by Nikki Chase
I am, too. I hold him tight, resting my head on his shoulder, caressing the back of his head gently, savoring this moment, knowing we don’t have much more time together.
Remember, I tell myself, he’s engaged to someone else. I’m not even supposed to be here.
After I clean up and get dressed, I join Caine back on the couch.
I wonder if and when I should bring up his fiancee. I feel sick to my stomach when I think about that woman, who probably has no idea he’s fucking someone else, and that someone else is me.
There are more important things to do for now, though.
I eye Caine’s smartphone on the coffee table and remember I need to call Jack.
Things have been so crazy, I’ve had no time to make the call.
I could’ve tried calling with Bertha’s phone, I guess, but it didn’t even cross my mind after all the dramatic events of yesterday.
When Bertha and I landed in San Francisco last night, we went straight to Caine’s apartment. Luckily, I remembered the lock code for the door.
I could’ve made the call last night, because Caine was not home and his bedroom door wasn’t locked.
But Bertha was so distraught over what had happened and I was so busy trying to convince her everything was going to be fine. By the time she left, it was late at night and it was a school night, so Jack would’ve been asleep.
I’d been waiting for Jack’s school to let out when Caine got home. Now that he’s here, I’m not sure he’ll let me make the call.
“Caine, can I use your phone again?” I analyze his features for an answer. When he doesn’t move a muscle, I add, “The other day, the line was busy and I didn’t get to speak to my brother. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”
“Just use it,” he says. “No need for the long sob story.”
“Thank you.” I grab the phone before he changes his mind.
Meanwhile, Caine walks away into his bedroom with his duffel bag.
It feels like I’ve been waiting forever when Katie finally picks up.
“Who’s this?” Katie says, her voice dripping with suspicion. I can just imagine her with her eyebrows furrowed and her hand on her waist.
“Whoa, what’s with the extra friendly greeting?” I didn’t expect Katie to answer, and I’m happy I get to talk to her. She must have today off.
“Oh my god. Daisy?” She sounds incredulous.
“It’s me.” I grin into the phone.
“Where have you been? We’ve been trying to call you but your phone is always off. This is not your usual number.” Katie’s voice is urgent.
“What happened?” I ask, alarmed. I’ve already told them I was going away to work and I wouldn’t be available by phone. There’s no reason why they’d worry about not being able to reach me if everything’s okay.
“Shit, Daisy. Shit happened.”
“Tell me.” My voice starts to falter as my heart sinks into my stomach. I hold my breath, afraid of missing a syllable of Katie’s reply.
“Where do I even start?” Katie inhales deeply. “So, Chad Murray paid us a visit.”
“What?”
“Yeah, he came when Jack was alone at home, too.”
“Shit, I’m so sorry.” Tears prick my eyes. Jack must’ve been so scared. “What did he want?”
“He said you haven’t been paying and he wants his money.”
“I told him I was going to pay him everything soon. Shit.”
“Yeah, I don’t know what your deal with him is, but that’s what he said.”
“How’s Jack doing?”
“He’s fine now. He was smart enough to not open the door, even though they were pounding on the door for, like, half an hour.”
“Are you serious? The apartment door? Like, just by the hallway?”
I’m surprised—Chad has never entered the apartment building before, and now he’s suddenly knocking on my door, intimidating my family? My fear and worry slowly turn into anger. We had a deal!
“Yeah. Jack let them bang on the door and shout. He called the cops, pretending to be a concerned neighbor. He’s a smart kid.”
Pride swells in my chest. “Yeah, he is.”
“He didn’t even come out of the apartment when the cops came. He didn’t want them to be able to identify him, he said.”
“That’s really smart of him.”
“Yeah, but I’m afraid next time, smart won’t be enough to keep them away. You need to take care of this.”
“I know.”
“Daisy, you also knew this was a risk when you took out that loan from Chad Murray. Can you really pay him like you promised him? Did you miss the deadline or something?”
“No, he’s just being a piece of shit.”
“Yeah, I can believe that.” Katie chuckles.
“How are you so calm?”
“I’ve had time to calm down. I was totally freaking out when I got home, and Jack told me what had happened while I was away. We tried and tried to call you, but you never picked up. We left, like, ninety voicemails, too.”
“I’m so sorry. I’ve been so busy.”
“What exactly are you doing? You’re not putting yourself in danger, are you? That would be just trading one problem for another.”
“No, I… I probably don’t have much credibility right now in your eyes after what just happened—”
“Damn right you don’t,” Katie says, cutting me off. Fair enough, I guess. I deserve that, even though it hurts.
“I know, but just… I know what I’m doing this time, okay?”
“And it’s not dangerous?”
“I won’t die from it, let’s put it that way.” I laugh nervously.
“Well, as long as you’ll live,” Katie says, joining me in laughter.
“I’ll come home and take care of Chad as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay, Daisy. Just… Don’t forget to take care of yourself as well. You always put yourself last.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do.”
