Player

by T. N. King

  “I don’t know, but I can’t believe he would have anything to do with that,” she said, shaking her head. “He is my boss.”

  “But what if… he is your boss to keep you close? What if he has ulterior motives for you? You did turn him down when he asked you out.”

  “So that gives him reason to harm me?”

  “Tristan Crawford is not the kind of man who takes rejection lightly.”

  They pulled up to the night club and he shut the car off.

  “I think it is a coincidence. He just happened to be there the same night someone spiked my drink. Maybe he was there, looking for me.”

  “Then why would he fuck your roommate in the bathroom?”

  Megan just looked at him. “You’re wrong.” She got out of the car and waited for him before walking toward the club. A woman stood outside and smiled as Jensen approached her. She was dressed in a sophisticated red dress and black three inch heels that showed off her legs. Her long black hair was piled up high on her head giving her height another couple of inches.

  “Who is that?” Megan whispered, intimidated at the woman’s confidence and glow she got when she smiled at Jensen.

  He took Megan’s hand as if he knew how she felt. “Megan,” he said as he approached the woman. “This is Elle. Elle this is Megan.”

  “She is gorgeous, Jensen,” said Elle, taking Megan’s hand and covering it with her two hands. She leaned in and kissed Megan’s cheek before diverting her attention back to him. “She is everything you said she was.”

  Megan felt heat in her face as she tried to maintain her smile. It was awkward getting such a compliment from a woman of her stature and poise.

  “Thank you,” she muttered.

  “Elle is part owner of the club and we have been working on trying to figure out who was behind the shit that happened to you that night.”

  “You have?” Megan asked, surprised at his deep rooted involvement in finding the culprit.

  “Yes,” said Elle “and I have some tapes I would like you to watch. See if you recognize the man we believe did this to you.”

  Megan’s stomach knotted up at the thought of watching what happened to her. She nodded after glancing at Jensen and seeing the confidence on his face and followed them into the night club. The lights were all on which gave the club a completely different and warehouse type look. The tables and chairs were in the same places. The bar was where she knew it was. The bottles of liquor still on the shelves on the back bar but the lighting made it colder, boring and bland. She followed them across the main floor and into a small room where computer monitors were all on and showing different angles of the club.

  “This is Scott Williams, Private Investigator. We have been working on this for some time now. Even though we know who drugged you, none of the tapes within the club show his face. But, Mr. Williams was able to obtain some tapes from local businesses around the area with outdoor cameras and we were able to find out more about him. Please, take a seat,” Elle offered a chair to Megan and waited until she sat before turning on the first tape. Megan took a deep breath as the monitor showed the same club, people crowding it and dance music thumping softly through the speakers. Elle pointed her long red fingernail on the screen and Megan immediately recognised herself. “Here you can see where you and your friend sat during the main course of the evening.”

  Megan watched as she went to the bar and ordered their first drinks. After downing a few shots, they went toward the dance floor and when the camera lost sight of them Elle fast forwarded to another part. When the tape played again Megan saw Lorena at the same table. She was laughing and talking to a man in a dark hoodie. Megan crossed her arms and leaned in. The man put his hand on her leg and as Lorena took another drink, he slid his hand up her leg and into her skirt. Megan’s lips parted as she watched the man fondle her roommate.

  “This… must be… her friend.” It couldn’t be Tristan. Lorena must have been wrong. She glanced at Jensen and saw that his eyes were set on her. He was watching her face as she replayed that night in her head again.

  “Lorena could have mistaken Tristan for the guy she was with. Like I said before, she was pretty drunk that night.”

  “Keep watching,” he said.

  She watched Lorena lean in and kiss him. She slid her hands up his legs and seemed to really get into the kiss. She tried to look for anything that would give her a clue as to who the hooded guy was, but she saw nothing. She shook her head.

  “Did you see that?” Elle asked. Megan looked up at her as she rewound the tape. “Watch his left arm as she leans in.” Megan set her eyes on his arm and as Lorena leaned in, he reached around her and dropped something into one of the glasses. Megan’s mouth dropped open. Lorena leaned back and smiled as she grabbed the other cup and took a sip.

  “So, if he didn’t drug hers, then he was intentionally after me?” asked Megan.

  “Looks that way,” said Elle.

  “And, if he was already getting some from your friend, then obviously sex wasn’t the reason,” said the investigator.

  “Then….” Megan shook her head.

  Elle took out the tape and popped in another one. As soon as she hit play, Megan saw a parking lot with several cars parked, some leaving, some entering.

  “This is a tape from a business right next door.” She fast forwarded a bit then hit play. “Watch, right here.” Megan watched the hooded man as he walked out of the club and even though he was facing the camera, it was too far away to show his face.

  “Can you zoom in to his face?” asked Megan.

  “We tried. Unfortunately, the quality of the tape is not enough to make out any details. It becomes too fuzzy.”

  Megan watched as the man walked through the parking lot with his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. He pulled out his keys and she saw lights blink on a car he was approaching.

