All The Pieces (Pieces of Lies 3) (25 page)

“Then tell me.”

She looked around the room, trying to find something. I could see she was planning her escape.

“TELL ME!” I roared. I must have been crazy to yell at her like that, knowing I would freak her out, but she didn’t look afraid. She only hung her head, still searching the room with her eyes.

“I can’t tell you Clint. As much as I want to, I can’t.” She swallowed hard. She ran over to where I had dropped my car keys on the floor near the door where we came in. “I haven’t even told Josh yet. I’m sorry. Okay. I’m sorry. I will always be sorry for what I did in New York. I’m sorry that when things got tough between us, I ran from you and to Josh without so much as a second thought. I’m sorry Clint. I’m forever going to be sorry for what I did to you. But I have to do this now...I have to go...with him.” And with that she picked up my keys and sprinted out of the building.

I was shaking from the adrenaline that had hit me from my body wanting to have a full-on rage attack. I literally had my future’s happiness in my hands and lost her. Our last good-bye was yet another unspoken conversation that I would never have. I was so close to having her, and then like a puff of smoke, it became lost into the unknown. There was something she was not telling me and it was the reason we couldn’t be together. It was the reason she was choosing Josh. I had to find out. I had to know what that one thing was that stopped us the way it did. I would always wonder otherwise. I needed to know.

So, did I just stand in that room and watch her run away from me for the millionth God damn time?

No. I did not.

This time, I ran after her.

I was sitting in the darkness. Waiting. Just waiting. It was all I could do, and it was where I belonged. I could find comfort there. It was where my sins were not thrown in my face, and where I could hide in my shame.

I kept turning the light on and off during my watch, staring at the time. She had been gone all night. The moment she left with  
him
my nerves started to come undone. Sleep was not an option. Every possible scenario imaginable was going through my head. I gave Norah the freedom to leave and choose someone else. I told her to date her ex-boyfriends even after she came after me and agreed to join the Lappell. I was trying to show her I was worthy, but I just felt like I was a coward, not taking real responsibility for my mistakes.

“Can’t sleep?” A voice popped out of the dark stillness of the room. For a second I thought it was Norah, but it wasn’t. It was a feminine voice I didn’t recognize. The room became illuminated by a small pewter wall lamp near a hallway leading out of the kitchen. There stood a tall blond woman, wearing a short silver cocktail dress, arms folded over her chest. Looking closer at her face through the dim light, I could make out the flecks of blue in her eyes, and that similar, almost identical facial expression. It was a trait all Weston family members seem to have.

“I guess I should be asking you the same thing,” I countered as she sauntered towards the breakfast bar. “Delia?”

She made an ‘
uhhummm
’ sound, stopping at the fridge door. “Yes. I take it, you are Josh, the fiancé?”

Fiancé? I wasn’t sure. I tried not to let her see my disappointment on my face, but it came out of my mouth anyway. “I was, once upon a time, but I’m not in that fairy tale anymore.”

She pulled open the fridge, the light from the fridge making her eyes squint as she took inventory of what was inside. She reached in and pulled out an open bottle of champagne, and began chugging from the bottle.

“Classy,” I boldly said out loud, almost amused at this uncouth display from a Weston-ite.

She turned, and glared at me while still chugging, purposely taking louder gulps. When she removed the bottle from her lips, I knew she would come back with something equally spiteful, which of course, I deserved. Perhaps I was looking for a fight? Something to take away the feeling of despair. “So...Joshua Hollows...manipulated anymore innocent young women tonight?”

Ouch.

She watched me, waiting to see what I would say next. This could easily turn into a verbal sparring match, and as much as she was already looking at me with death stares, I didn’t have it in me to go on the attack. Downplaying and owning it was going to be my best form of defense.

“Ahhh, the night is young Delia. I may still have time.”

She smirked at me and closed the fridge door. I thought she was going to walk away, but she took a seat across from me at the breakfast bar, bottle in hand. The dim light from the lamp allowed me to see her features more closely. From a distance she appeared stern, cold and kind of older than how she looked initially. But up close, there was more softness in her face, a beautiful youthfulness, yet her eyes showed a weariness she couldn’t lift, no matter how much alcohol she was trying to consume.

“It’s almost dawn,” I said glancing again at my watch. “You’ve been out all night.”

She rubbed the rim of the bottle. “E. L. duties. And not the kind I enjoy,” she said, a hint of pain present in the words. I knew that she was referring to the Elite Lappell. Her eyes were staring off into the dark, probably trying to push down the images she had in her head to somewhere deep inside where she had buried many before. Her membership was also taking its toll. It was written all over her face, in her expression, and in those sad and lonely eyes. Seems I wasn’t the only one who felt at home in our black surroundings.

She leaned a little closer, swaying ever so slightly as she did. The alcohol having a somewhat trancelike effect on her movements. “I read your file...Joshua Hollows,” she whispered, like it was a secret that no one should know about.

My back stiffened. “You did?”

“Yes, I’m E.L after all. And I wanted to see what kind of person my brother was really dealing with. Especially considering you were so good to him.” I could feel her distaste roll off her tongue.

She had read
my
file. I knew the Lappell keep files. This was not unknown knowledge within the club. But files for each members held different kinds of information. It wasn’t the standard ‘date of birth, names of parents, schools I attended’ type of file. No, Lappell files held secrets, fears, ambitions, mistakes. Only certain people had access to that type of information. People who had power and influence. Delia must have had a lot more pull than I gave her credit for, but after what I did to Clint, she probably went a bit further to get her hands on my information.

