Indulging in Irene (21 page)

“No.” I shook my head not wanting to believe him, not wanting to believe that Marcus had somehow been responsible for that terrible day.

“The ironic thing is his fucked up actions are responsible for bringing us together. Tell me what he said to you yesterday.”

“I—”

“Tell me!” Zolt said and tightened his hold on my wrists.

“Ouch, Zolt, you’re hurting me.”

“Am I? Not as much as it hurt me to see you pushed up against a wall last night with Marcus’s hands all over you.”

With his free hand, he roughly rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Did you let him kiss these pretty lips of yours?”

“No!” The tears were coming hard and fast, and I knew they would spring free anytime.

“What did he say to you, Irelyn?”

“He said that I belonged to him, and no matter what, I’d return to him. But I don’t want that, Zolt. You can’t believe I do?” The tears finally broke loose, and I didn’t care. The man I loved had completely turned on me. This man wasn’t my Zolt. Even his beautiful crystalline-blues had darkened to midnight.

“Zolt, let her go. Enough is enough.” Brody came over to me and took my arm. “Let’s go outside and get some air.”

“Enough?” Zolt snarled. “Nothing will ever be enough. Nothing will bring back what Marcus took from me that day.”

“Z man, calm the fuck down,” T-bone said, walking purposefully to Zolt. “Walk with me, brother.”

“No, T. Look at me,” he yelled, letting go of me. He pointed at the scars on his leg. “I’m fucking broken!”

“No,” I repeated, bringing my hand to my mouth. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing—that somehow Marcus was responsible for Zolt's injury. But more than that, I couldn’t believe that the man I’d been making love to would turn on me like this and blame me for things out of my control.

Zolt said nothing as he turned and walked out of the kitchen, leaving me behind.

I watched him go as more tears spilled out of my eyes. I knew then that I couldn’t stay, not while Zolt somehow blamed me for what happened and what his life had become.

“What the fuck, Zolt?” Brody barked at me.

I didn’t say a word. What could I say? I had fucked up royally, and now she was gone. Crazy Zolt had broken free from his bonds and come out to play. In the wake of his antics, Irelyn had fled. Not surprising really. If I could have left, I’d get far away from me, too.

Everyone had gone, except for Brody and T-bone, and he’d sent his wife, Tamara, home. Why he remained behind I could only guess.

“Well?” Brody prodded.

I took another hit of the bong and held the smoke in until my lungs burned. I released the smoke, watching as it dissipated in the hot night air.

“Crazy Zolt,” I said.

“No, Zolt. Don’t talk about yourself as if you’re two different people. You fucked up, just you. You’re losing control. I warned you this was coming.”

“Moot point now,” I said, running my finger along the rim of the bong.

“Do you even realize what you said in there? Did Irelyn’s reaction even register in that thick skull of yours? That woman adores you, and you just ripped her to shreds. Why the hell didn’t you talk to me last night and tell me what happened? We could have avoided this.”

“I thought I’d dealt with it.” I set the bong on the patio table and flopped down in the chair.

“I bet you and Irelyn didn’t even talk about it? Let me guess, you fucked her silent?”

“We talked a little, but yeah, I fucked her speechless. It’s what I do.”

“I just got a message from Sloan. He just dropped Irelyn off at her house. Cory and Rachael are going to stay with her. Sloan will return there after he drops off Kenna,” T-bone said and pulled up a chair. “In the morning, Irelyn’s security detail will be in place.”

“Why not now?” I asked, more harshly than I intended.

“Because, Zolt, I don’t have the manpower available until tomorrow. I didn’t realize you were going to freak the fuck out and send her running. You understand that you’ve probably played right into Marcus’s hands? By the way, I’d stay away from Sloan and Cory because I’m sure they want to kick your ass.”

“Great,” I said, staring out into the darkness. Ben whined in his run, and I turned my attention to him. Rufus went with Irelyn, and my dog missed his new friend.

