by Ava Hayworth
“I was trying to escape from Paulson, because I had no idea who he was or what he wanted. I thought he was after me.”
“That doesn’t explain why Van Cleef was touching you when we came in.”
Unless I want James storming off like a raging bull, I have to be careful of what I say here. “I lost my balance, and he caught me.” I endure James’s look of skepticism stoically, and he is the first to look away. Display cases line the walls, and for the first time, I take in my surroundings. There is a single padded bench in one corner, but that is the only seating in the entire room. “Where are we anyway?”
A feint smile crosses James’s beautiful mouth, and I am reminded how much I have missed seeing him in the past few days. “Come here.” He holds out his hand. I grasp his fingers, and he tugs me over to the first display case. Looking down, I see row upon row of beautiful butterflies pinned on a cork bed. “My grandfather is a hobby entomologist.”
“They’re beautiful.” I move on to the next case and see a series of colorful beetles. They are beautiful but also sad. All of these lovely things that once buzzed and flitted around are now dead carcasses set out on display.
“He is very proud of them. I am sure he would be happy to show you sometime.”
“Trying to give me ideas to butter him up?”
“Not at all. I know he will come to love you. He just needs time to get to know you.”
“Speaking of which: I have left my mother and Jett on their own for far too long. You are not making a good impression with your disappearing acts this weekend.”
James winces. “Touché. I guess my plans to get my hands on you will just have to wait.” He holds his arm out towards the door. “Lead the way.””
I am about to pass by him when I stop short. “I almost forgot. The reason I left the party in the first place was to call Mark.” At the look of confusion on James’s face, I pull out my phone and show him the picture and text that Mark had sent me.
James hands the phone back to me. “Call him now.” His grim tone brings the urgency of the situation rushing back.
I pull up Mark’s number on the phone, and once again it goes straight to voicemail. I leave a second message before ending the call. I smooth my hand down the hard line of James’s jaw. “I’ll try again later.” James gives a tense nod. Taking my hand that is resting against his cheek, he pulls me from the room and back out to the party.
We look around for my mother and Jett, but they seem to have disappeared into thin air. “Tell me something.” James quirks his eyebrows awaiting my question. “Why does Andries Van Cleef seem so intent on antagonizing you?”
James sighs heavily. “Most likely it’s because I was the world’s biggest prick in our prep school days.”
“That is an awfully long time ago.”
“Yea, well, if there is one thing I know about guys, it’s that losing a girl to another guy is something they never forget.”
“Oh, so this is about another girl?”
“Probably.”
“So he is flirting with me to get back at you?”
“Possibly.”
“Well, that’s a blow to my ego. I thought it was my devastating charm.”
We had been making our way slowly through the crowd, but James stops suddenly, causing me to run into him. He grabs me around the waist and pulls me up hard against him. I know that the people around us have stopped to stare, but I can’t tear myself away from the intense look in James’s eyes. “It would be smarter for me to let you go on believing that, but you have to know he does want you. I see it in his eyes. Every man that sees you wants you. How can they help it?”
Is that really the way he sees me, as some kind of irresistible siren? Speechless, I stare back up at him, and don’t resist as his mouth swoops down and covers mine in a kiss that is far too intimate for a public setting. I feel my feet leave the floor, and I grab onto James’s shoulders to keep from losing my balance. I become utterly lost in the heady essence of James’s kiss. When he draws back, I am breathless. As he gently eases me to the floor, I become aware of the silence around us. I am positive you could hear a pin drop. My eyes pass over several faces before landing on Jett’s, which can only be described as irate. My gaze shifts to his right and lands on my mother’s face, which is covered with shocked awe. Having my mother as a witness is like a bucket of cold water over my head. I straighten and send James a speaking look before once again looking in my mother’s direction. He seems to get the message, because he walks over to my mother and starts talking with her. I turn my attention to Jett. “How long were you standing there?”
