Chapter 21 Anthony
Anthony
Istep out of the VIP room into the pulsing hallway, my body still humming with electricity from Lila’s touch.
Her taste lingers on my lips, sweet and intoxicating.
I take a deep breath, steadying myself against the wall for a moment as the bass from the club pounds through my chest. What just happened in there was, it was pure instinct, pure need.
And now that I’ve had a taste of her, I know I won’t be able to stop.
I’m in too deep. Ruined, completely ruined for anyone else.
Behind me, I hear the door open again. Lila emerges with Valerie, their masks glittering under the dim hallway lights.
Lila’s cheeks are flushed pink, her lips slightly swollen from our kisses.
Our eyes lock briefly before she quickly looks away, but not before I catch the small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
It takes everything in me not to reach for her again.
Instead, I nod politely to Valerie, whose suspicious glare burns through her red mask. She doesn’t trust me. Why should she?
“We should get back to Mia,” Valerie says to Lila, her voice cool but not hostile. She’s being careful, measuring her response because she saw something in Lila’s face that told her to tread lightly. I’m grateful for that, at least.
“Yeah,” Lila responds, her voice a little breathless. “Let’s go.”
I wait until they’re a few steps ahead before following them down the stairs.
I need distance, not for my sake, but for hers.
The club is packed, bodies pressed together in a writhing mass under flashing lights.
I hang back, watching as Lila and Valerie weave through the crowd toward Mia, who stands near one of the bars with an expression of anxious curiosity.
Lila leans in to say something to Mia, who immediately looks up, scanning the crowd until her eyes land on me.
For a moment, I think I’ve miscalculated, that Lila has told them everything and now they’re plotting my demise.
But then I see the shift in Mia’s expression, the slight widening of her eyes as they fix on my mask.
Fuck. She recognizes it.
Not just the mask, she recognizes me. Her brother. In the sea of costumed faces, my sister has picked me out with unnerving accuracy. The dimple in my chin maybe, or the set of my shoulders. We share enough features that even half a face is enough for her to know.
I freeze, waiting for her to out me. To point and yell and create a scene.
To grab Lila and rush her away from the predator who’s been stalking her for months.
But Mia does none of these things. Instead, she gives me the tiniest nod, so small it could be mistaken for a twitch, before turning her attention back to Lila and Valerie.
She won't be causing a scene, not right now anyway.
Relief floods through me, followed immediately by shame.
I should be the one to tell Lila who I am without the mask.
She deserves that much after what we’ve shared.
But not yet. Not until I can guarantee her safety from Eli.
Not until I can offer her more than just another complicated man in her life.
I turn and push my way through the crowd toward the exit. The cool October air hits me like a slap, clearing some of the fog from my head. The bouncer nods as I pass, and I make my way to where I’ve parked my bike, behind the club near the service entrance.
My motorcycle waits for me like a faithful companion, its matte black finish nearly invisible in the darkness.
I swing my leg over the seat, feeling the familiar leather beneath me.
The key slides into the ignition, and the engine roars to life, vibrating between my thighs in a way that reminds me painfully of Lila’s touch just minutes ago.
I zip up my jacket against the night chill and pull away from the curb, accelerating perhaps faster than I should.
The wind tears at my clothes, and I realize I’m still wearing the mask.
I reach up and pull it off, stuffing it into my jacket pocket.
Without its protective barrier, the cold air stings my face, but I welcome the sensation.
It helps clear my head, helps me focus on something other than the lingering scent of Lila on my skin.
The roads are nearly empty this late, and I open the throttle, letting the bike eat up the few miles between the club and my townhouse.
The speedometer climbs, and for a few blissful moments, the only things that exist are the road, the bike, and the night sky above.
No Eli, no complicated emotions, no lies of omission, just pure, simple speed.
But even the rush of adrenaline can’t keep my thoughts from circling back to Lila.
The way she looked at me in that VIP room, with desire and curiosity and a hint of defiance.
The soft sounds she made as she came apart under my tongue.
