“Hey, girl. I’m gonna run. I have class early. Can you finish up?” asks another waitress by the name of Shell. It’s midnight. The diner is officially closed, and I’m tired and frustrated. After I had spent the day packing some stuff, I tried to go back to sleep before my shift, but it wasn’t possible. Jet had called me, and the fact that he had no good news had me sick to my stomach.
I nod my head. “Sure,” I say with a sigh.
I sit down in one of the booths and bang my head on it. I feel so helpless. Where do I start? What do I need to do next? The surveillance showed a limo. What do I do? Start calling limo services? Ask who had one out at that time of night by Seven Deadly Sins? Can they even give out that kind of information?
“You know it’s not very safe to be here alone this late.”
I sit up and jump out of the booth to a male’s voice. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see Brecken standing by the kitchen window. “You’re gonna give me a heart attack,” I snap. “How did you find me here?” I demand.
He takes a step toward me. “I went to your apartment, asked a few people where you work”—he reaches his hands out to his side—“and here we are.”
I pull my shoulders back and blow the loose strands of brown hair from my face. “Why are you here?” I question.
“Officer Jet came by to see me this evening.”
“I didn’t tell him about what we saw on the camera,” I say. I don’t wanna cause trouble for him and his club. I would much rather have him on my side than the cops.
He nods. “I appreciate that.”
“Yet you’re here. Was he able to tell you anything?” I ask hopeful. He shakes his head. “Then you can leave.” I turn to give him my back, but he speaks, stopping me.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Tiffany has a record?” His voice has changed. No longer friendly, it’s now more accusing. “And he also told me that you have a record.”
I swallow. “That is not relevant.”
He laughs. A throaty laugh that fades away as he takes another step toward me. I stand my ground. “Is that why you came to Seven Deadly Sins? Because you knew the cops weren’t going to believe that someone took her? You thought you could get me to help you?”
“I don’t want your help!” I shout. “I can find her on my own.”
“Yeah. How’s that working out for you?” he asks running a hand down his chin. I wanna kick him in the balls again.
“Fuck you,” I spit.
His dark eyes look me up and down, and this time, when his eyes meet mine, they shine with dirty thoughts. My breath picks up, and my insides tighten. “Is that an invitation?” he asks with a smirk.
I stand frozen to my spot. He takes a step closer then another one. My hands tremble by my sides as he lifts his right hand and his scarred knuckles graze the cut on my face. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “It’s healing really well.”
My nostrils flare, and my legs shake. “What do you want?” My voice wavers. This man terrifies me, but he’s also alluring. Something about him …
“I want to know what kind of drugs your friend was on the night she disappeared.”
“She wasn’t on any.” Not that I know of. But with Tiffany, you never know. She liked her world as crazy as her personality. She was up one minute and down the next.
“You’re lying.” He’s so close to me that his breath hits my face, and I inhale the minty smell.
“She had been clean for months,” I say breathlessly, my chest rising and falling rapidly due to his closeness.
“And you? Are you clean?” he asks. His hand continues to caress my face. His knuckles might as well be branding me; they feel so hot yet so gentle.
“I’m clean,” I whisper, telling him the truth. He removes his hand from my cheek, and I suck in a deep breath. “Why do you care?” I ask, my heart still pounding.
“Because I told you I was gonna help you, but I can’t if I don’t know everything.” Clearly, touching my face didn’t affect him.
Anger rises up in me. “Then don’t help me,” I say with a careless shrug. “Between me and the cops, we’ll find her.”
He laughs. “Baby, the cops are useless. How do you think I know she has a record? They pulled it and think she is on some binge. Shacked up with a man somewhere.”
My shoulders drop and so does my stomach. “No,” is all I can say as I shake my head. My knees buckle, and the next moment, I find myself sitting back in the booth.
His hand is on my back, and he softly rubs it. “Breathe,” he says soothingly.
I try but I can’t. She wouldn’t do this to me. She wouldn’t leave me behind. She knows how important she is to me. She knows I need her. “So that’s it.” I swallow around the lump in my throat. “They just give up like that.”
“I’m not going to,” he says, bending down next to the booth.
My eyes find him, and my tears blur his face. “Tell me what to do,” I say. “Please. Tell me what I need to do. This feeling … I’m drowning,” I say honestly. I blink, and the tears fall, allowing me to see his face. His jaw is tight and his dark brown eyes hard.
“You need to move.”
And I actually relax when I see we are on the same page. “I’m going to,” I say, and he smiles. “As soon as she comes home, we’re moving far away from here.” The smile drops off his face.
“No.” He shakes his head. “I don’t think we are talking about the same thing.” I tilt my head to the side in confusion. “You need to move now. You need to move to a nicer place.”
I shake my head. “I don’t have the money to move to a nicer place,” I say through gritted teeth. “You think I choose to live in that hellhole?” I gesture to the diner. “I make all I can here and it’s barely enough.”
“Get a job somewhere—”
“Better?” I interrupt him, getting pissed. “Do you think I would work here if I had other options?” I growl. “Quit trying to help me. And quit judging me.” Tiffany and I barely graduated from high school. We didn’t have the money for college, and we’ve moved around so much that we’ve only ever worked in diners or restaurants. We’ve never had the opportunity to better ourselves, and we never really cared. We had each other and that was all we thought we needed.
