Positively Pricked

by Sabrina Stark

  In a moment of blind panic, I ducked into the stairwell and let the door swing shut behind me. And then I stood, for a long moment, catching my breath and trying to figure out what had just happened.

  Whatever it was, I never, ever wanted to repeat it.

  As I stood there, in the bleak stairwell, I reminded myself that I didn't even like him. In fact, I was pretty sure that I hated him.

  I'd hated him almost from the start. So why was it, I wondered, that I felt so awful now?

  I didn't bother returning to my room. Instead, I caught a crowded elevator a few floors down and rode it to the lobby with a dozen other hotel guests who looked a lot happier than I was.

  Still, I was glad to be lost in a crowd – alone, anonymous, where I could totally forget Zane Bennington, if even only for a few hours.

  But in the end, I couldn’t even do that, thanks to more bad timing.

  Chapter 41

  I'd almost reached the hotel's main doors when I heard a vaguely familiar male voice calling out my name. I turned and spotted Teddy, of all people, heading toward me in the crowded lobby.

  Damn it.

  I wasn't happy to see him. Already, I'd had more than enough of his attitude, and I was in no mood to make small talk with a guy who loathed me.

  Still, I couldn’t exactly duck and run. So reluctantly, I waited for him to catch up.

  When he reached my side, he asked, "Heading out?"

  I glanced toward the exit. If only I'd been two minutes earlier, I'd already be out. "Yes, actually."

  Teddy paused and studied my face. "Is something wrong?"

  I so didn't want to talk about it. "No. Everything's fine."

  He lowered his voice. "Are you sure?"

  No. I wasn't. And I was feeling less fine with every passing moment.

  I'd been absolutely determined to forget what had just happened with Zane. And now, with just a few poorly timed questions from his cousin, I was starting to feel all those emotions bubbling up to the surface – the embarrassment, the humiliation, and a whole slew of other feelings that I couldn’t quite decipher. But I did know that none of them were positive.

  Still, I managed to say, "I'm sure."

  He eyed me with obvious concern. "You're not fine. It's written all over your face."

  I looked away. As if he cared.

  I'd met the guy only a few times, and each time, he'd acted like I was some kind of degenerate. I glanced toward the exit. "Seriously, I really need to go."

  His voice softened. "Hey, I'm sorry, okay? I'm just concerned, that's all." He gave me a hopeful smile. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

  I blinked long and hard. Shit. Probably, I should've ducked into my hotel room for a shower or whatever – anything to pull myself together.

  I said, "It's just been one of those days. That's all."

  "You wanna get something to eat?" His tone brightened. "Dinner, maybe a couple of drinks? That always helps, right?"

  I stared at the guy. "Look, don't take this the wrong way. But why would you care?"

  He drew back. "Why wouldn’t I?"

  I was too irritated to be tactful. "Gee, I don't know. Because you think I'm a terrible person?"

  "I do not." He was frowning now. "What gave you that idea?"

  "Oh, please. You think I'm a ho-bag."

  His eyebrows furrowed. "A ho-bag?"

  I sighed. "You know, the kind of girl who jumps in the sack with anyone who asks."

  He smiled. "Actually, that's one reason I want to take you to dinner."

  My jaw dropped. I almost wanted to slap him. "Forget it."

  Pig.

  His smile vanished. "I wasn't talking about that."

  "Oh yeah?" I crossed my arms. "Then what were you talking about?"

  "I just mean, I owe you an apology."

  I vaguely recalled him apologizing on the plane – only to insult me all over again. I didn't want another apology. I just wanted to be on my way. Stiffly, I told him, "Don't worry about it."

  "Easy for you to say. I've been beating myself up for days." He gave a rueful laugh. "Believe it or not, I'm usually a pretty nice guy."

  This, I could actually believe. But it didn't change a thing. In truth, he was probably too nice, considering his poor judge of character. He had, after all, believed Paisley over me – and picked a girlfriend who cheated on him – damn it – with Zane.

