Chase looked away. He didn’t say anything, and anxiety began to gnaw at my stomach in a desperate way. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t taking the bait; every other time we’d talked about Mark, it had pissed him off to no end.
I continued. “I can take care of myself, asshole. I can do what I want, and I can see whomever I want to see. I have friends who look out for me, and I’m not stupid. I want you to leave, right now.”
Chase didn’t move. He faced me with his piercing green eyes. “Lacey,” he repeated, sounding much too calm for the situation. “I’m not sure what you’re getting flustered about.”
I rolled my eyes and pointed to the door. When he didn’t move, I walked into the kitchen and yanked the new coffee pot out of the plug. It was still brewing and there was the hot hiss of steam as I dragged it over to the door. Chase watched me with wide eyes but he didn’t speak as I opened the door to my apartment and threw the coffee maker in the hall. He creased his forehead and glared at me.
“I know you hated it, sorry I was nice to you,” I spat. Cold air from outside was coming in and giving me goosebumps but I didn’t budge. Chase eventually rolled his eyes, then got to his feet.
“Okay, okay, I’ll give the cupcake some space,” he said demurely.
“Fuck you!” I cried out, blinking back tears. “Stop fucking patronizing me, Chase McIntyre!”
He rolled his eyes and stormed out. I slammed the door behind him, bolting the lock and the deadbolt. Eventually, I heard his footsteps storm out to the parking lot and gradually fade.
My apartment looked like a disaster zone, and it smelled like a man. Gritting my teeth, I got to my hands and knees and scrubbed at the carpet until the coffee stain had faded to a light tan. It was still visible, but you had to look for it to really see it. Angrily, I threw the mug into the sink. It broke into three pieces, and I glared at them defiantly. Blinking back tears, I wiped my eyes with the backs of my hand. Fuck him, I thought. He didn’t even care about me at all.
With Chase gone, I didn’t feel alone. I didn’t feel scared. All I felt was an overwhelming, drastic sense of relief. When I heard a knock on the door, I set my mouth in a line, expecting to tell him off again.
Cautiously, I walked over and peered out the peephole. Thankfully, Jackie stood on the other side. She was holding a pizza box in one hand and a box of wine in the other.
“I heard you could use some cheering up,” she said wryly. “Can I come in?”
Chapter Seventeen
I’d been in the blackest of moods when Jackie showed up, but now her presence felt like a relief. It had been so long since I’d been alone with anyone other than Chase that it was almost like I’d forgotten how to talk to my friends. Jackie was the perfect companion; I still didn’t tell her anything about the so-called “danger” that I was in with Chase, but she knew almost everything else. As far as she knew, I’d met him at the club and taken him home for a steamy affair. If she saw all of the coffee in the trash, she had the good sense not to ask.
“It’s so good to see you,” I admitted, on my second glass of wine. “I’ve missed hanging out so much.”
“You got a good dicking,” Jackie said with a grin. “Don’t apologize for that. I’m glad you were able to have some fun.”
“I’m not sure it’s worth this,” I pointed out numbly. “I feel like absolute shit.”
“Don’t,” Jackie said. “Breakups suck, but at least you didn’t really know him. What did he go to jail for?”
I blushed. “Possession,” I told her after a long pause. “But I don’t know of what.”
She wrinkled her cute little upturned nose. “Probably best not to ask,” she advised. “So you wanna come to this party tonight?”
I blushed. “I don’t think so,” I told her. “I’d be too nervous.”
“You just walk around and make money,” she said with a grin. “It’s fun sometimes.”
“I bet all of your clients would love to hear you say that,” I teased. “I’m not good at faking it like you are.”
She yawned. “It is a skill,” she admitted. “The first time was no fun for me, nor the second. But these parties are a cakewalk. After this, I don’t have to work for a week. So we can hang out and do lots of girly stuff. How’s your work schedule?”
I pulled out my phone. “I have a break from school for a couple of days, but I have shifts at Dawning Center.”
Jackie groaned. “Ugh, Lacey, you and those kids,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’d get so sick of those brats.”
I frowned. “They’re not brats,” I protested. Jackie raised her eyebrow and I burst out laughing. “Okay, well most of them are good,” I amended. “And some of the dads are really sexy.”
Jackie wrinkled her nose. “I don’t really see anything sexy about men with kids,” she said. “The attention is all on the kid, all the time. What about you? Don’t you want someone devoted to you?”
My mind flashed to Chase and his constant supervision over the past few weeks. “Not really,” I said. “I’d actually like to be with someone who had a life of their own.”
Jackie’s lips curved into a smile. “Maybe you’re more mature than I thought,” she admitted grudgingly. “I admire that about you.”