“Long enough. You know passion like that doesn’t last, and once it’s gone you’ll be left with nothing.”
A sharp retort rushes to my lips, but I repress it. In the most reasonable tone I can muster, I ask, “How long was your longest relationship?” I raise my brow as my question is met by silence. Although I have made my point, I spell it out. ““I don’t think you are qualified to be dispensing relationship advice.”
“Maybe not,” he admits, “but I do know James McAllister well enough to recognize that he is not a desirable partner for my sister.””
“I can never win with you. What will it take for you to just give him a chance?”
“For hell to freeze over.”
Frustrated with my conversation with Jett, I move closer to my mom and James. I can see that my mother is charmed and am relieved that at least one member of my family seems to be accepting our relationship. James casually drapes his arm around my waist and pulls me closer. Even that minimum contact makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter. Leaning down, James whispers in my ear. “That’’s a beautiful dress, but next time I want to take you shopping.”
His comment surprises me. I crook my neck to look up at him. “Are you telling me that you are one of those rare men who like to shop?”
“Not ordinarily, but somehow the idea of watching you try on frock after frock is very appealing.”
My mother breaks in. “What are you two whispering about?”
“James just told me that he would like to go clothes shopping with me.” I make sure to emphasize the word “clothes.”
My mother looks at him speculatively before turning back to me. “You better take advantage of the offer while it lasts.”
Rolling my eyes, I look between her and Jett. “What makes the two of you so pessimistic about relationships?”
“I don’t know about Jett, but being married to your father cured every romantic bone in my body.” Jett and I are used to these disparaging remarks about my father, but I don’’t miss the surprised look on James’s face.
“My parents don’t exactly get along.” I wrinkle my brow trying to remember what I had told him about my parents in the past. ““You put them together and it is like the War of the Roses on steroids.”
“That bad?”
Jett overrides my mother’s denials. “Yea, that bad, but don’t worry, they usually manage to keep their spats under wraps at family gatherings.”” I give Jett the evil eye, willing him to wipe the smirk off his face.
James cuts into our silent battle. “I’d like to meet your father and your other brother. Maybe we can plan a trip to Indy sometime soon.”
Once again I am surprised by his thoughtfulness. I feel like I am getting to know a new side of James. I give him a warm smile. “That would be nice.”
“There you are. I have been looking all over for you.” Alana walks up to James and kisses him on both cheeks. “Your grandfather sent me to find you. He said he needs to speak with you.”
Alana did not even look in our direction, so we are forced into the role of unwilling bystanders for this exchange. James, however, takes control of the situation by taking his mother’s arm and turning her in our direction. “Thank you for the message, Mother. Have you met Lainey’’s family?” We suffer through a few minutes of stilted conversation until James pulls me aside. “I’d better find my grandfat
her.””
Instead of letting go of my hand and leaving me, he pulls me along behind him. “You’re taking me with you?” I glance back at Jett and my mother, who are still speaking with Alana.
“It feels like I haven’t seen you for days. You are not going to get rid of me so easily.”
We track down Gordon, who proceeds to lead us into a home office. He eyes me briefly before turning to James. “Are you sure you want her here?”
“She stays.” Gordon arches his eyebrows but doesn’t comment further.
“Rex should be here any moment. Were you able to get the charges against him dropped?”
“Yes, the whole thing has been cleared up to everyone’s satisfaction.”
The three of us turn to face the door when it opens. Rex enters first, and I am surprised to see Davis come in behind him. “Davis, what are you doing here?”
James reaches over and wraps his hand around my wrist. “It’s a long story, but we have been trying to get a handle on the Tobin situation.”
I turn wide eyes to James. “What has been going on?”
“You don’t have to look at me like that. It’s really quite simple. Rex has been helping me out by doing a little investigating.””
“But why?”
James seems exasperated. “Don’t you think I would try to get to the bottom of why some lunatic is displaying horrific photos of you?”
