Controlled: The Dollhouse, Part Two (6 page)

“
C
ase dismissed
!” Luis pumped his fist in the air as we exited the courtroom. “Sweetest words in the English language.”

P
hillips slid
the case file into his briefcase and snapped it closed. “He had no choice, really. There was insufficient evidence to move forward with prosecution. The convenience store’s surveillance cameras were nonfunctional, the owner could not positively identify the culprit and no stolen goods were ever found on your person. Open and shut case.”

“
A
lmost as if anyone
— even a public defender — could have handled it,” I said sarcastically.

“
I
mpossible to say
,” the lawyer responded evenly. “But your brother gets to walk away from this, I suppose that’s all that matters.”

N
ot for me
, I thought darkly.

“
I
f you ever have another
legal need. Feel free to call.” He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a business card.

M
y brother took
the card when I made no move to accept it.

“
D
efinitely
,” he said.

P
hillips gave
us a slight nod before turning on his heel. “Good luck.”

A
s soon as
the lawyer was out of sight, I snatched the business card out of my brother’s hand. “This is never going to happen again, Luis. I mean it.”

“
B
ut we’re totally set
if it does.” He ducked away when I swung at him. “Alright, I get it. No more trouble, I promise.”

“
B
etter not be
,” I said threateningly. “Because next time you are on your own.”

H
e shrugged that off
, clearly not believing that I’d ever really abandon him — not that he was wrong about that.

“
S
o are
you going to tell me what the deal is with this free lawyer, or what?”

O
f course my
brother would be curious now that he was no longer in trouble. “Don’t worry about it.”

T
he previous look
of elation on his face turned concerned. “Maybe it’s like outreach, you know, like help for the poor.”

“
W
e shouldn’t look
a gift horse in the mouth,” I said with a conviction that I didn’t feel. “It’s over now.”

“
Y
eah
, I guess.”

I
stopped suddenly
at the lobby of the courthouse. “I’ll meet you back at home, okay.”

L
uis turned back
, his face confused. “What, why?”

“
I
t’s nothing
, just something I have to do,” I said quickly. “I’ll meet you at home.”

“
Y
ou sure
?”

“
I
t’s fine
, just go on.” I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “And go straight home.”

“
O
r you could just nag
me some more.”

“
N
o stops
, I mean it.”

“
Y
es
, no stops. You need to lighten up, sis.”

I
rolled
my eyes as he practically skipped to the doors of the courthouse. It was obvious that a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. And most of me was overjoyed for him.

B
ut the other
part of me knew what was coming next.

A
s soon as
the double doors slammed closed behind my brother, I walked to the little alcove in the corner of the massive entryway, where Julian Berkmore-Sullivan waited for me.

“
F
ancy meeting you here
,” I said, as I approached.

H
is hands were tucked
into the pockets of a pair of khaki chinos. The short-sleeved, collared shirt that he wore was tight enough that it molded to the muscled wall of his chest.

“
I
s sarcasm
your only defense mechanism?”

I
avoided looking
at his face because I knew even a passing glance would destroy my resolve. “Is battering through every obstacle, regardless of the consequences, yours?”

“
M
ost of the time
, actually.” He removed one hand from his pocket and I tensed, but he only glanced at the expensive watch on his wrist. “I assume everything worked out in your brother’s favor.”

“
A
ll of the
charges were thrown out. No probation, or anything.” My voice was flat.

H
e crossed
his arms over his chest. “You don’t make that sound like good news.”

“
E
very deal
with the devil starts with good news.” I reminded myself that we were in a public place, surrounded by people — some of whom had guns. There was nothing that he could do to me here. “I’m just worried about what you want in return.”

“
D
id you get my flowers
?”

“
Y
es
, and the necklace.”

H
is grin was cheeky
. “You’re welcome.”

“
I
didn’t thank you
. How did you get into my house anyway?”

“
T
hey gave
me virtually no information about you at the Dollhouse, you know,” he said, clearly ignoring the question. “Broad strokes — first name and some general information — but nothing specific. The catering company was much more forthcoming, they even had your social security number.”

“
J
ust because you’re rich
, doesn’t mean you can’t also be a stalker.”

