I walked alongside Jaxon to the room next door and pushed open the panel, waiting for my twin to go inside. He stepped across the threshold and I followed him, turning on the light and pointing toward the bed and the television. “There’s the bed, entertainment, and there’s a bathroom through there. Just pick up the phone and order something if you’re hungry.” I glanced back at the doorway I hadn’t closed. Donnie would be able to hear anything we said.
I pushed Jaxon further into the room, ignoring his sharp glance. Turning on the television, I turned up the volume, but kept my voice low as I spoke to him. “I know you’re not drugged. You’re putting on a good show. Stay in here, and I’ll get you out in the morning. Donnie…” I shook my head. “He wants you to pay for your betrayal.”
“And you don’t?” A sheet of calm covered Jaxon’s expression as he watched me with his arms folded over his chest.
Did I? I shrugged. “I think that should be up to me, and no one else. Normally I have control over him, but he’s gotten slightly fanatical over the last few months. I don’t want to trigger him. He knows some pretty messed up people.” I wasn’t afraid of them, but who knew what they could do or would do because Donnie wanted them to. People like them were controlled by money. I had plenty of that.
Suspicion laced Jaxon’s eyes and I didn’t blame him. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did exactly the opposite of what I told him to do. I would rebel at the first chance I had. Why would I think he’d be any different?
“Why are you trying to help me?” Jaxon narrowed his eyes. He had every reason not to trust me. I didn’t trust me, but the last thing I needed was for him to question me.
I raised my hands; palms forward and shook my head. “Look, I’m not getting into it with you. Keep your head low and stay out of trouble. That’s it. It shouldn’t be hard.” I shook my head and huffed. “No parties tonight. Donnie and I are going over some security issues. There’s something I don’t trust about him.” I’d said too much, but maybe enough to keep Jaxon out of trouble. The fact that I didn’t trust my only friend should worry more than just me.
“I’m not making any promises.” Jaxon moved back to flop on the bed, crunching a pillow into place to see the television better from his position.
I shook my head, retrieving the remote from the top of the entertainment center and tossing it to him. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.” I studied him and then held out my hand. “Here, give me your jacket. I’ll hang it up.” Maybe his phone was in it. If he’d forget about the phone, maybe I could get the piece, maybe not. I’m not sure what I would do with it when I got it, but if I really wanted to take advantage of Jaxon being stuck at Donnie’s then I needed that phone.
He pushed buttons on the remote, shrugging out of his hoodie distractedly. Tossing it my way, he didn’t look directly at me as he continued watching the TV.
I moved toward the hook by the door, surreptitiously checking the pockets. Yep, the phone was in there. I slid it out and into my own pocket while hanging it up. Turning back to Jaxon, I smirked. “Don’t think this means we’re friends. I just don’t think you need to die tonight. That’d be hard to explain to Dad.” I turned without waiting for a smartass reply which is what I expected from my brother. It’s what I would do.
Leaving the room, I ran my thumb over the edge of his phone in my pocket. If I could get Donnie to give me the information I was looking for, maybe I could duck out of the house for a few hours and see just how much like Jaxon I really was.
I stood in the door to the room Ryan was in and I motioned for Donnie to follow me. He glanced back curiously at Ryan and then at me as he walked out of the room.
Ducking my head close to his as he reached me, I spoke in low tones. “I need to check out that security footage of the last party. I’m looking for the time right before we met Jaxon at the car.” I didn’t want Donnie to know what I was looking for exactly, but at the same time, I needed to know what I didn’t know. Something I had no control over.
Donnie’s eyes grew wide and he stopped walking. “Hey, I don’t know.” He looked behind him and then back at me. “Maybe we should just dole out justice on Ryan. I was thinking… if you’re after him for raping Stephanie, we could do him like he did her.”
I tilted my head to the side, cocking my eyebrow. “Like… us rape him? I’m not into guys.”
He shook his hands in front of him. “Nah, man, I know people. It wouldn’t take long to get someone in here to mess him up.” He cleared his throat and tucked his hands in his pockets.
