by Lucy Smoke
"Bell?" Knix asked when we entered, shooting the question to Marv.
"Parking the car. He'll–" Just as Marv was about to finish, the door beeped and opened again, and Bellamy stepped through, closing it quickly behind him.
"Good." Knix nodded his way. It didn't escape my notice that he barely spared me a glance until that point. When his eyes finally met mine, I realized something was very wrong. "Harlow, why don't you take a seat?"
I did as he asked, but as soon as I was seated on the bed, I couldn't keep quiet anymore. "What's happened?" I demanded.
Everyone else spread out; Bellamy against the wall, Marv on the bed with me – he put his hand on my back and I tensed. Bellamy and Knix both noticed, but neither said anything. Instead, Knix squared his shoulders and faced me. "There's been some new developments." I had figured as much, but had hoped that it wasn't anything major. With the gravity etched across Knix's face, I knew it was very serious.
"What's happened?" I asked again, grateful that my voice was steady.
Knix turned and it was then that I realized he had a remote control in his hand. He flicked on the television. "Texas," he prompted.
"Right!" Texas hit a few buttons from his computers and the screen of the television shifted, changing to what appeared to be lists of numbers scrolling past the screen. "Hold on," he said. "I'm bringing it up."
He scrolled a bit more. "There," he said, stopping. "So, it looks like Mr. Wallace has had some interesting transactions in his accounts. If you'll look at this–" Texas used the mouse icon to circle a rather large number, "every month, on the same day, someone deposits a couple thousand dollars in his account."
"It's not the same as what the girls are being blackmailed for," Knix said.
I turned my neck and craned up to look at him. "You know how much they're being blackmailed for?" I asked.
He paused for a moment as if deciding if he wanted to tell me. Then he sighed and nodded. "Marv has been in contact with Mr. Spencer continuously while we've been up here," he said. "And the man has noticed that, like clockwork, about 5K a month has been disappearing from different accounts. It took a few months for him to notice because sometimes it was from his wife's account, sometimes his stepdaughter’s, sometimes his and sometimes the house or business accounts."
"The stepdaughter is the one getting into those accounts?" I asked.
He nodded, but Marv was the one who answered. "He keeps all of his account information locked in a safe in his office. He hadn't realized it, but apparently Sarah found his passcode. She's been slowly siphoning money from each account to keep it quiet."
"She must be so scared," I said. I couldn't imagine it, having to steal from my own family just so someone wouldn't release pictures of a private...my thoughts immediately went to the word shame, but that wasn't right. These girls had no reason to feel shame. What had happened to them, if it had in fact happened, wasn't their fault.
Knix nodded. "We weren't able to track the money, but the money that shows up in Mr. Wallace's account occurs on the same day as when the money disappears from Mr. Spencer's various accounts."
"Okay...but..." My mind was working in overdrive. I stared hard at the numbers on the screen. "The money doesn't match up."
"The numbers, you mean?" Texas asked.
I nodded. "Yea, you said that it's five thousand that she pays every month. He's only receiving two."
The screen scrolled down again. "Yes, but two days afterward, he receives another three thousand."
I shook my head. "No, that still doesn't make sense."
Knix watched me with intelligent eyes. "Why do you think that is?" he prompted. I think he already knew and he was urging me to figure it out on my own. Even when in the middle of a job, he was a teacher in every way. I sighed, shifting away from Marv as I sat further on the edge of the mattress.
"Sometimes companies will take a couple of dollars from an account for large payments and then a few days later, take the rest. But it's just a couple of dollars. I've never seen anyone take a couple of thousand and then a couple thousand more. Aside from that, we have established that Sarah isn't the only girl, right?" I looked to Marv for reaffirmation.
His hardened face told me I was right, but I waited for him to nod anyway. I turned back to Knix. "Then how much is he blackmailing the others? Is it the same amount? Is he changing it per family? There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered."
Despite the tension in the room, Knix smiled. "We need to get you into college at some point, Little Bit," he said with a wink before turning back to the TV. "But you're right. We still can't figure out where the rest of the money would be going. Texas is looking for other avenues of payment he might be seeking to keep his nose as clean as possible. Wallace certainly has the information he needs on these girls and their families. He has access to all of Ms. Enders' files and it was clear that she trusts him completely when Marv and I visited the villa."
I bit my lip, wanting to ask about it and why I hadn't seen them, but I kept my mouth closed and my thoughts to myself. They had probably been trying to keep a low profile. The only reason Marv had revealed himself today was because he had to. I bit a nail as Texas closed out the bank accounts window on the screen. I didn't even want to consider how illegal it might be to go through someone else's bank account information. I didn't want to ask how Texas had even gotten that information. Still, my eyes drifted over to him as his hands played across the keyboards behind his screens and wires. His head popped up once more.
"Okay, so here's the list of possible targets we've come up with," Texas said.
I returned my attention to the TV and read through them. Some of the names I didn't recognize, others – like Delilah, Natalia, and Isador – I definitely did.
"Okay," I said, "what's the plan then?"
