Need you Now (Top Shelf Romance Book 2)

by Laurelin Paige

  The door shut loudly behind me. I jumped, heart pounding wildly as I whipped around, looking for whoever shut it. There was no one there, or more likely, I couldn’t see them in the dark.

  “This isn’t funny,” I yelled out, wrapping my arms around myself as I walked forward, looking up at a big circular window that covered the entirety of the center of the ceiling.

  It had the perfect view of the stars. I was almost at the center of it, surrounded by candles on either side of where I stood, when four tall figures cloaked in black gowns from head to toe stepped into view. I rocked back, my feet nearly stumbling over themselves as I tried to give myself distance from the people before me.

  “We didn’t intend for it to be funny,” one of them said.

  “What do you want?” My hands shook. I clasped them in front of myself.

  “What do we want?” He chuckled. “It’s more a question of what do you want?”

  “What does that even mean? You’re the ones summoning me, which by the way is absolutely ridiculous. I’m not a freaking witch or vampire or whatever.”

  “Does anyone know you’re here?”

  “Yes. I’m not an idiot.”

  The two in the middle looked at each other, though I couldn’t imagine they could see much out of the things covering most of their faces. They turned to me again.

  “Rule number one: you speak to no one about this.”

  “Maybe you should’ve written that in the invitation,” I said, sounding much more confident than I felt. “Why am I here?”

  “We’d like you to be a part of our club.”

  “What kind of club?”

  “The secret kind.”

  “I gathered that much.” I signaled at their wardrobe. “You look like satanic monks.”

  “Is that a yes?”

  “What do I gain from joining?”

  “Loyalty for life. The keys to any city, in any country you may want.”

  “I don’t need your loyalty.”

  “Don’t you?” They all seemed to cock their heads in the same direction at the same time. It was as if they were all puppets being controlled by an invisible string. My insides quivered.

  “You also get $50,000. In increments. Until the end of the year.”

  “Was this the offer you made my brother?” I pulled out the card with Lincoln’s name on it.

  “Yes.” They cocked their heads in the other direction. I felt a chill wash over me. “And he took it. Do you know why? Think about it for a second. Do you know why?”

  I bit my bottom lip. My phone vibrated in my pocket, but I didn’t dare touch it out of fear that I’d lose sight of one of them. If one of them came at me, I could try to defend myself. If all of them came at me, I was done for. No amount of Tae kwon do could’ve prepared me for this moment—not the four years of classes, not the black belt, not the sparring or the older brother who flung me around any chance he could. This was real life and it was absolutely terrifying.

  Did I know why my brother didn’t turn down the money? No. Before the accident, my brother wanted to go pro in the NHL, despite my father’s plans for him in the family business. Lincoln could’ve been free to live out his dream. Why would he have been willing to sell his soul for money? Why was I considering it? Was this how much we were worth? $50,000? Maybe. Maybe for me, anyway. My older brothers didn’t escape Dad’s control. I didn’t—couldn’t—until I had money of my own.

  “Do you know why?” he asked again.

  “No.”

  “Don’t you want to find out?” he asked. “Don’t you want to find out what happened?”

  “Yes.” My voice shook.

  “Is that a yes, you want to find out? Yes, you’ll start taking steps to join our group?”

  “I said yes.” My hands balled into fists. I was standing my ground dammit.

  “Good.”

  A rush of air fell over us and all of the candles went out suddenly, all at once, and we were all covered in darkness. Not even the stars on the other side of the window above us were helpful to light the room.

  “What is happening?” I asked. I looked around, relying on my senses as I blinked in the darkness and prayed my pupils got used to it quickly. I was shaking as I asked, “What are you doing?”

