Darkness Follows (9 page)

Seth

My phone buzzed.

Mom: Will you be home tomorrow for dinner?

I rubbed my sore neck. I hated to decline again, but I just couldn’t deal with all that entailed. It wasn’t just dinner—it was that house. I didn’t like the way it felt anymore. It was cold, even though he wasn’t around as much.

Seth: I’m sorry Mom, I can’t.

Mom: I need to speak with you, honey. Please set some time aside for me.

Asshole. That’s what I was. Emily would kill to have a mother like mine, and all I did was push her away, just like I did with every other woman in my life. I was fucked up inside, put together wrong, missing that “push the shit aside, family is important” gene.

Seth: I’ll call you Friday, maybe lunch?

Mom: Tuesday, at home, dinner 6 p.m. Don’t make me come and get you.

I sucked in a deep breath; I could tell she’d had enough of my bullshit.

Seth: See you then.

Mom: Thank you, honey.

My calendar was pretty full of work stuff, but on a personal level, it was pretty pathetic. Mainly because the only people I wanted to be with, I was with. Speaking of which, where was Emily?

I glanced around the bar a few times. “Garrett?”

“Bathroom,” Riggs called out. He knew what I wanted to know. Everyone knew I watched that woman like she was my next breath—mainly because she was.

Garrett leaned over to Vanessa. “Can you check to see if Em’s all right?”

Vanessa glanced at me. I could see she didn’t like being put on the spot when something was up. I didn’t blame her; I could be scary. “Umm, sure.”

Campbell shot me a look, but didn’t say anything. He knew better. When it came to Emily, especially right now, people knew I had no room for error.

***

Emily

“You know what we haven’t done in a long time?” Pete flashed his excited face.

I dried my face momentarily. “What?”

“Midnight margaritas and ice cream.”

I lightly laughed at his unique taste. We were so much alike it wasn’t even funny. I wasn’t sure I knew anyone else who would like that but us.

I sighed. “It has been a few months.”

I felt my purse buzz. Pete opened it and read the text. He texted back and held my phone up to show me the text.

Emily: This is Pete. She’s with me. I’m taking her to my place tonight. She needs a break. Tell them I’ll drop her off in the a.m.

“That was Vanessa. The guys wanted to know where you were. I told her I was taking you back to my place.” He set my phone on my lap, then he gently eased out in traffic.

“Let’s make a trip to the store. I was missing you anyway. I could use a little love from my love.” He glanced over at me just as a car lit up his face. “I know this is hard, but we’ll get through it. We all know Jenny doesn’t stick around for long. She does her whole forty-eight hour border crap to secure her citizenship, then heads back to Africa where she’s actually wanted.”

“True,” I hissed. There was always a tiny part of me that hoped one of these times she’d come home to see me. I nearly laughed at that. She didn’t have a place for me in her self-involved life. I was merely a reminder of what she had.

I sank into the seat. The weight of my stress anchored me to the present when all I wanted to do was disappear into the past.

***

Seth

I watched as a nervous Vanessa came back to the table. Her hand touched Campbell’s shoulder as she sat.
Shit, this isn’t going to be good.

“Find Emily?” Campbell asked.

I leaned over to watch her carefully. Her neck was strained and she swallowed hard. She was nervous. “Yeah, um, kind of.” She paused and took a deep breath.

“What does that mean?” I snapped.

“Um…it means that she’s with Pete and is spending the night there.” The words rushed out of her mouth.

My face twisted as the anger came. I looked at Garrett, who appeared just as shocked. We let it process for a few moments, but I was friggin’ pissed.

“What the hell is she thinking?” I bit out.

“Well…” Vanessa looked at Jenny, who was at the bar. “I’m guessing she’s not, given what has happened and what’s happening tonight.”

I stared at her and wondered what she knew.

Vanessa took a deep breath. “You clearly needed some space. Why not give her the night too?”

I leaned forward to rest my head on my hands. My stress level was through the roof. I didn’t know how to deal with her and this psychopath.

***

Emily

I curled up in Pete’s gray, fuzzy blanket and propped myself against the wall. He snuggled in next to me. We’d polished off four midnight margaritas and half a pint of ice cream. We talked, laughed, and cried until the wee hours of the morning.

My head bounced on Pete’s stomach as he laughed at my story about my mother coming to the bar. Everything was funny when you added some tequila.

“Can I ask you for a favor?” I strained my neck to see him better.

“Yes, but don’t be offended if I picture you as Matt Bomer.”

I smacked his leg and let out a laugh. Pete had no shame. “When I get older, if I start to wear those three piece suits or those God-awful dresses with scarves, please tell me to knock it off.”

