Outrageous

by Marie Force

  “Take us through what’s happened, from the first time you met him,” Markel says.

  Leah details their texts and emails prior to meeting at a coffee shop several weeks after they first made contact through Tinder.

  “I fucking hate that site,” Merkel says as he takes notes. “Nothing but trouble.”

  “I met a lot of nice guys through the site when I was in New York,” Leah says. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a problem with anyone.”

  “You said you went out with him twice,” Markel says.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you know his last name?”

  “He said it was Adams. The second time, we met at a bar at the pier.” She recites the name of the place. “After we had a couple of drinks, we went back to my place, had sex and then I asked him to leave because I had an early morning.”

  “So he knows where you live.”

  That detail, which I didn’t know before, fills me with irrational fear. “She lives here now,” I tell him. “She won’t be alone at her place again.”

  “That’s probably for the best until we find this guy. Can you show us his profile on Tinder?”

  “I blocked him, so I can’t, but I have some screen shots that I sent to my friends when I went out with him so they’d know who I was with in case I didn’t come home.”

  “Jesus,” I mutter.

  “Welcome to dating in the new millennium,” one of the patrolmen says.

  Leah calls up the screenshots and hands the phone to Markel.

  “This is very helpful,” he says. “We should be able to track him down fairly quickly with this information.”

  “In the meantime, I’ve asked Quantum’s security director to put some guys on her so she’s never alone.”

  “That’s a good idea. Hopefully, we’re just dealing with an idiot who can’t take no for an answer, but you never know.”

  Those last words fill me with an intense feeling of dread. If anything ever happened to her, I’d never survive it. I know that for a fact.

  As expected, Markel takes Leah’s phone into evidence, promising to return it as soon as they’re able to process the calls and texts that Tom has sent. When they have what they need, they leave with promises to be in touch as soon as they know more.

  Gordon returns my text to let me know he’ll have two guys at my place first thing in the morning to escort Leah to work and anywhere else she needs to go. I’ll take her home to get her car in the morning.

  I lock the door and engage the dead bolt, which is something I only do when I’m traveling. Tonight, I have something precious to protect.

  She’s waiting for me when I finish locking up. “Come here.”

  “I’m here.”

  She holds out her arms to me. “All the way.”

  I step into her embrace and breathe her in.

  “Please don’t let this be a setback for us.”

  “I won’t.”

  “It’s not like before.”

  “Keep telling me that, okay?”

  “Any time you need to hear it.”

  I tighten my arms around her and lift her to walk her into the bedroom.

  “I should hate the way you tote me around.”

  “But you don’t.”

  “No, I actually kind of love it.”

  We get ready for bed and slide under the sheets together. I love how she cuddles up to me, sliding her leg between mine and resting her hand on my chest.

  “I have to go to Nebraska with Flynn and Nat on Tuesday. If they haven’t found this guy by then, I want you to come with me.”

  “I can’t go to Nebraska on Tuesday. I’m taking Marlowe to the airport for her flight to Paris.”

  “Someone else can do that.”

  “No, Emmett. They can’t. It’s my job, and I’m going to do it.”

  “I’m not going to Nebraska, then.”

  “Yes, you are. Flynn and Natalie are counting on you, and you need to be there for them.”

  I’ve never felt so torn. “I need to be here for you.”

  “I’ll have Gordon and his men watching me, and I won’t go near my place while you’re gone.”

  “Tomorrow, we’ll pack up your stuff and move it over here.”

  “And we’ll celebrate the fact we’re moving in together.”

  “Yes, we’ll do that, too. In fact, let’s take the day off tomorrow, and I’ll teach you how to surf.”

  “I can’t take tomorrow off. I’ve got stuff to do before Marlowe leaves for Paris.”

  “Can you leave early?”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Try hard.”

  “I will, now stop being so bossy and get some sleep.”

  I close my eyes and try to relax, but I can’t sleep. I want to hold on tight to her and keep her with me until they catch the psychopath who’s stalking her.

  Monday is busier than usual after the long weekend, and it’s three o’clock before I can get free to leave for the day. Marlowe told me to take off whenever I wanted, so I buzz Emmett to let him know I’m leaving. I have to pick up Marlowe’s dry cleaning and drop off a check to the lady who cleans her house before meeting Emmett at his place.

  We’re going to the beach for a surfing lesson and then to my place to pack up my stuff, which mostly consists of clothes and shoes. I didn’t bring much with me when I moved out here, since the company made a furnished apartment available to me. I’m thankful for that now because it won’t take long to box up my belongings and move them to Emmett’s.

  I still can’t believe this is actually happening. Not that long ago, I was watching Judge Judy for ideas of legal questions to ask him, and today, I’m officially moving in with him. It’s not lost on me that we’ve accelerated things because of Tom, but he’d asked me before Tom lost his mind and blew up my phone, so that’s not why it’s happening.

  This morning, he presented me with my own set of keys, which were hanging from his hard cock. I smile as I think about that while weaving through midday traffic, heading toward the coast with Metallica blasting as usual. Emmett has no idea how much I love metal, and I don’t know who his favorite bands are. There’s still so much we don’t know about each other, but I can’t wait to learn every single thing there is to know about him.

