I wake up with a gasp, my throat dry. Disentangling myself from Caleb who has one arm and leg draped over me like a hot blanket, I get to my feet and switch on a little lamp, then pad to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water.
As I sit at the kitchen table, I hear a scream. Letting go of the glass, I run toward my room. Caleb is twisting and turning in his sleep, the covers hanging over the edge of the bed.
“Heather, no! Heather!” he cries out, and I climb on the bed, reaching for his arm. As soon as I make contact, his eyes fly open and he nearly scrambles off the bed.
“Hey, it’s okay. It was just a dream,” I say.
His eyes are wide, his chest heaving, his forehead covered in sweat. He finally lets out a loud breath and closes his eyes briefly. “Did I... Did I wake you?” Concern creases his brow.
“No, I went to the kitchen and I heard you yell, so...” I shrug. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He smiles at me, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Does this happen often? The nightmares?” I know he doesn’t have to tell me anything, but I’ve never seen anyone react that way.
“More than I’d like it to,” he admits, and I’m surprised that he answered.
“Who’s Heather?” I ask, and his body goes so still that I’m not even sure he’s breathing.
“No one,” he says quickly, and I fight the urge to roll my eyes. Is Heather Caleb’s girlfriend? I swallow hard. Great. That would be just my luck.
“So you’re having nightmares about no one. Right,” I bite out before I can stop myself. “Is she your... girlfriend? Someone you care about?” I know I shouldn’t be asking, considering I’m just his client, but if he has a girlfriend, then I’ll definitely have to step away from him once and for all, even if they aren’t together just now. If he still cares about her, there’s no place for me in his heart.
“She was my girlfriend.” His dark eyes meet mine. “She’s dead.”
My hand flies to my mouth, my eyes widening. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. She died a few years ago.” His face is an expressionless mask, but his eyes betray the grief. Is that why he’s doing this? Because the love of his life died and he thinks he’ll never find someone like her?
“How did she die?” My voice is almost a whisper.
He shakes his head, lowering his gaze, and I know he doesn’t really want to talk about it. Suddenly it makes much more sense why he expected the lovers in the movie we watched to end up tragically.
I’m not sure how to comfort him, so I settle down on my pillows and extend my hand to him. “Come here.”
He just watches me for a moment but then crawls toward me and places his head on my lap. I caress his hair until he falls asleep, and as I observe his serene features, I wonder how much Heather’s death has affected him.
The next morning, when Caleb tells me he wouldn’t mind making us breakfast, I think he’s joking. But as he places a plate of perfectly fried eggs and ham in front of me, I narrow my eyes at him. “So you know how to cook too?”
“More or less. I’m not a chef.” He shrugs, popping a piece of ham into his mouth.
“But you didn’t burn my kitchen down. That’s amazing. I’m hopeless at cooking.” I take a bite and am surprised that the food is even better than it looks.
“It’s not that hard, really.”
“It’s not? Oh, let me tell you about that one time I tried to bake some cookies and they turned out inedible.”
“I don’t know how to bake cookies either. Eggs are easy.”
“Only if you’re not me. I somehow managed to screw that up too. They were black and smoking, but I guess I shouldn’t have tried painting my nails at the same time.” I take another bite. “God, this is delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.” He takes a seat across from me, a proud smile on his face.
When we’re done eating, the doorbell makes us both jump. I immediately go for the door, unsure who it could be. Caleb gets to his feet too and looks alert, but he picks up the empty plates and puts them in the sink.
“Should I get a shirt?” he asks. He’s wearing only his pants, but I shake my head. It’s unlikely I’ll have to let anyone inside. Maybe it’s the postman and he has something that I have to sign for.
“Just stay here.” I’m sure I can keep any unwanted visitors away from my kitchen. Although, it has to be someone who has the code to enter the building, so I doubt it’s anyone I don’t know. I look through the peephole, and the sight in front of me makes me freeze. Katherine’s makeup is smeared all over her face, her hair all tangled and messy. I immediately open the door.
