Deception, p.20
Deception, page 20
Ty enters the living room a moment later with Sandra on his heels. He’s handsome in a pair of dark jeans, black boots, and a fitted red T-shirt that stretches over his nicely defined muscles. His blond hair is styled in a pompadour. It looks good on him. With his sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, and height, he looks good enough to model. He smiles when he sees me, taking a second to appreciate my form as well.
Though I’m not as casual as him, I’m by no means overdressed. I’m wearing a Samantha Sung cotton stretch shirtdress with Bali boats printed on the fabric and my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo latte-colored leather espadrille wedge sandals that give me an extra four and a half inches in height. I left my natural waves in my hair today rather than straightening it so it’s bouncier than usual.
“Wow,” Ty says, his grin growing wider. “You look great.”
His praise makes me uncomfortable, especially with my father present. I force out a smile and am overly polite back to him. “You look nice too.”
He winks at me and then saunters over to Dad. They shake hands. Dad gives him a stern lecture about keeping his daughter safe. Ty promises to not let anything happen to me. With Dad’s security detail attending this date with us tonight, I don’t think neither Dad nor Ty need to worry. I’ll be under constant scrutiny.
But I have a plan.
“Enjoy your evening, sweetheart,” Dad says, his tone cool. “See you before midnight.” He walks over to me, snakes his arm around my waist, and kisses my forehead.
I try not to cringe or squirm out of his hold. It takes everything in me to hold still and endure it. Finally, he releases me. A shiver works its way down my spine, but I ignore it.
We bid Dad goodbye and Ty’s hand finds the small of my back. He guides me out of the condo where four men are standing sentry outside our door. They’re all dressed in black and wearing the same earpieces. If I had to guess, they’re ex-military or something. Only the best for Daddy’s little girl.
I’m not escaping with these watchdogs breathing down my neck.
The escape won’t happen tonight, though. Soon, but not tonight. I just have to work out the details first. That means having a private word with Ty.
Right now, he’s my only option. As much as I wish I could get Ford’s help, until he gives me more about himself, I can’t trust him. Not with something as important as me and Della’s freedom. It’s a sucker punch to the chest, but I can’t risk it. I can’t risk Ford’s secrets blowing up in my face.
At least with Ty, what you see is what you get. He’s transparent and real. I don’t feel like he has some horrible truth he’s hiding from me. Ty is my only hope.
Ty chatters about the movie and the last time he’s been to see one. He moves easily from topic to topic, letting me brood in silence. We climb into one of Dad’s Mercedes SUVs in order to fit everyone. I let Ty take my hand, though one of the security guys narrows his gaze at the action.
“So this isn’t creepy or anything,” Ty says under his breath. “I feel like we’re on a reality show or something.”
“Two out of five stars,” I grumble.
“Only two?” He shoots me a silly grin. “That dude’s neck tat alone gets a star. Seriously, man, did that shit hurt or what?”
Neck tat dude ignores him.
Rude.
“Anyway, so how’ve you been?” Ty asks, dropping his voice again. “School going okay?”
I bite on my bottom lip, trying not to burst into tears. “School’s fine.”
He frowns, glances at our entourage, and then presses his lips together. There’s so much more to that statement. We both know it. Fortunately, he’s smart enough to realize it and doesn’t probe. I relax when he starts babbling about this new car he wants. I’m able to smile and nod without fear of crying.
Eventually we make it to the theater. Our group of sentries surround us—one up ahead checking for only God knows what and the other three walking behind. If Ty is weirded out by the stares we’re getting, he doesn’t let it show. He chatters the entire time we wait in line to pay, then again on the way to the concessions, only pausing long enough to have me tell him what I want. I order a bag of Skittles for Della.
Once in the actual theater where our movie will be playing, we find a spot at the very top. A guy sits on either side of us, leaving only a chair in between. The other two guys sit closer to the exits.
It feels like an eternity until the movie begins. I sit patiently through the previews at the beginning and also through the slow start of the movie. When the action starts blasting through the speakers, I nudge Ty with my elbow and lean in. He notices my movement and holds the bag of popcorn toward me while bringing his ear close to my mouth. I point at the screen, pretending to ask him about the movie.
“Help me.”
His eyes cut my way, wide and concerned. “Okay.”
Just like that. Okay. I want to cry, but I can’t afford to break down right now. My time is limited. This opportunity for escape is razor thin.
“I need money. A few thousand. As soon as possible.”
“Your dad?”
“I am getting us away from him,” I whisper. “He’s a bad man. He hurts us, Ty.”
His frown deepens. “I can get you money, but I’ll have to access my trust fund. That means going through my parents. It’ll take me at least until tomorrow. Maybe even the next day. Is it safe to wait that long?”
No.
But I don’t have a choice.
“Do you want me to text you when I get it?” he asks.
“Dad has my phone.” I swallow hard. “You’ve been texting with him the past couple of days.”
He blinks at me in shock. “Glad I didn’t send him a dick pic.”
A smile tugs at my lips even though I’m scared as hell right now. “Probably best if you keep those pictures to yourself.”
“I’m wounded,” he teases. “And to think, I actually thought you liked me.”
