The Bad Boy Next Door: Lance & Chastity (41 page)

“Then you gotta find someone else with money. There’s lots of rich people in the world. I know a few in Vegas.”

“Fuck that crowd,” I snort. “The interest they charge is murder.”

Dad smirks, “Ain’t that the truth. Don’t you know anybody else in LA who’ll help? I can’t believe everyone said no to you, son.”

“One guy said yes.”

“Who?”

“A record producer named Julian Whittaker.”

“Why did you turn him down?”

I wanna punch something. “Because sometimes yes costs too much.” The way that fuck was eye raping Chastity makes me fucking pissed even now. I don’t know why I was surprised. That shit happens all the time in the record business. Either way, my answer to him would’ve been and will always be no. Julian Whittaker can go fuck himself if he thinks I’d trade Chastity for his money.

Dad stands and drops the wet paper towels into the trash. “You hungry?”

“Yeah. Why? You wanna get some food?”

“I’m starving. But we should wait for Chaz. Do you know where she is? She’s usually here around dinner time.”

Chastity.

That’s when I figure it out.

“Fuck, Dad. I gotta go. I think I know where she is.”

I run out of the kitchen and grab my keys and helmet.

I sure as fuck hope I’m wrong.

Chapter 31

LANCE

My GSXR screams as I lean into the hairpin turn, heading up into the night dark Hollywood Hills.

This is ridiculous.

I don’t know what I’m thinking.

Chastity would never do something this crazy.

Would she?

I hope not. She’s not that kind of girl.

Is she?

Let’s see. I fucked her at her ice cream job. I fucked her in a dressing room with people right outside. I fucked her on stage in front of a crowd. She’s crazier than I ever woulda thought. Who knows how crazy she really is.

Fuck.

I grit my teeth inside my helmet and toe the shifter and crank the throttle as I go up another hill. Mansions whip past on both sides of the windy road as I fly by, their lights blinking through the trees.

As I make the final turn, I try to calm down.

She’s not gonna be here. Once I know for sure, I’ll realize what an idiot I’m being and laugh at myself the whole way home.

Then I see Lark’s car parked near the gate to Julian Whittaker’s mansion.

Then I see red.

I can’t get off my Gixxer fast enough. It nearly falls on me as I lean the bike on the kickstand and tear my helmet off. I pound on Lark’s driver window.

She jumps in her seat before cranking the window down. “What the fuck, Lance? You scared the shit out of me!”

“Did Chastity go in there?”

“Yeah. She walked through the gate an hour ago and told me to wait for her.”

“Fuck. How could you let her go in there?”

“Let her?” Lark challenges.

“Yeah. What were you thinking?” I’m pissed.

Her brows tighten. “Bite me, Lance. I’m not her Mom.”

I don’t have time to argue. I sprint past the front of her car to the intercom at the gate. I hit the button a bunch of times. No one answers. This is bad. I run back to Lark’s car. “Has anyone come out since you got here?”

“Some woman drove out after Chaz went inside, but that’s it.”

“Shit. When?”

“Right after Chaz went in.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

“What, Lance? Is Chaz in trouble?” She’s worried.

“I don’t fucking know.” I turn around and eye the gate. Vertical black bars and an arched top. I jump up and grab the arch, swinging my leg over and dropping to the other side.

“What are you doing?” Lark asks, running up to the gate.

“I’m gonna go get Chaz.”

“Should I be calling 911?”

“If Chaz is hurt, yes. If I kill someone, no.”

Lark looks at me like I’m crazy. “Um. Okay.”

Right now, I am.

I turn and jog up the curving driveway in a crouch, listening for sounds of security. A place this big has to have something. To my surprise, I make it all the way up to the six car garage without hearing a sound, going right past a big black Range Rover and that Ferrari 458 Spider parked out front.

Then I hear it.

I turn and scan the dark lawn that rolls down the hillside.

Two loping silhouettes bounding up the grass.

When they start to bark, I run.

Fucking Dobermans.

I sprint up the square stone steps to the front door.

Nails click behind me.

