by Layla Frost
Touching her phone to end the call, she immediately dialed again.
“Sweetie, what’s going on?” I asked.
“Z. He’s…” She closed her eyes, growling her frustration. “Something’s going on, he’s going to court.”
“When? Why?”
“I don’t know. Detective Oscar said the prosecutors on the case are pissed and scrambling to plan for any situation. One of them gave Gregory a courtesy call and he’s been trying to reach Jake.” Tapping the phone, she put it back to her ear. “But he’s not answering.”
“Do you know where he is?”
“Yeah, he and the developer are at the worksite all day. Signal sucks there with all of the construction.” She looked at the clock before her fingers flew across her phone as she sent a text.
“Balls.” I softened my voice. “Are you sure you want to go to court?”
Her shoulders went back. “Oh yeah. I haven’t missed a hearing yet.” She hunched a little, doubt seeping into her expression. “Of course he wasn’t at any of those. Do you think he’ll be at this one?” Before I could answer, she straightened up. “If he is, I’ll just have to deal.”
Not for the first time, I found myself envious of my friend. Not because she had a hottie husband wrapped around her finger. Or because she was gorgeous with a sweet talent. Not even because she knew what she wanted in life and worked hard to get it.
I was jealous of her strength.
“I don’t have my car, but—” I started.
“What’s going on?” Xavier, one of Kase’s coworkers and friends, halted when he entered the room. His voice had a slight Hispanic accent, his whole look dark and exotically attractive. When he saw Piper’s pale face, though, his expression wasn’t dark.
It was thunderous.
“Z,” Piper said, redialing the phone. “Something is going on and he’s due in court soon.”
“Let’s go.”
“Harlow was going—”
“Jake,” he glanced at me before adding, “and Kase would break my arms if I let you two go alone.”
Even in her current frame of mind, Piper’s brows shot up and she skewered me with a look before turning to Xavier. “But you’re the only one working today.”
“I’ll close the shop down. You got your car?” he asked her.
“No, Jake took it.”
Xavier turned to me. “You?”
“No, I took the bus.”
“And Kase will be pissed, so you’ve got that to look forward to.” Shaking his head, he ran his hand through his overgrown hair. “Okay, I’ve only got the bike, so it’s just you and me, Piper.”
Reaching out at the same time, Piper and I clutched hands. I tried to make my smile reassuring. “It’s all good. It’s probably nothing, just a bunch of nonsense, legal mumbo jumbo. Is there anything I can help with from here? Answer phones or do your picture stuff?”
Her expression warmed and I was pretty sure she got that I was asking to show support, not because I had an abundance of time for menial tasks. “You’re seriously the best. My laptop is on the table. The pictures are all in a folder on the desktop that says ‘new’. There’s a spreadsheet doc open with the cake specifics, but you don’t have to do that.” She grabbed her bag and started for the door, trying to brush herself off as she went.
“Hold on.” Reaching into my purse, I pulled out a backup long sleeved t-shirt and handed it to her.
“You’re like the crazy hot version of Mary Poppins,” Xavier said, leaving the room.
Piper looked at me before shaking her head. “We’ll get to that, along with a lot of other things, later.” Turning away, she took her tee off and replaced it with mine. “I’ll text you later. Don’t feel like you’ve gotta stick around.”
I shot her a look, not bothering to respond verbally.
Though there was a lot that I could’ve been doing, none of it was more important.
She smiled, but it was small and anxious. “Fair enough. I’ll still text if it’s gonna be a while.”
“I’m fine, really. Take care of you.”
“I’m totally freaked.”
I hugged her tight but fast. “Go. Or don’t. But don’t let the fear control you.”
Ha. Like you’re one to give advice about how to handle fear.
Straightening her spine, her resolve seemed strengthened. “I’m going.”
*******
“He’s pleading guilty,” Piper said softly as she walked through the doorway, shaken and lost looking.
“Hooray?” I was fairly certain it was a good thing, but her reaction was throwing me.
Moving to sit on the couch, she changed her mind at the last second and instead paced the room. “Yeah. I mean. It’s Z, you know? Like, Z.”
“Piper, he was Z the whole time he—”
“I know.” She closed her eyes and lowered her voice to barely above a whisper. “I know. But…”
“It’s Z.”
“Exactly. Only he’s not. He never was. At least not when I knew him.” Her eyes flew open. “He cut his hair. Shaved it down to barely anything. No more pompadour.”
“Whoa.”
“Yup.”
“So he’s pleading guilty? Did he take a deal or something?”
“No, that’s the thing. He’s pleading guilty against his counsel’s advice. I saw Gregory there. You know, Jake’s dad?” At my nod, she continued. “He had to recuse himself from anything involving the official case, of course. But the acting prosecutor still keeps him informed, and she said Z’s attorney wants him to plead not guilty and go to trial. He thinks they can make the argument that Z and I were in a consensual relationship.”
“One that involved stalking, a murder, an attempted murder, and an attempted rape?” As soon as the snarky comment was out, I wished I could take it back.
