Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (61 page)

     I nodded, and I would try my damn’dest to follow
through with it.

∞                   
∞                    ∞

    I paced my parent’s lounge, my nerves strung tight.

    Mother was pacing as well, but short spans in front of
the window. Pacing and drinking. I’d never seen her knock them back like she
was tonight, or seen her so on edge. Dad had been right; she appeared to be on
the edge of a precipice needing only a small push to send her over.

     Dad was the only one seated, but he was far from
relaxed. He sat on the edge of his chair nursing a drink as well. It was the
only one he’d had in the forty minutes I’d been here waiting with them. 

      I wouldn’t have minded a drink…or five, but that
wouldn’t help me in my ‘almost’ promise not to fight with Kris.

     I hated that they both had to deal with this. I had to
continually remind myself that this wasn’t my doing, it was Kris’s. He needed
to be confronted on what he did, and made accountable. Somehow…someway, I was
going to make him answer for what he did.

     I’d lied to Maya about what I was doing tonight. I’d
told her I’d made plans with the guys, and that I thought she should do
something with her girlfriends. It was something I’d felt I needed to do at the
time, but at the same time the lie was making me feel like shit.

     “I can’t believe we are doing this.” Mother complained
yet again. “Kris’s innocence shouldn’t even be questioned based on such
insubstantial…”

     “Nadine…please.” Father interrupted, rubbing the back
of his neck.

     The last forty minutes had been filled with her
complaints and him interrupting her. I didn’t know whether I should welcome her
grievances since they broke the stress-filled silence, or find fault with
them.    

     Mother downed the rest of her drink and headed back to
the bar. As she was pouring dad’s phone beeped. The air thickened with acute
tension as he looked as his phone and fingered the screen.

     “They’re here.” He announced setting the phone down.
Picking up his glass he tipped the rest of the liquid down his throat.

     I didn’t know what to do with myself. If I was by the
entrance when he came in no one would stop me from jumping him. My best bet
would be to stand behind the couch, as far from him as I could.

     The seconds ticked by and during them I took note of
dad’s weary posture and mother’s rigid, trembling one. Seeing her like this
made me want to hug her, give her comfort; it was an emotion I wasn’t
accustomed to feeling toward my mother because she normally exuded such
strength. It made me want to kick Kris’s ass all over again for all the anxiety
he was dumping on the both of them.

     A door closed in the distance and footsteps drew
nearer. And then he was there and his appearance shocked me enough that I
forgot my anger for a moment. Kris had been in rough shape the last time I’d
seen him, but he was worse now. It looked like all he’d been doing for months
was drinking and eating. He’d gained about twenty pounds.

     Mother must have been surprised by the change in him as
well because I heard her gasp.

     An older male, mid-thirties, large and beefy, probably
ex-military, led him into the room. Kris allowed it, most likely used to it after
days of being handled. Kris’s gaze swept the room and latched onto mother with
what appeared to be a pleading look.

     My anger surged forth again. Did he think she was going
to save him?

     The PI pushed Kris into an empty chair and looked
toward my dad.

     “Thank you, Henry. I’ll settle up with you tomorrow.”
Dad stated.

     “Sure, Mr. McKay.” Henry turned and marched from the
room.

     A heavy silence settled over the room after he left…except
for the pin drop. I’d agreed to let dad question Kris first so I fisted the
couch and swallowed my angry words.

     Kris’s gaze swung back and forth between mother and
father, but stayed far from me. It didn’t help my anger issues.

     “So…” Father declared loudly, making Kris and mother
jump. “Explain to me
now
why you felt the need to run clear across the
world to hide from your brother, and me.”  

     “Dad…” Kris’s whine came out pleading, already
searching for leniency. “Mother told me Landon was out for my head so we…I
thought I would leave and give him a chance to calm down. I didn’t think it would
take him this long to see reason.”

     I couldn’t stop the growl that came from my throat, and
it finally brought Kris’s attention to me. I got a brief glimpse of the fear
shadowing his eyes before they skittered away once again. The fucker was still
going to deny what he did.

