Bianca Chapter 6 #2
“I know two other women who were attacked. It happened not long after they visited bars. Not on the same nights as their visits, but soon after. And they belong to the gym where I work. It’s in Macon.
I don’t know if it means anything, but I’m gathering names.
Would you write down the name of your gym and the nightclub? Oh, and the date you were at the club?”
I pushed a small notebook and pen across the table at her. She took them. As she wrote, she asked again. “Why did you ask about me being touched?”
“I have another theory. That women are being dosed with date-rape drugs that are transmitted via touch. Did they find any drugs in your system?”
“No, it was far too late. Why do you believe they’re being passed that way? Is it possible?”
“Yes, it is with certain drugs. And the reason I ask is that I’m paranoid about my drinks, and just over a week ago I went to a bar I was checking out.
I ended up drugged, and I had nothing to drink or eat there.
Lucky for me, I realized it and called for help right away.
My bloodwork was taken in time. There were two drugs in my system: Scopolamine and Ketamine.
I was there investigating the assaults. I don’t know if I was a random victim or targeted.
But I can tell you this. I plan to find who did this to you, the others, and me.
And when I do, they won’t get away with it. ”
The astonishment on her face told me Lily was shocked, but underneath, I saw a flicker of hope.
My answers broke the ice between us all the way.
We spent another fifteen minutes talking before walking out to our cars together.
She agreed to call me any time to check in or to talk.
I promised to update her if I found out anything.
I drove home feeling as if a picture were beginning to form.
I had to meet and speak to the other two women.
?
I had accomplished more over the past two days since I met with Lily.
Through the support group, I was able to send out requests to the other two women.
I hadn’t heard from them yet, but I hoped I would.
In addition to doing that, I’d been researching gyms on my computer at night.
I was compiling a list. I had done the same on my phone for the bars.
Then I realized I should probably keep them on my laptop where I could save the documents in a more secure folder.
In my experience, phones glitched and lost data more often.
I transferred the phone list to my laptop and saved it there.
I’d gotten a few texts from Mishap since he dropped by with Chaos last Thursday.
That was a week ago. The texts consisted of him asking how I was doing and engaging in idle chitchat.
The latter was something he was never a fan of.
I knew he was trying to gauge whether I was sincere about my promise to him.
I hadn’t broken my word. I had gone nowhere near a bar. I was too busy doing other work.
Today at the gym had been another busy one. My client base was picking up. That was good for my wallet. I just wished it was on the private end. However, I had a pretty full Friday scheduled.
I’d had dinner and was now kicking back, relaxing with a book and a glass of wine.
My mind went to tomorrow. I have my first appointment tomorrow morning at nine o’clock.
It was in Augusta. I wasn’t sure how I felt about going back there.
Sure, it was a seventy-mile drive, but that wasn’t the problem.
I hated to be in the same city as Byron, even though there was almost zero chance we’d run into each other.
The Augusta-Richmond County metro area was home to over six hundred thousand residents.
In the divorce, we’d split the assets equally, something he hated, but I was entitled to half whether he liked it or not.
We hadn’t owned a home, so the apartment went to him, and my name was removed from the lease agreement.
He was still in it, as far as I knew. As far as I cared, he could’ve fallen off the face of the planet.
The only feelings I had left for him were disgust and anger that it had taken me so long to end our marriage.
Byron had damaged my self-worth and left me with emotional scars, but he hadn’t destroyed me.
The new client in Augusta had been referred to me by an existing one, who lived in Macon.
They were sisters. Word of mouth was how I gained a majority of my clients.
It worked better than any paid advertising ever could.
I was meeting her in her home, so no chance of running into Byron.
I’d get in and out of Augusta as fast as possible.
My work had always been a bone of contention between Byron and me, among others.
He thought I should stick to upscale, elite gyms where only the wealthy and high earners worked out.
He told me I was wasting my time with those people who couldn’t pay me what I was worth.
That meant they couldn’t pay me more so Byron could spend it.