  “Look at the car, Megan,” Jensen said, his eyes still on her face. Megan looked at the car and she felt her stomach tighten up. Jensen knew immediately that she recognised it. She started breathing heavier and swallowed hard. Her eyes widened and she pushed away from the desk.

  “Who’s car is it, Megan?” asked Jensen.

  She opened her mouth, her bottom lip trembling. She looked at Jensen, then at Elle.

  “It’s Tristan’s.” She felt her stomach flip and she knew she was going to be sick. “Excuse me.” She pushed away from the desk and stood up. Without looking at anyone she quickly left the security room and ran to the bathroom. She looked at her image in the mirror seeing a pale white face. She quickly turned on the faucet and let the cold water fill up in her hands. It felt good on her skin but she didn’t get it to her face fast enough before she vomited in the sink. She kept her eyes closed until she was done then rinsed her mouth with the water and wiped her face with her cold wet hands.

  A soft knock on the door let her know Jensen was just about to go in so she tried to maintain her composure. Her chest felt tight and she found it difficult to breathe. Jensen walked in slowly and looked her over.

  “Are you okay?”

  Before she could get a word out, she felt herself fall. Jensen ran to her rescue and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and standing her back up. He grabbed a towel, wet it and wiped her forehead and neck. She felt her body breathing very hard and very heavy.

  “Calm down, Megan. It’s going to be okay. We know now. Now we make the arrest and Tristan Crawford is finished.”

  “I… work for him. I put myself in danger every day. My God.”

  “Shhhh. Let’s get you calmed down before we do anything else.”

  She nodded and let him walk her out of the bathroom. Elle and the investigator were waiting for her just outside the door and offered her a chair until she was feeling better. Elle handed her a bottle of water and sat next to her.

  “So, now what?” she asked.

  “You were able to identify him so we turn everything over to the police and Mr. Williams and they wi
ll put the case together and arrest him,” said Elle.

  “In the meantime, you are coming home with me where I can keep a good eye on you until this mess is taken care of.” Jensen looked at Megan in a way that she knew not to argue with him. He meant every word of what he said and he wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Thank you, Mr. Williams.” He shook his hand then hugged Elle. “Thank you for everything, Elle. I owe you one.”

  “I’ll take you up on that someday. Get her out of here so she can get some rest.”

  He put his arm around her and led her out of the club and to his car. On the ride back to his penthouse, Megan’s mind raced from one thing to another.

  “It explains a lot,” she said, almost to herself.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tristan. He has been acting so weird the last week or so. Ever since our holiday together.”

  “Weird, like how?”

  “Very touchy feely, always on top of where I was and what I was doing, and piling unnecessary work on my desk with immediate deadlines.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I figured it was harmless, that he was just jealous that I wouldn’t go out with him, that you were with me instead. I figured I could have handled it. I didn’t know he was….” Her words got caught in her throat and she felt tears spring to her eyes. She looked out the window, away from him as she felt the tears trickle down her cheeks. “I was so stupid.”

  “There is no way you could have known. He has always been sneaky and manipulative.”

  He pulled into his garage and got her up into his penthouse. After some hot soup, they got comfortable on the couch. His arms felt good around her. He made her feel safe and that made her feel better.

  “How did you know?” she asked, looking up at him.

  “How did I know what?”

  “That it was Tristan.”

  “I had my theories, but nothing concrete, until Lorena told us what she said earlier tonight. I had a strong idea that Kristina was behind this. I know how she works but I was thinking she hired some dude to do her dirty work, but I never thought Tristan would sink so low.”

  “Even if we can prove he did it, I highly doubt he will be put away for very long. He didn’t commit murder or anything, and he is wealthy. I’m sure he will just pay his way through this.”

  “You are right. He won’t be put away. He may not even go to jail, but if this works out the way I am hoping it will, his name will be all over in the papers and he will be ruined.”

  “Please don’t. I don’t want you to….”

  Jensen leaned away from her to get a better look at her face. “You want him to tuck this whole thing under the carpet so he continues to try to hurt you?”

  “I just… I don’t want you to stoop to his level.”

  “This isn’t going to go away, Megan. Ever since he and I became rivals, he has done everything in his power to bring me down. Do you think it is a coincidence he is living in London?”

  “It isn’t?”

  “After I got established here and began my business, I found out he was doing the same thing, hoping to run me out. He is too competitive and makes bad decisions just to try to get ahead. He has done it since college.”

  “He told me.”

  “I’m sure his version is much meatier and vindictive than what really happened.”

  “He said you ruined what he was trying to build with you.”

  “I couldn’t work with him. We were drinking buddies, but when it came to business, he was like a bull in a china cabinet, very rough and non-caring. Every time we settled on a plan, he would go behind my back and change it up to his liking and implement it without consulting me. I was done with all of that.” He ran his fingers through her hair and felt her breathing against him. “I do hope you realise you aren’t going back to work for him.”

  She nodded slowly but didn’t say a word.

