Enemies and Playmates Page 15

  Jesse finally pinned the guy down on the pavement. The little maniac then actually tried to bite him! He had his slimy teeth wrapped around the back of Jesse’s hand and was ready to chomp. Jesse shook him off. The guy used the opportunity to shove Jesse backward, then he quickly scrambled to his feet and shot off into the darkness.

  Jesse slowly rose to his feet. Blood trickled down his arm from the gash above his elbow. He stood staring into the darkness in the direction the guy had disappeared. A shadow moved beneath a street light, then disappeared down an alley. No way was Jesse about to set off on a game of chase through the city. Let him go.

  He walked over to his car and grabbed a rag from his trunk. Then he carefully retrieved the knife from beneath the SUV. At least he could salvage some prints. And, if he was lucky, put a name to the bastard who’d attacked him. Of course that meant going back inside the police station. More paperwork to fill out. And he’d have to deal with Foster again.

  Damn.

  18

  Huddled beneath the warmth of her covers, Lauren dreamt of Jesse. His dark, intense eyes, his contagious smile, his muscular arms wrapped around her. An angry voice tumbled into her quiet dream. Her father’s voice, loud, full of rage. His voice mixed with sobbing. Her mother.

  Lauren opened her eyes and sat up. Her peaceful dream evaporated, leaving behind her reality. She blinked in the darkness, listening to her parents fight. Things between them had gotten worse. Much more volatile than ever before. None of this could end well.

  Lauren cracked her bedroom door open. Her mother was sobbing, that type of cry that borders on hysteria, when you can’t seem to catch your breath. Her father’s distinctive tone chastised. Mocked. She couldn’t make out all the words. Bits and pieces drifted toward her.

  “You know better,” Alex said.

  “I can’t stand it any longer,” Kara said. “I want to know who…”

  “None of your business…”

  Kara’s words grew louder, stronger. “You’re obviously happier with whomever you’re spending your nights with. Why bother coming home at all? Why not give me a divorce and make it easier on all of us?”

  Alex’s reply was low and muffled. Lauren couldn’t make out the words. Then he laughed, that mocking sound.

  “But I can’t continue to live this way,” Kara said.

  “Stop whimpering,” Alex said. “You are pathetic.”

  Kara’s sobs continued. A stinging slap echoed down the hall. The sobs became muffled and the voices hushed once again.

  Lauren’s stomach churned. She stepped back into her room and closed the door. She climbed into bed and eventually fell into a restless sleep. This time she dreamt of her father being thrown into a pen of hungry lions. As they tore at his flesh, his tormented screams rang through the air.

  Lauren smiled.

  Morning brought a gray dampness that gave the house a raw chill. Lauren lifted the shade and peered out at the heavy clouds. They seemed to be threatening snow at any moment. Snow before Thanksgiving probably meant a long, dreary winter. She sighed as she quietly slipped out of her room. The gray gloom was a perfect match for her mood.

  Lauren wrapped her bathrobe tightly around herself. The big house was cold and silent. Across the hall, Stephen’s door stood open. She shivered as she took in his unmade bed, his clothing on the floor, his computer on his desk. The room remained exactly as it had been the day he’d died. Another shiver slid down her spine.

  Kara stepped from her bedroom. “Good morning,” she said.

  Lauren turned toward her. “Morning, Mom.”

  “I know I have to clean that room out,” Kara said. “I simply haven’t been able to face it yet.”

  “I know. When you’re ready, I’ll help you.”

  “It’s such a final step. That might sound silly. But I look in there and it’s like his room is waiting for him to return. Like some part of him is still with us.”

  Lauren didn’t quite meet her mother’s eyes. “I know what you mean.”

  Kara shook her head and moved past Stephen’s room. “I’m going to make coffee. Want some?”

  “Sure.”

  As Kara ground fresh coffee beans, she said, “How are things going with you and Jesse?”

  “Great.”

  “He treats you well?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  “That’s good.”

  Lauren dropped her gaze. She twisted the ring her mother had given her. “I wanted to invite him over next week, for Thanksgiving dinner, but…”

  “Why don’t you?” Kara said. “I’d love the chance to get to know him.”

  “You know how Dad has reacted,” Lauren said. “He’d freak.”

  “Your father really despises Jesse, doesn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you tried to talk to him about it?”

  “Dad doesn’t listen to anyone once his mind is made up.”

  Kara pulled two mugs from the cabinet. “Are you sure Jesse didn’t do something to… Well, you know, perhaps your father knows something you don’t?”

  “The only thing Jesse is guilty of is standing up to Dad.”

  They fell silent. The coffeemaker gurgled and the pungent aroma filled the room. Lauren was close to telling her mother everything about how her father had threatened to kill Jesse, what her father had wanted Jesse to do. All of it. Then the phone rang and snatched the moment away.

  Lauren grabbed the phone and answered. Gina’s voice greeted her. Lauren closed her eyes. Said nothing.

  “Please don’t hang up,” Gina quickly said. “I really need to talk to you.”

  “No. I can’t.”

  “I love him. And I know he loves me too.”

