“You too, Jessie. How goes the pregnancy?”
The blood rushing through Lindsey’s ears prevented her from hearing the answer. She heard nothing of their forced, banal conversation. She was too busy keeping her wobbling legs from collapsing and letting her fall flat on the floor. She was managing quite well so far.
She turned her attention back when Elliot said he was going to grab his bag from the car. Jessie had already warmly invited him to stay there overnight. He didn’t deserve it and was barely tolerable to either Jessie or Will. He certainly never talked to, much less looked at Jessie with even a trace of warmth.
Jessie waited until the front door clicked shut. “What the hell is going on? What was that?”
“I never told him I worked for Noah.”
“Why not?”
“I just, I didn’t. He wouldn’t want me to work.”
Jessie frowned and her entire body straightened up with nearly physical disgust. “Holy fuck. He doesn’t allow you to work, does he?”
She straightened her back. She could not let Jessie know more than she already did. “Oh my God, Jessie, it’s not like that. It’s not like he doesn’t allow me to do anything. I simply don’t want to. I’m sorry, we happen to be wealthy enough that there simply is no need for me to get a job.”
Jessie tapped a finger to her leg. “Yeah, and how does that explain why you wouldn’t be able to do me the favor?”
She shrugged and turned her back on her prying sister. That was why it was so much easier to live far away and have no one close by her. It was so much easier for her to hide from the few, fake acquaintances they cultivated and called their “friends” in D.C.
“Because I was embarrassed, okay? I mean this place. The country vet clinic. It’s not exactly ‘us,’ Jessie. We were at the White House only a month before I came here. And now, I play around with the phones in some podunk town. Forgive me, if I just didn’t want it getting out. It would make me the laughing stock of the club.”
Jessie stiffened in obvious resentment halfway through her vile, rude, and very snobby speech. A speech that could have kept Jessie out of her business forever. Maybe even out of her life. The thought of losing her again nearly doubled Lindsey over in pain. No. She could not handle this, any of it, without at least some contact with her sister.
Jessie’s eyebrows lifted. “Club? What club?”
Lindsey waved a hand in the air. “Oh, our Country Club, of course. You can’t imagine what my life is like anymore. Since you moved away and we relocated to Virginia, well, we are really something now. And together, we’re going to be something great.”
“Oh, well, pardon me, if we aren’t anybody. And just so you know, that’s a load of shit.”
It was. But it might very well have saved her life. “Jessie, you and are headed for very different existences. You have to understand, this was merely a stepping stone for me. A mini-vacation. A chance to connect with you before my real life actually begins.”
“She’s right,” Elliot said as he stepped through the front door. She knew that. She’d seen him coming up and hoped to gain more trust by having him catch her talking to Jessie in that condescending way. She turned fully toward Elliot with a glorious, albeit phony, smile. “And I can’t wait. Being here has shown me just how lucky I really am.”
Jessie’s face was stone and she clenched her jaw. “Yeah, well, it’s shown me a thing or two as well.”
Her heart flinched. No. No, Jessie. Don’t believe me. See through me. Tell me not to go with him. Tell me Will can kill him. Will can protect me. Tell me you’ll never let him hurt me again.
But she well knew that was a dream. A childish fantasy. It was not reality. And all she could do by telling them the truth was to put their lives and the life of their baby in long term jeopardy. For Elliot never would forget or forgive anyone who helped her escape him.
“So, we’ll get Elliot settled, and I’ll cook dinner, like usual.”
Jessie cocked her head, but remained silent. Jessie knew Lindsey didn’t cook. She could not cook. She did not so much as make Jessie a single sandwich during her entire time there. She looked back over her shoulder as Jessie stared after her with real concern etched into her face.
Lindsey tried to avoid Jessie so she didn’t have a chance alone with her. She left the next morning, but things remained strange and edgy between them. It was obvious when Jessie told Will of their exchange because Will stared hard at her too. Will, the soldier, not her friend, looked back at her. No one fucked with Jessie. Not even Lindsey. So she felt pretty sure she’d lost his previous concern for her. Which was good, as it was safer, and therefore, better for all.
