Unleash Me, Vol. 2 (Unleash Me, Annihilate Me Series) (5 page)

“
That can
’
t be a coincidence.
”

“
Actually, as
ridiculous as it sounds, I think it was.
 
It was still early in the evening when I saw him.
 
Apparently, he showed the ad from the
Times
to a friend of his and told him that we
’
d
once been an item.
 
When the man
recognized the ad as the same as the billboard in Times Square, he told Kevin
about it and told him to check it out.
 
The ad in the
Times
and the billboard just went live today.
 
If a week or a month had passed, and
suddenly I ran into Kevin, then there
’
s
no way that would have been a coincidence.
 
But that
’
s not
the case.
 
Again, the ads went live
today.
 
I think this was a
coincidence.
”

“
Maybe,
”
he said.
 
“
What
else happened?
”

“
It
’
s more like what didn
’
t happen.
 
Apparently Kevin is homeless, a drug
addict, and an alcoholic.
 
He looked
more like forty than twenty-five.
”

“
How did you
find out that he
’
s
homeless?
”

“
He told me.
”

“
Did you feel
threatened?
”

“
Not at at
that point
—
I
was too surprised that he was standing in front of me, asking me why we couldn
’
t be in love again.
 
When I told him that wasn
’
t going to happen, he said
that he knew that I was in a relationship and that relationships end every
day.
 
When I asked him how he knew I
was seeing someone, he said that he
’
d
seen me with you.
 
He said that he
got around.
 
Then he admitted to
following me, and, frankly, that terrified me.
 
We fought for a few minutes on the
median, and then I tried to hail a cab to get away from him.
 
That
’
s when he threatened me.
”

“
With what?
”

I was so embarrassed, I didn
’
t
want to tell him.
 
But I had
to.
 
Tank deserved the truth,
regardless of how humiliating it was.
 
“
When we were
seeing each other, Kevin took several photos of me while I was sleeping.
 
They were of me in the nude.
 
He had no right and no consent to do
that.
 
He took advantage of me while
I was sleeping.
 
Now he says that he
still has those photos, and that if I don
’
t give him a million dollars for them, he
’
s going to go public with
them on the day that my book is released.
”

His voice was gentle when he spoke.
 
“
I don
’
t know what to say, Lisa.
”

I closed my eyes.
 
What did
that mean?
 
Just say something.

“
Other than
that I
’
m sorry,
”
he said.
 
“
Nobody
should have done that to you.
 
I
’
m sorry that that happened
to you.
”

“
Thank you,
”
I said.
 
“
You
don
’
t know what that
means to me.
 
I didn
’
t want to tell you, but I
had to.
 
There are no secrets
between us.
 
There never will
be.
 
But telling you was
humiliating.
 
I don
’
t want you to feel
differently about me.
”

“
Why would
I?
 
Because some freak violated
you?
 
None of what happened to you
was your fault.
 
You trusted
him.
 
He fucked you over.
 
Now, he
’
s trying to do it again.
 
If I
’
m anything, I
’
m
angry.
”

“
I love you so
much,
”
I said.

“
You already
know how I feel about you.
 
Your
willingness to be honest about this just makes me love you more.
”

And I knew why
—
Tank
’
s last relationship had
ended because his former girlfriend had cheated on him.
 
It had crushed him and he still had
trust issues because of it.
 
It took
us months to get over that hump, months to finally become a couple, but we were
beyond that now, and I planned on doing my part to keep us there.
 
I loved him completely.

“
We need to
focus,
”
he said.
 
“
Do
you know whether the photos still exist?
”

“
Here
’
s what I know
—
when he first took
them, I remember that he showed them to me the next morning.
 
I fought him for his iPhone, but he told
me to chill out.
 
He said he was
going to delete them.
 
I was in love
with him at that point
—
or
at least I thought I was
—
so
I thought that what he
’
d
done was just a rotten joke and that he
’
d
delete them.
 
But looking back at
the situation, that was just the reaction of a stupid seventeen-year-old girl
willing to trust someone she never thought would hurt her or betray her.
 
The question now is whether he really
does still have those photos.
 
Tonight, I called his sister, Katie, and told her everything.
 
There are no photos of me at Kevin
’
s family
’
s home
—
they
’
ve since disowned him and
threw out all of his belongings.
 
