Lawton

by Sabrina Stark

  Again, Bishop spoke. "You want me to handle it? Just say the word."

  I heard myself laugh. "Handle it? How?"

  "Search the house, destroy what we can." He paused. "If we have to, we'll pay her off."

  I didn't want her paid off. My fingers flexed. I wanted her to pay.

  But somewhere, in the back of my mind, I knew that was just anger talking. Anger and betrayal and everything in between.

  I had loved her. I shook my head. What a crock.

  I turned to Bishop. "No. I'll handle it."

  His voice was careful. "How?"

  "I don't know."

  And I didn't. Yeah, I had plenty of money. I could pay her off easy enough, assuming money was the thing she wanted. But that was no guarantee, was it? What if, like Brandy, the thing that Chloe really wanted was instant fame?

  Bishop crossed the kitchen and picked up the disk. "You want me to play it?"

  I almost laughed. "Why?"

  "Because," he said, "it might not be as bad as it looks."

  "Yeah, right."

  He turned the disk over, as if searching for hidden text or maybe a label. "It could be just a copy of the Brandy thing," he said.

  I shrugged. "Maybe." It's not like the thing was hard to get.

  But there was something else that I couldn’t ignore. I reached across the table and picked up Chloe's cell phone. Knowing what I'd find, I slid my finger across the screen. Just like a few minutes earlier, there it was, the picture of me. Naked on my back. Full-frontal.

  I studied the thing, looking for clues. In it, I was asleep. Well, most of me was asleep, anyway. One part was wide awake, fully erect in the morning light.

  I tried to be objective. It was a good shot. Nice composition. Probably worth a decent chunk of change.

  How nice for her.

  I scanned the photo's background, trying to figure out when exactly she'd taken it. I wasn't in bed. I was on that gold rug near fireplace. The fire was burned down to embers, barely glowing a few feet behind me.

  I thought of the last few weeks, sorting through all the times and places. And then it hit me. I blinked long and hard. Since meeting Chloe, I'd been naked on that rug exactly once – on the very first night we'd slept together.

  I made a sound of disgust. She hadn't wasted any time, had she?

  My knuckles were white, but my hands were steady. With cold deliberation, I ran a finger across the screen, skimming through her other photos.

  I saw some blurry images of Chucky, along with a few random shots that made no sense – a car dashboard, part of some sidewalk, a checkout lane at the grocery store.

  Whatever the theme was, I didn't get it. But then again, I didn't get a lot of things. I shoved the phone into my pocket and turned away, heading for the front door.

  Bishop fell in beside me. "Where are you going?"

  "Where do you think?" I said. "To get some answers."

  "Don't," he said. "Not yet."

  I whirled on him. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

  "No." His voice was calm. "Just listen. I haven't finished talking to those guys."

  "Talking to them?" I made a scoffing sound. "Yeah, well, I'll be talking to them, too." My jaw clenched. "Later."

  Besides, I already knew most of what they'd told him. Shit, I even had the proof, thanks to a quick video Bishop had taken with his phone. They'd admitted everything, that it was big setup, courtesy of the girl I thought I knew. I swallowed. The girl I thought I loved.

  "Listen," Bishop said, talking in his "be-reasonable" voice. "She goes to work in maybe an hour, right? Just keep cool 'til then. We'll figure it out, come up with a plan, and deal with it later."

  "Yeah?" My voice was cold. "Why not now?"

  "Because," he said, "you might not have the whole story. And even if you do, you'll handle it better when she's away at work."

  He gave me a long, serious look. "You're not thinking right. But in a few hours, you will."

  He was wrong. The way I felt now, I'd never be thinking right again.

  But about the other stuff, he knew what he was saying. In a few hours, I'd have the full story. And then, I'd have the chance to deal with it.

  All I had to do now was act normal for maybe an hour, until she left for work. Could I do it?

  I sure as hell hoped so, because the way I felt now, I wasn't so sure.

  Chapter 54

  Back at my house, I found Chloe sitting on the sofa where I'd left her. When I walked into the room, she looked up and gave me a smile. "You're back."

