Lexi, Baby (17 page)

All of a sudden he cleared his throat.
“Ladies.”

Shit! He caught us both undressing him with
our eyes. “Sorry, come on inside,” I said in a small humiliated
voice.

His smile grew huge. “Is your boyfriend
here?”

“No, he had to go to work for a few
hours.”

Abruptly his smile was wiped clear off his
face and frown replaced it. “Interesting he would leave you alone
so soon after what happened.”

I didn’t like what he was insinuating.
“Excuse me?” I asked ready to kick his ass out the door.

“I just didn’t realize how much of an idiot
Landyn was. If you were mine, I would never let you out of my
sight.” While he spoke, his eyes roamed over my face and down my
body.

“Holy shit,” I heard Trish say in the
background.

That broke me out of my spell. “I don’t
think you know what you’re talking about
Detective
. Look,
why don’t we skip all the suggestive comments and move into the
living room. Then you can tell me why you’re here.”

I whipped back around and headed that
way.

Once we all got comfortable on couches, he
dropped the bomb. “I really hate to tell you the bad news, Ms.
Martine.”

I shook my head at him. “Just call me
Alexis, or Lex.”

He nodded. “Well, Alexis, Ryan’s been bailed
out. He was released a few hours ago.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Okay, so what
does that mean? And did you ever find out about the other woman
that filed a report against him?”

“First, what this means is that Ryan is, as
of right now, free. He’ll be free until his scheduled court date
and more than likely until his sentencing, as long as he remains
out of trouble. I spoke with his parents and they’re trying to get
him help. From what I’ve discovered so far, he’s apparently had
depression and anxiety issues all his life. He’s been on numerous
antidepressants since childhood, which actually makes things worse
since a body will build up immunity to them over that amount of
time. He also stops taking his medication when he feels he’s got a
handle on himself and that’s when he has anger and rage episodes
like what happened with you. It’s also very similar to what
happened to the other woman.”

“Okay. I mean, I’m glad his parents are
going to get him help, but is he still dangerous? Do I need to
worry?” I asked slowly trying to choose my words wisely.

“Well, the problem we have right now is that
no one can locate him. He went home with his parents and then took
off.” He spoke in a tone that was probably supposed to help keep me
calm, but I was about to freak out.

Thankfully Trish interjected. “So, what now?
Do you think he’s going to come after her? Is that why you’re here,
to protect her?”

“No, that’s not why I’m here exactly; at
least it wasn’t at first. I don’t know what Ryan’s planning, or if
he’s planning anything at all, but I wanted to warn her,” he spoke
to Trish before looking back at me. “Honestly, I expected your
boyfriend to be here. I wanted to discuss how he planned on keeping
you safe, but I see he’s not doing his job.”

“Don’t say that. Landyn has his own business
and his life can’t just stop because of me. And he’s my fiancé now,
not my boyfriend. I’m safe here in this house and Landyn knew that
before he left or else he wouldn’t have left.”

Detective Adam actually had the nerve to
snort at what I just said. “Honey, if I had to be somewhere, with
the situation you’re in, if I couldn’t be with you, I’d make damn
sure you were with me.
Especially if you were my
fiancé.
”

I know my irritated growl could be heard
around the room.

“Look, I appreciate how you feel, I really
do, but you don’t know Landyn and you’re not making me feel any
better.” I stood up and started looking around for my cell phone. I
could have sworn I heard the Detective mumble, “Oh I know him
alright,” but I didn’t pay him any attention. “I’m calling Lan, I’m
sure he’ll come home as soon as I tell him what’s going on.”

“I’ll wait until he gets here,” Detective
Bryant stated determinedly.

How can macho men be so sexy and so damn
infuriating at the same time
?

After about thirty minutes of calling Lan’s
cell phone with no answer, I called the bar. “BOQ’s Tavern, this is
Amanda,” a friendly voice answered. “Hi, may I speak to Landyn,
please?”

“Ummm... I’m sorry, but Mr. James is in a
meeting at the moment. Can I take a message?” Well,
no wonder he
wasn’t answering.
“No, that’s okay, thank you.”

