Julian stopped by on Monday. I was glad to have her close but it would have been great if Amber was there too.
“Bristol,” Julian whispered when she entered my room. “How are you holding up?”
I didn’t answer, too emotional to speak. It was as if all strength had been drained from me since I’d heard about Tyler.
Like a true friend, Julian lay down beside me. She wrapped her arms around my fragile body while I cried softly. After a while she spoke again. “Any news about the investigation?”
I grimaced. “None at all. Why the hell can’t they find Vincent? How is he so good at this? It’s like he’s done it time and time again.”
She stroked my head. “I wish I could take this all away from you.”
Turning to her, I asked, “Jules, where’s Amber? I haven’t seen her since Friday and I’ve been calling her.”
“Oh, uh…” Julian pushed up and leaned against the headboard, her shoulders hunched with regret.
Wiping my tear-stained cheeks with the palm of my hand, I peered up at her and asked, “Where is she? Tell me.”
“Amber went away with Roman,” she admitted, finding it hard to meet my gaze.
My jaw dropped. “Wh-what? She did? But I thought—”
“I know, and she felt bad, but Bristol,” She tucked my hair behind my ears; it must have been a complete mess. “Amber really wanted to go away with him. She said Roman would be leaving town for a while and she wanted to spend a little time with him before he left.”
I dropped back on my pillow. “I see. I guess it’s for the best. I don’t know what Vincent will do next.”
Julian squeezed my arm. I closed my eyes as tears started to fall again.
A rumble erupted suddenly, followed by light pitter-patter that turned into a heavy downpour. Julian stayed with me until I fell asleep.
It was still raining when I woke up later that night. Julian had left. I finally crawled out of bed to take a shower and went right back to lie down and snuggle under the sheets. It sounded like someone was throwing stones at my window. There was no way I could fall asleep again.
My heart ached for Tyler and his family. Guilt stuck me all over like I’d been thrown into a field of needles.
I didn’t want to bother Julian and ask her to come over again, and I certainly didn’t want to disturb Amber on her trip with Roman—not that her phone was on anyway. Sliding out of bed, I walked to the window and sat on the bench, watching raindrops stream down the glass.
My phone rang, stirring up my anxiety. I rose from the chair and took slow, nervous steps toward the table next to my bed.
Unknown caller. Vincent.
Enraged, I swiped my finger across the tab and brought the phone to my ear. “You monster!”
“Well, hello to you too, my love. How have you been?” His voice was calm and sweet, the usual until something set him off.
“You killed him!” I shrieked.
A chilling growl filled the line. “I did it for us. For our future.”
“Future?” I swallowed hard. Tired, I pleaded with him, “Please stop this, Vincent. Please.”
“Then come home, my love. I’ll meet you in our bedroom.”
His words made me want to puke. “You…you’re sick!”
“I’m giving you until noon tomorrow to make up your mind. If you’re not back in our home by then… Well, you’ve seen what I can do when I’m upset.”
I crumbled down on the warm carpet and pulled my knees up to my chest, whimpering in fear.
Vincent breathed out, then said, “I have to hang up now. I’m actually in the middle of something. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” He sounded sure of himself, like he knew what I was considering. “Goodnight, my love.”
Disoriented, I held the phone at my ear for a minute. Perhaps that was exactly what I needed to do. It was the only way I could protect everyone involved. I had to face Vincent.
On my own.
I couldn’t sleep that night. I stayed up thinking long and hard about what I was going to do and how to explain it to my mom and dad, not to mention Mason.
By the time I crawled into bed, the sun was rising. I hardly got any sleep before Mom came into my room and brushed my cheek.
“How are you doing, honey?” she asked, sitting at my side.
I shrugged.
“You think you can eat something?” Her voice was saturated with worry, which made it harder to tell her that I was returning to my apartment.
Easing up in bed, I said, “Mom, you mind inviting Dad over for breakfast with us?”
