Lexi, Baby Page 13

  “Okay. I mean, I’m glad his parents are going to get him help, but is he still dangerous? Do I need to worry?” I asked slowly trying to choose my words wisely.

  “Well, the problem we have right now is that no one can locate him. He went home with his parents and then took off.” He spoke in a tone that was probably supposed to help keep me calm, but I was about to freak out.

  Thankfully Trish interjected. “So, what now? Do you think he’s going to come after her? Is that why you’re here, to protect her?”

  “No, that’s not why I’m here exactly; at least it wasn’t at first. I don’t know what Ryan’s planning, or if he’s planning anything at all, but I wanted to warn her,” he spoke to Trish before looking back at me. “Honestly, I expected your boyfriend to be here. I wanted to discuss how he planned on keeping you safe, but I see he’s not doing his job.”

  “Don’t say that. Landyn has his own business and his life can’t just stop because of me. And he’s my fiancé now, not my boyfriend. I’m safe here in this house and Landyn knew that before he left or else he wouldn’t have left.”

  Detective Adam actually had the nerve to snort at what I just said. “Honey, if I had to be somewhere, with the situation you’re in, if I couldn’t be with you, I’d make damn sure you were with me. Especially if you were my fiancé.”

  I know my irritated growl could be heard around the room.

  “Look, I appreciate how you feel, I really do, but you don’t know Landyn and you’re not making me feel any better.” I stood up and started looking around for my cell phone. I could have sworn I heard the Detective mumble, “Oh I know him alright,” but I didn’t pay him any attention. “I’m calling Lan, I’m sure he’ll come home as soon as I tell him what’s going on.”

  “I’ll wait until he gets here,” Detective Bryant stated determinedly.

  How can macho men be so sexy and so damn infuriating at the same time?

  After about thirty minutes of calling Lan’s cell phone with no answer, I called the bar. “BOQ’s Tavern, this is Amanda,” a friendly voice answered. “Hi, may I speak to Landyn, please?”

  “Ummm… I’m sorry, but Mr. James is in a meeting at the moment. Can I take a message?” Well, no wonder he wasn’t answering. “No, that’s okay, thank you.”

  I faced my audience of two. “Okay Detective, be ready in five minutes. I’m tired of waiting around and the last thing I want to do is sleep. Trish, I’m going to the bar to wait for Landyn, will you stay with Layla?”

  “Sure babe. Be careful,” she said.

  I ran upstairs real quick and changed into a pair of tight jeans, a tight white short-sleeved V-neck shirt that barely touched the waist of my jeans. If I made any slight movement, I showed a hint of skin.

  Might as well since none of this will fit me in a few weeks.

  I threw on a brown belt and matching high-heeled, round-toe brown boots. I made sure my hair was down and curled at the ends. I also quickly dabbed some concealer on my bruises, and then headed back downstairs.

  “Let’s go Detective,” I said anxiously as I was coming down the stairs. I watched his eyes travel over my body and I knew my face was as red as a cherry.

  When his eyes traveled back up and hit mine he said “Call me Adam.” His voice was husky. Oh boy.

  I just nodded.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  We rode over to the bar in Adam’s white, very police looking Tahoe in silence. As soon as we parked I turned to him and began pleading. “Look, Lan’s just as macho he-man as you seem to be and he’s probably going to flip when he sees us together. Please, don’t do or say anything to provoke him.”

  He studied me closely for a minute. “I’ll explain the circumstances to your boyfriend and as long as what he says about keeping you safe makes me happy, I’ll keep my mouth shut,” he retorted.

  “So, in other words, if you don’t like what Landyn says you’ll make my life hell? And he’s my fiancé, not boyfriend.” I paused.

  “Where do you guys learn to be such jerks?” I asked loudly while getting out of the vehicle.

  He hurried around to my side. “There’s nothing to teach Alexis. Most good men just want to keep their woman safe and happy.” I felt him place a hand at the small of my back while we walked.

