Twisted, page 11
“Catch me then.”
Dee ended the call and grabbed her car keys off the living room table. She flew out the house so fast she didn’t bother locking the door.
“Dee?” her old, female Asian neighbor from next door stood on her porch. “Somebody was sitting out here.”
“I saw him.” Dee unlocked her car with the remote. “Did you get the license plate number?”
“No,” the neighbor said, flustered. “There was a Baltimore Ravens sticker on the back window though. Is everything all right?”
“It’s about to get Fast and Furious in this motherfucker.” Dee got in her car and backed up, her tires screeching. She took off through the empty streets of her neighborhood. “Where are you, motherfucker?”
She exited her neighborhood and caught the Mazda sitting at an intersection. Dee pressed the gas, but the Mazda bolted before the light turned green.
“You’re not getting away.” Her hands grew sweaty against the steering wheel.
After five minutes, Dee followed the car on the freeway.
“You gotta be kidding me.” Dee swerved through lanes, keeping her eye on the Mazda, which remained miles ahead. “Shit.” She blew her horn as a white SUV came into her lane. “Get out the way!”
The Mazda zigzagged past cars as people honked their horns.
“This idiot’s gonna kill someone.”
A pickup truck zoomed in front of Dee without signaling.
Dee hit the horn. “Get your ass out the way! This is police business!” She zoomed past the truck, catching the Mazda in view again. “I need your plate number, fucker.” She squinted, trying to catch the number.
The Mazda disappeared in a crowded lane.
Dee got off the freeway. “Damn it.” She made a U-turn and dialed her phone.
“Dee?” Winston answered.
“You won’t believe what I’m doing.”
“You sound out of breath. Is everything okay?”
“My black ass is out here on the damn freeway in my nightgown chasing the son of a bitch.”
“Chasing who?”
“The man who put up the profile. He called me and sent me a text. He’s put up another profile on another site.”
“Armando? He’s in jail, Dee.”
“Not Armando.” She drove through a residential area. “It can’t be him if he’s in jail and the guy was just at my house.”
“I’m confused as hell.”
“Me too.” Her adrenaline soared. “Wish I could’ve caught the motherfucker. Can you come to my place?”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Winston sat in Dee’s living room, checking out the link she’d showed him. “I Wanna Be Your Slut dot com?” He made a face as if he’d inhaled rotten eggs. “Armando could be working with someone.”
Dee pushed her hair behind her ears. “I don’t think Armando’s involved at all.”
He shrugged with his lips poked out. “It has to be Grayson.”
“I told you Grayson wouldn’t do something like this.” She sat on the coffee table.
“Well, who else could it be?” He gawked at her. “Did you get a look at the guy you were chasing?”
“No, but he drives a maroon Mazda with a Baltimore Ravens sticker in the back window. I couldn’t read the license plate number to save my life.”
Winston stood and passed her the phone. “Our best bet is to ask folks in the neighborhood and see if they saw anything.”
“My neighbor told me everything she saw.” When Dee stretched, her boob slipped out her gown. “Lord.”
Winston’s mouth dropped.
She held her robe closed. “I forgot I had my nightgown on.”
His eyebrows rose. “I didn’t.”
“The caller’s voice was distorted. Sounded like he was speaking into something to cover it up or using a voice app maybe.”
“This is wearing me out.” Winston moved to the couch. “I can imagine how you feel. Just when you think it’s over—”
“I won’t stop until I catch his ass.” She lay her phone on the table.
He snickered then guffawed.
“What’s so funny?”
“You running out of here in your gown with your gun.” He patted his stomach. “That’s crazy, Dee.”
“What was I supposed to do?” She batted her eyes. “Let him get away? I hope he comes back because I’ll be ready for him.”
“Full of surprises, aren’t you?”
She shivered as he looked at her. “Do you like surprises?”
His mouth rose in one corner. “What man doesn’t?”
“I spoke to Lisa tonight. She asked me what’s going on between us.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me?” He rolled his eyes. “What did you say?”
“That we were friends, but I’m not sure what’s going on either. Do you like me, Winston?”
“No.” He winked. “I come over here because I got nothing better to do.”
“You know what I mean.” She crossed her legs, straightening her robe. “Is it just friendship?”
“Don’t know.” He rubbed his thigh. “You’re different from the women I usually go after. But, to be honest more than friendly feelings toward you have been happening for a while.”
“Really?”
He held a pillow to him, wincing. “When you were with Grayson, I’d get a little jealous.”
“For real?”
“I liked the attention you gave me, and when you started seeing him that stopped. But, I knew you cared about me. At first I thought you wanted me because I wanted Lisa.”
“You should know I’m in love with you, Winston,” she said in a faint voice. “I’m woman enough to admit it. How do you feel about me?”
“I’m confused.” He shrugged, exhaling. “I still have feelings for Lisa.”
“So what makes you confused?” She held her breath, awaiting his response.
“Because I’m having feelings for you too.” His eyes met hers. “And I didn’t expect to.”
