Page 31 of Obsessed

He nods. "Well then, I'll make sure never to take you alongagain."

"No," I say abruptly, then just as quickly want to erase it. "I mean, yes. That's probably for the best. Unless, of course, you really want me along, then I'll just make sure I don't fall apart." My reversal sounds ridiculous to my own ears but not going to the party means I won't see Maddox again. And he'd never find me in this locked prisonroom.

"It's not important now." He lowers his hand to help me up from the bench. "You need to shower. I'll have the cook bring you by some toast and eggs. I might be by to make sure you eat them so don't plan on stuffing them into a pillowcase or under the benchcushion."

I smile with relief. For now, it seems, my alarming little show at the party has been accepted as a panic attack. "I suppose you were one of those kids who hid the vegetables on your dinner plate under anapkin."

Kane hands me a clean towel. "There were no vegetables because there was rarely a dinnerplate."

I watch him as he leaves and see it again. That glimmer of sadness, a lost man who was even more lost as a boy. It's part of his history that he never talks about. Sometimes I think it's better if I don't hear it. Something tells me it's a horribly heartbreakingstory.

Kane leaves the room. I'm left to myself. I sit back down hard on the bench and release a mass of air from my lungs. What the hell is going on? Are Maddox and Clark working on a scheme to get me out of Lace Underground? Are they closing in on Freestone? Or is Maddox just working undercover from the club member angle to find out what the hell is going on? And who the hell would be stupid enough to mistake James Maddox for a rich man? The last question makes me laugh, but the mirth stops quickly as more of the night comes back in crisp, clear and painfulstreaks.

His face. Shit. Maddox looked as if someone had reached inside and twisted his gut when he saw me. It's hard to blamehim.

I glance in the mirror that is slowly fogging up with condensation. I don't look anything like Angie Tennyson. I gaze down at my arms. I look like a junkie. Another ill timed laugh is answered by the echo of the same pitiful laugh off the bathroom wall. I don't look like a junkie. I am a junkie. Maddox is most likely back wherever he's staying in his charade as a billionaire and telling Clark that I easily succumbed to a drug addiction. To give him a full picture, he'd have to let Clark know I'm Freestone's whore too. Fuck. It's true. All of it istrue.

I step into the shower. The appetite stimulant was working just a few minutes earlier, but these new revelations have wiped the effects away. I feelsick.

30

Maddox

"Very nice ofyour boss to allow you to come in and clean my cuts." I wince as Cathy presses a cotton ball with stinging disinfectant against the cut on mychin.

"See, I told you he was all right." She sits back with round blue eyes. "I still don't get why Jason and Oscar beat you up. They usually only rough up members who get out of line with one of the women." She rubs her fingers along my forearm. "You were a perfect gentleman." Her bottom lip pouts out. "A little too gentlemanly if I'm being honest." She smears more disinfectant on thegash.

I groan. "Sure, kick a man when he's down." I reach up and touch the cut. "Shit, that's going to leave ascar."

"It sure is and a sexy one at that." Cathy digs a bandage out of her first aid kit. "Luckily we have these cute little butterfly shaped bandages. They'll hold the pieces of skin together. Maybe there won't be too much permanent damage to that beautiful face of yours." She leans forward and kisses me lightly on my swollen lips. "Darn those guys. How dare they touch this face." She snaps her finger. "I'll bet they were just jealous. Or maybe a couple of the more senior, and I mean that in many ways, members asked Oscar and Jason to mess you up so you'd be less appealing." She laughs at her own theory. "The joke is on them. If anything it only makes you look tougher." She crinkles up her nose and lightly touches the cut on my cheek. "Except maybe this gash. It's kind of gross." She sits back down on her knees. "I better clean it too. It's kind of deep. So, what do you think it was?" she asks while preparing another cottonball.

"What do I think whatwas?"

She blows out a frustrated sigh. "Maybe they hit you just a little too hard. Why do you think they beat you up? Did you say something to make themmad?"

I shake my head slowly. "Like you said, I was the perfect gentleman. Maybe they were just in a bad mood. Maybe it's been awhile and they just felt like breaking a few heads and mine got in theway."

Cathy laughs and seems to accept my outlandish explanation until a new realization hitsher.

"Why are you still here?" She glances around at the stacked boxes and old furniture. "And in this terrible room? None of it makessense."

"It's not so bad. There's a bathroom and everything. But I think I'm going to ask for a refund on that clubfee."

"Oh my gosh, are you ever serious?" She cleans the cut on my cheek. "I guess maybe they are just waiting for me to get you all cleaned up before they send you on yourway."

"Yeah, that's probably it," I saywryly.

31

Angie

It's just scrambledeggs with a touch too much salt and buttered toast but it tastes like heaven. It's the first time I've enjoyed food in months. The stoically quiet woman who has been bringing me my plates as well as carrying away the mostly untouched food, stares at it inshock.

"It was delicious," Isay.

"Good. I'm glad to see you ate something." She walks out as Kane walksin.

"Did I just see an empty plate?" he asks as he shuts thedoor.

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