  I tried to mimic her smile, but my mouth wouldn't do it. So instead, I crossed the room and sat next to her, like I'd done earlier. Trying to act normal, I draped an arm over her shoulder and managed to mumble, "Sorry that took so long."

  She hesitated. "Is everything okay?"

  "Yup." I stared across the room, wondering how long I could keep this up. I thought of the stuff I'd seen at her place – the poster, the naked picture, the footage of who-knows-what on that silver disk.

  Sitting there, my arm felt stiff, and so did my face. Unlike Brandy, and now Chloe, too, I'd never been good at faking things. I wanted to turn and ask her why. Why had she done this? What did she want? Money? Fame? A funny story to tell her friends?

  Had the whole thing been a lie right from the get-go?

  One way or another, I'd eventually find out. But for now, I had to keep quiet, so that's what I did. For a long time, she was quiet, too. The minutes dragged, and the silence stretched. Any minute now, she'd need to go.

  Good.

  Next to me, Chloe shifted on the sofa. Her voice was hesitant. "So, you mentioned you wanted to tell me something?"

  That's right. I had. Earlier, I'd been about to tell her that I loved her, and maybe more than that. Funny timing, huh?

  I shrugged. "Nah."

  She paused. "Are you feeling okay?"

  "Yup."

  With a sigh, she pulled away. "Alright, tell me."

  "Tell you what?"

  "What'd he say?"

  "Who?"

  "Now who's playing dumb?" she said. "Bishop. Who else?"

  "He didn't say anything."

  "Bull," she said. "You were gone forever. He must've said something."

  Yeah, he'd said something, alright. On top of everything else, he'd mentioned that he'd seen those two guys before. On the night of my birthday party, he'd caught them at the back fence, trying to pick their way through the narrow back gate.

  It was the gate near Chloe's house. And then, maybe an hour later, Chloe just happened to fall over that same section of fence. Half-naked, no less. And there I was, her knight in shining armor, going in for the rescue.

  I recalled how she looked, trembling in the mulch. What was that? A test run? Practice for the main event? Throw out the bait and see if I'd go for it?

  Sitting there, a cold rage settled over me. She'd played me perfectly, hadn't she? It was almost like she'd had a script. Had she written it? Or someone else? I thought of the douchebag. He seemed the type.

  "Well?" Chloe said.

  My shoulders were tight, and my heart was hammering. Trying to hide it, I only shrugged.

  "Something happened," she persisted. "What is it?"

  This was bullshit. Abruptly, I turned to face her. "You really wanna know?"

  She drew back, looking startled and maybe a little afraid. After a long moment, she gave a shaky nod.

  I turned to stare at the far wall, trying like hell to keep it together. "Forget it." She needed to leave. Like now. I turned back to her and said, "You gotta work tonight, right?"

  After brief hesitation, she nodded.

  "Then you should probably just go."

  She shook her head. "What?"

  "Yeah." I dug into the pocket of my jeans and pulled out her car keys. I held them out in her direction.

  She stared at the keys, but made no move to take them. "I don't understand."

  "Yeah. Whatever." I stood. "Besides, I've gotta g
o someplace, too."

  It was a hint and not very subtle. Just get the hell out, already.

  Slowly, she got to her feet. "Where?"

  Where did I have to go? Shit, I didn't know. Away from her, that's where. Still, I heard myself say, "Downstairs. There's something I've gotta check on."

  Like my sanity.

  "Fine." She squared her shoulders. "I'm coming with you."

  I gave her a long, cold look. Trust me. You don't want to do that.

  But from the look on her face, she did.

  She was making a mistake. A big one. But hey, it wasn't up to me to save her. Not this time.

  "Suit yourself." I let my gaze drift rudely down her body. "Long as you take off your clothes."

  She drew back. "What?"

  "You heard me."

  "What the hell?" Her voice rose. "I'm not getting undressed just to go downstairs."

  "Alright. Then you're not coming downstairs." I made a sound of disgust. "What's the big deal anyway? It's not like I haven't seen it all before."

  She stared at me. "What's the hell's wrong with you?"