“I’m not judging you,” he says softly.
I snort. “Sure sounds like you are. You think you know who I am. You think you can just walk in and change my life around.” I shoot to my feet, and he stands as well. I hate it. I felt more superior when he was crouched down at eye level. Now, he towers over me. All muscles and dark eyes. “Just stop,” is all I can think to say.
“I know you want to find Tiffany. And I’m going to help you, but you also need to think of yourself. You have to move.”
I fist my hands down by my side. “I told you I will when she is found,” I shout.
He runs a hand through his dark hair. “No, now. I have a place where you can stay,” he offers.
“With you?” I ask wide-eyed. Brecken scares me. I wouldn’t be able to sleep, afraid he would come in and kill me. Or turn me on. The man is like gasoline. He would light me on fire only to leave me to burn to death. And I have a feeling I would enjoy it.
He shakes his head. “I have a rental house. It’s yours until we find Tiffany.”
I like the way he says until we find Tiffany. I like how he has hope. Because I’m losing all of mine. But … “No! I’m not going to move away while my best friend is missing. What if she comes back home?” I ask.
“What if they find where you live?” he asks back.
“Let them.” I shrug. “I’ll be ready.”
He snorts. “With your gun?”
“Yes,” I say matter-of-factly. He caught me off guard. Does he really think I wouldn’t be able to defend myself?
“Listen,” he growls. “It’s not safe at your place. And if I can follow you to your place and find out where your work, then so can they.”
I wish we knew who they were.
I would walk out with my hands raised yelling at them to bring it. I’d fight them. I wouldn’t lay down and give them any satisfaction. I’d make them take it. But once again, Brecken is proving that he’s the only one willing to help me. “Let them find me! That’s the only way I’m gonna have a chance to find Tiffany.” I shrug. “Maybe they’ll lead me right to her.”
“To your death?” he snaps.
“Just stop, Brecken!” I yell. I take a deep breath as he sighs. “Just stop,” I say softer. “I refuse to move until she comes home. And I don’t need you popping up everywhere I’m at unless you have something to tell me. Do you understand?”
“Skye, I—”
“Do you understand?” I demand, interrupting him.
He stands there staring down at me, breathing heavy with his shoulders back. I’ve pissed him off. This man is obviously used to getting his way, and he needs to realize that I’m not going to budge. He steps toward me, closing the small distance between us. He looks down at me with narrowed eyes. “You need to understand that Tiffany is dead!” he growls, and I gasp. “I understand that you would get yourself killed rather than act rationally and fucking hide.” His voice is deeper than usual, and his nostrils flare. “Go ahead, be a stupid bitch who gets herself killed. But when they come for you, don’t come looking to me for help.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat as tears start to sting my eyes. I clear my throat. “Just leave me be, Brecken,” I whisper.
He looks at me for a long second, and just when I think he’s not gonna give up on me, he turns around and storms out of the diner doing exactly as I asked him to do.
I fall back down into the booth and let out a sob as I place my head on the table.
***
It’s been three days since Brecken showed up at my work. And I haven’t slept much. My eyes are red and puffy. My hair is a mess because I haven’t wanted to wash it. And I haven’t worn makeup once.
I’ve worked the last two nights since then, and both nights, I was always looking over my shoulder, afraid Brecken would show up again. Thankfully, he hasn’t, but the thought irritated me. He was the only one willing to help me, and I fucked it up. But after what he said about her being dead, I realize he never believed as I did. I know she’s still out there. She is going to be found, and when she returns, we’re going to leave this piece of shit town behind us.
I also haven’t spoken to Officer Jet. Saying that I am going insane would be an understatement.
I’m sitting on my couch after another night of work drinking red wine out of a box and staring at the wall ahead of me when I hear a knock on the door.
My body tenses, and I turn to look at it wide-eyed as my heart speeds up. Is it Tiffany? Could it be that easy? That she would choose to come home and knock instead of using her key?
The knock comes again. I jump up off the couch and run over to it. I yank the door open, and all hope fades as I see Robert standing there with a smile on his slim face. His light blue eyes look glossed over. He places a hand up on the doorframe and smiles at me. “You look just as beautiful as I remember.” He runs his tongue over his upper lip as he looks me up and down.
“Why are you here, Robert?” I ask with a sigh. I swear I’ve never got this much attention before. If it’s not Brecken showing up, it’s Robert. One I can’t stand, and the other makes me want to scream.
“I have been calling you. Where have you been?” He tries to look into my apartment, but I close the door some and block his view with my body.
“I’ve been busy,” I say not wanting to tell him about Tiffany. He would want to help, and Robert is not the kind of guy who helps. I don’t want to be around him anymore. And if he knows she is missing, he’ll try to use that to his advantage and worm his way back into my life.
He reaches his hand out toward my face, but I pull back before he can touch me. “I’ve been worried about you.”
“It’s over, Robert. No need to worry about me. Please just leave,” I ask of him. Robert and I have had a shaky relationship for the last six months. It ended three months ago.
