A Fighting Chance (3 page)

Ava tries to get me to stop crying, but once the damn broke I couldn’t stop it. Just as suddenly as I started, I stop crying. I shoot out of the chair and turn on some music and put it on repeat. As ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ by Gotye fills my head, I sit back down in a calm trance like state.

The Wellington family siblings and their significant others walk in like a pack of wolves protecting their young, carrying arm loads of booze.

“What are all of you doing here?” I ask hiccoughing.

“When one of us is hurt, sweetheart, this is what we do, we’re all here for one another,” Willow says.

“First things first, this shit is coming off,” Amelia says. She stops the sad song on repeat and plugs in her phone and cues up some music. Next thing I hear is ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. I’m not in the mood for happy shit.

“Up you go,” Aiden says. He grabs me by the hands and pulls me out of my seat. He starts waiving his hands around above his head like an idiot and I can’t help but laugh at him. Damn it! I don’t want to laugh right now! Everyone starts singing the song at the top of their lungs when the doorbell rings. Oh God, it’s Max. He’s already ripped my heart out. I don’t know what else he could take from me.

“It’s OK. I’m sure it’s just the pizza delivery man. Asher and I called it in on the way here, I’ll get it,” Willow says and turns up the music on her way to the door.

I couldn’t help myself with this bunch. I laughed until I snorted. Between singing and dancing, a game of twister, and the alcohol, I was actually having a good time. But, after the pizza and alcohol had been consumed and people started getting tired and passed out all over the house, it started to get quiet so I went back to my room. Max and I, believe it or not have not slept together yet. Well, we sleep together, as in cuddle with each other and fall asleep. But, not as in having sex. From the beginning, Max let me keep us dating a secret until I was ready to tell everyone, but he wouldn’t budge on having sex. He said he would know when I was ready. I had mixed feelings about that. I wanted to have sex with Max, and he’s a man for crying out loud! You know it had to have killed him to sleep in the same bed with me, but not have sex with me. Although I was dealing with a lot of crap, I was thankful to not have that pressure. I was starting to feel a little sexually frustrated though, and I think he was about to lift the ban on sex, but he broke up with me instead.

When I crawl into bed, deafening silence fills the room. I hadn’t really been alone at all, ever since I was rescued. I know I’m not technically alone right now. I have a house full of people. But, here in my room by myself with the silence, in the dark, my mind starts to play out in vivid color the attack and the kidnapping. That man’s eyes and the gun that I fired that took my kidnappers life rings out in my ears. It plays over and over again like a bad movie. I start to break out in a cold sweat and beg for it to stop.

I didn’t get any sleep that night. To make matters worse, someone is in the hall bathroom getting it on. I get in my own shower and strip out of my wet, sweat drenched clothes. I have a long shift at the hospital today and without any sleep last night, I’m going to need a caffeine drip to make it through the day. I don’t know how I’m going to explain a black eye either. At least I can keep myself busy at work. The busier I am, the less my mind will have time for my demons to consume my every thought.

Everyone is gathered at the table drinking coffee, except Adrian. I fill up the biggest mug I can find and take a seat with every eye following my every move. I hate the looks of sympathy and pity they’re all giving me.

“Has anyone seen Adrian this morning?” Shay asks.

“I think he took a phone call outside, he kicked me on the floor on his way out,” Aiden says.

Shay gets up from the table and goes to find Adrian. I continue to drink my coffee with my head down, pretending that as long as I don’t look at anyone, then they don’t see me either. Adrian and Shay come back in the house holding hands. Adrian looks like he’s in a pissed off mood too, I wonder who he was talking to outside.

“Earth to Adrian,” Shay says, then kisses him on the cheek. She takes a seat in the chair next to him. He smiles at her, and that smile, my word if I could only read what was behind those lips. The look he gives Shay is one that I’m familiar with. Max used to look at me like that all the time. He grabs her arm and pulls her in his lap.

“My coffee is over there, let me up so I can drink my coffee,” she says pointing at her coffee.

He leans forward and pulls her coffee cup in front of her and says, “There you go, drink up.” She gives him a smirk, wiggles her ass in his lap and tries to hide her smile in her coffee cup. Extreme jealousy wraps its ugly claws around my heart and digs in deep. Why did Max break up with me? What did I do? What am I going to do? How can I fill that big chunk of time that I used to spend with Max?

