Chapter 34
Audrey
Earlier that day
“You wanted to see me, sir?” I push the office door open and step inside.
Joe doesn’t glance at me but keeps his eyes on his computer screen. “Yes, come in. Have a seat.”
Not liking the memories this brings up, I force myself to take calming deep breaths as I close the distance between us. I sink into the chair and clasp my hands together.
He types a few things before looking in my direction. “Greg’s interested in you.”
My stomach drops. “Well, I’m not interested in him.”
“You are now.”
“What do you mean?” I know exactly what he means. I’m playing dumb because I need to hear him say it.
His exasperated sigh is deeply satisfying. “You’re going to seduce him.”
“And that’s going to help you how?” There has to be more to it than this.
Joe opens his drawer and pulls out a small box. He taps the top with his pointer finger. “In this box, there are small video cameras. All you have to do is plant them somewhere before you fuck him and then bring them back to me.”
I wince at his crude language. Not because I’m offended by it, but because the thought terrifies me. Not to mention, it fills me with so much contrition that I could cry. I swallow hard. “And then I get my fifty thousand?”
He chews the inside of his cheek, his harsh stare tunneling into me. “If it’s good enough for me to use against him, so I can get my project approved, yes.”
Trusting Joe is risky. I would be stupid to deny that. I just don’t know what my alternative is. If I can’t get all of the money I need, is this even worth it?
I bite my lip and take a gamble. “One hundred thousand and I’ll make absolute sure you get what you need.”
Joe rears back in surprise. “Audrey, you’re not the one to be negotiating here. I have video of you rummaging through my office. I could take that straight to the police.”
Summoning every ounce of bravery I have down to my soul, I retort, “And I’ll be charged with what, exactly? Walking into my boss’s office? Taking a few pictures?”
Floundering for a moment, Joe slams his hands down on his desk. I jump at the sudden noise. “Listen here, you little bitch, if you don’t do exactly what I tell you to do, I’ll give you over to the people I work for. And I can assure you, they’re not as kind as I am.”
I want to ask him who that is, but I think I’ve pushed my luck and used up all my bravado for one meeting. Except I have one last thing. “We can meet in the middle at seventy-five.”
His eyes widen, comically large. “How about you get the fucking video, then we can talk numbers?”
I press my lips together to calm my nerves. “When do you need it by?”
“Yesterday,” he snaps.
“I can’t just walk in there and demand he take off his pants.”
“Fine,” he snarls. “You have one week. One, Audrey. Not a second more.”
I stand, smoothing down my skirt in the process. “Anything else?”
“We leave in thirty.”
I nod and turn toward the door, begging my legs not to give out on me. At least not until I get in the hallway.
The second the door shuts, I collapse against the wall, sucking in lungfuls of air.
I have no idea where that came from, but I’m both impressed and horrified at my performance in there.
What kind of person can negotiate someone’s blackmail with the man she wanted to blackmail, who’s also trying to blackmail her?
My hand goes to my forehead. All of this is making my head pound, and I definitely cannot be taken out by a headache at this point. I stumble to the kitchen, hoping the Diet Coke I stored in the back of Joe’s fridge is there.
I let out a sigh of relief when I find it. And after locating some pain medicine in my purse and downing the soda, I feel a little more ready to take on whatever happens next.
Forty-five minutes later, Joe walks me into the same lobby we were in last week. He grabs my arm and spins me to face him. “Audrey, remember what I said. The people I work for are not good people. They’ll destroy us both if you don’t do this.”
He lets me go, and I walk toward the elevator on shaky legs. Fortunately for him, if I don’t do this, and I can’t get my mom the treatment, I’ll be destroyed anyway. Just in a different way than he’s talking about.
Sooner than I would’ve liked, I’m standing outside Greg’s door, preparing to knock.
And that’s when Tyler’s face pops into my mind.
His deep, whispered voice calling me mama as he worships me.
His goofy, boyish smile on a body that’s overtly all man.
Him taking care of me in ways most wouldn’t think about.
