by T. N. King
“Thank you!” she shouted as she pulled away from him. She turned away as he sat where Lorena sat earlier. She glanced down the bar and relaxed a little when she saw Lorena’s eyes on them. The bartender approached them and waited for Tristan to order. Megan quickly leaned in and ordered a Captain and Coke. She didn’t want Tristan ordering for her. She glanced at Lorena and leaned back. Lorena nodded then disappeared from view.
“Make mine a scotch on the rocks!” Tristan shouted. The bartender nodded and dashed off. “So, talk to me, Megan.” He leaned in and slid his arm around the back of Megan’s chair, his hand on her shoulder. That awkward and disgusted feeling returned but she tried to play into it by laying her head on his shoulder. “He didn’t hurt you did he? I will find him and….”
Megan shook her head. The bartender set their drinks on the bar and she looked up at Tristan. “Will you excuse me for a minute? I need to run to the… ladies room.” She played it up as if she was going to cry when she dashed off as best as she could in her short dress and extremely high heels.
She got into the bathroom and took a few deep breaths as her heart pounded through her chest. Her phone went off.
What a slime ball. You are supposed to be heartbroken and he was looking at your ass the whole time you walked to the bathroom.
Megan smiled at Lorena’s text.
That’s just where he needs to be. Ready?
Hurry up! Stella is talking to him!
“Shit.” Megan hurried out of the bathroom and scooted over to them. “Stella, you showed!” She quickly hugged her and looked around the bar for her drink, but it was not there. She glanced around for Lorena and spotted her a few stools down. Lorena widened her eyes and shrugged.
“Hey! I told you I would.” She looked at Megan’s dress and cocked her head. Megan leaned into her other ear.
“Don’t ask! This was all Lorena’s idea!”
“Megan, this is Tristan. Tristan Crawford,” Stella said. “He was good friends with my brother a long time ago.”
“I know… we have met.”
“Oh, you know Megan?”
“I do,” he said with a smile. “She worked for me for a short time at the agency.”
“Oh. I did not know that. What a small world.”
“How so?” he asked, enthused at the conversation between them.
“Megan has been dating my brother for… how long now?” she asked, diverting her attention to Megan. Stella was blowing this whole thing, and when she raised Megan’s drink to her lips and took a sip Megan’s eyes flew open wide. She quickly looked at Lorena who saw what had happened too. The bartender set another drink on the bar as Stella set hers down. Tristan quickly leaned in and grabbed it, handing it to Megan and leaving the new one for Stella.
What a bastard, she thought. She glanced at Tristan who was busy checking Megan’s body out. She looked over at Lorena and nodded as Stella was chattering away.
Chapter 15
“I hope you don’t mind. I took the liberty of ordering another drink for you,” Tristan said. He seemed a little pissed that it happened which gave Megan more reason to believe he drugged it. He put his hand on Megan’s back and caressed her bare skin as he raised his glass. “Here is to singledom!”
Everyone took a drink except for Megan. She kept her eyes on Lorena, waiting for her to get close enough to exchange her drink with another one. Stella had hers half gone then looked at Megan.
“Drink up darlin’. We are here to raise some hell.”
Megan forced a smile and pretended to take a drink. When she felt Lorena behind her, dancing and lightly bumping into her, she casually swapped her glass with Lorena’s just in time for Tristan to look at her. She took a big drink and swallowed as Lorena scurried off. Megan listened to Stella ramble on to Tristan about how successful Jensen was and how they should bury the hatchet and become friends again. Tristan was obviously not interested but kept his composure and his hand on Megan’s back, caressing her and sliding his hand down to her ass. Megan wanted to move away from him, but she forced herself to lean into him.
She kept checking Stella for symptoms of the drug but couldn’t tell if she was slurring her words. It was so loud that every time Stella talked, she leaned toward Tristan and Megan couldn’t hear her. Where are you Lorena? Megan thought.
The music died down some and Megan could finally hear the conversation between them. Tristan took the opportunity to flip it and cause more drama than Megan was ready for.
“Honestly,” Tristan said. “Without trying to step on feelings here, I don’t think I could ever be friends with your brother again. I don’t have time for his bullshit. He and I never saw eye to eye and now, after what he did to Megan, breaking up with her so heartlessly, I think he is a piece of shit!”
“Whaaat?” Stella’s mouth dropped open. “But I thought you guys were doing so well.” She tried to take Megan’s hands but couldn’t quite do so. “Didn’t you just move back in with him at the penthouse? When did this happen?”
Megan tensed up, praying for Lorena to hurry with the results of the drug test. This wasn’t supposed to happen, but she had no choice but to play along for as long as she could. It was too late to bail on the plan.
“Um, last night. We got into a huge fight and he threw me out,” Megan lied. She put her head down and sipped her drink.
“Oh, no! I’m so sorry.” Stella moved forward to hug Megan and stumbled, falling into her. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed. “I’m so sorry. Let me talk to him and try to smooth it all out,” she slurred. She leaned back and tried to focus her eyes on Megan.
“Stella? Are you okay?”
