Page 20 of Twisted Lies
“At the bar, looking for you. Where did you go? I came back, and you and the lion were both gone. Please tell me you decided to take him home.”
Frantically, I waved down a cab. “Oh, hell no. He was too…everything. Look, I’ve got a raging headache. Give Mr. Steele my apology.” I hopped into the cab and gave the driver my address.
Tabitha exhaled loudly. “No need. He couldn’t make it. Just go home, and we’ll reschedule.”
“Later.”
I shoved my cell into my bag and watched the blur of lights as the cab whizzed through the city. Finally approaching the treelined street where my townhouse—purchased when prices were low but poised to climb in the revitalized area in Manhattan—was located only a few steps from Central Park, I barely waited for the driver to stop before shoving the money at him and jumping out. Running up the stairs, I skidded to a stop, breaking out into a cold sweat at the sight of a vase of long-stemmed white roses sitting in front of my door.
“Oh God. Shit just got real.” I pulled out the card, reading it aloud. “J.”
Oh, hell no!
I grabbed the vase, stomped down the stairs, and dumped it into a trash can. I gritted my teeth, trying not to freak out as I went back upstairs and entered my house.
How the hell did Jaxon find me?
My body shivered with disgust, remembering how the utter madness had spiraled out of control after he’d broken in to Jade’s apartment and left the rose and my underwear on my bed.
I’d lived through agonizing months of huge, elaborate vases filled with white roses being delivered to me every day with one creepy sentence scribbled on each card—Love you. J.
Even now, the mere scent of roses made me queasy to the point of throwing up.
When the roses had mysteriously stopped showing up, I’d thought the madness was over, but of course, I had been wrong. It had just begun. He’d shown up at every party I attended, and he’d chased away any guy who attempted to talk to me. When I confronted him—telling him to leave me alone—that only seemed to enrage him.
Paranoid that he’d been lurking in the shadows, waiting to hurt me, I’d locked myself away in my apartment, only venturing out for work. After weeks and months had passed without incident, I’d breathed a sigh of relief. I’d thought my world was safe again—until it had come crashing down.
I tried to fight the all-too-familiar dread that seeped into my bones. The memories lingered. The fear remained. Nothing could erase that day from my mind.
The day Jaxon had grabbed me, pulling me into a dark alleyway with a knife pressed against my throat. He’d babbled words of love over and over as he’d brutally ripped off my clothes with sick lust in his eyes. In that moment of total hopelessness, I’d known from his crazed stare that he actually thought he owned me. Bitterness had coated my tongue when I realized I was nothing but a piece of property to him, his possession that he had every intention of claiming repeatedly until I broke.
Tears had streamed down my face as I braced for the impending savage violation. Shivering on the cold ground, I’d turned my head away, letting my mind go blank. I’d known I would never be the same after this day. But when a lone homeless man had stumbled upon us, saving me, I’d been thrown a lifeline. Though, I knew Jaxon wasn’t finished with me, and that had just been a momentary reprieve. Utter rage had clouded Jaxon’s eyes before he’d sliced me across my shoulder.
His gaze had gone flat and hard. “Never forget, you’ll always belong to me,” he’d hissed before calmly walking away.
My thoughts snapped back to the present while I rubbed the light scar. “Never forget,” I whispered, fighting the cold fear running down my spine.
Jaxon was back to claim what he thought was his—me. I was ready to fight as if my life depended on it. Because it did.
5
Sinthia
I gulped my coffee,feeling like shit after tossing and turning all night. My thoughts were torn—half fretting over the horror of Jaxon’s return, and the other half lingering over the sensual memory of the mystery man from last night. The only thing chasing away the craziness was reading the newspaper article before me.
First page! They put me on the first page.
I still couldn’t believe the woman smiling up from the page, displaying pieces from her upcoming clothing line, was me. I was reeling from being interviewed by the most iconic newspaper in New York City when my thoughts were interrupted by my ringing cell.
“What’s up, Cisco?”
“Hello, Sin, baby! Congrats on your interview. The phone hasn’t stopped ringing all morning. We have lots of new clients booked for today,” he stated matter-of-factly.
I loved Cisco, I really did, but he was a pushy pain in the ass. Our friendship worked well, but the business relationship was sorely lacking.
“Cisco, how many times have I asked you not to book clients without checking with me first?”
I could picture the adorable pout on his face when he said, “What would you have me do? They’ve been clamoring for a private session with you, and I booked them.”