  I wanted to scream. Lately, everything led to Zane. Every topic. Every thought. Cripes. I was even standing in his building.

  Suddenly, I had a nearly uncontrollable urge to bolt for the exit and leave Teddy standing there to think whatever he wanted.

  But I didn't. And why?

  Because when Teddy mentioned that he had a few other things to tell me – mostly about Zane – I'd been unable to resist.

  So there I was, fifteen minutes later, at a different restaurant with a different guy. And what he told me over the next hour made me feel more confused than ever.

  Chapter 42

  "So basically," Teddy concluded, "he stole everything."

  I sat in stunned silence. According to what Teddy had just told me, this included the company, the houses, the cars, and everything else associated with the estate.

  We were tucked deep into a little pizzeria joint a few blocks away from the hotel. Teddy had suggested eating someplace a lot nicer than this, but I'd had more than enough fanciness for one night.

  It didn't matter, anyway. After everything I'd just heard, even the small slice of cheese pizza wasn't sitting quite right.

  When I finally found my voice, I said, "You can't know that for sure."

  "The hell I can't," Teddy said. "There were signs. I just regret I didn't see them sooner."

  "What kind of signs?"

  "Like with the company," he said. "A couple of years ago, there were problems with creditors. Big problems. With suppliers, too."

  I knew what he was referring to. During that timeframe, there'd been talk of bankruptcy, but nothing had ever come of it.

  I said, "But it all got worked out, right?"

  "Sure," Teddy said, "but we don't know how. That whole time, the old man – meaning Zane's grandfather – was acting like a different person."

  "How so?" I asked.

  "Normally, he was the nicest guy you'd ever meet." A sad smile crossed Teddy's features. "He never had a bad thing to say to anyone."

  Listening, I couldn’t help but compare the grandfather to his only grandson. Unlike the "old man," Zane was a holy terror.

  Teddy continued. "And he got reclusive, stopped taking our calls. Every time we tried to reach out, he gave us the brush-off."

  "When you say 'we,' who do you mean?"

  "Well, you heard about Cedric and Randall, right?"

  I shook my head. "Sorry, but–"

  "Zane's uncles."

  "Ohhhh…right." I tried to recall what I knew. The grandfather had three sons total. There was Zane's dad plus two older brothers, the ones who'd died late last year. I gave Teddy a sympathetic look. "That must've been rough, losing both of them so suddenly."

  "Yeah, it was." He gave a sad chuckle. "Those guys were real characters."

  Now, this I believed. Both brothers had been notorious playboys. Between the two of them, they had nearly a dozen ex-wives, a slew of scandals, and no kids whatsoever. "I bet you miss them, huh?"

  "You want the truth?" Teddy said. "I didn't see them a lot, because they were always traveling. But I do know they were worried. We all were. My stepdad in particular."

  I tried to think. "You mean Bob?"

  Teddy looked surprised. "You know him?"

  Belatedly, I recalled that Teddy had no idea I'd been eavesdropping from inside the van. Out of sheer embarrassment, I wanted to keep it that way. Trying to be vague, I said, "I know that he used to work for Zane's grandfather, right?"

  Teddy nodded. "Right. Until maybe a year ago."

  "What happened then?" I asked.

  "All of a sudden,
he's forced into early retirement."

  "By the grandfather?"

  "Supposedly," Teddy said. "But even then, I knew Zane was behind it."

  "What makes you say that?"

  "Because everything was fine until he showed up."

  I wasn't following. "What do you mean by showed up?"

  "Lemme back up," Teddy said. "You've heard that Zane grew up in Northern Michigan, right?"

  I nodded. "Right."

  "Well," Teddy continued, "it used to be, we never saw him, except maybe a couple times a year. But then, all of a sudden, around a year ago, we're seeing him all the time – hanging around the house, almost like he owns the place."

  Funny, he did own the place. Now, anyway. Looking to confirm that I was thinking of the right house, I said, "You're talking about the estate, right? Where Zane's living now?"

  Teddy nodded. "Yeah. The grandfather's place. And you wanna know what I think?"

