Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
CADE
I didn’t lie to Vi about knowing cops. I do. And if needs be, I’ll get one to come by to check. There’s one NYPD detective who owes me for helping him out of a bind. So, as I stand in her apartment, I give him a call, just in case she wants to pursue it.
With her job on the line in her mind, I can’t see it, but strange things have happened.
She has already texted The Ghost and I think I handled that part okay, but that’s also a factor.
Vi’s not going to want to push this if she thinks the cameras might be found.
But I didn’t want her to think I’m recording her every move, or any move. Not without her consent. It’s why I deliberately chose the micro cameras that just run live.
“Jonas.”
“Hey, it’s Max.” I use the alias he knows me as. “I wanted to ask you about a situation.”
“Hit me.”
I give him the run down, my version.
He hums. “Do you need me to come and get a statement from her?”
“With no witnesses, nothing missing, and no prints, what would the chances be?”
Jonas sighs. “Next to none. This city? No witnesses, prints, or missing things? Even with that, unless they’re in the system it’s not going anywhere, and this is tanked before it starts.”
I find a small wheelie case in her closet and put some things into it, including toiletries, her Kermit PJs that, after a sniff, make me smile.
She hasn’t washed them yet, and they smell musty and of our mixed fluids.
Christ, I’m a fucking pervert. “I don’t think my friend’s going to want to pursue it.”
“Okay. Let me know.”
Whoever did this did a good job. I don’t know her place well enough to know if anything’s missing, but I know Enzo, and he wouldn’t let anyone in who would steal.
But I look for and find her jewelry, there isn’t a lot, just some in a soft pouch in her drawer where her panties were and in a small keepsake box on her side table.
I pack those.
When I’m done, I lock up and get in my Uber home.
I close my eyes for a long moment.
The driver is talking incessantly into his Bluetooth as some janky music plays.
I should ask him to turn it off, but I don’t care.
It gives me time to think.
What the hell have I gotten myself tangled in?
Vi being at my place… I’d love to fucking say it was all out of my hands, but it wasn’t. I orchestrated this.
Then again, it’s not to give me a go at some kind of romance with her. There’s an attraction in the real world, but it’s also all built on lies.
I can almost guarantee she’d never tell me about her urges. She would rather go through life hiding them over admitting them to someone she hasn’t met in that world.
Besides, surely, if we had sex, she’d know that I was The Ghost.
Or would she?
Neither of us are looking for long term, and I’m not sure I want to give up The Ghost.
She sure as fuck doesn’t want The Ghost gone.
It gets her off. Scratches her itches.
And I’m ignoring the other elephant in the room.
I did this because her boss is a creep. And quite probably dangerous.
So, I’ll protect her, and I’ll work out when it’s safe for her to meet with The Ghost.
I could hire a hotel room, set up some kind of game. As much as I want to play with her on the streets, in public, I’m not sure I should.
The car pulls up, and I thank the driver, getting out, and haul the case into my building and up the stairs.
My heart thumps and guts tighten when I step into my apartment, and I’m greeted by the soft sounds of the TV.
I cross the open living space and leave her suitcase outside Jack’s room, the guest room, and go to the sofa where Vi is sitting, drinking what I think is another boozy temple. I can smell the whiskey and the grenadine in the air.
Fetching a glass, I pour myself some whiskey.
“Hard hitter,” she says, a soft smile on her face.
I raise the glass as I sit on the armchair. “You know it.”
“How did it go?”
I let out a sigh and take a swallow of the drink. “It looks like someone tore the place apart. I’m no expert…but it didn’t look like anything was missing. I found a bag of jewelry and a keepsake box, I packed those along with toiletries and work clothes, night stuff…some shoes.”
And bras. I didn’t, however, pack panties. For perverted reasons.
“Thanks. But I need to go home tomorrow.”
“I’m not that bad, am I?”
Her eyes go wide. “No, but I can’t shove myself in here after you just got rid of Jack.” She blushes. You know what I mean.”
“It’s no problem. Someone broke in, someone trashed the place. My cop friend came by…And he said it looked like it was done to look like a robbery, but if nothing was taken, off the record, it’s more like someone’s stalking you. So, if you want to make a statement about Isaac, you can.”
This is a risk, but I don’t think she’ll do that. I know exactly how important her career is to her. And I’m a manipulative prick, but I’m also more than aware this threat is real, more than she knows.
Isaac is bad news.
The girls, underage, the violence, the whole underbelly he hides…and I haven’t seriously dug beneath his surface yet. I’m sure when I do a proper deep dive, that I’ll find even more dirt.
The work I’ve done is already showing him to be bad.
When I’m done, I can only imagine what will be uncovered. Predator. Monster. Vile.
She lowers her voice. “We don’t know it’s him.”
I just look at her.
She tucks her legs under her and drops her gaze to her drink.
“Then you definitely should tell the police.”
“If nothing’s missing, I…” Her gaze shifts again, and her cheeks turn a little pink.
It hits me.
She’s thinking it might be The Ghost trying to scare her like it’s some kind of prelude to a sex game, even though he said no.
Shit, no, I didn’t say it wasn’t me.
I said the cameras don’t record. And asked if she wanted them to.
What if she thinks that’s proof that it was him?
I’m going to have to fix that.
“Nothing missing makes it creepier, Vi. You should call the cops.”
“I will if something else happens.” She sets her drink down on the coffee table. “Your cop friend. Did he say anything else, like they’d be able to capture the person?”
“It’s not high on any list for investigation, even if you put in a report. They will look into it, but typically…”
“Things like this don’t get solved very often. I figured. So, there’s no point.”
“There’s always a point.”