     Dad leaned forward with a confused frown. “If taking
off only had to do with Landon why not take any of my calls. You had a job and
responsibilities you just dropped. Kris, your actions don’t make sense.”

     “I just…” Kris stuttered and looked at mother again.

     She stepped forward, lilting slightly from too much
alcohol. “I told him to go, and I also told him to ignore your calls. You would
have told him to come home and I wanted Landon to calm down before Kris came back
home.” She scowled. “Only he never did. Everything just got worse; the
accusation, the girl, the child…”

     I broke in not wanting Nola brought into the
discussion. “I didn’t start this mother. Kris initiated all this with his
actions.”

     “He slept with the girl, he didn’t rape her.” She
shouted.

     “She wouldn’t have done that mother.” I barely stopped
myself from shouting back.

     Her expression turned wildly agitated. “The girl…”

     Dad straightened abruptly. “Stop Nadine. Let Kris tell
us the story.”

     Mother shut her mouth but looked even more anxious.

     Kris pushed himself back in the chair looking cornered.
“What story?”

     “What happened that day?” Dad queried. “Landon said he
walked in on you and Maya sleeping and naked in the pool house. How did that
come about?”

     The cornered look didn’t fade. “The girl came over to
the house looking for Landon. I told her that he would probably be a few hours
and asked if she wanted to stick around and wait for him at the pool house. She
said yes. We ended up drinking quite a few drinks while waiting and I don’t
know…it just happened. I’m sorry.” His gaze locked with mine for a second, and
for that second I actually thought he did regret what he’d done.

     It didn’t matter though. He’d drugged and raped a girl,
my girl, and he couldn’t take it back. Sorry didn’t cut it.

     “What about the drugs that were found in her system,
Kris?” I growled moving around the couch.

     His eyes widened. “Drugs?” That squeak was a dead
giveaway. “I didn’t give her drugs. If she had drugs in her system it was
something she took on her own.”

     “It would be the first time I’ve heard of a girl giving
herself GHB.” I sneered fisting my hands. It was already becoming too difficult
to hold myself back. I wanted to beat the confession out of him.

     “I’ve come across lots of girls who do it; makes them
less inhibited.” He declared swiftly…too swiftly. He’d gone from confused about
the drugs to having a quick explanation for them.

     “Maya had three fucking drinks spaced out during the
whole time we went out. She never got drunk. Never took drugs. She was a virgin
and we waited two months before becoming intimate, and that was a week before
you and the pool house. Your entire fucking story is complete fabrication.”
Unconsciously I’d been making my way closer to him. A hand on my arm halted me.
Dad’s hand. “Tell the truth before I beat it out of you. Admit it, you drugged
and raped her. Was she even awake when you did it? Or was she completely passed
out? You’re a sick fucking bastard.” I was yelling and pulling on dad’s hold on
me in my effort to get to him.

     Kris was shaking his head frantically. “No…no! I didn’t
rape her, and there’s no way there’s proof I did.”

     While his adamancy seemed genuine I didn’t believe him.
I believed Maya.

     The scene I’d walked in on four years ago flashed in my
mind; the two of them naked together on the bed, Maya sprawled on top of him.
FUCK! I wanted that image burned from my memories. He’d already raped her my
then, but I’d just walked away believing the worst of her. Then she’d had to
wake up and cope with that all by herself.  

     It became too much for me. Breaking my dad’s grip I
lunged forward slamming my fist into Kris’s face. I wasn’t done either; I
grabbed his shirt and punched him again and again.

     Hands pulled on my shirt.

     “Landon, stop!”

     “Oh, God! Stop! Stop!”

     The hands impeded me just enough that Kris was able to
scramble over the chair, sending the chair and him crashing to the floor. I
dragged the hands with me as I shoved the chair out of the way.

     Kris crouched there reaching his hand out toward me,
his nose and lip bleeding. “Nooo, I….didn’t rape her…I never touched her. I
promise. It was all a set up. Mom asked me to do it.”

