by Jen Davis
She knew she was being watched with curious eyes. She made eye contact with the concierge and cracked a smile at the corner of her mouth. The young man reached for the telephone, ultimately deciding not to make a call while she was watching him. She wasn’t uncomfortable or afraid; however, the longer she sat there, the more she seethed for the pleasure of going toe to toe with Matthew.
She turned her eyes to the third floor balcony and exchanged a repulsive glare with Evan Crescent. The malicious smirk she gave him said she had no intention of moving until she was ready. She could almost see what he was thinking just from the distrust on his face and knew when Crescent got on the elevator a few moments later, he quickly and quietly informed Matthew that his daughter was home and waiting in the lobby.
***
Matthew was in his office with Crescent standing behind him. Chloe had disdain in her eyes as she approached him, stopping just a foot away. She flashed a hard and vengeful look at Crescent, then turned her attention back to Matthew, who warmly smiled and opened his arms to embrace her.
She gave a sharp shake of her head and said to him in a flat, contemptuous tone, “You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to run into your arms for a happy reunion.”
Matthew’s smile was gone in an instant as he dropped his arms and gazed at her from head to toe, finally meeting her detestable stare. Obviously, there was no point in trying to make this reconciliation cordial.
“Is that any way to greet your father?”
She studied him as well. He didn’t look sick, but then again, Dr. Michaelson said Matthew had been doing everything he could not to let anyone know he had a heart condition. She decided to get down to business. “Let’s just drop the pretense and get this reunion over with.”
Matthew waved his arm toward the conference room. “After you.”
“Without him,” Chloe said, glaring at Crescent.
Crescent stayed where he was as Matthew followed Chloe into the conference room, closing the door behind him. Chloe took a seat and steeled herself, letting her inhibited anger motivate her. She had many hours of driving to think about what she wanted to say and do, and she was determined not to let him get the best of her. She knew she had the advantage of knowing more than he wanted her to. All she had to do was make sure she didn’t give that knowledge away.
“So,” Matthew said, sitting across from her, “it’s good to see you again.”
“Cut the bullshit.” Her breathing was even and her temper was in check. “Why am I here?”
He smirked in his self-righteous way. “You were homesick?”
Bastard, she thought, and instead said, “Hardly. You obviously want something from me. You’ve been leaving clues at morgues all over the country.”
His smile disappeared and his hard, malicious face appeared. “You always did like getting straight to the point.”
“Why have you been murdering all those women?”
“I,” Matthew emphasized, “have not taken anyone’s life.”
“How very Catholic of you,” Chloe said contemptuously. Matthew quickly tensed, scowling at Chloe with a burning hatred stronger than he had ever felt for her before. “You may not have pulled the trigger, but you ordered it and I want to know why.”
“I wanted you home.”
“You killed a six-year-old child.”
“And here you are.” He let out a satisfied breath and continued, raising his eyebrows in slight amusement. “If you recall, I told you, once upon a time, that I would do everything in my power to hurt you. To make you suffer for ruining my life from the day you were conceived. Just because you were gone didn’t mean I wouldn’t follow through on my promise.”
“When did you become so cruel? You put yourself above everybody else, you have no problem holding a gun to your daughter’s head and threatening her life because children were never a part of your life plan, you have no compunction for handing out punishments to those you believe betrayed you even if they haven’t, and everything you want in life you want for you.”
“How I became who I am is none of your concern.”
“It is my concern. I’m your daughter, and like it or not, what we do and who we are reflect on each other. The point is, Father,” she said with disdain, “I don’t ever want to become you.”
“And what makes you think you’d ever be the person that I am?”
“Because,” she raised an eyebrow at him, cocking her head with a semi-victorious grin, “you and I both know that, inevitably, one day your throne will be mine and I will rule the kingdom.”
Matthew scowled. “I wouldn’t be so quick to try to assume the throne if I were you.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re not me,” Chloe replied as she turned and looked out the window, knowing he would be furious at the fact that she was purposely showing no interest in who he was or what he had to say.
Chloe didn’t flinch as Matthew slammed his hand on the table. “Look at me!”
She slowly turned her head toward him, regarding him as the shit on the bottom of her shoe, which only made him more uncompromising.
“Now that you’re back, I have plans and nothing has changed. You are still, and will always be, a reminder of what I never wanted.”
“These plans that you have, what would those be?”
“You’ll find out soon enough. In the meantime, you’ll do as you’re told and behave as you should. Don’t think for a minute that I won’t be watching your every move. One step out of line and there will be consequences. I demand obedience from you.”