“
I
get what I want
.” There was a warning in his voice.

I
fought
the urge to take a step back. “You can’t do anything to me here or I’ll scream. There are half a dozen cop cars outside. It doesn’t matter how much money you have, they’ll be on you in a second.”

“
Y
ou’re perfectly safe
. Here.” He took a step forward. “But I know where you live. I know where you work. I know who your friends are.”

I
stayed where I was
, determined to show him that I wasn’t afraid of him. “I’m not running.”

“
C
ome with me
.”

H
is fingers reached
out to brush the skin of my cheek in a touch so light that I could barely feel it.

“
I
’m not
a toy or a pet. You can’t buy me.” My voice was hoarse.

“
B
ut I have before
,” he said softly.

“
T
his is insane
.” I didn’t know if I was talking to him or myself, because I hadn’t already walked away. “You can have anyone you want.”

“
I
want you
.”

I
swallowed hard
. “And what about your wife?”

“
S
he doesn’t have
anything to do with this. It doesn’t matter.”

“
Y
ou’re wrong
.” I stepped back and his hand fell away. “It matters to me.”

“
I
t isn’t
what you think,” he said. “The situation is complicated.”

“
T
hen
un
complicate it for me
. Make me understand.”

J
ulian didn’t speak
for a long moment. “Come with me and I’ll tell you anything you want.”

“
I
don’t think so
.”

“
O
r I could just take
you.” He advanced on me then, the expression in his hard, green eyes suddenly menacing. “You would just disappear from your bed one night, never to be heard from again.”

“
S
top it
.”

“
Y
ou say
you’re not a pet, but I do wonder what you’d look like on a leash.”

A
sudden shiver
overtook me and it wasn’t due to the cold. “You have to leave me alone.”

“
O
r what
?” He appeared genuinely curious. “What could you possibly do to stop me?”

“
M
aybe I’ll go have
a talk with your wife.” I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket. “She’s only an internet search away, after all. I know who you are too, Julian Berkmore-Hathaway.”

H
e grabbed
me so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to scream, or yell or try to fight him off. He pressed me back into the recessed corner of the alcove until we were hidden from view.

T
he palms
of his hands pressed into my abdomen and forced me against the wall. Every logical part of my brain insisted that I scream for help or at least try to get away from him. But I was frozen in place.

“
I
haven’t been
able to stop thinking about you.” His casual tone belied the iron grip that he had on me. “Ever since that first night. You’re even in my dreams.”

M
y breath came
in a harsh gasp when his hands slid up my sides. “Don’t—“

“
I
haven’t sent
that tuxedo from the benefit to my dry cleaner. I can still smell you on it.”

“
W
hat do you want
?” I hissed through my teeth, desperately trying to maintain my fragile grip on my sanity. “You want to do it right here against the wall? An indecent exposure charge will probably do wonders for Berkmore’s stock prices.”

“
I
t’s you
.” His hands slid under my shirt and the feel of his skin against mine rocked me to the core. “I can’t think when I’m around you. You make me want to do anything to have you.”

“
T
his is crazy
—“ I sucked air in sharply through my teeth as his fingers skimmed over my breast. “Stop, please.”

“
I
can’t
.” His lips touched my neck, sending frissons of pleasure shooting through me. “And neither can you. You had your chance to walk away.”

“
N
o
—“

H
e kissed me
, cutting off whatever words I was going to utter. His tongue clashed with mine, invading my mouth in a way that overwhelmed my senses and any ability I had to resist.

I
t felt
like his hands were everywhere as they coasted over my body. I could feel the hard length of his erection pressing into me. I knew we were in public, so close to being discovered that to go any further would be worse than reckless.

H
is teeth caught
at my lower lip. The pain of it rocketed through me, followed by tendrils of pleasure.

“
E
nough
!”

I
shoved Julian away
, obviously catching him by surprise. He let me push past him and out of the alcove.

“
L
eave me alone
, I mean it.”

I
felt
his gaze on me as I nearly ran towards the door. I didn’t have to see his face to see the resolute expression that I knew would be there.

J
ulian wouldn’t let
me go that easily.

T
he knock
on my front door came nearly twenty minutes later than it was supposed to.

