Beast

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  And besides, Chess is quite literally the perfect man. He’s handsome, eloquent and clean-cut. His eyes are deep blue and steady. They promise safety and reliability, like a trusty old Ford truck. I need that in my life for once. I deserve someone I can count on.

  When I hear the chime of my doorbell, I grab my clutch and my sweater and head to the door. I swing it open and Chess greets me with a wide smile. He’s suave as he moves over the threshold, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me closer. “You look incredible,” he whispers just before his lips touch mine.

  I smile. “You look pretty good yourself,” I say as I pull back to watch him. He’s everything a woman could want – gorgeous, intelligent, successful. I intend on enjoying every second with him, every inch of him. Tonight, he’s taking me to dinner and then, he’s coming home with me. He just doesn’t know it yet. I’m going to take him to my bed and treat him the way a man like that deserves to be treated. I’ll show him how a woman like me takes care of my man.

  “You feeling better today?” he asks as he runs the pad of his index down the side of my face. It’s a soft touch. I think I like it.

  “Much better.” His blue eyes sparkle telling me that he’s pleased. “And thanks for the flowers you sent me today. That was very thoughtful of you.”

  He presses his lips to my temple. “Think nothing of it. I just wanted to make you smile.”

  He succeeded. When my assistant had placed the bouquet on the corner of my desk, a big grin had come to my lips. It had made my heart hurt a little less.

  Just as I’m reaching for my keys on the shelf by my front door, I notice the folder that Liam left here the other night. The folder that he claimed is full of evidence that Chess is deceiving me. I feel my stomach tense up.

  Liam’s full of bullshit, I remind myself. There’s nothing damning in that folder, I’m sure of it. He just likes fucking with my head, making me feel insecure. That’s why I never bothered to look into the folder. Instead, I just tucked it on the shelf beneath a stack of magazines. I should just get rid of it, because every time I see it, I feel queasy and anxious.

  Liam has tried calling and texting me since the other night, but I’ve ignored his attempts to reach out. There’s really nothing to talk about.

  “Ready to go, beautiful?” Chess asks, drawing my attention away from the folder.

  “Yes,” I say breathily as I close the door and slide the keys deep into my purse.

  I reach for his hand – yes, I reach for his hand – and let him lead me to the parking garage where his SUV awaits.

  Chapter 52

  I ordered an adult coloring book today…

  I had it shipped express mail. Dr. Andrews said that it’s supposed to relax me, zen me out but can you imagine just how utterly ridiculous I feel as I sit here at my kitchen counter with an assortment of crayons and colored pencils shading between the lines while Jasmine is out there planning her wedding to that douchebag?

  This isn’t working.

  I have to be proactive. I can’t just sit around here hoping that Jasmine reads through the folder and discovers what kind of man Chester Fucking Pretty Boy Davidson is. But she won’t take my calls, she won’t respond to my texts and when I went to her apartment just now, she wasn’t there.

  I won’t let her marry that guy. I won’t.

  I have two weeks to make her realize the truth. To convince her that she can do better. And I’m going to use any means necessary. But first, I need to find her.

  Right now, I have no idea where she is or what she’s doing. I just pray that she doesn’t do something rash out of spite against me.

  In the meantime, I’m driving myself stir-crazy sitting in this house, waiting for something to happen. I’ve got to do something. I slip into my running shoes, lacing them up tight. It’s time to hit the dirt.

  Chapter 53

  We had a nice dinner at a quiet Italian restaurant. The mayor Plattsburg and his wife joined us. The meal was delicious and Chess did his best to be affectionate and attentive to me throughout.

  After dinner, Chess and I are escorted to his SUV while his friends head to their car and drive off.

  Almost as soon as the secret service agent closes the door behind him, Chess leans over to me, resting his chin on my shoulder. “So, can I come over to your place tonight?”

  I’d been planning on it but now that the moment is here, I’m nervous.

  Chess gives me a diplomatic smile. “I understand if you aren’t ready. I can wait as long as you need me to.” Then he squeezes my hand. “My willpower is quite impressive, y’know.”

  My chuckle has an uneasy edge to it. “I want to,” I say. “I’m ready. Tonight.” Then, I add, “But I want to take you somewhere first.”

  He cocks an eyebrow at me. “Really? Where?”

  “You’ll see,” I say with a wry grin.

  He looks suspicious but still, he lowers the partition and instructs me to give his driver directions. The secret service agent protests the unscheduled change in plans but eventually, Chess is able to coerce him – in the most subtle way – to follow my directions.

  We pull up in a bushy area, just off the beaten path and the agent comes around and opens my door. Chess and I scoot out. I can see the apprehension on his face as I take his hand and lead him towards the waterfront. The agent starts to follow us, but I give him my sweetest smile, asking him to give me and the Senator some privacy.

  The agent turns his eyes to Chess who gives him a nod, indicating that he should leave us alone for a while. The reluctant agent turns back towards the car and whispers something into his sleeve, standing alert and at attention.