At least I have a brutal day ahead of myself at the hospital. We’ll see if I can tack on a few extra hours there too. I wonder if I should join a gym or something. I need to keep myself busy.

I was able to tack on an extra couple of hours, and I’m exhausted by the end of my shift. I don’t have anywhere to go either. I’m too tired to even think about going and joining a gym. Between not sleeping last night and work today, I don’t think the gym will ever happen. On my way back to my condo, I pass a bar. I know I shouldn’t. I know drinking isn’t the answer. I long for the numbness that it would bring, but I can’t put my career in jeopardy by drowning my sorrows in alcohol and becoming an alcoholic. It still doesn’t stop my car from pulling into the parking lot though.

The bar is dark and dingy. It smells like old men and stale beer. That smell stops me in my tracks, and I instantly break out in a sweat. An older, rather plump, and nasty smelling gentleman wearing a wife beater with a mouth full of chew brushes past me in the doorway pulling me out of my frozen trance.

“In or out young lady, but don’t stand in the doorway,” he barks.

“S...Sorry,” I mutter. I see one lone seat left at the end of the bar, and I quickly take it before anyone else does. I look around and this place is not a nice place. It’s filled with mostly men. Most of them have their heads bowed searching the bottom of their beer mug, probably looking for a ray of hope left in their sorry existence, or a reason to head home to their loveless marriage.

A thirty something blonde dressed like a twenty something playboy bunny stands in front of me and places a napkin on the bar.

“What’ll you have?” she asks with a smile, smacking a piece of gum in her teeth.

“What?” I ask.

“Uh, you sure you’re in the right place, honey? Are you supposed to be meeting someone? I think you’re probably looking for the club just up the street,” she says pointing in that direction.

“No, I’m not,” I say looking around again.

“Alright then, what’ll ya have?” she asks again.

What will I have? It’s a simple question. I’m in a bar. What will I have? “Club soda,” I answer, feeling like an idiot.

“One club soda coming up,” she says and heads back down the bar. She comes back and places my drink on the napkin, but doesn’t leave. She rests her arm on the bar and leans toward me. I look up at her and she smiles at me.

“My name is Savvy, with two V’s and a Y. If you need anything else you let me know,” she says with a wink.

“Thanks, I’m good.” With a nod she walks back down the bar refilling beers and making small talk. She leans over the bar and squishes her boobs together giving the men a treat to her well endowed bosom. No doubt she makes good tips. She takes a quick phone call, and then she walks back over and stands in front of me again.

“Is there something wrong with your drink honey, you haven’t touched it?” she asks.

“Its fine, thank you,” I answer her.

“Hey, you’re not “Slick’s” woman by chance are you?” she asks.

Oh God, I should have known better than to come to a bar like this. Probably everyone in here knows Max. I start to get up but Savvy put’s her hand on mine and says, “Don’t move, I’ll be right back.”

Max

Since starting my own private investigation firm, I’ve had to hire a few other men to work for me. That wasn’t easy considering I don’t trust easily. I was very selective, and I personally trained the two men that now work for me. Levi is young, but he has his head on his shoulders. He’s become my second hand man. Chase is also young, but he’s totally unpredictable, and he’s a total badass that even I wouldn’t want to mess with. Since I broke up with Chloe, either Levi or myself have tailed her everywhere she goes. When I got the call from Levi that Chloe had gone into Deuce’s Bar, my first thought was, what the fuck is she doing in a bar like that? My second thought was to call Savvy.

Savvy is one woman among many in Seattle that would like nothing more than to get into my pants. I have a strict no local woman policy. Well, until Chloe that is. I will not sleep with any woman living in or visiting Seattle. I haven’t slept with anyone since I started seeing Chloe though. Savvy’s always got her ear to the ground and will pass on any and all local gossip just by smiling at her. Being a good-looking, scantily dressed woman and a bartender, she’s usually full of useful information for me.

“Is there a woman there oh, about five-seven, brown hair, milk chocolate eyes, wearing scrubs?” I ask Savvy on the phone.

“Maybe, what’s it worth to ya?” she asks.

“Savvy, I’m not in the mood to mess around, is she there or not?” I spit out.

“Yeah, she’s here,” she whispers.