“Kat, what happened?” I take in her whole appearance. Her black dress is torn at the front, barely covering her chest, and she’s holding her shoes in her hand. There’s a dark bruise forming on her forearm. She pushes next to me and heads straight for the kitchen.
“Don’t ask,” she says. “Sorry for barging in on you like this, but I need to borrow a decent shirt to cover up this mess.”
I don’t have time to tell her about Caleb because she’s already at the kitchen door where she stops dead in her tracks, her shoulders tensing, her brows drawing together. “What the fuck is he doing here?” she all but snarls.
“That’s none of your business,” I say, not willing to deal with her dislike for Caleb right now. “I’ll get you a shirt and then you can go.” I head toward the room, keeping an eye on her. She leans on the doorway and crosses her arms, glaring at Caleb. It takes me a minute or two to find the shirt, so I rush back. But as I near the kitchen, I see Katherine is no longer in the doorway.
“Stay away from her,” she hisses. “She doesn’t know anything about your world. If you know what’s best, you’ll break this off once and for all.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Caleb’s voice is low and calm.
“Oh, please. I know you’re...”
I hear a commotion and a gasp.
“Should have known. You’re Raphael’s,” Katherine says.
I dash to the kitchen and find Katherine clutching Caleb’s pants and exposing his tattoo. Caleb is gripping her wrist, anger written all over his face.
“Hey, let go of him!” I yell, unsure what the hell is going on. Katherine steps back, swaying on her feet and blinking rapidly. She’s drunk. She’s fucking drunk.
“Here’s your shirt.” I throw it at her and she barely catches it. “Call someone to get you home so you can sober up!”
“Fine. I will. Thanks for the shirt,” she mumbles, smiling at me, then her smile disappears as she looks at Caleb.
When I hear the door close behind her, I turn to Caleb, flush creeping up my cheeks. “I’m so sorry. She’s just... drunk,” I say, but Caleb’s brow is wrinkled, his body rigid. As I reach out for him, he steps away.
“I should go,” he says. “And I have to ask you something. Please don’t call for me anymore. I think you want something I can’t give you. It’s better if we never see each other again.”
With those words, he strides out of the room, and my mouth goes slack, my chest tightening. I’m sure Katherine knows something, because she didn’t seem drunk enough to act the way she did. Somehow she knows Caleb and maybe he knows her too. I just need to find out what their connection is.
And who is this Raphael Katherine was talking about? I don’t want to lose Caleb because of her, but I know that no matter what I say now, he won’t change his mind, not after Katherine practically assaulted him. I need to give him time, and I sure as hell need to find out what’s going on.
My hand is shaking when I ring Katherine’s doorbell later in the afternoon. I’m still angry with her and I want to look her in the eyes now that’s she hopefully sobered up so she can tell me what her deal with Caleb is. As I wait, I chew on the insides of my cheek and wonder if she’ll refuse to see me and just pretend she isn’t home, but finally the door opens and Katherine meets my gaze, her lips pressed togeth
er into a tight line.
“Hey,” she says. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Yeah, well, some things can’t wait.”
She steps aside and lets me in. Her apartment is not that different from mine, but it’s slightly smaller and the colors that prevail are different shades of blue. She isn’t wearing any makeup, her hair is tied up in a loose ponytail, and she’s dressed in her favorite black sweatsuit. I plop onto the black leather couch and cross my legs.
“I’m waiting,” I say as she sits on the sofa across from me.
“For what?” she asks, crossing her arms.
“For an explanation. You assaulted Caleb in my kitchen! I want to know why.” I glare at her.
“I’m sorry about that.” She chews on her lip. “I was... in a bad place.”
“Yeah, I could see that, but that still doesn’t explain any of your actions.”
“Look,” she runs a hand over her face, sighing, “I’m truly sorry for what I did. It won’t happen again.”