She narrowed her eyes at him and leaned forward. “Actually, it won’t be exactly like that at all. Here are my demands that you will agree to or I will do everything in my power to make you as miserable as you have made me, and don’t think for one second that I don’t have the ability or won’t be willing to follow through with that promise. I’ll play your game so far as going out in public and staying away from you as much as possible. However, if I’m going to be staying here for an indefinite amount of time, I will not be made to feel, or be treated like, a prisoner. You can try to continue to emotionally murder me, but there’s a good chance a few of your plans will fall through if you do that. I will come and go as I please, and whether or not you want to have me babysat is your choice. If, at any time, I feel my life is being threatened or in danger, I’ll be gone as quick as I was before. Count on it.”
She sat back in her chair, an unreadable expression on her face as Matthew considered her words. “One more thing. I’ll be taking my old job back; the girls and everything I had before with no restrictions.”
“I have Patricia for that,” Matthew replied. She could tell it was something he hadn’t been prepared for.
“Not anymore. Find another use for her or get rid of her.”
“And why would you think that I would do that?”
“As you said, nothing has changed with the exception that the girls you currently employ will live to see a full and happy life. They won’t be afraid of death or punishment by hearing horror stories and watching the news. You will make sure to inform Mr. Crescent that I won’t tolerate any mistreatment of them at any time, in any form. Should he decide to test my resolve once again, he will want to think twice. There will be no more deaths or pain inflicted on innocent—”
“Innocent?” Matthew raised his voice in anger. “Those other women stole from me, they betrayed me, and you gave them the means to do it. You encouraged them—”
“What about Sasha?”
Matthew abruptly stood, violently slamming his hands on the table. Chloe jerked back and her eyes widened in shock. “You know nothing of Sasha! She betrayed me in ways you will never understand! I gave her everything!” Matthew leaned forward, wagging his index finger at Chloe, speaking through clenched teeth. “You would do well to never speak of her again or Mr. Crescent will have the leisure of indulging any sadistic fantasy he wishes with whichever of your girls he chooses. And mark my words, you will
be there to watch, if not participate in, every gruesome and ugly detail so that it will be burned into your memory for the rest of your days.”
Chloe didn’t know what to think as Matthew took a deep breath and slowly sat back down to pull himself together. There was a part of her that was frightened; she couldn’t remember the last time she had seen him lose his temper, much less explode the way he just had. This outburst was the last thing she had expected and was utterly dumbfounded at his reaction at the mention of Sasha’s name. And then the realization dawned on her. He’s getting worked up and doesn’t want to have a heart attack in front of me, he knows about the video, and he was in love with Sasha.
Matthew looked up at the ceiling and let out a deep breath, speaking calmly. “Fine. Your employment here is yours once more with all of the privileges and benefits previously bestowed upon you.”
She would be able to go wherever she wanted and do whatever she wanted once again with one unspoken exception: she would be watched and her every move would be reported to her father. It was a risk she was willing to take if she was able to bring peace to Reggie and Charlie, and keep her promise to Hunter. She cocked a curious eyebrow at him. “And the murders? Will they stop?”
He gave her hard stare, certain and unmovable. “That will be up to you, won’t it?”
***
Much to Matthew’s annoyance, and without stepping foot in the room she had once called her own, Chloe found an empty room two doors away from her old one and called that one home. She didn’t trust Matthew and had to try to stay ahead of him. She was smarter than he was—a more logical thinker without his temper—and she had to do everything she could to use that knowledge to her advantage.
Within her first week back, she was getting increasingly frustrated because not one of the girls would speak to her about anything other than business, and when it came to Matthew, it was obvious they were terrified to even mention his name or say anything cross against him. She quickly realized that keeping her promise to Hunter was going to be more difficult than she hoped.
Chapter 50
Chloe used to sit in her room with her door open when clients were on the floor, but now she wandered the hall, briefly stopping at each door and listening for anything that sounded out of the ordinary or in need of immediate attention. The rules had changed over the years to the point that if the girls felt like they were in danger, or felt forced to do something they didn’t want to do, they would have to deal with it themselves. Rarely did anybody have their back to protect the income these sexual fantasies brought in. Chloe had learned on her first day that the clientele requirement had changed. Now any regular Joe off the street was welcome as long as they could pay the price and keep their mouths shut.
Her frustration was beginning to get the best of her and she had to figure out a way to show the girls she was on their side even though she had to be a cold-hearted bitch every once in a while. Her opportunity came sooner than expected.
Chloe heard a door open and saw nineteen-year-old Violet Cummings standing at the doorway with one hand covering the left side of her face. Chloe watched as Violet’s client, Mr. Myers, exited the room with a satisfied smile while straightening his jacket. When she met with Mr. Myers earlier in the evening to sign contracts and review the rules of engagement, her internal alarm told her his six-foot, broad shouldered stature might also have an ego worth worrying about. Unfortunately, she had been proven right.
Mr. Myers walked toward the elevators, ignoring Chloe as he passed. Chloe quickly scanned Violet and saw shame and pain on her face, and then she noticed a light trickle of blood running down Violet’s right leg. The look in Chloe’s eye changed to fury in seconds as she approached the man, calling his name as he stopped to wait for the elevator. As he turned to face Chloe, her fist met his face with all the strength she never knew she had, dazing him enough to make him lose his balance, bounce off the wall behind him, and fall to the floor. Violet watched in stunned amazement as Chloe stood over Mr. Myers, holding him to the floor with a foot on his chest.