The feel of her hand wrapped around me, confident and demanding.
Jesus Christ, what am I doing?
I slow the bike as I approach the bridge that leads across a river to my condo. The water beneath glitters with reflected moonlight, beautiful and serene. So different from the chaos in my head right now.
By the time I pull into my garage, I’ve managed to regain some semblance of control.
I park the bike in its designated spot, a small plastic cubicle that keeps it protected from the elements.
The stairs up to my kitchen feel steeper than usual tonight, my legs still wobbly from what happened at the club.
Inside, the townhouse is quiet except for the low hum of the refrigerator. I flip on a single light in the kitchen, not wanting to dispel the darkness completely. It feels fitting somehow, this half-light. A mirror of my half-truths.
I grab a bottle of water from the fridge, downing half of it in one go. My throat is dry, my head beginning to pound from the combination of alcohol, adrenaline, and the persistent bass from the club that seems to have taken up residence in my skull.
Upstairs in my bedroom, I strip off my clothes, placing the mask on my nightstand. I should shower, I smell like alcohol and sweat and Lila, but I can’t bring myself to wash her away just yet. Instead, I pull on a pair of clean boxers and head back downstairs.
I settle onto my sofa, leaning my head back against the cushions and staring out at the bay through the wall of windows that makes up the eastern side of my living room.
The water is black and still, reflecting the lights from the houses on the opposite shore.
Somewhere over there, Lila will be going home tonight.
To an empty house, thankfully, not to Eli. But empty nonetheless.
I close my eyes, remembering how it felt to have her in my arms. How right it seemed, even with all the wrong surrounding it. I’m not supposed to want her like this. I’m supposed to be helping her, not complicating her life further.
My phone rings, jarring me from my thoughts. I glance at the screen and feel my stomach drop. Mia.
I consider letting it go to voicemail, but that would only delay the inevitable. Better to face this now.
“Hello?” I answer, trying to sound casual, as if this is just a normal late-night call from my sister.
“What the actual fuck, Tony?” Mia’s voice comes through sharp and clear, anger evident in every syllable.
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I can explain.”
“You’d better. Do you have any idea how scared shitless I’ve been for Lila these past few weeks? Hearing about some creep watching her house, breaking in, leaving books? And it’s been you the whole goddamn time?”
“Yes,” I admit, no point in denying it now. “It’s been me. I thought she knew after we ran into each other at Akira Sushi.”
“Jesus Christ, Tony. What the hell are you thinking? This isn’t some rescue mission in a foreign country. This is my best friend, if she thought it was my brother, she wouldn't say a word! Her life is way too hard to be dealing with this right now.”
“I know,” I say, more sharply than I intended. “That’s the whole point. I know exactly who she is and what she’s going through.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the line. When Mia speaks again, her voice is quieter but no less intense. “How long? How long have you been stalking her?”
“I wasn’t stalking her,” I protest, though I know that’s exactly what it looks like. What it is, if I’m being honest with myself. “I was watching out for her. Making sure she was safe when that piece of shit husband of hers was gone.”
“Answer the question, Tony.”
I sigh again. “Since June. Since I saw her at the bookstore.”
“The Dark Chapters Bookstore?” Mia asks, surprise in her voice. “That was you? The guy who tried to buy her those books?”
“Yes.”
“Fuck, Tony. She told us about that. She was freaked out that you followed her to her car. And then when she started talking about someone watching the house...” Mia trails off, and I can picture her pacing in her living room, gesturing with her free hand the way she does when she’s worked up.
“Why didn’t you just introduce yourself normally? Why all the cloak and dagger bullshit?”
It’s a fair question. One I’ve asked myself more times than I can count.
“I didn’t plan for it to happen this way. I tried to and she turned me down,” then I pause, not ready to tell Mia everything yet. Not ready to explain the full truth of my interest in Lila. “I wanted to help her. I could see she was trapped, unhappy. And then I found out who her husband was.”
“Eli Fischer,” Mia says flatly. “The streamer.”