     I froze in shock…and distantly I felt the shocked
silence behind me. “What…what the hell are you talking about?”

     I stumbled to the side so I could take in my mothers
figure as well as Kris’s. She stood there with her hands fanned out in front of
her, her expression tortured. Dad stood there with his mouth gapping slightly.

     The hush in the room was filled with the sounds of
heavy breathing.

     My gaze went back to Kris. “What are talking about?” My
gaze switched to mother. “What is he talking about?” My mother? She was
involved with this?

     She stared at me beseechingly. “It was harmless. I just
wanted you two to break up.”

     Her words were like a punch in the gut and I stumbled
back further.

     “Nadine?! What are you saying?” Father stared at her
like he didn’t know her.

     One of her hands reached out to him. “They were wrong
for each other. They were from two different worlds, headed in two different
directions, she would have held him back, and she was already making him change
his plans. He’d signed up for those art classes. I just wanted him to stay
focused on what was important; his future in the family company.”

     The shock passed and fury overwhelmed me. “So you had
Kris rape her!?” I yelled. “Then planned for me to find them and think it was
consensual?” Oh god. It wasn’t just my brother that ruined Maya’s life, it was
my mother too. My family conspired to destroy her.

     She shook her head fervently. “No, no! He didn’t rape
her. He just made it seem like they were together. That she cheated on you.”

     I stared at her in stunned incredulity. She was crazy.
She had to be to plan this. And could I believe what they were saying? My eyes
locked on Kris who hadn’t moved.

     “Did you rape her?” I moved forward threateningly which
had his eyes widening in fear. “Tell me the fucking truth. She was naked on top
of you…” I choked at the vision. “I find it difficult to believe that you got
her naked and didn’t do anything; didn’t take advantage of her.”

     He shook his head. “I gave her the drug. She passed out
and then I stripped her. She got sick as I did this…all over me. It didn’t
exactly make me amorous toward her. Hell, the whole situation was nerve racking
because I had to keep watch for you so I could set the scene. I scattered the
area with empty bottles so it looked like we had partied. I stood at the door
and watched you walking toward the pool house and that’s when I jumped in the
bed with her and laid her over me. I was freaking out that you might beat the
shit out of me at what you saw, but mother was certain that you’d just accept
what you saw and write her off.”

     Even though my family was breaking apart in front of me,
and my heart constricted at how easily I’d fallen right into my mother’s plans,
the relief I felt that Maya hadn’t been raped was like an enormous weight
lifted off my soul. But just as quickly the relief vanished. Could I truly
believe him? His actions weren’t those of an honest person.

     “What about afterwards?” I growled, needing to be sure.
“You were with her a long time after I left.”

     He shook his head. “I promise. I didn’t. I never really
wanted to do the whole thing anyway, but mom pushed me for help. I would never
rape a girl. The girl was passed out cold…I’m not into having sex with comatose
females.”

     Nadia’s account slammed into me and I bent down and
fisted his shirt, as well as his hair. Jerking his head back I snarled. “You
made drunken remarks about drugging some girl to have sex with her, Kris. Nadia
heard you. What about that?”

     Gripping my wrist with a look of panic he bleated. “I
was talking about another girl.” I stared at him horror. How many had he done
this to besides Maya? My fingers twisted in his hair at the thought and Kris
whimpered in pain. “No, it’s not like that. I was telling the truth when I said
that some girls take the drug to loosen themselves up. This girl did that and
not just with me. I swear, I didn’t have sex with your girlfriend.”

     I wanted to punch him even though he was telling me
what I wanted to hear. It sounded genuine but could I ever be positive that he
hadn’t. Releasing him with a violent push I roared. “But you’re okay with Maya
thinking she’d been raped? Going through her entire life with that nightmare memory.”
I looked back at my mother in disbelief and revulsion. “I can’t believe you did
this. You’re a female and you did that to Maya; made her think she’d been violated.”

     I almost raised my uncertainty of Nola’s parentage but
I didn’t want anyone knowing about that. What if Kris was lying?