  "Nothing. But seriously, what's the big deal?"

  "Do I really have to spell it out?"

  "Apparently."

  "Well, for starters," she said, "it's weird. And you're acting funny. That's the big deal."

  "If you say so."

  She made a point of looking at my clothes – jeans a black T-shirt. Her tone grew snotty. "Are you getting undressed too?"

  "You want me to?" I twisted my lips into a smile. "Just say the word, baby, because you know I'd do anything for you."

  At this, she actually blushed. An act? Or the real thing? Who knew? Who cared?

  My muscles were tight, and my fists were clenched. But when I spoke, my voice was a lot calmer than I'd expected. "It's your choice, Chloe."

  Her gaze narrowed. "What's down there, anyway?"

  For her? There was nothing. For me? There was the chance to get at the truth, once and for all. I wouldn't have to wait, and I wouldn’t have to wonder.

  Fuck's Bishop's plan. What did he know? Nothing. He'd been in love exactly once, and he'd messed up worse than I had.

  Chloe was still waiting. I recalled her question. What was down there? I gave her a cold smile and said, "Looks like you'll never know."

  "This doesn't make any sense."

  "Yeah." That was funny. I knew the feeling. "But when you see it, you'll understand."

  "See what?"

  For starters, she could see Bishop's cell phone, containing the video of those two guys ratting her out. After that, I didn't know. Bishop was still talking to her so-called kidnappers. He had a way of getting answers. In an hour, maybe two, Chloe and I would have a lot more to talk about.

  "Look," I told her, "we can go around like this all night. But it's not gonna change anything. The ball's in your court. You wanna go down there? That's the price."

  I waited, wondering if she'd actually do it. If she was smart, she'd run away and not look back. But even smart girls, I knew, could do very stupid things.

  Finally, she spoke in a small, quiet voice. "All my clothes?"

  I considered the question. At the thought of marching her downstairs fully naked, I almost smiled. She had a nice body, and the way it looked, she wasn't shy about flaunting it. Maybe I'd take her picture, see how she liked that.

  But I hadn't sunk that low. Not yet. Give it time. "No," I finally said. "Guess not. Just the outer ones should be good." I crossed my arms and waited.

  She stood, silent, for a long moment. And then, she blew out a long, unsteady breath. "Fine," she muttered. "You win." With small, jerky movements, she yanked off her T-shirt and hurled it to the floor. Then, she kicked off her tennis shoes and shimmied out of her jeans.

  Underneath, she wore lacy black panties and matching bra. Her face was flushed, and her breathing was shallow. "There," she said, lifting her chin. "You happy?"

  "Not particularly."

  Now that she'd done it, I had to be careful. There was another reason I'd made her undress. I crossed the room and picked up her shirt. I ran it through my hands, checking for any electronics, hidden cameras, that sort of thing. Afterward, I did the same thing with her shoes and jeans.

  Chloe was glaring at me now. "What are you looking for?"

  "Nothing."

  "Drugs? Because I'm not on any, if that's what you're wondering."

  I almost laughed. Drugs? By now, those were the least of my worries. I turned and started walking toward the center of the house. When I heard no movement behind me, I glanced back. "You still coming?"

  Chloe hesitated. And then, with a look of defiance, she strode forward as if she weren't half-naked and headed for trouble. "You bet I am."

  I led the way, leaving her to follow me through the house and into the kitchen, where the basement door was located. When I reached it, I stopped. I lifted a hand and gripped the knob. Once I turned it, all bets were off.

  But then again, I'd known that, anyway, hadn't I?

  Chapter 55

  With my hand still gripping the doorknob, I turned my head toward Chloe. She stood, defiant, in her black panties and matching bra. Her skin was flushed, and her mouth was set. The way it looked, she wasn't turning back.

  Apparently, she was calling my bluff.

  Big mistake.

  Still, something made me say, "Last chance."

  "Last chance for what?" she said.

  "To run."

  She lifted her chin. "I'm not running."

  "Suit yourself." I turned and pushed open the basement door. I flicked on the light and started heading down. I kept my gaze straight ahead, listening to the sounds of her soft footsteps behind me.

