Authors: J.L. Drake
I opened the bathroom door and looked around the room until I spotted Riggs. He nodded at me while he raised his wrist to his mouth.
A waiter zipped by me and offered me a glass of champagne. I took it just to keep my hands busy. My eyes skimmed the crowd as I took a tiny sip from my glass. Everyone seemed normal; no one stuck out.
Hands in his pockets, Ethan caught my eye as he walked up to me. “Sorry about earlier.”
“Don’t be,” I reassured him. “Seth and I have a complicated past.”
“Past or present?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know the answer to that.”
He asked me a question, but all of my attention was suddenly focused on the goosebumps that raced up and down my body. My eyes were on the red-haired man on the stage all alone with a cello between his legs. His fingers drew the bow over the strings. The haunting notes flowed over me.
“Is that Bach?” Ethan asked as he turned to face the stage.
“Yes,” I whispered as the glass slipped from my fingers. It shattered on the ground and sent tiny sparkles into the air. Ethan hopped back to avoid the champagne spill. I was stuck in place, barely able to move a muscle. My eyes were still locked on the man who played the song from my six-day nightmare.
“Emily.” Seth appeared quickly as he checked me over to see if I was cut.
“He’s here,” I whispered. “I can feel him.” Seth prattled off words into his wrist, and the whole time he had a tight hold on my waist. I had to admit, he grounded me, made me feel safe.
“Time to go.” He began to pull me, but I stopped him and forced myself to snap out of the trance that held me.
“No! This is the time to get him. Why would we leave?” I stepped out of his reach, and my brave side took a stand. “Now is our chance. I want my life back, and that won’t happen if I run.”
Seth stepped into me and laid a firm hand on my lower back. His lips were at my ear. “No, now is not the time to play ‘bait,’ Emily, not here. It’s time to go.” His words sent a shiver through me. “Garrett,” he said over my shoulder, “take her.”
Seth stepped back and let Garrett come to my side. He took my arm above the elbow.
“Seth, aren’t you coming?” I felt panicky all of a sudden.
“Car’s waiting,” Seth said to Garrett.
“Come on, Em,” Garrett encouraged. He practically pulled me out of the ballroom. I watched over my shoulder as Seth made his way over to Riggs and Johnnie.
I tried to think fast. I didn’t want Seth to stay behind. We flew out the front doorway and down the stairs to the red carpet.
“Garrett, I can find him. Please just let me have a chance to flush him out,” I begged, but he wasn’t in the mood. He stopped short and jerked my body back into him.
“Where’s the car?” Garrett shouted into his cuff. I watched his face as he listened to the message from the tiny device that was stuck in his ear. “That should have been mentioned to me before I left!”
My eyes scanned the property to see if anything seemed out of place. A limo pulled up a few yards away from us, and Avery hopped out of the driver’s seat.
“Johnnie told me to be at the south entrance.” He walked toward us, radiating frustration. “I’m sorry.”
Garrett looked at me. “Avery and Davis will take you to a hotel tonight. We don’t need to draw any attention to your place while your mother is here.” He handed me off to Avery.
“You’re not coming?” I felt slightly relieved that he would be with Seth.
“We’ll meet you back at the hotel. Don’t worry.” He nodded at Avery, who ushered me off toward the car. Davis got out and opened the door for me, then returned to his seat once I was safely inside.
“Emily.” Davis looked at me from his visor mirror. “They’ll catch him. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but I can feel it. We’ll get him one way or another.”
“Yeah,” I muttered while I kept my eyes fixed on the city zipping by. I was more worried about Seth and Garrett not getting hurt right now. Jimmy Lasko was made up of one hundred percent evil. I wouldn’t put it past him to take one of the guys and torture him until he gave up my location. Goosebumps ran along my arms and made me push that thought away.
Questions kept a steady flow into my brain, looping round and round consistently like a child’s spin toy in the wind.
Why?
Why me?
What did I do to catch his attention?
Would I ever be safe?