"We're going to flush him out at the cotillion." Bellamy pushed away from the wall. Somehow, I had expected that and nodded. His jaw clenched, and I watched as he flicked a glance at my side before continuing. "Marv is going to escort you, and Knix will escort Delilah." That's why he looked so upset, I realized. There was nothing I could say. Even if I did know what to say, I certainly couldn't do it right here in front of the guys. I struggled to keep my gaze from falling to my lap. At some point, I knew, I needed to talk to the guys. I needed to tell them – Knix and Bellamy and Marv...maybe even Texas, he was part of the team as well. They all deserved to know what was going on. Maybe if I nipped whatever was happening between the guys and me in the bud sooner rather than later, it wouldn't explode in my face later.
With that resolved in my mind, I knew that right before a major operation wasn't the right time to bring it up. It would have to be later, when we all went home. Maybe as soon as we got home. Even with the riot of emotions inside my head, I listened intently as Bellamy and Knix explained the plan. My nerves were a mess and we were still a few days away from the cotillion. I knew it would catch up to me at any moment.
When Bellamy dropped Marv and I back off in the same place, behind the Pineville Bed and Breakfast, he leaned out the window and called me over once more as Marv headed for the back door of the building. I stood outside of the car, nervously wanting to chew on my lips and bite my fingernails as he opened the driver's side door and got out. His dark, soulful eyes looked down at me and I felt like he could see me stripped bare. All the way down to my fears.
"Are you okay?" he asked, lowering his voice. I nodded once. "I mean it, Sweetheart. About last night..."
"I'm fine," I said quickly and then with a rush of expelled breath I looked at my feet. "I mean, yea, I'm embarrassed. I liked it...a lot. I've never...done that before, but things are complicated. I don't think we should have done what we did."
"I don't regret it," he said. "I don't want you to either."
I looked back up at him. "I didn't say I regretted it."
His shoulders sagged, and he backed up, his hand reaching for the car door. "You didn't have to," he said. "I'm
sorry. I won't do it again."
"Bellamy–" I reached out. My hand touched his arm, wrapped around his bicep. "Stop it. I don't regret it," I snapped. "I like you." The words flowed from my mouth, shocking even me. "I like you a lot. I don't regret what we did, but I've never had..." I kept my voice as low as possible, "sex before..."
My hand fell away as Bellamy turned. "You don't have to be scared," he said. "I'd never hurt you. I'll wait." He gulped as he said that last bit and my lips twitched at his obvious discomfort. "I'll wait for you if you need me to."
"Harlow?" Marv called from the back door of the Bed and Breakfast. "Come on, we have to go. Bell, quit teasing her. We have a schedule to keep."
"I have to go," I said, pulling away.
"Can I call you later?" Bellamy asked.
I blanched. "Wait," I said. "Let's just get through this first and then we can...talk." We would all have to talk. He seemed to relax at my words and nodded. He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the top of my head before getting back in the car. Marv looked at me strangely, but took my hand anyway, fingers twining with my own. I felt like the worst kind of person – a liar, definitely – as he led me through the Bed and Breakfast's kitchen and lobby and back out on the street.
When we arrived, several minutes behind schedule in front of the La Maison, Delilah was waiting out front. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. "There you are. Mr. Wallace has been asking for you."
"Thanks for covering for her," Marv said with a wink, easily slipping back into character. He pulled me close for a quick hug and pecked me on my lips. It was chaste and barely there, but the kiss still sent sparks tingling through me.
"No problem," Delilah replied with a dreamy sigh. For the first time, I was on the exact same page as her. First Bellamy and then Marv, back to back. I still needed to remember that I had kissed Knix too, or he had kissed me. Did it really matter who had kissed who? All I knew was that I was seriously confused and probably in love with multiple guys. My eyes widened. I did not just think the word love.
Before I could consider it further, Marv waved goodbye and Delilah grabbed my hand, practically dragging me into the restaurant. Mr. Wallace, it seemed, was quite upset that I had been missing for so long. When he saw me taking my seat with Delilah though – since we were permitted to sit with whomever we liked while outside the villa – he visibly relaxed and then continued to check through the rest of the girls before, finally, he sat down for his own meal.
My mind was mush. I couldn't remember anything I said to the twins and Delilah as they gushed about Marv and peppered me with questions about what we did and where we went. I couldn't tell them the truth even if I wanted to and I found myself desperately missing Erika and my mom. As soon as I got home, maybe before I talked with the guys, I wanted to talk to them – at least my mom. Maybe she would know what to do.
Chapter 15
Even standing in the giant shower stall, the heaviness of the steam coming off of the heated water made me want to stick my head out of the frosted doors for some cold, clean air. Condensation collected on the walls and slowly slid down. I sucked in a heavy breath and held it until it burned in my lungs.
What was I doing? I thought. Not just at Ms. Enders' Etiquette Camp, but...with the guys. What was I doing? I hadn't gotten any sleep in the past few days because all I had been able to think about were the guys. They had started texting and calling me more often. Just to check up on me, they had said. Even Knix. But I knew it was something more. This was what guys who had been interested in Erika had done right before they had started dating.