  The light was dim, and the air was cool. As far as I knew, this was Chloe's first time down here. Or who knows? Maybe she'd gone through the whole damn house when I wasn't looking.

  At the time, I wouldn't have cared. But now, I did. Go figure.

  When my shoes hit the basement floor, I turned to look. Chloe had stopped on the final step – not quite at the bottom, but a long way from upstairs. She looked around, as if taking in the scenery, scarce as it was.

  The place was gray and spotless with a painted floor and matching concrete walls. There wasn't much down here – just a few boxes, some open, some shut, along with my weight bench and a few other odds and ends. The only furniture in sight was a big oak table, surrounded by four sturdy chairs.

  I motioned to the table. "Have a seat."

  "Why?" She rubbed her arms and gave a small shiver. "What's down here, anyway?"

  I walked to the table and pulled out a chair. See? A perfect gentleman. "Sit," I said. "You'll see in a minute."

  She hesitated. Her gaze darted from wall to wall, before landing back on me. Her eyes grew uncertain, and she gave another shiver. From nerves? Or the cold? Did it matter? Either way, she'd be smart to run.

  I was still gripping the back of the chair. I waited, wondering if she'd bolt.

  She didn't.

  Instead, she stepped down and moved toward me, treading carefully along the cold, hard floor. When she reached the chair, she sat, resting her hands on her almost-naked lap, as waiting for some sort of explanation.

  If that was the case, she'd be waiting a while, because let's face it, she had a lot more explaining to do than I did.

  Standing behind her, I watched and waited. She was still looking around, as if trying to figure out what, exactly, I was planning to show her.

  Wouldn’t she like to know?

  Silently, I reached into a nearby box. I found the handcuffs exactly where I'd left them. I crouched behind her, and then I did it. I grabbed her hands and yanked them from her lap. I pulled her arms behind her and slapped on the cuffs.

  It was over so fast, she didn't stand a chance. I heard her breaths, coming short and shallow. She gave a tentative tug, and then another. "What—"

  "Alright," I said. "You wanted to see something? Well
, you got your wish."

  She gave another yank. "Lawton!"

  She could yank all she wanted. She wasn't going anywhere. I'd looped the chain through part of the chair. The wood was thick. Solid oak. Someone her size? In a hundred years, she'd never break free.

  But she was still pulling, making the handcuffs rattle against the wood. Her voice grew strained. "This isn't funny."

  Standing behind her, I crossed my arms. "It's not meant to be."

  She turned her head as far as it could go. When our eyes met, she gave another little shiver. From the look in her eyes, this one, at least, wasn't from the cold.

  Slowly, she turned her head away. She stopped yanking, and sat motionless for a long, quiet minute. And then, she took a deep, steady breath and then another. A moment later, she spoke in a low, surprisingly calm voice. "Lawton, I mean it. Let me go. Right now."

  "No. I don't think so."

  "Son-of-a-bitch!" She gave another yank. "I'm serious."

  "So am I."

  Standing behind the chair, I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Now listen up. I don't wanna hurt you. But I've gotta check for something."

  Under my hands, her shoulders tensed. "What?"

  "Electronics." Upstairs, I'd checked the clothes that she'd taken off. It was time to check the rest of them, as flimsy as they were.

  Slowly, I ran a finger under her bra straps, and then over the bra itself. Under my touch, her nipples hardened, and I felt that familiar surge of heat and desire.

  Part of me still wanted her. It's only lust, I reminded myself. Nothing more. A physical reaction to a beautiful girl – well, beautiful on the outside at least.

  I skimmed my hands lower, over her panties, front and back. The feel of her skin made everything worse. I thought of the nights I'd held her in my arms. I thought of the times she'd trembled under my touch. I thought of the ring I'd wanted to put on her finger.

  After tonight, I'd never touch her again.

  I hated her. And damn it, part of me still loved her.

  Fuck.

  When my search came up empty, I pulled away. My fingers burned from the feel of her skin. I flexed my hands, wanting to dip them in ice, anything to purge the feel of her.