Please Remember Me (20 page)

She nodded and flicked the phone open. “Hello?”

A male voice, gruff and low resounded in the room. “Are you ready to come home?”

Marlon met her confused expression. What the hell? He flicked his fingers to get her to continue the conversation.

Her bottom lip quivered. “Who is this?”

“My identity doesn’t matter. Are you ready to come home?”

Doesn’t matter? It sure did. Who was this clown?

Jaden grasped Marlon’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. “No. I’m not coming home when I am home.”

The man cackled, sending a shiver up Marlon’s spine. “The spoilt little rich girl is home with her hot cop? Not quite. You need to go back to where you came from. You owe people.”

Jaden shivered and disengaged from Marlon. “What do you want?”

“I ask the questions, Officer.” His voice grew lower. “I hope you enjoyed your afternoon delight and the late night snack. I did, and the viral community will, too.”

Bile rose in Marlon’s throat. The caller referred to him as ‘Officer’. How did this jerk know about their lovemaking?

Oh God.

“You had the camera, you bastard.” Jaden’s words came out in a rush. “I want the memory card or the disc or whatever the fuck you used to spy on me! What I did isn’t your business!”

“Too late, sweet cheeks. Anyone who pops your name into a search engine will see your brand spankin’ new sex tape. That cop of yours won’t have a job come the end of the day after everyone sees your drug fest. He’s screwed—in every way possible.”

Marlon froze. The veracity of the caller’s words crashed down on him. Search engine… sex tape…cop…drug fest…no job… Oh fuck. “You can’t do that.” Shit. He hadn’t wanted to tip his hand and let the cretin know he’d listened in.

“Hello there, Deputy. I’d say wear a shirt. You’re awful pale.” The caller chuckled. “You can’t stop the clip. It’s already posted. Now the world can see Jade Weir’s biting fetish and snort session with a man of the law.”

“Fuck you,” Jaden screamed.

“Honey, don’t shout. You’d better come to your senses, Jaden, and come home before the real damage is done. I’m tired of following your spoilt ass to make your ole man happy.”

Before she could answer, the man clicked off the line.

She covered her mouth with her hand and sprinted from the room. Marlon followed, hot on her heels, as the caller’s words etched themselves onto his brain. Anyone will see your sex tape… Acid burnt at the back of his throat. Afternoon delight and late night snack…the world can see you snort up with a cop… God dammit.

 
“Jaden?”

Curling over the toilet, she retched. Sobs racked her body as she sat on the floor slumped against the toilet seat and hid her face in her hands. The scrape of dog claws on the tile meant she and Marlon weren’t alone. Sparky stuck his nose under her arms and licked her chin. She wrapped her arms around his head and continued to cry. Nothing seemed to go right—they’d made a breakthrough with the situation and their feelings for each other, but someone wanted them apart.

Marlon grabbed the washcloth from the shower. Kneeling next to her, he rubbed her back and wiped her face. There weren’t many people who took the time to care for her. She wanted to lose herself in his arms and make the world go away, but when she met his gaze, her heart squeezed tight. Disillusion and disappointment radiated in his eyes. The damage had gone deeper than some ridiculous sex video.

 
“Things are so out of control.” She scrubbed the back of her hand across her mouth and stood. Better to sever ties now than to have her heart broken when he walked out. “I think you’d better leave.”

“You aren’t the first person I’ve seen throw up. I’m not freaked by barf, blood, bones… Well, guts make me a little queasy, but I don’t see any of those hanging out of you.” When she didn’t laugh at his bad attempt at a joke, his jaw clenched. He stood and tugged her close. “I won’t deny I’m upset. Hell, my life is in the shitter. But I won’t accept you giving up on us.”

She sighed and wriggled away. God, it felt like the world had exploded around her. “Marlon, you need to get away from me and save your reputation. Get away before I ruin your career.”

“What?” The screech of his cell phone split the air. Marlon grabbed his department-issued phone and punched the buttons. “This had better be fucking fantastic.” She peeked around his arm at the screen. Images of her and Marlon in the throes of lovemaking, licking sugar off each other, and her splayed on the table flickered on the phone. A running internet link advertised where to buy the full sex and drugs video for nineteen ninety-five.

“Oh my God. Who would stoop this low?” He tossed the device across the small room. Still the screen played the images of them engaged in sexual activity as it slapped the wall a couple of feet away.