“I’m just… really tired, like all of a sudden.” She stumbled back and steadied herself with the barstool. “I am going to go to the ladies room for a bit.” She handed her drink to Megan and shuffled off in that direction. Megan started to run after her, but Tristan grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him.
“She’ll be fine on her own.” He pulled her into him and slid his hands down to her ass. He pulled her in closer, his cock pressing into her.
“I really should check on her. She didn’t look good.” She tried to push away from him.
After watching Stella, she was positive Tristan drugged her. Megan scanned the crowd but couldn’t see Lorena anywhere. When Tristan pulled her into him, she started to feel a panic well up inside of her. He stroked her arm and bent down toward her face, way to close for Megan’s comfort level. She cringed and tried to pull away.
“How are you feeling, Megan?”
“Not well. I really, I can’t do this. I need some time.”
“I completely agree. Let’s get out of here. I have some good whiskey at my place. Let me take care of you.”
She felt his breath on her cheek and she closed her eyes to try and block him out. He didn’t care that Stella was drugged up. She needed another plan.
She forced another smile and turned toward him. “Okay, but first, let’s hang out for a bit longer. I just got here and with everything going on, I need to party.” She playfully bit her lower lip and ran her finger down the side of his face. She slammed the rest of her drink and handed it to him.
He eyed her before he turned toward the bar to order another round and Megan could sense he was getting suspicious. She looked around one more time and saw Lorena walk out from the back room with Elle and two other security guards. When she made eye contact with Megan and quickly nodded giving Megan confirmation that the drink was drugged.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” she said quietly. She put her hand on Tristan’s arm and leaned in. “I’ll be right back,” she yelled. “I want to check on Stella!”
She glanced at the camera as she turned around and before she got too far, she felt a hand grab her arm. Tristan was right behind her.
“I think I will join you.” His face was different. His eyes narrowed when he looked at her. “I’ve always been rather fond of Stella, myself. Let’s check on her, shall we?” H
e cocked his head and Megan felt a slice of fear penetrate her.
She quickly nodded and led him away from the bar, his hand still holding tightly around her arm. When they got to the bathroom, Megan looked at him hoping he would have waited outside, but he nodded toward the door and followed her in.
Stella was passed out cold on the floor in front of the sink.
“Stella!” Megan ran over and dropped to her knees. Her fingers went to her neck. “Stella, come on hon. Wake up.” She lightly slapped her face. “Call someone!” she screamed, but Tristan didn’t move from the door. He chuckled softly. Megan stood up and just looked at him. “What’s so funny?” she asked, a new fear within her. “She needs help!”
“I underestimated you, Megan Jenkins.”
“What?”
“I have to say, you are good though. It took me a while, but I knew something was up when you didn’t feel the effects of my special drink I made you.”
“Tristan.” She swallowed hard as he slowly walked toward her.
“You drank enough of it to have felt it way before now. When I noticed you didn’t waiver, I knew something was going on.” He stepped closer to her. “Did you plan this whole thing, Megan? Were you hoping for my return so you could set me up?”
“I…” she took a big breath. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“No? Then why aren’t you lying beside her on the fucking floor!” he screamed, making her jump. She leaned down and slipped her shoes off, holding the spiked heels out in front of her. He laughed again, lunged forward and knocked them out of her hands. She kicked her foot up between his legs but he caught her before she hit, spinning her leg away from him and making her fall to the floor. He grabbed her head and quickly slammed her into the side of the wall. She screamed just before she blacked out.
“Where is she?” Jensen grabbed Lorena’s arm and spun her around.
“Jensen!” Her eyes were wide. “What are you doing here?”
“I called him when I saw Megan with Tristan,” said Elle.
“Where the fuck is she?” he screamed.
She pointed at the end of the bar but they weren’t there. She looked around panicking when she couldn’t find her.
“They didn’t leave. I have the front covered,” said Elle.
“What the hell happened tonight?”
“It was Megan’s idea,” she spat, scared to be a part of it. “I told her it was a bad idea, but she wouldn’t listen.”
He grabbed Lorena’s arms. “What… happened!”
“She wanted to get close to Tristan so he would drug her drink. I tested it and it was positive! I came back in and let her know but he must have caught on before I could get to her.”
“Where did they go?”
“You are hurting me,” she said as she tried pulling out of his grip. He let her go and fed his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry. We need to find her. Spread out and find them.”
Lorena ran in one direction while Jensen and Elle went in another direction. The security guards went to the security room to check the tapes.
Megan felt a throbbing pain in her head as she felt her body being jarred around. She opened her eyes as Tristan was sneaking out the back of the bar with her flung over his shoulder. She struggled to get loose just as he got out the door and into the back parking lot. He dropped her on the stones and reached down, grabbing her arms and dragging her.
“Let me go! You’re hurting me!” She struggled against his grip but he wasn’t letting go.
“This is nothing compared to what I have planned for you, darlin’.”
“Where is Stella?”
“She’s in on the bathroom floor where you left her. I don’t give a fuck about her. It’s you I want.” He grabbed her and forced his arms around her, squeezing her tightly and picking her up off the ground. She tried to struggle against him, but the pain in her head was tremendous as it pounded harder and harder through her skull.