  "What?"

  Teddy leaned forward across the table. "I think he moved himself in and never moved out."

  "But how would you even know?" I asked.

  "Like I said, Bob was worried, so he was keeping an eye out."

  Based on what I knew of that neighborhood, this made a lot of sense. "You mean from the house on Longwood? The one that Zane, um…" How to put this? "…took back?"

  Teddy didn't look happy to be reminded. "So you know about that, too?"

  I nodded. "Yeah, I heard." Literally.

  "Oh yeah, that was a real treat," Teddy said. "And you know who took it really hard?"

  "Who?" I asked.

  "Bob's daughter."

  I recalled the young woman who'd been sobbing out on the front lawn. "Oh?"

  Teddy gave another nod. "She loved that place, especially the pool, cried her eyes out when Bob told her about the move."

  So the woman was Bob's daughter? At the time, I hadn't been so sure, but it did make sense.

  At something in my expression, Teddy said, "You look surprised."

  I was surprised, but I'd never tell him why. After all, who wanted to hear that their stepsister might've been mistaken for a live-in girlfriend? I said, "Well, it is a lot to take in."

  "I know. But there's a reason I'm telling you."

  Cautiously, I said, "which is…?"

  "I see the way he looks at you."

  I blinked. "What?"

  "You know what I mean."

  "No. I don't." I wasn't even lying. Oh sure, there had been a few moments when I might've wondered, but now, I saw things clearly for what they were.

  Probably, Zane was always giving off that vibe.

  In hindsight, Maven had probably saved me from a huge mistake, because for a moment there, I'd been almost ready to believe that there was more to Zane than I originally thought.

  How stupid was that?

  When Teddy said nothing in response, I added, "Honest. There's nothing between us."

  He gave me a look. It was the same look he'd given me after I'd insisted that there was nothing between me and the professor.

  I hated that look. "I'm not lying," I told him.

  Right on cue, he gave me the same look again. "If you say so."

  So much for his earlier apology.

  I gave him a look right back. "I do say so."

  "Hey, I'm trying to do you a favor."

  Some favor. "Thanks. I guess."

  He lowered his voice. "And, as long as we're talking, I'd like your help."

  I felt my eyes narrow. "Doing what?"

  "Just keep an eye out. That's all I ask."

  He could ask all he wanted, but I wasn't going to spy for him. And besides, his timing sucked. I said, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

  "What?"

  "What I told you during the walk over." At his perplexed look, I added, "That my job's probably gone. You do remember that, right?"

  "Of course I remember. But you never said why."

  "Yeah, because you never asked."

  At this, he had the good grace to look chagrinned for like two whole seconds before mumbling, "Well, maybe I didn't want to pry."

  Or maybe, he just didn't want to bother.

  I don't even know why I was irritated.

  I wouldn't have given him the details, anyway. On top of that humiliating scene with Maven, it was beyond embarrassing that I'd told my boss to fuck off.

  But it wasn't only embarrassment that was keeping me from sharing all the dirty details. I didn't trust Teddy or his intentions. And besides, I wasn't one to gossip.

  And yet, in spite of that lofty sentiment, I wasn't blind to the fact that I'd just spent an hour listening to someone I barely knew divulge family secrets that were none of my business.

  Part of me actually felt ashamed.

  Across from me, Teddy was saying, "Yeah, but if you're still around, keep an eye out. That's all I'm asking."

  His concern was oh-so-touching. It only confirmed what I'd already begun to suspect – that this dinner had been merely an excuse to run Zane into the ground and recruit me as a potential spy.

  Idiot.

  Once again, I was referring to myself.

  I stood. "I really need to go."

  Teddy frowned. "So soon?"

  If I'd been smart, I would've left an hour ago – or better yet, declined his invitation entirely. Now, I was just eager to leave.

  I wasn't thrilled when he insisted on walking me back to the hotel, supposedly for my own safety.

  I was even less thrilled when he spent the first half of the walk theorizing that Zane had strong-armed the grandfather into rewriting the will, and the second half hinting that Zane might've had his uncles killed so he wouldn’t have to share the inheritance.