  If I’d walked into this room and it had been dark, I could’ve relied on my senses. I could’ve listened for footsteps, but I was completely lost right now, unsure of whether to move forward or back or trip over candles if I tried going side to side. I didn’t hear their approach, but suddenly, there was something over my head and my arms were being held behind me. My first instinct was to scream and kick, trashing against the grasp of the person who held me and lifted me off the ground, but it was useless. It was definitely a man, a strong one who was probably used to taking hits and stood despite them. My mind went to my brother first. Lincoln could take a hit like nobody’s business. Then instantly my thoughts turned to Hailey’s words when we first met. She said she suspected that the four hockey players we’d seen, Logan included, were in a society. All of those thoughts jumbled together as I gasped, took in air to scream again, but the oxygen was limited and with him walking as I tried to scream, the cloth kept going into my mouth, making me feel more out of breath. I felt like a fish out of water, quite literally.

  His grip tightened around me, but I continued to kick, to move, in hopes that he’d drop me. I shut my eyes tightly in hopes that it would help the feeling of confinement, but all it did was intensify it—the silence, the boots thumping on the floor as he walked with me in his arms, the darkness, my shallow breathing. He stopped walking suddenly and I was set down like a bale of hay. His hands were gone. His footsteps retreated. And then a door shut, leaving me in the complete darkness. I yanked the cloth from my head and tossed it aside, trying to catch my breath in heaping gasps as I sat there.

  Chapter 15

  My eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room. There were more candles in here—six of them on the other side of the room. It was like a cave, a dungeon of sorts. Clean though. It smelled clean, as if someone had taken the time to mop the floors and dust off the cobwebs. I launched for the door, trying the knob but found it locked from the outside.

  “You can’t keep me in here!” I banged. “Someone knows I’m here. I sent the location. He’ll call the cops!”

  No response.

  “My father will end you for this.” I tried again, pounding with both fists.

  Again, no response.

  I searched for my phone, my purse, and found they’d confiscated both. That enraged me further, so I tried again.

  “I’ll sue you for this. You won’t ever get a decent job in your lives!”

  Typical rich girl shit, I knew, but it normally worked. Not on them. I was met with more silence. I screamed until my throat felt dry. Finally, I stopped and looked around. There was a water bottle with a little card that read: Drink Me. I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t Alice and I sure as shit wasn’t going to drink it. I picked it up. It was sealed. I set it down and screamed again, and again, until my throat hurt. Then, I stopped. I walked over to the candles and noticed there was a small box. I sat in front of it, hesitating. What if this was a sick joke and they’d put a rat in it? I put my hand over it cautiously and shook it before picking it up. It was definitely something light. Papers? I opened the lid slowly and saw pictures. They’d taken the time to have them printed. I took out the stack and saw Lincoln. Then, Lincoln and Lana. All of the photographs were taken by someone who seemed to be trailing them without their knowledge. In one, they were standing close to each other, Lincoln was at least a foot taller than Lana, who was short and petite. Something about the picture was weird. I knew my brother better than I knew myself, and I knew how he looked when he was dating someone or interested in them. This wasn’t it. They were looking around in some of the pictures, as if trying to make sure they weren’t spotted together or overheard. An unsettling feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. For some strange reason, I
felt like I was going to throw up. Maybe because my brother looked like himself in all of these photographs and Lana was still here and alive. Were they trying to get me to believe Lincoln had something to do with her disappearance? I hoped not. He couldn’t have something to do with that. He wouldn’t . . . my stomach lurched again. I glanced up at the water bottle on the table and stood to grab it. It was sealed. It was safe. I intended to take a small sip, but downed half the contents instead.

  I twisted the cap back on it and set it down. A slow, tingling feeling traveled through my body. I swayed on my feet, stumbling backward, my sight crossing as the room began to spin. And then I fell. I couldn’t say how long I was just lying there before I heard footsteps. The door opened slowly, and I opened my eyes a little, just enough to see two cloaked figures walk inside. They didn’t even bother to close it behind them. They knew I wouldn’t be able to move. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell them to go fuck themselves, but my voice wouldn’t cooperate. They crouched in front of me, and I tried to make out their faces beyond the large hood on their heads, but couldn’t. My head lulled to one side and my eyes shut despite my trying to keep them open.

  “What do you want?” I asked. Or tried to ask.