  Two of Gordon’s guys follow me in a dark sedan, but I pay them no attention as I go about my errands while singing at the top of my lungs. I’ve left the dry cleaner and I’m heading for Marlowe’s house in Malibu to drop off her clothes so she can pack for her trip.

  “Fade to Black” comes on, and I crank up the volume to full earsplitting level. I’m almost to Marlowe’s when a black car goes whizzing past me, coming much closer to my car than it should be. I swerve to avoid hitting it, and when it comes toward me, I overcorrect and lose control of my car. It happens so fast that I have no time to react before the car is flying through the air. It lands upside down with a crunching sound that makes me think of bones breaking.

  I smack my head—hard—and the last thing I’m aware of are the closing notes of “Fade to Black.”

  I’m wrapping up a partners’ meeting, the last one before Marlowe leaves for a month of filming in France, when I get a frantic call from Gordon.

  “Leah’s been in an accident.”

  Everything stops with those words. I can’t speak, see, hear or do anything other than try not to be sick. If he tells me she’s dead…

  “Emmett? Are you there?”

  Kristian takes the phone from me. “This is Kristian. What’s up?”

  I die a thousand deaths while he listens to whatever Gordon is telling him.

  “Where’re they taking her?” Kris asks. “We’ll meet you there.”

  This can’t be happening again. I barely survived it the first time. I’ll never survive it again, not with Leah. Leah…

  “Emmett,” Jasper says, squeezing my shoulder. “Come on. Leah needs you.”

  I get up and head for the door, propelled by the friends w
ho surround me with their love and support.

  Marlowe walks beside me, her hand curled around my arm, letting me know she’s there, that she gets why I’m a fucking zombie. She knows about Elena.

  The thoughts that go through my mind—Leah’s sweet face interspersed with Elena’s, memories of Elena in the hospital, the beeping machines, the bandages on her face and head, the panic, the despair. It all comes rushing back to me, making me lightheaded with dread.

  Flynn has the keys to Hayden’s Range Rover, which he left at the office, and we pile in.

  “Where’re we going?” Flynn asks as he backs out of the parking space.

  “Cedars-Sinai,” Kristian says. “Gordon just texted to let me know she’s on the way.”

  “Is she conscious?” Jasper asks.

  “He didn’t say.”

  Marlowe, sitting next to me, squeezes my arm. “Try not to think the worst, Em. She’s young and strong, and Gordon’s men were right there when it happened. They got help for her right away. I’m sure by the time we get there, she’s going to be giving everyone a hard time and demanding they release her.”

  Though I’m comforted by that thought, I can’t bring myself to do anything but stare out the window as the world rushes by. What if she’s not okay? What if she’s seriously hurt or worse?

  “Doesn’t Gordon know anything else?” Flynn asks.

  “I asked for an update, but I haven’t heard anything yet,” Kris says, sounding stressed.

  “I should call Nat,” Flynn says. “She’d want to know.”

  “Give me your phone,” Kris says. “I’ll make the call for you.”

  Flynn hands over the phone.

  I’m aware of what’s happening around me as they place the call to Natalie and Flynn tells her Leah’s been in an accident. I hear Natalie gasp and ask questions for which there are no answers, but I’m oddly detached from it. The only thought I’m capable of processing is that Leah is hurt and on the way to the hospital. I remember getting the call about Elena from her roommate who tracked her down to Drew’s place when she didn’t come home. Drew was nowhere to be found, but Elena… We’ll never know how long she’d been there before her roommate found her unconscious and badly beaten in Drew’s bed.

  Even Drew’s roommates hadn’t known she was in there.

  At least this time, someone had gotten help for Leah immediately. But would it be enough? Is she already dead and Gordon couldn’t bring himself to tell me? Bile burns my throat, and I fear I’m going to be sick.

  I put down the window and take greedy breaths of the fresh air that comes rushing in.

  The traffic is, of course, beastly and it takes forever to get to the hospital, or so it seems. Flynn pulls up to the main doors to the emergency department, and the rest of us get out, rushing inside while he parks.

  Thankfully, Marlowe takes charge, asking for Leah at the check-in desk.

  “I’ll let the doctor know you’re here,” the nurse says, pretending not to gawk at Marlowe. “Are you her family?”

  “We are,” Marlowe says.

  “Okay,” the nurse says, wide-eyed and agog when Flynn joins us.

  We begin to attract a crowd, which is when Gordon comes out from the treatment area and waves for us to follow him. He’s secured a private waiting area for us and ushers us in, closing the door behind him.

  “Gordon…” Kristian’s plea is unspoken.

  “It’s not great,” he says.

  My legs collapse under me, and Marlowe and Jasper guide me to a chair. I drop my head into my hands. I can’t hear this. I simply can’t.

  “The car landed upside down, and they had to cut her out. Thankfully, she had the top up.”

  “Did your guys see what happened?”

  Gordon nodded. “A dark sedan came out of nowhere and basically ran her off the road.”

  “Tell me you got him,” I mutter.

  “My men chose to stay with her, but they got the plate. The cops are looking for him.”