  Call me a sap, but I didn't believe either one of these things.

  Was I being naïve? Maybe. But the way I saw it, Zane had plenty of bad qualities already without adding elder-abuse and killing to the list. Plus, when it came to both theories, I couldn’t help but consider the source – Teddy, who seemed way too eager to believe all kinds of things that simply weren't true.

  Who knows? Maybe I didn't trust any of them, including the uncles who, dead or not, didn't sound like particularly nice people.

  By the time Teddy and I said goodbye at the hotel entrance, all I wanted was to crawl under the covers and forget the whole lot of them.

  But I couldn't.

  Why? Because when I was finally approaching my own hotel room, who did I see waiting for me?

  Zane Bennington.

  Chapter 43

  I felt sweaty and worn out – partly from the walk and partly because I was more confused than ever.

  Seeing Zane standing there didn't help.

  And of course, he didn't look sweaty or worn out. No. Not him. He looked cool and determined, even as he stood, with arms crossed, facing the door to my hotel room.

  Where his room was, I had no idea, but it didn't take a genius to know that it was surely located a lot higher up than mine.

  In fact, come to think of it, he had a penthouse in New York. Was it right here? In this hotel?

  Probably.

  Well, goodie for him.

  I'd just rounded the corner, and so far, he hadn't spotted me – or so I thought, until he turned his head slowly in my direction. At something in his expression, I felt myself swallow.

  He looked pissed off, and not just a little.

  But so what?

  I was pissed off, too, and not because of anything I'd heard during my dinner with Teddy. Rather, it was the other dinner – the one I didn't get to eat – that was fueling my current hostility.

  To think, I'd been taken to the top of the world, charmed for like ten whole minutes, and then dismissed like some kind of temporary seat-warmer.

  In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but wonder how much worse I'd be feeling now – or heaven forbid, tomorrow morning – if I'd been stupid enough to succumb to Zane's shallow charms.

  I almost scoffed out loud.
I didn't need to wonder. If I truly wanted to know, I could ask Tiffany or a dozen other girls, including the one he'd ditched in Kalamazoo.

  The jerk.

  Almost before I knew it, I was marching forward even as he strode toward me, meeting me more than halfway. I stopped within slapping distance and glared up at him to ask, "What are you doing here?"

  "Waiting."

  "For what?"

  "You," he said. "Now, tell me something."

  I almost laughed out loud. Oh, there were plenty of things I could tell him. But none of them were fit for public consumption. So instead, I crossed my arms and said, "What?"

  "Your job – did you quit?"

  What the hell?

  I practically snorted in disbelief. "So that's why you're here?" I tried for another laugh. "Well, I guess that rules out apology-number-five."

  "Just answer the question."

  I didn't feel like doing anything he asked. So instead, I gave him a taste of his own medicine. Lowering my voice to match his, I mimicked, "My job – am I fired?"

  He looked anything but amused. "Is that a serious question?"

  Was it? I honestly didn't know.

  When I said nothing in response, he gave me a hard look. "And how was Teddy?"

  I froze. "What?"

  "Over dinner, did he give you a good earful?"

  He had, in fact. But that wasn't the point. I said, "How'd you know?"

  "You're in my hotel."

  "So?"

  "So if I'm looking for you, it's not hard to find out when you left…" His jaw clenched. "…or with whom."

  In spite of everything, I just had to ask, "Did you seriously just say 'whom'?"

  "I know plenty of words, and they're not all four letters."

  I paused. "But wait, that is a four-letter word."

  His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

  "Whom," I said. "It has four letters."

  "Forget the letters. Now, tell me something."

  "What?"

  "Do you believe everything you hear?"

  Of all the questions, this was one I hadn't been anticipating. But it didn't matter. I already knew what I thought.

  Sure, it would be incredibly easy to believe the worst of Zane "the Prick" Bennington. He was, after all, the most impossible person I'd ever met. But when it came to Teddy's claims, I had more than a few doubts.