Riley strolled across the room and cocked his head at the screen. He gave it a sniff and lifted his leg, peeing on the device.

Grabbing the soggy phone, Marlon growled. “I’m going to lose my God damned job—all because it looks like I did drugs with you.” He slammed his thumbs on the buttons. “Turn off, dammit.” Glancing at the ceiling, he slammed the phone onto the Formica countertop, smashing the electronic equipment into pieces. “Piece of shit.”

  
She winced. Marlon had every right to be angry. Hell, he had every right to be downright pissed off. She knew down at the molecular level who to blame, but calming Marlon down took top priority.

“I’m telling you to go.” Jaden shoved Marlon from the bathroom and into the hallway. “You don’t want to be seen with me. Without trying, I’m ruining your life. I can’t do that to you, so get out while you can.”

Marlon’s eyes widened as he backed in front of the steps to the second story. He touched his ring finger and his voice came out soft. “You sound like Addy.”

“I’m worse. I can’t even stop this—at least not yet.” For one of the few times since they’d become a couple, his strength didn’t reassure her. The forces against them outweighed his power of authority.

The muscles in his jaw twitched as he sat down on the third step. “Not yet? How long have you known this was going to happen? Why didn’t you tell me?” He threw his hands in the air. “I’m going through it again and I vowed I wouldn’t. Dammit.”

“Marlon, I’m sorry. But you have to know that I didn’t orchestrate this.” She sat next to him on the edge of the step and put her hand on his forearm. If anything, the angrier he got, the larger he seemed.

“I believe you, I do, but my ass is on the internet for anyone to see. I have to explain this to Mac. He’ll shit a brick or ten. Unless he doesn’t see it.” He blew out a long breath and growled. “I can’t get busted for drug use or possession again. I can’t.”

She scooted off the step and knelt between his thighs. She took both his massive hands in hers. “It’s probably on his phone right now.”

“God dammit.” The words ricocheted through the silent house.

Jaden fell back on her bottom and skittered out of his way. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”

He jerked off the steps and stood, offering his hand. “Come with me to the station and file the report. We’ll deny it was us. ”

She leant heavily against the hallway wall and watched him storm into the dining room. Well hell, things made no sense. “It doesn’t work that way—not with Daddy or his henchmen. I hoped the circus would forget me, but they didn’t. Your best bet is to go out the door. Act like you hate me. Show the swarm of photographers on the lawn that we’re through. They’ll get tired of the absent drama and leave you alone. I won’t lead them your way, either. You’ll be safe and maybe one day we can try again.”

 
“Jaden?” He shoved his wallet and keys in his pockets, only halted a moment by her words. “I don’t buy it. We have something way too strong.”

“What do you want from me? I haven’t lied to you.” She stood and brushed the loose strands of hair from her eyes. Why didn’t this make sense to him? “I’d rather walk away than put you through hell. Splitting is best for the both of us in the long run.”

“You’re taking this way too easily.” Marlon scrubbed his hand over his forehead. “Did you give up on us that fast or was it all a lie to begin with? I can’t keep up.”

She laced her fingers behind her head and braced her feet. “If I’m right about the person I think is behind this, our break-up will be the least of our problems. I won’t let them screw with your career because I’m a has-been celebrity.”

“So we’re through? Just like that? End of discussion?”

“The world doesn’t shine on your ass. Yes, it’s the end of the discussion.” She chewed the inside of her cheek to work through what she wanted to say. Going on pure adrenaline wasn’t going to get through to him. “When dealing with my father, I have no other choice.” She grabbed his hand. “The press and this clown want dirt. There’s no chance for this to blow over if we’re together, and I have a lot less to lose than you do.”

Marlon dropped her hand and backed away from her. “Don’t do this. Don’t cut on me to make yourself feel better.”

“Oh grow up.” Her anger hit its peak. Her voice cracked and rose by an octave. “For all I know, the recording was just the beginning. He could have a tap on my phone and bugs here in the house just looking for ways to bring us down and ruin you.”

The creases around his eyes deepened. He pinched the bridge of his nose. Why couldn’t he just trust her? She knew how to manipulate the media. His brawn and badge were useless against her father’s money and determination.

 
The veins in his neck bulged and crimson stained his cheeks. Raw anger and frustration hardened in his eyes. “Let me talk to your old man again. Since you ended us, I’m calling his ass out and putting an end to this shit.”

