The Arrangement: Collection D (Vol 10-12)

by Ward, H. M.

  Can we really save each other?

  The concerns turn to whispers and blur together. I can no longer identify which worries are valid and which are fear. Anxiety trickles down my spine in a cold sheet as Sean licks his lips. His mouth parts, and his voice pours out soft and unsure. “Avery Stanz, would you consider taking this ring and—”

  Every inch of my skin is tingling like my life is about to radically transform. Don’t smile, don’t do it. For all I know he’s going to ask me something stupid and I need to keep my wits about me so I can kick him.

  But, oh God, I want to grin and clasp my hands together. Sean wouldn’t pretend to propose and then not do it. There’s a happy dance building inside of me, making my heart flutter and the corners of my lips tip up. Anticipation and excitement are coursing through my veins as the words come from his heart.

  Everything is about to change.

  Then, it does. The door to the little beach shack slams open and hits the concrete wall hard. The sound cuts off Sean’s question and he jumps to his feet when he sees who’s standing there.

  14

  Gabe. The man is covered in sweat like he’s been running. He walks quickly toward us, straightening his rumpled suit. “I wasn’t here and I didn’t see this,” his hands fly in the air like he wants to punch something, “whatever the fuck this is. Avery, you know better. I told you.” Worry pinches his brow as he lets out a rush of air and points at the door. “Go, get out of here and for the love of God, don’t wear the fucking bracelet when you’re not working. If Black asks, I didn’t find you. You were already gone.”

  For a moment all I can do is blink, “But, why are you—’

  Gabe looks at Sean and some unspoken message passes from one man to the other. Gabe repeats, “Go. Separate. Find Mel and work out your timeline before you check in tonight.”

  But I don’t move. “Gabe, what’s happening?” What’s wrong? Because something is very off.

  The old man stares at me and for a moment I think he’s seeing someone else, maybe a daughter. I remind him of someone he cared about, someone that he failed somehow. The haunted expression lingers at the back of his eyes as if he’s seeing a ghost. “Avery, Black knows about you two. She’s always known, but she tolerated it. Something changed today. I don’t know what, but her orders were to find you and remind you that you are her property, and to use excessive force in doing so.”

  Sean tries to pull me away from Gabe, but I know the old guy won’t hurt us. Besides, if he was here to take my head off, he would have done it already. “Sean, it’s all right. He’s warning us, and I bet that he’s risking a lot to do it.”

  Gabe’s eyes remain locked on mine. His voice is pleading. “Something changed. I know you won’t run, but you need to get away from her. Quit and walk away before this gets worse. Someone’s going to end up in a body bag before this is over and I sure as hell don’t want it to be you.”

  Without another word, Sean pulls at my hand and gives me the keys to his car. “Go back to the dorm and lock yourself in your room. I’ll check on you to make sure you’re all right.”

  “Sean?” I don’t like this. Gabe and Sean exchange looks, like there’s more to be said but they don’t want to say it in front of me. It feels like I was booted off of cloud nine, did a free fall, and landed smack on my face. Emotional whiplash is a bitch. “What else is going on? You know that Black knew about us, didn’t you? Then why is she—”

  “No, we’re not discussing this right now.” Sean’s gaze slips over me quickly. “Where’s the bracelet?”

  “At the bottom of my purse. I didn’t realize…” I didn’t think she’d be tracking me for kicks. It’s the first time that I really realize Miss Black isn’t the businesswoman she appears to be. I’ve been thinking of her as a boss, but she isn’t. She’s more than that, much more. My jaw flops around. There are so many things I want to say, but they all sound stupid now. I’m naïve. Miss Black isn’t some passive woman trying to make a quick buck. Call girls are her empire and she’s the queen, which makes me a pawn.

  Sean watches me for a second and I get the feeling that the imaginary marriage is slipping between my fingers. “Avery, we’ll fix this. We need to proceed like nothing’s wrong, like we don’t know. You didn’t see Gabe, and we weren’t together today. Go into her office tonight and act like you don’t care. Do whatever you have to do to get in and out of there quickly. If I thought she’d hurt you, there’s no way I’d send you in, but Black has other plans.” He glances at Gabe. “What’d she want you to do if you found us together?”