She blinked a few times and parted her lips to mutter something. She stopped, deliberated more, and then asked, “Um, isn’t he at work by now?”
“No. I’m sure that job has wrapped now since the restaurant is opening this week.”
Considering this, she said after a moment, “Okay. If that’s what it takes to get you to eat.”
“Thank you.”
Mom stood and went downstairs. I slipped out of bed and traipsed over to the dresser, observing my reflection. I looked like a ghost. My skin was gloomy. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was wild, matted in some places.
I’d been so stressed for the past few weeks that I’d given up on myself; that had to stop. I needed to put an end to all of this. I had to be the strong woman I’d aspired to be.
I took a shower and got dressed, then went downstairs when Dad arrived, figuring I’d tell them what I was going to do while we were eating. But, whenever I glanced up from my food, I’d grow nervous and have a hard time speaking.
Noticing my uneasiness, Dad asked, “What’s wrong, sweetheart? You’ve been fighting to say something ever since I walked through the door.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and peered up at them. “Um…Dad, Mom, don’t get upset, but I’ve decided to go back to my apartment. Today.”
Their eyes enlarged. Dad wiped his mouth and threw down his napkin. “Are you insane?”
“Bristol!” Mom yelped. “You can’t go back there. After what happened to Tyler…” Her voice hitched. “You can’t.”
“He’ll kill you!” Dad yelled.
“No, he won’t.” I explained, “It’s the only way to catch him, when he tries to stop by with me there.”
“That’s dangerous,” Mom warned me.
“I know,” I muttered, picking at my jeans. “But I have to keep him from hurting you guys.”
Dad grumbled something inaudible. Fear blanketed Mom’s face. “I can’t believe you want to do something so stupid,” she fumed.
“Please listen,” I said in a low voice. “Vincent doesn’t want to hurt me. He could have that night in your condo, Dad, or even at the restaurant.” I caught my breath. “Killing me is pointless. It would mean that all he’s done was for nothing.”
Mom flared her hands. “So you just want to give him what he wants? Go back to the apartment and then what? You’ll become his prisoner, Bristol.”
“He’ll take you some place where we won’t be able to find you,” Dad said, fighting back tears. “I won’t let that happen. I’d never forgive myself if you got hurt or…worse.”
I leaned my head to the side and reassured them, “Nothing will happen to me. I promise. Please, you have to trust me. This is the only way to stop him once and for all.”
We sat in silence. Dad huffed and eyeballed me but didn’t say anything else. Mom couldn’t even meet my gaze.
Sliding back my chair, I left them at the table and went up to my room. I paced around for a while, then sat on the foot of the bed and rubbed my hands together, trying to stop the shakes.
I could hear my parents downstairs arguing. A few minutes later I heard the doorbell and Dad saying Mason’s name. My stomach clenched. There was no way he’d let me go back to my apartment.
No. Way.
Footsteps climbed the stairs. Someone rapped on my door. I glanced over my shoulder and saw an upset Mason entering.
“Are y
ou out of your damn mind? You can’t go back to your apartment,” he scolded me, his brows knitting into a glare.
I stood and released a sharp breath. “Just trust me on this, Mason. It’s the only way to stop him.”
His hands flared. “Look, I’m sorry about Tyler, and you bet I’m pretty damn angry about my dog, but that’s not the way. Going back is too risky, especially at this point.”
“I’m not planning on staying. I just want to draw him out. Besides, if I don’t go back Vincent will do something terrible again, and I don’t want anyone else to die because of me.”
Mason crossed the room and gripped my arms. “He’s already killed. Don’t for a second think that he won’t kill you too when he realizes you’ll never feel the way he does.”
I touched his hands. “Mason…you don’t understand. I’m so scared. I’m always looking over my shoulder. I can’t even sleep at night.”
Suddenly riddled by sadness, he pulled his hands away. “I do understand. I lost my sister, Bristol. Remember? I couldn’t save Ariel, but I will save you.”