  I walk Chess through the thick brush and down to the waterfront. “I’m not too sure this is a good idea, Jasmine,” he says in an uncomfortable voice. “It looks dangerous down here.”

  I wave away his concern. “It’s fine,” I say as I take a seat on the big rock. “I used to come here all the time with a friend of mine.”

  An uncertain Chess stands off at distance, glancing out over the water. I look at him expectantly, hoping to find the spark that I felt the first time I came out here, hoping to see him appreciate the beauty of the place, hoping to see that look of gratitude that we were lucky enough to find this little slice of tranquility tucked away in bustling Manhattan.

  But it’s not there.

  And, it may be strange but that makes me question whether I’ll ever be able to feel for him what I feel for Liam, if I’ll ever be able to stamp out the fire in my soul that burns only for that beastly man.

  “Are you ready to go?” Chess asks impatiently, swatting his arms wildly in the air. “I just got stung by a mosquito and I don’t want the media asking me about bug bites on my face at my press conference tomorrow.”

  My heart sinks down to my feet. I’d wanted to make this moment special but I guess that he just doesn’t get it.

  “Sure, let’s go,” I say quietly as I slide off of the rock. Chess is already moving back towards the path, leaving me to trail listlessly behind.

  “Give me your fucking purse, bitch!” A tall hooded man pops up out of nowhere, grabbing me by the waist and violently tackling me to the ground.

  Chapter 54

  Once you’re a marine, your instinct to help stays with you forever, no matter how many years it’s been since you’ve left the service.

  I hear a woman’s shrill screams just as I’m approaching the riverfront. It’s dark but I see a hooded character attack the woman, thrusting her to the ground just as a peacoat-wearing chump dashes away from the scene. He trips over his own feet and hits the ground hard, going out cold.

  That’s when I realize that it’s Chester Davidson.

  My focus snaps towards the woman. “Jasmine…”

  I race to her aid, hauling the attacker off of her. All I see is red as I yank him by the collar, toss him to the ground and pummel his face mercilessly with my fists. He screams like the little bitch that he is. Jasmine’s cri
es mix with his. All the commotion draws the attention of Chess’s secret service detail. They come charging towards me like monkeys with guns.

  I drop to my knees, hands up in surrender as Jasmine struggles to explain the situation through her tears.

  It’s utter chaos and before long, sirens are wailing and Chess is being carted away as the attacker is handcuffed. I go in willingly for questioning along with the rat bastard druggie who attacked Jasmine.

  I get it – the douchebag is the frontrunner for President, they have to make sure that this wasn’t an assassination attempt or some other politically-motivated attack. However, once they subject me to a few minutes of questioning, I’m quickly released from custody.

  As I am walking towards the exit, I hear Jasmine’s soft voice speaking my name. “Liam…”

  I look at her in surprise. “Jasmine – you’re here. Why aren’t you at the hospital with Chess?” The question is almost rhetorical. The pussy-ass had lost consciousness when he tripped in his attempt to flee, leaving Jasmine to fend for herself.

  “I didn’t get hurt,” she says quietly.

  I look her over carefully. There’s a speck of dirt staining her cheek. There’s dry straw in her hair. The hem of her dress is ripped.

  Her eyes are transfixed to my lips. “Jasmine?”

  She shakes her head, snapping back to reality. “Thanks for what you did earlier.” Her tone is cool and unaffected.

  Fuck, I want to touch her so bad right now. “I had to save you.” I run my thumb along her cheek, brushing away the smudge.

  “Well, you saved me…Now what?” She’s tempting me, testing me.

  I gently wrap my fingers around her wrist. “We need to talk, Jasmine. Come home with me.”

  She yanks her hand out of my reach. That hurts. I hate that she recoils from my touch. Rage bubbles up inside of me. That jackass saw her being attacked and he just ran away. What a fucking coward! I can’t believe I sacrificed my happiness just so that douchebag could squander this perfect woman’s heart.

  “No,” she says firmly. “I’m with Chess now.”

  “He just left you there to be attacked…” My throat is tight. I hate to think what would have happened to her if I hadn’t shown up at the river tonight. “If he could keep you safe and happy, if he could truly take care of you the way you deserve to be taken care of, I’d let you go…but he can’t give you what you need, Jasmine.”

  “It’s not that simple,” she says looking away. Is she defending him? What’s there to defend? He did something unthinkable.

  “You’re not still gonna marry him, are you?” I scrub my hand over my scar.

  She doesn’t say a thing. She just stares at the linoleum tiles on the floor.

  I crook her face with my index finger. “You can do better. That’s all I’m saying.” My voice softens. “You deserve so much better.”

  She pulls away defiantly. “You don’t get to decide what I deserve.”

  She knows exactly what to say to shred my heart.

  She wraps her jacket tighter around her shoulders turning towards the door. “I have to go to the hospital to check on Chess.”