They got to the parking lot where his car was and she was dropped to the ground again. She looked up and saw Tristan’s back to her. When he fell to the ground beside her, she saw Jensen standing there, his fists raised and his breathing very hard. Tristan held his stomach and groaned as he struggled to get up from the ground. He screamed and ran head long into Jensen, plowing him to the ground and punching him repeatedly in the sides.
“No!” Megan screamed. “Stop it!”
Jensen got his foot secured and pushed off, rolling up on top of Tristan, his fists contacting Tristan’s face over and over again. Tristan flipped Jensen off him and attacked him again. Megan could only stand there and watch the man she loved get pummeled by the man she hated.
Elle’s security guards ran out from the club with Elle and Lorena behind them. The guards grabbed the two well-dressed men rolling around on the ground and pulled them apart.
“Where is Stella?” asked Lorena.
“She is on the floor in the bathroom.” Megan looked directly at Tristan. “She drank my drink by accident.”
“You mother fucker!” Jensen lunged at Tristan, breaking the guard’s hold and slamming into him. The other guard let Tristan go just in time as the two men landed on the ground again. Jensen slammed his fist into Tristan’s face twice before the guards were able to get him up again.
“Jensen! This isn’t going to fix the problem.” Elle ran in front of him and put her hand up. It was the only thing that seemed to calm in down. “You are only making matters worse. We have everything we need to get him now.” Jensen nodded, feeling defeated and realizing how true her words were. “I need to get to Stella. Promise me you are going to behave.”
“Okay.” The guard let him go and grabbed Tristan’s other arm. When they led him away, Jensen walked up to Megan. He looked at her head and kissed her forehead. “You are bleeding pretty bad.”
“You don’t look very good yourself.” She put her arms around him and he flinched. She quickly let go. “Are you okay?”
“He got a few jabs in,” he said, covering his ribs.
“Let’s get you to the hospital.”
“I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
“It isn’t up for discussion. What if he broke your ribs? It won’t hurt to have a quick X-ray.”
Jensen reluctantly let her lead him to the front of the club to the ambulance that was already there along with two police cars that lit up the parking lot. An officer was talking to Elle. They watched the EMTs come out of the club with Stella on a stretcher. She was still out cold. Megan rushed to her side.
“Is she going to be okay?”
“Yes,” said one of the EMTs. “We aren’t sure how much of the drug is in her system, but she should be fine.”
“That was supposed to be me,” Megan said quietly.
“Why don’t you let me take a look at that cut on your head? It looks pretty bad.”
“Jensen needs medical attention before I do.” She stepped back and let the EMT look at him.
“Why don’t you take a ride to the hospital? Both of you.”
“Shouldn’t we give our statements to the police?”
“They will get them. Right now, let’s get you looked at.”
Megan and Jensen climbed inside the back of the ambulance and waited for it to take them away. She looked at Stella as she lay unconscious on the gurney, a wave of guilt washing over her.
“I am so sorry about all of this,” she said, looking up at Jensen. “I lied and,” she covered her face, trying to hold back from crying. “this plan. Why did I think I could pull it off? I’m so stupid,” she cried. Jensen laughed, making her look up from her hands. “Why are you laughing?”
“I agree that it was stupid for you to try this without a better back up. But luckily I anticipated something like this and had Elle keep an eye on you. I was able to get to you before any serious damage occurred, and…” he moved closer to her, putting his arm around her. “You did it.” Megan felt an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. “You nab
bed Tristan and now we can work on putting him away where he belongs.”
They all checked out of the hospital the next morning, Megan with a few stitches in her head from the blow Tristan gave her, Jensen with a few stitches as well and Stella with a good night sleep and lots of water to help flush her system from the drug.
With Megan’s statement, the test results and the tape footage showing a clear shot of Tristan putting something into Megan’s drink, the police were able to make an arrest and Tristan was finally arrested.
Chapter 16
Megan sat next to Jensen, her stomach in knots. She looked around the court room and at the faces of the people around her. To them, this was just another trial, but to her, this could be the difference between her happiness or her demise. What if there wasn’t enough evidence to find Tristan guilty? What if his lawyer was better and found a loophole? What if Tristan was able to buy his way out of going to prison? Would he try to get his revenge on her? He knew Megan was the one who set him up. He knew she was the reason he was arrested and that he might be going to prison. People talked quietly amongst themselves until the judge started to speak.
“Please let the jury know they can return to my court room.”
The bailiff opened a side door and allowed for the jury to enter back into the court room. It seemed to take forever for them to get seated. The foreman of the jury stood up and waited for further instruction.
“Have you reached a verdict on which you all agree?” asked the judge.
The foreman held a piece of paper in his hands. On that paper was Tristan’s fate. Megan stared at Tristan, wondering what went through his head in the four months it took to get to this point. He sat there, not moving, not looking, not anything. He didn’t look like the same man she worked for and trusted in the beginning. His facial expression was blank. He had been arrested with no chance of bail and in that four months Megan learned that his company was already in jeopardy. No one wanted to step up and accept the role that Tristan played. Did he know? Was he bitter or was he sorry?