“What are we doing? You say we’re friends but when you brought me home after the movie you looked at me like you wanted to kiss me.”
He sighed into his hands.
“That’s not something friends do, Winston. I need to know what you feel and what this is.”
“Why do women analyze everything?”
“Because women like specifics.” She snapped her fingers. “Men play too many games.”
“We play too many games?” He laughed. “Women invented every game ever played.”
“Tell me what this is.” She pulled her gown over her cleavage.
“I don’t know what it is.” He scratched his cheek. “I need to figure it out.”
“What makes you think I’ll wait?”
“Nothing.” He stuck his bottom lip out. “But I hope you’re willing to be patient.”
“That depends.” She stood, fixing the back of her robe. “Will it be worth waiting for?”
He nodded with a cunning smile. “It might.”
****
“Hello.” Jake observed the square-jawed guy on his porch who stood around six-foot-two.
Jake swallowed. “May I help you?”
He rubbed his smudgy knuckles, his muscles spreading beneath his dingy T-shirt. “Are you Jake Jenson?”
“Yeah.”
The man’s bright, blue eyes danced, and before Jake realized it, he slammed his huge fist into Jake’s face.
Jake’s chair flew back. “What the...?”
“You can walk a little, huh?” The man hauled Jake from the chair. “Not when I get through with you!” He punched Jake again, making his teeth vibrate. “Next time think twice about putting your hands on a woman when she doesn’t want you to.” He gripped Jake’s neck with both hands.
“Get off me!” Jake coughed, struggling to breathe.
“You stupid motherfucker.” Rage tore through the man’s face. “I’m gonna teach you a lesson you’ll never forget.”
Jake poked his thumbs into the man’s eyes.
“Ow!” The man backed up, yelping.
Jake slammed him against the wall. “What the hell is this about?”
“You know.” The man punched Jake.
“Ah!” Jake fell to the carpet on his back.
“I’m talking about Rayne.” The man stood over Jake, punching him. “You still wanna play dumb?”
“You got that covered.” Jake plunged his knee into the man’s crotch.
He held his middle, yelling like a girl.
Jake stood on shaky legs. “Get out of my house before I call the cops.”
“It’s about Rayne.” The man panted, still stooped over. “She said you attacked her.”
“What?”
“Jake?” Lisa rushed in with her gun drawn. “Hold it right there,” she ordered the man. “Get away from him.”
The man huffed and puffed.
“I said get away!” Lisa pulled the man away, holding her gun steady on him. “You make one move and you’re dead. Who is this, Jake?”
“Shit, I don’t know.” Blood trickled from the side of his mouth and his bottom lip stung from being busted. “He attacked me the minute I opened the door.”
“You attacked a handicapped man?” Lisa grimaced. “What kind of monster are you?”
The man leaned against Jake’s couch, groaning. “You call him handicapped? He damn near killed me.”
“You deserved it from what I can see,” Lisa said. “Who are you?”
“I’m Rayne Jessup’s boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” Lisa and Jake repeated.
“She said she didn’t have a boyfriend,” Jake said.
Lisa smacked her lips. “I told you she was a liar.”
“Don’t talk about her like that, lady.” The man glared at her. “You don’t know anything about her I’m sure.”
“That’s the problem.” Lisa lowered her gun. “No one knows the truth about her and it looks like that includes you.”
“I know Rayne better than anyone.”
Jake grabbed the man. “What did she say I did?”
“She said you made a pass at her this morning.” The man coughed. “When she was massaging you.”
“That’s insane,” Jake said. “She made a pass at me.”
“What?” Lisa asked.
“Yeah and I threw her out.” Jake wiped blood off his mouth with the back of his hand. “The minute she did it I told her she had to leave and couldn’t come back. I said I would tell the massage clinic, but she begged me not to.”
“How come you didn’t tell me this happened?”
Jake ignored Lisa, hoping the heat of the moment would deter her from wanting an answer. “I swear I’m telling the truth,” he told the man. “I didn’t come on to her.”
He shook with anger. “Rayne doesn’t lie to me.”
“Looks like she lies to everybody,” Lisa said.
Jake sat in his wheelchair. “If I assaulted her wouldn’t she have gone to the police or told the clinic? Think about why she didn’t do either.”
The man stared at the carpet. “Why would she have me come over here if it wasn’t true?”
“She’s a manipulator,” Lisa said. “Jake, do you want to press charges for assault?”
The man watched him with begging eyes.
Jake licked his busted lip. “No.”
Lisa gaped. “Are you sure?”
“Hey if I’d thought some guy had attacked you I’d do the same thing he did.” Jake clenched the armrests of his wheelchair. “He didn’t hurt me, anyway. A busted lip and a few bruises won’t kill me.”
“I don’t believe this,” the man whispered. “I gotta talk to Rayne.” He ran out the door, holding his waist.
“Hey!” Lisa stood at the door. “What’s your name? Come back here!”
“Let him go, Leece.” Jake lazily waved his hand.
She sighed, closing the door.
He grinned. “You can put the piece away now.”