  “Well Adam, I’m not your woman and if you keep flirting with me Landyn is going to kick your ass.”

  “I’m thinking you might be worth it,” he responded.

  Argh! “I’m so sick of men,” I grumbled as we walked into the bar. When the door closed behind us, all the patrons’ eyes turned our way. “Okay, I’m going to assume they’re looking at you,” I said softly to Adam.

  “I don’t know about that honey. I think all eyes are on you.” “Whatever. Do you want to go get a drink or something while I go look for Landyn?” I asked him.

  “No, let’s just get this over with.”

  As we walked down the hall toward Landyn’s office, Adam kept his hand at the small of my back. I kept trying to speed up, but his hand never fell away. I slowed and turned my face up to him. “You really should step away from me. Are you trying to cause a fight?” Just as we turned the corner, he opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. His eyes were focused straight ahead and then he stopped walking all together. I twisted my neck to see what he was looking at.

  Destiny was walking out of Landyn’s office, with Landyn trailing close behind.

  “Are you fucking shitting me?” I screamed. They both jerked their heads up and looked at me like they’d just seen a ghost. How ironic.

  All the color drained out of Landyn’s face. “Lexi, baby, this isn’t what it looks like,” Landyn spoke hastily.

  This isn’t what it looks like?

  I started laughing hysterically; yes, hysterically. “Oh! Of course it’s not what it looks like,” I said through my laughter.

  I was going insane.

  “I’m sorry you had to see this Alexis, but you’ve got the wrong idea,” Destiny chimed in, sounding like she was being genuinely sincere. My laughter died instantly upon hearing the awful sound of her voice. That bitch!

  I started to charge toward her, but Detective Bryant grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

  “Don’t!” I twisted my neck and barked in his face. I jerked my arm out of his hold.

  “You’re going to get yourself in trouble,” he said calmly.

  I just shrugged my shoulders. This was something I should have done years ago and all hell was about to break loose.

  “Get your fucking hands off her!” Landyn demanded heatedly from right behind me. I never heard him move.

  I turned back around so my chest bumped into his, and then I jumped in his face, “Shut up Landyn!” I yelled. He grabbed my face gently between his hands and kissed me fast and frantic. I didn’t kiss him back and I tugged desperately at his arms to drop his hands.

  When he finally pulled back he warned, “You’re mine Lexi. I’ll fucking kill him if he touches you again.”

  “Get away from me Landyn. I knew you were a mistake! What the hell was I thinking taking a chance on you?” I was about to say more, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Destiny trying to slip by us.

  I twisted my arms awkwardly against Landyn’s grasp until I managed to side-step away from him, straight into her path; we were face-to-face. My blood was boiling and I wasn’t thinking rationally.

  “Everything fucked up in my life is because of you. You just can’t stop being a whore, can you?” Her eyes shut and her nose scrunched up like she was wounded.

  “Look, Alexis, this isn’t what you-” she started to speak, but I didn’t want to hear a word she had to say. I fisted my hand, reared back and imagined her face as a nice fluffy pillow. I punched her so hard in the face she screamed, lost her footing and fell back.

  Everything from that moment on happened at warp speed.

  “Shit!” Landyn thundered. “Jesus!” I heard shouted from behind me just before Adam gra
bbed me around the waist and hauled me back while I shook out my hand. It hurt like a mutha!

  Landyn caught Destiny just before she hit the ground. Blood was running down her arms as she covered her face with her hands.

  “Damn it baby!” Landyn bellowed at me. “I didn’t have sex with her! She came here looking for Trish! Are you hurt?” Landyn was looking at me, and talking to me like he was concerned about me. All the while, he continued to comfort Destiny while she was half propped up on his thigh.

  My eyesight was hazy and I was seeing red! I wanted to rip his head off. What he said about Trish never even registered in my mind.

  “You know what, Landyn? Go to hell! You no longer exist to me. I never would have imagined telling you this way, while the slut you cheated on me with twice that I know of, is laid out on the floor between your thighs, where you so clearly want her at all times.” I looked pointedly at Destiny in disgust then back at Landyn.

