Addiction (43 page)

CHAPTER FORTY

CASE

“Dude, wake up!”

“Stop.” I growl, gripping the soft thing lying in front of me and pulling it closer to me.

“Case!” I hear Brecken say and then I feel his fist in my side.

I turn on my side and open my eyes. “What the fuck …?”

“Get out of bed. We gotta go.”

I roll back over to hug on Taylor but realize I had been hugging a pillow. “Taylor?” I ask sitting up. I look around the room and frown when I don’t see her. “Taylor?” I demand. It’s still dark outside. Where the hell is she?

“She’s gone,” Brecken announces.

“What?” I shoot up off the bed. “Where is she?” I demand.

He holds up his phone in front of my face, and I yank it out of his hand.

Case:
Grab Case and get up to Seven Deadly Sins.
Now!

I run a hand across my face. “I didn’t send this to you,” I say confused. It shows it’s from me. And it also shows it was sent fifteen minutes ago.

“I know.” He yanks it back from me. “That’s because Taylor sent it from your phone.”

“No. There’s no way …” I walk over to my jeans on the floor, and I pick them up. I reach into my back pocket and frown. I try the other pocket. Nothing! “What the fuck?” I reach into my front pocket for her car keys and they’re gone. “I don’t understand …”

“I don’t either, but your girl is telling us to get our asses up to Seven Deadly Sins. So you wanna continue to sit here trying to figure it out? Or do you wanna go and ask her?” Brecken demands.

I immediately start to put my jeans on, followed by my shirt. We’re out the door within seconds.

“Give me your phone,” I order as he pulls out of his driveway.

I go to my number and hit send. She answers on the first ring. “Brecken …”

“Taylor!” I snap. “What the fuck are you doing up at the club?” I all but yell. “Have you lost your mind?”

“Case,” she says softly. “Please listen to me.”

“What could you possibly have to say that would make you leave Brecken’s house in the middle of the night?” I growl. “With my cell phone?”

“Please, Case? I know you think I’m crazy and I might be, but I know who is behind this.”

I drop my head and run my hand through my hair. There’s no way she could know who is behind this. The guys and I were up until two hours ago going over every possibility. We had been trying to decide who knew where I lived, but the thing was it could have been someone who didn’t know until that night. Miller reminded us that they had figured out who Blane was, so maybe someone figured out I was undercover and it just took them over a week to figure out where I lived.

“I know you’re trying to help, babe, but …”

“I’ve never lied to you.” She interrupts me, and I sigh heavily. “And I’m not lying to you now. I can prove it. I just need you to trust me. Please, Case. I’m begging you to trust me,” Her voice is soft yet urgent all at once.

I look over at Brecken, and he looks at me as we sit at a stoplight. “It’s your call,” he says. “But what do we have to lose?”

Taylor! I have Taylor to lose. I don’t know what the hell she’s up to, but I can tell it’s gonna be dangerous for her. But that’s why I’m heading for her. To save her. To find out what she’s doing and what the hell made her want to do it. “We’re on our way,” I tell her, and I hear her sigh in relief.

“Okay, make sure to park in the West parking lot and come in the back door. I’ll see you in a minute.” And then she hangs up.

“Does she know what she’s doing?” Brecken asks as he stomps on the gas.

“She’s gonna get herself in deep shit, is what she’s doing,” I announce tossing his phone over to him.

“Well, you always have been the type of guy who likes the damsels in distress,” he says with a chuckle, and I grind my teeth in frustration.

Within fifteen minutes, we’re pulling into the West parking lot. “Taylor?” I yell out her name as we enter through the back door. Although I’m thankful to see her, I’m also very pissed at her. At how fucking secretive she could be.

We make our way down the hallway, and I find her standing in the middle of the club. “You better start explaining yourself,” I demand as I take a look around. She’s the only one here. “Right fucking now!”

The smile drops off her face, and she swallows nervously. “This was the only way …”

“Only way to what, Taylor?” I shout interrupting her.