  “Your brother was one of our best. And then he broke the code,” one of them said, a male voice.

  “He paid the price for it,” the other added.

  I reached out. If I could grab one of them by the neck, I would choke him. They laughed, seemingly understanding my motive. My arm dropped with a thump beside me. There was a crash. A pound. Both of their heads turned toward it at the same time. I lifted my arm again and tried to swing, but my arm fell before I could hit either of them.

  “What the fuck did you do to her?” the voice shouted. Logan. Logan?

  “Aw, are you already getting attached to your new pet?” one responded.

  “Get the fuck away from her,” Logan roared. “Now.”

  The two figures in front of me skittered back quickly. It must have been my state of intoxication, but they looked like ants scurrying off. I tried to get up, to ask if it was Logan, but in my attempt, I passed out.

  Chapter 16

  My brother broke the code. What code? My mind was spiraling as I thought about everything—the darkness, the code, the money, the agreement, the cold concrete beneath my hands, the clean smell, the pounding. What the hell was the pounding?

  I awoke with a start, and I was in my bed.

  My bed.

  In my apartment. Miles away from the Gorges. I sat up in bed and leaned back on my headboard and patted myself down to make sure I was intact. What the fuck? How the fuck? The last thing I remembered was screaming at the top of my lungs in that dungeon-looking basement. I closed my eyes to think. Had they opened the door? Had they . . . I whimpered at the thought, my hand cupping between my legs, but no. I didn’t feel anything there. My neck was sore though, as if I’d slept in an awkward position. How had they carried me out of there without me knowing? How had they gotten into my apartment? A shiver spread through me. Was it the same ones who brought the boxes in here previously? Were they still here? I brought a hand to my mouth to keep from whimpering aloud, and when my phone vibrated on my nightstand, I jolted. They’d even placed my phone there and plugged into the charger. Who were these people? I stared at Travis’s picture kissing my cheek on the screen of the phone for a beat, then two, before deciding to answer it.

  “Hello?” My voice was hoarse.

  “What the fuck, Mae? I’ve been calling. Did you make it back home?”

  “Um . . . yes. Yeah, I’m home.”

  “What happened? Why were you in the middle of nowhere last night?”

  “I got an invitation to a party,” I said, licking my lips.

  My lips were so dry. My voice was so hoarse and I felt so groggy. They drugged me. They were spouting about loyalty, yet they’d drugged me. I glanced down at myself again. I was still wearing the same clothes I had on last night and aside from looking disheveled, nothing was torn. I knew they hadn’t raped me. I just knew. But still. What if they’d touched me? What if they felt me up while I was unconscious, or looked at me naked, or taken pictures? My lip quivered, my eyes instantly pooling with the thought of that.

  “Mae?” Travis sounded impatient.

  “I’m sorry.” I licked my lips again. “Yeah, I’m fine. I should’ve been more clear last night.”

  “What the fuck is going on?”

  “Nothing.” I climbed out of bed and started walking toward the living room. I had to stay on the phone with him while I searched the apartment and made sure I was alone. “What’s going on with you?”

  “I’m worried about you,” he said. “I was worried sick last night. I almost called the cops and sent them your location but I wanted to wait until this morning just in case.”

  “I’m sorry I worried you.” I went into the bathroom and looked around. There was nothing there. The kitchen was next. Nothing. The guest room and bathroom. Nothing. “Thanks for not calling the cops though. That would have been overkill.”

  The word kill made me queasy. I put a hand over my mouth to keep from gagging.

  “Do you still have a roommate?” he asked.

  “No, she moved in with her boyfriend.”

  “Kind of how I asked you to move in with me?”

  “Right. Except we were more off than on in our relationship, and they seem to have something solid going on.” I licked my lips again. “I heard a girl with you last night. Obviously, my moving out or moving away hasn’t stopped you from exploring other people on campus.”

  “Don’t be like that, Mae.” He exhaled. “What do you want me to do? I’m not gonna be a monk. You want me to give up fucking around? Fine, but that means you have to commit to being with me again.”