  “I want you to quit, right now.”

  She reached over the coffee table and pulled her purse to her, pulling her phone out. She hit a few buttons and Jensen watched Tristan’s name come up on her screen.

  I won’t be coming in to work for you any longer. Some things have come up and

  Jensen took Megan’s phone from her and deleted the entire text. Megan didn’t even try to stop him.

  This is my resignation effective immediately. I quit.

  He hit send and handed it back to her. She set it on the table next to them without looking at it and settled into him, closing her eyes and letting him protect her.

  Tristan slammed his phone on his desk and started grinding his teeth together in deep thought of the text he just received from Megan. He got up and paced back and forth, slowly as his mind raced through every scenario as to why his new future fuck toy was quitting her job with him so abruptly and with no reason as to why.

  “You are making it very difficult for me to get what I want you little bitch.” He walked to his window that overlooked the city and cascaded his eyes over the landscape. “But that just means I’ll need a different strategy and even though it might take a little longer, I will make you pay for making me wait.” He rubbed his crotch and smiled, as he felt himself grow hard at the thought of having Megan tied up and naked at his disposal. “It will be well worth the wait.”

  Chapter 10

  By the end of the week, Megan got comfortable living with Jensen in his penthouse. She kept her mind occupied by cleaning like she did when he paid her to do so. She wanted to do some shopping to restock the refrigerator and cupboards as well. Since she had left and began working with Tristan, Jensen had let his penthouse go, not picking up or doing much of anything that warranted a nice clean place. She had her work cut out for her, even though he wasn’t employing her to do it. She didn’t mind though. She didn’t have much else to do since she wasn’t working anymore.

  Black accompanied her when she did the shopping, partially for added protection but mostly to keep Jensen’s mind at ease. On her way out of the shop, she received a text. She loaded the groceries into the car and looked at her phone. It was Tristan. Her stomach twisted again. This was his third text he had sent to her since she quit, and every time she saw his name on her phone it made her nervous and upset.

  I wish you would call me or text me. I am worried about you. You gave no reason for your abrupt termination from work. I should at least get that. Don’t you think?

  Megan felt bad for quitting so quickly. A few times, she wondered if the man on the tapes was Tristan. She never did see his face. She couldn’t make a positive identification. What if it was someone else? Maybe he let them borrow his car, or it could have been a car just like his. What if she was wrong and she was going through all of this for nothing? She climbed into the car and glanced at Black as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

  She contemplated on texting him back. Just a small message apologizing for quitting so abruptly and to let him know she was okay.

  I’m sorry I quit so abruptly. Something came up and I had to take it immediately.

  She looked at the text and deleted it. What if it was him on the tapes? She knew he liked her and has been trying to get her to go out with him, but to do something so crazy? And why would he have slept with Lorena if he was interested in her? She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts from her mind and pocketed her phone, her stomach feeling ill again.

  When they got back to the penthouse, Black helped her take the groceries up to the kitchen.

  “Thanks” she said. “I can put them away.”

  “Do you need me for anything else?”

  “No. I think I am okay.”

  He walked around the penthouse and checked all of the rooms before leaving. It creeped Megan out at the thought that someone would have the chance to break in and hide, waiting for her to do God knows what. What if Black didn’t check every corner in every room? What if he missed the very corner that the person would be hiding in? Would that person be Tristan? Woul
d it be someone she didn’t know? She looked around the empty penthouse and then glanced at the security camera installed at the entrance. She knew Jensen changed the locks and Black made sure the place was locked up good when they left. So why would he have to check every room before he left?

  She shook her head and smiled. She was being silly. She pulled the groceries from the bags and put everything away. When she was finished, there was nothing else for her to do. It was only eleven o’clock on a Friday morning and Jensen wouldn’t be back for another six or seven hours. She plopped down on the couch and looked around the large living room.

  “I’ve got to get out of here.” She grabbed her phone and texted Black.

  I’d love to go back to my apartment for a while. If you aren’t too busy, could you drive me?

  A few moments later he responded.

  I will be out front in about ten minutes.

  Jensen sat behind his desk staring at the computer screen with the next client’s schedule in front of him. He read the same paragraph four times and still didn’t know what it said. He slammed his hands on his desk and slid back away from his desk. He was still angry at what had happened to Megan and what they discovered on the tapes. For the longest time he had his target on Kristina, thinking for sure she had something to do with it but when he found out it was Tristan, he was sick with rage. What could make a man so jealous and vengeful that he spends years of his life trying to get even with him, and at the expense of someone else not even involved? He was shocked when he first found out but after thinking about it for a while, he wasn’t surprised. He knew Tristan well enough that he should have pointed the finger at him from the beginning.

  He looked at a picture of Megan in a frame on his desk that she had sent him from her phone when they first became involved. He had it printed when she left so he could keep her in his sights when he needed her the most. “I will protect you.” He picked it up and looked closer at it. “No matter what the cost, I will protect you.”

  His phone notified him that he received a text and he scooped it up immediately.