I faced my audience of two. “Okay Detective,
be ready in five minutes. I’m tired of waiting around and the last
thing I want to do is sleep. Trish, I’m going to the bar to wait
for Landyn, will you stay with Layla?”

“Sure babe. Be careful,” she said.

I ran upstairs real quick and changed into a
pair of tight jeans, a tight white short-sleeved V-neck shirt that
barely touched the waist of my jeans. If I made any slight
movement, I showed a hint of skin.

Might as well since none of this will fit me
in a few weeks.

I threw on a brown belt and matching
high-heeled, round-toe brown boots. I made sure my hair was down
and curled at the ends. I also quickly dabbed some concealer on my
bruises, and then headed back downstairs.

“Let’s go Detective,” I said anxiously as I
was coming down the stairs. I watched his eyes travel over my body
and I knew my face was as red as a cherry.

When his eyes traveled back up and hit mine
he said “Call me Adam.” His voice was husky.
Oh boy
.

I just nodded.

We rode over to the bar in Adam’s white,
very police looking Tahoe in silence. As soon as we parked I turned
to him and began pleading. “Look, Lan’s just as macho he-man as you
seem to be and he’s probably going to flip when he sees us
together. Please, don’t do or say anything to provoke him.”

He studied me closely for a minute. “I’ll
explain the circumstances to your boyfriend and as long as what he
says about keeping you safe makes me happy, I’ll keep my mouth
shut,” he retorted.

“So, in other words, if you don’t like what
Landyn says you’ll make
my life hell
?
And he’s my fiancé,
not boyfriend
.” I paused.

“Where do you guys learn to be such jerks?”
I asked loudly while getting out of the vehicle.

He hurried around to my side. “There’s
nothing to teach Alexis. Most good men just want to keep their
woman safe and happy.” I felt him place a hand at the small of my
back while we walked.

“Well
Adam
, I’m not
your
woman
and if you keep flirting with me Landyn is going to kick your
ass.”

“I’m thinking you might be worth it,” he
responded.

Argh!
“I’m so sick of men,” I
grumbled as we walked into the bar. When the door closed behind us,
all the patrons’ eyes turned our way. “Okay, I’m going to assume
they’re looking at you,” I said softly to Adam.

“I don’t know about that honey. I think all
eyes are on you.” “Whatever. Do you want to go get a drink or
something while I go look for Landyn?” I asked him.

“No, let’s just get this over with.”

As we walked down the hall toward Landyn’s
office, Adam kept his hand at the small of my back. I kept trying
to speed up, but his hand never fell away. I slowed and turned my
face up to him. “You really should step away from me. Are you
trying to cause a fight?” Just as we turned the corner, he opened
his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. His eyes were
focused straight ahead and then he stopped walking all together. I
twisted my neck to see what he was looking at.

Destiny was walking out of Landyn’s office,
with Landyn trailing close behind.

“
Are you fucking shitting me
?” I
screamed. They both jerked their heads up and looked at me like
they’d just seen a ghost. How ironic.

All the color drained out of Landyn’s face.
“Lexi, baby, this isn’t what it looks like,” Landyn spoke
hastily.

This isn’t what it looks like?

I started laughing hysterically; yes,
hysterically. “Oh! Of course it’s not what it looks like,” I said
through my laughter.

I was going insane.

“I’m sorry you had to see this Alexis, but
you’ve got the wrong idea,” Destiny chimed in, sounding like she
was being genuinely sincere. My laughter died instantly upon
hearing the awful sound of her voice.
That bitch
!

I started to charge toward her, but
Detective Bryant grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

“Don’t!” I twisted my neck and barked in his
face. I jerked my arm out of his hold.

“You’re going to get yourself in trouble,”
he said calmly.

I just shrugged my shoulders. This was
something I should have done years ago and all hell was about to
break loose.

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Landyn
demanded heatedly from right behind me. I never heard him move.

I turned back around so my chest bumped into
his, and then I jumped in his face, “Shut up Landyn!” I yelled. He
grabbed my face gently between his hands and kissed me fast and
frantic. I didn’t kiss him back and I tugged desperately at his
arms to drop his hands.