Pete wiped a tear away as his silent laugh made me roll off his stomach. He held his sides and heaved in a deep breath. “First,” he began, trying to regain his composure, “you have me, so that will never happen, and second…” He moved to sit upright, his face changed, and his hand landed on my arm. “You are the polar opposite of Jenny McPhee. Don’t ever try to compare or class yourself next to that woman.” My face fell. He was right; I did. I was just scared of becoming something I despised.

“What if I do that to my child? What if—”

“Em,” he shook his head, “you are ninety-nine percent your father, and the one percent is your mother’s hair color. You have the world’s biggest heart and you share it with everyone. I will be damned if Jenny shreds your self-worth. Don’t ever doubt how wonderful you are.”

I crawled into his side and hugged my best friend. “I love you, Pete.”

“How could you not?” He kissed my head as I rolled my eyes. “I’m just the male version of you.”

“Interesting comparison,” I joked, but he was right. We had a lot in common, and that was why we’d remained friends for so long.

The clock read around five-something when I finally closed my eyes.

***

Seth

I paced the living room as Garrett opened his eyes. He yawned and slowly moved to sit. “What time is it?”

“Nine thirty,” I answered impatiently.

“How long have you been up?”

“Since six.”

Garrett rubbed his face and tried to wake up further. “Have you tried calling her?”

“Yes. Her phone is off.”

“Well, she’s with Pete. You know she’s in good hands. She just needed a break. I get it. Jenny is hard on her.”

“She shouldn’t have left without telling us,” I snapped.

Garrett smirked. I hated that he knew what was really going on in my head. “No, I guess not, but you wouldn’t have let her go, and she knew it.” He drew a lazy breath before he sat upright. “Seth what are you doing? She knows you’re pulling away again. It’s killing her.”

“I’m not!” I snapped again. “I have some things to think about.”

Garrett shook his head. “All you should be thinking is how lucky you are to have gotten her back.” His voice got softer. “She loves you. Don’t fuck this is up, Seth. Don’t push her away again. She may not come back this time.”

“Trust me, that’s been looping around in my brain for some time now.”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?”

I dug my fingers into my scalp and pulled at the roots until it hurt.

“It’s not about us right now, it’s about a crazy fucker trying to take her from me…from us.” Garrett’s eyebrows shot up at my slip. “Look, I can’t do this right now. Can you call her? See if her phone is on. She’ll answer if you do.”

“She’d rather it be you.”

I held up my phone to show him my eight unanswered calls. “I think she’d rather it was you.”

He said something behind me, but I didn’t listen. I need some space to think.

***

Emily

I smiled slightly as Patty handed me a large cup of coffee. “Thanks.” I could feel the warmth from Pete’s mom.

“You look tired, sweetheart.” She clearly noticed my puffy eyes from my cry-fest last night. She sat in her chair.

I shrugged. “Been a crazy few months.”

She gently touched my hand. “I’m so sorry, Emily.” Her eyes filled with tears. Pete must have told her.

I shifted, not comfortable with the emotion in her voice. “I’m all right.”

She wiped a tear away. “You’ve been through so much.”

I cut her off. “But I’m okay. I’m strong, and I can get through this,” I reassured her.

“I know you can, sweetheart. Just know that Mamma Patty is always here for you.”

I reached out and held her hand. “Thank you.”

Pete dropped me off at home around 11:30. I knew the shit storm I was about to walk into was going to be a rough one, but frankly, I didn’t care. I had really needed a night off. I opened the door to find Seth on the stairs and Garrett next to the couch. I slipped off my shoes and kept my head down.

“Red or silver?” Mom asked as she held up two different pairs of shoes at the top of the stairs. She had on a long robe and her hair was wet.

“Red,” I muttered. Nice that she noticed I was home.

“Seth, dear,” Mom looked down at him, “don’t forget to get fitted for your tux. It’s at 4:30.”

He closed his eyes and then turned to her. “I’m sorry, Jenny, but I can’t go tomorrow.”

My heart sank with such sadness. It was too much.

“Oh, no,” she whined. “How am I going to find a date for Emily now?” I pushed past him on the stairs. My mother finally looked at my face. “Have you been crying?” She sounded a little surprised, though I didn’t know why. I heard Seth stand.

“I’ll get a date for tomorrow night,” I called over my shoulder and headed into my room. I locked my door and stripped off my dress. I pulled on sweats and jumped into bed and snuggled into the comfort of my blankets. I was beyond beat.

I was woken out of a deep sleep by my mother’s voice. “Emily.” I heard a knock at my door. “Emily!” My mother shouted a little louder.

I pulled my blankets over my head. I wasn’t ready to get up yet. I heard a rattle, and then my door opened.

“Thank you, dear.”

I peeked out to see Seth walk back to his room.
Traitor
.

Note to self, get a better lock.