But he didn’t walk toward the security rooms. He didn’t do much of anything.
What was he hiding? Why didn’t he want to look at the videos with me? Usually he couldn’t wait to show off the things that had happened at his parties. I rarely took him up on it, because some shit shouldn’t be seen.
I jerked my hand for him to follow me. “Come on, dick. Let’s get this over with. Then we can come up with what we want to do with Beetham. I want him awake for whatever happens. We have a few hours for that.” I grinned like I had something in mind and it was going to be good, but I wanted to get the video part done first.
Doubt furrowed Donnie’s brow but he slowly followed me, finally falling into step as he overtook me the closer we got to the security suite at the end of the hallway.
“Is anyone working tonight?” I paused by the doorframe, glancing at Donnie who reached for the door handle.
He shook his head. “No, Dad switched to full time AI monitoring. They can track for certain activity from a secure site off property, but this way, Dad has more control when they can see things and when they can’t. The cameras still record, but there’s a button we push for when we want it to go live and stuff. It takes the invasive sensation out of the security.” He shrugged as he pushed the door open and led me into a dark room.
I’d been there before and didn’t blink in amazement at the fifteen monitors set up in a stacked-formation on shelves and desk in front of three rolling desk chairs. One QWERTY keyboard and three mouse controls adorned the desktop in front of the monitors.
I claimed an office desk chair and waited for Donnie to follow suit. He moved slowly and I glanced at him. “You okay, bro? What’s going on?”
Maybe a passed-out Ryan was something Donnie wanted a piece of. I wasn’t sure. Not something you asked your friend about. I definitely didn’t want to know the answer. I’d always suspected he had a thing for me, but I just used it to my advantage. I didn’t need to deal with his cravings any more than I needed to worry about Jaxon’s.
Donnie took control of the largest mouse with the rolling pin, three buttons, and a red laser light that popped on when he moved it. He glanced at me, looking away quickly when he found me watching him. What did he know?
Because didn’t that make sense that he knew something he was hiding? Or knew something he didn’t want me to know he knew?
He typed something on the main screen, pulling up video still-frames that acted like thumbnails for each time sequence of one-hour blocks.
I looked away from him, turning to study the screen. The last time I’d been there with him, I’d watched as he spoke to a security guard about the new updates to the software. When a block was edited, there was a small red checkmark in the upper left corner.
A timestamp in the block dividers indicated where each video belonged. The only one with a red check mark was the one I was looking for. I motioned toward the screen. “Have you had a chance to look these over?”
Donnie shook his head emphatically. “Nah, man. I haven’t had time with my chemistry midterms and that report due in English.” He cleared his throat, something he only did when he was nervous.
I narrowed my eyes. “So, no one else has seen these?” Of course, he was lying to me. I wasn’t stupid. I could clearly see someone had tampered with the video in the hour block I wanted to look at.
He claimed he didn’t have time. Interesting. What had he seen that he didn’t want
me to know about? Donnie’s loyalty was coming into question and I didn’t like that at all.
In the dark room, I used my foot to pivot back and forth a small amount as I shifted my gaze between Donnie and the screen. “I want to look at that one – the one with the red check. Does that mean you already have it selected?”
Donnie nodded. “Yeah, that’s what that means.”
I clenched my jaw. He was blatantly lying to me. My distrust ratcheted up. What the hell was he hiding? I controlled my breathing, smirking like I was getting everything I wanted like I expected, but inside I was seething.
Donnie clicked on the time block and pulled it up onto the screen to my left, smack in between the two of us. He pressed play.
I pretended to be engrossed in the video while watching him in my peripheral view. He clicked furiously on a different block, pulling up a new window and typing things in that I couldn’t focus on but that I suspected was a hidden command to erase or delete any original files. I pointed at a small box on the desk beneath a monitor. “What’s that?” Hopefully, there were some storage devices around. I had no idea how I was going to get the information I needed with Donnie right there, but I needed those video blocks.
