Before That Night: Unfinished Love Series: Caine & Addison, Book 1 (16 page)

“I rest my case,” he retorted dryly.

He pressed his lips against her forehead softly, then brushed them against her temple, and finally, after staring into her eyes for a beat, he sealed his lips over hers in a hot, hard kiss that stole all the air out of her lungs. “See you tonight.”

“I’ll be the one under the blankets with Marco,” she confirmed.

“Your tab is getting bigger by the minute, sweetheart.”

She gave a hot, nanosecond long kiss before teasing lightly, “I’m pretty sure that’s
my
line for you.”

He groaned. “I’ve created a monster.”

She gave him an innocent backward wave as she returned to the diner, while making sure her hips were giving it all they got.

As soon as he left, she checked the clock.

Three more hours.

Just three more hours before they found out if David was crazy enough to come out of hiding because of the way she’d antagonized him tonight.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TURNS OUT, HE WAS
that crazy.

Crazier, even.

Addison had just finished locking the diner door and was about to get started on her usual closing duties when she heard the commotion coming from the backlot.

Seeing as how they’d told the janitorial staff not to come in tonight, she knew it was David.

She went running out back and felt her blood run cold at the sight that greeted her.

A half dozen cops standing silently around the backlot.

Caine nowhere in sight.

And Marco being used as a human shield by David, who was holding the man at knifepoint.

“Addison, get back,” commanded an officer whose face she couldn’t quite make out in the dark.

She evaded his attempts to grab her and ran closer to David and Marco.

She knew exactly what she needed to do.

“David?” Addison infused as much innocent confusion into her voice as she could. “David, what are you doing? Why do you have that knife?”

It sounded like the cheesiest line, normally uttered by the stupidest character in a psycho killer movie. But given the psycho starring in this particular scene, she thought it was the best avenue to take.

“
Addison?
”

David sounded manic, almost like how her mom used to sound when she was on a bad drug trip, only ten times scarier. “David, what’s going on? Why is the police here? Are you okay?”

His eyes widened over that, and the ugly rage on his face turned…hopeful.

She took another step closer. “Is it because of that silly restraining order they made me fill out the other night?”

The glimmer of hope exploded into a full order of crazy, with an extra helping of delusional.

“I knew they forced you to do that,” exclaimed David. “And that’s why they made your coworkers keep me from seeing you last night, too, right?”

She painted a befuddled look across her features. “You came to see me? Was that before or after they asked me to come in for more questions?”

He exhaled a shaking, heaving breath through his teeth so sharply, it sounded like a high-pitched, emotional cackle.

“David, let that guy go. Doing this is just going to get you arrested. Why
are
you doing this, anyway?” Another doe-eyed damsel in distress look, complete with the delicate hand upon her chest. “Wait, how did you all even get in here? It’s a locked lot.”

“I climbed over the wall,” he replied finally. “Because I saw
this
piece of trash sneak into your van. He was waiting to attack you, Addison.”

She gasped. But it wasn’t acting. She was truly horrified at how much it sounded like he believed his own words. “Is that Marco? He asked me out a few times, but I never thought—” She softened her eyes and tilted her head at David. “You were protecting me?”

“Yes.” He swung a wide arcing look at all the cops watching his every move. “I was protecting her. This cop is the one you should be arresting. Who knows what kinds of unspeakable things he would’ve done to Addison.”

That actually sounded pretty believable. And if not for that sick trembling smile that overtook his lips at one corner, she would’ve thought he was merely delusional, not necessarily dangerous. But then his eyes scanned her body, head to toe, with that same twisted grin ghosting his features and it was all Addison could do not to hurl.

Back to the objective. “Are you mad at me, David? For having to turn you down again?” She beseeched him with sad eyes. “I haven’t been able to date anyone because of the kids.”

He nodded vigorously. “I know. And that’s not your fault, Addie.”

She’d never been a fan of that nickname. Figured he’d be the one to use it.

“I had a responsibility to my brother and sister, you understand that, right?”

“I know. That’s why I took care of it.”

Infusing surprise into her tone, she asked incredulously, “
You
were the one who called the police? And got social services to take the kids?”

He beamed proudly. “That was me! I did it so we could be together.”

“I wish you had told me. I was so sad, and so confused. I was crying earlier and no one would tell me anything. Caine was the only one who would answer my questions.”

David’s mouth curled into a snarl. “And that’s when he took advantage of you! I saw him kissing you. I knew there had to be a reason!”

Flinging out bait and letting his crazy hooks sink in somewhere seemed to be the best way to navigate this. “It was all so overwhelming. First the kids, and then the kiss.” She wrung her hands, and again, noticed how his eyes glued to parts of her body. Yuck. “I suppose you already guessed that with the kids taking up all my free time, I’m…” Lowering her voice and her eyes, she whispered, “Not that experienced when it comes to all of that.”

Peeking out through her lashes, she saw him lick his lips.

So, so gross.

“I had a feeling,” he sighed happily. “You were saving yourself for me.”

Again with the weird, off-balance comments. His brain was a seriously frightening place.

“I know Caine took advantage of you today. That bastard.”

“No. He wouldn’t do that, would he?” She edged her question with doubt. “Is that…is that why he told me to get a restraining order on you?”

“Yes!” he declared. “Oh, Addie, you’re so naive and innocent. Your virginity is such a special gift. And all of these guys have been trying to take that from you. From
me
.”

Good lord, it was like following him down a creepy, psychedelic rabbit hole.