“I’m curious Josh, does Norah know?” She took another swig of champagne, her gaze not leaving me so she could see how I would react. Observation was a key skill in the Lappell. If you look close enough at people, they can give you everything they are trying to hide without saying a word.

“Know what?” I asked carefully, trying to figure out where she was going with this line of questioning and maintaining a steady and unreadable expression on my face.

Delia tried to hold my eyes, trying to come off as fierce but the alcohol was still making her seem off balance. “That you are an  
Assessor.
” She hissed at me, making the Assessor word sound like something that would come out of a snake’s mouth. Delia made the statement like it meant one huge secret I was keeping from everyone. But it wasn’t. My role with the Lappell in New York was known by everyone. It wasn’t something hidden. But in this case, she was of course, referring to its true meaning. Its hidden meaning. Something I did not anticipate her looking into. She was making reference to what happens to Lappell members who do my particular job.

This was now a dangerous conversation.

“I do not know what you mean Delia,” I simply said, hoping it was enough for her not to push further down that rabbit hole. Although I could tell by the look in her eyes, she was about to go there and she knew what she was going to find.

“Yes you do Joshua. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” There was no sway in her movements when she said it. No slur. She looked me dead on, with seriously knowing eyes. The kind that have everything all figured out and can be used as weapons. I looked away, still trying to play dumb, though I knew the mental assault was coming.

“Why don’t you tell me what you think I’m hiding Delia?”

She snickered. “Well, if you insist on playing more games...” Delia gulped more champagne, like it was never going to be forgotten in her head, even if she was clouding it with mind-numbing substances. “An
Assessor,
in the Lappell,” she began, “is exposed to a lot of interesting deals and very important information. Their secrets, their files, names, places, times and dates. It is information that can potentially expose or bring down this society if it ever got into the wrong hands.” Her eyes then fell to my hands resting on the bench, that were linked together, fingers intertwined.

I lifted my eyebrows, trying to looked shocked at the insinuation. “Are you suggesting I’m the ‘wrong hands’ type of guy?”

“I’m saying, that there are two different kinds of people who choose to be an Assessor in the Lappell, because that role, quite simply puts a big red shiny target on your back. So, you either want to die young, or, you are not as loyal as you make yourself seem.” She cocked her head further as she studied me. “Maybe it’s both. I saw your psych results too. I know how your parents’ death affected you...made you...you know...” She stopped her assessment, knowing she had stepped over a line, looking at me with pity.

I didn’t want her pity. “Just stop Delia. I’m just doing a job, nothing more.”

“No. No, I think not. I think once you disappear with the little princess, you’ll have whatever information you already have stored, sent off to the right people.” She paused for a second, raising one of her fingers in the air, “So who are you going to send it to Josh? The FBI, CIA...the Mob perhaps? I bet all of them would like to get their grubby little hands on what you have.”

I shook my head. “No.”

She pursed her lips. Disbelief still written all over her face. Delia obviously had already made up her mind. I didn’t know how to change her thoughts even if I wanted to. I was more concerned with what she intended to do with her theories. Before I could try and turn her thinking around, she started in on a rant.

“You know you can’t beat them Josh. And you shouldn’t be going away with Norah. You know too much already. You’ll always have to look over your shoulder no matter where you go with her. What her father has planned and set up is an illusion. They will never stop hunting you down. You know that. It’s the role of the Assessor. To die with their secrets. They will figure this out. They will find out you are not dead and then they will come after you. It may not be tomorrow. It may not be for years down the track. But they will find you. Both of you. They lurk everywhere Josh. And you’ll never see them coming. Norah may have had a chance disappearing on her own, but not if you go with her. That’s the brutal truth.”

I rubbed my eyes, trying not to break. Trying not to give Delia the confirmation she was looking for. Knowing what she was saying was right, but not wanting to give Norah up, no matter what the cost or consequence. If she chose me, left with me, then I would protect her. She wouldn’t have any reason to look over her shoulder because I will see them coming. I will always be watching and waiting. I had to.

“You are doing it for her aren’t you?” Delia said softly now. “You’re risking everything to bring them down. Expose them. Gather their secrets and destroy them. Trying to be the David against our Goliath?”

The other truth. Yes, I did have a flash drive with the information Delia was making reference to stored at Norah’s father’s apartment. It was the perfect hiding spot, carefully secured to the back of her mother’s photograph on her father’s desk. The problem with that flash drive was that I had not yet put into place any contingencies. I expected to come back from Europe with Norah as my wife. I did not expect to go into hiding and start a brand new life. Maybe I would never tell anyone it was there. Maybe Norah’s Dad would find it one day and expose the Lappell for me. It was going to be one of those things that I decided would be left up to fate. If I told someone about it now, my supposed ‘death’ would just look more suspicious and the Lappell would definitely hunt us down. It was best I forgot I created it and moved on with my life with Norah.

Delia watched as my mind ticked over. “Norah is my world. I’m not scared to do anything to protect her and our future. I would do anything for her and anything to have her.”

Delia took another long swig, downing the remains of the champagne in the bottle. Her head moving side to side, even more than before. “Yes, my brother’s learned that harsh reality. I see that now too. How far you’ve really gone for Norah. What you are willing to do for her and to have her. It’s all very romantic in lots of ways Josh...” She slid off the stool, “But it’s also fucking tragic too.” She started to walk away back down the hallway she had emerged from, having said her peace. There was no debating with her. I was only concerned with one thing now.

“Are you going to say anything Delia? About...you know?” I yelled out, before she disappeared out of view.