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Chapter 16
The image of Mark Kaval on my phone screen was secured back in my bra as I ran the water in the sink and then shook out my hands even though I really didn't need to clean them. Once I stepped out into the hallway and back into the fray it was as if earlier, with Kevin the Creeper, had never happened. Or perhaps everyone had gotten even more intoxicated while I was in thebathroom.
Whatever the case, I snagged a red solo cup filled halfway with beer and then teetered through the crowded rooms, plastering a loose smile on my face as though I, too, were just as drunk. Hands grazed my arms, touched the dark brown locks that fell around my shoulders and a few bolder ones even managed an ass grab or two. I grimaced when that happened, flicking glances back, but every time the perpetrators were always already gone by the time Ilooked.
I plunged further and further into the crowds of drunken frat boys and girls dressed similarly in tight cocktail numbers that showed more skin than they hid. Marv had been right, despite my discomfort with the dress and the heavier makeup I had donned, Ididfit rightin.
As I made my way into the kitchen, my eyes scanned the open space for Mark's face. There were several guys in pastel colored polo shirts and khaki pants. More than one had a thin, light-haired girl plastered to their side. Was I the only brunette? I wondered. It sure seemed that way. In fact, it felt like everyone at this entire party kind of looked alike. All of the guys dressed the same and all of the girls appeared to be stick thin with bleached hair. Was it just my imagination? I shook my head. It didn't matter. I wasn't here to critique their lack of originality. I was here to find Mark, and as I passed by the back door, I foundhim.
Stepping outside, the warm air assaulted me. I hadn't realized how cold the air conditioning inside had been running until stepping outside felt like falling into a humid swamp. The fraternity's backyard lawn was immaculate despite the wavering guys attempting to toss tiny bean bags through holes carved into tilted boards. There was more than one couple in the midst of heavy make out sessions on both lawn furniture and the actual ground. Averting my eyes, I made my way through the small cliques of people standing around holding red solo cups like myown.
Just as I reached the guy with a light green polo shirt that had a horse logo on the breast and navy-blue pants, my ankle gave out and I went flying to the ground. My red solo cup flew out of my hands, splashing whatever the contents had been—a yellowish liquid—down his back. He jumped and whirledaround.
"Ohmygosh!" I cried, quickly regaining my feet. "I'm so sorry!" I blinked big, innocent eyes up at him and grimaced as I touched his soaked sleeve. "That's so my fault," Isaid.
Mark lifted his arm and rubbed a hand through his dark hair as his oak-brown eyes met mine. He wasn't unattractive, but he certainly had nothing on any of the guys around him. In fact, he appeared to be the runt of the litter. While his friends appeared to be somewhere around six foot in height, he barely stood a few inches aboveme.
"Can I help you get a new shirt?" I asked, fluttering myeyes.
"Get it, boy!" One of the others snickered, shoving him in thearm.
Mark stumbled, a flush stealing across his cheeks and for a fleeting moment, I felt kind of bad about tricking him. But it wasn't like he was really an innocent college student. He worked for some pretty nasty people, and he certainly couldn't be trusted by his employers either if he was going behind their backs to talk to thepolice.
"Uh, yeah, sure," he said. I smiled brightly and wrapped a hand around his arm, ready to drag him away—as Grayson had told me to—before I could interrogatehim.
"Hey, wait before you go," one of the guys—an older guy, by the looks of him, with crescent shadows under his gaunt face and a pallid complexion—stopped our retreat. "Do you have any candy withyou?"
My brows lowered. What the heck? Candy? Why would he want...realization shocked me as a few others in the group began shifting from side to side, their eyes flicking back and forth between them. Mark appeared to straighten, his eyes sharpening into razors when just before he seemed like nothing more than a nerdy college kid who let his frat boyfriends fuck around with him. "We'll talk when I get back," he snapped, thenhegrabbedmyarm and dragged me away from the group. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar head of dark brown hair and steel gray eyes. Marv watched as Mark Kaval dragged me from the back lawn to the sliding glass doors and once again I was back inside with a guy I didn't know at my side, freezing as the air conditioning slid across my naked skin. I said I could handle this and I was bound to prove that Icould.
Mark tugged me behind him, to the same staircase Marv had used earlier and up to the second floor. Once we reached the landing he pushed me into a door on the right and straight into a small bedroom with nothing more than a queen-sized bed and a fewboxes.
"Alright, what do you want?" hedemanded.
My eyes widened. "W-what do you mean?" Iasked.
"I'm not fucking stupid," he snapped. "Girls like you wear heels like that all the time and you did not just fall against my back on accident." As he spoke, he moved around me—keeping his gaze trained on my form next to the bed. He pulled another shirt from one of the boxes and tossed it on the coverlet before dragging the one on his chest up and over hishead.
"Girls like me?" I stepped back and smacked into the door, the wood rattling against my spine. I slipped my hand into my bra and pulled out my phone, keeping it in my palm just in case. “I don’t know what youmean.”
Mark grabbed his new shirt, threw it on, and moved towards me. My finger slid up to Knix's speed dial number when Mark snagged my wrist. My phone clattered to the floor as fear punched me in the gut. I was alone in a room with an unknown man who was most definitely a drug dealer. Sure, he looked a little slender and nerdy down at the party—like he couldn’t hurt a damn fly. But I hadn’t missed the muscles of his back and stomach when he had removed his shirt earlier. If he wanted to, I knew he could hurtme.
Mark's other hand landed next to my head. "Now," he said, "tell me the fucking truth. Who are you? And what do you want?" His dark eyes slid down my form and I sucked in a sharpbreath.
I wished one of the guys was here with me. Where was Marv? Had he followed? What was I supposed to do now? Did I continue to follow through with theplan?
"Are you g-going to hurt me?" My breath rushed out of me in spurts and I couldn’t seem to draw enough air in. God, I hoped I didn’t passout.
He frowned down at me and scowled. "No, I'm not gonna fucking hurt you. Just tell me what the fuck you want and who sentyou?"
I swallowed, closing my eyes before quickly reopening them. "You work for H. B. Holdings," I said quickly before I could think better of it, "and there's a girl, Erika is her name. She's my best friend and they have her because her boyfriend owes them money and I know that you talk to the police about them—I know that you deal drugs for them—and I need to know what you know so that I can find her. Ineedto find her. Please helpme."
Mark looked almost shocked, but not quite. It's like he wasn't sure what he thought I was going to say, but he wasn’t entirely surprised. "Joshua Caruso?" he asked, and I sighed in relief,nodding.
Mark backed away and, slowly, I bent down to pick up my phone. My heart was still racing a thousand miles per second, but at least the initial danger had passed...somewhat. When Mark remained quiet for a long, awkward moment, I decided to chance it again. "So, can you helpme?"
Instead of answering, Mark moved closer and I slid away—inching along the empty wall. I moved away from the door as Mark stepped in front of it. My eyes widened as his hand closed around the knob and he jerked, causing Marv to tumble into the room—eyes angry, fists up. "No, please come in," Mark said, sarcasm heavy in his tone. "Make yourself athome."
Marv glared at Mark and I couldn't help but feel a tingle of relief at seeing him. Marv continued to keep him in his sights as he moved across the room, keeping himself between me and the other man before he finally reached me. "Are you okay?" he whispered as he got near. I noddedsharply.