“Empty USB drives and some CDs. The security team we had was old school. They teased me about using a floppy, but I said it sounded like a personal problem.” He shrugged, clicked some more things and then clicked exit.
Whatever he’d just done, my video stopped and then blinked. “Oh, sorry. Just a second.” He pressed play again and there was Olivia striding from the dance area in the skimpy outfit she’d worn to the party.
I scooted the chair closer to the desk, staring intently at the monitor. I breathed deep; a little bit faster as I stared at her.
The black and white monitors didn’t do her justice, but she was one of those rare creatures who looked amazing in any outfit and any light. Her curves went on for days. No matter what she wore, she still looked like an innocent playing dress up.
Suddenly, there I was, walking out to her. I couldn’t see my face, but I remembered the way I’d felt as I’d seen her, approached her, and then kissed her. Even when she’d slapped me…
“Oh, dog, that looked brutal.” Donnie covered his mouth with a closed fist and leaned back like he’d never seen the video before.
But while the slap had been full force, it didn’t look as brutal as it did hot. Her eyes had blazed and then she stepped forward, rage and sexual tension rampant through her.
I suddenly couldn’t stop staring at her. I wanted her. I’m not sure why I thought I could get her out of my system. There was nothing about Olivia Ramirez that was easily deleted from memory.
On screen I walked away from her, a grin on my lips. She walked toward the pool house and then the clip cut. The time stamp showed a missing chunk of almost fifteen minutes and then it stared out at the ocean.
The next video was of Olivia walking up the stairs at the house.
A huge chunk was missing. I could read timestamps and I don’t think Donnie realized that. There was more going on than he wanted me to know. That pissed me off, but I hid it well.
I glanced at the screen once more and stood. “Okay, thanks. That’s all I needed to see. I’m going to check on Jaxon, then I’ve got some stuff to do. You good, if I leave you here for a bit?” I eyed him like he might be on the edge of something psychotic.
Who knew though with Donnie? He could be on the edge and there would be no sign. It was one of the reasons why I liked him so much. I thought I trusted him, but I was fast learning I didn’t trust anyone as much as I thought I did.
No one was going to watch out for numero uno except me. I had to learn to accept that.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Did you think about what you wanted to do to Ryan?” Donnie stood with me, following me out as if he wanted to make sure I left the room.
Maybe I could get something from both Donnie and Jaxon at the same time. I narrowed my eyes and came to a slow stop, pausing in the hallway. First, I needed Donnie distracted, if I wanted to give a task to Jaxon to complete while I stepped off property.
I shrugged and then furrowed my brow. “Is it too much to ask that you do whatever you want? I want this kept in-house, though. I don’t want external people brought in. The less involved the better.”
Donnie’s eyes lit up. “Really? Are you sure? Should I wait until he wakes up?”
I shook my head, swallowing back the sick I could feel roiling up. Whatever he wanted to do to Ryan was his thing. I just wanted Ryan to pay. No one beat on anyone in West Shores Academy. Normally I kept my mouth shut about the things that went on with the students of the school, but rape wasn’t something I was going to tolerate. Especially someone like Stephanie.
The fact that she’d lost the baby tugged at something inside me. I didn’t want to focus too closely on what that might mean, but I had to admit, it was one more thing demanding justice.
“Nah. Do whatever. I’ll be gone a few hours. Be done by the time I get back.” I winked and patted his shoulder, trying to smother the grossed-out factor rising in my chest. I had to continue thinking of him as a friend, if I wanted things in my life to stay “normal”.
Donnie walked beside me, reigning in his haste to get to that bedroom while I walked beside him, holding him at steady pace.
We separated and I continued on to the door where my brother was. I knocked on the panel and then pushed it open. Jaxon sat on the bed, staring at the TV, his arms crossed behind his head. He glanced at me when I came in, sitting up when I shut the door.