“Em?” Avery’s tone made me look up. His eyes held mine in the rearview mirror. “We got this.”
***
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been in the hotel room. I stood, arms wrapped around my stomach, as I waited for the guys to return. I watched the lights of the city twinkle below me from the penthouse suite of the Westin Hotel.
I couldn’t shake off a really bad vibe. Unable to pinpoint what it was, it was nearly driving me insane. The guys tried their best to distract me, but it didn’t work.
“I ordered some food.” Avery came up behind me. “Here, since you didn’t finish your last one.” He handed me a glass of champagne.
“Thanks.” I glanced at the time as I took a sip.
“They should be checking in shortly,” he said as if he read my mind. I looked back at the window and tried to sort my thoughts into words.
“The city looks so peaceful at night. Sometimes I forget there are monsters down there waiting for the perfect moment to strike,” I said softly. “In a blink of an eye, you’re gone.”
“Emily,” Avery leaned against the window to look at me, “I honestly can’t pretend to know what you’re feeling, but let me say this. You are very much a part of the OPD family. When you’re family, we have your back, no matter what. I know you’re scared, you’d be crazy not to be, but if it gives you any comfort, we’re not. We got this, so trust us enough to keep you safe. When this is all over—well, for all the time we put in and all—I want you to have us for one of your barbecues.”
I smiled at that last part. “I’m not the one you should be asking.”
“Garrett told me to ask you.”
I rolled my eyes and blinked back my tears. I hated that I had to rely on other people. For so long I only had myself, and I made peace with that, but now…I jumped when the bell rang.
“I got it,” Davis yelled.
Avery set out the food and we all sat in front of the TV. Avery flipped through the channels and tried to keep my mind occupied. After a while, Davis set up his laptop and started to work in the dining room, leaving me and Avery to hang out.
I kicked off my shoes and tried to get more comfortable. I really wished I had a change of clothes. The slit in the skirt was annoying. He noticed I struggled with it and passed me a blanket. I smiled at the kind gesture.
I clicked off the TV and faced him on the opposite end of the couch. He gave me a puzzled look.
“Tell me what you know about the bodies they found at Lasko’s cabin.” I tried to act like I was fine with the whole thing. His eyes widened as he coughed on some food.
“I wasn’t aware you knew.”
“I overheard Seth talking to Garrett about it.” I knew I was a bad liar, but I hoped he wouldn’t notice. He set his plate down on the table.
“Well…” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “It was two women. One had been there for about a year. They figure she had been tortured pretty badly.” He eyed me to see if I was affected by his words, but I kept my face blank. I wanted to know. I needed to understand Lasko better. “He had dismembered her and burned an eye into her skin. It was the only piece left on her bones.”
I gave him a puzzled look. I didn’t follow. “Most likely branding her, making sure that everyone knew she was his.”
I made an uncomfortable face. I didn’t have a problem with tattoos, but to scar someone against their will, and so violently, made me feel ill.
“They still haven’t ID’d her yet,” Avery continued.
“And the other girl?”
“Ummm,” he stalled. “She hadn’t been there for more than a week, about your age. Apparently she was a student at the Laguna Arts School. He had stuffed her into a barrel, waiting to be buried, I guess, but he took you before he got around to it.”
“Oh my God!” I mentally replayed my encounter with the innocent art student on that morning. “I got her killed.” The room started to spin as I put my feet to the floor. “This is all my fault.”
“No, Emily, it’s not.” Avery moved closer to me. He placed a hand on my back and made small circles as he tried to soothe me. “This is no one’s fault but Lasko’s. You had no idea he would harm her. How could you?”
Tears fell. I felt so sad for the poor girl. I wished I had never spoken to her. This was all too much. My stomach turned, and I knew what was next. I hopped up and staggered to the bathroom. When I got there, I leaned over and let my dinner show itself again.
***
Lasko
I should have been pissed, but frankly, this had been a fun evening of fucking with food.