Vicious disgust filled his eyes. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset with you, Addie. I forgive you for everything. It’s all that bastard’s fault. He tried to take what’s mine earlier today. What you’ve been holding onto for me. Just like this guy here.” David pressed his knife closer to Marco’s neck.

Addison did her best not to react. “You really forgive me? You’re not going to…” She paused to let his sick imagination start galloping away. “Punish me?” she finished, playing with the hem of her shirt nervously.

“Punish you?” he echoed, looking like she’d just offered him a big bowl of candy.

Caine had been reluctant to share the case reports of David’s previous assault reports, so she’d asked his sister Lia to have their foster brother Drew hack the information for her. In his assault charge prior to the last one, the one where it was suspected that he’d drugged the girl, but it’d been settled out of court, the victim had reported that David had tried to force her to strip for him. For being a ‘bad girl.’ He kept telling her that was her punishment.

“Because I’ll make it up to you however want, David. I mean here you are protecting me even after another man was touching my body.” Right now, it was better that he directed his anger at a man that wasn’t here, than at Marco.

“You were a bad girl,” he finished, taking this to the messed up place she knew he would.

“I’d understand if you felt you needed to
punish
me, David. And I promise, I’ll do anything to make these guys understand that they can’t have my body.”

“Because it belongs to me,” he snarled, eyes fixating on her hands still wringing the hem of her shirt, this time high enough that he got a flash of skin.

“Strip for me, Addie. Right now. In front of all of these guys.” His crazed gaze traveled up to meet hers, gleaming with both violent triumph, and thirsty impatience. “Take off all your clothes and come to me. That’ll show them who you belong to. And I’ll forgive you for all your indiscretions.”

“Will you let Marco go?”

A weird look came over him. He looked down at Marco as if he’d forgotten he was there. Suspicion narrowed his gaze.

Shit. She’d pushed too hard. She quickly began lifting her shirt to try and distract him. “Could you at least move him to the side? So I can see your face?” she ventured. “Right now, it feels like I’m stripping for Marco because I can’t see you.”

David immediately shoved Marco to his knees. “You really do love me, don’t you, sweetie?”

Aaand
they were back in crazy town.

She heard the footsteps beside her, and instinctively moved in the opposite direction. But under the pretense of being illuminated with more light from the squad cars. All the while, she dragged her shirt higher and higher, watching David pivot slowly in the direction she was leading him, eyes riveted on her now fully exposed bra.

She tossed her shirt to the ground near him.

As she moved to unsnap and unzip her jeans, Addison racked her brain on how to get David to drop that knife. She had his undivided focus now, yes, but it would only take a split second for him to slash through Marco’s jugular.

She first dragged her zipper all the way down, and then slipped her thumbs under the waistband of her jeans before she stopped.

“Why’d you stop?” he demanded, almost frantically.

“That knife. It looks brown, not black.” Moving to rezip her jeans, she started backing away from him. “Did you bring that knife to hurt me, David? That isn’t the knife from my van. It’s brown, not black.” It was clearly black, and she’d never once carried a knife in her van, but she was going with a Hail Mary at this point.

“It’s not brown,” insisted David.

Frowning at the knife, mentally she was shouting for him to get to the next logical step. If she asked him to do it, he’d balk again. “It’s so dark where you’re standing. But it looks brown, David.” She fiddled with her zipper tab to try and help him along.

He took two steps forward. “It’s black, look.” He lifted the knife a few inches closer to the glowing beam of the nearest headlight.

That’s all they needed.

Caine came flying out of the dark and tackled him, just as Marco spun around and put some hurt on the bastard as well.

All the men around them exploded into action a split second later as well.

Meanwhile, Addison just stood there, frozen in delayed fear and an overdose of adrenaline as she watched David’s manic expression fill with hatred.

“You tricked me, you bitch! You’re just like all those other cock teases! You whore! You’ll open your legs to this police trash but—“

Caine knocked him unconscious.

But he didn’t stop there. He began raining down unholy vengeance with his fists, pummeling the already out-cold David like he was a punching bag.

“Caine!”

At the sound of her voice, he stopped. Chest heaving, eyes filled with unadulterated rage…and fear. He looked pained. Almost
unable
to stop.

Addison quickly ran into his direct sightline. “You did it. You saved me. Now stop, Caine. You’re a good cop. You trust the system. Now just let him go face justice. And come to me.” She held out her hand to him. “Come back to me, Caine.”

His voice barely sounded human. “He was going to rape you, Addison. Maybe even torture you. Kill you.” He flexed his blood-covered fists and raised it to his temples in anguish.

“I know. And you stopped him. So now please. Come here and comfort me. Because I’m scared out of my mind, Caine. Or at the very least come here and yell at me for showing all your buddies my underwear. I know it’s just boring, white cotton and—”

That made him lurch to his feet.

He stomped over to her and didn’t even pause when one of the guys tossed him a blanket from his squad car. Eyes hard, frame tense, expression…raggedly relieved, he bundled the blanket around her and yanked her into his arms. “I can’t believe you did that, woman.”

“I’m sorry. It was the only way I could think of to distract him enough to maybe let Marco go.”

“I’m not angry that these yahoos saw your freaking hot as hell underwear.” His lips flattened. “Okay, that’s not true, I’ll probably be pissed tomorrow at every guy here who didn’t avert his eyes. I’m not angry at you for that though. I’m impressed actually, at your quick thinking and your cool head while you were setting him up.”