Ruthless Billionaire, page 13
“Shouldn’t we call first?” Grace wonders. “Maybe your brother is sleeping.”
“Maybe Shawn is there, and I don’t want to warn him. You know that Bobby isn’t good at lying. Shawn will read him immediately.” I pause, and a million horrible things pass through my mind, all at the same time. I try to banish them, but it’s hard. “That might put Bobby in danger.”
“Do you think Shawn would hurt Bobby?” she asks.
“I don’t know, and I don’t want to risk finding out,” I admit, as I step on the gas pedal even harder.
I want to be there as soon as possible. I want to bring this to an end and finally clear my name, by proving that someone else did all of this. Maybe Shawn had nothing to do with Lucy’s death, but Grace is right. It is too much of a coincidence.
“You never know with such people,” I continue, keeping my eyes focused on the road in front of us. “I really can’t believe this...”
It is difficult to process all of this, and I know I have to control myself when I see Shawn, not to grab him by the throat immediately. I have to remain focused. I have to get him to confess, otherwise I have nothing. I know what Jonathan said. It all looks legit. That is the worst thing. It will take me a lot of time and effort to prove anything, so if I want it done as quickly and effectively as possible, I have to get him to confess to everything. And I need witnesses for it.
Grace will be a good witness. If Bobby is there, he will be a good one as well.
I drive faster than usual, because I can’t wait to reach Bobby’s place. I know they sometimes stay over at each other’s house, so I’m hoping this time that is the case as well.
When we’re finally there, I rush out of the car but before I can enter the building which I have the keys to, Grace grabs me by the elbow.
“Promise me you’ll be careful,” she says tenderly.
I can see the love in her eyes. I can see it; I can almost feel it in her words. But I can’t say anything to that right now. I can tell her how I feel only after I’ve cleared my name and shown her that I am not who she thought I was. That I am the man she deserves.
“Can’t I get you to stay outside?” I ask again, although I’m sure I will receive the same response as before.
“No way,” she shakes her head. “I want to be there. I want to help.”
“What if something happens?” I ask, not even wanting to clarify what.
“Let it happen,” she tells me. “I want to be by your side, in thick and thin.”
I grin. “Are you hinting that you want to marry me?”
She rolls her eyes, letting go of me. “Enough of that,” she says. “Let’s take care of the important things first, then we’ll talk nonsense.”
“Deal,” I grin, and without even thinking about it, I lean over to give her a peck on the lips. It startles her, but she regains composure quickly, smiling at me.
We climb up the stairs and stop in front of the door which states Bobby’s full name. The moment I lift my hand to ring the bell, despite having a key, there is laughter heard from inside, which means Bobby isn’t alone.
Impatiently, I ring the doorbell and I wait.
The laughter inside dies. Footsteps are heard, walking over to the door, which opens immediately. Bobby’s surprised face greets us both.
“Jesse?” he says my name, then Grace’s as well, the moment his eyes befall her face. “Grace? What are you guys doing here?”
Up until this moment, I thought I would control myself. I thought I would explain everything in words and wait for the right time to reveal everything. But that is not what happens. Instead, I push past Bobby.
“Where is he?” I demand to know, entering the living room area like a typhoon.
Shawn jumps up from his seat, not expecting to see me there. I can see the shock on his face, then it all reverts back to the usual.
“Hey, Jesse,” he greets me with a smile.
When he sees Grace, he gazes at her incredulously. It takes him a few seconds to realize why we are here... together.
The look on his face is priceless. Only poor Bobby doesn’t seem to get what’s going on, but the three of us do.
“You fucking asshole,” I growl at him, with Grace holding me by the elbow. “You’ll pay for what you did!”
Bobby eyes us all in disbelief, finally speaking up. “Will someone tell me what the heck is going on?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Grace
“Why don’t you ask your best buddy there what the heck is going on,” Jesse says in an angry voice. “Because I’ve been wondering that myself for the past two weeks.”