I flopped onto my back on the couch. It smelled like Chase and I turned my head so I wouldn’t get sucked into a whirlwind of nostalgia. But it was too late, and I couldn’t stop thinking about him for a moment. His giant body, the way he handled me like I weighed nothing. I felt so light and airy and protected in his arms; it was such an incredible feeling. And his scent…the spicy, masculine musk of him covered everything I owned now. It was like a constant reminder of how much he’d wormed his way into my life. I couldn’t believe that I’d thought I was falling in love with him. In lust, maybe, but not love. There was no way I could love someone who would just ice me out like that.
“Hello, earth to Lacey,” Jackie called out. I snapped out of my reverie and blinked at her.
“Sorry,” I muttered, blushing. “I can’t stop thinking about that guy.”
“So think about someone new,” Jackie said with a dazzling grin. “Tell me more about some of those hot dads at your work.”
I blushed. “Well, there’s one,” I said, biting my lip. “I used to think he was really sexy, but after meeting Chase he just seems like such a milquetoast.”
Jackie shrugged. “That happens sometimes, but you’ve told me that Chase is kind of an asshole. If you don’t want men to treat you like assholes, you can’t date asshole men.”
I nodded. “But how do I know?”
Jackie wrinkled her nose. “Little things,” she said slowly. “Watch and see if he takes care of you. Watch how narcissistic he is. You don’t want anyone who cares about themselves more than you, you hear that?”
I shook my head. “I know, but what if, like, Mark turns out to be addicted to porn? Or goes to hookers?”
Jackie glared at me and I blushed. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean you. But come on, how do I know all the time? Some people are really good at keeping secrets.”
The mention of secrets again brought Chase—and all of his intrigue—back to my mind. Without waiting for Jackie to answer, I waved my hand around in the air. “Forget I said anything,” I told her. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Sure,” Jackie said. “How’s school going?”
I was about to answer her when my cell phone started buzzing in my lap. Eagerly, I turned it around and looked at the caller ID. It wasn’t Chase; it just said “unknown.” Frowning, I held the phone up to Jackie. “Have you ever seen this?”
“Yeah,” she said, biting her fingernail. “My grandmother has a private line and when she used to call me, it always showed up like that.”
Frowning, I answered the phone. “Hello?”
There was a sound on the other end that sounded like deep breathing. “You’re not safe, little girl.”
A chill of fear shot down my back. I
t felt like ice. “What?”
“You’re not safe,” the voice whispered again. “Just because McIntyre dumped you, you’re not safe.”
“What’s going on?” Jackie hissed in my ear. I ignored her. The blood was pounding in my ears and I thought my heart was going to pound out of my chest.
“Did you hear me?” the voice on the phone asked me in a silky voice. I swallowed.
“Yes,” I squeaked.
“Repeat what I’ve told you,” the sinister voice said.
“I’m not safe because McIntyre dumped me,” I said in a wobbly voice. Jackie’s face went from one of confusion to one of horror and I immediately looked away. The voice on the other end of the line laughed hysterically and then hung up. I blinked back tears for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
“Lacey, what the fuck is going on?” Jackie asked, glaring at me. “What just happened?”
“You need to leave,” I said in a shaky voice. “I’ll call you later, okay? I can’t talk about it right now.” Because I don’t know anything, I finished in my head. Jackie stared at me.
“Are you out of your mind? I have half a mind to call someone and get them here with a gun, Lacey!”
“Nothing’s going to happen,” I said with a false smile. “I’m sure it was just a prank.”
“Lying isn’t going to get you anywhere,” Jackie said flatly. “And I want you to come with me, if I leave.”
I looked around my apartment. Suddenly, going to Jackie’s didn’t seem like the worst idea in the world.
“Okay,” I said, nodding. “But let me make a call first.”
Jackie watched in silence as I dialed the non-emergency number for the police.
“Hello? May I help you?”
“Hi,” I said shakily. “I was threatened over the phone, and I’m worried that I might not be safe.”
There was a pause. “Can you tell me more about what’s going on?”
I looked at Jackie, not wanting to say anything in front of her. Hell, I knew I shouldn’t mention Chase at all. It would be much, much too dangerous.
“I don’t know,” I said finally.
“Honey, if you can’t tell me what’s going on, we can’t help you,” the dispatcher said, not unkindly. “If you can share a little more information with me, I can send someone out there to help you.”
I shook my head. “I can’t,” I squeaked out. “I really don’t know anything else.”
“If you can think of anything, you just go ahead and call us back, you hear?”
I nodded even though they couldn’t see me. “Right,” I said finally. The dispatcher hung up and I rolled my eyes.
“Cops?”
“Yeah,” I muttered. “Let me pack a bag and then we can go.”
“Actually, Lacey, I’m not going home,” Jackie looked guilty. “I’m going straight to that party. But you can totally come if you want! It might even be fun. And it’ll get you out of the house.”
