Page 7 of Say It's Me

I hear her tut, "You really sound like a scorned, jealous man, August. Ethan told me all about how you stayed celibate while I was away. I must say, that was very chivalrous of you, but I've only ever had eyes for Ethan."

There’s a moment of silence followed by what sounds like rustling before I hear August yell, “What the fuck are you doing? I’m not fucking you.”

“Now there’s an idea. I bet your trophy would hate to find out that I rode your cock. Maybe I’ll do that and make a video just for funsies.”

“Carson I swear to god you better get your hands off my dick!”What the fuck is going on.

“Well, I don’t have any plans to untie you anytime soon so unless you want to piss all over yourself, I suggest you do it into this jug.” August lets out a frustrated growl.

“This entire fucking set-up has gone too far. What the fuck is your plan?” I hear what sounds like him pissing into a container. When it stops she says, “Now fucking drink this water. If my plan was to kill you clearly you wouldn’t be sitting here tied up in my basement. This isn’t about you August.”

“Then why don’t you fucking explain it to me?” There’s no way she could miss the ire in his voice because while I can’t see his face his voice is dripping with palpable hate.

I hear what sounds like the shuffling of papers before Carson chirps up, “Look August as much as I’d love to tell you everything I know. That’s just not going to happen. Besides, we both know the only reason you’re really mad is that I’ve been fucking your best friend.”

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise because after what I’ve witnessed from her I know she’s not that stupid. Carson is clearly trying to get a rise out of him. She’s playing with fire and not just with August. If she doesn’t plan on killing him I’d be worried about what happens when he gets untied if I were her.

I can’t see anything but I’m pretty sure I hear August let out an exasperated sigh. "Carson, you must think I'm a damn fool. Do you think I didn't know you were fucking around on me? Hell, I knew you were whoring yourself out before you ever left. What I'm trying to figure out is why Ethan? There is no way in hell you can hold that man's attention, and you fucking know it."

Something is tossed across the room. "You're fucking wrong, August. Ethan and I have been together for years, and he's ready to make it official."

I hear him chuckle before saying, "Oh yeah, Carson, and why is that? Why now? I'll tell you why. He's using you to do his dirty work. Since I moved on from you, his extra-curricular activities with you no longer aid him in ruining me. Since you are no longer the leverage he needed to hit me where it hurts, he decided to go after Gianna. He didn't give two shits whether I found out about the two of you. For him, it was just icing on the cake. You know he wants her. You saw it in his eyes the night of the fundraiser, which is why you couldn't hold your tongue."

There's another loud bang like something was thrown across the room again before Carson says, "It doesn't matter if he wants her or not because she ran off with her boyfriend. How does it feel knowing your new obsession has her legs spread wide for another man?"

The door slams, and that's how I know he's sitting there alone. I wait to see if she'll come back, and when she doesn't, I hear him let out a gut-wrenching shout. At that moment, I feel for him. I know the love he confessed to having for Gigi is real. He's devastated because he believes she is gone.

OnWednesday,I'mdiggingthrough Ethan and his father Robert Grand’s finances, trying to find a link to Gigi or her family. That's when I see that Grand Media is about to go public. The fees to take your company from private to public are steep, so I'm still not sure how Ethan is profiting. I'm just about to log off my computer and grab a bite to eat when I hear voices on the security system at the Bradbury Estate.

"How much longer will we keep him tied up in the basement, Ethan?"

Quickly, I pull up the video feed to see if I can get eyes on them. They're in the great room. Carson is wearing a silk robe with lingerie underneath, no doubt trying to catch Ethan's eye. She hasn't left the house since August has been tied up in the basement. It's now the middle of the day, and there is no reason for her to be wearing that outfit.

"What are you wearing Carson?" Ethan is standing with his hands on his hips, looking irritated by her antics, which is surprising. She clearly wants to fuck, and he doesn’t seem the least bit interested.

"Are you jealous that maybe August has seen me like this today?"

A laugh bellows out of him, followed by a sigh as he runs his fingers through his hair, clearly agitated. "Carson, not only has he seen you completely naked, but he has also fucked you, so no I'm not jealous." Ethan continues to pace back and forth, lost in thought, completely oblivious to the rage written across Carson's face. He'd be stupid not to toe the line with her, considering she could blow up his plan.

"What has you so stressed out that you don't even recognize when I'm trying to get laid?"

Ethan screams, "I can't find her,” before closing his eyes and leveling his tone. “I've been looking all over. It's like she disappeared out of thin air. All signs point to her running off with that idiot that crashed his car into the river, but I can't just leave it to chance that she won't sporadically show up out of nowhere and ruin everything."

That's interesting. His word choice makes it sound like he has no idea that my breaks were tampered with. If he's not behind the accident, then August was right. My dad has enemies.

"You are really starting to piss me off. Don't tell me you're obsessed with her now as well."

"Don't be ridiculous. We can't obviously knock off August, but we could set it up so that she has a happy accident."

That snaps my attention back to the screen.

Carson slowly makes her way across the room to where Ethan is standing, resting her hands on his chest. "What about her parents? Gianna isn't the only one who would get the money. Her dad can as well. Shouldn't we take him out?"

Ethan keeps his eyes locked on her as she drops her robe.

"No, Ed is watching them. They have no idea about anything. We don't need this to get any messier than it already is. Her family has been in the dark for years. The only way things will get spoiled is if she starts talking to August. He would figure out everything."

She runs her pointer finger down his chest until she reaches his belt, where she starts undoing the clasp. "So, you're only worried about finding her so that you can get rid of the problem?"

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