  “Travis,” I warned. “You could barely commit to me when we were together.”

  “So don’t ask me about my life then. I’m not asking you why you sound like you were sucking dick all night.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I’m sorry.” Another exhale. “It’s just, you sent me your location and ghosted my calls. What do you expect me to think?”

  “Not that.” My eyes felt wide as I went back to the kitchen and got myself a glass of water. “Jesus.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just, I miss you, and I know we said no calls or texts but fuck, it’s hard, Mae. I’m worried about you.”

  “Look, I’m sorry I sent you my location with no explanation. That wasn’t fair.” I closed my eyes as I leaned against the counter. “I won’t do it again.”

  “I’ll be there next week, you know?”

  “Here?” My eyes snapped open. “Why?”

  “We’re playing a game there. Scrimmage, nothing official, and the guys and I are going to the football game Saturday. Maybe we can hang out, you know, for old time’s sake?”

  “Ummm . . . maybe. I guess. Let me know when you’re here,” I said. “Thanks for calling and checking up on me.”

  We hung up with that last olive branch. One I wasn’t sure I’d give or take, especially after he’d just said he missed me. That was Travis though. That was the way he usually got me back after our break ups. My attention turned back to my apartment. The lock was in place and didn’t look like it had been tampered with, not that I would know what a tampered lock would look like. The door was fine. My keys were on top of the counter, in the exact spot I usually set them. What the fuck happened last night and who brought me back? There was no way, absolutely no way that I was going back there again. Not for $50,000 and freedom and not for knowledge. My sanity was worth more than whatever they had to offer.

  Chapter 17

  After a long shower, I gathered my things and headed to my first class. As I stepped out of my apartment, I noticed a sheet of white paper folded in two on the floor outside my door. I looked around and picked it up quickly, my back pressed up against the door as I read it: We’re watching you. Another shive
r rolled through me. I hadn’t been able to stop shaking since I woke up. I still didn’t know who was watching me. I didn’t know what anyone looked like under the black cloaks they wore or why they were so secretive about it all. On my way to campus, I called Max. I’d packed my brother’s laptop in my bag and was planning on going to the library with it to do some digging, but I needed to know more about what Lana had found when she was working for the paper. I thought about the pictures I’d seen last night of her and Lincoln and how they’d said he betrayed them. What had he done? What part did my brother play in all of it?

  “What did Lana tell you about what she was investigating?” I asked Max once he picked up the phone.

  “Not much,” he said. “Did you find something? Were you invited to join a society?”

  “No.” I stopped walking, heart pounding. What if Max was involved somehow? He could’ve been hiding underneath a cloak. I took a deep breath before I continued, “I just keep thinking about her and wondering if maybe she found something incriminating on them. Like incriminating enough to make them want to get rid of her.”

  “That’s one of the many Reddit theories,” he said. “But it was kind of discounted by the fact that they’d be charged with murder if they were caught.”

  “If they’re caught,” I said. “Big if. They could’ve disposed of the body who knows where by now.”

  “Dude, the search parties were insane those first few days. You weren’t here for that, but it was a madhouse. The story got global attention. There were people here from Singapore reporting on it and searching.”

  “They could’ve driven out before she was even reported missing.”

  “I don’t know, Mae.”

  “Let me guess, someone on Reddit discounted that theory as well.”

  “It’s just, these guys and girls, are rich beyond belief. I find it hard to believe they’d want to get their hands dirty.”

  I thought about Logan’s brother, a former NHL player who was making millions, and how it appeared he got away with raping various girls. I thought about my own father, who was a known cheater, and how that affected my mother and in turn, us. I thought about my older brothers, who had followed in his footsteps from time to time, and the wives that stuck by them. Cheating wasn’t murder though. It was hurtful and shattered the foundation of a relationship, but it wasn’t murder. I couldn’t picture any of those people committing murder or kidnapping. Well, except for Patrick Fitzgerald. I didn’t know him. I knew his brother though and I would bet money that he wouldn’t commit murder.