I do like him. As a friend.
Maybe, in another life, I’d even like him like he likes me. As more than a friend.
This one is too complicated. Plus, my heart is a mess for someone else right now.
“You’re one of the only friends I have,” I admit. “I need your help. I’ll figure out a way to repay you.”
“I don’t want you to pay me back. I just want to make sure you’re okay.” He glances over at one of the men watching us intently and then lowers his voice. “I’ll leave a discreet note when I have the money. We can meet up and go from there.”
Now all I have to do is find a way to leave again.
“If I don’t surface at the meeting place because he has me trapped, then I’ll need you to create a distraction so we can slip out of there unnoticed.”
“Want me to wait twenty-four hours and then make my move?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
He leans closer and kisses my cheek. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
I can’t even allow myself to hope.
* * *
“We’ll walk you inside, miss,” the neck tattooed guy grunts. “You’re dismissed.”
Ty ignores the rudeness and presses a goodbye kiss to my cheek. I can tell he wants to say and ask a lot of things, but wisely doesn’t with our audience. Despite the stress I’m under, I did enjoy Ty’s company. He’s light and funny and caring. Dread fills me to my brim and spills over the second I walk into my quiet home.
“I’ll go speak with Mr. Croft,” one of the guys says while the other three wait outside the condo.
I skirt past him and head to Della’s room. The door is locked. Softly, I knock on the wood, not that she will hear me anyway. Panic clutches my throat as a thousand what-ifs play in my mind.
What if he’s in there with her?
What if he hit her while I was gone?
What if he did much worse?
I start slapping the door and putting my weight against, trying to either get her to unlock it or bust through it.
“Miss Croft,” Sandra hisses, hurrying down the hall toward me. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?”
I wriggle the handle. “I need to make sure she’s okay.”
“Throwing a tantrum isn’t the way to do it.” She scowls at me and then produces a key from her pocket. “Go see your sister. And be quiet before you upset your father.”
She unlocks the door. I don’t wait to be told twice. Rushing into Della’s room, I find her sitting in the corner surrounded by all her stuffed animals. Her head is bowed as she strokes the pink cat’s fur. When I kneel in front of her, she jumps. Wild, panicked eyes meet mine and then relief has her leaping at me. I hug her to me, unable to keep the tears at bay. Her small hands clutch onto the fabric of my dress like I might leave her again.
Never again.
The next time we leave, it’ll be for good.
She pulls away from me and starts signing rapidly. He spanked me with his belt. I wasn’t listening. But I didn’t hear him, Landry. I didn’t. He doesn’t use sign language. Fat tears roll down her cheeks and she trembles. I hope he dies.
Me too.
God, I feel the same.
I just hate that a child her age has to feel that way. It’s wrong. The way he treats us is wrong. We’re not his daughters. We’re his trophies to display however he pleases and if he’s tired of looking at us, he banishes us to our rooms.
Look at me, I sign with my back to Sandra who’s still in the doorway. Can you read my lips?
She nods, focusing hard on my mouth.
I’m going to get us out of here. I mouth the words, but don’t let any sound come out for fear of Sandra overhearing.
Again, Della’s head nods. Tears continue to fall down her pink cheeks. She signs, Forever?
Forever, I sign back.
Can we get a real cat? She smiles hopefully at me.
We can do whatever we want, Della.
All we have to do is wait for Ty to make good on his promise. We’re almost out of here. Almost. I can hardly wait.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Scout
I stare at the text I received this morning and shake my head. Not exactly what I had planned for the day, but I’m also not ready to give this up. Bryant told us to cease this “job” but he’ll soon learn he doesn’t control me. I only play along when it suits me.
Ty: Meet me at that sandwich shop near work for lunch. I need to talk to someone.
While I wait on Ty to get to the restaurant, I read the text again. I’m curious to see what has him all flustered. I know he’s flustered because usually when he texts me, he throws in stupid emojis and a lot of LOLs. This text is curt and to the point.
My phone buzzes. This time, it’s in the group text with my brothers.
Sparrow: I could wait until her old man leaves to go to the office and then pop in to visit her. Make sure she’s okay.
Sully: I’ll see her tomorrow afternoon. I’ll check then.
Sparrow sends a bunch of angry emojis and even more middle finger emojis. I should give Ty Sparrow’s number and then they can talk in emojis until the end of time. Dumbasses.
The bell chimes on the door and Ty strides in. Gone is his usual smile. Something about the seriousness in his expression puts me on edge. Without the cheesy look on his face, he reminds me too much of Winston. I tighten my grip around my phone until it makes a cracking sound. Only then do I ease up.
“’Sup?” I nod my head in greeting. “You on the rag or something?”
He smirks. “Fuck off. No, I am slightly freaking the hell out though.”
“About?”
“My date last night. If you even want to call it that.”
“With the Croft girl?”
“Yes, idiot. Landry. I’m not exactly pining over any other women at the moment.”
“Did she put out?”
“I wish.”
I bristle at his words, but then find relief in them. “Spill, man.”