I frowned. “Thanks, but I just want to be alone, I think,” I said finally. “I’ll call you if anything else comes up.”
“Okay,” Jackie said finally. We hugged and she put her coat on. “Call me later anyway. I want to make sure that you’re safe, if possible.”
When she was gone, I went back into my bedroom and lay down. The call kept playing over and over in my head. Who had called me? And how did they know about me and Chase? And how did they get my phone number? At this rate, I had more questions than answers, and it seemed like things got worse with each passing day.
Chapter Eighteen
Chase
“Hey, buddy.” Marco grinned at me. “You try some of this shit yet? It’s so smooth.” He handed me a little bag full of white powder and instantly, my veins itched.
“That looks so sweet,” I breathed, holding the bag close. The medicinal smell of the heroin was noticeable through the plastic; or so I thought. After almost a year of being hooked on dope, I could smell it in my sleep.
“That’s a sixty dollar bag, man,” Marco said. “You’ll want to be careful with that. It’s stronger than what you’re used to. Break it down and sell it in quarters if you have to. We don’t want any ODs on this turf, we gotta keep the customers alive for right now.”
I nodded, already searching my mind for a way to try the pure heroin in my hand. I decided that once Marco left, I could shoot up. Between my toes so there wouldn’t be track marks. Then just pass out for a couple of hours in a state of blissful high and wake up in another world. Heroin was like the warm embrace of a woman, and I craved every moment I could get alone with her.
“Marco, what do I owe you for this?”
He grinned at me. “Gratis right now, little dude.” He clapped me on my big biceps. “But if you like it and want to start selling, let me know. I’ll hook you up!”
The junk Marco gave me was the purest heroin I’d ever tried. I was hooked instantly, and I started selling so I could buy even more for myself. I thought Marco was just a neighborhood kid, but I soon realized that he had gang ties. He promised to keep me out of everything, but I couldn’t help but feel suspicious. The junk he was getting was far too good to come with no warning, and it was only a matter of time before Marco’s headless body showed up on my front step.
Around the same time, I was getting heavy into the H. I was shooting up multiple times a day, it seemed like nothing was enough to keep me sated. I was dealing whenever I could but the customers started to dry off as people overdosed more and more often. I was just about at rock bottom when thugs broke down my door and stole everything. They took all of my junk stash and all the money I had saved up looking for the monster who slaughtered my sister.
Then, I got charged with possession. One of my clients turned on me and handed me over to the cops, with a grin on his face like the bastard he was. I served ten years for it, and got no fucking closer to the killer. But he was still around. Oh, he was still around and he never let me forget it.
“Man, you awake?” Peyton snapped his fingers in front of my face and I snarled back at him. “Man, you gotta talk to me about this.” He held out a piece of paper with a blurry photo and a name. “You know this asshole?”
I nodded and gave him a dark look. “He was involved with junk back in the day. I bought from him a few times.”
Peyton opened his eyes wide. “This asshole is the motherfuckin’ hustler of The Machetes,” he whispered. “You tellin’ me you worked with him?”
I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. “What?” I asked dumbly.
“He’s in the motherfuckin’ Machetes,” Peyton repeated with a grin. “Remember I told you to watch out?”
I glared at him. “Why the fuck are you so happy about this?” I growled. “This is bad news, Peyton. This is really fuckin’ bad, and it’s a lot worse than I thought.”
“Sorry, man,” Peyton replied, holding his hands up in mock defeat. “I didn’t mean to make you pissed off, but do you know how fuckin’ serious this is?”
I swallowed the urge to punch him in his smug face. “I do,” I replied. “Can you stop throwing that name around in here? It means something to everyone.”
Peyton rolled his eyes. “And he’s the one who told me about those kills,” he whispered to me. “He’s the one who told me about that guy in The Machetes carving people up.”
My stomach turned to a block of ice. I couldn’t even process what he’d just told me. If that was true…
“Fuck,” I whispered aloud, feeling my heart thud in my chest. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“What is it, man?” Peyton asked. He leaned back in his chair and cocked his head at me. “What you fuckin’ about over there?”
“When I was younger, in my twenties, I dealt junk for a while,” I said quietly. Peyton opened his eyes wide but didn’t say anything. “And I thought I was mostly dealing with this street kid, Marco. He got killed one day—someone fuckin’ cut his head off—and I assumed it was another dealer. I didn’t know
we were involved with The Machetes.”
“Are you fuckin’ stupid?” Peyton glared at me. “You sold grade A junk and didn’t think you were involved in a gang? How retarded can you be?”
I looked down. “I was a fuckin’ kid, alright? And I was dope addicted myself,” I added in a quiet voice. “I didn’t fuckin’ know up from down at that point.”
Peyton leaned back in his bar stool and gazed at me. “And now you’re thinkin’ that asshole is the one who offed your sister?”
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