Mom pulled open my blinds, and then went to turn my shower on. I could see her outline from behind the sheet. I hid like a child.

“Emily Grace McPhee, get your behind out of that bed. Marc will be here soon, and I do not want him to see this.” She waved her hand around dramatically. “I’ll come back in five minutes, and you had better be in that shower!”

I heard the scuffle of her slippers as she headed down the hallway. I tossed the blankets back and dragged myself into the shower.

I dried my hair and slipped on a robe. “Emily.” My mother’s voice shot through me, then it made me jump. I turned to see her next to Marc.

“Emily, you look lovely as always.” He floated over to me. He was a graceful man; my mother had employed him for as long as I could remember. A team of three girls stood in the doorway wearing stylish coats with ‘Marc Roam Co’ embroidered on them.

Marc leaned in and gave me a soft hug and two swift kisses on each check. I got a whiff of his expensive aftershave as he pulled away. He was dressed in a perfectly pressed shirt and dress pants. He stepped back and eyed me. “You
have
lost some weight.” He raised one eyebrow at his statement.

“Flu.” I shifted uncomfortably.

He spun me around. “Jenny, I’m glad you called me, and you were right. Hmm, I think about seven pounds too.” I looked down at myself. I didn’t think I’d lost that much. “No worries, the dress will be just fine. I have time to make some adjustments.”

“Oh thank God,” Mom sighed. I rolled my eyes. My mother was so over the top with me being perfect that I wanted to show up in a burlap sack just to see her face drop. But I was also representing my father by being there, and I’d never do anything I knew he would have disapproved of. I still liked to please him, even though he wasn’t there anymore.

“Emily?” My mother’s voice pulled me out of my daze. “Have you found a date yet?”

Shit. “Um, no,” I muttered and thought of Seth. I only wanted to go with him.

“Typical.” She sat down on my bed and fixed her shirt so it lay perfectly in place. “I figured as much, so I called a friend.”

“A friend?” Marc ran his fingers down my hair as he thought of ideas.

“Yes, my friend, Doug, has a son about your age.” She looked at me “He’s very handsome, and you will make a lovely couple in the photographs. He’s firefighter.” She winked at Marc.

“Great,” I said flatly. I was sure a ton of security had been hired to be there. Seth had probably already made some calls too.

Garrett walked by and peeked in. “Garrett!” I shouted out. He stopped and held onto the door frame. “You got plans tonight?” I gave him a helpless look.

“Ha! Sorry, Em, your mom already asked me, but I’m on duty tonight.” He grinned widely at me. He enjoyed this.

“Fine.” I focused my attention back to Marc. “So, my dress?”

He flashed a glamorous smile at me, showing off his beautiful white teeth. “You shall knock ’em dead!”

After three hours of pampering from Marc’s girls, everything that could be waxed and plucked was removed. A ton of aloe rubbed into me, I was slick as a Popsicle, and I felt wonderful. My nails were painted and my makeup flawless. The girls worked around the scar on my leg and never mentioned it; however, I did see one of them eye Marc once. He clucked his tongue.

“Here, drink this.” He handed me a small teacup with some funny looking herbs resting at the bottom.

“What is it?” My nose wrinkled. It smelled funny.

“Trust me, you need it.”

Marc had never steered me wrong, so I slowly sipped the hot tea. It tasted like you just dragged your tongue along the forest floor…
Arggh
…but after a few minutes I felt more alert and energized.

“Hell, I gotta get some of this.” I smiled and took another sip. Marc rolled my hair in large curlers and sprayed on a half a ton of hairspray.

“If you ate more, you’d feel better.” He gave me a look. Obviously, he didn’t buy the flu story.

“Just been stressed. I lose my appetite when I am. I find it hard to stomach food.”

“Close your eyes,” Marc said as he applied some more hairspray. “Well, I’m sure your mother showing up isn’t helping.”

Marc, like few people, was very much aware of what my mother had been like over the years.

“Yeah, that was a blast having a mother-daughter reunion at my college pub.”

Marc let out a laugh. “Oh God, she didn’t.”

“Oh yes, she did. I loved the part where she acted like she owned the place, snapping her fingers at the waitress.” I shook my head. “I just need to get through tonight.”

“Well, when I’m done with you, you’re going to look fabulous. Oh, and those sexy muscles downstairs are going to wish they were escorting you to the gala, but, sadly for them, you get to hang off a fireman’s arm.” He paused. “Yup, I’m officially jealous.”

“What?” I laughed. “You’re one to talk. Your lover is hot.”

He shrugged. “That he is. However there’s something to be said for a man in a uniform.”

I laughed. “Fifth and Charles Street. They have a great costume shop.”

He leaned back and let out the loudest laugh. He had to brace himself against my desk to stop from falling. “I did not expect you to say that.” He wiped a tear away. “I know what he’s getting for Christmas.”

