Shades of Resolution (Distortion #3) Page 10

  The club was coming along nicely. The construction had a few setbacks, but now the finishing touches were near completion. The smell of paint filled the interior as the workers were finishing the black trim in the hallways that led to the private rooms. Most of the furniture had been delivered and the bar was being stocked for the soft opening for the preferred customers.

  Rayner led him down the hallway toward the offices, tucked away from the main area. Rosh was seated in one of the armchairs when he walked into the room. He looked a bit unraveled, indicating that Rosh was about to deliver unwanted news. John nodded for Rayner to leave them in privacy before he swung the door shut.

  “Let’s have it,” John demanded without offering any pleasantries.

  “Wherever Mary had stashed the information, I know for certain it hasn’t fallen into the wrong hands. Maybe she had gotten rid of it. If either departments Belhaven or Westford had a lead about the information, I would know about it.”

  John narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What of Mary?” John had been angry with himself for injuring her. Shooting her had merely been a reflex, one he wished he had not been forced to do.

  Rosh loosened his tie around his neck. “She didn’t make it,” Rosh confessed, clearly uncomfortable with delivering the news.

  John could feel every muscle in his body tighten. “What do you mean she didn’t make it?”

  “Complications,” Rosh said, unbuttoning the top of his shirt to loosen his collar. “I’m sorry, John. As soon as I found out where she had been taken, I went to find out her condition. She was already gone when I arrived.”

  “Leave me,” John demanded.

  “We need to talk about Masten. How do we know he won’t say anything? It’s only a matter of time before the connection is made.”

  “Leave!” John withdrew his gun and shoved it in Rosh’s face. He watched the sheen of sweat break out across the man’s forehead as he pressed it into Rosh’s cheek. “I said to fucking leave me.”

  Rosh stumbled backwards and knocked a chair over before he grabbed the door handle. He left without another word, leaving John in much needed solitude.

  John had convinced himself that the wound had not been fatal. He had shot countless people over the years and knew a fatal shot when he took one, but this completely blindsided him. He wasn’t expecting Rosh to deliver the news his Mary was dead. Rage boiled hot in his stomach. He had only just gotten her back. She was supposed to be here with him. She wasn’t supposed to leave his side again. He had killed her.

  John hit a box off the desk that was sitting in the middle of the room. The contents scattered over the floor. A vase shattered, spraying glass amongst the litter of paper and picture frames.

  It wasn’t enough to satisfy his need to destroy something. He wanted to leave nothing untouched. John grabbed the desk chair and swung it at the desk. The large piece of furniture scraped along the floor with the impact. Over and over he swung until the chair was destroyed and fell apart in his hands.

  John looked down at the blood coating his fingers, his outburst had torn his flesh and left his hands bleeding but he felt no pain. He had opened the wound on his stomach. The blood began to soak through his white shirt and yet he felt nothing but a deep, dark anger that consumed him from the inside out.

  John opened the door and noticed Rayner on the other side. He stepped back as John exited the room. “Send someone in to clean up the mess,” John said as he walked past.

  “Yes, boss.”

  John headed back to his room. The doctor had left while he was gone and the room was now empty. John needed to be alone. He loosened his tie and pulled it free before he opened the closet and hung it up with his other ties, making sure it was hanging properly before he closed the doors. John glanced at the full length mirror and untucked his shirt. Lifting it up, he took a look at his wound. The bleeding looked like it had stopped.

  The sound of a phone ringing in the bathroom reminded him that Rebecca was here. He heard her answer her phone and her shrill laughter following as she conversed with whoever was on the other end of the line.

  John opened the bathroom door, letting it swing until it hit the wall. He stood in the doorframe and looked at Rebecca in the tub filled with bubbles. The entire room smelled like a mixture of flowers from whatever scented product she had filled the tub with.

