I can’t take this. Fuck trying to do this the gentle way. I grab all the wires and pull until the electrodes rip off my chest. “I don’t need this. I left to get away from all of this. I never asked you to come looking for me, so why the hell are you here?”
Charlie crosses her arms, glaring at me. “Your accountant figured out that your new pals are stealing money from you. You’ve blown through almost a million dollars this month.”
“Bullshit!”
“I’m sorry to say it’s not. We’ve got the financial statements to prove it. So we tracked you down. You’re lucky we did, you ungrateful bitch. Those bastards would have let you die. Which may be perfectly fine by you since it seems you have a death wish, but did you stop to consider how the rest of us would feel if something happened to you?” Her voice breaks. “We just lost Aiden. We can’t lose you too. And that’s another thing. You just watched your father die of a heart disease, so you decide to pick up cocaine as a new hobby? You had a perfectly healthy heart that you’re destroying. You’re lucky Aiden’s dead because he would be so ashamed of you right now!”
I pull the IV out of my arm. “I’m out of here.” I bolt from the room. I had been expecting a hospital hallway, but this is like an apartment. What the hell?
“Go ahead and run, Ari. It’s what your best at!” she calls as I run out of the apartment.
Pushing the button for the elevator, I look down. I’m wearing scrubs and socks but no shoes. It’s not ideal, but I’ll have to manage. I push the button a few more times, trying to will it to come faster. A door on the opposite side of the hallway opens, and a woman in a white lab coat walks toward me.
“Hello, Arianna. It’s nice to see you awake.” She holds out her hand. “I’m Dr. Gerber.”
Ignoring her hand, I say, “What kind of rinky-dink place did they send me to? This doesn’t seem like a hospital.”
She smiles. “We’re not at a hospital. This is a rehabilitation center. Your friends brought you here because they’re worried about you.”
I snort. “Friends? They aren’t friends of mine. I want nothing to do with those people.”
She gestures toward the door she came out of. “Why don’t we step into my office and talk?”
I push the elevator button a few more times. “No. I need to get out of here. I’m sure you run a great facility, but I’m not interested.”
“You overdosed. This is—”
I snort. “So everyone keeps telling me. I feel fine. I’ll be fine. I just need to get out of here.”
“I can’t force you to stay, but I really wish you would at least sit and talk about your options before you decide to leave.”
“Where the hell is the elevator?”
She pulls a walkie-talkie from her pocket then says something into it in German. The elevator doors open. “You’re free to go, but I encourage you to come back and talk to me. If not me, then someone. You’re on a very dangerous path, Arianna. You need to carefully consider your choices.”
“Trust me, I am. And I choose to get as far away from them and you as I possibly can.” The elevator doors close, and I lean my head against the wall and close my eyes. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Arianna
I can’t get out of this building fast enough. How dare they take me to a rehab facility! I’m not some loser junkie! The elevators open to a small room. I push on the doors, but they’re locked. I see guards sitting at their station on the phone, so I push against the doors again. Still locked.
I bang my fist on the doors, trying to get their attention. “Hello? Open the doors!”
Nothing. They don’t even look over at me.
I bang harder. “Open the damn doors!”
The guard just keeps talking on the phone.
The walls feel as if they’re closing in. I need to get out of here. “Let me out of here!”
I throw myself at the doors and pain shoots through my sore muscles. I grab my aching shoulder when a buzzer goes off, and the doors open. As much as I want to yell at the guard, I want out of here more. I flip him off as I push through the next set of doors. The blinding sun hits me the second I step outside. My retinas feel as though they’re burning, so I shield my eyes with my hand. The cold concrete stings my bare feet, and I walk to the curb to look for a cab. A fresh blanket of snow covers parked cars and lines the sidewalks and street. Not the best day to be barefoot and without a coat.
Looking around to get my bearings, I realize I have no idea where I am. My knowledge of Berlin is minimal at best. Finally I see a taxi at the end of the street. I flail my arms, but he just keeps going. This happens three or four more times. The longer I’m out in the freezing cold, the more my already aching muscles tense up. The wind picks up and rips right through the scrubs blasting my sweat-damp skin, chilling me to the bone. Wrapping my arms around myself, I hope my teeth will stop chattering. My jaw is killing me. I must have been clenching up horribly last night. To top it off, there’s so much pressure in my sinuses I feel as if my head is about to explode. It’s as though my body is revolting against me.
The doors to the building open. My breath hitches as I pray it isn’t Chase and Charlie. I can’t bear for them to see me like this. Thankfully, it’s just the dumbass guard. Maybe he’s taking a smoke break or something. He comes to the curb and whistles. A black sedan pulls up, and the driver rolls down the window. The guard speaks to him for a moment, hands him some money, then opens the back door and gestures for me to get in.
“He take you,” he says in a thick accent. “Never get a taxi like this.” He gestures to my attire. He’s right. I look like a homeless person. He grabs my elbow as I move toward the car. “You no tell. I lose job.”
Without a word, I slide into the backseat and relish the warmth of the car. I don’t remember the exact address, but I give him the general vicinity of the house I’m supposed to stay in. I have enough conversational German to direct him. After a few wrong turns, we find the place.