  Lauren clamped her mouth shut. She couldn’t respond. Not with her mother standing a few feet away.

  Gina said, “I know you hate me right now and you have every right to. But Alex and I didn’t plan this. It just sort of happened. I love him and can’t imagine my life without him. But I love you, too. You’ve been my best friend forever.”

  “You don’t really know him,” Lauren said.

  “We spend lots of time talking. It’s not just sex. That’s the truth, Lauren.”

  “You have no idea what the truth is.”

  Gina’s voice broke with a sob. “Don’t hate us, please,” she said. “We didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Then what exactly did you think the outcome would be?”

  “I don’t know,” Gina said. “I guess I thought we’d end up happy together. That you’d understand.”

  The slight static on the line was the only sound. Lauren was acutely aware of her mother’s presence in the room. “I have to go,” she said.

  “You’re my best friend,” Gina said. “I don’t want to lose you because of this.”

  “You should have considered that before.”

  Lauren replaced the receiver with shaky hands. Kara stood by watching. She said, “What’s wrong, Lauren?”

  Lauren shook her head. “Nothing important. I’ve got to shower or I’ll be late for class.”

  Lauren arrived at Jesse’s apartment one minute before seven that evening. She rapped lightly on his door. He pulled it open and the smile on her face instantly vanished. A dark purple bruise was splotched like blush on one cheek. “What happened to you?” she asked.

  Jesse smiled, though the swelling gave it a crooked effect. “Job hazard,” he said lightly.

  Lauren stepped inside. Her fingers brushed the bandage on his arm. “This too?” she asked.

  “We need to talk.”

  “My father, right?”

  “Not technically,” Jesse said. “But yeah.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be.” Jesse led Lauren to the couch, where he pulled her into his arms. “Stop looking that way,” he said. “You are not responsible for what your father does.”

  “I know. But -”

  “There is no but involved.” Jesse blew out a heavy sig
h. “I have to tell you something, Lauren. You might not like it.”

  “What?”

  “I’m working with the D.A. on a case against your father.”

  “What kind of case?”

  “One that could put him away for a very long time.”

  “Is that why he hates you so much?”

  “No,” Jesse said. “This came about after what happened between him and me. He has no idea about any of it. Not yet, anyway.”

  Lauren rested her head against Jesse’s shoulder. She told herself she should be upset that Jesse was doing this. But she wasn’t. Couldn’t be. She said, “Has he killed anyone?”

  “Not personally. He’s not the type to get his hands dirty.”

  “He’s had people killed.”

  “Yes.”

  Lauren nodded. “Will they arrest him soon?”

  “It’ll take awhile to get the case together,” Jesse said.

  “He has a lot of friends.”

  I know.” Jesse smiled that crooked smile. “But so do I.”

  “He’ll find out.”

  “I know that, too.”

  Lauren traced the outline of the bandage on Jesse’s arm. Tears burned behind her eyes. She swallowed them back. “I’m scared, Jesse.”

  “I can handle it. But I’ll back off if you want me to. I mean, he’s your father, so I’ll understand.”

  “He stopped being a father to me a long time ago.”

  “So you’re okay with this?”

  “He’s going after you regardless of what you do now, isn’t he?”

  Jesse was silent. Lauren lifted her head, looked at him. His gaze was fixed straight ahead. Finally he quietly said, “I don’t think he wanted me dead at first. He wanted me to submit. For whatever reason, he wanted me under his thumb, working for him. When he figured out there was no chance in hell of that happening, he still knew it was too risky to kill me. I had talked to people about him. And there was you. He thought he could scare me into slithering away with my tail between my legs.”

  Jesse sighed, shrugged. “But lately I wouldn’t put anything past him. Seems like he’s thrown caution to the wind.” Jesse finally met Lauren’s eyes. “I’m not worried about me. My biggest fear, my only fear, is that you’ll get hurt.”

  “He wouldn’t do that,” Lauren said. The words came out with more conviction than she felt.

  “He knows I could tell you things. He doesn’t want that.”

  “I know he wants me to stay away from you,” Lauren said. “But I can’t imagine him putting me in jeopardy.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  “Stephen would have liked you.” Lauren wasn’t sure why she’d suddenly blurted that out. Or why it mattered. Yet the truth of it made her smile. “He would have gotten a lot of pleasure from helping you with this.”

  “Who knows,” Jesse said. “Maybe in some strange way, he is helping me.”

  The thought comforted Lauren, despite the tears that blurred her vision. She nestled against Jesse. “Sometimes I feel like I’m existing in a nightmare.”

  “Yeah, but the good news is you’re awake.”

  “That’s the good news?”

  “Yup.” Jesse ran the tips of his fingers lightly over Lauren’s lips. “You see,” he said, “if this was a real nightmare and you were sleeping, then I’d have to be gone when you woke up. But I’ll always be here.”

  “Promise?”

  “Oh yeah.”

  Lauren closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the pleasure of Jesse’s touch. His pace was unhurried as he kissed her lips, then her neck. His fingers explored and she slowly lost her clothing. She ran her hand up his thigh, felt his hardness through his jeans. His moan was a low growl that made her quiver. She pulled him closer, kissing him with a sudden and urgent hunger.