“Of course it won’t. Because Caleb actually told me he didn’t want to see me again!” I raise my voice, feeling a vein pulsing in my neck. Katherine leans back in the sofa, her shoulders relaxing, which only angers me more.
“Good,” she says.
“Why?”
“Oh come on. Your obsession with him is unhealthy,” she says, trailing her finger across the armrest. “You’re paying him a lot of money just to fuck him. How is that okay?”
“I can do with my life and my money whatever the fuck I want, just like you can do with yours. I’m not judging you for going off with a different guy every night, even if that doesn’t always make you happy, but I know it’s your choice. I respect that. And now I do something you don’t approve of, and you actually decide to ruin things for me! Why shouldn’t I just walk up to the guy you’re dancing with next time and tell him to get his fucking hands off you because I don’t think he’s the right one for you?”
She bites on her lower lip. “I know it looked bad, but I had good intentions.”
“Well, so would I, but you know good intentions don’t mean shit. Just tell me. What’s up with you and Caleb?” I give her a pleading look. “Help me understand. Maybe I’ll actually agree with you. Just please tell me what’s up. I know you’re not just upset about the whole paying for sex thing. Please tell me. What do you know about him?”
“I can’t.” She sighs, rubbing her forehead. “Caleb’s connected with some really bad people and you don’t want to get involved with that. Trust me.”
“What kind of bad?” I’m on the edge of my seat, my nails digging into the leather of the couch.
“The kind that could get you killed.” She looks up at me and her face is completely serious.
My breath catches in my throat. “What do you mean get killed? How do you know that?” I remember Prescott’s death, but I push the thought away. I shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions.
“Can’t you just trust me? We’ve been friends for a long time.” She stares down at her hands.
“And why can’t you just tell me the whole truth?”
“Because I don’t want to get you involved in this. The less you know, the better. Just cut your ties to Caleb and those people.”
“What people? Alessandra? She’s the one who introduced me to Caleb in the first place.” I frown.
“Well, she didn’t tell you the truth. It’s for a reason.” Katherine bares her teeth. “Honestly, I don’t know how she can do it. Set you up with Caleb despite knowing everything.”
“Are you going to tell me or are you just going to keep feeding me bits and pieces that don’t make any sense to me? You know me, Katherine. I won’t tell anyone if you just tell me truth. No one has to know, especially if it’s something so important. You can trust me. And you know that if you don’t tell me, I’m going to drive myself crazy with wondering and then I’ll end up doing all the things you don’t want me to just because I want to find out.”
Her shoulders sag forward. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but please don’t freak out.”
I nod.
“Caleb is a sex slave,” she says, and I gape at her, then burst into nervous laughter.
“Really? That’s what you’re going to say? Do you think I’m crazy enough to believe that? A sex slave?” I want to get up and leave, but I’m too shocked to move. “If you want me to stay away from him, just tell me you like him or that you slept with him or something, but don’t tell me these... these awful lies.”
“I’m not lying,” she says. “Did you see that tattoo on his hip? It’s a mark of ownership. He belongs to a man named Raphael.”
I know Caleb has a tattoo, and that he never told me what it is, but that doesn’t mean it’s some weird ownership mark. “How do you know that?”
Her gaze meets mine. “Because I’ve seen it before.”
“Right, so let’s assume you’re telling the truth, and Caleb belongs to someone.” I sound ridiculous to myself just by saying it. “Is that like some sex club thing? Alessandra mentioned some parties...”
“I told you, he’s a sex slave, and I meant it. It’s real and not some game he’s playing.”
I’m about to laugh again. “That doesn’t make any sense. If he was a sex slave, he’d never even get to meet me. He’d be locked up in some dungeon or something, not walking around with me to parties and restaurants. I would’ve noticed it.”
“Do you really think the only way for someone to be a slave is if they have a collar and chain and are locked up somewhere?” She snorts.