24
Caine
“What the fuck is this?” I hold up the small microphone I found on the underside of my bed.
Daisy gets up from the couch, but she barely glances at the thing before she answers, “I don’t know. Listen, Caine, I have to—”
“This is a recording device, in case you really don’t know,” I say, cutting her off. I don’t like the way she just dismissed it. “But you must know, because it wasn’t there last time I checked and you’re the only one who’s been in the apartment, other than Bertha Jones.”
I wrinkle my nose when I mention her name. That woman. My biological mother, she said. How ridiculous.
“A what?” Daisy widens her eyes, looking like she’s surprised.
“I doubt this is really a surprise to you, but this is something that someone was using to spy on me.” I’ve disabled it now, but without knowing how long it’s been there, it’s hard to tell what they’ve heard, whoever they are.
“I swear, I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never seen that before in my life. I didn’t even know what that was until you told me,” she says, fear in her voice.
Now that she’s caught red handed, of course she’s acting scared. I shouldn’t have trusted her. I shouldn’t have trusted anyone.
I thought she was different, despite the fact that she’s literally only here because I’m giving her money to be here. I thought the money was enough to buy her loyalty as well, at least for one month, but apparently that’s asking too much.
If someone’s willing to pay a higher price—and I can think of a few people who would be, just off the top of my head—why wouldn’t she switch camps? Whoever has her on their payroll probably doesn’t require her to spread her legs and get fucked for the money.
I thought she was just stuck in a bad situation. I thought she appreciated the help I’m giving her. I thought wrong, apparently. I was even sad when I thought about her leaving and me c
oming home to an empty apartment.
But an empty apartment is hundreds of times better than a bugged apartment.
“When did you put it there?” I need this information so I know how to handle the damage control.
“I didn’t. Caine, I swear. I didn’t put it there,” she insists. Her eyes start to water, and I haven’t even done anything to her. What the fuck is she so worried about, if she didn’t bug my room?
“Is the whole apartment bugged?”
“I don’t know. I swear. Caine, something has happened at home. I need to go back for a while. Give me a couple of hours. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“Yes, of course. Now that you’re found out, you want to leave. Don’t think for a second that I’ll believe your story. I’m not that gullible.”
“I’m not lying to you. Look! I just called home and there’s an emergency.”
“Yes. The emergency is they just realized I found the bug, right? Who did you really call?”
“I swear it was my roommate.”
“You said you were going to call your brother. Nervous, my little flower? You’re starting to mix everything up.”
“No! I mean, yes, I was going to call my brother, but he lives with my roommate, and she was the one who picked up the phone.”
“Okay. I don’t care what your phony excuse is. Just tell me this, if it wasn’t you, then who was it? Who else was in here besides you?”
“There was Bertha last night.” She quickly adds, “But she didn’t go into your room. I’m sure it wasn’t her. I’m sure there’s another explanation.”
“Yes, it doesn’t make any sense, does it? Just admit it. I won’t hurt you or anything. My family doesn’t do that anymore, in case you haven’t heard. I’m sure you just did it for the money, so tell me, who paid you?”
“Caine! I would never do that to you!”
“Bullshit!”
She goes silent. Then, suddenly, her eyes light up with realization. “Oh!” She exclaims, covering her mouth with both hands.
How convincing. What a good actress. Maybe she’s been acting during sex, too. Is she even a real nurse? I wonder when this whole ruse started.
Did someone approach her at the party when I first gave her my business card? We were in a public place and I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. It could’ve been anyone, and I know I had lots of rivals at that party alone.
“Todd,” Daisy says when she finally opens her lips.
Is it crazy that, even in this moment, I want to crush those lips with mine and jam my cock in there? Maybe even more than usual, now that I’m fueled by anger.
“How do you even know him?” I speak in a calmer voice now. Having seen her true colors, I know not to pay attention to anything she says.
“He came by one day, when you were away. He said he’s your cousin, and he needed to use the bathroom, so he went into your room.”
I’m disappointed. It’s not even a good lie.
Todd doesn’t just visit; we’re not so close that we see each other outside work and family stuff. We don’t hang out together or anything.
Besides, I have another bathroom outside that Todd could’ve used. There’s no reason for him to enter my bedroom.
“So you met Todd at my father’s house the other day, right? And now you think you can blame him. Pretty smart. I have to admit that.”
“No, I swear I’m telling the truth. He did come here once.”
“Okay, give me my phone.” I open the photo gallery and find a picture we took together for a company website. I point at Todd’s face. “This guy?”
“Yes.”
“There’s no reason why Todd would do something like that to me. His father has been working for my father for decades, and he worked for my grandfather before that. He’s practically part of the family. My brother and I have called him Uncle Nathan since we were little. Todd’s an annoying fuckface, but you really think I’d believe your words over his? You’re pretty, but you think too highly of yourself, my little flower.”
“Did you say Nathan?”
“Yes.” I should kick her out, but I can’t wait to hear what lies she’s going to tell me about good old Uncle Nathan.