  He picked her up with ease and carried her into the bedroom. She helped him off with his clothes, then pulled him down with her. He laughed, told her to relax and enjoy. He kissed her toes, ran his tongue along her leg and across her stomach. Against her thigh he was hard, throbbing, so close to where she ached to feel him.

  When at last he entered her, she shuddered with the intensity of the pleasure. She held him tight, looked into his eyes. And there she found everything she’d ever wanted or needed. So simple. So complicated. She kissed his lips and surrendered to it all.

  Lauren reluctantly left Jesse’s apartment and stepped out into the dawn of early morning. Her skin still tingled from Jesse’s touch. She’d expected to feel awkward this morning, after having made love most of the night. But waking up in his arms and making love before the sleep was out of her eyes had been incredible.

  She crossed the parking lot, happily humming to herself, lost in her thoughts. The sight of her father’s Mercedes parked beside her Pontiac quickly spoiled her mood. A knot formed in her stomach. Alex stepped from his car and fixed his disapproving glare on her.

  Lauren stopped a few feet from her father. She said, “What are you doing here?”

  “Looking for you,” Alex said.

  “What do you want?”

  Alex moved closer. His deep gray pinstriped suit was perfectly creased. Not a wrinkle or a speck of lint. His hair was neatly combed, every strand in its place. He’d recently shaved and smelled of Declaration aftershave. He said, “You have apparently not been listening to me regarding your activities.”

  “I already told you,” Lauren said. “What I do is none of your business.”

  “Such bravado.”

  “My relationships are none of your business.”

  “Spare me your self-righteous dribble,” Alex said. “The fact is that Ryder has been poking around in my private business. I don’t have to tell you how I feel about that.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Please,” Alex said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Don’t bore me with your denials. Ryder has not responded well to my requests. I presume he will listen to you, given your current relationship. I also presume you will be wise and convince him to do what is best.”

  “You had no right having him beat up,” Lauren said.

  Alex laughed. The sound was quick and hollow. He said, “I advise you to make him understand that he is as good as dead if he does not walk away immediately.”

  “How can you stand there and calmly threaten his life? Why don’t you just leave us alone?”

  Alex’s voice remained as composed as his tailored suit. “I won’t warn either of you again,” he said. “You’d be well served to remember that neither of you have any power. I own a piece of everyone.”

  “You don’t own me or Jesse.”

  “No?” Alex stepped closer. His minty breath hovered close to Lauren’s face. “You may be surprised,” he said. “Give Ryder the message. Then walk away from him. Far away. Do we understand each other?”

  “What is it you want?”

  “I just told you.”

  “No, I mean what is it you want from Jesse? What is it going to take for you to leave us alone?”

  “He knows the answer to that.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Tell Ryder to be at my office. Tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Tell me why.”

  “Do you think you love this man?” Alex asked.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  Alex smirked. “Which means yes.”

  “Can’t you let us be?” Lauren cried in exasperation.

  “Have Ryder do as I said and perhaps your relationship will survive. What happens next is entirely up to him.”

  Alex strode back to his car. Before sliding into the driver’s seat, he turned back toward Lauren. His eyes glinted like cold steel in the early morning light. He said, “Tell me, Lauren, do you think he loves you enough to compromise? Or will his stubborn independence be more important than you are in his life?”

  He smiled then and added, “Don’t ever be foolish enough to believe that lov
e is enough, Lauren.”

  Lauren stood frozen in the middle of the parking lot. The Mercedes purred to life and soon disappeared from sight. Heavy clouds cast a gray shadow that she wished would swallow her up. She glanced back at the apartment building, thought of Jesse sleeping inside. She considered her experience with love. A father that manipulated, cheated, lied. A best friend that had betrayed her. A brother who had lost himself to drugs.

  What did she truly know about love? Could it be enough?

  19

  Jesse walked into his apartment, dropped his keys on the coffee table and sank into the recliner. He closed his eyes but, before he could relax, the jangle of his cell phone jarred him. He snatched it from his pocket, his eyes still closed.

  “Hey Jess,” Tim said. “How’s it going?”

  “I’m still alive,” Jesse said. “Which I take as a good sign. What’s up?”

  “I heard something today. Thought you’d want to know.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Your name.”

  Jesse rubbed his eyes. “Thanks,” he said. “But I already know my name.”

  “No shit?”

  “What are you hearing that I’m not going to like?”

  “I don’t know where it started,” Tim said. “But word around the station is you’re more trouble than you’re worth. And we’d be wise not to help you with any info or to encourage you in any way.”

  “Well isn’t that just perfect,” Jesse muttered.

  “And it’s not confined to the one station. Or just cops, for that matter.”

  “I’d like to say I’m surprised,” Jesse said. “But I’m not.”

  “Seems like Covington’s looking to put you out of business.”

  “Making good on one of his threats.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Same thing I’ve been doing.” Jesse pulled off his leather boots and stretched out on the couch. He half listened while Tim lectured him about the dangers of getting too caught up in nailing Covington. Tim meant well. And he was right, in theory. But it was too late.