So did I.

“I guess I fucked up, too,” T-bone admitted. “After our conversation earlier, I should have seen this coming. Shame on me for not anticipating that you’d turn into a grade A number one dick. She didn’t deserve what you did to her, Zolt. That girl left with her heart in fucking pieces, and it’s your fault. If this is the way you treat the woman you’re in love with, I’d hate to see the trail of destruction you left behind with your one-night stands.”

“Fuck you, T. I warned all those women not to get attached. I never left any of them with the idea there would ever be more than one night of fucking.”

“And Irelyn? What were her expectations?” T-bone asked.

“I told her from the beginning that I was a mess and that sometimes I could be a major dick.”

“So what, Zolt? Are you saying this is her fault? Because you warned her, and she stuck around anyway, that she deserved what you did to her? I warned you using sex to cope instead of dealing with what’s going on would end badly. Did you listen to me?” Brody asked, stalking toward my chair, his body tensed as if he was ready to punch me.

“No, I didn’t.” I closed my eyes and squeezed the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger.

“You’re an asshole, brother. Know that?” Brody yelled and kicked my chair.

I stood quickly and knocked the chair over. “Is that your professional opinion, Dr. Hamil?”

“No, Zolt, that’s observable fact,” Brody retorted, his nostrils flaring as he breathed.

With two large steps, I was in his face. “Do you think I don’t know that? Do you think I’m pleased that the only woman I’ve ever loved just walked out because I lost control? You’re right, Brody, I am a fucking asshole—the biggest one I know. You know something else? I’m scared to death of what will happen if she doesn’t come back. You have no idea what it was like for me when I discovered she was real. All these years, I’ve had an imaginary woman pulling me from my nightly terrors. Now, she’s real. I felt graced by God, or the Fates, or whatever, that Irelyn cares or cared for me. She’s gone, and I have no one to blame but myself.”

The reality of my actions sunk in and I felt my stomach drop to my feet. I swallowed and tried to draw in a breath, but I couldn’t seem to catch any air. Cold sweat started to pour down my back, and my heart raced in my chest. The pain in my leg escalated tenfold. Suddenly, I was living that day all over again. I swear I could smell the turf of the football field and see my leg bent at an unnatural angle.

Then, there was Irelyn, staring at me, offering me kindness and comfort I didn’t deserve. I blinked my eyes, and I was back at my house, standing by the pool, staring into its depths.

“Oh, God, what have I done?” I dropped to my knees on to the concrete. Pain from the contact to my injured, forever broken leg, screamed through my body. I cried out, knowing that I had gone over the edge and crossed into crazy land.

Rolling into a fetal position, I laid on my side and held my leg. I hadn’t been in this amount of pain in years.

“Oh, fuck,” Brody said and knelt beside me. “T, can you go get my bag? It’s next to the bed in the guest room.”

“Sure!”

I heard T go inside the house. I swear in a flash, he was back and handing Brody his medical bag.

“I’m going to give you a sedative, Zolt,” Brody said as he rummaged through his bag.

“No,” I said hoarsely. “What if she needs me?”

“You’re in no condition to fix the things you broke. You need to rest, and let your mind and body get back in tune with each other. You’ve gone too long with this ticking time bomb waiting to explode. This was always going to be the end result. I just never dreamed it would come at such a cost.”

Brody stroked my head, and then I felt the stick of a needle in my arm.

“Irelyn,” I whispered, feeling the instant effects of the sedative. Blackness darkened the edges of my world. But all I could think about was her. I’d fucked up in the worst way and shown her just how broken I really was. It didn’t matter that I loved her, because now she was gone, and I had a sinking feeling she wouldn’t be coming back.

“Please stop crying, Irelyn,” Rachael said, and snuggled down in the bed, putting her arm around me. “He’s not worth it.”

“Y-yes, he is,” I sobbed. “I know he didn’t mean it. I just don’t understand what happened. He’s been up and down all day, but we’d just had sex. There was no reason for him to go nuclear crazy on me.”