Thankfully, it didn’t upset Piper any further than she already was. “Except, according to their version, Z and I were having rough sex. Then Jake caught us, and shot Z in a fit of jealous rage. And it was Jake’s intrusion that distracted Z, which made our kinky sex games go bad.”
I closed the laptop, careful not to slam it in my irritation. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope. Gregory said Z’s lawyer would’ve likely been able to convince at least one juror that that’s how it was.”
“What about Chloe and James?”
“The lawyer was going to say that James was another obsessed lover. And Chloe was shot at her place in another county, which means a different jurisdiction.”
“But the whole thing was intertwined.”
“The gun wasn’t the same one found at my place.” She threw her arms out. “They don’t even have it. No weapon, witnesses, or motive that can be corroborated other than hearsay. It’s not enough evidence to combine the trials.”
“So he didn’t confess to that part?”
She shook her head. “He’s been pretty focused on me.”
I bit my lip to hold back my sarcastic comment. My legal knowledge was limited, most of it coming from TV and movies, but it wasn’t making sense to me. “That still doesn’t sound like enough to risk a trial.”
“It would’ve been a gamble, but his lawyer was also going to heavily imply police misconduct and bias.”
“How so?”
She pointed to herself. “Daughter-in-law of the ADA and another attorney. They could say Jake’s parents and the police covered up his part. Or, at the very least, the charges were too harsh and the investigation was run improperly.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“Gregory said it doesn’t matter. String enough maybes and what ifs together, and you’ve got reasonable doubt.”
I lowered my brows. “Wait. Then why’s he pleading guilty? Do you think he’s unstable?”
“No. He must be on meds or in therapy or something. He’s clearer. Sharper.”
“How so?”
“Today was just him answering a couple of the judge’s questions before they
can schedule his sentencing, but he seems to finally get that I’m not her. He didn’t even glance my way, like he actually felt guilty. And when his attorney was being pissy about his decision, he didn’t waver.”
“Why?”
Some of the color that had come into Piper’s cheeks left again, along with the brightness in her eyes. “He doesn’t want me to have to testify.”
I hadn’t known Z well, only seeing him in passing, at get-togethers and the shop. He was always nice, especially to Piper, though it hadn’t seemed romantic. At the time, I’d thought he had a big brother type protectiveness toward her.
When he belly flopped off the deep end, everyone felt that sucker punch. He was their friend. Their brother.
He was one of them.
As I watched Piper stare off to the side of the room, I knew that pain hadn’t gone away for her.
“He’s protecting me,” she said, her voice soft. “He always thought he was.”
“Maybe that’s not it.”
She looked down and twisted the ring she wore on her thumb. “It is. He freaked out during their prep when he found out I had to testify. When he heard what they were going to accuse me of, he,” her voice caught and she shook her head, “he wouldn’t do it. That’s why this all happened so fast.”
“Piper.” I wasn’t sure what else to say.
She looked up, tears falling down her cheeks. “I know he’s bad, Harlow. I do. But he’s still Z. It hurt to see him ‘cause of what he did, but also ‘cause it was a reminder of the friendship I thought we had. It was like…”
“It was like experiencing the loss all over again,” I finished when her words trailed off.
“Exactly,” she whispered. “It hurt, like physically—”
Before she could finish her thought, a door slammed open and then shut.
Piper’s shoulders slumped slightly, as if she knew she could let go of the weight she was carrying. “I need my husband.”
Following her, I watched from the doorway as Jake entered the hall.
His body was tense, his jaw clenched. Fury radiated off of him, though his concern for his wife overpowered it.
Piper ran full-on, launching herself at him. When he caught her, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and buried her face in his neck.
Holding her ass, his face softened as he whispered to her. He carried her into his office, kicking the door closed behind them.
I took a moment to jot down a note, letting her know what I’d done for the pictures. As I packed my bag, I glanced over to see Kase watching me.
“Hey, what’s up?” I asked.
“You were supposed to call me for a ride.”
“I did, but the call wouldn’t go through. Piper said the construction at the new place messes with the cell service.”
Kase’s eyes narrowed. “I know you’re lying. But it’s true, so I’ll give you this one.”
Score!
He looked around. “Where’s Jake? He left before me.”
“With Piper, talking about the Z stuff.”
Kase’s eyebrows raised, his body tightening at my words.
“Z’s pleading guilty,” I explained. “Piper found out last minute and went to the court with Xavier since she couldn’t get ahold of Jake.”
“Shit. I better go see what’s happening.”
I took a frantic step forward. “Do not go into the office.”
“Trust me, that’s a lesson we all know. I’m gonna go talk to Xavier for a minute. Wait here, and I’ll give you a ride home.”
I nodded.
His eyes narrowed again. “I mean it, Harlow.”
“I said okay. Sheesh.”
When the door to the garage closed, I waited two minutes before sneaking out the side exit and speed walking to the bus stop.
I’m such a rebel.
*******
The next evening, I pulled into Wicked’s parking lot and saw Lars out by the backdoor. While he wasn’t always rainbows, kittens, and sunshine, he looked extra sulky.
I wonder who pissed in his metaphorical Wheaties.