She lets out a sigh as she runs her hand through her hair. “You’ll see,” she says and then she lifts her shirt and reaches behind her. “Here. You’re gonna need this.” When she brings her arm around to the front, my eyes widen.

I reach out and yank my gun out of her hand. “How did you get this?” I check to see if the safety is on and, of course, it’s not. “You could have shot yourself,” I hiss. “Do you even know how to use a gun?”

She ignores that question. “Your office. I remember you telling my brother about it right after those guys shot up the club. I didn’t think you’d mind, but I tore up what was left of your desk in order to get your drawer open that was locked.”

Brecken lets out a laugh as he mumbles, “Maybe damsel in distress was the wrong thing to call her.”

I take a step closer to her. “Why do I need a gun, Taylor? And why the hell are we here?” And I already have a gun on me. Brecken and I don’t go anywhere without them.

She walks past me and grabs a hold of Brecken’s arm. His eyebrows lift in surprise. “Brecken and I have to hide,” she informs us as she tugs on his arm. He rolls his eyes but allows her to pull him backward toward the hallway we just came from. “Oh, and hide that gun. That’s just in case.”

“Taylor?” I shout as they disappear down the hallway. “Taylor!” I run down the hallway and find them standing in the middle of it. Taylor has a smile of satisfaction on her face, and Brecken looks amused. “What …?”

I shut my mouth as I hear the front door of the club open and close and Taylor whispers, “Trust me.”

I give her one last glare before I look at Brecken. He gives me a nod and then wraps his arms around her. The smile drops off her face. I don’t know what she has planned, but I know Brecken will keep her safe. I tuck the gun into the back of my jeans and then turn around, walking down the hallway ready for the worst.

“Case.”

My body comes to a halt as my mind tries to comprehend what I see in front of me once I hit the open floor of the club.

“God, I’m so glad you messaged me.” Two arms wrap around me and I push her away. Dark brown eyes search my face as her lips frown. “What’s wrong? Why do you look surprised to see me?”

“Rachel?” I ask in surprise.

She smiles brightly as she steps into me again. She places her hands flat on my chest and runs them up till they wrap around my neck. “I knew you’d want me back,” she says in satisfaction. “That little girl doesn’t have what I can give you.”

I stand here looking down at her in confusion and shock. Why would Taylor tell her to come here? “What did my message say?” I ask stupidly.

But Rachel just laughs it off. “How much you miss me. How much you need me.” Her voice drops to a seductive growl that would once make me hard. Now it just irritates me. “That you couldn’t stop thinking about me.”

I shake my head as I reach up and grab her hands. I pry them from around my neck as I speak. “I didn’t send you that message, Rachel,” I say flatly.

She just smiles up at me. “Wanna play, Case? Okay. Let’s role play.” She runs her hands through her long bright red hair as she licks her lips and pushes her fake tits out for me to see. “Wanna play cops and robbers? Want me to walk outside and come back in as if I’m about to rob the place?” I shake my head as I sigh heavily. What is Taylor trying to prove here? “Come on, Case. You can arrest me. Place your cuffs on me and fuck me however you want.” She lets out a shaky breath as if she’s already getting warmed up just thinking about that. “Want me to scream out no while you fuck me anyway?”

“Rachel …” I growl.

“You wanna force me to my knees and make me suck your cock?” she whispers as her eyes light up with excitement. “You always like it when I try to fight you. It turns you on even more knowing that you have that power.”

I swallow down the bile that starts to rise in my throat. I hate how true her statements are. How twisted I could be in bed with her. I have never once wanted that kind of power over Taylor. I mean, yeah, I can be rough and need control, but I never made Taylor feel like a victim. Rachel always liked it when I did that to her.

“No, Rachel! I didn’t text you to come here to fuck you.” I didn’t text you at all.

“Well, then why did you text me?” she huffs as she places her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t.” I grind out.

She huffs, getting pissed. “Quit lying Case. I got your message …”

“Hi, Rachel.”