  I reach to grab her again, to pull her to me and tell her that I’m never letting her go, but I shouldn’t push this hard. It’s too much. She needs her space. At least for tonight.

  Chapter 55

  I got into this cab with every intention of going to the hospital and making sure that Chess is okay. But the closer I get, the angrier I feel.

  Yes – Liam is right, okay?

  I got attacked and Chess ran for the fucking hills. Literally. And I’m supposed to be marrying this asshole.

  But for all of Liam’s efforts to save me from Chess, from the attacker, from myself, he’s never made clear what he feels for me. I’ve given him multiple opportunities to admit to having feelings for me and he’s failed me every time. I’m not doing it anymore.

  But I can’t go sit by Chess’s bedside and play the dutiful fiancée right now.

  I instruct the cab driver to turn around. I’m heading down to Gramercy.

  Ruthie opens the door of her loft, wiping sleep from her eyes. “Jazz, come on in,” she says as she ties the sash of her robe around her waist. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. Really sorry to wake you up at this time. I just…” I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s nearly 3 a.m.

  “No, no. I’m glad you came here,” she says as she ushers me into the living room. “Michael is in Vermont campaigning for Chess. As soon as you called, I got out of bed and turned on the TV. I can’t believe you were attacked.”

  I sigh. “Yeah…”

  “The media isn’t reporting it yet.” She takes a seat on the couch, eyes focused on the television.

  “It’s just a matter of time.” I sit next to her.

  Her eyes move to me. “So, what the hell happened?”

  I confide in my friend. I tell her everything. About dinner with Chess, my being nervous about having sex with him, about taking him to the riverfront, the attack, about Liam saving me. She listens, giving me her full attention without adding much to the conversation.

  Then, a punchy musical score rings out on the television announcing breaking news. Chess’s face fills the screen. But the story being reported is not at all what I expected. It’s something that shocks me to my core.

  The announcer speaks in a detached, neutral tone. “In breaking news tonight, presidential hopeful, Chess Davidson, finds himself at the center of a prostitution scandal. Several high-profile escorts, including this woman, Elena Popov –“ a blonde with thick, smoky eye makeup and cherry red lip gloss appears on the screen “—has accused the New York state senator of hiring her services as recently as last week –”

  I turn to Ruthie, my mouth hanging open, and she looks just as horrified as I feel.

  Chapter 56

  Luce is standing in the doorway to my office holding a brown paper bag in her hands. She’s wearing that scared puppy look she sports every time she has bad news to give me. My insides coil tightly.

  “What is it?” I snap, my voice harsh and cruel to mask the utter panic I feel swelling up inside of me.

  “I went to drop off Jasmine’s lunch,” she says tentatively. “She isn’t here.”

  I furrow my eyebrows at her. “She took the day off?” Taking time off is understandable with all of the attention that Chess’s prostitution scandal and the attack have been getting. She must feel smothered. I’m furious that Shadow leaked Chess’s dalliances with prostitutes to the press. I know that he was only trying to help me get my girl, but he may have fucked things up even worse. If she believes that I’m the one who spread the story, she’ll be even less interested in speaking to me.

  Luce shakes her head slowly. “She didn’t just take the day off. She cleared out her office. The secretaries are saying that she did it overnight.”

  I bolt to my feet. “What do you mean she cleared out her office?” Her door has been closed all morning. I assumed that it was because she needed some privacy.

  “I’m sorry, Liam,” Luce says in a small voice. “Jasmine’s gone.”

  I tear past her, bursting open Jasmine’s office door.

  It’s true. Her laptop, her diploma, all of her personal effects are gone. My heart is beating a million miles a minute. Brushing past a group of employees in the hallway, I sprint for the emergency exit and take the stairs all the way to the parking garage. I jump on my motorcycle and bolt out of there like a crazed person. I make it to her apartment in a fraction of the time that it should take. When I get there, I’m greeted by the ‘for rent’ sign hanging in her fourth floor window.

  I drag my rough palm down my face.

  Fuck.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  Don’t tell me I’m too late.

  Chapter 57

  “Mom, You can just toss that t-shirt in the garbage.”

  It’s Liam’s t-shirt, the one I borrowed the night I cooked him tilapia and
we danced to rap music in his kitchen. I don’t know why I kept it when it only serves to remind me of how stupid I was, playing house with a man who never wanted anything more than my friendship.

  My mother looks over at me with soft eyes before shrugging and dumping the gray shirt onto the pile of clothes she plans to donate to the less fortunate.

  I put my hands on my hips and look around. It seems like my whole life is packed into the suitcases and boxes and garbage bags scattered about on my living room floor. All I’m taking are my clothes, shoes, books and a few small personal items. I’ll be leaving most of my furniture; that was my landlord’s only request when I begged him to let me out of my lease early. “I think we’re just about done,” I say offering my mother a small, grateful smile.