As I approached, he didn’t say anything. I gave him a dingus wave. “Hey.”
At my greeting, he glowered at me.
Ohhhkay then.
I opened the door and took a few steps in, only to find myself suddenly up in the air with a shoulder to my gut. “Put me down!” I cried, kicking my foot in the estimated vicinity of whoever’s junk.
“Chill, ipo. It’s me.”
“What the hell, Kase?” I was jostled as he carried me back outside, the door slamming closed after us. “Put me down now.”
“No.”
“No? What do you mean—”
“You’re done working here.”
“I’m not.” Tilting my head, I tried to see around my hair. “Lars, tell him to put me down.”
He lit a smoke. “Sorry, Legs.”
“Wait, what?”
“He’s right—”
“For fuck’s sake,” I interrupted, unable to angle myself to see him. “Kase, if you’re making him fire me, at least put me down so he has to look me in the eyes while he does it.”
Kase shifted and lowered me, keeping hold of my hips as I regained my balance.
Once I felt steady enough to not fall and bust my ass, I took a step away.
A big one.
Lars looked at me, taking a long drag off his freshly lit cigarette. “I’m not firing you, Legs.”
“So I can go get changed?”
He shook his head.
Crossing my arms, I glared at him. “So I’m fired.”
“Do my books.”
“I suck at numbers.”
“I’ll find something.”
I spoke slowly, enunciating the words. “Are you firing me?”
Reaching out with the hand not holding the smoke, Lars twirled a piece of my hair around his finger. “You don’t belong in a place like this, Harlow.”
“Yes, I do. I like it here. I have fun.”
I meant it, too. Other than the actual dancing, I enjoyed coming to work. The other dancers, bouncers, and bartenders were awesome.
We were like a twisted family.
“I know you do, Legs. And everyone loves you. But this isn’t the place for you.”
To my extreme embarrassment, my eyes started to burn, my voice a scratchy whisper. “Lars, I need this job.”
“Fuck, you’re killing me.” Lars looked up and scowled at Kase. “You fuckin’ owe me.”
“Since I haven’t ripped your goddamned hand off for fuckin’ touching her, how about we call it even?” Kase asked, his voice a low rumble.
Ignoring his warning, or maybe in spite of it, Lars trailed his finger along my cheek. “If he doesn’t take care of you like he promised, call me. Got it?”
I shook my head. “To hell with you both,” I whispered before turning and sprinting to my car.
*******
Kase
Kase: I get it, I fucked up. Call me. Please.
Slamming my phone on the table, some of the beer I’d forgotten about sloshed out.
“Dude, what’s got your panties in a fuckin’ bunch?” Eli asked.
“A woman,” Key, one of my buddies, answered for me.
The problem with working in a garage with the same guys I hung out with was there was no fuckin’ privacy. Even if only one person knew something, it was likely the whole fuckin’ group would know by the end of the day.
Anyone who said men didn’t gossip was a dirty liar.
“What woman?” Eli asked Key.
I waved my hands around. “I’m right fuckin’ here, man.”
“You gonna tell me?”
“Fuck no.”
“That’s what I thought.” Eli turned back to Key. “So who?”
Key shrugged. “That, I don’t know. I do know he’s into her. A lot.”
“How do you know that?”
“Yeah,” I said, flipping my phone over to check it. “How?�
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“It’s the quiet ones.” Key pointed to his eye. “We watch. We notice things. It’s like a gift, ya know?” He half-smiled, which for him was like a grin. “Plus, you look at your phone every five seconds.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t mean anything. I could just be waiting for an important message.”
“Or just a booty call,” Eli put in.
“Okay.” Key tilted his head subtly toward the bar. “Our waitress has been trying to climb into your lap, and you haven’t even looked at her. No flirting, no charm, nothing.”
Eli studied me, his brows lowered. “He’s right. And, now that I’m thinking about it, you haven’t been hitting on anyone lately. Dude, what’s going on?”
“It’s a woman,” Key answered for me again.
“Fine. It’s a woman,” I admitted. “No, I’m not telling you who. No, you fuckers aren’t allowed to meet her. And, no, I’m not available to teach lessons on how to be as irresistible as me.”
As they threw their napkins at me, Jake sat down with a beer.
“What’d he do now?” he asked.
“He’s got a woman, but won’t tell us who,” Eli said.
“No, he likes a woman,” Key clarified. “He definitely doesn’t have her.”
Jake raised his eyebrow. “There’s finally a fuckin’ woman on this earth that isn’t fallin’ all over herself for them baby blues?”
“He’s got it bad. Always looking at his phone, not turning on the charm for the hot waitress that’s throwing herself at him. When’s the last time you saw him flirt?”
“He’s always…” Jake started before his brows lowered. He turned to me. “Fuck. Me. You’re into someone.”
“I’m not fuckin’ you; that’s your wife’s job. We done talking about this now?”
“It’s just surprisin’ you’re really into someone since you’re so fuckin’ picky.” Jake laughed. “And she’s not fallin’ at your feet, she’s makin’ you work for it?”