“What the hell?” He was completely dumbfounded, trying to get off the floor, but the more he tried, the more weight Chloe put on his chest. She knew she couldn’t hold him for long, but she could hold him long enough to make her point. While staring directly into his confused eyes, Chloe snapped her fingers to call Violet to her. Another door opened and quiet goodbyes between client and companion were abruptly cut off to watch the scene in front of them.
Violet cast an uneasy glance at the interested couple in the doorway as she nervously approached Chloe, unsure what to do.
“You did this to her?” Chloe asked Mr. Myers, who stopped struggling enough in an attempt to stare Chloe down. “I recommend you answer the question.”
“So what if I did?” he answered defiantly.
Chloe glared at him with eyes that could burn a hole down to the lobby. “What part of ‘by signing this agreement I will cause no harm to my companion, physically or otherwise, for the duration of my time allowed services’ do you not understand, Mr. Myers?”
“Patricia never had a problem with it,” he answered flatly.
Chloe lowered her face so close to his that he could probably smell what she had for dinner. She glared at him with dangerous eyes. “I’m not Patricia and it’s a problem now.”
“And what are you going to do about it? Get off me!”
“Firstly, you will apologize for your behavior.” When he scoffed, Chloe took advantage of his vulnerable position and her knee met his groin, then she stood and allowed him the courtesy to stand up and collect himself, but not before shoving him against the wall. “Second, medical bills are expensive and you will pay for said bills before exiting this building.” She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye. “Lastly, you will not be coming back. Ever.”
Mr. Myers cast a venomous eye at Violet. “All you’re good for is ten minutes on your knees, and that’s not even worth the money.”
Just as the sound of another door opened and silent faces peered out to see what was going on, Chloe’s fist connected with Mr. Myers’s face again. Violet ran to one of the other girls who was holding onto her client’s arms to keep them from trying to intercede in the confrontation. Chloe was too slow moving out of the way as Mr. Myers’s fist connected with her jaw, but she was quick enough to catch herself and rake the heel of her shoe down his shin and put her fist in his groin as he bent over from the pain. He fell to his knees in pain and Chloe went to Violet, who had tears streaming down her face and was shaking in fear. Even though Chloe’s rush of adrenaline helped some of her anger and frustration temporarily subside, she let out a soft sigh and put her hand on Violet’s arm in an effort to let her know everything would be okay.
***
After Mr. Myers had been escorted off the floor and Dr. Michaelson had attended to Violet, Chloe sat in her room contemplating her options. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, only to be further frustrated by the sight of Evan Crescent casually standing across the threshold, hands clasped behind his back and a look of indifference on his face. Chloe raised an irritated eyebrow at him.
“Am I interrupting?” Crescent asked.
“What do you want, Mr. Crescent?” She knew he wasn’t there out of concern for her girls.
“Just simple curiosity. Why did you come back, Renee?”
The icy stare never left her face when she asked a question of her own. “How did it feel to murder a six-year-old boy, Evan?”
The corner of Crescent’s mouth turned up in a smile. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Mr. Wilson. Good night.” He bowed at her from the waist, turned, and walked away.
Chloe’s chest began to tighten with anger and her breathing got deeper as one thought stirred in her mind: one way or another, Tucker Wilson would die.
Chapter 51
Madeline walked out of her Atlantic City casino and onto the boardwalk, intending to walk barefoot through the sand on such a
beautiful day, when her phone rang.
“Good afternoon,” she said cheerfully. “How are things in the South?”
“I feel terrible, Ms. Madeline,” Willetta said on the other end. “We didn’t think anybody was gonna die because of us.”
Madeline gave a tsk before saying, “Don’t you worry. It wasn’t because of you. I promise.”
“But a child…”
Madeline could hear the shaking in Willetta’s voice and didn’t really care. All she cared about was enjoying the peace of her day. Madeline tried for a sweet and consoling tone, but couldn’t quite master it. “I know it’s sad, but you can put your mind at ease knowing that nothing was your fault. In fact, you should be happy to hear that the friend went back home. She’s safe with her father again.”
“What about that man she been dating?”
Very interesting, Madeline thought, and it showed in the tone of her voice. “I don’t know if he came with her or not, but I hope she’s very happy with him. Do you have any idea who he is?”
“All I know is that he’s from New Orleans. He come up here when Ms. Allison died and talked to people at work. He work for the FBI, he do.”
Madeline couldn’t contain the grin emerging on her face. “Really? Well, if he didn’t come with her, then hopefully they can be together soon.”
“But that don’t change the fact that Bennie and I are still upset about those two dying. We sure do feel bad.”