Page 21 of The Midnight Club
“Bella,I love to fuck you, I really do,” he said, puffing for air. “But God knows how we’re going to get anything else done.”
She wound her arms around his neck. “Today, my love, we don’t have to.”
And so, they lazed around the apartment, making love and talking, sending out for pizza when they got hungry.
The day went by too quickly for Ori’s liking. Maceo grinned at her sulky face. “Mio caro,tomorrow is Sunday. We can do it all over again.”
But a phone callchanged everything in a heartbeat. At first, Ori frowned at the unknown cell phone number on her caller ID, but when she answered it the blood in her veins turned to ice and her legs gave way under her.
Maceo took the phone from her and talked to the person on the other end. By the time he ended the call, he knew that Ori’s world had just collapsed and felt helpless to know how to fix it. Not even his money could help her now.
AJ was dead.
They toldher it was a suicide but that they had not seen any signs of it. AJ had been doing well in his new program and had even talked about getting an apartment away from the facility with a friend he’d met there. Everything had seemed good and when Ori had talked to him he had been upbeat and positive.
Then, Friday afternoon, an orderly had found him on the concrete path outside the building. He had leaped from the roof. He was killed instantly, his brains smashed from his head by the impact.
A numb Ori let Maceo make all the arrangements for her, and they flew to California to claim his body and arrange the funeral.
But Tyson Janek had gotten there first, and now, with the tragic suicide of his son, he was a media darling again, all past mistakes forgiven. Ori sat through a media circus of a funeral, arranged by Tyson. It had been the exact opposite of what AJ would have wanted. Maceo kissed her gently. “Are you sure you’ll be okay if I go out? I won’t be long.”
Ori nodded. They were in a hotel in San Francisco. Ori had not wanted to go back to Italy yet, wanting to be near AJ’s grave a little while longer. Maceo had other plans. He was going to see Tyson Janek—not that he told Ori that. Tyson Janek was going to pay for what happened to AJ, and for what he’d done to Ori.
He walkedinto the restaurant where Tyson Janek was eating breakfast with a weasely-looking lackey. Maceo strode up to the table and glared at the aide. “Fuck off. Now.”
The aide paled but looked at Tyson, who nodded. Maceo took the seat the aide vacated and stared at Janek.
Tyson sipped his coffee slowly, seemingly unfazed in the face of Maceo’s overwhelming anger. “What do you want, Bartoli?”
Maceo gave him a chilly smile. “Only to tell you that once Ori is ready, we will be going to the authorities about the sustained and continued abuse she suffered at your hands.”
Tyson shrugged. “And who is going to believe her? Where’s the proof?”
Maceo’s smile dropped, and his eyes took on a dangerous gleam. “I suppose you think the press, now that you’re playing the grieving father card, will slam her for taking advantage at this time? They’ll paint her a gold-digger? I think not. I have a feeling the press will soon be against you, Janek, and the scandal you’ve just weathered will seem like a walk in the park.”
Tyson laughed loudly. “Really? And where are you getting this fairytale from?”
Maceo sat back, studying him carefully. “Because this world is fucked up, and because it blames the victim rather than the perpetrator, especially if the victim is female, you probably think, hey, who’s going to believe her?”
Tyson inclined his head, and Maceo leaned forward. “Then how do you think the press will respond to a father raping his own son, Janek? You piece of utter shit. AJ told me everything.”
To Maceo’s satisfaction, Janek paled. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You know damn well. You raped AJ, just like you did Ori. You’re a monster and, believe me, I’m going to make sure the world knows it.”
Maceo gotup and stalked out of the restaurant. Tyson stared after him, then plucked his cell phone out of his pocket. “It’s me. He’s just left. Do it now.” Ori had just gotten dressed when Maceo called her. “I’m on my way back now,bella. I’ll see you soon.”
Ori smiled. “Good. I missed you.” She scooped her long dark hair into a messy ponytail and grabbed her book from the nightstand, intending to read until Maceo got back.
As she walked back into the main suite, a movement caught her eye. She turned, and he was on her. A masked figure, twice her size, threw her to the ground. Ori, her mind panicked and confused, had no time to fight back as the attacker brandished a knife.
Oh god. No, please …
Ori had no time to scream …