She holstered her gun. “Are you all right?” She examined his face, planting kisses over it. “Did he hurt you?”
“I won’t lie.” He touched his stinging jaw. “He has one hell of a right hook.”
“Jake.” She hugged him.
“Ow.”
“That big brute.” She stroked his aching stomach. “What if you have broken ribs or something?”
“I’m fine.” He kissed her hand. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you Rayne came onto me, but I didn’t want you to be upset.”
“I don’t want you hiding things just because you’re afraid I’ll get mad or something.” She rubbed his cheek.
He stretched his painful lips into a restrained smile. “I owe you an apology about Rayne. Next time I’ll listen to you.”
She kissed his lips. “Glad you’ve come to your senses.”
He chuckled, wincing.
“Now let me get you cleaned up.” She grabbed the handles of his chair. “He hit my baby’s handsome face,” she said in baby talk. “I don’t like that. Just tell momma where it hurts and she’ll take care of it.”
He glanced at his crotch. “Oh, there’s one area that definitely needs your attention.”
She laughed, pushing him out the living room.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“Rayne!”
Rayne leapt from the bed and abandoned the family pictures she’d been staring at for the last hour. She straightened up and put her hands in her lap, hoping to look somewhat innocent when Brandon entered the room.
Brandon wasn’t a fool, and she was sure Jake told him the truth, but it was worth it for Jake to get his ass kicked.
She smirked.
If only I could’ve watched.
Brandon stopped at the doorway, looking worse than she expected.
“Baby.” She rushed to him, examining his disheveled shirt. “Are you all right?”
He pushed her away. “What’s going on, Rayne?”
She lifted her chin. “What are you talking about?”
“Don’t bullshit me. You lied about Jake attacking you. Why would you do something like that?”
She lowered her head and sat back on the bed. “I wanted you to kick his ass. I wanted him to feel all the pain I’ve felt these years. Nothing would be enough.”
He squinted. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not going into specifics.”
“You damn well will, woman.” He pulled her from the bed. “You made me think that guy did something he didn’t do. I almost killed him. Then this lady cop came over there.”
“Lisa Swanson?”
He let her go. “I could’ve been arrested for some lie you told.”
“I never would’ve let that happen.”
“Just tell me what the fuck’s going on.” He leaned against the dresser, groaning.
“Are you okay?”
“Tell me the damn truth.”
“I already knew Jake before he came to the clinic.”
“What?”
“He isn’t aware though.” She moved hair behind one ear. “He did something horrible, and I want revenge.”
“Revenge for what?”
“That’s not your concern.”
“It damn well is my concern because you put me in this shit. Did you do what he said?”
She avoided eye contact. “What did he say I did?”
“Don’t play with me.” He held the dresser for leverage. “Did you come on to him?”
“Yes and it made me sick. I almost threw up having to kiss him. I hate him.”
“Then what did you come on to him for? None of this shit makes any sense!”
“He took something from me and he’s gonna pay for it. I’ve been waiting all these years and the time is now.”
“What are you up to?” He moved from the dresser.
“He’s invaded my mind for too long, Brandon.” She closed her eyes and saw nothing but the four walls of her room from the institution. “Every single day and even when we were in the institution, he was the only thing on my mind. He ruined my life, and he’s not gonna live happily ever after. He’s gonna suffer the same way I did.”
“You never told me about any of this shit.” He stood close. “Why are you hiding stuff from me? Are you planning to hurt him? I can’t let you do that.”
“My lips are sealed.” She ran her finger across them. “I don’t want you involved. This is my fight so leave it alone.”
“What are you gonna do?” he shouted. “Tell me.”
“Either you can relax and get with the program or you can leave.”
“You’d ruin what we have to get back at Jake? What did he do that was so bad?”
She sat, dropping her head.
“Listen.” He knelt beside her. “Don’t go back to that person you were before you got to the institution. You’ve worked so hard to get past that. Do you wanna end up in that place again?”
She lifted her head, sobbing. “I hate that place more than anything.”
“Please.” He took her hand. “Don’t do this. Let it go.”
“I can’t. If we’re gonna be happy I have to confront these demons and as long as Jake hasn’t paid for what he’s done I can’t move on.”
“I can’t be a part of you hurting someone.” He got off the floor. “I’ll go to the police if I have to.”
“I haven’t done anything.” She stood, holding her waist. “Yet.”
****
Jake lay back in the soapy water as Lisa glided the sponge over his bruised stomach. The hot water penetrated every part of him, relieving soreness.
“I love pampering you.” Lisa spread suds across his chest.
He smiled with his eyes closed. “I won’t complain if you wanna do it every day.”
“I ought to kick Rayne’s ass for putting you through this. Where does she live anyway?”
He sighed. “Can we forget about Rayne?”
“No.” She massaged his crotch through the suds.
“Ooh.” He lifted his leg, nearly exploding from her touch. “You make me want to get in a fight all the time.”
“What could she be up to though? Why would she lie to her boyfriend?”
Jake laid his arms on the edge of the tub. “Revenge because I rejected her?”