My heart broke for him. I felt like shit. No one understood this stalker thing more than Mason. He’d been through it with Ariel. At the same time, a part of me felt hurt, as if he was only trying to keep me safe out of guilt because he hadn’t been able to do the same for his sister.
“I’m not Ariel, Mason. You’re not obligated to take care of me.”
He placed his hands on my shoulders, this time gentle and calm. “It’s not an obligation. I care about you, Bristol. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
I relaxed at his words. I felt like I was going to dissolve under his gaze. I whispered through a smile, “I can see that.”
Mason backed up. “Then stay here. I’ll figure out a way to catch this guy. There are officers at Tyler’s apartment as we speak looking for evidence. So just give it some time and don’t do anything crazy, like going back to your apartment because you think it’ll keep everyone safe. It won’t. You’ll only fall right into his hands, and I worry that if you do, I might not be able to save you.”
Sighing deeply, I plopped down on the side of the bed and considered hard. Mason had a point. Going back to the apartment was very dangerous. “Okay. It was a bad idea,” I murmured. “I won’t go back.”
“Good.” Relief spread over his handsome face. His lips stretched into a satisfied grin and it made my heart start to hammer with excitement.
Mason was about to come closer to me but changed his mind when Dad appeared in the doorway.
“Everything all right?” he asked. “Mason, did you talk some sense into her?”
“He did.” I exhaled and glanced up at Dad. “I’m sorry I scared you and Mom. It was a stupid idea.”
The tension in his shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad you realized that. Your mom had to go to the store. She asked me to watch you, lock you in your room if you didn’t get that crazy idea out of your head.”
I managed a smile. “Sorry.”
Mason cleared his throat. “Well, I’m going to head back to the station to keep searching for this Vincent. There should be another officer coming over in a bit.”
“Okay.” I rose from the bed. “I’ll walk you out. Sorry my parents called you out here because of me.”
“It’s all right.”
“We were concerned,” Dad countered. He made to go back down the hall but stopped and said, “Mason seems to have an effect on you, that’s why I called him.” He chuckled as he spun away and I heard his footsteps descending the stairs.
My cheeks felt hot. I bit my bottom lip in a shy way. An awkward air gathered between us for a beat before Mason spoke again. “Um, you don’t have to come down. It’s okay. Get some rest.”
Warmth coursed through me when his eyes danced over my features and a low moan escaped his lips. “Listen, Bristol…I know I made you feel guilty about Marley, but I want you to know…” He swallowed and continued, “I don’t have any regrets. I really want to be with you.”
“Me too,” I said quickly, almost out of breath as our steamy session consumed my mind. “It’s just that, with all the chaos, it’s hard to spend any time with you without worrying about what Vincent will do. Mason, I don’t want you to get hurt.”
He nodded, understanding me. “That’s why I want to find him so bad for you. For us.”
I didn’t say a word after that, only smiled and watched him step out of my room and leave.
For us.
No other words had ever thrilled me more. I began to envision what a life with Mason would be like, but was soon interrupted by my phone buzzing on the nightstand.
Someone was calling me, perhaps Amber wanting to apologize for going away when she’d said she wouldn’t.
I hurried over and picked up my phone. Fear paralyzed me in spot. My mouth fell open and a tear dripped down my cheek.
An unknown number. Vincent. I checked the time. It was almost noon. He needed an answer.
The phone continued to ring in my hands. I pressed ignore and ended the call. Almost immediately it started ringing again. I turned it off. That would surely piss him off.
I should have left.
What would he do now that he’d realized I wasn’t returning to the apartment? I prayed no one else would get hurt because of me.
Worried about my friends, I tried Amber’s phone again, but she still had it turned off. I called Julian to make sure she was all right. My pounding heart settled when I heard her voice. She was at work. Not wanting to spook her, I lied and said I was just curious about how things were at the office.
“Everything’s fine,” she said, reassuringly. “Don’t think about work. I know it must still hurt about Tyler so take as long as you need.”
