Chapter 30
Mateo
"How many more fucking hoops do I need to jump through?" I snap at my lawyer, who owns one of the seven last names on the firm's high rise only a few blocks from here. "What the fuck do I pay you for if you can't fix this immediately."
"Mateo, it's not that simple. You and your partner have two separate cases. As I've told you before, you can file a case against this Delaney, and Lucy can do the same, but you can't do so on behalf of Lucy. Now, I can contact her again and officially pursue a lawsuit against her for defamation of character for the original pictures, and with the police, we can sue her for sexual harassment and press legal charges for the death threat. I can do this on behalf of you and Lucy. From what you told me, there's more than enough evidence to prove she's behind all of this."
"Of course she's behind all this," I growl.
"Right. So, send me a copy of everything, and make sure when Lucy talks to the police that she shares my contact information with the lead detective, and we'll get this all underway."
"She's there now. And yeah, Silas and Noah have your info. They're already planning on passing it along."
"Okay. Great."
We sit in silence for a second, and I wonder briefly if he's counting down the clock, since I pay him nearly a thousand dollars an hour. I can't bring myself to give a shit what this phone call costs, though.
Finally, he breaks the silence. "It's going to be okay, Mateo. Lucy's safe. And now that the police are involved…"
"Right."
A knock on the door pulls my attention up. I've been pacing the kitchen for twenty minutes. This call started in the office, but I was too pissed to sit in front of the computer, and I could feel my fingers itching to throw the keyboard at the window.
All I can see is Lucy's face from last night, the fear and worry in her expression, the stress holding her shoulders up to her ears. As much as I wanted to hold her and remind her and myself that she was safe last night, I'm glad she asked to stay with Noah. I knew they'd be good together.
So Silas and I stayed up, taking turns with the whiskey bottle, silently swelling each other's anger by keeping company. In the dark and quiet kitchen, we admitted all the terrible shit we wanted to do to the person who hurt Lucy.
Eventually, drunk, we both passed out in my bed, and I woke up with a hangover and feeling even worse than last night.
Another knock at the door pulls me from my train of thoughts.
"Keep me posted." I hang up the phone and practically stomp to the door, swinging it open, praying whoevers on the opposite side is someone I can wail on.
Instead, it's a tiny blonde with bouncy curls.
"Lucy isn't home." Hoping she'll take the hint fails, when she wiggles in place.
"Oh, she told me she was on her way home, I must have beat her here. She was with your friends, right? Silas and Noah? I just really have to pee. I'm so sorry."
I stare at her, trying to channel Lucy. She'd want me to be nice to her friends. And since Lucy's having a hard day, I groan and step back, holding the door open for… Karen? Cara?
Karen squeezes past me, waving in the air as she hustles down the hall to use the bathroom. I pull my phone back out of my pocket and pull up my texts. The guys were supposed to let me know when they were on their way home.
I send them all a message in the group text, asking their ETA. I don't want to be stuck in this apartment alone with Karen for longer than necessary. I'm not very good at being nice to people I don't like and, unfortunately for her, I don't like anyone except my family.
And my receptionist at work, but that's because he's efficient and makes my life easier. I get no response from the guys or Lucy, so I draft an email to my lawyer, highlighting some of the things we talked about. I may pay him a shitload and he's an excellent attorney, part of an even better firm, and when it comes to Lucy, I don't leave anything to chance, so I don't really give a shit if I'm reiterating bullet points he's already working on.
After sending the email, I notice the time on my phone before I close it. Nearly nine. They've been gone less than an hour. I thought it would take longer than that. Maybe Karen's confused about when she'd be back.
Speaking of. I glance up and around, just now realizing she never came back from the bathroom.
The last thing I want to deal with is one of Lucy's friends, especially if she's having digestive issues. But five minutes turn to ten, and another five later, I'm growling, already in a terrible fucking mood and stalking down the hall, prepared to throw Shirley Temple out on her ass and pray she doesn't complain to Lucy.