  “Throw punches and snap a few bones, enough to make her point but not so much that she needs major medical attention.” Gabe stops speaking suddenly. There’s more there, something he’s not telling us.

  Sean nods and takes my shoulders in his hands and looks into my eyes. “Listen, everything will be fine. I’ll make certain of it. I’ll grab Pete and Jon if I have to. God knows they owe me one. I’ll get you away from her. You’ll show up later and this will be the last night you work for that woman.” There’s a faint smile on his lips as he leans in close enough to kiss me and whispers, “After tonight, you’ll be mine, and I very much hope that you’ll say yes.” He smiles at me, kisses my forehead, and pushes me toward the door.

  15

  That’s the end of the conversation. I’m shoved in the car and am back on the road before I can think. Driving past the sand dunes, I wonder about Black’s other thug and what to do if that guy finds me. God, I feel sick. It’s like someone has been playing PONG with my stomach. I crack the window and creep along the road until I hit the parkway.

  It feels like I’m missing something that should be obvious, but I don’t see it. When I started working for Black, Mel told me that I could leave—that I could take one client and be done with it—but things didn’t work out that way. It’s like I’m her only call girl. For a second, I wonder how many women Black employs. I’ve only ever seen Mel, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other girls. I’ve seen the thick files on her desk, right before she enters the data into her computer. Black’s operation takes in a lot of money, and she has a shortage of girls.

  Even so, something doesn’t sit right. I can’t put my finger on what’s wrong, but it feels perilous. Is there another connection between all these people? Gabe, Black, Naked Guy, Mel, Henry Thomas, and Sean Ferro. I think back, trying to make connections between them. But, other than Henry and Sean, there aren’t any obvious ones.

  Maybe I’m a paranoid psycho for even thinking this way, but it feels like I’m standing in the middle of a chessboard and all the other players are moving into position. My gut instinct is that it has nothing to do with being a call girl, but that doesn’t make any sense. All these people are in my life because I’m a hooker. There’s no real connection between these people. Well, that’s not entirely true. There is one connection between all of them—me.

  My throat tightens. Am I being played? If so, why? I mean, I’m a nobody. If my name showed up in the paper, accused of some heinous crime, no one would care. And, my sexting files? Being outed as a hooker would end my career, but it would also get Black’s ass thrown into prison. It would ruin both of us. So, why would she do that? That can’t be it. Black is trying to keep a hold on me, and maybe it’s about the money and nothing more.

  I try to shove the puzzle pieces together over and over again, but they don’t fit. I’m the only link between all these people and I’m also the only person getting dicked around. No one messes with Black or Gabe or Thug #2. Damn it! What the hell is that guy’s name? I need to remember.

  When I get back to the dorm, I park at the back of the lot and run to the building and up the staircase. By the time I’m on my floor, I’m sweating and shaking. Heart pounding, I race to Mel’s room and knock. She’s always here a few hours before a client, getting ready, but she doesn’t answer.

  Instead Asia pops her head out. “What’s up, Avery?” She looks me over and arches an eyeb
row. “Were you making-out with seaweed again?”

  Again? WTF? Ignoring her jab, I ask, “Where’s Mel?”

  Asia throws out her hip and rests her head against the edge of the door. “Working. Her boss called her in early. She said that she’d meet you there.”

  The skin on the back of my neck prickles instantly and spreads, covering my arms and snaking around my neck like a noose. I stand shivering and speechless.

  Asia looks back into the darkened room. It’s pitch black and a voice I don’t recognize calls her name. She says, “One second,” over her shoulder and then steps out into the hallway, pulling the door closed behind her. “What’s the matter? You look like you’re going to hurl. Is Mel all right?”