I glanced behind me and then turned to face him more fully, moving into the room until I was close enough he could hear me comfortably. “Look, I’m going to step out. I need Donnie to think I’m busy. He’s going to be busy with…” I rolled my eyes, sighing. “Ignore whatever happens in that room. Ryan is getting justice, got it?”
Jaxon narrowed his eyes but didn’t speak. I handed him his hoodie from the hook, waiting for him to pull it back on. When he was situated, I motioned with my hands as I spoke. “At the end of the hallway there’s a door on the right. It lets you into the security room. There’s a bank of monitors and a box with USB drives and CDs. Donnie just left the video clip up on the monitor that I want downloaded.” I trailed off, shaking my head.
This might be too complicated for my simpleton brother. Although, did I really believe he was stupid? If what he’d said was true, and those colleges had wanted him and he turned them down… well, he could probably do what I needed easier than I thought.
All I had to do was make it seem like he couldn’t do it. Jaxon had an insatiable need to prove himself. I could play off that characteristic trait. I huffed, and folded my arms, turning away from him. “Never mind. I need this information. I’ll just do it myself.”
There was seriously too much at stake. I pinched the bridge of my nose and turned back toward him while I stared at the floor.
“What?” Jaxon stood from the bed, moving toward me and studying my face. “Why do you need the information? What’s going on?” For once, I could talk to him. Of course, I couldn’t trust him, but he had no idea what I needed the video for and he had no way of watching the files before I got them, anyway. Putting him in charge just got Jaxon out of my way while getting me the information I needed.
“Look, I think he altered the video, but I can’t be sure. I heard Dad talking to Maria the other day and he said you’re a computer whiz or something. If you can find that original, get it. I don’t want the edited version. I want the original.” I narrowed my eyes at my brother. “Is that something you can do?”
He nodded, keeping his lips pressed together. “What do I do if Donnie catches me?”
“Don’t get caught. I’m not sure what’s on that video, but he just lied to me point blank. He said no one had seen it. But it’s been edited. I have no idea what is on it. That’s why I want it.” I glanced behind me and then up where I knew the camera was in that room.
/> The light wasn’t on which meant Donnie had the security cameras off. Whatever he was going to do, he didn’t want evidence of. Since the bedrooms were on the same circuit, all of the cameras had been shut off.
“Donnie said he knows people. I suspected he had connections, but what he promised me could happen, I have no doubt he could get done. If you set off any alarms or anything, run. Get out of there and find your way home.” I wasn’t betraying Donnie or even siding with Jaxon. If he got the information I needed, there was no reason to get stuck with it at Donnie’s. Instead, he needed to get his ass out of there and get me the video as soon as possible.
It had nothing to do with trust or who I was going to hang out with. It had everything to do with who was going to benefit from what.
I needed Jaxon busy and I needed Donnie busy. Neither of them needed to know where I was going or what I was doing.
My goal was about to get realized and both of them would try to stop me for different reasons.
Nailing Olivia had become my main objective, even if she didn’t know it was me. I’d never wanted anything so bad and nothing was going to stand in my way.
Jaxon nodded as he headed down the hall. I pulled his phone from my pocket as I strode the opposite direction.
I’d convince Olivia it was Jaxon coming and then I’d give her what she didn’t know she wanted.
Maybe then, she’d fall for me. But by then, it’d be too late… for her.
Chapter 18
Jaxon
I didn’t look behind me to see where Braddox was headed. Working with him wasn’t an option. I had to, if I wanted to find out what he was up to. If I could get into Donnie’s security, maybe I could figure out what exactly had happened on the night of the party to Stephanie.
The results of Ryan’s beating had been horrendous and Braddox and Donnie seemed concerned with that. But no one seemed worried about him raping her.
Personally, both concerned me.
I passed the bedroom where they’d had Ryan, wincing at the sound of flesh hitting flesh. I didn’t want to know and I wasn’t going to ask. The sound was loud enough to reach me in the hallway with the door closed. Not knowing seemed the better way to go.
Forbidden: A bully romance (An Academy Twin Rivalry Series Book 2) Page 15