“
Y
ou’re late
,” I said as I opened the door.

Z
ach stood
in the hallway with a sardonic smile on his face.

“
S
orry
,” he said unapologetically.

I
grabbed
my bag off of the side table before closing the apartment door behind me. “Don’t make me regret this.”

“
H
ey you’re
the one who called me, princess.”

“
I
did
, didn’t I,” I said with fake confusion. “Not sure what I was thinking.”

H
e slid
an arm around my back and I forced myself not to resist the advance.

“
M
oment of insanity
.”

“
P
robably
,” I murmured, locking the door behind me.

I
knew exactly
why I had called him. Because for all of us his faults, Zach was a normal guy with normal desires. He didn’t want to steal me out of my house in the middle of the night and tie me up somewhere where no one would ever find me.

M
aybe he was just
dangerous enough to still be safe.

I
needed
something to erase the seductive feel of Julian’s touch from my skin. I needed someone normal.

“
I
was really surprised
to hear from you,” Zach said as we descended the stairs. “You didn’t seem all that happy with me the last time that I saw you.”

I
shrugged
. “I have a tendency to overreact.”

“
S
o I’ve noticed
.”

H
e smiled down at me
. His face was open and relaxed, but balanced out by a trace of mischievousness.

“
I
f you were actually
a nice guy then you wouldn’t be agreeing with me.” I pushed open the door at the bottom of the stairs. It was supposed to require a keycode to get inside the building, but the lock had been broken for ages. “A nice guy would tell me I’m perfect just the way I am.”

H
e laughed
. “Maybe my perfect girl overreacts, did you think about that?”

“
G
ood point
.” I stopped at the sidewalk. “Where did you park?”

Z
ach kept walking
. “I don’t have a car.”

I
raised my eyebrows
. “You took transit all the way across town. That must have taken forever.”

“
G
ot to admit
it took longer than I thought.” His smile was a little bashful. “Your apartment is a bit more South side than downtown.”

“
N
ot the posh
digs you were expecting from the uppity college girl?” I asked, unable to resist the dig.

“
H
ey
, I’ll own that,” he said apologetically. “You were blowing me off and I just reacted.”

“
I
t’s cool
.”

I
pressed
close to him as we entered the transit station. I usually tried to avoid the train and stick with taking buses. Something about being underground with the heat and steam unnerved me.

N
ot to mention
, I wasn’t especially fond of the constant smell of urine and body odor from all of the homeless people that slept down there at night.

I
leaned
against a support pillar and Zach moved up next to me.

“
S
o let’s start over
,” he said casually. “Tell me about yourself, not-college-girl.”

“
T
here’s not
a lot to tell,” I said hesitantly.

“
Y
ou still live
with your parents.”

“
J
ust my mom
. My dad was killed by a drunk driver.”

“
O
h
,” he said, with that startled look on his face that people always get when you reveal a tragedy about someone they don’t know — the mix of sympathy and discomfort. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“
I
t was almost
four years ago,” I said casually. “And my Mom got sick pretty soon after that so she hasn’t really been able to work.”

“
Y
our mom’s sick
, with what?”

“
N
on-Hodgkins lymphoma
that’s spread to her lungs. She’s doing better — just finished the last round of chemotherapy — but she still might need radiation treatment, depending on how much the tumors have shrunk when she goes back to the oncologist.”

“
J
esus
,” he whispered. “There’s no one else to help you out?”

“
I
have a sister and brother
, she’s four and he’s sixteen, but I pretty much end up taking care of them, too.”

“
H
ence the second job
.”

“
R
ight
.”

“
D
id
you quit school to take care of your mom?”

“
P
retty much
. Even if they didn’t need the help, it just got too hard to concentrate. I was already starting to miss class and turn my assignments in late. It just made sense to withdraw.”

“
A
re
you going to go back?”

“
I
always thought so
, now I don’t know.”

A
train pulled
into the station, bringing a powerful rush of air and heat that blew my hair across my face. I had to hold down the cotton skirt I wore with both hands to keep it from flying up around my waist.

Z
ach held
my arm as we boarded the nearest car. “That’s a lot to deal with. ”

“
I
t could be worse
.”

“
S
ounds
like it could be a lot better too.”

