I look away from them, my body is completely stiff as I feel the Judge’s hand come up to my shoulder. My satin robe suddenly feels too thin and does not offer enough of a cover.
“I was just saying it would be a shame. I love my grandson.” He says shrugging his shoulders.
“Right.” I whisper, fear still lodged in my throat.
“Shame I don’t have more time… I would have loved to go inside and have a private dance.” His eyes on mine, as he backs up fixing his suit jacket, his eyes flickering something ugly, “Maybe Sunday.” He says, a creepy smile going onto his face and I swallow hard. “See you tonight,” he says too brightly with a wave good bye as he walks away.
Goon number one is still checking me out until his boss passes him and he starts walking. Goon number two looks at me, his jaw twitching slightly, displeased about something. I watch as he slips on metal rimmed, dark shaded aviators and follows the Judge and Creepy goon.
I immediately shut and lock the door, then walk to the living room. My eyes land on the painting Parker had talked to me about when he’d been over the first time. I take it down and hold it close, as my body slides down the wall.
I sit there holding the canvas to my chest sitting completely frozen.
What I don’t do is cry. I can’t. I’m too busy. I have to build up my walls. I have to prepare.
Parker
“I have company,” I mention to Jake, as I take a seat in front of him at a booth. We’re at some small diner in Los Angeles, much like the one that I’d taken my angel to the first night I had really met her. Jake is sitting, a mug sitting in front of him, and a half-eaten pancake plate drenched in syrup. He’s dressed like normal, expensive suit, dress shirt buttoned up all the way tie. How he’s able to eat, wearing that shit, I have no idea.
“I noticed,” Jake says looking over my shoulder towards the bearded man now sitting at the breakfast counter kiddy corner from us and then adds, “I’ve had company the last four days.”
“Shit,” I say, trying to look at the menu in front of me, when I look at him and ask, “Do you know who?”
“Yeah.”
“Davenport?” John Davenport was a businessman that I knew and Jake had done a very big deal with.
“No. Not his style.” Jake says, taking a bite of his pancakes.
“Who then?” I ask him, not feeling like playing games.
“Park….”
“I need to know.” I tell him and he looks at me. Silently as if somehow he’s trying to figure me out.
“Even if it might be better for you to walk away from her?” He asks looking at me, assessing me.
“What?” My eyes narrow. Better for me? How the hell would it be better for me to walk away from the woman I love?
Jake sits at the diner, his face clearly displeased. Heat prickles at my neck, annoyance is starting to trickle through me. Jake is starting to piss me off.
“If I tell you who's behind this, what are you thinking about doing?” He asks and I answer immediately.
“Fix whatever it is, that is going on with her.” Jake looks at me and his eyes are clearly worried.
“What if you can’t?” He asks cryptically
“What’s with the fucking riddles, Confucius?” I ask leaning in. His eyes narrow.
“How close are you to Grandpa Judge?” He asks raising an eyebrow.
“What?” My stomach sinks. My mother’s father was my grandfather but only in name.
“Duke Keates.”Jake clarifies even though I know who he is talking about.
We’re not close at all. He’s an asshole, who cheats on my grandmother frequently. He’d also turned his back on my mom, when she married my dad. If that wasn’t bad enough, rumor was that as a Judge he’d been dirty. He was a retired Judge who was not above swinging his power around. He tried to keep me close but that never worked.
“Not very. Why?” I ask dreading the answer.
Jake raises an eyebrow, and my stomach sinks as I put shit together.
“You have to understand, they all met at Shine. Each one had a fucked up situation. Desperate times, desperate measures,” Jakes starts to say, taking a sip of his coffee, placing the white mug back down his eyes on mine. “Liz’s situation was my fault. Trust me I know, so I don’t need you to remind me. As you know Shine is exclusive, members only. Belle’s a hard bitch, runs a tight ship, but she is all class,” he tells me and I just want to know what the fuck is going on, thankfully the asshole continues. “Lucy says Belle never made the girls do anything they didn’t want to do. There are different types of girls, waitresses, bartenders, dancers, escorts who are only that and others who are willing to do more.”