Bobby turns to Shawn, his baby blue eyes wide with surprise that anything could have been happening behind his back between his brother and his best friend. I watch the trio clash, as I know that I’m only here as a silent bystander. Whatever needs to happen will happen between Shawn and Jesse. Bobby and I are irrelevant here.
“What’s going on, Shawn?” Bobby asks, almost pleading.
Shawn looks over at Jesse. I can immediately tell that Jesse is barely controlling himself from pouncing on Shawn, and the only reason he hasn’t done that yet is because he’s trying to get everything out in the open.
“I don’t know,” Shawn says, sounding confused. “What are you talking about, Jesse?”
Jesse instantly tries to lunge at him, but I manage to keep him from doing so. Shawn jerks backward, trying to increase the distance between him and Jesse.
“Tell him how you’ve been stealing money from my company!” Jesse hisses at him venomously.
“Shawn?” Bobby gasps, turning to his best friend. “Is that true?”
“Tell him!” Jesse demands, and I know everyone is on the verge of breaking. It won’t end well.
“That’s a lie!” Shawn shouts back. “How dare you accuse me of something like that!”
“It’s not a lie and you know it, you bastard!” Jesse howls back at him, and it sounds like they’re having a shouting contest, trying to outdo the other. “I have proof! You can’t keep lying your way out of this! The only reason I haven’t called the cops yet is because I want to hear you say it, you piece of shit!”
Shawn doesn’t say anything to that. Immediately upon hearing Jesse’s words that he’s got proof, the expression on Shawn’s face changes. His usually reddish cheeks have now turned pale, and his eyes are as wide as bicycle wheels. All eyes are on him, waiting to hear what he will say to this.
I dare not comment, and I see that Bobby is in the same boat. We exchanged a meaningful glance a moment ago, but now, we’re all staring at Shawn. He has to admit. He just has to. Otherwise, I’m not sure I can control Jesse any longer, and God knows what might happen then.
Shawn’s face takes on a whole new expression. His eyes narrow, growing darker somehow, as hatred shoots out of every look he sends in Jesse’s direction.
“You always thought you were such a fuckin’ hot shot,” Shawn finally starts speaking, and his voice is deep and dark, not at all aligned with his outer persona. It’s like someone else is speaking from inside of him. “But you’re not,” he adds. “You’re nothing. Someone had to prove this to you.”
“And that someone had to be you?” Jesse snorted.
“Shawn... why?” Bobby interrupted, unable to keep quiet. I could see the pain of betrayal on his face.
“And you,” Shawn turned to him, with a disgusted expression. “You’ve always been in his shadow. Why?”
“That’s not true,” Bobby says, faltering.
“It fucking is,” Shawn grimaces at him. “You don’t even have the balls to admit it. I had to do something about it.”
“So, you decided to steal money from my company,” Jesse snarled. “The company that gives you your paycheck.”
“I could have gotten a job anywhere else, you conceited asshole,” Shawn replies irritably. “The only reason I agreed to work for you was to be able to do this.”
“Did you really think you’d get away with it?” Jesse asks, shaking his head.
Shawn shrugs. “Nothing points to me. Not about the theft or about the girl.”
“The girl??” Bobby sounds shocked, his hand pressing his chest. He looks like he’s about to pass out. “Shawn, you didn’t...”
“He did,” Jesse nods. “Grace was right. She said it’s too much of a coincidence to have those two things happen at the same time, revolving around me. She suggested that the same person did it, and now, it turns out, she was right.”
This time, Shawn looks in my direction. His gaze is trying to intimidate me, but I know he can’t hurt me, not with Jesse and Bobby around. But he’s still trying to send me those hateful glares.
“Admit it,” Jesse demands.
Shawn scoffs at him. “Why? So, you’ll feel better about yourself?”
“This has nothing to do with me, you piece of shit!” Jesse is beyond himself with rage. “It has everything to do with Lucy Romero. Why would you hurt her? What had she done to deserve that?”