“He was a major dick, Irelyn. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with him?” Rachel asked.

“I don’t know. I guess T-bone must have told him something about Marcus, and I have a bad feeling that Marcus had something to do with what happened all those years ago. Zolt warned me there would be days like this. I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“You made the right decision in leaving, sweetie. Cory and I will stay here with you for as long as you need us.”

“I appreciate that, I do,” I said and sat up, leaning against the headboard, wiping my eyes.

Rachael sat up too and handed me a tissue.

“I think I have to go back. Something’s not right, I can feel it.”

“You can’t really be thinking about going back to him, Irelyn. The man was off the rails rude to you.”

“I’m in love with Zolt, Rachael, and I’m pretty sure he’s in love with me. Maybe that’s part of the problem, he’s scared. You didn’t see him yesterday when Marcus cornered me at the restaurant.”

“When Marcus did what?” Rachael said, her mouth remaining open.

I explained to her what happened and how sweet Zolt had been last night.

“Today, he’s been very moody. I think T-bone said something to him that caused all this before you all got there. Brody went in his office, and I heard heated words being exchanged. When I asked Zolt, he wouldn’t tell me. I know it has to do with Marcus. The last thing he said to Zolt and me yesterday was Joe Franklin said hi. Franklin was the linebacker that hit Zolt and broke his leg.”

“Oh,” Rachael said and frowned. “What the fuck?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m going back.”

“No, Irelyn,” Cody said and came into my room. “I just got off the phone with Sloan who talked with Brody. Zolt had to be sedated. Apparently, he totally flipped after you left.”

“That’s it, I’m going. Zolt might need me.” I started to get off the bed, but Cory held up his hand.

“Brody told Sloan he thinks it’s best if you give it a day. He wants to make sure Zolt is cool before you come back. I don’t know, Irelyn.” Cory gave me a sad smile. “I like Zolt and all, but I have to wonder if he’s safe to be around.”

I scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. “Zolt would never hurt me, Cory. When he wakes up, he’s going to need me to tell him it’s okay and that I forgive him. We have a connection that only we understand, and I won’t walk away from that. No matter how hard he tries to push me away. I just need to find out the truth.”

“I know what happened. Sloan told me. Apparently, Marcus and Franklin went to school together at Penn State. While there, they started an underground sports book. Six years ago, when Zolt was in the NFL, it had grown into the bounty program with Franklin its main hit man. As crazy as all this sounds, it’s all happenstance that Marcus is connected to this.”

“That’s not all Marcus has his grubby paws in,” I said, then proceeded to tell them about grandpa’s ranch, the sex club, and Marcus’s plan to auction me off. I left out the part about Chris’s involvement. I couldn't seem to say the words.

“Holy motherfucker! Shit, Irelyn,” Rachael hopped off the bed and pulled me into a tight hug. “This is fucking insane. If Zolt wouldn’t have come back here, Marucus would have gotten away with it. Oh. My. God!”

“Now you’re starting to understand why I won’t stay away from Zolt. Not now, not ever.” I backed out of her embrace. “Tomorrow after my dress fitting, I’m going back.”

The next day, I stood at the salon, having my Alexander McQueen gown fitted. The strapless dress was beyond beautiful. Mom had surprised me with the red and black embroidered masterpiece, and I wished she were with me instead of being by myself. Kenna had been a no-show, and I had to wonder what happened to her. The girl wasn’t usually flighty when it came to social events her mother served on the board for.

I glanced out the window to where Sloan parked the town car, watching as a police officer stepped up to the car and knocked on the window. Sloan rolled it down and spoke to him.

“I wonder what that’s about,” I murmured to myself, but since I still had on the gown and had pins everywhere, I couldn’t go check. Sloan could handle whatever needed handling.