I slipped behind one of the pillars in back of the band and ripped off my blond wig, tux jacket, and mustache, tossing them under the stage. I spotted a silver tray full of caviar
hors d’oeuvres
on a nearby table and casually walked over, picked it up, and balanced it on my right palm.
A woman stepped in my way as she went to take one, so I lowered it to her height with a slight bow. The woman took her time deciding which nasty-ass piece of fish eggs she’d like to eat, and all I could think was how much I wanted to ram the tray down her slender, fucking throat. I needed a drink. I peered over her dark curls just as Seth strolled by. He studied people’s faces and worked the room with so much precision he made me want to puke. Mr. Perfect could go fuck himself, and his partner too.
God, I hate these guys!
I politely smiled at the woman when she finally took one and ducked into the kitchen. The chef gave me a puzzled look as I tossed the tray down, sending the
hors d’oeuvres
flying across the counter. I pulled out my phone as I made a hasty retreat.
My car was parked three streets down from the event, just to be careful. I opened my trunk first and freed a bottle of Jack from my bag. The amber liquid coated my throat in the familiar burn I’d grown to love. Adler clawed at the window and whined until I let him out to take a piss. He wasted no time before he hopped in the front seat and waited patiently for me to get in. He was a good dog; he knew the rules, unlike some people.
I downed about a quarter of the Jack and tossed the bottle in the back seat. My hand moved to the wheel, then I slammed down on the gas and got the hell outta there.
Seth
I shrugged off my jacket and removed my bow tie and tossed it in the back seat of Garrett’s Jeep. I rolled up the sleeves of my white dress shirt and ran my hands through my hair.
Fuck, I’m tired.
“God, we were so close,” Garrett said as he pulled into a parking spot outside the hotel. We had both stewed the whole drive back. I slammed the door behind me as I undid the top button on my collar and followed Garrett into the hotel.
“I can’t believe that son of a bitch slipped through our fingers.” I punched the PH button in the elevator and sank against the cold wall.
“How in the hell is he always one step ahead?”
“No Goddamn idea,” I growled, then softly knocked.
Avery opened the door and let us in. His face looked strained. Something was off. My body snapped back to cop mode.
“Where is she?” I scanned around the room.
“Bedroom.” Davis pointed over to the far bedroom. “She’s pretty upset.”
I whirled around. “Why?”
“She took it pretty hard when she found out who one of Lasko’s victims was.” Avery made a pained face.
“How did she even know he had victims?” I nearly shouted. I was beyond frustrated.
Avery shook his head. “She said she overheard you two talking.”
I looked at Garrett, who shook his head at me. We never spoke about it in front of her.
“Did she eat?” I asked.
“Yes, then no,” Davis said quietly. “She got sick.”
I chucked my jacket on the chair as I made my way toward her room. I slowly opened the door and found her asleep on the bed, still in her dress. Her hair was fanned across the pillow.
I felt exhausted as I walked over to close the blinds. My heart played tug of war over whether to stay with her tonight. I looked at the locked bedroom door. The guys were out in the other room. I felt safe. Screw it, I needed to be with her. Tonight had been too close for comfort.
I pulled a blanket out of the closet and crawled onto the bed. I carefully removed the rhinestone chain clasped at each side of the dress. I knew it wouldn’t be comfortable to sleep on. I couldn’t resist moving her hair off her neck and planting a small kiss on her warm skin. Just one touch of her skin sent my body into overdrive.
She whispered my name and turned into me. I froze as she nuzzled my chest, but after a moment I could tell she was still asleep. As much as I’d love to wake her up and indulge myself in her, I didn’t want to confuse her further. I needed to keep her at arm’s length. I needed to be able to protect her until this was over, and then I was going to do everything to win her back.
I only hoped it wouldn’t be too late. I wrapped my arms around her and breathed her in. She let out a small sigh and let her body relax into mine.
I loved her like this, formed to my body as if we were one.
“I don’t think it’s possible for you to understand just how much I love you, Emily,” I confessed into the night…a confession that was mine to keep private.
***