Business as Usual (Off The Subject) (30 page)

She stares at me, tenderness in her eyes then she finally says, “I need a shower. Want to join me?”

“Sure. But first I need a cup of coffee or I’ll never keep up with you.” Then I pause for dramatic effect. “Please tell me you have coffee.”

She sits up and the sheet falls. I reach up and run my fingertips along the curve of her back. I could touch her every moment of the rest of my life without getting enough of her.

“Yes, we have coffee. The machine is Caroline’s and it’s her baby.” She pauses. “I’m surprised she left it here. But I know she hopes to come home. She’s waiting for Reed to confide in her.”

“She left because she thought Reed was seeing someone else, but you said he’s in trouble.”

She looks over her shoulder at me, as though weighing her options. I wonder if I’ve overstepped my bounds, but then she says, “Yes. Reed won’t tell her because he’s doing something illegal and he’s worried that if Caroline knows about it, she might be implicated too.”

I sit up, shock jolting through my body. “Your brother—
Reed Pendergraft
—is doing something illegal?” I shake my head. “I don’t buy it.”

She turns around to face me, but she doesn’t look angry like I’m worried she will. She looks scared. “He told me so himself, Ben. He says she’ll be forced to testify against him if she knows anything.”

I try to keep my mouth from sagging open. “What is he doing? And why would he tell you?”

She swallows. “It’s
because
of me.”

I watch her for several moments before I put it together. “You said he was out of town. Where did he go?”

“He called Caroline and told her he was going to Boston. He asked her to come stay with me while he was gone, but I convinced her I didn’t need a babysitter, that two security systems would be enough. But my uncle says Reed left Boston yesterday. I think he’s in New York City.”

“What’s he doing?”

“I don’t know.” She shakes her head with a sigh. “He told me that Todd has been trying to find me.” She pauses. “I need to tell you the whole story.”

Is Todd the name of the motherfucking bastard? I put my hand on her shoulder and rub lightly. “Alexa, you don’t have to.”

“Surprisingly, I want to,” she says softly. “I realized that last night, and it astounded me. I’ve never wanted to tell anyone, especially my last boyfriend.” She tilts her head to the side with a wry smile. “Whom I incidentally broke up with just minutes after freaking out when we had sex.”

I slide my arm around her back and tug her into the crook of my arm, then gently kiss her. “Thank you for not breaking up with me, not that I would have let you.” I give her an ornery smile. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’m pretty damn…stubborn.”

“I was going to say sweet,” she says, kissing me back. Then she looks down. “That was the first time I had sex after being raped last April. We tried multiple attempts. At first I didn’t understand what the problem was because I felt fine most of the time…at least when he wasn’t holding me down or anything. He felt terrible,” she whispers. “And I felt terrible about putting him through that. He’s a really nice guy. He didn’t deserve it.”

I squeeze her shoulder. “And you didn’t deserve it either.”

She’s silent for a moment. “The wig is what helped me figure it out, although at first I wasn’t sure if it was the wig or the fact that I took charge with Rob.”

“The guy you were with at the bar?”

“I knew it was short-term. He seemed safe.” She releases a nervous laugh. “You probably think I’m a slut.”

“Uh. No.”

“I felt like I was more sophisticated in the wig. It gave me a confidence I didn’t have.”

“Is that why you wore it when you showed up at my apartment the other night?”

She’s silent for a moment. “Well… I wasn’t sure if you knew who I really was, so I didn’t want to just show up as a blonde. I was actually there to tell you the truth. Only I was scared that you’d be angry. That’s why I kissed you.” She takes a deep breath. “But I wore the wig when I left in case someone was watching our apartment. I figured they wouldn’t know it was me if they saw me leave.”

I try to keep my arm from tensing. “Who would be watching your apartment? The guy who raped you?”

She doesn’t answer.

“Is he around?
Are you safe?
” My breath comes in short bursts. “Why the hell would Reed leave you alone?”

She turns to me and grabs my hand. “Ben, calm down. I’ll tell you everything. But you can’t freak out.”

I nod, hoping I can live up to my agreement.