  “I’m gonna have to call ya back,” Rebecca said to whoever she was talking to. She hit end and set the phone down on the edge of the tub. “Do you need me?” Rebecca asked slowly. She wrapped her arms around herself as she waited for his answer. She had grown to fear him as of late. The only thing he sought her for was to relieve his frustrations, and this proved to be beyond her limits. Her skin showed his handiwork as she clung to herself. He could see the fear in her eyes.

  John didn’t respond as he walked into the washroom, his eyes never leaving hers. Everything about her now reminded him that he had put up with her because she had been the closest thing he had to Mary. Then for a brief moment in time he had Mary back, and Rebecca faded into the background. Now he saw her again. Now she was all he could see, and she was a sad substitute for what he really wanted.

  John sat down on the edge of the tub and gently ran his fingers along the skin of her arm.

  “What happened to your hands?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Shhh…” John said as he dipped his hand under the surface of the water. He welcomed the sting as his blood mixed with the water and swirled on the surface. He continued to gently stroke her tense body until her nervousness began to melt away as she leaned back and allowed him to caress her wet skin, opening herself to him. She closed her eyes and began to pant under his touch.

  John curled his fingers around her neck with his other hand. He applied gentle pressure as she continued to enjoy his caress until her eyes opened in panic. His fingers tightened until they burned.

  She tried to gasp for breath as she clawed at his hand, struggling against him. Water splashed wildly from the tub as she frantically tried to gain leverage to resist him. John slowly pushed her down under the water, watching her eyes saturate with fear. She realized this was her last moment and he watched her face twist in panic.

  He could feel the water soak his clothing. The hot water immediately began to cool against his skin as his clothes clung to him. Rebecca’s thrashing began to wane as he thought about what suit he would wear. When her body grew still he released her and watched her body float lifelessly in the frothy water.

  John stood up and unbuttoned his shirt. He slid it off his arms and threw it in the garbage can. He whistled a tune that suddenly came to mind as he dried his hands and face off on a towel. He was trying to remember where he had heard the song. The name of it eluded him.

  John opened his closet and selected a new shirt and dark grey suit. Once he was dressed in clean, dry clothes, he straightened his tie in the mirror and picked up his phone.

  He dialed a number and waited as the phone began to ring.

  “Hello?” a familiar voice answered.

  “I need some help on the inside.” John didn’t waste time getting into the thick of it.

  “John, I was wondering when I’d hear from you. What do you need?”

  “I have a problem I need taken care of,” John said bluntly. “I want to make sure Terence Masten doesn’t decide to open his mouth.”

  “I’ll let you know when it’s done.”

  “Good,” John said before hitting end and tucking his phone into his pocket. Running his hands down the front of his suit, he double checked his appearance in the mirror. He straightened a stray hair on his head before leaving the room with the mysterious tune still on his lips.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Lexie

  “You’re going back?” Lexie asked.

  Stephanie stared at her hands that were clenched tightly on the table. “I know it seems strange, but if there’s a possibility that something good can come of this whole situation, I need to,” Step
hanie confessed.

  Lexie placed her hand on top of Stephanie’s. “What do you think you’ll find by going back to Belhaven?”

  Stephanie’s gaze flickered up toward Nate. He looked a bit uncomfortable as he leaned against the counter, seemingly unsure how this conversation was going to play out.

  “Nate was contacted this morning by the managing officer of the case, Jordon Carlton. It was confirmed that his mother was one of the victims,” Stephanie said sadly as she glanced at Nate.

  Lexie swung around to look at Nate. “What?”

  Jackson looked over his coffee cup as he sipped the hot liquid and Evan leaned against the table looking ready to fall asleep. “Why do I seem to be the only one surprised by this?” Lexie asked in disbelief.

  “I didn’t know. I’m just too tired to show any emotion right now,” Evan admitted. He sat at the end of the table nursing his coffee and a box of cookies. “Sorry to hear, man.”

  “Thanks.” Nate nodded.

  “Nate’s coming with me,” Stephanie continued.

