Burned by Deception (The Dark Side of Springwood Book 2)

by Jennifer A. Brown

  Jacob smiled at him. “It seems so, yes.”

  “Aw!” he cried out, punching Jacob playfully in the shoulder. “You were always so modest about yourself. Until you were in front of a crowd playing guitar and singing.”

  Jacob eased down behind his desk as Gavin continued to stand. Jacob held out his hand. “You can have a seat, Gavin.”

  Gavin shook his head. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. This is all just so weird to me. You, mayor of Springwood.”

  Jacob nodded as Gavin finally eased himself into the office chair before him. Gavin still had piercing black eyes to match his almost as dark hair. He and Scott Stapp of Creed could have been brothers.

  “I know why you’re here, Gavin. With all the recent events lately, I forgot to invite you to perform at the Christmas festival.”

  He blinked. “No. I got an invitation.”

  Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Oh? You did? Well good then.”

  Gavin nodded. “Yeah, I got it last week. That’s why I’m here.”

  Jacob closed his eyes, knowing Mrs. Mills had to be responsible for seeing his oversight. She had been the one to send out invitations after consulting with him. Unfortunately, it had been the day after Justin had been found after being held hostage. He’d been exhausted, operating on auto pilot ever since. He still felt like he needed a week’s worth of sleep.

  “I’m actually thrilled beyond belief you’re now mayor, Jacob. It makes what I need to ask all that much easier.”

  ****

  Dan cursed once more as the shower continued to run, and he lied sprawled across the floor of the bathroom. It felt like he’d sprained his ankle when he went down, trying to grab a bar of soap from the cupboard’s top shelf sitting in an arch over the toilet. “Who the hell keeps their soap that damn high?” He asked himself as he struggled to get up.

  He was on his knees, bracing the toilet seat and still wincing, when he heard the door open. There was no sound coming from the doorway for a few brief moments.

  “Danny? Oh…” He heard Lyn’s voice and felt himself turn red as he quickly grabbed a towel from the nearby rack, covering his bare ass. “I’m really…I’m sorry, Danny. I heard a crash and I was worried.”

  “It’s fine, Lyn.” he said as he tried to keep both ends of the towel together to cover his front. “I’m covered. Can you help me up? I think I sprained my ankle.”

  He felt her by his side a moment later, easing him up as he limped. He looked at Lyn who was still keeping her eyes averted. It also almost looked like…she had tears in her eyes?

  “Lyn, I understand, you were worried. I was just trying to get a bar of soap.”

  She blinked a few times, her gaze remaining down. Then she suddenly shook her head. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  ****

  Becky was off from work that day, thankfully. It was the only day she could get with Trent to have him create her website, so she had requested it off. She didn’t think she could put on a cheerful face and serve hungry and sometimes very rude customers anyway that day.

  It wasn’t too long after she’d signed the contract with Bound in Books and updated her Myspace to announce it when she started getting the messages from people telling her to check out this link or that. It was all filed complaints against the publisher, all the testimonials of pure hatred toward Bound in Books for what they considered the ruination of their writing career. Becky had been mortified.

  She had also been too proud, and at the time ashamed, to admit to everyone that what she had been so excited about for the past month was nothing more than a company who specialized in making a mockery of writers. Lyn had even coaxed Brian to get the entertainment writer at The Springwood Daily to do a review on the book. The girl had been at her launch party a week ago and had been the only one who got a free book. No review had appeared yet, and Becky was now dreading it.

  She released a depressing sigh as she logged onto facebook and decided to check on her virtual farm to take her mind off things. But she paused, the status of one of her friends at the top of her page grabbing her attention.

  OMG! I just heard Gavin Clarke is going to be performing at the Springwood Christmas Festival! I am THERE!!

  ****

  “I’ve been working on a new album, a Christmas one, in fact. I’d like to use the festival as my backdrop to shoot the first video.”

