Page 120 of Web of Lies
I make my way through her bedroom, lifting the mattress. Finding nothing underneath. Dang, no porn either. I thought everyone hid their dirty secrets beneath their beds. Not Piper—again, she’s becoming an enigma. I move to her desk, looking through the papers, taking pictures of everything, just in case. But there’s nothing here, not even a laptop, phone, or any trace of technology. Crap!
“Hurry it up in there. She’s halfway to the apartments,” Zepp grunts, the clicking of his mouse in my ears.
“There’s nothing here,” I mutter in disappointment, sighing as I keep searching. “There’s no computer, her phone isn’t here, there’s not an ounce of technology in this place. Only strange decor.”
“Maybe she’s a dead end?” Chase asks. “Maybe she likes to play dress-up or something and likes to go all dark and mysterious. I mean—no offense. She can be who she is and—shit!” He breathes out. “Code red, she’s entering the building.”
“What the hell, man? She’s like a friggin speed demon. Zepp?” Seger grunts. I envision him pacing the hallway with that scowl on his face and arms crossed.
“Yeah, she’s…. Well, I can’t see her. Maybe she’s in the stairwell, Kace. You gotta move now, baby girl. We can do this another time,” Zepp pleads, his fingers working over the keys of his computer.
I give one last look around the dark bedroom, putting my phone back into my pocket. “Right, I’m out. This was a bust.”
“Stop, she’s coming down the hall, fuck,” Seger moans into the earpiece, cursing under his breath. “You all owe me,” he grunts. “Big fucking time.”
“Goodness, Seger West. What a coincidence seeing you here.” Piper’s squeaky voice comes through the earpiece, making me wince.
“Thanks for the distraction, babe.” I smile at the pet name. “I owe you later. Now lead her away. Offer her coffee or something.”
Chase snorts. “Yeah, or something. How about a ride down to dick tow—”
“What no! Not what I meant. That’s mine,” I hiss back through clenched teeth, earning a crazed cackle in return. What a dick!
“Greedy, Sunshine!” Chase fake chastises me with a laugh.
“I’m going to tattoo my name on it. Property of Kaycee. Hmmm, what ya think, babe?” I laugh more, hearing his scoff in my ear, knowing he can’t say anything to me, not with Piper standing right in front of him, probably eyeing his every move.
“How about we go for some coffee? I have an idea about Friday’s game. We are so close to state. Whattya say? Cheer captain to running back. Chase is meeting us there. He’d love a meeting with you too.” Seger’s smooth-talking tongue works his magic over Piper, but even I can tell his teeth are clenched so tight.
“Ohhh, coordination! I love it! What do you have in mind?” she squeals. The echo of her hands clasping together comes through my ears, making me laugh more. Poor baby.
“You are a bastard fucking bastard, Seger fucking West,” Chase shouts into the Bluetooth, grumbling about taking one for the team too. Seger, Piper, and Chase make their way towards the dining hall to talk about their championship game on Friday.
“Karma,” I sing-song.
“You’re clear now, Kace,” Zepp says after a long pause.
“Thanks, Zepp. I’ll get off here and meet you back home.” I fake salute the dark apartment, shaking off all the bad juju I encountered.
“Be safe,” Zepp says through a sigh.
“Don’t worry about me,” I say, peeking my head out the door to the empty hallway. The Bluetooth piece comes out of my ear, softly shutting the door behind me.
With my hands in my pocket, I make my way down the hallway. Trying to stay as silent as I can, maybe cutting off Zepp’s call was a mistake, but I know I can make it back there in no time.
I shriek when enormous hands grab my arms, dragging me kicking and screaming into an empty corridor. Shadows fill the space, darkening every inch of this untouched universe. It’s almost as if we’ve stepped into a different world altogether, and maybe we have. Or I have. I’m in his world now, all dark and broody and angry with the world. Carter shoves me up against a wall, using the full weight of his body against mine. Leering over me, he snarls like a rabid dog.
“I see you’re still putting your little troll nose in places it doesn’t fucking belong,” Carter growls, pushing his face into mine.
Nose to nose, with my back against the wall, I roll my eyes. Ordinary people would shake in their boots at the sight of his angry scowl, but I’m not most people anymore. Even though he presents himself as this big, lousy asshole, he doesn’t scare me. Yes, he’s done some bullshit to me, but I’ve given it right back. There’s something more to him—something profound and deep. Deeper than I think he’s ever let anyone explore before. Sometimes when I look into his brown eyes, I see it. His soul is trying to reach out for me, desperate for an ounce of light in his darkened world.
“Are you stalking me now?” All I get is a grunt and a growl for my answer. He leans his forehead against mine in an oddly intimate gesture, like he too must ground himself before he goes off the rails. A violent storm brews behind his brown eyes, leaking tiny amounts of vulnerability through them. He snaps them shut, taking a deep breath like my words might set him off on a tangent.
“No,” he breathes the calmest word I’ve ever heard from him. “No, I’m not fucking stalking you, sweetheart. I—” His hand snakes around my waist in a vice grip, leaning further into me. If that’s possible. He molds us together as one—chest against chest—forehead against forehead. The deep pounding of his heart echoes through his chest, vibrating against mine.
And mine—mine skips a beat. Being this close to him with his body’s warmth, breaths mingling with mine, and deep down, my soul sighs in contentment. Like I have brought together all my puzzle pieces and clicked them into place. In my gut, everything about this situation feels so right but so wrong at the same time.
“You need to be more fucking careful,” he whispers to me, but it’s not a usual whisper. It’s a pleading whisper with desperation in his voice, lunging forward, trying to grab hold of me and keep me safe. If his soft expression didn’t convey what he needed me to see, his unanswered pleas would.