My hand starts to lower.
Next comes my mom’s face. I picture her sitting in the library, reading to a group of kids during story time.
Or helping a retiree pick out the newest bestseller to help occupy their time.
My mom, hugging me tight, telling me she’s proud of me.
The two of us curled up on the couch together, watching movies and laughing.
I imagine her finding out what I did to get her the cure she needs. The heartbreak that would consume her eyes physically makes my chest hurt.
Then, I picture my life without her. Her funeral plays in my head as I sob next to Jennifer at her gravesite. Tyler won’t be there by my side once he finds all this out.
I take a step away from the door.
“I can’t do this,” I tell myself. “But this isn’t over.”
I spin on my heels and speedwalk to the elevator.
Blackmailing Greg isn’t how I’ll save my mom—because, let’s be honest, Joe probably wouldn’t have given me the money anyway—but there still may be a way.
I get back in the elevator and pull out my phone. Not wanting to risk going back to Joe’s house, I order a rideshare to take me back home. I pace in the lobby until it arrives, and I jump into the backseat when it does.
On the ride to my apartment, I pull up the pictures I took that day in Joe’s office. I only glanced at them before because Joe had confronted me the next day, so I was too scared to really give them much thought.
But not anymore.
After looking at them for a few minutes, I drop the phone to my lap and let my head fall back against the headrest. I need to take notes so I can try to piece all this together.
Every little tidbit of information I’ve found out about Joe is a jumbled mess in my head. Each one seemingly meaningless but somehow also significant. Giving myself a mental shake, I need a rational, clear head if I’m finally going to finish my plan.
And finish this with Joe in the process.
By the time I make it home, I’m feeling a little more composed.
Setting up my printer and office supplies, I pull out the laptop Joe gave me. I don’t have access to many folders, but I’ve been saving everything he’s sent me in case it might be important, even if only slightly.
My phone buzzes, and I pick it up, hoping it isn’t Joe.
It’s Tyler. I feel sick when I open his text.
Tyler: Audrey, please let me know you’re okay. Matt said Joe told him you’d find your own way back. I’ll come get you. At any time.
I close my eyes for a few moments, needing to keep it together. When I open my eyes again, I respond with the only thing I can think of.
Me: I’m okay. And thank you for caring about me.
Dropping my phone on the couch, I stand in the middle of my living room with my hands on my hips, looking around at my makeshift workstation.
“Let’s do this,” I murmur as I plop down on the floor next to my coffee table and start what will be my final foray.
“I didn’t think you’d be able to come with me. I’m so happy you’re here.” My mom squeezes my hand as I settle into the chair next to the one she’ll be in for the next few hours while getting chemo. She looks sicker today than she ever has, and my heart aches.
“Yeah, I’m glad I could get this morning off.” I give her my most genuine smile I can muster.
I was up until four in the morning looking at everything.
At four, I found another rideshare to take me to Joe’s to pick up my car.
I was back home by five and slept for two hours.
When I woke up, I texted Joe that Greg wasn’t home yesterday, so I was going to go back over there today.
I didn’t want to go to work, and I thought that was an excuse Joe would accept without question.
He sent a thumbs-up emoji to my text, so I assume he believed me.
Mom frowns as she looks me over. “You look really tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”
“Oh, geez, thanks, Mom.”
She harrumphs. “You know I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know, I can’t resist giving you a hard time. I couldn’t sleep last night, so I’m exhausted today. But after this, I’m going home to take a nap. No need to worry about me. I’ll be all better by tonight.”
Some of the concern in her eyes dims. “Okay, well, I’m glad to hear that.”
Her nurse comes over and starts to get her hooked up, and I tell them I’m going to run and grab a cup of coffee. Halfway down the hall, I recognize my mom’s oncologist.
He notices me and smiles. “Dr. Grey, good to see you. You here with your mom?”
It’s jarring to hear someone call me doctor again. It feels like ages ago when that was my life, when really, it’s only been about a month. “You, too. Yep, I am. Just going to get some coffee.”