  “I’m pregnant, you asshole.”

  Landyn’s whole body jerked and he gaped at me. “You’re pregnant?” he asked softly, ignoring everything else I just said. He even sounded relieved which pissed me off even more.

  “I’m only a five weeks pregnant and you better pray that I don’t miscarry after the stress you and you’re bitch just caused me,” I spat at him. I still wasn’t thinking clearly and couldn’t be too sure if my threats were making sense, but words wouldn’t stop spewing out my mouth.

  “I was five weeks pregnant and in this exact same situation the last time I caught you. At least this time I won’t live with the regret of not telling you that you’re about to be a father!”

  I wanted to cry so badly, but I chanted “Don’t cry” over and over again in my head.

  Instead, I laughed harshly at my next realization. “It would seem that crazy Ryan was right from the very beginning. When you found out about Layla, I should have just told you to take me to court in the first place. I never should have gotten mixed up with you again.”

  I started to wiggle impatiently in Adam’s hold. “Let me go Detective,” I demanded before continuing, “Landyn, if you want to see Layla or this baby, take me to court. But good luck finding me!”

  I spun around to face the man who wouldn’t let me out of his iron grip, “Move your ass copper! I don’t care if you arrest me and take me to jail; just get me out of here now!” I saw him bite down on his bottom lip like he was trying really hard not to laugh at me.

  “I hate men,” I grumbled, and then stormed down the hall and pulled out my cell to call Trish. I started in on her as soon as I heard, “Hey bitch.”

  “Trish, don’t ask me any questions. Go get Layla, don’t even pack her bag, and get the hell out of that house. As soon as you leave, call me and I’ll tell you where to meet me.” I hung up on her.

  Un-fucking-believable was my life.

  I barely made it outside the front door and into the parking lot when the nausea hit. I had to hug the side of the building while making my way to Adam’s SUV. Abruptly, I was lifted up by strong arms and I glanced up to see it was Adam. I didn’t know why I expected Landyn to come after me.

  “I think I might throw up,” I whispered.

  “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll get you out of here.” Good thing he was parked conveniently and illegally against the curb on the side of the building.

  As he placed me in the passenger seat I wiped frantically at the tears I finally let escape. It was a miracle I actually made it this long without crying. Once Adam got in and started the vehicle, my phone rang at the same time banging started on my window and someone tried opening the door. Thank God it was locked because there could only be one person who wouldn’t care about breaking into a cop car.

  “Lexi, baby, get your ass out his car and let me explain!” he shouted. I ignored him completely and sobbed into the phone. “Hello.”

  “Lex, what the hell is going on?” Trish asked, freaked.

  “Baby, I didn’t sleep with her!” Landyn shouted again. I turned to face him through the glass with my phone still pressed against my ear, and shouted back. “Of course you didn’t sleep with her! You just fucked her right? Next thing you’ll tell me is that you don’t remember any of it!” I threw his words back in his face.

  All the muscles in his face grew tight and somehow he looked like he grew another foot. His eyes moved to look deliberately at Adam. Adam’s narrowed eyes were on Landyn. I glanced back and forth between them as they seemed to be holding some kind of scary, silent conversation.

  Finally, Landyn’s eyes came back to me. “I’ll give you tonight, but tomorrow we’re sorting this shit out,” he said angrily and his eyes moved, once again, back to Adam. “You better make sure she’s safe, and I’ll fuck you up if you touch her, pretty boy.” With that he turned and stormed off.

  Shit!

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Adam put the vehicle in gear and took off down the road. I concentrated on the phone. “Trish, have you left yet? Is Layla with you?”

  “Lex, you’re freaking me out. Yes, I just left and Layla’s asleep in the back. What the hell is going on?”

  “I just caught Landyn and Destiny together again,” I hiccupped into the phone. I waited, but my revelation was met with silence on the other end of the phone.

  “Trish, you there?”