Rachel’s dark eyes look beside me, and I see that Taylor and Brecken now stand there. Taylor looks pissed, and Brecken looks as shocked as I felt two minutes ago.

“What’s going on?” Rachel asks. “Why are they here?” She looks at me in question. I just stare at her as I shake my head. Taylor is wrong. Rachel cannot be the one who set my house on fire. Or tried to shoot us here at the club. Rachel doesn’t have those kinds of resources.

“You’re here because I text you from Case’s phone,” Taylor announces. She slides me a side glare. Her eyes run up and down me with a look of hatred. Of course, she hates me. She just heard that I’m a fucking pervert.

“I don’t understand. You said you were sorry and wanted to see me. What is she talking about, Case?” Rachel demands.

Taylor takes a step toward her, now glaring at her. “I asked you here because I need to prove to the guys that you are the one who tried to kill them.”

“I don’t know …”

“Save it!” Taylor interrupts her. “See, it only took three clues to lead me to you,” Taylor announces. I expect Rachel to deny it again, but instead, her eyes narrow on her. She continues. “The first clue was what you said at the hospital. You said that you had heard from a friend that Brecken had been shot. That was a lie. I didn’t figure that out till a few hours ago. I didn’t know you had been fired by Case until after we left there. There were only five of us here when Brecken was shot. And every man who fired on us was killed. There was never any news story about what happened that night and Case had told all the employees that he was remodeling.” Rachel opens her mouth to speak, but Taylor keeps going. “Second clue.” She holds up two fingers. “You also mentioned at the hospital that Case had looked like he had a rough night the night before. You would only know that if you had set the fire.”

“You’re crazy,” Rachel hisses.

Taylor just continues. “The guys keep trying to figure out how someone knew where Case lived. And you did.” She did but … “I had seen a picture of you on his mantel. It was the three of you guys and a sold sign in the front yard.” Taylor laughs at herself. “Only you would be stupid enough to pull such things and continue to keep coming around.”

“It wasn’t me. Why would I kill them? I love them,” she spits out.

“That’s the only thing I can’t figure out,” Taylor muses. “Why would you kill them?” she asks herself out loud and then shrugs. “I’m not sure. Maybe if they die, they leave you the club. Or maybe you are just one twisted, fucked-up bitch who wants them dead. All I know is that you did it.”

“Rachel …” I take a step toward her. She does fit all of those clues Taylor just said. “Tell me the truth. Did you do this?”

She shakes her head frantically as tears well up in her eyes. “You know I would never hurt you guys.”

“I thought it was odd the way you looked at Blane the moment you found out his name. And just the other day at the hospital, Case said that the guy had got a phone call earlier that evening to attack me.” Taylor goes on as she takes another step toward her, and her voice drops to a growl. “After you met Blane, I found you in the locker room. The moment I walked in, you hung up. It was you. It was all you! You ordered to have them attack me and then when Case and I came back after being gone for those three days, you didn’t like what you saw. So instead of going after me, you went after the guys. Then when Blane went to meet up with those drug dealers, you told them just enough for them to want to harm him.”

The club falls to silence as we all stand motionless. I still have my doubts that Rachel did it. We’ve known her for four years, and yeah, she’s crazy but to kill someone? If she were to kill us, then who would clean up her messes?

“Why?” Brecken is the one who speaks first. He obviously doesn’t feel the same as I do. “Why would you try to kill us? After all we’ve done for you?”

“I didn’t …” Tears run down her face.

“Stop fucking lying,” Taylor yells. “We know you did it. Just confess and quit playing this stupid game.”

She lets out a long breath as she stares at Taylor with hatred. The tears that run down her face all of a sudden just stop. She reaches up and wipes them away. I watch as the cruelest smile spreads across her face. She looks over at Brecken and her fuck you look appears. “After all you’ve done for me?” She throws her head back letting out a laugh, and I reach out, grabbing Taylor’s shoulder and yank her behind me. Once I know my body is shielding hers, I reach behind me and grab my gun. I’ve underestimated this crazy bitch way too much.