“But those photos aren’t me.”
“You may not have been the actual model, but they represent you.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what you were doing?” I look around at the other men in the room, who all seem to be in on the things that have been going on while I have remained completely ignorant. They are looking at their feet or at James, not daring to meet my eyes.
“There hasn’t been much to tell.”
This is so patently untrue that I don’t know where to begin. Hurt and dismay keep me from saying anything. Davis’s voice breaks the awkward silence. “Tobin is into some pretty nasty stuff.”
Gordon interjects. “Why don’t we sit down before going any further?” He pulls his desk chair over to a seating area. Rex and Davis sit on the two stuffed chairs in front of a glass coffee table. This leaves the brown leather loveseat facing them for James and me. I perch lightly on the edge of my seat, wondering what the next few minutes will reveal.
Looking at me, Rex begins, “As we suspected, Tobin has been targeting Davis’s girlfriends. He spoke to all of them to see if they had noticed anything unusual. They all told him about various incidents, but nothing that would cause anyone serious alarm or that would pinpoint Tobin as the instigator. That is, until Chantal.”
Davis, who has yet to say a word, remains slouched down in his chair. I send him a probing look and prompt. “What happened to Chantal?”
Without looking at me, he begins, “Chantal is the first girl I started seeing after I moved here from Australia. When we broke up, I didn’t have any more contact with her. Not because it was a bad break-up, but because we both just moved on, or so I thought. I actually met Tobin and his sister through Chantal. It turns out that Selene had wanted me for herself, and in a jealous rage enlisted Tobin to help break us up.”
“I told you Selene was into you.” I can’t stop myself from interrupting.
“Yea, but I never thought she was bat-shit crazy.”
“Was she responsible for breaking you two up?”
“Only partly. Let’s just say she hurried the break-up along. That wasn’t the end of it though. They basically sold Chantal into a prostitution ring.””
My mouth drops open in shock. “What? How is that even possible?”
Rex lets out a harsh bark of laughter. “If you have enough money, anything is possible.”
I turn back to Davis. “Where is she now?”
My anxiety grows exponentially in the silence that follows this question. James places his hand on my thigh. “We suspect that she may be dead.”
As I look into each of their downcast faces, I realize that is what they all believe. I shake my head back and forth. “How do you know? How can you be sure?”
James’s grip on my thigh tightens. “Lainey, remember when you were drugged at the night club?”
I feel the blood drain out of my face. Feeling sick, I bend down and rest my head on my knees. Rocking back and forth, I listen as James continues. “We think that is the method Tobin used to get to Chantal. It appears to be a system that works well for him. The night you were drugged at the nightclub, Tobin saw Davis’s interest in you, and when the opportunity presented itself, he decided to deal with you the same way he had dealt with Chantal.”
The thought of the horrible possible outcomes of that night is dizzying, and I bite back the cries that claw at the back of my throat. Instead, I try concentrating on the movement of James’s hand, which is making comforting circles on my back. James voice is low as he continues. “Rex was able to infiltrate the prostitution ring where Chantal was held prisoner by pretending to be a customer. When we found out that Chantal had been close to a girl named Ruby, Rex tried to gain her trust. Once Ruby figured out that he was there to find Chantal, she told him everything that Chantal had told her. Chantal disappeared several months ago, and Ruby is certain she is dead. We don’t have proof though.”
My voice heavy with strain, I ask, “Where is Ruby now?”
Rex clears his throat. “We’re working with the authorities to get the ring shut down, so for now she is still there. At this point we can’t get her out without alerting Tobin that we are on to him. Believe me, we are trying to move things along as fast as possible. Everyone wants all of those girls out of there and safe.”
I sit up so I can look at Rex. “How many women are there?”
“Seven, maybe eight. Ruby says they come and go. They use drugs to keep the noncompliant girls complacent, and sometimes they are moved out quickly.”