I massaged my temple. “Thanks, Jules. You’ve been great throughout this whole thing.”
“It’s what friends do. I hope you weren’t too hard on Amber when she stopped by this morning.”
Her words threw me. I sprang from the bed. “What do you mean? I thought she was still on her trip.”
“No…” Julian drawled while she considered. “She was supposed to be back yesterday.”
“Well, have you spoken to Amber since she left?” I asked, mortified.
Julian took a moment before she answered. “Not since Saturday morning when she was leaving. I tried calling her to let her know about Tyler. Her phone went to voicemail. I didn’t think anything of it.”
Knots twisted in my gut. This couldn’t be happening. “Jules, I’m going to try calling her again and then stop by her house.”
“Okay, let me know if you talk to her.”
I disconnected the call and tried Amber’s phone. Her voicemail picked up. Something was wrong. I sent her a text to call me back as soon as possible. Six weeks before, I probably wouldn’t have been worried, but everything had changed.
Who was the guy she’d gone away with? Who was Roman Orsini?
I thought back to the night of the fundraiser and the tall frame that had stood by the entrance of the restaurant. His eyes…I’d seen them before. The music he liked. Amber said it was classical.
Classical!
A light bulb went off inside my head. I stormed out of my room and bustled down the stairs. Dad was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. I peeked out the window by the front door. The cop wasn’t here yet.
“Dad.” I tried to stay calm as I spoke. “I’m going to drive by Amber’s house and see if she’s home.”
He set the paper down and looked at me with his eyes narrowed into crinkled slits. “Are you sure that’s okay? Maybe you should just call her.”
“She’s not answering,” I told him. “I want to make sure she’s all right. She’s probably tired from her trip and forgot to turn on her phone or something.”
Dad observed me for a while, thinking.
“It’s okay,” I assured him. “I’m not going anywhere else and I’ll come right back once I’ve seen her. I promise.”
He considered this a bit more, then finally said, “All right, but call me when you get there and when you’re heading home.”
“I will,” I told him, then spun to leave.
I grabbed my car keys off the hook by the staircase and hurried out the front door. Hopping inside my Kia, I phoned Mason as I backed off the driveway and turned down the street.
“Bristol? What hap—”
“Run a search on a Roman Orsini,” I cut him off. “If nothing comes up, try Vincent Orsini or Vincent Roman. Just mix those names up and see what you can find.”
“Hold on, what’s going—”
“Mason, Amber isn’t answering her phone. I haven’t seen her since Friday and she hasn’t spoken to Julian either. She went away with some guy named Roman Orsini. He was at the fundraiser. I just… Something doesn’t feel right. I’m heading over to her place now.”
“Bristol, wait,” he pleaded. “Don’t go there alone.”
I told him the address, “It’s twenty-eight Clay Street in Newport.” Then I hung up so I could concentrate on driving. Amber was like a sister to me and if Roman Orsini turned out to be who I suspected he was, then Amber had found herself in some serious trouble because of me. If it came down to it, I’d rather give myself up to Vincent than let him hurt her. Hopefully I was wrong and Amber was okay.
Pulling up outside the white, Cape Cod-style rental, I shut off the car and flung the door open. I ran up the steps to the front door and knocked.
“Amber!” I tried the knob; it wasn’t locked. I opened the door and hurried inside, calling out again, “Amber!”
My voice echoed throughout the quiet house. Clenching my phone in my fist, I turned left and ambled through the doorway leading into the living room. The screen door to the back porch was open. I continued across the hardwood floor, the wood squeaking with each step.
“Amber?” I muttered, stepping out on the porch. I glanced around the yard. She wasn’t anywhere.
Just as I turned to go back inside to search upstairs, someone hurried up to me and covered my mouth with a dampened cloth. My cellphone fell while I was clawing at his hands. He was so strong; he wouldn’t let up.
Chasing Bristol (The Finding Trilogy Book 2) Page 17