****
It had been the most fun month of Lindsey’s life. Will and Jessie traded off cooking duties and the three of them alternated the chores. They talked and laughed. There wasn’t a hint of fear or the chill of imminent violence in their house. They laughed a lot, which was something Lindsey hadn’t done in years. She found the humor and sarcasm utterly intoxicating. Elliot would have backhanded her if she dared to say the things that she said to Will in his presence. Will merely laughed or retorted with something equally offensive. She loved rising every morning with a purpose to her days. She had to be at work. She was accountable to Noah. She liked pleasing Noah, and being rewarded with a smile and the quick glance of appreciation that he flashed her. Not like with Elliot whom she aimed to please purely out of a survival instinct. She just liked Noah, period. There was no denying it.
Letting the happy thoughts fill her mind over the next few weeks, Lindsey remembered snippets of conversation, funny moments, uncomfortable moments, and all the moments Noah helped her. Especially when Noah saved Tessa Backerman.
She quickly fell back into her role as Lindsey Johanson, and in a way, was relieved. She was really stressed being away from Elliot. She behaved so badly, she often lay awake at night, dreading that Elliot somehow would find out. She also imagined what he’d do if he found out. The horrible thoughts made her cold and sweaty. It was awful to imagine.
Now, she was back to herself. Her routine. And behaving. She took comfort in it. She got up. She got dressed. She found solace even in wearing her old clothes. Outfits Elliot picked out for her. Things he wanted to see her wear. It was simply better for her nerves for her to behave exactly as Elliot wanted. The anticipation of what he could do to her was far worse than simply obeying his rules.
And it also calmed her mind. That inner scream, urging her to tell someone: Jessie, Will or Noah. Noah turned out to be a surprise. That she trusted any man except Will was quite unusual; but somehow, she did trust Noah. Or at least, she believed she could trust him if her life weren’t controlled by a monster.
Things were okay for a few weeks. She went back to her vacuous luncheons with the ladies at the country club, never having one intelligent conversation with any of them. She let them tell her about their insignificant lives, their doting husbands, and their challenging kids. She said nothing, but no one ever seemed to pick up on it. With a smile, she could deflect almost anyone away from her. It was second nature to her now, although it only began early in her marriage.
The problem that had her stomach tied up in knots was Penny and Noah kept calling her cell phone. She never dared to answer it. But there was no doubt in her mind that soon Elliot would see the calls on the bill.
She gave both of them her number while she was in Washington. She did not expect it to cause any problems, but never anticipated they’d continue to use it after she left the state. She assumed they’d never contact her again. It was fast becoming a problem because Elliot would insist on knowing why they kept calling her.
They didn’t understand that she wasn’t allowed to correspond with outside influences. She couldn’t get a new number. Elliot controlled that. She waited out the time frame, biting her nails down to the cuticle. He would not like their contact.
Meanwhile, Elliot’s election was starting. He strictly instructed her to wear her black, kne
e-length skirt with a red jacket, and to put her hair in a French twist. She was required to have the serving tray ready at precisely two o’clock with hot coffee and pastries. Cal Hopkins was the guest who was coming over. He was Elliot’s first choice to hire as his campaign manager. Cal ran a congressional race in Illinois that managed to decimate the competition. Just as Elliot intended to do. Cal was a tall, slender man with black hair, which he kept slicked off his face. He wore a gray suit with no tie. When he entered their house, Lindsey stood up from the living room chair and a chill instantly rushed down her spine.
As he came into their living room, she could almost feel his eyes running over her in a leering, salacious stare.
“Hello Mr. Hopkins. Welcome to our home. Please, have a seat.” Lindsey made sure to keep her smile pleasant, as if she enjoyed his undisguised leering. Elliot would not be happy if she blew this first impression.