She tells me that she went to a small private college out east her freshman year. She knew the Todd guy was interested because he kept asking her out, but she found him arrogant and conceited, so she turned him down every time. So he turned into a secret admirer, only Alexa didn’t put the pieces together. It started out as notes, then gifts—the tokens left in her classes or outside her dorm room door. But one night, when her roommate was gone for the weekend, Alexa went back to her room and he was waiting for her there. He raped her multiple times before he left that night. She immediately called the campus police and then her brother. Reed had been waiting in the ER when she arrived. She pressed charges and then the shit hit the fan. His family had money, and they threatened to slap Alexa and her family with a slander suit. Her parents’ corporation was undergoing an investigation for fraud, and her parents couldn’t handle the media storm of a
he said, she said
public spectacle. So they made her drop the charges and quit school to protect her from further contact with him. Reed was livid when she called him. He convinced her parents to let him bring her somewhere with a new identity, so that she could live a normal life, free of media scrutiny.

“So, you’re not Alexa Pendergraft?” That explains the fake ID from Massachusetts.

“No, I’m sorry. I’m Alexa Monroe. Pendergraft is my great-grandmother’s maiden name.” Worry fills her eyes. “Are you mad?”

“Why would I be mad? Your last name could be Jingleheimer Schmidt for all I care.” I cup her face with my hand. “You did it to be safe, right? To hide from that psycho. How could I be upset over that?” My back stiffens. “You said he’s trying to find you?”

She nods, not looking at me. “That’s what Reed said. This has been going on for over a month.”

Fuck, no wonder her brother has been such a dick. I’m about to become one too.

“Reed told me that the woman he’s been talking to is like a private investigator. And I know he’s doing something illegal. He said he was going to make sure I was safe this time.”

“And you don’t know what he’s doing?”

“No, although when I think about it, physical violence isn’t Reed’s style. I suspect he’s doing something with his computer.”

“Like what?”

She shrugs. “I don’t know. I was hoping you might have an idea since you’re a math guy too. But knowing Reed, he’s going to go after their money, their corporation, or both.”

I close my eyes and release a heavy breath. “If he gets caught, the charges would be federal.”

She sniffs and turns to me, tears spilling down her cheek. “Will you help me stop him?”

My eyes widen in surprise. “How?”

She starts to cry. “I don’t know, Ben. All I know is that Reed gave up his entire life to come here with me. He was supposed to go to Stanford to work with his lifelong idol, but he gave it up for me. And now he’s about to give up the rest of his life too.” She starts to cry harder. “I’ve known this for days, but I didn’t know who to turn to for help. I called my uncle thinking he could talk some sense into Reed, but he wouldn’t listen to him either. I can’t let him destroy his life, Ben. I can’t.”

I pull her against my chest and stroke the back of her head. “Shh. Don’t cry, Alexa. We’ll figure something out.”

She pulls back, her eyes wide. “You’ll help me?”

She really thinks I could deny her? “Of course.”

“Thank you.” She throws her arms around my neck again and kisses me.

“Hey,” I grin. “How can I turn down a job with such great perks? Now I need to know everything that could possibly help us figure out where he is and what he’s up to.” I slide to the edge of the bed. “But first I need coffee.” I reach for her hand and pull her to her feet. “And you need a shower.”

She stands. “There’s one more thing.”

I wait for her to continue.

“The reason I think Reed is in New York City.” She looks up at me. “When I was looking for clues to help me figure out what Reed was doing, I found a phone number in the pocket of his dirty jeans.”

Something about the way she’s saying this has me on edge. “And it was a New York City number.”

“Yes.” She seems nervous.

“What aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s
his
number.”

I try to control my temper, but rage spills out with my words. “The motherfucking asshole who hurt you? You have
his
number?”

She nods.

“I want it
right now
.”

Her shoulders stiffen. “Ben, stop. There’s more.”

“
There’s more than that?
”

Her eyes narrow. “If you can’t control yourself, I won’t tell you anything else.”

I take a step away from her and suck deep breaths through my mouth, pushing them out again with force. I don’t think I’ve ever been so angry in my life, but Alexa’s been through enough grief. I will
not
add to it. “I’m sorry. You have no idea how much I want to hurt that guy.”