I go to shut the door, but he sticks his foot out, stopping it. “Wait,” he orders, pushing it open a little more. “Just tell me one thing.”
“What is it?” I run a hand through my hair while the other holds my wine glass.
“Is there someone else?”
Brecken comes to mind but not in that way. More as I could use him right now. Robert would be scared to death of him. His dark brown eyes and muscular frame. Not to mention he would tower over Robert. I imagine telling Brecken to help me get rid of him and then Brecken pouncing on him as he did the guy who tried to attack me downstairs … Without thought, I reach up and place my hand on my neck. My pulse is racing. It’s crazy. I don’t even know Brecken, and I should totally focus on Tiffany right now. It’s been five days since she went missing and still nothing. I refuse to believe as Brecken does. She’s not dead! “No, Robert. There’s no one else,” I finally say.
“Then why don’t I believe you?” he asks, tilting his head to the side. “Is there someone here right now?” he demands.
“No.” I shake my head quickly. “I’m telling you the truth.”
He leans forward pushing the door wide open. The door hits me in the shoulder hard enough to knock me back as he storms in. I suck in a breath as my wine goes all over my shirt. “What the fuck …?” I growl, having enough. I drop the empty wine glass to the rug and try to rub the pain out while he walks around aimlessly looking for someone. “There’s no one here, Robert!” I yell. “Now, get out,” I shout starting to lose my temper.
He walks into the bathroom, and I hear him yank back the shower curtain followed by the sound of things falling in the tub. “You’re lying,” he growls.
“Look around,” I say raising my hands as tears fill my eyes. “There’s nowhere in this fucking place to hide someone,” I shout.
He exits the bathroom, fists down by his side, jaw tight, and nostrils flared. “What did you say to me?” he demands.
I swallow nervously. “No one is here.” I shake my head. “There’s nobody else. We broke up. You were seeing someone else,” I say getting mad that he is blaming me for this. “You wanted someone else,” I growl, finding that anger again. “You wanted someone better.” I point at him with bite. “Those were your words, right? You left me!” I take a step toward him. “But guess what?” I ask with a smile. An I’m losing my mind smile because all I really wanna do is lie down and cry. “I’m fine!” I lift my hands to my side. “I don’t need you anymore.”
He slaps me across the face. My head snaps to the left, and I lift my hand to hold my face. I gasp as I look at him through my dark hair that covers half my face.
“You will not speak to me that way,” he growls. “You will show me some respect,” he demands, wrapping his hand around my wrists and yanking it away from my face. It causes me to stumble forward. “I am a man.”
I straighten my shoulders and stare up at him as tears run down my face. I give him my back and walk on shaky legs over to my front door. I lean down, grab my purse and pull out my gun. I lift it and point it at him, and his blue eyes widen in fear. “I told you to get out,” I say, trying to stop my hand from shaking. All I need is for him to pull a Brecken and yank it out of my hands.
He throws his head back and laughs at me. My jaw tightens in anger. “Get out,” I shout. “Get the fuck out,” I shout at him.
I will show him crazy. I will make him doubt my sanity if that is what it takes. He is not who I thought he was, and by leaving me—wanting something better—he did the best thing that could have happened to me.
“I’ll leave,” he says with his hands raised, “but I’ll be back.” He gives me a smirk, as he gets closer and closer with every step. I step back and turn in order to keep my gun trained on him.
“No. You won’t,” I say as I slam the door in his face and lock it. I slam my back against it and slide down to sit on my butt.
I pull my knees to my chest and let out a sob as I place the gun on the ground beside me.
I lift my hand and cover my face as the sting still lingers. My red wine covered t-shirt clings to my chest and stomach, and some of it is even in my hair.
What did I do? At what point did I fall apart? I’ve been running for my life since I was twelve. Somewhere along the way, I became this weak and emotional girl. Brecken was right; I can’t seem to take care of myself.
CHAPTER EIGHT
BRECKEN
I get into my Range Rover with a heavy sigh. It’s been a long night at Seven Deadly Sins, and I had to leave early. Even Miller saw it in the way I beat the shit out of a man who probably didn’t deserve it. He told me to head home and clear my mind. He was gonna take over for me.
It’s been three days since I spoke to Skye at the diner, and she’s still on my mind. This woman is hardheaded. She came to me for help then refuses to let me help her. I’m trying to keep her safe, and she just doesn’t care. So I’ve given up. I promised her I would help with Tiffany, and I will, but that doesn’t mean that I have to keep begging her to help herself. I throw my SUV into drive and head home. I’m tired.
I pull up to my house and frown when I see a black car parked in front of it. Who does that belong to?
I walk into my house and jump when I see my boss, Jones, sitting on my couch. “Jones? Can’t you fucking call me?” I ask, regretting the fact I ever gave him a key to my house. He likes to pop up randomly.
He sighs. “Not like you use it.” Has he been trying to call me? I go to pull my cell phone out of my pocket, but he points over at my loveseat, and I almost trip over my feet when I see the officer who came up to Seven Deadly Sins, Jet, sitting there.
Obsession (Seven Deadly Sins Book 2) Page 10
