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Chapter twenty
Kasey
Thiscan’tbehappening. I’m in a dream and still asleep in Donovan’s arms, right? I actually pinch myself on the way back to Donovan’s apartment. The scene we just left has me terrified for my sister. I can’t believe she has all those pictures of Jackson. I have a rock in my gut because I have a feeling I know why.
We get back to the apartment and Donovan and Aiden walk in, setting down the box we found on the living room table. We all stare at it because we know what it’s going to reveal about Lindsey’s story. And possibly the reason she was abducted. I don’t want to look. I don’t want the bubble Donovan and I have been living in to be shattered. I know what this information is going to do to us. None of us want to reach in and start unpacking the box, like there’s something in there that will change our lives irrevocably.
Well, someone has to bite the bullet. I guess it’ll be me. I reach in and start putting the pictures that Lindsey obviously took of Jackson in one pile, the pictures that have been defaced in another pile, and at the bottom there are the notes Aiden took from Lindsey’s desk. I start going through them, reading each one. Shit. It’s what I was afraid of. Lindsey was doing a story about Jackson. Her notes are of times and places where she saw him and who he talked to. There’s also some scribble where she summarized a conversation she had with someone named CE, explaining in details a payoff she received from AC to not release some information and pictures.
“Hey, Aiden, what’s your last name?” I look at him and ask.
“Clarke.” Well, that answers that. I hand the note to Donovan and raise an eyebrow. He looks at me, taking a deep breath.
“I figured it out when we were in her room and saw the pictures,” he begins. “You said she was working on a story that involved sex and payoffs. CE stands for Cat Edwards. I had Aiden pay her off several months ago so she wouldn’t release pictures of my brother to the tabloids.”
I’m completely dumbfounded. Struck mute. The man sitting in front of me that I’ve been sharing a bed and my body with pays off his brother’s indiscretions.
“What kind of pictures were they, Donovan?” There’s no way he misses the suspicion in my tone.
“They were of her and him having sex at another sex club. He used to frequent them before he bought Club Noir. Now I think he stays there to get his kink fix. He’s no saint, but it was completely consensual. I can promise you that. When she found out who he was, she figured she would get a payday.”
I want to believe him. I know how concerned Donovan is with consent, but do I really know his brother? We’ve met twice, and he seemed nice enough. What I do know is Donovan will do anything for his family. Would he stop this girl from going to the police to report it if it wasn’t consensual like he says? Without Lindsey here to confirm what this girl told her, anything is possible at this point.
“I’m going to call some of my contacts and see about getting hold of the camera feed I saw at a store across the street. Maybe we’ll recognize someone. Kasey, I’ll figure this out. Donovan’s right. If we contact the police department, it will just put red tape in my way.” Aiden gives me a reassuring smile that doesn’t help in the least and heads to the other room to make his call. Why are they both so against police involvement?
“Not that I don’t trust him, but what are Aiden’s qualifications when it comes to finding a missing person?” I ask Donovan.
“Aiden served in the Royal Marines before he moved to the US. He doesn’t really talk about it much. I’m not sure if it’s because he doesn’t like to or if he can’t for security reasons. He’s been my security expert for years now. He came recommended by an old associate of my father’s after the guy’s daughter went missing. Turned out she was a junky runaway. Aiden got her back and cleaned up, and it never hit the papers. He wanted something a little more low-key with less drama, so he came to work for me.”
“Guess he kinda missed the mark on that one, huh?”
“Yeah,” Donovan responds absentmindedly.
There’s a knock on the door and Donovan stands from the couch to answer it. Jackson comes strolling in like his world hasn’t been turned upside down.
Just wait, buddy.
“What’s going on, guys? Why the very rude summons?” he asks.
I stand. His flippant attitude makes me want to throttle him. Donovan beats me to it as he pushes Jackson to sit on the couch.
“Look,” Donovan commands Jackson, pointing at the stack of pictures on the coffee table. Jackson peers over about as excited as I was to look. His eyes widen and he looks from me to Donovan and back to me.
“What the hell is this? Why are there pictures of me and of you with some girl with her eyes and throat slashed?” he asks me. He looks at Donovan. “Is she the one who’s been sending the pictures?” he asks, pointing his finger at me. Hold. On. Just. A. Fucking. Second. I look at Donovan, rage on my face and coursing through my body.
“What the fuck is he talking about, Donovan? What pictures?”
Donovan looks at his brother like he’s ready to snap. Join the club.
“I’ve been receiving pictures from someone with no note or demand for money. I’ve had Aiden looking into it, but so far no leads.”
“Well, that’s just great, Donovan. I’m really enjoying all the secrets when my sister is missing.” I’m pacing now, feeling like I’m ready to crawl out of my skin.
Donovan turns back to his brother and explains that we’ve figured out Lindsey has been doing a story on him.
“This is what I’ve always tried to stop from happening, Jackson. Someone in the press is now privy to your little kink escapades.”
I stop pacing and stonily turn toward Donovan and Jackson.
“Are you serious right now? You’re upset about his sex life possibly being made public while my sister is missing? He’s a big boy. Who fucking cares? Not everything is about reputation. God, why do I even have to explain this to you?” I’m livid. I turn to Jackson, enraged.
“If you’re somehow involved in any of this, Jackson, I swear to God I will cut your dick off with a very dull knife. Apparently, one of your little dalliances contacted my sister and started her on this story. Cat Edwards ring a bell?” I need to see his reaction to her name. I need to know if he is some sort of monster. I can’t help but question the situation with this Cat woman.
“Cat was a partner I had one night. She wanted a repeat. I didn’t. She got mad and when she figured out who I was, she decided to try to fuck me another way. That’s all. We paid her off, and that was the last I heard from her. I’m not sure I like the tone in your voice right now, Kasey.”
“No one has a tone, Jackson.” Donovan tries to defuse the situation brewing in front of him. I totally have a tone and Jackson caught it. I’m slightly pacified because I believe the sex between him and this Cat girl was consensual. At least I know one thing right now. Maybe. Hell, I really don’t feel like I know anything at all.
“Sorry, Kasey. I know you’re worried about your sister,” Jackson tells me. “But I swear to you I have never and would never do something heinous like that to a woman. I like to play, but that’s all it is. Playing between two adults. You saw the kind of place I run. I would never allow that kind of behavior from anyone, and if I caught anyone doing something that wasn’t fully consensual not even Aiden would be able to find them.” He’s staring me in the eyes, almost begging for me to believe him. I can tell he means it and what I insinuated hurt him.
“I believe you, Jackson. My mind is just spinning right now.” Honestly, I’m still not a hundred percent sure about anything, but I don’t have the energy or mental capacity to get into this with him right now.
Aiden walks back into the room and nods at Jackson.