  Jacob sat there, gazing back at him. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah. Everything’s all set to go. All we need is the green light from you, Mr. Mayor.” Gavin sat there with a grin on his face Jacob wanted to smack right off of it.

  “Gavin, this is awfully short notice. The festival is just days away, and I’ll have to get everything rezoned to allow you to shoot a video.”

  “Then do it.”

  Jacob laughed. “Gavin, it’s nearly impossible! You do realize we’re still struggling to crawl out of a deep financial hole Lauren Smith’s stepfamily managed to put us in? On top of that, my sister goes to trial next month.”

  He nodded solemnly. “Yeah, I heard about that.”

  Jacob stared back at him. “So…you must understand how hard it will be to accommodate you time and space for a music video?”

  Gavin held up a hand. “Okay. Fine.” he went on, standing up. “I get the point. No video.”

  Jacob rose as well. “I’m sorry, Gavin. If there was any other way-“

  He was interrupted by his cell phone.

  “I said its okay, Jacob,” he went on, as Jacob excused himself to see who the caller was. “Oh, and—by the way? No video? No me at the festival this year. Have fun breaking that to your constituents.”

  ****

  Lyn went back into the bedroom, shutting the door and trying to erase the image of Dan’s butt from her mind. She felt herself shaking and sat down on the bed.

  She closed her eyes and could see the fiery sun tattoo on his right butt cheek in another setting. It was brief, but it was there, like a memory flash. She tried to swallow, but her mouth and throat had gone completely dry.

  She still felt heat creeping up her neck from embarrassment. She had not intended to just walk into the bathroom like that. She was about to ask if he was okay through the door. The next thing she knew, she was looking at his naked backside as he struggled to get his bearings. She didn’t even remember opening the door.

  Why was she seeing Dan’s bare butt in another setting in her mind? Something she should have clearly never seen at all? “Oh my God…” she murmured, uncertainty and apprehension now plaguing her.

  Chapter 2

  Brian quickly managed to finish up a few interviews over the phone which enabled him to get the extra stories done. At 3:30 he finished emailing the final article to the printer downstairs.

  Hearing the disappointment in Lyn’s voice earlier had been enough to send him into quick mode to get everything done. He’d been dating Lyn for close to a month now, but he’d worked with her for five years and been smitten with her since the moment he met her. He had also been the one to rescue her when Davis Cauley held her hostage to videotape Tammy’s confession.

  He still cringed remembering that day. He’d been jogging at Mercy Park when an intern at the paper called to tell him the news. Not much longer after, he had found Lyn’s abandoned car and her shoe.

  He had been the first one to lay eyes on Davis Cauley with the hedge clippers in his back. He also saw how messed up Lyn was, not even knowing what had happened. He had stayed by her side until the authorities showed up.

  He stretched, taking his hands through his blonde hair, his dark blue eyes intent on the screen as he finished checking his other messages. He took one last drink of his coffee, which had gotten cold, dumping the rest of it in his wastebasket.

  “Hi Brian. How’s everything going?” Allen Harrison, the editor in chief of the Springwood Daily Newspaper, strode up behind him. The man had graying hair, kind brown eyes, and a professional yet warm smile.

  “Hi Mr. Harrison. It’s going well; t
hanks for asking.”

  He nodded in a way that told Brian he wasn’t just there for idle chit chat. “How is Lyn?”

  He suddenly felt nervous. “Um…she’s good. Considering she’s going to be on trial next month.”

  Harrison hesitated with his head hung. “Yes, the trial. Hard to believe that will be the focus of the newspaper next month…a former staff writer’s trial.”

  Brian sat there, feeling awkward.

  “I have to decide on a writer to assign the trial to. Hardest decision I’ve ever had to make. But I’ve already had people asking me about it.”

  Brian let out a slow breath. Then it suddenly hit him. Without thinking, he blurted it out.

  “Why not have Lyn do it?”

  ****

  “Lyn got an eviction notice. We have seven days to get her stuff out.” Justin repeated into the phone.