“Keep an eye on her will you? I have a tail on her outside the bar, I can’t compromise them though. Can you be my eyes inside the bar?” I ask her.

“Oh this sounds like fun. Is she a criminal or something?” she asks.

“No, she’s not a criminal, she’s my girlfr…” I start to say.

“Oh, this is the famous Chloe Peters is it? Word on the street is you two broke up. Still have it bad for her?” she asks.

“How in the hell did you hear that? Never mind. Will you keep an eye on her or not?” I ask, getting impatient.

“Sure thing babe, anything you want,” she says.

“Just make sure there’s no trouble in the bar. If there is, call Levi’s cell; he’s just across the street,” I tell her and hang up on her.

Levi called at two in the morning and told me she left with Savvy escorting her to her car. What the fuck is she doing in a bar until two in the fucking morning?

That next afternoon my cell rings again, but it says ‘Adrian Calling’. I’m instantly hit with fear thinking something is wrong with Chloe.

“What’s wrong with Chloe? What’s happened?” I frantically say into my phone.

“There’s nothing wrong with Chloe. It’s Shay, she’s disappeared. Can you run some sort of check and find out where she is or something?” he yells hysterically.

“Alright, calm down. When’s the last time you saw her?” I ask, as I start my truck and head to their house.

“This morning. I kissed her goodbye then went to work. When I came home, she wasn’t here. That’s odd, because she’s usually home before me. I called her cell but it goes straight to voicemail. Her car is in the garage and some of her clothes are missing. There are several suitcases missing too. Where the fuck would she go? You have to find her man!” he yells.

“Alright, just hang tight, I’m already on my way,” I assure him. I call Levi on my way and make sure he knows he has Chloe detail again today.

I get to their house within ten minutes. Adrian opens the door looking as white as a sheet. I take a look around and don’t notice anything out of place. I take out my laptop and do a quick search to see if there is any recent bank or credit card usage. While I’m doing that, Adrian calls Shay’s boss, Stewart, to see if maybe he sent her out of town to a business meeting, and maybe she just didn’t have time to call him and tell him. It sounds like Adrian had to leave him a message. Fuck! If Chloe ever did that to me, I’d tan her ass good! Shit, what am I saying? She doesn’t have to answer to me anymore. Adrian gets off the phone just as I get a ping on her credit card.

“I found something,” I tell him. He quickly rushes over, hungry for any word on where she could be.

“What, what did you find?” he asks.

“There is a credit card record of her purchasing a nonstop flight to Hawaii, it lands in a few hours,” I tell him.

“Why the fuck is she going to Hawaii? I’m going to blow up Stewart’s phone until he answers me, the little prick,” Adrian says and dials his cell again. He still doesn’t answer, so he tries yet again. This time he gets an answer. They have a heated conversation, and then the call is over.

“That’s all you can tell me about where she is?” he asks looking at me.

“That’s all she’s used her credit card today for. I can keep monitoring them and tell you when she makes another purchase.”

“No, get on the phone or click away on your laptop and purchase two tickets to Hawaii. We’re catching the next available flight out. I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

“What do you mean two tickets and we’re catching the next available fight? I’m not going to Hawaii with you,” I tell him. I’m not letting Chloe out of my sight until I know she’s moved on and is going to be alright.

“Uh, yes, you are! I need your help and your tracking skills. You have to come with me. Please, I’m begging you! I did you a favor and I’ve kept my mouth shut about why you broke up with Chloe. Please, you have to help me.”

“Fuck, alright. But, I can’t stay that long. I have open cases that I’m working on,” I tell him, although the only case I have is making sure Chloe is alright. I’m not taking any new cases, and all my other cases have been diverted to Chase and Levi when they’re not watching Chloe.

“No, I promise one, two days tops. I just need time to find her and set her ass straight once and for all. I have a pretty good idea why she left.”

Adrian quickly packs a small bag, and then we drive back to my house so I can pack a bag. I call Levi and tell him he needs to stick to Chloe like fucking white on rice while I’m gone, and I want hourly reports. Adrian is beside himself with worry over Shay, and he’s lucky I love Asher like he’s my own brother to put up with his shit. For no one else would I sit in an airport over night and wait for an early ass flight other than the Wellingtons. Adrian has kept my secret why I had to break up with Chloe, so I feel I owe Adrian too.