If this was a martial arts movie, I’d either use some ninja shit to subdue the dogs, or do a flying kick through the front door of Julian’s house and land on the broken door like a surfboard. But I have zero experience fighting dogs and this front door is definitely kick proof. Luckily, there’s a flat overhang to the right. I run down the short slope of dirt beside the stairs, hopping bushes. I jump and grab for the overhang, catching it with one hand. I swing the other up and do a pull up.

Barking Dobermans nip at my heels.

Lucky I’m wearing motorcycle boots. I kick up and get both forearms on top of the overhang.

Something snags my jeans.

I kick as hard as I can.

A yelp and the dog lets go.

I heave my legs up and roll onto the overhang, which is covered in fine gravel. I guess this is a roof. One of many on this place. I stare down at the Dobermans. They bark like crazy. One of them is a jumper, but he doesn’t come close to reaching the roof.

“Fuck you guys,” I whisper.

How am I going to get down?

Or in the fucking house?

I roll onto my back and stare at the night sky.

This is insane.

I wait for a minute, listening for someone to open the front doors and call the dogs off. When that doesn’t happen, I look down and see the dogs just sitting there staring up at me. At least they’re not barking.

I wish I’d brought meat. That’d keep them busy. But I used up all my steaks the last time I snuck into some rich asshole’s mansion to rescue my girlfriend.

I chuckle to myself.

If this wasn’t actually happening to me right now, I wouldn’t fucking believe it. Oh well.

Time to get Chastity.

She’s somewhere inside this huge house.

I stand up and look around. Since all the walls on this place are glass, it shouldn’t be hard to find her. Unless Julian’s got her locked up somewhere in a sex dungeon with the whips and chains. He totally seems like the type. No worries. If he does, I’ll chain his ass up and whip the shit out of him.

I creep quietly across the roof, on a mission to find the woman I love.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“I think it’s time for me to go,” I say to Julian over the bed that stands between us in one of his mansion’s many guest bedrooms. Like the rest of his house, the decor of the room is minimal and precise. Shades of gray on white with an accent of red stitched on some of the rectangular furniture. I set the glass of wine Julian poured me on the window bench.

“Already?” He sounds bemused, sipping his own wine.

“I shouldn’t have come here.”

“Then why did you?” he asks, arching a thoughtful brow as his eyes glide over the curves of my off-the-shoulder dress. “And why did you come dressed to play?”

I suddenly feel like covering up or hiding behind something. Julian’s predatory tone makes me nervous. “I don’t know. I thought maybe… I don’t know what I thought.” I want to leave as fast as possible, but Julian stands between me and the bedroom door. I wonder if I can run past him and down the stairs and outside before he can catch me. Then I remember how his front doors have hand print recognition locks. I wouldn’t be able to get out. I’m screwed. Coming here was a horrible idea.

THUD!

My heart jumps at the loud sound behind me.

Julian frowns. “What in the world?”

THUD!

Someone just kicked one of the bedroom windows. Twice. With the lights on inside, it’s impossible to see outside into the dark.

Julian walks up behind me.

THUD!

We both stare out the window.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Fists and a face come into view.

“Lance?” I mutter.

He screams something through the window, his face a ball of fury. The thick glass mutes his words to a vague bass rumble. He pounds the window again and again.

“One second,” Julian says impatiently, setting down his wine next to mine on the bench and reaching for several levers on the heavy frame. When he finally opens the window, it pivots a quarter turn in its steel frame like a revolving door. That is one big window.

“Get your fucking hands off her!” Lance shouts, diving through the narrow gap. His torn pant leg catches on the corner of the frame and he tumbles to the carpeted floor. He twists and kicks his leg until the jeans tear free. Then he’s on his feet in a flash, looming over Julian, ready to kill.

Julian chuckles casually, unafraid. “You certainly have a flair for the dramatic, Lance. Did my Dobermans give you any trouble?” He picks up his wine glass and sips it.

Lance glares at him then flicks his eyes at the second wine glass. “What the fuck were you thinking giving her wine? She’s eighteen, dumbfuck.”

Julian shrugs dismissively. “I thought she would enjoy it.” He steps past Lance and runs his hand across the window glass. “I was told by the agent who sold me this place that the previous owner was obsessed with security. A sultan’s son or some such. According to the agent, all the windows in this house had been bulletproofed and could withstand a rocket propelled grenade. At the time, I thought she was exaggerating to close the sale. Perhaps I was wrong.” He turns and smiles at Lance and me. “I presume you came for Chastity?”