“No, it’ll cause more problems. I’ll do it if something else happens, but right now? If it gets back to Isaac? I’m out, and my career’s done before it starts.”
“Violet,” I warn, because it’ll be weird if I don’t.
“I’ve made up my mind. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
I nod, and take another sip. “In that case, I’d feel better if you stayed with me. For a few nights, at least. Just so I can make sure you’re safe.”
“No, Cade. That’s not fair on you.”
I laugh. “What if I’m lonely?”
“Oh, god, am I a substitute Jack?” But she smiles.
“No, definitely not that. I just want to make sure you’re safe. And if it is him, then…you staying with me, your loving boyfriend, might make him think twice.”
“As your loving girlfriend, you might have a point.”
A thrill passes right through my marrow, turned a little bitter with guilt. “I always do.”
We talk about nothing much, and I keep the conversation deliberately light, watching some late-night TV with her. Then she finishes her drink and thanks me before heading off to get some sleep.
I need to fix The Ghost thing. I don’t want her thinking it’s fun and games by him…by me. She should be staying with me until this thing with the councilman ends. When her internship ends.
With the TV still on, I clean up the glasses and then I head to my room to text her. Texting as The damn Ghost from anywhere else is foolish. She could get up and want a glass of water. To talk, to try and seduce me…
I laugh softly at the last one.
She likes me, is attracted, but I don’t think she’s going to do that, not with the two ghosts in the house, The literal Ghost and Jack’s.
But I don’t want to get caught by her.
I highly doubt she’d ask who I was texting, but she might see…
I like risks, I like walking thin lines. But being an idiot isn’t high on my list.
So, I go into my room and throw myself on my bed, thinking.
Right now I don’t need to get her in a state, or myself. And I’m already dealing with the close proximity of Vi and what she does to me.
I also don’t want to shut the door or have The Ghost lose his edge.
Me: Your date came by your place. Do I need to show you who you belong to?
Vi2l: Why did you trash my place? To work me up? Leave Cade alone. He’s helping me.
Shit. She thinks I’d hurt someone?
Then again, she knows The Ghost brings people down. But hurt…?
Vi2l: I belong to you?
Me: Yes.
Okay, that didn’t answer her questions.
I send her a bunch of texts waiting a beat between each one. It’s a little wordy, but I need to hammer it home.
Me: I don’t trash places.
Me: I know how to work you up, and I’d chase you down, take you hard, tie you up, spread you out for all to see, then lick your pussy. I could have you any way I want. But that? No. There’s no fun in trashing your place. No working you up.
Me: Does this Cade deserve to be brought down and destroyed?
Vi2l: No. He’s a good guy. A friend.
My mouth twists.
The dreaded friend zone.
Me: Then he’s safe. I only bring down and expose monsters.
Vi2l: Did you do something to my boss?
I ignore that. Let her wonder tonight.
There’s no way what I did could ever get Isaac fired. A council member can’t, but he can resign, be voted out, and he can be pressured, because of scandal, to step back.
The real purpose of his office and bigger than normal team is he has major ambition, and I’m here to kill that dead in the water.
I might have started, but I won’t stop until it’s done.
But there’s something diabolical in me, and I want to push her, I want to see how much I can control her.
Me: Are you with your friend now?
Vi2l: In another room. Separate bedrooms.
Me: Keep your hands to yourself. Do not touch yourself. Do not come. Your orgasms are mine. I’ll be in touch.
Vi2l: When?
I don’t respond, and I turn the chat off. Then I head out and take my laptop with me. I sit on the sofa and flip the station to something else before messaging Enzo.
Me: Let’s set up a mega deep scrape of everything to do with Isaac Stengal.
Enzo: You got some kind of hard on for the guy, man.
Me: Just help me. There’s got to be dirt. Real dirt.
Enzo: Agreed, but we got a lot of it. He’s good at hiding his shitty side.
Me: He’s got to have something darker out there.
Enzo: It could be enough what you got.
I frown.
Me: I want it all.
Enzo: We’ll do it tomorrow. It’s a quiet day.
I send a thumbs up, close the laptop, and turn off the TV.
A light day doesn’t mean an empty day and it doesn’t mean easy work. But there are some things I can do to start now.
The setup at Enzo’s is way more powerful than what I have here, and I’d prefer to not be caught looking at shit about Isaac in here.
I lock my door, but there’s always a chance I’ll somehow forget, and always a chance that Vi will come in.
I’d rather she catch a whole lot of data on my computers that means nothing to her than a small something that she understands.
My phone buzzes, and my brother’s name is on the screen.
I hit answer, and Jack’s voice fills the room. “Cade.”
“This took even less time than I thought.”
I can practically see him bristling.
“Calling you?”
To ask for something, yes. But all I say is, “Sure.”
“I don’t want anything, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he mutters.
Thing is, we’re brothers. We know each other well.
Jack’s always calling or asking me for money, help, whatever. He always has.
And I’ve always helped. But I just want him sometimes to want to be my brother, to talk, to just be.
I sigh.
“When was the last time you called me without wanting something?”
“That’s low, man.” He sounds defensive. “I just…I realized I’ve been taking a lot for granted, and I just wanted you to know I’m determined to do better.”
There’s an air of expectation with his words.
I don’t know if Jack wants to come back or if he expects me to gush over his words, but I harden my heart and my resolve.
“I appreciate the sentiment, Jack. But actions speak louder than words.”
“Why are you such a hard ass? I’m reaching out, Cade.”
“I know. And I appreciate it. But I think you need to work on fixing yourself. Reach out when you can show you’ve really changed. I think you’ll amaze yourself, Jack.”
“Cade—”
“And someone else deserves your apology more than me.”
With that, I hang up.