?”
“No, no, we’re fine,” Jade said.
“Then get your pretty little asses over to the theater—stat!” Chloe’s voice had continued to rise in pitch.
Jade winced at her friend’s agitation. She covered the phone with her palm. “She’s flipping out. Do I dare tell her we can’t make it?”
Graham shook his head. “We can’t do that to her. Anyway, we don’t know where else to
look for Violet. Might as well keep our promise to Chloe until we think of a new plan.”
“What about your….” Jade hesitated, wondering what might happen if Graham got hijacked again when they were doing the show.
“We’ll deal with that if we have to,” he said. “You’ll make sure I don’t do anything stupid, right?”
Jade gave him a hesitant nod.
“Jade???” Chloe’s voice demanded through the phone.
“Yeah, I’m here. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”
“Well, thank Coco Chanel,” Chloe muttered. Without another word, she hung up.
Jade and Graham hurried back to her car. “She’s gone into a complete tizzy,” she said.
“I could hear,” Graham said.
Jade sighed as she started the engine. “Now I feel bad about flaking out on her. All this running around for nothing.”
“I know,” Graham said. “At least we know where she isn’t.” He sighed in frustration. “I keep thinking, if I could just go to sleep, maybe I’d dream something useful about her—something that might give us a clue where she’s hiding. But I can’t make myself just doze off. And I’m so amped up right now with stress that it would take me hours to come down enough to sleep.”
“What about a sleeping pill?” Jade asked as she sped down the freeway toward the theater.
“I wish. Unfortunately, those things never put me out.”
“Yeah? You’ve tried them?”
He nodded. “I get insomnia sometimes when I’m working on a new story. I’ve tried everything—including sleeping pills—but nothing helps. My writer brain just won’t shut off.”
Jade’s mouth twisted wryly. “The ever-painful plight of a writer.”
“Tell me about it,” he muttered.
~
“Finally,” Chloe said when Graham and Jade entered the backstage dressing area of the theater. “It starts in five minutes and—” Her jaw dropped, and her face paled.
“What?” Graham asked. He wondered what else they might have forgotten. Had they promised Chloe something else?
Enchanter: The Flawed Series Book Four Page 24