I stepped off the platform, and carefully walked back to the dressing rooms, followed by the seamstress. She unzipped me, and I stepped out of the dress, and handed it back to her.

Hurriedly, I dressed myself in my black, sleeveless, Kenneth Cole Edeline dress. Picking up my phone, I checked my messages and saw two missed calls from Zolt. A nervous sweat broke out all over my body. With a shaking finger, I pressed the button to play my messages.

“Irelyn, please call me as soon as you get this. I’m so sorry, baby. I could make a ton of excuses for what happened yesterday, but I won’t. I fucked up. Please, just call me.”

I disconnected and closed my eyes. His voice sounded cracked and tired. I knew he was probably tormenting himself. My heart broke all over again. What had happened needed to be fixed in person and not over the phone.

“Irelyn, alone at last. The gown is beautiful, by the way.”

My eyes flew open, and my head jerked around. I couldn’t believe he was ambushing me again.

“Marcus, what the fuck are you doing in my dressing room? Sloan’s outside. He’ll be in here any minute.”

“Watch your mouth, Irelyn,” Marcus sniped, then he cackled like a hyena moving in for the kill, and I shivered at the chilling sound. “Sloan was just arrested, and I paid the staff to leave us be. So you see, it’s just us.”

My mind started spinning, trying to decide on the best course of action. I was pretty sure Marcus wasn’t leaving here without me.

“What do you want?” I asked, squaring my shoulders and staring him in his beady, gray eyes.

Marcus met my gaze and grinned at me with all teeth. I noticed that for the first time, he had on jeans and a button down shirt. I was used to the buttoned up, tight-ass Marcus. That he seemed relaxed made my blood go cold.

He had things well in control, and I was fairly certain I was fucked.

“Oh, I want so many things, and I’m about to get them all. I told you at the restaurant, we could do this the easy way or the hard way. I knew, of course, as defiant as you’ve been recently that you’d pick the latter. So here I am, collecting what belongs to me.”

“Go to hell, Marcus. I don’t belong to you. If you think for one minute that Zolt will let you get away with harassing me, you’re whacked in the head.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Irelyn? Do not for one minute believe that I haven’t thought long and hard on this. Though I will admit, this has turned out to be much easier than I anticipated. Retrieving Kenna Campbell went off without a hitch. Things have fallen into place nicely.”

“What do you mean retrieving Kenna? What does Cory’s sister have to do with this?” I heard the tremble of my voice, and I silently cursed myself for weakening my position.

“Here’s the thing, Irelyn. I had plans for you. Plans that would have made me a great deal of money. But your boyfriend stepped in and ruined my plans.”

Though he didn’t say it outright, I knew he meant the auction, but I kept my mouth shut. If he knew we knew, T-bone's man on the inside would be compromised.

“I’ve come up with a new and even greater plan that will afford me the best of all worlds. The beautiful and innocent Kenna Campbell was the perfect alternative. Auctioning her virginity will bring in a much greater price than you ever would have.”

Oh, God! Kenna!

“You’re a sick fuck, Marcus.” I shook now, scared for Kenna, and scared for myself.

“Language, Irelyn. I can see I’m going to have to reeducate you on proper, ladylike behavior. But we can do that later. Let’s cut to the heart of the matter, shall we?”

I didn’t say a word. I stayed completely still and waited for Marcus to finish torturing me.

He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall. His slimy, slicked-back hair and his smug attitude had my hand itching to slap him across his ugly face.

“Here’s the thing; you will come with me willingly, and I’ll tell you why. First is Kenna. I know you care about the girl and won’t want her to suffer needlessly. Her comfort, or lack thereof, is directly related to your actions. Second, you’ll do it for all the beloved men in your life, some of them living, and one of them sadly deceased.”

Marcus took his hands out of his pockets and examined his fingernails.