  Jacob blinked, staring at Gavin Clarke, who stood saluting him as he turned toward the door. He shook his head. “I heard you the first time, Justin. I had someone else here in the office with me.”

  “Well, what are we going to do?” he asked.

  Jacob found himself taking a hand through his hair, absentmindedly wondering if he may be creating bald spots as many times as he’d done that over the past several months. “Justin, I’m not sure there’s much we can do. If the paperwork has already been filed-“

  “Damn it, you are mayor, Jacob! This is our sister. You can change this.”

  Jacob was lost for words as Mrs. Mills appeared in the doorway with a pile of paperwork. He let out an exasperated sigh. “I promise I will look into it as soon as I get a chance, Justin. Now I have to go.” He hung up the phone as Mrs. Mills approached his desk.

  “Gavin Clarke left awfully quickly. And he didn’t look too happy.”

  Jacob shot her a look. “He turned down the invite for the Christmas festival.” Jacob went on, holding his hand out for the paperwork she held. “If you get a chance, get me the number for the landlord of Springwood Meadows Apartments.”

  ****

  Lyn was writing on her laptop when Brian called.

  “How soon can you be ready? I finished everything.”

  She saved her work, smiling. “I just need to put some shoes on.”

  “Great. I’ll be over in about half an hour.”

  She quickly closed her laptop and found her shoes where she had kicked them off the previous night. That’s when she felt the pressure on her bladder. She had been so focused on writing her next book—which was almost completed— she had ignored every other need.

  She went through the hall, pausing by the bathroom door. The scene from earlier, Dan braced against the toilet seat, the fiery sun on his right butt cheek, still remained vivid. She closed her eyes, and this time she saw more.

  She was on a bed with some man who was giving her oral sex, and she was looking into a mirror posted across from the bed…at the same tattoo reflected in it. She shook her head, closing her eyes tight.

  “No…” she said to herself, entering the bathroom.

  Luckily, Dan’s ankle had just twisted; after he put some ice on it, the pain diminished. She drove Dan to Cyber-Fix that morning in what had to be her most awkward car ride ever. She’d turned the radio on to fill the silence, but unfortunately it didn’t help. Dan simply thanked her, getting out of the car once she pulled up in front of Cyber-Fix. She didn’t think it was her imagination that Dan still acted embarrassed. She just prayed he didn’t tell Jacob what happened.

  She quickly left the bathroom when she was done, hurrying out to wait for Brian.

  ****

  “I just can’t believe this. How are we going to get all this stuff out of here in a week?” Justin complained.

  Camryn stood there in deep thought, sucking her lower lip. “My brother has a truck. Maybe we can borrow it.”

  Justin still shook his head. “And who is going to move this stuff? Jacob’s too busy, I’m on crutches, you’re pregnant, and Dan’s still in his sling.”

  Camryn touched her stomach as if just remembering she was pregnant. Justin watched her do that and seemed to soften. Sometimes it still blew his mind he had gotten such a beautiful girl…let alone conceived a child with her. She had been a campaign worker for his brother but looked as if she should have been on a runway in New York or L.A. Tall and slim, she wore her blonde hair down around her shoulders, framing a face that should have been on a magazine cover.

  “How is everything? I’m sorry you had to see me blow up like that, but you came at a pretty bad time.”

  She managed a smile. “Everything’s good. The doctor gave me a due date. August 16th.”

  Justin managed a little smile. “I can’t believe I’m going to be a father. I always thought Jacob would have a kid first.”

  She came over and sat beside him. “I’ve got to tell ya, at first I was a mess when I learned I was pregnant. But after I saw your reaction…I knew everything would be okay.”

  He sighed, putting an arm around her. “I’m a lot of things but running off and abandoning my kid…and her mother…isn’t one of them.”

  They smiled at each other then kissed.