There was a knock on the door. “Marc, are you almost finished with her?” Mom called out. Immediately, the light mood was sucked out of the room. “Ethan should be here soon, and the limo will be arriving in thirty minutes.”

“Almost, Jenny, give me fifteen.” He glanced at me with a playful smile.

He touched up my makeup and pulled out a long, black garment bag that he had hung in my closet. I felt like a kid at Christmas. Oh, how I loved clothes. He pulled out a stunning gold silk dress. I undid my robe and stepped carefully into it. Marc pulled it up over my waist and then made me lean forward slightly so he could get the halter over my curlers. The dress hung perfectly off my curves—not that I was overly curvy. The front swooped down to show off the perfect amount of cleavage.

“Take your bra off.” He nodded at the dress. I undid it and tossed it on the bed. The bust area had a built in booster bra, which made my breasts look better than the push-up bra did.

I smiled. “Impressive.”

The back was completely gone and swooped down the same way it did in the front but stopped just above my behind. He pulled out a small strand of silver set with diamonds that had tiny clips on each end. He fastened them across the mid-section of my back to hold the dress in place. It was a stunning look with an even better purpose.

“Now,
la pièce de la résistance
for the gown.” He hooked one finger into the dress and tugged at the front and revealed a huge slit that followed my left leg and stopped right before my pelvic bone. I hadn’t even noticed it because of the way the gown fell. I was thankful it wasn’t the leg with the scar. His eyes sparkled. “A sexy little touch, should you wish to use it, or not.”

He let my hair fall in massive curls and pinned it up on one side. It looked sexy but elegant, just like the dress. He slipped on my heels and handed me a clutch that matched. “Promise me, Emily, you’ll have some fun tonight. Work that dress, sweetie. You owe it to that body of yours.”

I tossed my arms around him. “Thank you, Marc. You are as wonderful as always.”

“My pleasure, Emily. You know I love you.” He gave me a look. “I’m always here for you, any time.”

“I know.”

I took a deep breath and headed down the stairs.

Garrett and Seth were deep in conversation. Garrett looked up and did a double take.

“Seth,” he whispered. Seth looked up. His eyes locked with mine and then traveled down my body. Garrett stood up just as I stepped off the last stair. “Wow, you look…wow!”

I smiled. “Thanks.” Garrett took my hand and spun me around slowly. He looked back at Seth, who stared too.

“Where’s the rest of the dress?” Garrett pointed at my back.

I rolled my eyes. “Hey, Mom bought it, not me.”

The doorbell rang. Oh God, I wasn’t ready for this.

Seth came closer. His eyes were dark. I knew that look. He was suddenly possessive of me, but I pretended not to notice.

“I’m coming!” My mother burst through the kitchen door. “Emily, you look lovely. God, I have good taste. Go in the living room. You don’t want to look needy, dear.”

“Mother!” I snapped as I moved past Garrett. Christ, the stuff that came out of her mouth!

Seth stepped in front of me and made my heart flutter. He reached up and gently touched my cheek with the backs of his fingers. I closed my eyes and controlled my emotions.

“Emily,” he whispered. My whole body hummed when he spoke.

“Ethan, please come in.” My mother linked arms with him and pulled him toward me.

Seth closed his eyes and took a step to one side.

My mother beamed. “Emily, this is Ethan.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said sweetly, but I snuck a quick glance at Seth, who still had his eyes on me.

“Emily.” He leaned in and kissed my hand. Well, I had to give my mother credit. He was one hot man. He screamed fireman in every sense of the word. He was tall and built with short black hair.

“Gary will be here any moment, and then the two limos will arrive,” Mother directed. “Emily, listen for the doorbell.”

“Okay…wait, who’s Gary?” I asked, confused. This was the first time she mentioned a man’s name in…well, maybe forever. Mom never dated, just hawked and shamelessly flirted.

“My date, dear. You’re not the only one showing up with a hot piece of something.” She winked at Ethan.

“My God, Mother,” I muttered under my breath as she went upstairs.

And then there were three. Oh, how the tension built in the room. Finally Garrett moved beside me. “Hi, Ethan. I’m Garrett, and this is my partner, Seth.”

Ethan smiled a little. “Oh, hi.”

“Partners, as in police officers.” I corrected his thought.

He abruptly changed his expression and nodded. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” He pointed to Seth. “I feel like I saw you at the hospital. Where that whole case with the missing girl and Jimmy Lasko went down?”

I reached out for Garrett. He wrapped an arm around my back. This was not what I wanted to discuss tonight.

“Yeah, that was me,” Seth said, his eyes still burning into me and heightening my senses.

“Did they ever say if the girl was all right? The media is keeping a pretty tight lid on it.”