“Fuck.” I knew this. Tim had told me this, but it was different having someone I know confirm it.
“None of them ever did more.” Jake’s blue eyes are on mine. His eyes are sincere as he says this, and relief sinks into me. Relief that is short lived when he continues talking. “That’s not saying guys didn’t try.”
Fuck.
“Lucy said most of them weren't pushy, mostly respectful. If a girl said no, they moved on. Belle has a mile long list of girls.” Jake holds something back. I can tell by a flash in his eyes, he’s angry about something. He stays quiet, once again sipping his coffee that looks more like milk with a splash of coffee in it.
“Seems like your grand-daddy has a thing for our girl.”
“Our girl? Are you fucking serious?” I growl at him.
“What?” He asks nonchalantly and if it wasn’t because he has information I need, I’d have hit him.
“Don’t call her that. She isn’t YOUR girl. She’s MINE.” I yell at him and he smiles.
“Will you get your head out of your ass for a minute, Stone and listen?”
“Fuck, Jake seriously?” I am feeling frustrated at why he just won’t spit it out.
“Do you want to know or not?” He asks and I nod while grinding my teeth. Flexing my hands I try to relax.
“Grand-daddy had a thing for her, but she only danced. He went with a couple of girls that did more but from what Lucy found out, he’s into some fucked up shit.”
“Do I want to know,” I ask.
“You might, seeing as Lucy told me that he roughed up one of them really bad. So bad that Belle told him she wasn’t very happy with him, in front of other members. Now the members that are there, each with power and money, I’m pretty sure any man with a weird kink would not like his shit laid out like that. He was not allowed back.” Jake places his elbows on the table and leans closer. “Lucy told me before that happened though, he preferred Liz, a lot. She didn’t know this at the time, not till a couple of days ago. I guess Liz and Tess kept it to themselves when Grandpa decided to pull his little fucking stunt to keep Liz away from you is when Lucy found out.” He frowns, looking unsure of something, and then with a sigh he continues. “The girl he roughed up man… she looked like Liz, he called her Liz. He has a major thing for Lizzy.”
“Don’t call her that.” I snap, as my stomach twisted.
“Jesus, what now? Why?”
“She hates it. How could you have been with her for three years and not know she hates anyone calling her that,” I ask him.
“It’s cute.” He argues back.
“It makes her sick to her stomach because that’s what her foster dad called her when he beat the shit out of her when she was fourteen. So you need to stop calling her that.” I hiss out without thinking, and Jake pales, cursing under his breath. I feel for him. He’d been with her for three years and she hadn’t shared with him, but he also didn’t try too hard.
“What’s he holding over her?” I ask him, staring out the window.
“What?” He asks slightly confused, deep in his own thoughts.
“Duke? What is he holding over her?”
“The bakery’s bank loan and lease to the building they are in, that’s what I know of.”
“You think there’s more?” I ask.
; He nods, looking sick to his stomach now. He pushes his white mug away from him, sipping the glass of water he had at the table.
“Lucy said shit’s bad at Shine. It looks like granddad is working some kind of angle on Belle as well.”
“Shit.” I mutter, rubbing my face.
“Yeah. Shit.”
“I went to see her yesterday.” I tell him.
“Hmm…,” he grunts, and looks out the window.
“I’m worried,” I admit to him. Jake’s eyes shift to mine and he stays silent, so I keep talking. “I know I haven’t known her long, but I know her. The thread she’s holding onto is thinning out.”
“Fuck.” Jake says his fingers tightening the hold on the glass of water.
“Do me a favor, go to her.” I tell him, noticing the bearded guy that had been following me around stood up and the way he looks at me makes me feel edgy.
I look at Jake, scratching my ear, hoping that he’d get that we had ears on us. Thankfully, Jake glances over to the counter where the guy’s now looking at the menu, Jake nods at me.