“Yes, Eli Fischer. The abusive piece of shit who uses our platform to make money while he torments his wife and visits prostitutes on the side.”
Another pause. “How do you know about the prostitutes?”
“I’ve been following him when he goes on his ‘business trips.’ I have proof, Mia. Photos, videos, receipts. Enough to bury him if Lila decides to divorce his sorry ass.”
“So this is about taking down Eli? Not about Lila?”
“No, I didn’t know who he was until after I saw her.” I say. “There is still a lot about him we don’t know yet. I just can’t seem to connect those dots.”
“But scaring the shit out of her was okay? Watching her through windows? Showing up at a club in a mask and taking her to a VIP room?” Mia’s voice rises with each question. “Do you hear yourself, Tony? Do you understand how fucked up this sounds?”
I do. God help me, I do.
“I’m going to tell her about it all. About me, what I do, and GameStream. About what I found on Eli,” I say. “I’m going to tell her everything. But not yet. Not until I know she’s safe.”
“Safe from what? Eli’s not even home most of the time and she says he's been staying away on purpose.”
“That may be when she’s safest,” I explain. “But when he comes back... Mia, you don’t know what he’s capable of. If he finds out she’s planning to leave, if he suspects there’s someone else...” I trail off, the possibilities too grim to voice.
Mia is quiet for a long moment. “So, what’s your plan? Keep playing masked man until Eli is out of the picture?”
“Something like that,” I say, though I know how inadequate it sounds. “I’m working on it, Mia. I promise.”
“She’s falling for you, you know,” Mia says suddenly. “The mask, the mystery, the danger, it’s like one of those dark romance books she reads. But this is real life, Tony. She’s a real person with real trauma, not a character in a book.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut because I know they’re true. I’ve been so caught up in my own narrative, the hero rescuing the damsel, that I’ve lost sight of the real woman at the center of all this.
“I care about her,” I say softly. “More than I should. More than makes sense given how little time we’ve spent together. I won’t hurt her, Mia. I swear.”
“You already are,” she replies, but her tone has softened slightly. “Every day you keep lying to her, you’re hurting her.”
I close my eyes, the truth of her words settling heavy in my chest. “I know. I’ll make it right. I just need a little more time.”
“Time for what?”
“To make sure she has a way out. A clean break. Financial security, legal protection, all of it. I can’t tell her who I am until I can offer her something real, something lasting.”
Mia sighs, a sound I know well, exasperation mixed with reluctant understanding. “I won’t tell her I know,” she says finally. “But you have to. Soon. Before this goes any further.”
“I will,” I promise. “When the time is right.”
“And in the meantime, you’ll keep her safe? Make sure Eli doesn’t hurt her?”
“With my life,” I say, and I mean it more than I’ve meant anything in a long time.
There’s a moment of silence, and then Mia says, “She’s special, Tony. Not just because of whatever this is between you two. She’s been through hell with Eli, and somehow she’s still... still Lila. Still kind and funny and stronger than she knows. Don’t break her.”
“I won’t,” I whisper. “I promise.”
After we hang up, I sit in the darkness for a long time, replaying the conversation in my head. Mia’s right, I’m hurting Lila by not being honest with her. But telling her everything now could put her in even more danger. If Eli found out... if he suspected...
No. I made the right call. I’ll keep watching, keep protecting her from the shadows until I can bring her fully into the light. Until I can give her the freedom she deserves.
I pick up my phone again and open the security app, checking the cameras at Lila’s house. All clear. No sign of Eli returning early from his “trip.” Lila isn’t inside, I check her GPS on her phone and it looks like she’s at Mia’s, Only a few doors down.
Leaning back against the sofa, I realize how tired I am. The night’s events, the club, Lila, the confrontation with Mia, have drained me completely. But underneath the exhaustion is a current of something else. Hope, maybe. Or determination.
One way or another, I’m going to free Lila from Eli. I just hope that when that moment comes, she’ll be able to forgive me for the deception. That she’ll understand why I had to do it this way.
Because the alternative, losing her before I’ve even truly had her, is unthinkable.