Shawn frowns before he replies. “The bitch found out I was stealing money from the company. I don’t know how. She must have overheard me talking to the guy at the bank. Then, she approached me and told me if I didn’t give her a cut, she’d come to you and tell you all about it. I’m not that stupid. I know she would have milked me dry of all she could, then she would either go to the cops and make a deal for herself, or she would have gone straight to you. I had to get rid of her if I wanted this to work. Then, the cherry on top was the idea to pin the murder on you. I’d have your money and you’d be behind bars. Poetic justice, don’t you think?”
“Poetic my ass!” Jesse snarls at him, and at that moment, I can’t do anything to hold him back.
He lunges straight at Shawn. Bobby and I gasp, unable to control the situation. Everything is now between these two men, fighting.
They both fall to the ground, rolling, snarling at each other. Jesse punches him in the face with his fist, but that doesn’t do much to Shawn. He is foaming at the mouth, with a crazed look in his eyes.
They roll again, and Jesse is on top of him, his hands around the man’s neck, squeezing tight.
“Don’t kill him!” Bobby shouts, but he does nothing. He knows he can’t go against his brother, just like he can’t believe that his best friend isn’t who he thought he was.
We both watch the sight before our eyes unfurling. Shawn first grips Jesse’s hands, but then his arms fly around him. Somehow, he finds the strength to push Jesse off of himself. There are more blows dealt on both ends.
“We have to stop this!” Bobby turns to me, and I know he’s right.
“Call the police!” I tell him, rushing to try and separate the two men.
Shawn punches Jesse on the jaw. I grab him by the arm when he aims at Jesse again, preventing him from dealing another blow.
“You bitch!” Shawn turns to me, slapping me on the cheek so hard that I stumble backwards against the wall. I press my cold palm to my burning cheek. There is little pain. Only a horrible stinging sensation that slowly finds its way up to the back of my neck, exploding into a headache.
Jesse is up again. His lip is cracked. There is a trickle of blood dripping down the corner of his mouth. He spits angrily to the side. Without waiting, he rushes at Shawn, and this time, they both stumble down against a nearby coffee table. A glass lamp falls down to the ground, breaking into several big pieces.
It all then happens in the blink of an eye. A flash of glass and then, blood starts to trickle onto the floor.
At first, I’m not even sure whose blood it is. You always assume that it’s the other guy who’s hurt, never the one you’re rooting for. But on second glance, I realize to my shock that it is Jesse who’s bleeding.
He’s bent over, his hand pressing to his side. His hand bloody. And the blood won’t stop flowing.
Shawn stands up before him, with a large, knife-like piece of glass in his hand. Blood is dripping from it in small droplets, making another puddle on the floor.
I can’t breathe. Everything stops. The world isn’t turning anymore. We’re all frozen in time and space.
I’m not even aware of what I’m doing. Shawn raises the glass again. I know what he’s about to do. He wants to hurt Jesse. No. He wants to kill him. I have to do something.
I look around frantically. I notice a bookshelf. There is a row of encyclopedias. I rush for it, grabbing the biggest, heaviest, hardcovered one. It’s beyond heavy. I lift it up as high as I can, then I swing it at Shawn, hitting him straight over the head. A loud thump noise is heard and without another word, Shawn slumps down onto the ground, like a lifeless puppet.
“Shawn!” Bobby shouts, rushing over to him.
I run to Jesse instead. I put his head into my lap, keeping him awake. We’re both pressing on his wound. We have to stop the bleeding until the cops and the ambulance come.
I turn to Bobby. “Did you call the cops!?” I shout at him. He nods, frightened, completely frozen. “Now call the ambulance!”
The sound of my voice is enough to bring him back to reality. I watch him grab his phone and dial the ambulance. He manages to tell them what happened in short, and the address.
“They’re coming in ten minutes,” he tells me, stumbling over letters as if he’s just learned to speak properly and needs more practice.