Nothing is left, including his computer.
 
The question is whether he still has
that iPhone.
 
Katie thinks he
probably sold it to buy drugs.
 
I
think that
’
s a likely
scenario, but I
’
m
also here to tell you that I can
’
t
be sure.
”

When he spoke, there was a clear undercurrent of rage in his voice.
 
“
Then
I
’
ll find out.
”

“
How?
 
He lives on the streets.
 
How will you ever find him?
”
 
And then a possible way to help
him occurred to me.
 
“
I forgot
—
tomorrow morning,
Katie is going to send me a photo of Kevin when he was nineteen.
 
She said that I should take it to the
police and tell them what he looks like now, and that they could come up with
an accurate composite of how he looks today.
”

“
Save that
photo for me.
 
I can do the same
with it.
 
Don
’
t go to the police.
”

“
Why not?
”

“
Because I
’
m handling this now.
 
No one is going to do this to you under
my watch and get away with it.
 
Did
he do anything else to you?
”

“
He did.
 
I got in a cab.
 
He threatened me.
 
He wouldn
’
t let me close the door.
 
After I slammed my fists down onto his
fingers, he leaned into the cab and told me to watch my back.
 
He told me that I
’
d never know when he'd show up again, or what he
’
d do to me when he
did.
 
That
’
s when the driver took off.
 
Kevin got in a cab of his own and chased
me until my driver lost him.
 
But
since Kevin told me that he knows where I live, I
’
m on edge.
 
I wish you were here with me.
 
More than you know.
 
I
’
m so embarrassed about
those photos, Tank.
 
It
’
s been so many years, I
’
d forgotten about
them.
 
But they might be out
there.
 
It
’
s a possibility.
 
You need to know that.
”

“
He took
advantage of you when you were at your most vulnerable.
 
Don
’
t ever apologize about those photos to me again.
 
That was on him
—
not you.
”

God, I love him.

“
Here
’
s what you
’
re going to do,
”
he said to me.
 
“
Tonight,
one of my men will be stationed outside your building.
 
His name is Cutter.
 
He
’
s a good guy.
 
He
’
ll call you
when he
’
s there,
which should be in about twenty minutes or so.
 
You think I
’
m big?
 
Wait
until you see him.
 
Wherever you go,
he or another member of my team will go with you.
 
Maybe Max
—
he
’
s
very good.
 
Is that understood?
”

“
It
’
s actually a relief.
”

“
Until I get
back to New York, Cutter is your go-to person.
 
Share your schedule with him, and either
he or someone else will make certain that you
’
re never alone.
 
Understood?
”

“
Yes.
”

“
What does
Kevin look like now?
”

I described him to Tank.

“
Katie is
sending the photo to you tomorrow morning?
”

“
That
’
s what she said.
”

“
If you don
’
t have it by morning, call
her.
 
Then give the photo to
Cutter.
 
He
’
ll take you to meet the team, and they
’
ll ask you specific questions
that will allow us to craft an accurate composite of what Kevin looks like
today.
 
Just like the police would
have done for you.
 
If we
’
re going to find him, it
’
s critical that we have
that composite.
”

“
Why shouldn
’
t I just go to the police?
”

“
Because I
want him.
 
I plan on delivering a
different kind of justice.
”

“
Tank
—”

“
Please just
do this for me.
”

“
But I don
’
t want you to get into
trouble.
”

“
I don
’
t plan to.
”

“
How are you
going to find him?
 
There are
millions of people in this city.
 
We
’
ll never find him.
”

“
We
will
find him,
”
he
said.
 
“
And do you know why?
”

“
Why?
”

“
Because he
’
s a meth addict.
 
He
’
ll reveal himself to us without even knowing it.
 
I have my ways, and you need to trust me
now.
 
Have you told Blackwell any of
this?
”

“
Not yet.
 
I wasn
’
t sure what time she went to bed.
 
I was planning on telling her everything
tomorrow morning.
”

“
Make sure she
understands the situation you
’
re
in with Boss, and also with Kevin.
”

“
I will.
 
I
’
m so sorry, Tank.
”

“
Why are you
apologizing?
 
I asked you not to.
 
I meant that.
 
This changes nothing between us.
”