James hand moves up to cup the back of my neck. “Grandfather is using his influence to pressure the authorities to move quickly.”
I look over at Gordon, who gives me a wry smile. “Money talks.”
“Now that you are up to speed, we need to talk about next steps.” James’s voice is a comforting hum, and I lose focus on the conversation going on around me. My thoughts return to the fate of Chantal and the other women. It all seems so unreal. I try to force my attention back to the discussion at hand with the idea that I could help, but my mind continues to jump from one fractured thought to the next. I only become aware that their talk is over when the men stand. James helps me to my feet.
We are following the others to the door when James checks his stride and clasps my shoulders. His eyes search my face. “Are you alright?”
“Of course,” I assure him. I know that it is important that he spend more time with the guests, and I don’t want him to worry about me.
“We’ll go as soon as we can. I’m sure Grandfather will understand.”
“Please don’t leave early on my account. I can always get Jett and my mother to take me home.”
“No.” James’s sharp rejection startles me, and he gentles his tone. “I want you to come home with me tonight.”
“Okay.”
“That’s it. Just okay.”
“Yep, just okay.”
“For some reason I was expecting an argument.”
I cock my head at him. “I think I should be insulted.”
The smile on James’s lips warms me up from the inside. “Let’s continue this discussion later, shall we?” I shrug my acquiescence as he ushers me out the door.
True to his word, James spends a minimal time socializing, and soon we are collecting Jett and my mother for our departure. James and my mother carry most of the conversational burden on the way back to the hotel. I am aware of the speculative looks thrown my way by Jett, but I don’t have the strength to try and make lighthearted chitchat. We leave them at the hotel with the promise to meet for brunch in the morning bef
ore my mother has to leave for her flight home. I roll my eyes at Jett as he asks in an undertone if there is trouble in paradise before stepping out of the car. He is apparently under the impression that James and I have been fighting. Nothing could be further from the truth.
As soon as we reach the apartment, James takes me into his arms and runs his hand over my cheek. “I’ve missed you.” I close my eyes at the sweet contact. Every move and every touch seems amplified. Desperate for reassurance, I give myself over to James’s masterful lovemaking.
CHAPTER 8
Limp with pleasure and exhaustion, I look over at James, who has fallen back against the soft pillows. His breathing is heavy and ragged, and his body slick with perspiration. I tear my eyes away from his beautiful profile and look at the clock on the bedside table. When I see the time, I fling myself out of bed and dart into the bathroom, throwing accusations over my shoulder. ““I told you that you’d make us late.” I can still hear James’s laugh as I turn on the water for the shower.
Stepping up behind me, James wraps his arms around my waist and nuzzles my ear. “We can save time by showering together.”
I slap away his arms and step into the shower. “Oh no we won’t!” I shower as quickly as possible and gratefully accept the towel that James holds out to me when I am finished. Moving as if he has all the time in the world, he steps into the shower after me. Men of course need only a fraction of the time that women do to get ready. Dashing to the closet, I pull on a short yellow skirt and a navy-and-white striped knit top. James is stepping out of the shower as I rush to the sink to apply some make-up and deal with my hair. Despite my need to hurry, I can’t resist sneaking peeks at his toned abs and chest. Meeting my eyes in the mirror, James winks, and I know that I have been caught. I watch as he wraps his towel low on his hips and saunters to the closet to find some clothes. With the show over, I return to the task of getting ready.
By silent mutual agreement, we shelve the disturbing topics from the night before. Instead, James prods me to tell him a few stories from my childhood. I oblige him by describing a few of the scenes enacted by my parents at various family events. The night before, he had seemed surprised by my mother’s rancor towards my father. It is probably best if I prepare him some for my family’s craziness. To tell the truth, I think my parents enjoy the hostility, and the rest of us view it more as entertainment than anything else. I have just finished relating the fiasco that took place at Jarod’s graduation from college when we arrive at the hotel.