Page 64 of Silver Edge
I rolled my eyes and headed for the side door. “Let’s go. I’ll tell you all the sordid details of my sex life on the way, right after we stop at the corner and score so I can get high.”
“Funny, Scarlet. Real funny. Since when did you get a sense of humor?” Ton ducked to get out the door, and I shielded my eyes from the bright sun.
“Since I discovered I could actually have a life. Thanks to Drake, everything’s perfect. I never thought I could have so much and nothing’s gonna take it away now. Not you, not even my crazy sensory issues, and not by losing this club. Nothing and no one will take this away from me.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
I spotted the same skater punks from my club freak-out night, but I was too tired to walk the long way around. After hoofing it all over the city with Ton, looking for an apartment, I was exhausted. He’d grilled me about everything, my intentions and Drake’s.
The loser with the knit cap spotted me, but there were enough people around to prevent any real issues, so I marched down the winding sidewalk to the street in front of Bands.
“Hey, slut. You ready for some real fun yet?”
I ignored his taunts and crossed the street to the side door, hoping Drake had returned.When did I need someone around?Ton was right. I had changed.
The big metal door wouldn’t budge, so I pulled the key from my jean pocket and unlocked it. All the lights were on, sending me a few steps backward. Shielding my eyes, I found the switch along the wall and flicked them off. “Hey, what’s the deal with the lights?”
“It’s what normal people do when they’re in a building,” Barbie’s voice screeched through the room, drilling into my eardrums.
I halted, willing it to be a hallucination, but when I turned around I found her standing at the landing above. Her hand on her hip and a smug smile pasted on her face, she stood as if she were a deity about to send down her wrath.
My teeth locked tight, grinding with the desire to throw her off the balcony. “What are you doing in here?”
“Oh, hostile, are we? Well, I know it’ll be a relief to Drake to be rid of you.”
I marched toward the stairs with fists by my sides.
Barbie took a step back but quickly recovered. “I should warn you, the police are on their way. I’m having you removed for trespassing. Oh, and I’ll take that key.” She held out her hand expectantly.
I gripped it tight in my hand, the jagged edge digging into my palm, but I didn’t care. “You can’t do that. I’m not trespassing. I work here.” I ran past her, shoving her into the wall. “Drake!”
“He’s not here, and he won’t be returning.” She straightened her silk, see-through blouse and stood tall on her spiked heels.
Instead of asking what she was talking about, I went to his room, bathroom, office, and even the closet to see if he might be gagged and tied up.
She followed me from room to room like a bodyguard instead of a psych warden. “I guess I have you to thank. After all, you played your part so well.”
I shot past her, returning to the bedroom as if he might spontaneously appear there.
“You see, there was a loophole in the trust fund agreement. Thanks to you, Drake gained control of his money now. His grandmother just had to release the funds if she thought he had the need for it and the ability to manage it. He’s at the bank right now, collecting the check, and then we’re headed out of town.”
“Liar.” I shoved her against the wall. Anger surged to my hands, and I pushed her again. A picture knocked loose from the wall, and glass broke, shattering the dead silence of Bands. I stared at the glass shards, the now-damaged picture of him and his family, then at my duffel. It sat on a chair, as if left for me to collect.
“That’s right. He already packed for you. You didn’t really believe he ever cared about you, did you?” She doubled over with laughter, her arms wrapping around her stomach. “You really believed a man of Drake’s standards would stoop to being with a freak? Please. He just knew his grandmother would go for the artsy, misunderstood type. You were the perfect decoy to represent his newfound desire to be a good human being.”
A searing pain shot from my core outward and down all my limbs as I stood staring at my bag. “I don’t believe you.”
“You’re pathetic.” She sneered. “Think about it. He’s not here now, is he? And he won’t be returning.”
“Anyone here?” called a man’s voice I didn’t recognize from downstairs.
“I’d hoped to leave your bag outside and have the place locked up already, but when Drake told me you had a key, I figured I’d get a bonus watching you crumble. I’m not heartless, though. You’ll find a parting gift in your bag. Oh, I wouldn’t open it in front of the police, though. You’ve already been picked up a few times for possession.”
My gaze snapped to hers and she smiled wickedly.
“I don’t believe you. I’m calling him.” I scanned the room, realizing I didn’t have a phone.
“Here. Use mine.” She held it out to me with a smug smile on her face. I took it before she turned and shouted down the stairs, “We’ll be right down.”