  I nod a few times and force a smile. It feels like a trap. There are neon signs lighting up and exploding in my head, but I still can’t see the connection. Hiding my apprehension, I manage a normal tone and make something up. “Yeah, everything’s great. I just thought we were riding to work together, that’s all. No biggie.”

  Asia knows I’m lying but doesn’t say anything. She has the look on her face that my mother used to have when I told a bald-faced lie. Asia tucks her hair behind her ear. “Call me if you need anything, or if Mel does. I’m around tonight.” She winks at me and tips her head toward the door, indicating that they’re not knitting in there.

  “Will do!” My voice is too chipper. I’m a horrible liar.

  16

  I walk down the hallway to my room and slide the key into the lock. I’d rather smack my skull against the door, but that won’t fix anything. The idea that someone is playing me makes me irate. I didn’t think I was that stupid. Kicking the door open, I go inside and toss my keys on the table as the door swings shut behind me. It’s dark, except for Amber’s pink lava lamp glowing dimly next to her bed. Amber must be out at dinner or something.

  A sound catches my ear, something like a foot sliding across the carpet. My skin prickles like I’m not alone. The sound was as light as a cat’s paw, barely there, but I heard it. Turning quickly, I grope the wall, looking for the light switch. My thumb catches the edge, so I shove it upward. Light pours from the ceiling as my eyes dart through the shadows scanning for a sign of what made the sound. My muscles are flexed, like I’m ready to run or beat the shit out of someone. God, if Amber is hiding in her closet, I’m going to lose it.

  My gaze flicks to a pair of scissors on the counter. I pluck them from their place and hold them like a dagger, stalking slowly toward the source of the noise. It came from Amber’s side of the room. I feel stupid, because I’m certain that no one is there. It was probably a card falling to the floor or something dumb, because I don’t hear anything else. It’s quiet, save for the sound of my breathing.

  Stepping slowly toward her closet, I reach for the knob, and jerk it open. Jumping back, I hold tighter to the shears and raise them up over my head, expecting to need to stab something, but nothing is there. Just clothes. There are no nefarious feet hidden behind Amber’s dresses and no glowing red eyes.

  I stumble back and let out a rush of air as a shiver works its way up my arm. I sit down hard on Amber’s bed and try to calm down. My heart is racing like crazy and I can barely breathe. What the hell was I going to do with a pair of scissors anyway? I don’t think I’d have the guts to stab someone in the face if it came down to it.

  Those are situations I’d rather not think about, because part of me thinks I’m so far gone that I’d do whatever I had to do. Pretending I’m still human, that I could use my deductive reasoning to outsmart someone, rather than stab them to death, sounds better. As if I’d be mentally superior to anyone. I’m shaking, trying to shoo away the worries that swarm around me.

  What if…? What if…? They whisper the words at me over and over again.

  What if nothing! No one is here. I don’t have to think about what I can do or what I would do. No one is stalking me and my imagination is in hyper-drive. I just need to slow down.

  I go for my phone and for the first time ever, I think about texting Sean. I want to tell him that I’m freaked and hear his voice, but I know I shouldn’t. If Black saw it, she’d have proof that we were together. But if she already knows, maybe I have nothing to lose? I’m close to trembling and turning into a snotty mess. But then I see Gabe’s face and hear his voice in my mind, and I can’t give Black more ammo to shoot me with. I can’t text Sean unless someone is actually killing me.

  It takes me a moment to get my hysterical self under control and punch in a different number. Mel picks up on the third ring. “Can’t talk now, Avery.” Her voice is clipped, but it doesn’t sound like she’s shoved under someone’s floorboards or getting her neck slit. What the hell is wrong with me? Mel can handle herself. I’m the question mark, not her.

  I spit it out, “I’m quitting. I can’t take this anymore, Mel. I’m not coming.”

  “You better. I’ll come over there and haul your ass from that dorm room. Some jackass booked a threesome and guess whose names got pulled. I’m relieved it’s you and not Trish this time—”

  Crap, she doesn’t know that Sean’s the guy who hired us. I don’t have time to explain that right now. “Mel, shut up and listen. Something weird is going on. I’m majorly creeped out. I swear to God that it feels like someone’s been in my room.”