He looks around the hall before asking, “Can I talk to you for a moment?”
Not liking his tone, I wrap my sweater tighter around me, as if that’ll protect me from whatever he’s about to say. “Of course.”
I follow him to a small waiting room down the hall, and we take seats next to each other.
“I wanted to check with you about that alternative treatment we discussed. I know you said her insurance wouldn’t cover it, but that you were working on getting the money.”
I press my lips together to keep my bottom one from trembling. “I’m still working on it. Why?”
His expression is filled with remorse. “I don’t think what we’re doing now is working. We still have some time before we know for sure, but the test results from last week weren’t what I was hoping for.”
Feeling lightheaded, I grip the armrests to stay upright.
“I’m really sorry to tell you this, Dr. Grey.”
Sucking in a breath, I nod. “I understand. I appreciate the honesty, Doctor.”
He hands me his card, informing me to call him as soon as I have the money lined up. I take it and shove it in my pocket.
I abandon my hunt for coffee, no longer feeling tired. Going back to my mom, I tell her something came up, and that I’ll come by and see her later.
A sense of determination so strong that my entire body feels like it’s vibrating overtakes me as I stride out of the hospital and ready myself.
The chime above the door is obscenely loud. Or maybe it’s just me. I step inside the dim store, and a handsome man, maybe about my age, stands behind the counter, a smile in place, revealing straight white teeth.
“Good morning, ma’am. Is there something I can help you find?”
I smile and try not to look completely out of place. “Yes, I want to buy a gun. Something for protection. I would like it to be small and easy for me to handle, but I don’t know much about guns. Can you help me find something that would work for me?”
The man does exactly what I hoped he would when I acted like a slight damsel in distress, needing to make this purchase for my protection.
He jumps into savior mode and starts pointing out options for me.
Taking some out of the display case, he lets me hold them while explaining the features of each.
“Have you ever shot before?”
I smile, feigning embarrassment. “Yes, but it’s been a while.”
I’ve never shot a gun in my life. Hadn’t even held one until about fifteen minutes ago.
He hitches his thumb over his shoulder. “I have a small range out back if you want a quick refresher. You could try out a few of them and see which one you like best.”
My heart races. I have no intention of actually using it.
All I want is to scare Joe enough that he’ll give in.
I thought if he was afraid for his life, he’d be selfish enough to give me what I want.
But to actually shoot it? That goes against all of my beliefs as a doctor, seeing way too many accidents.
I swallow hard. I worry that if I say no, he’ll get suspicious and not sell it to me. So, I force a smile. “That’d be great. Thank you so much.”
He walks me to the back after I select three guns to try.
We set up in one of the bays, and he loads the guns, laying them on the counter that runs along the side you stand at and shoot.
He hands me ear protection before giving the basis for the stance and how to hold the gun, all while stealing little touches.
I want to roll my eyes at his not-so-subtle attempts at flirting, but I need his help right now.
I tell him I’m ready to try, and we step up to the counter. As I pick up the first gun, he stands behind me, too close for my comfort, but I ignore it.
Lining up the shot, I take a deep breath as I pull the trigger. I set the gun back down and squint at the paper person, trying to see where my shot hit. The man hits a switch that brings the target closer. He pats my shoulder. “You can always practice.”
I didn’t even hit the target. “I’ll definitely do that.” I point to the gun that I fired. “I think I’ll just take that one.”
“You sure?”
I nod, and he doesn’t question me anymore, just picks up the guns, and we walk back out to the counter.
“How much ammunition do you want?”
Without thinking, I say, “Oh, I don’t want any.”
He tilts his head to the side. “You don’t want ammunition?”
Shit. “Oh, uh, yeah, my boyfriend has a lot of guns and ammo, so I’m sure he has something that’ll work for this one.”
He eyes me with skepticism before handing me the paperwork to complete.
Asking for no ammunition is probably less concerning than asking for a massive amount of ammunition.
My heart races as I fill out the form that will change my life.
What I don’t know is if it will be for the better.
Or the worst.