“Alright asshole, I better go,” Jake says standing up throwing a twenty on the table as he leaves. Sure enough as I watch him get into his ridiculous sports car that cost more than most homes in California, I see some pudgy creepy asshole start up his black SUV and take off after Jake.
I notice the bearded suit stand and head to the men’s room and I follow.
Once inside, I take in the empty bathroom, the guy is washing his hands.
“There a reason you’re following me?” I ask once the door is shut behind me.
He smirks and shakes his head.
“He has eyes on you all the time,” he says calmly rinsing the soap from his hands. “One of your people isn’t as loyal as you think they are. They’re the ones who gave him a heads up on you seeing her,” he shares his voice surprisingly deep, slightly hoarse.
“What?” I ask watching him grab some paper towels.
“He went to see her a couple minutes ago, she’s clearly shaken up. She seems sweet….” He starts to say but I cut him off. Is this guy really going to talk about her like this to me?
“Look asshole I don’t know who you think….”
“Not like that idiot. Shit. I’m not who you think I am. I need you to get your shit together and listen fast, before the one who’s really following you shows up.” He warns any sign of amusement clearly gone.
“What?”
“I’m undercover, moron. I’m serious. She seems sweet, no disrespect. She doesn’t deserve what he has planned,” he shakes his head looking away. “It’s ugly and I’m pretty fucking sure the shit I know isn’t even half of what he has planned. Look up a John Davenport, warn him about tomorrow night.” His voice serious, he tosses the paper towels into the trash and looks at his watch.
“I gotta go, his meeting will be done soon and I need to go play guard dog, you see me again you don’t know me.”
“Here.” I tell him quickly taking my card out, my cell is written on the back in pen. He looks at the card, holding it in his hand. His dark eyes are on me.
“Warn Davenport, go see her. Try to be at Shine and at her back this entire weekend. ALL weekend, oh and don’t forget he has eyes on you...all the time. Make sure window blinds are shut next time,” he says. He quickly, throws his shades back on, puts the card into his back pocket and walks out with not another word or glance.
Too much fucking confusion and anger builds in me and I make a fist and hit the wall.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Liz
Walking to my car I am completely lost in my thoughts as I carry my duffle bag with me. Inside, it has three costumes and my makeup. Looking down at my phone, I can’t help the frown on my face. I haven’t heard from Parker. I didn't expect to, but I can't seem to shrug off the hope that I would.
Reaching my car, I see a long body unfold from the silver sedan parked next to it.
Parker
I look at him, grabbing all the strength I have inside of me. As much as I want to wrap my arms around him, he can’t get hurt because of me.
“I don’t have time for private dances,” my voice is cold, trying hard not to look at him, as I move to unlock the trunk. I try not to look at him because I know one glance from his grey stare and all my resolve to get in my car and drive to Shine will fade away, and I’d give into the temptation of driving away and not turning back.
But I can’t do that. Not to Tess. Not to the girls.
“Ellie,” he whispers, as if he knows that’s the way to get me. Of course he knows. He knows what it means to me when he calls me that. I feel my shoulders slump down. I feel his body behind me, right behind me. His hands wrapping around my waist his forehead pressed up into the back of my head.
“Just listen, please.” He whispers into my hair, my body solid as I fight melting against his warmth.
“Park….”
“I know about Duke. He’s an ass.”
“To put it mildly,” I retort.
“I’m working on making all of this right.” My body goes even more solid and fear runs up my spine.
“You can’t. He…”
“I know. I know about the bakery. Now please listen.” He says, still whispering into my hair, “I’ll be there tonight. You go on stage, you look at me. It’s only me in there. You need to go walk the floor I promise I’ll get you into the private rooms. Okay?
“Park….”