  “Ummm… yeah, I’m here. You actually saw them having sex?” She asked in an extremely soft, extremely concerned, extremely odd voice that, under normal circumstances, would have been alarming if I was thinking straight. “Hang on T,” I told her and turned my attention to Adam.

  “Can you take me to a hotel, please? A cheap one, but one that’s safe?” He glanced at me quickly before returning his eyes to the road. He shook his head. “I’ll take you to my house. Ryan’s still out there somewhere and I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone. I’ll give you the directions so you can tell your friend where to go. You can figure out the rest later.”

  I didn’t want to stay at his house. I didn’t even know this guy, but I had to admit that I didn’t want Trish and Layla to stay at a hotel alone either.

  He was a cop right? He had to be safe. So I gave Trish the directions and we disconnected.

  “So what’s your deal Detective Adam? Did you grow up around here? Divorced? Girlfriend? Kids?” I was trying to fill the awkward silence with conversation.

  “I did grow up around here, not too far. I’ve never been married, no girlfriend or kids.”

  “Why don’t you have a girlfriend?” I asked gently.

  He was quiet for so long that I didn’t think he was going to answer me. Then, finally, he started talking. “I didn’t have the best childhood growing up and let’s just say that it also overflowed into my adult life. I’ve had one real girlfriend and it didn’t work out. I have women, not girlfriends, and frankly, I’m not too sure they’re worth it.”

  That was such a depressing thing to say. He even sounded depressed, like even he didn’t believe what he was saying. “Don’t you want to be married with little baby detectives running around?” I asked him.

  He turned and gave me a pathetically fake smile. “If it happens, it happens, but I won’t be holding my breath.”

  I knew right away that our conversation would be weighing heavily on my mind until I could do something about it. There was something very vulnerable about this man.

  I didn’t question him any further. The rest of the ride was quiet.

  About twenty minutes later, we pulled up to a two-story, white colonial house. It was nowhere near the size of Landyn’s, but it was still large and extremely nice. “Here we are,” Adam said as he opened his door. I got out of the Tahoe and met him at the front steps. I was nervous being around a man I didn’t know.

  He turned toward me and smiled as I stood looking up at the front door. “Come on Alexis. I swear you’ll be safe here. You have nothing to worry about. I might give you a hard time, but you’re safe, especially from me. I’ll give you a tour and show
you to the guest room.” He was being very sweet.

  I started up the steps. “I’m sorry I put you through all that drama tonight.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I haven’t had that much fun in a very long time. I should be thanking you.”

  He opened the front door, turned on the front lights and gestured for me to enter first. “After you.” I smiled and walked in. Then he gave me a tour of his house.

  “Alexis,” he called just before we were about to head back downstairs, his worried tone stopping me in my tracks. I faced him.

  “In more ways than you’ll ever know, your life and what happens to you, has become my business. As much as I wish it weren’t true, I can’t deny that after seeing the way Landyn acted toward you tonight, I’m positive that what you saw tonight wasn’t what you think.”

  I was staggered. Was he saying what I think he was saying? “I’m sorry, I don’t understand,” I whispered. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “Honestly, honey, I’m fairly certain he wasn’t having sex with the woman he was with. You know I’m a detective. I make my living by reading people and I’m pretty damn good at it. Something was going on, that much is obvious or she wouldn’t have been there, but it wasn’t sex.”

  That was blunt. I really didn’t know how to respond and I told him that. “I’m not sure what to say. Didn’t you hear me earlier? This wasn’t the first time and the last time it was with the same woman too.” My voice was barely audible.

  “I understand that Alexis, and I’m somewhat aware of the previous circumstances, but I don’t think that’s what was going on this time.”

  What the hell did “somewhat aware of the previous circumstances” mean?

  Luckily, I was saved from responding straight away because the doorbell rang. I studied the hottie detective quickly and determined that he wasn’t trying to be malicious; in his own way, he was actually trying to make me feel better. I smiled at him. He smiled back.