The front door to the house is wide open. Were these bastards raised in a barn? The stench of weed and filth hits me as I walk in. Going farther down the hall, I see a pile of puke in the corner. Well, that explains the smell. Usually someone is up entertaining, but the house is silent. Eerily so. I stop in my room and change into some jeans, a sweater, and boots, then I throw the rest of my things in a bag. While I’m packing, I search through my things for my wallet and passport. When I open my wallet, I notice all my credit cards are gone except for one that I find stuck in the zippered pouch. Charlie was right. Those bastards were stealing from me. It’s time to get the hell out of here. But first, there’s something I have to do.
After going down stairs, I take the portable phone from the kitchen wall then go outside to the deck. I don’t need prying ears for this conversation.
“Shultz,” Collin says when he answers.
I lean against the railing of the deck. “Collin, it’s Arianna.”
“Arianna! It’s so good to hear your voice. I’ve been so worried about you. Did Chase find you?”
“He found me all right,” I sneer. “I wish you wouldn’t have gotten him involved in my business.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” he says. “He was listed as your emergency contact after your father.”
Damn. I’d filled that out when Chase and I were together. “I’ll have to change that moving forward.”
“If it makes you feel better, he’s been doing everything he can for you.”
“I’m sure he’s a real prince,” I retort. “Collin, I need you to tell me what’s going on. Charlie said someone’s been stealing money from me.”
He explains how Sven and the other guys have spent the last month fleecing me right under my nose. I’d thought walking out of a rehab facility barefoot was a low point, but that feels like the top of Mt. Everest compared to how I feel now. When my knees get weak, I sit on the cold, wet ground and lean up against the house. They all must have
had quite the laugh at me.
Collin describes how they’ve pulled this scam a number of times. I’m just another sucker who was stupid enough to fall for it. I never thought of myself as the gullible type, but this past month, I’ve done all sorts of things I never thought I’d do.
“Ari? Are you still there?”
I had tuned him out, unable to take any more, but it seems he’s stopped talking. “I’m here. Look. Cancel all the cards except for the Amex. Call the bank and freeze my accounts from any withdrawals or cash advances. I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I want to cut them off.”
“Will you stay in Germany?” he asks. “I read up on this Dr. Gerber. She seems like she’s good at what she does.”
“No, Colin, I’m not,” I snap. “Why does everything think I need to be in rehab? I don’t know what Chase told you but—”
“I’m sorry. I overstepped. It’s none of my business.” His tone changes from friendly to all business. “I’ll freeze everything with the exception of the American Express right away. I’ll wait to hear from you before I do anything else.”
“Thank you,” I say before hanging up.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head against the bumpy stone. I came on this trip because my life was spinning out of control. I thought a little fun and relaxation would help me gain perspective, but all I did was gain more problems. I stand and dust the snow off my ass. There’s one problem I can fix right now.
I kick open the door to Sven’s room. He’s tangled up with two women, his arm draped over his head. Wanting to get his attention, I grab his underarm hair and yank out a clump. He jumps, knocking the two bimbos out of bed. They’re so out of it they barely register the fall. One crawls back into bed, and the other pulls a blanket down and curls up on the floor.
Sven rubs his armpit. “What the fuck, Ari? What the hell was that?”
I point at the door. “We need to talk. Now.”
Stark naked, he stands and walks out of the room.
“Don’t you want some pants?” I ask.
“No, not really. If you have something to say, you can say it in front of my cock. He won’t mind.”
As I walk out of the room, I pick up a pair of jeans off the floor and throw them at him. “I do.”
Disinterested, he lets them fall onto the hall floor as he continues down the steps. “What you want isn’t really of concern to me anymore.”
I follow him downstairs to the kitchen. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He pulls a bottle of water out of the fridge. “The party’s over. Your cavalry has come, the bubble has burst, and it’s time to go back to your real life.”
Leaning against the counter, I fold my arms. “Speaking of my real life, I just had a long chat with my accountant. He spun an interesting yarn about a washed-up tennis star trying his hand as a con artist.”
He takes a long pull from his water. “That’s almost as entertaining as America’s sweetheart turned cokehead. Now that everything’s out in the open, let’s discuss my terms.”
“Terms? What terms?”
“I stay quiet about your little walk on the wild side, and you make a one million dollar investment in my company,” he replies.
I laugh, but he just stares at me with a straight face. “Oh my God, you’re serious?”
“Hans and I have developed an app that we think could be the next big thing,” he says. “It’s going to make billions. All we need is startup capital, and you’re going to provide it.”
I tilt my head back and laugh. “You’re insane! I think all the drugs have eroded your few remaining brain cells.”
He rests his elbows against the counter. “Oh, you’ll pay. If you want to keep your dirty little secrets between you and me.”
“With the amount of people who’ve seen me over the past month, it’s only a matter of time before it gets out. If it hasn’t already. Keeping you quiet would be like using duct tape to stop the Titanic from sinking. This ship’s going down either way.”