“Bertha mentioned a Nathan. She said someone called Nathan threatened her, blackmailed her into giving you up to the Fosters.”
I drag air into my constricted chest.
It’s about the money. It’s always about the money with these girls. They don’t even have a sense of loyalty when it comes to who they work for. Have they never heard the advice to never bite the hands that feed you?
“I’ve heard enough. I want you to leave. Now.”
“I’ll come back tonight. I swear.”
“I don’t want you to come back. I have no need for yet another money-grabbing whore. Sasha will send your stuff back tomorrow.”
Daisy flinches. Obviously my words have hit her where it hurts. Good.
She hesitates, but she soon runs to her room to get some of her stuff and bolts out the door, probably afraid of what I’d do to her now that I know she’s just another liar.
Ironic, really. I haven’t hurt her. Manipulated her into having sex with me, maybe, but she liked it—or she appeared to have liked it, anyway.
She’s the one who attacked me for no reason, just when I was starting to think I could trust her.
25
Caine
“Please, if you won’t talk to me, at least take me to your father. You said he wants to see me,” Bertha pleads just outside my apartment door.
I shouldn’t have opened the door at all, but she was annoying me with the incessant pressing of the bell button. I was in the middle of sweeping the apartment for more bugs, and I needed some silence to continue working.
Some professionals will come and do the job properly tomorrow, but I don’t like the idea of sleeping in an apartment that has been compromised. Who knows what else they’ve planted?
How could I have been so careless? I should’ve known better than to leave a girl alone in my apartment when I haven’t even run her profile through the usual checks.
“Please, Caine. I beg you.” Bertha’s eyes well up with tears. She clasps her hands together in front of her chest, so tight her knuckles are turning white.
“Fine,” I finally say. It’s probably a good idea to spend the night at Pop’s anyway, now that my apartment is fucked.
Then, once I deliver this woman to him, I can wash my hands off this bullshit. I don’t need more complications in my life.
“Really? Oh, thank you very much.” Bertha spreads her arms and pulls me into a hug.
I stand there awkwardly, waiting for her to let go.
I don’t really want to have anything to do with her. After tonight, I won’t have to see her again. Pop can find her himself next time if he really wants to see her that badly.
“Nathan did what?” Pop raises his voice, shocked and outraged by what Bertha has just told him, which is basically the same thing Daisy told me back at the apartment before she left.
“It’s true,” Bertha says. “He told me he knew where to find my family. He implied that he was going to, I don’t know, do something really bad to us if I didn’t give up the baby.”
“Jesus Christ,” Pop curses.
“You know how it was in those days, Robbie. I was worried about my dad getting beaten up in some alley, my mom disappearing, never to be found again.”
Shocking as the revelation is, I almost choke when she calls him “Robbie.”
He’s too wrapped up in the old stories to notice my reaction, though. He says, “If I knew that snake was up to something, I would’ve—”
“Oh, let’s not get started with the should’ve, could’ve, would’ve. There’s no end to it,” Bertha says. “What matters is right now, and I think we’re all relatively happy people, living happy lives, right?”
I have to admit, that’s a pretty cool thing to say, especially knowing she just lost her da
ughter last year.
Pop’s smile grows so wide I almost don’t recognize him. Who is this guy?
“Birdy,” he says, taking her hand in his. “You were always so wise.”
This is, without a doubt, the strangest moment in my life now.
“Can I get some explanations, please?” I speak up. This lovey-dovey atmosphere is starting to piss me off. “Why would Uncle Nathan do that? I’ve never known him to do anything against us.”
“You mean against the family, Caine,” Pop says. “Birdy wasn’t family. Nora was family. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I was cheating on Nora, and Nathan was doing what he thought was best for the family.”
“I’ve also always suspected that he had feelings for Nora,” Bertha says.
“Right. That, too,” Pop agrees.
“Wait, so he went against you, Pop?”
“Well, in those days, the head of the family was your grandfather. His first priority was his daughter, of course. And a cheating son-in-law had to be put in his place.”
“And you were okay with that?”
“Of course I wasn’t,” Pop says. “But, you see, it wasn’t just about Birdy and me anymore. There was you to think about. There were our families, our parents, our siblings. We’d be putting all of them at risk if we incurred your grandfather’s wrath.”
He pauses and swallows, his eyes focused on something in the distance. He takes a deep breath before he says, “I was depressed for a long time after that. But over the years, I learned to work with your grandfather and Nathan again.
“When your grandfather passed, I thought about letting Nathan go, but he was such a big part of the business by then, and the whole thing happened so long ago, and I also knew Nora wouldn’t have been too happy about that.”
My heart beats faster in my chest. I’ve been operating under the assumption that Uncle Nathan and Todd were one of us, that they wouldn’t do anything to seriously harm us under any circumstances.
Now, I’m not sure what they are anymore.
“Do you think Uncle Nathan, or Todd, or both of them, would be capable of betraying us?” I ask.