But when I get to the bathroom, she's not in there. I knock, step in and look around. It's the only shared bathroom in the apartment, the other rooms, apart from the office, all have an en suite.
I take slow steps down the hallway, my annoyance growing with every foot forward. I peek in Silas and Noah's room first, but don't find her. Maybe Lucy asked her to… shit, I don't know. Get some tampons for her?
Not sure why she'd send her all the way here for something like that. My brain is still coming up with perfectly logical reasons why Karen would be using my private bathroom off my bedroom while Lucy isn't home, when I enter my room and find her stark naked, sprawled across my bed sheets.
"What. The. Fuck."
I don't know why I expected her to scramble, to at least move, when I snap at her, voice dripping in venom, but she does neither.
"What the fuck are you doing? Put your goddamn clothes on."
As much as I don't want to leave her alone in my bedroom, I just cannot with this shit right now. Turning on my heel I storm back out of my bedroom, but she finally moves and chases after me, her tiny boobs bouncing as she runs and collides into me.
I try to get her off but she clings to me like static, spidery and quick, fingers latching on to my shoulders and arms.
"Wait, Mateo, wait, hear me out."
"What the hell are you doing? Get off me!" I try to hold her back but she keeps grabbing. One hand goes for my dick, but I knee her out of the way before she can touch me, accidentally nailing her in the stomach.
I almost apologize, but then she tries it again.
"Stop, what the fuck, get off me! Put your goddamn clothes on and get the fuck out of my apartment."
"But Mateo, you just need to—"
"I don't need to do shit."
"But I love you!" She squeals, then finally lets go, taking a step back, tears streaming down her face. She's blotchy and wild and angry. "I'm in love with you. I met you first! She doesn't deserve you!"
I put my hands up placatingly. "Look, Karen—"
"It's CARA!" She screeches.
"Okay, okay, Cara. Look, I don't know what you think or what's going on here—"
"I met you first! I was there at the bar the night you met. I asked Lucy if she wanted to grab drinks and she said she made plans so I went to our favorite spot, anyway. We had a connection. You bought me a drink, remember? You looked at me and it was like you saw me."
"Lady, I didn't buy you shit. I probably sound like an asshole admitting this, but I've not bought anyone but Lucy a drink in years."
"You did! You were sitting there working, and your asshole coworker kept annoying you and nudging your shoulder. That slutty bartender was trying to get your attention, but then you looked up and it was like everything fell away and it was just us."
What? I have absolutely no idea what she's talking about.
But as she retells the story, she gets this dreamy look on her face, and I realize—I do remember her. She moves her body, running her hands over her tits, one sliding between her legs.
"Jesus fucking Christ, stop. Just stop. I remember you." I grip her hand, but she moans, so I let go just as quickly and throw my hands up in exasperation. "I didn't buy you a fucking drink, my coworker did. I remember him trying to nail the bartender, then you, then someone else. Sending the martini over to you didn't work, obviously. You thought it was from me. It wasn't."
She stops touching herself, but I'm warring between wanting to pick her up and toss her skinny ass outside, butt-naked or not, and calling the cops. Or Lucy and the guys. They said they'd be here soon.
Shit, no, they didn't say that. She did.
"Look, Karen—"
"IT'S CARA!"
"What the fuck ever, you delusional fucking psycho! I didn't buy you a drink. There was no moment. If I glanced up and looked at you, I was looking through you. I can't believe I remember you in all honesty, and I've seen you with Lucy how many times over the last eight months? You're not even a fucking blip on my radar. Now put your fucking clothes on and get the fuck out of my apartment."
I finish the tirade with a tired huff, but then she screams like a banshee and jumps on top of me. The force of her jump throws me back and then she tears at my shirt, the buttons popping open.
In hindsight, this is the moment I should have understood, but I was too busy shoving her off. Having had about enough, I flip us over, pinning her legs down with my knees, my hands at her wrists.
"Oh god, yes, I knew you would be like this," she pants, still squirming and moaning.