“I hadn’t planned on Chris dying, but then I hadn’t foreseen the sudden resurgence of his conscious, either. A pity really, I did care for him as a brother, but he knew what he was getting into when we started this venture. I couldn’t let his change of heart screw me mid-play. And quite frankly, he pissed me off. Now, your father is having second thoughts, as well. Honestly, I’m sorely disappointed in the Wilkes men. Jacob underestimates me if he thinks his sly maneuverings will keep you safe and that I won’t hurt you.”

Marcus smiled his creepy, all-teeth smile that made me flinch away from him.

“But he’s wrong. I’ll hurt you the only way I can. I’ve already taken Chris from you. Removing Zolten Hamil from your life will be a piece of cake.”

He crossed his ankles, one over the other as he remained leaning on the wall. Then, he continued with his monologue.

I wanted to run, push him out of the way and flee for my life, but fear had my feet frozen to the spot. Not fear for myself, but fear for everyone I loved.

“The ironic thing, and it’s a doozy, is that something I dabbled in six years ago has had long range benefits. I never dreamed that the NFL bounty program would keep reaping such rewards. How could I possibly know that Zolt and you would become an item and give me the one thing that could hurt you the most?”

“I swear to God, if you hurt Zolt, I’ll kill you myself.” I knew egging Marcus on was stupid, but I couldn’t stop the words.

“Just before Chris and I parted ways, he told me about that day on the field six years ago,” Marcus continued as if I hadn’t said a word. “Of course, I remembered the day well, given it turned out to be most lucrative for me. Chris had blathered on about how you’d cried for a week over the poor QB whose NFL career had been ruined. And how you’d shared a moment with him on the field, and after all these years, you felt a connection with a man you’d never met. Blah, blah, blah.”

My skin heated at Marcus’s words, and my hands clenched into fists at my side. His matter-of-fact intonation made we want to scream. That day had changed Zolt’s life and mine forever. To Marcus, it had been a moneymaking venture and nothing more. This man was as heartless as the Tin Man.

“Aw, are your eyes starting to water? Does it hurt you to hear me talk about Zolt like this? You’ve always been too kindhearted for your own good, Irelyn.” He pushed himself off the wall and stood in front of me, brushing one finger over my cheek.

I turned my head away from him, hating the feel of his finger on my face, and the cold, careless expression in his eyes.

Marcus roughly took hold of my face, digging into the hollows of my cheeks with his thumb and forefinger. “Don’t turn away from me, Irelyn. It makes me feel as if you don’t respect me.”

I don’t respect you! I fucking hate you,
I screamed in my head
.

“Sorry,” I said, trying not to cry out from the pain his grip caused.

“Now, where was I?” he asked and frowned. He dropped the hold on my face and tapped his finger on his chin. “Ah, yes. At first, I didn’t pay attention until Chris mentioned that Jacob had hired Hamil.”

“Here’s some trivia for you. Did you know that Zolt was supposed to be here months before he arrived? But then Chris met his untimely demise, and Hamil unexpectedly received an invite to work on a high-profile case. You can’t imagine the strings I had to pull to get that one arranged.”

Anger and hatred for Marcus surged through me, and I clung to the emotions, letting them fuel me. With my chin kicked up, I glared at him.

“Answer me, Irelyn,” Marcus snapped. “Does it surprise you?”

“No, it doesn’t.” Why would it? He was the puppet master and we were all his puppets. Angry tears stung my eyes. One escaped, and I quickly dashed it away.

“I thought I had dealt with the Zolt issue until your father defied me and brought Hamil here behind my back.”

“I don’t understand, Marcus. The only contact Zolt and I ever had was that day on the field, and it was brief at that. Who cares if I had a crush on a famous sports star? Why would you care if he came here?”

“It mattered to me because I saw what your father was trying to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“You see, Irelyn, your father found himself in a rather sticky situation not so long ago. He came to me for help. When he asked what the cost would be for me to save him, I told him I wanted you.”

“I don’t believe you. My father wouldn’t do that to me.” My hand flew to my mouth, and I bit it hard to stop from screaming.