“I fucked up,” he says quickly and my breath hitches slightly, something in my chest tightening. “I promised I wouldn’t hurt you and first bump in the road, I did. I know that.” He says into my hair, my damn heart feels as if it’s racing against hummingbirds and it wants to believe in him. I start to shake my head, but he keeps talking.
“However long it takes, I don’t care, and I’m going to make things right between us. I promise Ellie, I promise you. Tonight, there is going to be eyes on us. You have to make it look like you don’t want me, but I talk you into it. Just like right now, anyone looking at us right this moment, would think you don’t want me here. It’s all in the body language.”
“He threatened you.” I admit, “I… I can’t have him hurt you.” I whisper, feeling so damn helpless! I hated feeling helpless. I’d worked hard not to ever let myself feel that way, his fingers dig deeper into my shoulder.
“He won’t.”
“I can’t risk it.” I argue back, making my body stay solid. It fought me. All my body wants to do is melt into his.
“Shhh… let me worry about that okay? Now, I need you to do something for me,” his nose nuzzling my hair, my body slightly melting into him.
“What?”
“I’m going to turn you around and kiss you. I miss your mouth, your taste, your body…,” his voice husky, and I can’t help shiver against him. “I need you to slap me after, tell me to stay away from you.”
“What?” I ask completely confused, but he doesn't respond.
No. Instead of clarifying, he does exactly what he said he was going to do. He turns my body around to face him so fucking easily it’s as if I’m a puppet and he’s my master. He does this so fast I don’t even have time to even steal a glance at him. All I see is his mouth coming to mine, and like second instinct, when it comes to his mouth on mine, or any part of my body, I close my eyes and give in.
His mouth is demanding, needy and hungry. So damn passionate I don’t want it to end. His hands roam my back, moving down to my waist then lower until he’s cupping my ass, and I let him. I let him because when it came to him, I don’t think there is anything I can ever withhold from him. My hands clench tightly in his shirt at his flat chiseled stomach. My mind is starting to fizzle out, my hands are moving slowly up his chest.
“I need you to slap me after tell me to stay away from you,” his words are ringing in my ears. I step away and slap his face. I look at the pink hand print on his cheek and feel the sting on the palm of my hand from hitting him.
> “Stop!” I yell at him. “You need to just go and leave me alone. I told you it’s over. We are over.” The words come out of nowhere, pain is laced in my voice and he looks at me. His grey eyes are burning hot.
My hands shake. I’m not sure if they’re shaking because of the kiss itself or the words he’d made me say. I walk away from him, every step further away from him hurts more than the last.
Once inside my car without thinking, on auto pilot, I start the car and drive away from him. Something buzzes in my back pocket while I’m at a red light. I take out my phone thinking it’s mine. But it isn’t.
It’s a flip phone. It is the kind of phone that you pay as you go. I realize that Parker must have slipped it into my pocket when he was getting touchy, feely. I throw it onto the passenger seat and drive. When I get to the parking lot of Shine I flip it open and read the text.
Good Job, angel. Call me when you get to Shine.
I call him from the flip phone and on the first ring he answers.
“Ellie?”
“I’m here.”
“It’s going to be okay.” He says immediately and I close my eyes. Everything feels so out of control but those five words help normally, but when he says them, it’s different. It’s his confident tone that makes me want to believe that maybe… just maybe....
“Angel?” He says, snapping me out of my thoughts.
“I’m here.” I quibble out, my voice raspy.
“It’s going to be okay. Tonight, it’s just you and me. You look just at me.”
“Park…”
“You dance and look only at me. I promise I’m working on fixing this mess.”
“I think he has something on Belle.” I whisper and the silence is deafening so I keep talking, “The Judge said there’s going to be a bachelor party tomorrow, Belle doesn't have that kind of place. I know she isn’t a saint and I know what you think of her and me, but she’s good to her girls. Never pushes anything on them or puts them in a situation that could turn bad or ugly. Bachelor parties as a rule are a no, but Duke said I… I have to be extra nice to a John Davenport.” I tell him.
Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2) Page 26