When he finally pulled back he warned,
“You’re mine Lexi. I’ll fucking kill him if he touches you
again.”

“Get away from me Landyn. I knew you were a
mistake! What the hell was I thinking taking a chance on you?” I
was about to say more, but out of the corner of my eye I saw
Destiny trying to slip by us.

I twisted my arms awkwardly against Landyn’s
grasp until I managed to side-step away from him, straight into her
path; we were face-to-face. My blood was boiling and I wasn’t
thinking rationally.

“Everything fucked up in my life is because
of you. You just can’t stop being a
whore,
can you?” Her
eyes shut and her nose scrunched up like she was wounded.

“Look, Alexis, this isn’t what you-” she
started to speak, but I didn’t want to hear a word she had to say.
I fisted my hand, reared back and imagined her face as a nice
fluffy pillow. I punched her so hard in the face she screamed, lost
her footing and fell back.

Everything from that moment on happened at
warp speed.

“Shit!” Landyn thundered. “Jesus!” I heard
shouted from behind me just before Adam grabbed me around the waist
and hauled me back while I shook out my hand. It hurt like a
mutha
!

Landyn caught Destiny just before she hit
the ground. Blood was running down her arms as she covered her face
with her hands.

“Damn it baby!” Landyn bellowed at me. “I
didn’t have sex with her! She came here looking for Trish! Are you
hurt?” Landyn was looking at me, and talking to me like he was
concerned about me. All the while, he continued to comfort Destiny
while she was half propped up on his thigh.

My eyesight was hazy and I was seeing
red
! I wanted to rip his head off. What he said about Trish
never even registered in my mind.

“You know what, Landyn? Go to hell! You no
longer exist to me. I never would have imagined telling you this
way, while the slut you cheated on me with
twice
that I know
of, is laid out on the floor between your thighs, where you so
clearly
want her at all times.” I looked pointedly at
Destiny in disgust then back at Landyn.

“I’m pregnant, you asshole.”

Landyn’s whole body jerked and he gaped at
me. “You’re pregnant?” he asked softly, ignoring everything else I
just said. He even sounded relieved which pissed me off even
more.

“I’m only a five weeks pregnant and you
better pray that I don’t miscarry after the stress you and you’re
bitch
just caused me,” I spat at him. I still wasn’t
thinking clearly and couldn’t be too sure if my threats were making
sense, but words wouldn’t stop spewing out my mouth.

“I was five weeks pregnant and in this exact
same situation the last time I caught you. At least this time I
won’t live with the regret of not telling you that you’re about to
be a father!”

I wanted to cry so badly, but I chanted
“Don’t cry” over and over again in my head.

Instead, I laughed harshly at my next
realization. “It would seem that crazy Ryan was right from the very
beginning. When you found out about Layla, I should have just told
you to take me to court in the first place. I never should have
gotten mixed up with you again.”

I started to wiggle impatiently in Adam’s
hold. “Let me go Detective,” I demanded before continuing, “Landyn,
if you want to see Layla or this baby, take me to court. But good
luck finding me!”

I spun around to face the man who wouldn’t
let me out of his iron grip, “Move your ass copper! I don’t care if
you arrest me and take me to jail; just get me out of here now!” I
saw him bite down on his bottom lip like he was trying really hard
not to laugh at me.

“I hate men,” I grumbled, and then stormed
down the hall and pulled out my cell to call Trish. I started in on
her as soon as I heard, “Hey bitch.”

“Trish, don’t ask me any questions. Go get
Layla, don’t even pack her bag, and get the hell out of that house.
As soon as you leave, call me and I’ll tell you where to meet me.”
I hung up on her.

Un-fucking-believable was my life.

I barely made it outside the front door and
into the parking lot when the nausea hit. I had to hug the side of
the building while making my way to Adam’s SUV. Abruptly, I was
lifted up by strong arms and I glanced up to see it was Adam. I
didn’t know why I expected Landyn to come after me.

“I think I might throw up,” I whispered.

“Don’t worry, honey. I’ll get you out of
here.” Good thing he was parked conveniently and illegally against
the curb on the side of the building.