  “So am I,” Lexie insisted.

  Jackson stepped forward and set his mug on the table. “Bad idea, Lexie. You would be making it too easy for Stodden if you go waltzing back to Belhaven.”

  “I can’t let her go back without me. I’m the reason she got caught up in this in the first place,” Lexie said defensively.

  “It’s not your fault…” Stephanie started.

  “Yes, it is,” Lexie jumped in. “It is my fault.”

  Stephanie grabbed Lexie’s hand. “I watched you suffer since Alex died because you blamed yourself for his death. I’m not gonna let you do it again. Everything that happened was because of John Stodden. He’s the one to blame for all of the shit that happened to me, you, your mom…not you.”

  Lexie’s felt her shoulders drop at the mention of her mother.

  “She’s right, Lexie,” Jackson agreed. “There’s only one person to blame for all this shit.”

  Lexie looked up into Jackson’s insistent gaze. Over the last few days they had both searched every square inch of her mother’s house, trying to find the evidence she claimed to have. Their hours of searching gave them nothing. There was no sign that her mother was hiding anything. She did not own a safety deposit box, she had not hidden away a mysterious key. Her diary mentioned nothing in regards to the evidence. Lexie was at a loss and she knew time was running out.

  As much as she wanted to believe Stodden was done with her, Jackson insisted that he was only waiting for the right time to make his move.

  “What do you think you’ll accomplish by going back? I don’t understand,” Lexie asked.

  “This ring that I found…” Stephanie twisted it around her finger. “I want to be able to return it to the woman’s family. What if this is a wedding band? I want her husband to have the piece of her she left behind.” Stephanie wiped her eyes as they filled with tears. “I want to give them the answers I can.”

  Lexie nodded her head. She couldn’t argue against that when she herself would want to do the same. She knew how much solace that ring had given Stephanie when she needed it.

  “Officer Carlton said he would help me find out who the ring belongs to.”

  “I’ll keep her safe,” Nate added.

  Lexie nodded to Nate. “Good.” She trusted him and knew he would keep his word. She spread her hands on the top of the table and looked at them thoughtfully. She didn’t want to meet Jackson’s gaze because she knew he wasn’t going to like what she was about to say. “I’ve already decided I’m going back to Belhaven too. John won’t be expecting me to go back. What if we can use that to our advantage?” Lexie looked at Jackson. “Why can’t we be the ones to make the first move? I don’t want to be a sitting duck anymore.”

  Jackson began shaking his head. “No.”

  “If Stodden knows I’m there…”

  “Absolutely not. We’re not using you as bait,” Jackson said firmly.

  “Why not? You said no matter where I am, he’ll find me. I don’t want to draw this out anymore. I want this to be over.”

  “I can go after him myself. You don’t need to be involved,” Jackson insisted.

  “Jackson’s right. He knows what he’s doing, Lexie. You don’t need to be involved if you don’t have to. You just lost your mother,” Evan added.

  Lexie narrowed her eyes. “Yes, I did just lose my mother but now I feel like kicking some ass and taking what’s left of my life back from that bastard.” Lexie turned her anger toward Jackson. “You should understand more than anyone.”

  “Lexie…” Jackson started.

  “Don’t.” Lexie held up her hand. “Don’t you dare try to treat me like a delicate flower in need of protection. I don’t want to be sheltered. I’m stronger than you think I am and I won’t let anyone tell me to sit this out.” Lexie threw accusatory looks toward Evan and Jackson.

  “No,” Jackson said. He clenched his jaw tightly and looked Lexie in the eye.

  “It’s my choice. I hate him as much as you. He’s the reason my mother is dead and the reason Stephanie was hurt.” Lexie stood up and shoved her chair back.

  “You’re gonna get yourself killed,” Jackson said, refusing to budge.

  “I may be the only one who can get close to him. He wanted me to know he’s my father. That has to mean something. What if he believes I want to get to know him?” Lexie was determined to make Jackson understand that she needed to be a part of this fight. “I could earn his trust.”