  ****

  It was going on four o’clock as Robin finished up her work for the day. She was organizing paperwork on her desk while mentally calculating her agenda for the next day. She was in the middle of gathering character witnesses for Lyn’s trial next month. So far, she had Allen Harrison, Danny Nixon—and that was it. She’d arranged to meet with Rick Stein, an old friend of Jacob’s, in the morning. She still shuddered, recalling their first meeting only a week ago, when Rick helped them get into the mall, where he worked as security. It was when they had found Justin, Jacob’s younger brother, being held as insurance in hopes that Jacob would hand them the money to continue their underground operation that Lauren Smith helped launch.

  She took a deep breath, grabbing her coat. Christmas music played in the elevator as she rode down to the first floor. Robin hadn’t even started shopping for Christmas. There was no tree up in her apartment either.

  As she waited for her car to warm up, she gazed out at the traffic light where cars were stopped for a red light. She spotted one car with a Christmas tree tied to its roof then noticed the driver. It was Brian. He was holding Lyn’s hand up and kissing it. The light changed, as they drove on, leaving Robin to sit there and sadly wonder if this would be the last holiday her client spent with her family.

  She couldn’t let that happen. Lyn would be devastated, and Jacob…she closed her eyes, remembering that afternoon as they made love in his office. How he had kissed her before she left. Her breath caught in her throat as she realized…it was the first time he’d kissed her like that before they ended a rendezvous.

  ****

  The next morning, Lyn awoke early in hopes to catch her brother before he left. She was anxious to share the good news she had found out last night while she was with Brian. But unfortunately, she missed him.

  What Brian shared with her last night as they decorated a tree at his place had practically taken her mind off the incident with Dan in the bathroom. She almost forgot it until she reached Dr. Gerber’s office around ten for her appointment. As she sat waiting for him, she decided to text the news to her brother instead.

  Gr8 news! I’m covering the Christmas festival for the paper with Brian!

  ****

  Jacob growled in aggravation, hanging up the phone. He’d tried calling Russell Simons three times, only to get his office manager who always quoted him as “being out”. As Jacob tried to concentrate on his agenda for the day, there was a knock at his office door. “Yes?!” he cried out.

  “Mr. Barnes, Rick Stein is here to see you.”

  He got up quickly and stepped outside the door to greet Rick. “Hey, buddy. Good to see you.” He shook hands with him as Rick followed him back into his office.

  “Have a seat.” Jacob offered him as they both sat down. “Did you hear Gavin was back in town?
” he asked, smirking, glad to have Rick there and talk about something else light until he noticed the look on Rick’s face. He looked sick. “Hey, man…you okay?”

  Rick shook his head, not looking at Jacob until he answered. “No, I’m not.” He said, continuing. “Why did you name me as a witness to Lyle Freeman confessing that he killed Brenda Sowers?”

  ****

  Becky had awoken that morning around nine, calling the bookstore in the mall, once again being told the manager wasn’t in, but yes they would give her the message. She’d been getting that response for a week now, and she’d been calling once in the morning and once in the evening.

  She angrily sat in front of her computer, sloshing coffee onto part of her mouse pad as she checked her email. Her heart dropped seeing twelve of them…all news alerts for Jacob! Having had a crush on her best friend’s older brother for years, she had signed up for news alerts for him when he began his campaign a few months before. She wasted no time clicking on the first one, which contained a link to—E-News?

  “What in the world?” Becky murmured aloud, waiting for the second web page to load.

  ****

  Dan sat in the back at Cyber-Fix, hearing Toby Matthews talking to a customer up front about a refurbished laptop…and once again, thanked God they were able to find a reliable and experienced guy to work there. He used to work for the Geek Squad at Best Buy, and before that, worked at a bigger software company that had a ton of lay offs. Once Dan got that sling off in another few weeks, he could work for Jacob more and Cyber-Fix less.

  He heard the door swing closed up front, the bells that hung from it jingling. Toby reappeared, smiling. “He bought it. There was no way he was going to find a cheaper laptop for Christmas for his daughter.”