  “What are the doctors saying?” Marlowe asked.

  “Not much, yet. They’re with her now. She cut her forehead and there was a lot of blood, but one of the nurses said that’s common with facial lacerations.”

  “So she’s not conscious?” Jasper asked.

  “No.”

  “Fuck,” Kris muttered.

  My thought exactly. I realize my hands are shaking. Every part of me is shaking. I knew I shouldn’t have let this happen with her. If things had stayed the way they were, I’d be upset about what happened to her, but I wouldn’t be destroyed the way I am now. How could she do this to me? How could she get me to fall in love with her and then do this to me? And yes, I realize my thoughts are irrational, but they’re my thoughts, and I have a right to them.

  “What do you need, Em?” Flynn asks when he sits next to me.

  Her. I need her to come in here with that mouth of hers and tell us we’re overreacting, that she’s fine, that everything is all right. Since that’s clearly not going to happen, I struggle to think of an answer to his question. “I, um, I don’t know.”

  Natalie comes rushing in a few minutes later, tearful and undone.

  Flynn stands to hug her, and she breaks down into sobs. “Please tell me she’s going to be okay.”

  “We don’t know anything yet,” he says, sounding grim.

  Natalie releases him and comes to hug me. “I’m so sorry this has happened, Emmett. She’s been so happy with you. It’s not fair.” She hiccups on a sob, and I find myself patting her on the back, wanting her to calm down so we don’t have a second calamity on our hands.

  “Thanks, Nat,” I manage to say. “That’s good to know.”

  We make the decision not to tell Hayden and Addie what’s happened, so as not to ruin their trip. There’s nothing they can do here, so there’s no sense upsetting them.

  Over the next hour, Ellie, Aileen and Sebastian join us. Stella and Max come after Flynn calls to tell them what’s happened, and while I’m comforted by the presence of most of my loved ones, my hands continue to shake uncontrollably while we wait to hear something about the one I love the most. I’d take anything at this point.

  Kristian is in and out of the room, trying to get more information. I’m thankful that he’s taken command of the situation, because I’m incapable of anything more demanding than breathing at the moment.

  This awful feeling is why I resisted Leah so hard at first. Having something too precious to lose is a risk I never wanted to take. But she wore me down with her persistence, sassiness, sweetness and sexiness. And now I’m in the hideous spot of wondering how I’d ever go on without her.

  I stand so suddenly that everything stops around me.

  Kristian comes over to me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

  “I… I need some air.”

  “Come on.” He leads me out of our private room, through the public waiting room and out the main doors. We emerge into warm sunshine, the kind of perfect Southern California day that makes this the best place on earth to live, most of the time, anyway.

  “I can’t take this,” I tell him.

  “I know it’s awful, but she’s in the best possible place to get what she needs.”

  “Why aren’t they telling us anything?”

  “Probably because they can’t yet, but they will. As soon as possible. They know we’re waiting.”

  “How do you go through this for days every three months?” Talking about his ordeal takes the attention off mine, albeit temporarily.

  “I don’t know. You just do it because you don’t have any choice.” He leans against the exterior wall as if he needs the support it offers. “We got good news this morning about Aileen’s latest tests.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “Yeah.” He looks over at me. “I’m really sorry this has happened to Leah—and to you.”

  “I was in there thinking this is exactly what I didn’t want—to care so much about someone else that they have the
power to ruin me.”

  “I feel you. I was the same way before Aileen. But now… When I think about what I would’ve missed with her and the kids.” He shakes his head. “The good stuff far outweighs the bad. It’s worth it. I swear it is.”

  I’m not entirely sure that’s true. If she dies or ends up like Elena, I won’t survive it. That much I know for certain.

  Flynn comes running out. “The doctors want to talk to us.”

  I’m frozen in place, torn by wanting to hear what they have to say and not wanting to hear it. I can’t move.

  “Come on, Em, Leah needs you,” Kristian says, taking me by the arm and steering me inside.

  Chapter 21

  I stumble along, propelled by Kristian’s nervous energy.

  We enter the room full of friends where two doctors are waiting for us, their faces set in unreadable expressions. Why do they do that? Why can’t they smile or do something to let me know she’s okay?

  “This is Emmett Burke, her boyfriend,” Flynn says.

  I’ve never in my life been introduced as anyone’s boyfriend, and I’m not sure what to make of it now. Focusing on that gives me a final second to prepare for whatever they might say.

  “Ms. Holt is stable,” the older of the two doctors says. “She took a hard hit to the head that required forty stitches to close. We waited for a plastic surgeon to stitch her since the wound is on her forehead.”

  “Is she awake?” Nat asks.

  “Not yet. She suffered a significant concussion and lost quite a lot of blood. She also fractured her left wrist.”

  “Will she be okay?” Kristian asks the only question that remains.

  “We believe she’ll make a full recovery, but the next few hours will tell us more.”

  Full recovery. That’s the only thing I hear. “Can we… Can I see her?”

  “Of course. We’re waiting for a room to open upstairs, but you can stay with her until we move her.” He gestures for me to follow them.

  I reach for Marlowe’s hand, needing someone with me for this.