My hands shook as I reached for the crystal handles of the shower and turned it off. Grabbing a towel from a nearby rack, I wiped my face and stepped through onto the plush carpet of my bedroom. I found a robe waiting for me in the closet and as I tied it around my waist my phone went off. I sighed, sinking down into the bed as I grabbed it and swiped across the screen lock face, opening it to the newest message. But it wasn't any of the guys this time. I sat up.
Unknown: I need your help
I bit my lip, and debated answering. I stared at the phone and deep down, I knew who it was. But did I really want to answer him? Did I want to find out what he really wanted? Grayson was nothing but bad news. I groaned as I typed out a message anyway. If he was so bad, why was I answering him? Oh, that’s right – because he wasn’t always terrible. Because, sometimes, I could see the spark of genuine human emotion in those cool eyes of his. Marv liked to think Grayson was all selfishness and conceded arrogance – personally, I thought Grayson just heightened it to piss the guys off.
Maybe it was me. Maybe I was the reason that Grayson kept coming back. Highly likely since the guys wanted nothing to do with him. Dumb idea, I thought, that was obvious. Grayson wasn’t texting or calling Marv up in the middle of the night. Oh no, that privilege was reserved for me. I groaned aloud. Whether or not he was complete trouble, I was, apparently, a glutton for punishment.
Harlow: What do you want?
Unknown: I know you probably don't want to talk to me.
Before he could complete his next message, I typed a quick reply.
Harlow: You're right.
Harlow: I don't.
Unknown: Hear me out?
I groaned.
Harlow: I'm waiting...
Unknown: It would be better if I could call you.
I looked around the room. If I kept my voice down, it didn't have to be an issue. I just needed to make sure to stay away from the walls, doors, and windows. Where I was sitting was the best place anyway. I sighed and clicked the call button and put the phone to my ear. Grayson answered on the first ring.
"I didn't think you'd say yes," was his immediate response.
"What do you want?" I asked. "And what happened to your old phone?"
"It broke and..." He sighed, and the sound was tired. "Josh disappeared from the rehab yesterday," he said.
I gasped. "Does Erika know?" I'd have to call the guys. I'd have to tell Knix. If Erika didn't know, she'd be devastated.
"I already called her," Grayson admitted. "I figured hers would be the first place he'd try to go."
"And?" I waited with bated breath.
"He wasn't there..."
"Crap." More than crap. This was so much more than crap.
"She wasn't there either, Harlow," Grayson said.
"What?" I crossed my legs and pressed the phone closer to my ear, not quite sure what he meant.
"I called her cell and it was in her room at the college she's at," Grayson said slowly.
"Yea? So, she didn't answer, is that what you mean?" I guessed.
"No," he replied. "I mean, I called. Her roommate answered and when I talked to her she said that Erika hadn't been by in a few days."
"A few days?" I bit my nail, my heart racing. My eyes jerked to the door as I heard girls talking in the hall. I lowered my voice as I spoke next. "What do you think that means?"
Grayson sighed. "I have no idea," he admitted. "I don't know why Josh would – it doesn't make any sense. He was getting out soon."
"I can't...I'm not in Charleston right now," I said quickly. "I can't...there's nothing I can do." Oh, shit. What if Erika needed me right now? I looked around, panicked. Should I call the guys?
"Calm down, Baby," Grayson said with a chuckle. His rough voice grated through the phone, low toned and sent shivers down my spine.
"Don't tell me to calm down," I snapped. His chuckle reverberated through the speaker.
"I was hoping you had heard from her," Grayson said when he managed to stop laughing at me.
I hesitated, but eventually gave in with a deep breath. "The last time I saw her was the night I ran into you at the club," I admitted. "She was visiting her parents and wanted to take me out."
"Is that the night you were drinking?" Neither the question nor the way he asked it was in any way innocent.
"It's none of your damn business what I do with myself," I hissed.
; "I don't like it," he growled. "It's one thing if you're out with one of your boyfriends – they're all idiots, but at least I trust them to look after you. By yourself, you're–"
"They. Are. Not. My. Boyfriends." I spoke each word individually through clenched teeth, enunciating each syllable.
"Really?" Grayson asked. "Then maybe Marvin," he hissed the name, "just threatened me because you're such good friends."
I was speechless. My mouth gaped as I held the phone in front of me, staring at the screen. I shouldn't have been shocked. I knew Marv didn't like Grayson. I knew putting them together was volatile. But when had he had time to do that? Grayson was quiet on the other end for several moments as well and then with a small curse, he began talking again.
"Shit, I'm sorry," he said. "It doesn't matter. I – fuck – I'm sorry, Harlow. I'm just going out of my fucking mind. Josh is off the radar. I've tried looking through all his old contacts. I can’t… Marv isn’t—"
I cleared my throat and tried to stop my racing heartbeat. "Why does Marv hate you so much?”
He was quiet on the other end of the line, but I knew he hadn’t hung up. I could hear his soft breathing, and then, “That’s probably something you need to ask him.” His voice was gruff, tense.
“It has to do with both of you,” I said, “and Iris.”
He sighed. “Yea, it does.”
“So, why can’t you tell me?” I pressed. I wanted to know why Marv was so volatile when it came to Grayson.
“It’s not that easy. Marv has his reasons.”