“I do. I’ve seen it in Reed.”

Who would have thought Reed Pendergraft—Reed Monroe—and I would have so much in common?

I take another breath. “Okay, I’ll try not to react so strongly.”

“All I found was the number,” she says in a quiet voice. “I looked it up and the only information I could find indicated that it was a cell number from Manhattan. I called it thinking it was Ms. Pembry, but it was him.”

I suck in a breath.

“He tried calling back immediately after I hung up without speaking. And then he tried again yesterday when I was at the grocery store.” She shakes her head with a shrug. “I almost missed the call, so I just grabbed it out of my purse and answered without checking who it was. He figured out it was me. I hung up, but he knows I have his number.”

Fear races up my spine—if he has her number, he can easily find her.

“Ben, don’t you see?” she asks. “If Reed does something to sabotage them, the fact that I just called Todd will tie my brother to whatever happens.”

“We need to call Reed, Alexa. We need to stop him.”

“I’ve tried!” She says, frustration filling her voice. “After Todd called me, I tried calling Reed again, but he wouldn’t answer. He still won’t. And I’ve been leaving him voice mails telling him to call me, that it’s important, but he still hasn’t gotten in touch.”

I place my hands on her shoulders. “We’ll figure this out. I promise. Why don’t you take your shower? I’m going to skip my class and let’s go to his office in the math lab to see if we can find something that will help us.”

Tears fill her eyes. “Thank you.”

I take another breath. “Don’t thank me yet. He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to leave a paper trail, but it’s worth a shot. Are you sure you searched his entire room?”

She hesitates.

“Then we’ll search it again before we go.”

“Okay.”

“Get in the shower and I’ll be there as soon as I get my coffee IV going.”

She disappears in the bathroom and I head to the kitchen, thanking God that Caroline not only left her coffee maker, but that it’s a one-touch system. I grab a cup and press the button when I hear a cell phone ringing.

It’s coming from Alexa’s purse. Ordinarily, I’d let it ring, but it could be Reed. I dig out the phone, but Reed’s number isn’t on the screen. It’s just a number and it’s not local.

Is it the motherfucker?

Knowing what I’m doing is wrong on every level—I could stir up even more shit by doing this, but I can’t stop myself. I want him to know that Alexa has people who will protect her, that we will not allow him to intimidate her. “Who is this?”

There’s silence, then a low laugh. “The question is who is
this
?”

“Leave her alone, you asswipe.”

“Lexi’s the one who called me,” he says in a cultured voice. I’m used to his kind. There are a few hundred of them running around the campus of Southern University.

“It was an inadvertent mistake,” I say. “So do yourself a favor and lose this number.”

“No can do, muchacho,” he laughs. “Lexi called me for a reason.” He pauses and lowers his voice. “I know she likes to play shy and hard to get. But it’s all an act.” He chuckles. “Maybe you’ve figured that out by now.”

“The only thing I’ve figured out is how to treat a woman with respect, which means comprehending what the word
no
actually means.”

“You’re funny,” he says. “I like you.”

“The feeling is so
not
fucking mutual.”

“Tell Lexi I know where she is and that I’ll be seeing her soon.”

I grit my teeth and force out, “Over my dead body.”

He laughs. “That can be arranged.”

And then the connection is broken.

Lexi

Ben never joins me in the shower.

I tell myself that it doesn’t mean anything. But I’ve dumped a ton of crap at his feet in the last few hours—what if he’s having second thoughts?

I’m amazed that I told him at all. No, I’m amazed by his reaction. He didn’t run when I freaked out. He didn’t freak out himself. In fact, he helped me regain control of my own rollercoaster emotions. But what if it’s all too much? My freak-out, Todd’s reappearance, Reed doing something to stop him, and me begging Ben to help—he even said he was going to skip his class this morning to search Reed’s office. Ben’s a wonderfully thoughtful guy, but what if the cold light of day is making him reconsider? If so, I couldn’t blame him.

When I get out, I get dressed and find him in the kitchen. He’s sitting at the bar with a notebook and pen, making a list. He looks up when I come around the corner, then gets out of his chair and pulls me to his chest, his arms tight around my back.