“Please, call me Cal.” He held her hand far too long and she yearned to tug it back from his sweaty grip. But instead, she let it sit there limply.
“Lindsey, why don’t you pour us some coffee?”
She obeyed Elliot’s bidding, but all the while, felt Cal’s lecherous eyes staring down her blouse as she bent over. She resisted the urge to tug up her collar as he made her feel violated. But there was no chance that she would show her disdain.
She handed them their drinks and sat quietly in her chair, listening, and only responding when one of them directly asked her a question.
“I assure you, Lindsey will do anything you require of her. Won’t you, dear?”
She sat up straighter. Her mind had temporarily wandered from them as they discussed their strategy and focus groups, as well as which audience to target and an estimate of expenses. “Yes, of course, Elliot.”
Cal’s gaze jerked to her face. He nodded, pretending to be skeptical. “Indeed? Not many wives would be so willing to help.”
“Mine is.” Elliot’s tone was tight and Lindsey dropped her eyes to the floor. “Mine wants this for me, I mean, us, don’t you, dear?”
She nodded. “Oh, yes. Of course, I want nothing more than for Elliot to get what he has long deserved.”
Cal’s gaze sharpened on her, but she smiled with a sweet tilt of her head. Cal sat back on the sofa and grinned. “I think we three could make a killer team.”
Elliot smiled just as deceptively. “Yes, I believe so.”
And Lindsey got the creepy feeling that she had just witnessed the devil signing a contract with Lucifer. Her stomach churned. There was undeniably something about Cal Hopkins that didn’t feel right.
****
Lindsey was back and THE MAN was relieved. He had no idea where she went, or what really went on while she was gone. He didn’t like not knowing. He didn’t like it when he had no tabs on her. But most of all, he missed actually seeing her. Even if he could only find snippets in gossip columns, or pictures from the local charitable foundation that she sponsored. Whatever he could find always helped get him through his day. She looked better now, and seemed a smidgeon less skeletal looking. She even had some color in her face.
When Elliot finally announced his run for governor, the man’s heart leapt with joy. They’d soon be all over the local county and state newspapers. Maybe even become national news. It was fantastic.
Chapter Fourteen
“Where did she go?”
Noah sighed. He’d already told Tessa that Lindsey returned home about a half dozen times. She didn’t seem to believe him. “She lives on the East Coast, with her husband. She simply went back home. But I’ll still come to see you, Tessa. I won’t abandon you.”
Tessa folded her arms over her chest and glared at him. She relied on him, but she wanted to talk to Lindsey. Lindsey had visited her every evening, on her way home from work for two weeks straight, while Noah could only manage to swing by every few days. She was holed up in the shelter with her six kids and it was amazing they stayed away from Dean thus far. Dean got released from the hospital, but there was an ongoing investigation into what happened between Dean and Tessa. He was uninjured, unfortunately, for Noah. But at least, Tessa didn’t have to live with the additional fear of being prosecuted for murder. Now, however, as Lindsey often explained to him, he had to keep the pressure on Tessa so she would not go right back home to it. It boggled his mind. Why? Why would anyone return to such hideous treatment? It made no sense to him.
Tessa wasn’t all that relieved to be away from her home. She was torn. Noah realized Lindsey was correct, that there was a fifty percent chance Tessa would go right back. He wished he could do something about it. He wished he could change it, but didn’t know how to.
So, in order to avoid thinking about Lindsey, his mission was to make sure Tessa did not return to Dean. When she waffled and carped about living in the shelter with her six kids, he offered them his house, despite Lindsey’s advice otherwise. He couldn’t help it. While discussing what she should do, Noah simply said they could stay with him, just to keep them from going back to an abusive household.
Soon after, Noah had six kids and a middle-aged woman moving into his house. It was not exactly what he meant to do, but even he could see they were browbeaten kids. They were unnaturally quiet and seemed so fearful of him, he had no hesitation in deciding he had to do that. He owed it to them and happily discovered that his dogs were also helpful in comforting them. The kids spent hours out playing with and holding them. The dogs seemed to offer connections that they could find nowhere else.