  She shushes someone and there’s a moment filled with the sound of her hand over the phone. “Look around while I’m on the phone. Hurry up.”

  “I already did. No one’s here. Nothing’s out of place, but it feels wrong.” I bite the tip of my finger and glance at the door again to make sure it’s still locked.

  “You’re just worked up. Don’t worry about anything. Go change in my room if you want.” I know she’s just saying it to be nice, but we’re both thinking the same thing. Someone was in here.

  Glancing around again, I try to pinpoint what’s been touched, but nothing is obvious. After switching my phone to the other ear, I tell her, “Asia is doing someone in your room.”

  Mel laughs. “Good for her. It took them long enough. Damn.” Her hand covers the phone again before she adds, “I gotta go, chica. I’ll see you at Black’s in a bit.” The line goes dead.

  I toss my phone onto my bed and walk into the bathroom. My heart has resumed a normal pace and I’m starting to feel stupid for being so freaked out. The first time I stayed home alone I was 9 years old and I couldn’t calm down the entire time. Every noise was a threat. I finally grabbed our fat tabby cat and bunkered down at the top of the staircase with my little heart beating uber-fast. I totally thought I was going to die. The cat on the other hand thought I was insane because I wouldn’t let him leave my side, but he didn’t know about my cat-in-the-face attack plan. It would have worked, too. A startled, orange, thirty-pound cat smacking into some dude’s head would have thrown him off balance long enough for me to jump out the bedroom window. Maybe I have too much imagination, but when I get freaked out, I can get a little bit weird. Like now.

  Leaning into the shower stall, I turn on the water. After letting it flow over my hand for a few seconds, I adjust the temperature. Pulling off my shoes, I toss them on the floor and pad over to the closet to get my bathrobe, my little basket filled with soaps and hair care products, and the best razor in the world. Amber’s not here. This is nice. There’s no sign of Naked Guy and I can take my time. Sean and Gabe are looking out for me. There’s nothing to worry about, although I may need to consider the purchase of a new attack cat. Amber wouldn’t notice.

  God, my life is a mess. Graduation can’t come fast enough. I’ll get my degree and finally get things rolling. I can picture myself there, in graduate school, and how my life will look after I make it through my degree. I think about those things, about the future that seems to be constantly crumbling as I slip out of my clothes and pull on my robe. My mood is turning to crap. I need to sniff the entire bottle of honeysuckle soap. Maybe mix it up with sweet pea and warm vanilla sugar. I’ll smell lik
e a yummy fruit cocktail. They totally need to make cake scented body wash. I’d probably eat the bottle. Mmmm. Cake. Sighing, I set the basket of goodies on the ledge inside the stall, before pulling the door shut. The little room is like the inside of a cloud as steamy mist billows from the shower stall.

  My gaze finally lifts to the mirror. Every thought falls out of my head as panic comes back, full force, choking me. Steam swirls in the humid air, fogging the glass, as letters slowly appear.

  BE AFRAID

  17

  I watch without blinking as words form in front of my eyes. For half a second I wonder if Amber is screwing with me, but there’s no way. She wouldn’t have written this. The edges of the letters start to drip down the glass. My body tenses as my arms start to shake. Before I can think, I react. My hand wipes away the words and condensation smears across the glass. Rivulets drip from the mirror and moisture clings to my hand.

  I stand there, frozen for a second, and then bust out of the bathroom and run down the hallway. I bang on Asia’s door like a lunatic and I honestly have no idea what I’m going to say, because everything sounds nuts.

  Asia peeks through the crack in the door. Her face is flushed and her hair is messy. “You have really bad timing.”

  “This is going to sound crazy, but can you guys come down to my room?”

  Asia gives me a really weird look and nearly closes the door in my face. I manage to get my fingers into the space between the door and the jamb before she closes it. “Ahhh! I didn’t mean it like that.”