He clucks his tongue. “I was very careful with you. I had you dye your hair and wear way too much makeup. Never told anyone your full name. I kept you out of circles where people would recognize you. I don’t think anyone whose path you crossed this month knows it was you. I worked very hard to preserve your anonymity so that when you decided you were done playing, you could return to your old life untarnished. All you have to do is pay the reentry fee. And if you fail to pay, I’ll release the videos.” He snorts. “And they’re good. You won’t just be another cautionary tale of a child star who couldn’t keep her shit together. No, it will be the epic saga of a whole family that preaches good ol’ American family values that are all a hoax. An illusion created by a bunch of charlatans trying to get you to buy Wheaties and Gatorade. You talk a lot when you’re high, and I’ve got it all recorded. Remember Tiger’s fall from on high? That will be nothing compared to this. No one will touch you. You’ll be a pariah.”
I fold my arms. “I’m going to end you. Have you forgotten who I am? Have you forgotten all the people I know?”
“No, I haven’t. That’s how I know you’ll pay. You have so much more to lose than I do.” He steps toward me. “I really thought this would be more of a challenge. When I saw you sitting in that bar, all pathetic and weepy, I thought, ‘This is my shot. Daddy’s dead; boyfriend’s out of the picture. If I’m ever going to get a chance at your snatch or your cash, now is the perfect time.’ But I really thought you’d put up more of a fight. I always thought you had more backbone, but you were soft and malleable, like clay.” He runs his finger along my cheek. “I molded you into exactly what I wanted.” He taps my nose to emphasize his point. “My big fat payday.” He smirks. “You said you wanted headlines, baby. If you don’t play nice, I’m going to give them to you.”
His smug expression makes my blood boil. I’m not sure who I’m more angry with: him or me. Lucky for me, I can take my anger at both of us out on him. I reach between his legs, grab his dick and balls, squeeze, and twist.
“Next time you want to threaten someone,” I say, squeezing tighter, “wear pants.”
His face turns purple as his knees buckle. “You bitch,” he rasps before he collapses in pain. “You’re going to pay for that.”
“You spent almost a million dollars in thirty days. Let’s call it even.” Taking one last look at him writhing on the floor, I kick him in the gut. “Nope. Now we’re even.”
I grab my bag and run out the front door. Heavy snowflakes fall as I walk down the streets of downtown Berlin, trying to put as much distance between the house and me as possible. The confidence I’d bolstered as I was leaving wanes with each step as reality sinks in. I put up a good show of strength at the end, but it was nothing but a house of cards. This past month, I’ve been this passive participant, going where I was led like a sheep to slaughter. Sven was right. I’ve lost my backbone. It dissolved a little more with each line I snorted and each pill I popped.
Everything’s coming at me too fast. Chase is here. Charlie seems to hate me. Sven has been stealing. Too much information thrown at me. I’m just a jumble of thoughts, and I can’t sort them out. It’s like a thousand voices screaming in my head all at once. My brain is too gunked up to process any of it. I just want it to stop.
If I did a line, the answers would come to me. Just a little, and my confidence would come back. The answers always seem so clear after I’ve had a little bump.
No! No! No! I do not need it. I am not addicted. I am not a junkie. I’m done with this stuff. Never again!
This feeling will pass. I don’t need it. All the decisions that led me to the flaming pit of shit I’m standing in were made after a little bump. A line is not the answer. A line is not the answer. If I say it enough times, will that make it true?
Think, Ari. Think! What’s the next step? Where should I go? What should I do? Clearly my money is being monitored. Wherever I go, someone will be banging on my door. I’m not ready for that. Th
ey’ll have questions I’m not prepared to think about, let alone answer. I just need a little space and time to get my head on straight before I face the music. The question is where? I have dozens of friends throughout Europe I could call, but I don’t want them to see me in this state. I can’t go home. I can’t face Pat and Katie. I used to be able to count on Charlie for anything, but clearly times have changed. My head is throbbing, and I know I need a plan, but I can’t think of anywhere I can go. I have all the money in the world, thousands of connections, and I can’t think of one place I can go until I sort things out. There was a time I could have handled anything life threw at me, but now I feel paralyzed with uncertainty.
Heavy, wet snow falls as I walk aimlessly, unable to focus. My coat is much more about fashion than function and does little to protect me. My body screams with each step, but I can’t stop. Focusing on putting one foot in front of the other stops me from thinking about all the things I could do to ease the pain. I can’t. I won’t. So I trudge on.
The sun sets, and the temperature drops. I can’t keep this up. Looking around to get my bearings, I notice Berlin Hauptbahnhof out of the corner of my eye. Jesus, if I’m at the train station, I’ve walked clear across the city. The confines of a train are tempting. I wouldn’t have to worry about giving into urges if I were traveling one hundred miles per hour through the European countryside. A long train ride may be just what I need.
When I get inside, I check out the departure board. Amsterdam? I can’t help but laugh. That would be a mistake of epic proportions. Munich? I think of Henrik in his boxers watching my cab drive away. Nope, there’s nothing for me there. Malmo? Sweden could work. I buy a first-class compartment then board the train.
Once the train gets moving, I lie down and try to sleep. Once this day is behind me, tomorrow will be better. Tomorrow, I’ll start to feel like my old self.
Love To Hate You Page 28