I snarl, wanting to wring her damn neck, but another voice pulls me out of it.
"Mateo?"
I glance up and there's Lucy with Noah and Silas, all staring at us in shock.
"Fuck. This is not what it looks like."
"Oh god, it feels so good. Don't stop."
This is when I finally understand. My head snaps down to face Cara. "It was you ," I spit.
I keep her pinned in place while hoping, praying to god Lucy doesn't get the wrong idea. After the pictures of me and Delaney, can she really believe that we have this fucked up, terrible luck twice ?
But she's Lucy, and I should know better. Kneeling beside us, Lucy looks directly at me. "The police station was packed, so we didn't stay, but we got the detective's email and he said to send him a detailed complaint and he'd come by the apartment later today to take our statement. So, why's Cara naked?" There's no worry or panic in her tone. I wouldn't call it mild curiosity, but somewhere between amusement and concern.
I look down at Cara. "If I let you go, are you going to try and sexual assault me again?"
Lucy gasps. Then, in a very un-Lucy-like manner, flies for Cara. Noah captures her around the waist while I climb up. Silas returns from down the hall, shoving the girl's clothes at her.
"It was you! You sent the pictures! OMGspeaktome!" Lucy screams.
"What?" Noah and I ask.
"That's her username. She's the one who made all the fake pictures. She's the anonymous phone number. You're the one that was feeding those pictures to Delaney!" Lucy shouts, swinging in Noah's arms as she tries to get loose.
"OMGspeaktome? That's the worst fucking name." Silas groans, running his hands over his shaved head, as if that's the most atrocious offense of all this.
"She's the one who's been sending those naked pictures of me. And she's responsible for the picture of Lucy from yesterday. You know, I don't take too kindly to death threats against my girlfriend, " I snap at her.
Cara's eyes go wide. "I wasn't threatening to kill her. But look at her! She doesn't deserve you, don't you see? She's fucking around with your friends! I have proof, I have pictures of them holding hands, leaving your apartment together, kissing . She's been cheating on you!" She screeches.
Lucy takes a deep breath, ready to unleash unholy terror on the woman who is, finally, getting dressed, but she's interrupted by Noah carrying her down the hall, Lucy's shouts fading as they disappear.
Silas and I turn to Cara. Silas crosses his arms and, although my shirt is torn and ruined, I adjust the cuffs as though nothing were amiss.
"Lucy is not cheating on me. Lucy has three boyfriends who will stop at nothing to protect, love and care for her. You—" I grab her shoulders and physically turn her, forcing her toward the door. "Are nothing. Nothing to me, nothing to Lucy. You will not think about her. You will not talk about her. You will not say her fucking name."
Silas stands beside me after opening the front door for me. "And if you think that picture of Lucy with come all over her face was offensive, well, unfortunately for you, it's just how Matty likes her. Maybe we would have even let that slide. After Matty ruined you, of course. But the knife wound however? That death threat?" Silas tuts, shaking his head. "That was a step too far. We'll make sure your ass is locked up for that shit."
She scoffs, curls bouncing as she tosses them over her shoulder like she's got nothing to worry about. "Please. No one is going to believe you freaks. You all hang out and fuck each other? That's disgusting. You're all a bunch of pervs, and honestly, I just came over here to check on Lucy. Mateo's the one who took all my clothes off and took advantage of me." Her lip wobbles and she sucks in a fake cry. "He just wouldn't stop."
Like Lucy did early, I take a deep breath, channeling my rage into my rant, when Silas stays cool, calm and collected. "Nuh uh uh, little girl. As soon as Lucy launched at you, I started recording." He holds up his phone. "I've got it all on video. Now get the fuck out of here. And don't go too far—the cops will be looking for you."
On that note, I run down the hall and get her address from Lucy. She's still muttering threats, but I manage to get it out of her before calling my lawyer. Again.
He picks up, annoyed. "What in the hell could you possibly have to add after only thirty minutes?"