“Marlon, look at what your initial intervention did. He’s not listening to a word you say.” She smoothed her hand over his cheek in an attempt to stave off some of his fury. “I’m so sorry, Marlon.”

“You would be sorry. Your heart isn’t flat on the floor.” He wriggled from her grasp and threw his hands in the air. “And fucking hell, there’s nothing I can say to change your mind. I don’t believe this. I don’t.”

She’d tried tact and had given tenderness a go. Neither had got through to him. Attitude had barely dented his anger. Jaden fisted her hands on her hips and unleashed her emotions. “Unless you can pull an alternative universe out of your asshole, you’re right. There’s nothing you can do.”

Marlon’s mouth opened and closed. The red in his cheeks faded to a pallor. “I’m getting the hell out of here before I say something else I’ll regret.” He clenched his fists and pressed them against his temples. “I don’t know whether to be more angry that I’ve been dumped, or that I now have to try to save my own career.” His voice echoed through the cavernous room. “I need to see Mac and get this straightened out, dammit. I don’t know if I can worm my way out of trouble.”

“You probably can’t.”

Marlon turned on his heel and thundered through the house, collecting his clothes and wallet. He dressed in record time and grabbed his keys. “I won’t stay where I’m not wanted. I’m outta here.”

When he strode out onto the porch, the wave of lights flickered into the living room. Jaden choked back a sob and collapsed onto the floor. More than one person shouted his name, no doubt vying to get the first sound bite. She cringed when he spoke.

“No comment.”

Whatever else he said blurred together as she succumbed to her emotions. She’d been through embarrassing photo shoots, slimy directors, men who didn’t love anything about her other than her female genitalia. Marlon had cared about her until the shit hit the fan. Could she blame him for being upset?

No, but she could put an end to the madness.

Jaden sat up and wiped her damp cheeks. “What was the line of that old song, they can’t take away my dignity?” She smoothed her tangled hair behind her ears and stood. “I earned my independence and dammit, no one’s gonna take it from me.” She crossed the room and snatched up her phone. “Time to deal with Daddy.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jaden herded the dogs into her Mercedes. Four hours had passed since Marlon’s departure. Since then, she’d managed to convince Cass to babysit the dogs and loan out her private jet in return for eight days of babysitting over the course of the next year. Keys in hand, Jaden tapped her fingers on the roof of the car. “Where the hell are you, Bobby?” She sucked in another breath and puffed it out. Her hair fluffed over her forehead. Dust swirled around her in the humid air. As soon as Bobby arrived, they could head to the airport. Until then, the dank garage kept the media at bay.

A knock came from the main door to the house and Bobby peeked through the lacy curtains. Jaden slid into the driver’s seat and engaged the garage door opener. As she turned the engine over, Bobby slid into the passenger seat.

“Sorry, I had to clear the time with Mac. Marlon’s madder than a wet hen.”

“He’ll get over it.” Despite her curt remark, her thoughts travelled to Marlon. Somehow she wasn’t so sure they’d weather the break. Losing him would be a wound no amount of time could heal.

The sex clip had spread around the country faster than cheap gossip. She’d silenced her phone after the fifteenth call. The voicemails, even after a whopping four hours, were all the same—who would be the man in the next video? When she’d turned on the television for noise, one of the tabloid shows subsidised by Delish claimed she’d staged the whole incident to catapult her career back into the limelight. Photographers stood guard outside the house to catch a shot of her to run in the next day’s magazine.

 
Jaden eased out of the garage and honked her horn to part the sea of photographers. “I’ll never have Marlon or my own life if I don’t face them. Living in a cave won’t stop the craziness.”

The dozens of flashbulbs popped amidst the chorus of her name. She blinked and continued down the drive.

“Is your AC busted?” Bobby twiddled with the knobs and his hand brushed her knee. “It’s hotter than hell in here.”

“Roll down a window,” she grumbled. Bobby got the window down, but the crush of paparazzi practically climbed into the car. Someone wore thick cologne and the biting scent of body odour churned her stomach. She prayed she’d make it down the concrete pad without running someone over. She could just see the headline: Jade Weir slaughters paparazzo while driving drunk. Within the hour, shots of her would grace countless e-zines, gossip sites, and minor news stations.