I look down at Jesse. His eyes are barely open. I slap him on the cheek, and this makes him wide awake again.
“That...” he starts, his voice low and weak. “Fucking... hurts...”
“The slap or the wound?” I ask.
He grins. “Both.”
I smile. “Since you’re able to make jokes, smart ass, you won’t be dying.”
“I could...” he starts, but coughs. “Still surprise... you.”
“I want you to surprise me,” I nod, still smiling at him. “But minus the blood, please.”
“Deal...” he manages to muster, closing his eyes.
“No, no, no,” I shake him a little. “Stay with me. You have to stay awake. Just ten minutes, you hear?”
My voice luckily keeps him awake. But he’s the smartass he’s always been.
“Not so... loud,” he says. “Sleepy.”
“You can sleep in the hospital,” I tell him. “When they do whatever they need to do to make sure you’re alright. But for now, I need you to stay with me.”
“I love you,” he suddenly says, without faltering this time.
“No, no,” I shake my head. “You’re only saying it now because you think you’re dying. I’m only accepting it if you say it, and everything is alright.”
He grins again. “Tough... crowd.”
“The toughest,” I nod, caressing his cheek.
I don’t dare look down at his wound. I can feel the warm wetness seeping through my fingers. I press harder, but I know that’s not enough. Where is that fucking ambulance??
At that moment, Bobby comes over. He’s trembling.
“Is he OK?” he asks, staring at his brother.
“He will be,” I assure him. “Just keep him awake. That’s what we need to do right now.”
Suddenly, someone barges in through the door.
“Police!” Someone in the hallway shouts.
Relief washes over me. I glance in Shawn’s direction. He’s still lying lifeless on the floor. I have no idea how hard I hit him. To be honest, I don’t care. All I care about is the man whose oozing blood before me. He is the only one I want to save.
But when I look down, I realize he’s closed his eyes.
“Jesse!” I shout, trying to wake him, but he’s not responsive. “Jesse, please wake up, please!”
My echoes fill the room, and fear grips my heart stronger than ever. The thought of losing him is too much to handle. It all becomes a haze of terror and I barely even hear the sound of the paramedics telling me to move away, so they can help him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jesse
When I open my eyes, a shimmering white light attacks my retinas. I close them quickly, blinking heavily. My entire body is in pain and I don’t feel it in just one place. It’s like there is pain in every bloodstream, every part of my body, just continuing to spread around.
I try to open my eyes again. This time, it is slightly better, although that whiteness is still too bright. I blink a few more times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the surroundings. I recognize the beeping noise immediately. I don’t even need to turn around to know that there is a machine, and it is somehow connected to my body.
I recognize everything else. It is a hospital room. The same kind I’ve never been in but the one I’ve seen in movies and TV shows. I try to prop myself up on the bed, but a sudden and quite unexpected sharp pain cuts right through me. That same pain brings back the memory of what happened.
I was stabbed.
The sentence forms inside my mind so suddenly that I barely believe it. But the pain assures me it’s true.
I finally manage to lift myself a bit in bed. Just a small exertion and I immediately feel like I’ve run a whole marathon. My heart beats faster. My breathing becomes quicker, more shallow. I try to steady it, because the steadier my breathing is, the lighter the pain is.
I look around. I’m alone in the room. I wonder where everyone is. Grace should be here. Bobby, too.
I remember how she smacked Shawn over the head with a book. A book, of all things!
The thought makes me grin to myself, like a madman thinking of crazy ideas and plans. But it’s not a crazy idea or a plan. It’s the mere knowledge of knowing that she feels the same way about me as I do about her.
At that moment, the door opens and Bobby walks in. He’s holding a plastic cup in his hand. The moment he sees me, he almost drops it to the ground.
“Jesse!” he shouts. “You’re awake!”
“Barely,” I smile. “But let’s go with yours.”
He sits down carefully on the bed next to me, taking me by the hand. “How do you feel?”