“Fuck yeah I did,” Lance grunts, throwing a protective arm around my bare shoulders. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” He eyes my tight fitting dress.

“No,” I sigh. “I’m fine.”

“Did you drink any of his wine?”

“No. Yes. A little. I’m fine, Lance. It was just wine.”

“It better be,” Lance growls at Julian.

Julian chuckles, “It’s a rather fine ’88 Richebourg Grand cru. Do you think I’d sully a sixteen hundred dollar bottle of wine with Rohypnol? The bitterness would destroy the flavor.” He lifts my glass from the sill and offers it to Lance. “You should taste it. The end note of violets is sublime.”

I don’t remember tasting any violets. Not that I know what violets taste like.

“Fuck you, Julian,” Lance grumbles.

The truth is, I’m relieved he showed up when he did. Julian seriously creeps me out. It doesn’t matter that he’s really good looking and super rich and knows all about wine. He is weird with a capital
What the fuck
? I never should’ve come here dressed like this. Or at all.

“Let’s get the fuck outta here,” Lance says, leading me toward the bedroom door.

“You won’t be able to get out the front door unless I open it,” Julian teases.

Lance spins around. “So go fucking open it. Before I open up your head.”

Julian looks at Lance thoughtfully, then walks toward him gracefully, stopping a foot away, looking him straight in the eyes. He’s Lance’s height, but not quite as muscular. “Lance, do you recall when I said that you were too impatient for your own good?”

“You’re about to find out how impatient I am in about half a second.”

Julian closes his eyes and snickers. “Calm down, Lance. Not everything in life is a show of strength and bravado.”

“It’s not a show, motherfucker.”

“Never underestimate an opponent, Lance,” Julian says almost apologetically.

Oh, geez. What is Julian going to do? Whip out mad ninja skills? A gun? Two guns? Ten? Or maybe a hundred security guards with ten guns each? Based on his complete confidence, probably all of the above.

“Is that a threat?” Lance fires.

“Merely an observation.” Julian brushes past Lance and me without looking back. He stops in the hallway. “Are you two coming?”

Lance and I are both speechless.

“Feel free to use the bed,” Julian says as he heads toward the square staircase.

Lance and I goggle at each other.

I want to say to Lance,
Did he mean now? For, you know… you and me to have sex? In his house?
Then I realize Julian probably has cameras in every room so he can film people having sex. And probably jerk off to it later. He seems like the type.

Julian talks over his shoulder as he descends the stairs, “I never intended to bed Chastity.” He stops after two steps and turns to face us. “Not that I would turn down the opportunity.” His eyes rake over my dress.

Lance tenses. I squeeze his wrist, trying to soothe him.

Julian flashes a quick smile before continuing down the steps. “I merely wanted to insist you include her in your video. Your concept begs for an ingenue like Chastity to play the part of Christine.” Julian’s voice recedes below us, “When you didn’t suggest it yourself during our first meeting, I thought I’d insist on it. It’s my money, after all. But you were too quick to…” His voice fades until he’s too quiet to hear.

Lance and I stumble over each other as we rush down the stairs to catch up with the man with the money.

++++8++++

CHASTITY

“I can’t believe he said yes!” I whisper to Lance as we walk down the square stone steps outside of Julian’s mansion, a huge smile on my face.

“I hope those fucking Dobermans are inside or I’ll tear their throats out with my teeth.” Lance is furious. He’s not even listening to me.

“He said he had them brought inside.”

Lance doesn’t hear that either. “Did you see the way he had his eyes all over you after we went downstairs to talk money?! He totally wants to fuck you!!” Lance’s anger is white hot.

“But he didn’t and he won’t.”

Lance stops on the steps, squeezing my hand hard. “And what the fuck were you thinking coming over here?! You were ready to fuck him, weren’t you?!”

“No!”

“What was with the wine?! You should’ve known better!! And what the fuck were you doing in his bedroom?!”

“He poured me a glass without asking and offered me a tour of the house! So what?” I’m getting angry because he’s angry.