“
T
hat’s life
.” I shook off the feelings of despair that always threatened to wrap around me like a blanket made of ice and dread. “What about you? What’s your story?”

“
N
othing that dramatic
.” He settled in on the seat next to me, close enough that I fell into him when the train suddenly pulled out of the station. His arm slipped around my shoulders to steady me and then stayed. “I’m in a band.”

“
I
could have guessed
,” I said with a small smile. Something about the way he carried himself said that he was used to being in front of a crowd. “What instrument do you play?”

“
B
ass guitar
.”

“
A
w
,” I said, feigning disappointment. “You’re not the sexy frontman? That’s too bad.”

H
e dramatically clutched
at his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, lady.”

“
S
omething tells
me your heart can take it.” I laughed

“
T
hat depends
, “ he said, voice sly. “Is dozen roses guy still in the picture?”

I
shifted in the seat
, suddenly uncomfortable. “What makes you think the roses were from a guy? Maybe my grandmother sent them.”

“
N
ice try
. Nobodies grandma sends flowers like that.”

I
thought
about leaving him hanging, but I wasn’t the type of girl to tease. Julian was firmly in my past and I was determined for him to stay there. “There’s no guy, roses notwithstanding.”

“
M
usic to my ears
,” he said with a grin.

“
S
o you cater
, deliver flowers and you’re in a band,” I said, wanting to change the subject. “Anything else I need to know?”

“
I
work
a lot of random jobs, but the band has really got most of my focus right now.”

“
H
oping to make it big
?”

H
e shook his head
, looking a little embarrassed. “It sounds stupid when you say it like that.”

“
N
o
, it’s good to have a dream. You can’t have what you imagine having.”

Z
ach reached
up and gently tugged on one of my curls. “You’re a pretty cool girl.”

“
Y
ou’re not so
bad yourself.”

I
felt more relaxed
than I had in a long time. Being with Zach was easy. I didn’t have to constantly wonder what he was going to do or what he wanted from me.

T
oo easy
,
said a treacherous little voice inside of me.

“
W
here are we headed
?” I asked, to distract myself from the dangerous thoughts.

“
I
t’s a surprise
,” he said, waggling his eyebrows in a way that made me laugh. “But I think you’ll like it.”

Z
ach stood
when the train pulled into the next station and he guided me up with him. The doors whooshed closed behind me just as I stepped onto the platform.

W
e exited
the station and ended up on a busy street.

“
T
his way
.” He grabbed my hand and led me down the sidewalk. We naturally fell into step together as we walked.

W
e walked
by a cute Asian bistro and an Italian restaurant but he passed them by without so much as a backward glance.

W
hen he finally stopped it
was at one of those take-out places that was basically just a grill counter open to the sidewalk. Three metal tables with chairs sat out front but were occupied. And the line was long, stretching around and past the side of the counter.

“
Y
ou like polish sausage
?”

“
H
ere
?” I asked a little incredulously. It wasn’t like I went out on a lot of dates, but even to me this seemed a little casual.

“
D
on’t judge
a book by its cover,” he said, obviously enjoying my surprise. “This place has the best Chicago-style hot dogs in the city, and that’s saying something.”

W
e waited
in line until the attendant handed Zach two foil-wrapped packages. By that point, one of the tables had cleared and we quickly claimed it.

H
e handed
me one of the hot dogs. I carefully unwrapped it as the tantalizing aroma of savory sausage, spicy mustard and sweet relish rose up to meet my nostrils.

I
took
a bite and my eyes closed in bliss.

“
T
his is
really
good
,” I said through a full bite.

Z
ach paused
with his hot dog halfway to his mouth and grinned at me. “You look really cute when you talk with your mouth full.”

“
S
hut up
.” I took another bite and swallowed it before speaking again. “I like this. But I have to say, it’s not what I expected.”

“
O
h
, we’re not done yet,” he said, winking at me.

“
I
don’t know
if I can handle anymore.” I tried for a serious expression but couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at the corner of my mouth. “It’s just so much excitement.”

“
Y
ou’ll be fine
. I think you’re tougher than you look.”

D
espite the playful tone
, the look in his eyes told me he meant what he said. “Thank you.”