  “I said no,” Jackson raised his voice. Lexie and Jackson locked eyes, neither one of them refusing to submit.

  “Lexie…” Evan started.

  “Shut up, Evan,” Lexie bit off as her eyes remained on Jackson’s. She refused to be the first to break eye contact. Jackson was clenching his teeth so hard she wondered if they were about to crack.

  “I need something stronger than this shit.” Jackson waved toward his cup before he walked out of the kitchen, opened the front door, and slammed it behind him.

  “Well, that went well,” Stephanie said, staring at the door.

  Lexie dropped back in her seat with an exaggerated sigh.

  “He’s right though, Lexie, you don’t need to put yourself at risk again. Jackson is trained for this sort of thing…you’re not,” Stephanie said quietly.

  Lexie looked at her and then Evan’s displeased expression. “I’m not scared to die for this,” Lexie admitted.

  “Oh Jesus,” Evan said in a rush.

  “I can’t hide. That’s what my mother did and look where it got her,” Lexie added.

  “Then I guess I’m coming too,” Evan said.

  “No way,” Lexie and Stephanie both said in unison.

  “You’re going to that rehab facility your parents booked you into. You have your own battles, Evan. You have to start taking care of yourself,” Lexie insisted.

  “How can I go, knowing you’re there?” Evan asked as he shook his head.

  “You can and you will. Don’t get me wrong; I have every intention of being here when you’re released. When I was being held by John, I promised myself I was done being a victim. I can’t live like that anymore. This is something I have to do, and I need you both to understand this.”

  Stephanie threw her arms around Lexie.

  “There is no going back to before, is there?” Stephanie whispered. “I wish we could be carefree again. I would give anything to lie in the grass and look up into the sky like we used to. Talk about the lives ahead of us like they were going to be a perfect fairy-tale.”

  “Life was perfect then, I will never forget it.” Lexie squeezed her back tightly.

  ***

  Lexie looked out the front window as she watched Stephanie and Nate drive away. She gave one last wave as they drove out of sight. She had said her goodbyes and she needed to believe Stephanie would be all right without her. At first when Stephanie mentioned she wanted to go back to Belhaven, her initial response was fear, but now that
she had time to think about it, she understood how it would help Stephanie heal. Even though Stephanie was planning to go to Belhaven as well, they were headed in different directions. Stephanie would still be far from any fallout from what she was attempting to accomplish.

  It made knowing that she would be confronting John easier because she knew both Stephanie and Evan would be out of harm’s way.

  Evan walked up beside Lexie and pushed the curtains aside. Jackson was sitting on the front step. He hadn’t moved since he had walked out. He had his earbuds in as he stared off into the distance.

  “The only reason Jackson let me tag along the first time was because he made me promise that once he got you back from John, I would keep you far away from him,” Evan confessed thoughtfully.

  “From Jackson?” Lexie asked and Evan nodded.

  “I was more than happy to agree. I hated him. I thought he was the worst person to be in your life.” Evan released the curtain and dropped down in the armchair close to him. Lexie glanced at Jackson before she turned toward Evan. “Not to mention I was jealous because of the way you looked at him.”

  “Evan…”

  “Let me finish,” Evan stopped her. “I don’t think he was expecting you. I don’t think he knew at the time what you would become to him. I don’t think I could keep you away from him if I tried now. The more time I spend with him, I realize he might be the best person in your life. He’s fierce, he knows how to fight, he fears nothing but losing you. He looks at you and I know that he would tear down the entire world if he needed to—for you. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this, but I think even Alex would approve.” Evan ran his hands down his face.

  Lexie shook her head with a smile. “Wow, what happened to my Evan?”

  “I don’t fucking know. Did I just trip you out?” Evan asked.

  “A little,” Lexie admitted. “But I could get used to this new side of you.”

  “You should go talk to him,” Evan encouraged.