He loved living beyond our means. And I refused to let him spend money we needed for rent, food, and real bills on his fancy clothes, a luxury car, and other luxuries.
Well, he’d gotten what he wanted. The woman he cheated on me with had been an executive at his company who came from a family with money.
He’d left me for her, claiming I wasn’t the woman a man like him deserved or needed.
Byron said he was going places. And he’d said a whole lot more about me as a woman when he left. It
had hurt, but I refused to let him make me cry.
A knock on my door, loud enough to be heard, but not thundering, was what jerked me out of the memories and back to me sitting on my sofa.
I sighed. No one visited me at home. Well, no one visited me in the evening except Mishap.
And I wasn’t up for him issuing orders or grilling me on whether I was sticking to his demands.
However, I knew my cousin well enough to know he wouldn’t leave until we talked.
I set my book and wine aside and got up.
The trek to the door was short. I looked through the peephole, just to be sure.
You could never be too safe. I drew in a sharp breath as anxiety hit me.
Standing outside wasn’t Mishap. It was Chaos.
He wore a stern expression. His hands were pushed into the front pockets of his jeans.
I fumbled with the locks, undid them, and tore the door open.
“What happened? Is he alright?” I asked, talking so fast I stumbled over the words.
My heart pounded so hard, I swore Chaos could hear it. My hands shook. His expression changed to one of remorse. He held up his hands.
“Bianca, take a breath. Nothing happened to Mishap. I’m sorry you thought that because of how I showed up. I didn’t have your number, and I didn’t want to ask your cousin for it,” he explained.
I know I stood there, staring, blinking, with my mouth slightly open as his words registered. Chaos stepped closer to me.
“Can I come inside?” he asked.
My heart reacted for a different reason this time.
It pounded because allowing Chaos into my home would mean I was alone with him.
I wasn’t afraid of him, not in the general sense.
I was scared of what I might say or do if I were alone with him.
Still, I knew it was rude to say no or keep him on my doorstep.
Plus, I wanted him inside despite the risk.
I moved back, allowing him to enter. It was Chaos who removed the door from my hand, pushed it shut, and locked it.
I gulped. Not knowing what else to do, I walked back to my living room.
I gestured for him to have a seat. I’d been stretched out on the sofa with my book, so I sat next to it and my wine.
I thought Chaos would sit in the empty chair.
Instead, he sat next to me. I angled myself so we sorta faced each other.
“Oh, wait, can I get you something to drink?” I asked, suddenly remembering my manners. I went to rise, but he placed his hand on my knee. I sank back in place. His hand lingered a few seconds longer than I expected. I hated when he removed it.
“I’m fine as I am—no need to wait on me. Again, I’m sorry I scared you into thinking your cousin was hurt. I hadn’t thought what me arriving unannounced would do.”
“It’s okay. I see a Pagan cut, and I automatically worry. Forgive me, but if it’s not about Mishap, then what brings you here, Chaos?”
“A couple of things. First, how have you been? It hasn’t been long since your ordeal. Are you doing okay?”
“Chaos, my cousin has checked in several times since last week. I know what he’s doing. He wants to make sure I’m not going to the bars. I haven’t been near one. There’s no need for him to have you drop in to see if I’m home or to tell me to stay here.”
Disappointment and anger mixed. I’d stupidly had the momentary thought, after Chaos said Mishap was fine, that he’d come for a personal reason. How stupid was that? As if Chaos had a personal reason to see me.
“Bianca, I’m not here because your cousin asked me to drop by for any reason.
Nor am I here to lecture you about staying away from bars, though I hope that you’ll continue to stay far from them.
As we said, let the police handle it. I have a feeling this whole situation will be resolved sooner than you think. ”
“If those aren’t the reasons, then why? It’s not as if we’re friends, Chaos. And if it were something the club needs or wants, Mishap would ask me.” I told him bluntly.
“You’re right, they can and would send messages via him. As for us not being friends, that’s what I’m here to speak to you about.”