Lindsey called Noah two weeks after she left so abruptly.
“Lindsey?” he answered immediately, interrupting his consultation with a couple about their dog’s cancer. He pulled a “Lindsey” and stepped out by pretending it was his sick friend.
“Yes? Hi.” An awkward pause floated over the distance.
“How are you?”
“Fine. Is Tessa okay? Did she go back to Dean?”
“No, she didn’t go back. And she’s not okay, but she will be. She would sure appreciate a phone call from you. How could you promise her so much and then just abandon her like that?” And me. The thought startled him. No. He wasn’t abandoned by her. He was simply annoyed when she got so weird with her husband and left without another word to him, despite all the time they spent together.
“I don’t have time. Not anymore. Look, you have got to quit calling me. And tell Penny the same goes for her.”
“Why? Why can’t we call you? I only called because I had some questions about work. You didn’t exactly leave me with any notice. What the hell was that about?”
“That was me going home. Just stop calling.” She waited a long moment, then said softly, “Please, Noah. Just stop.”
He leaned his head into the cabinet. Damn, why did Lindsey always get to him? Fine. He would quit calling and make sure his sister did too although he didn’t know Penny was also trying to contact Lindsey.
“What happened with you and your sister?”
“What needed to happen. I’ve got to go now. Goodbye.”
He stared at the phone but she was gone. Just like that. He slammed his fist into the cabinet. What the fuck just happened?
****
Lindsey walked into their bedroom after a quick workout down in the exercise room. She wished she could go to a gym, just for the company. She saw no one but the house staff, Elliot, and now, Cal. He was temporarily set up in their downstairs office. They were working on renting some office space downtown, but for now, Cal was there all the time. She hated it. She had to stick even closer to her room. And sneak around him. He was too handsy, and way too forward. Elliot wouldn’t like knowing that, but would have gotten even more furious if she ruined his relationship with the manager of his campaign.
She felt more isolated now than before she left for Washington. Elliot decided their separation wasn’t a good thing, although she worked extra hard to please him after they returned.
She was on her way to the shower when she stopped
dead in her tracks. Elliot stood by the window, staring out, unmoving.
“Did you fuck him?”
She froze and her entire body shuddered. Her heart nearly dropped out of her chest like a stone to the ground. Who? What happened?
“What? Elliot, I have no idea who you’re talking about.” Cal? Was he talking about his touchy-feely manager? But that wasn’t her fault. She did nothing to encourage him. She only spoke to him in Elliot’s presence, or when the situation demanded it.
He turned slowly. His expression was blank, but his eyes sparked with anger as they held her gaze. He took a step forward and she stepped back. He paused, rubbing a hand on his chin as if contemplating something. She licked her lips. Something was really, awfully wrong. He was way too calm. Way too controlled. She knew the signs. But what had she done? And worse, what was he going to do?
“Who? The man who calls your cell phone almost daily! Is that his signal? He calls once and you call back from the pay phone?”
Her breath stopped and her mind went numb. He must’ve followed her. One time. She did it only one time. She walked to the park and used one of the old relic phone booths. She called simply to get Noah to leave her alone, to prevent something just like this from occurring. She started shaking her head no. “I simply wanted him to quit calling me. I think he had a crush on me. It wasn’t reciprocated. I told him to never call me again. Call him. Right now. Go ahead. That is all we discussed. I insisted he leave me alone.”
He stopped up short and stared at her hard. Her breathing increased and her hands grew moist. Did he believe her? Would he leave her alone? What? She almost screamed. What was he thinking?
The minutes dragged on and on, but he didn’t move a muscle in his face. He didn’t react as if he’d even heard her. What? Where was Elliot going with this?
Then… he rushed forward. It was so fast, she barely blinked and it happened. One second, he was there watching her, and the next, he was coming for her.
The Good Sister (Sister Series, #2) Page 17