“No... I’m just saying he’d have said something to me or wouldn’t even want to be with me... I...” I shake my head. The idea is so ludicrous that I can’t wrap my mind around it. “And you’re always so sensitive about such things. You would’ve called the cops already.”
“No one ever threatened your life, did they?” She tilts her head.
“Is someone threatening you?” I lean forward. “Just tell me. I know who to contact. I can help you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Things aren’t so simple. You don’t know what it’s like to fear for your life or the lives of your loved ones. And you can’t just run off to your cop friend and solve everything in less than a minute.”
“True, but you can’t just let someone...”
“Go ahead then.” Katherine gives me a challenging look. “Call your cop. See how well that plays out. At best, your boy toy will end up in jail. At worst, well... you’ll never see him again.”
I gape at her, still not quite sure I believe her. The whole thing seems so surreal. And why would Alessandra ever hook me up with such people? “No, there has to be another explanation for this.”
“There isn’t. You can ask Caleb all you want about it. He’ll deny everything. Trust me. Raphael has ways of controlling him. Caleb will never betray him.” She’s clenching her hands into fists. “You don’t know what his life’s like... I could be wrong, though.” She shrugs. “Caleb could actually be one of those who signed up for such a twisted thing, but I doubt it. Raphael is just one of the men who run an elite prostitution ring here. There’s a reason they’re still in business after all this time. They have connections everywhere and means of making sure everyone keeps quiet about it.”
“Wait, how do you know this Raphael guy? Do you know what he looks like? We can find out more about him and get him arrested.” Even if Raphael is bribing other cops or is friends with them, I’m sure my friend Lloyd would find a way to get the justice done.
Katherine licks her lips as if contemplating what to tell me. “Someone took me to one of his parties once.” She picks at her fingernails. “Everyone was wearing masks, so I don’t really know what he looks like, but I heard and saw things that... I don’t really want to talk about.”
That sounds illogical. How could Katherine have ended up at that party and heard such things? Surely no one would be so stupid to talk openly about sexual slavery in front of unknown people, even with
masks and everything. “You have to tell me everything. Don’t you get it? We can find a way to help everyone and put those twisted people where they belong. What do they have on you that you’re so afraid of them?”
She takes a deep breath and looks up at me. “Quit being so naïve. I know you’re used to getting your way in almost everything, but if you want to stay alive and don’t want your life ruined, you’ll forget you ever found out anything and stay away.”
“Forget... I can’t just forget! If what you’re saying is true, then we have to do something...”
“Just stay away from Caleb. You’ll do both of you a favor.”
As I stare at her, I wonder if this whole thing is something she came up with to separate me from Caleb, but I’m not sure. I haven’t seen any signs that Caleb was with me against his will... But then I remember the pills. What if Caleb works for Raphael to get the drugs or whatever those pills are? “I sent payments to Caleb. Someone should be able to track that account. I can see if the money is going to Caleb or to someone else...”
“Please, don’t be ridiculous. Those accounts are untraceable.”
“And you know all that from just one party?” I raise an eyebrow at her. “Damn it, Kat. Whatever you tell me about yourself, I promise it won’t leave this room. I’ll never bring it up again, okay?”
She worries on her bottom lip, then finally nods. “Okay. Remember a couple of years ago when I went to Paris for three months and didn’t tell you?”
I’m surprised by the change of subject. “Yeah, of course. I was mad at you for not contacting me, but your parents assured me I’d hear from you when you came back. They said you needed some time for yourself.”
“And you almost didn’t forgive me for that.” A trace of a smile tugs at Katherine’s lips.
“Yeah, but in the end I did. So what does that have to do with any of this?” Will she finally admit that everything she told me is just a story to separate me from Caleb?
“My parents lied to you. And later, I lied too,” she says quietly. “I was never in Paris for those three months. I was kidnapped.”
Hold Me Page 8