He launches into the entire recap of his date. Apparently, according to him, Landry is trying to escape. I pretend to be shocked by the news, but I’m not. Her dad’s an asshole. An abusive one at that. He’s lucky my brothers didn’t let me crush his entire skull in when we beat his ass last week.
“So, he hits her?”
Ty leans in, lowering his voice. “Or worse. She’s fucking terrified. So terrified she’s going to run away.”
“And you’re going to help her?”
“I’ve got to come up with the money first.” He scowls. “My dad is being a dick about it. Wants to know why I need five grand. I’m spoiled. Blah, blah, blah. Then, once I have the money, I’m going to somehow get a message to her and have her come to my apartment.”
The thought of Landry in his apartment angers me, but I don’t lash out. Instead, I keep a tight leash on that shit. I’m smarter now. Especially when dealing with Constantines.
“You need a loan?”
He groans. “No, I mean, that’s not why I wanted to meet up. But, yeah, man, if you’re offering. The sooner I can get her out of there, the better.”
“I can spot you the cash,” I assure him. “Why’d you want to meet up then?”
“To vent. Catch up. Ask for advice. I don’t fucking know.” He rubs at the back of his neck, frowning. “I really, really like her. But, I’m basically helping her leave. Kind of stupid of me to hope for her to date me once she’s free from her father, right?”
“Completely stupid,” I agree.
“Thanks.” He sighs heavily. “No, you’re right. The best thing is to help her. If something comes of it, then that’s great.”
It won’t.
Guys like Ty Constantine don’t get girls like Landry Croft.
He’s a golden prince and she’s a prickly princess. He’ll never appeal to her because her life is too fucked up. She’s more of a villain girl. I’m sure of it.
“She looked so damn hot last night,” he mutters. “Damn, I’ve got it bad for this girl.”
Join the club, moron.
He meets my gaze and cocks his head to the side. “Enough about me and my drama. What’s up with you and your girl? Did you talk to her?”
“Actually,” I say, leaning forward, “I had a revelation.”
“A revelation? Let’s hear it.”
“I like the idea of my girl, but when push came to shove, I didn’t choose her.”
Ty squints his eyes as though trying to make sense of my words. “Okay…who did you choose?”
“Someone new. I didn’t realize my feelings for her until I needed to be in two places at once.” I close my eyes remembering the fear on Ash’s face and how I chose to leave her standing there so I could get to Landry. “I chose to leave her. The girl I’ve been obsessing over for this new girl.”
He gapes at me. “No shit? For the record, I don’t think this is a bad thing. Your old girl is married. Kind of a tough situation. What about the new girl?”
“Not married.”
A grin transforms his face. “Tell me about her.”
She let me finger her in the bathroom and came like a good little princess.
“Pretty. Innocent. Sweet.” I smile at the thought of tasting her. “So sweet.”
“Good for you, man. I’m glad at least someone is having luck in the female department. Maybe if I can get Landry to trust me a little, she’ll let me take her on a real date. Then, who knows, maybe by then you’ll be with this new chick. We can double date.”
That won’t be happening.
“What happens when her dad finds out it was you who helped her escape?” I ask, sitting back and popping my knuckles. “You think he’ll let you continue on being his intern?”
The stupid smile on his face is wiped away.
“He can’t find out,” Ty grumbles. “Which, you loaning me the cash, actually works better. Less chance of him tracing anything back to me.”
Ty eventually stops yapping long enough to go grab us a couple of sandwiches. While he’s gone, I think about Landry.
Her breathy moans.
The way her body clenched around my fingers.
How pretty her mouth looked and tasted.
My brothers are just as captivated by her. There’s something different about Landry. Something addictive and tantalizing. She lives with a monster, so it’s only natural for more monsters to gravitate to her.
Obviously it’s not the first time we’ve fixated on the same woman. It’s a habit we can’t seem to shake. But, unlike in the past, where we ended up fighting over the woman, this time I have a plan.
Ty returns and passes me my sandwich. It’s a shame he’s a Constantine. I don’t completely hate the guy. Because of his last name, though, I’ll always dislike him.
“Want to go clubbin’ this weekend?” Ty asks around a mouthful of bread. “While I wait for Landry, I may as well have a little fun.”
“Yeah, man. It’s a date.”
Ty says a whole lot of nothing. It doesn’t require much engagement aside from the occasional laugh, head nod, or exclamation. Mostly, I think he talks to hear himself speak.
I pity the guy.
I really do.
He thinks he’s going to save the girl from her monster. People like him aren’t heroes. They’re not ruthless enough. The ones who ever make it ahead are the ones who aren’t afraid to cut their competition off at the knees.
His cousin Winston is that type.
Like me.
Willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants. Ty is nothing but a dreamer. A watcher, not a doer.
I watch until the time is right.
And then I do absolutely everything in my power to get exactly what I want.
Ivy and Ash and countless others slipped through my fingers. When I get my hands back on Landry, she won’t be going anywhere.
“Sorry about your luck, bro,” I say, grinning at Ty, though I have no idea what the fuck I interrupted him saying.
He gives me a strange look and then laughs. “You’re so fucking weird, man.”
“And you’re desperate as fuck if you chose me, of all people, as your friend.”
