Hyde and Seek (40 page)

As it unraveled, I realized what they were.

“Those are my panties,” I whispered.

“Have you worn these recently?”

“A few days ago. When… Oh my God. The night I went to Voodoo.” Wide eyed, I gestured with my head back to Jake.

“Did you throw them out? Go to the gym in them? The laundry mat? Anywhere where they’d have been outside of your house?”

I shook my head as I tried to find some excuse for why my panties weren’t at my house. My
home
. “No. I have a washer and dryer at home. Tomorrow’s laundry day. They were in my hamper.”

When Jake began rubbing my arms, I noticed I was shivering.

“I’m going to be honest, this was an extreme escalation. This isn’t cyber stalking, or even regular stalking. Someone obviously broke into your house. There was a note included in the package, Miss Skye.” Grabbing the other evidence bag, she moved it so I could see.

I leaned down to see the frantic scrawl on a torn piece of paper.

Next time she creams her panties,

it’ll be for me.

“Wait, what?” Like my brain was trying to protect me, the words were a meaningless jumble. As realization dawned, I wished I hadn’t tried so hard to understand. A strangled sob broke free and my shivering intensified, the chair vibrating and rattling from the movement. “Why?”

Detective Oscar shook her head sadly. “I wish I knew. There’s something else. Another reason this is an
extreme
escalation. It appears as though there’s fresh ejaculate on these.”

Lifting a small table, Jake jerked it up so he was gripping the bottom of two legs. Assuming a batting stance, he stepped into it as he swung forcefully, putting all of his weight into the momentum. Time seemed to slow down as the table hit the wall. Like an explosion in an action movie, the wood imploded as it splintered into pieces.

When the door burst open, I was vaguely aware of Rhys moving to stand in front of me. However, my eyes were locked on Jake.

His fury radiated as he dropped the jagged posts and turned back towards the desk. “Are you sayin’ some sicko jacked off on my woman’s panties? And then sent them to me in the fuckin’ mail?” he bellowed, making the room feel as though it was shaking.

Detective Oscar’s face softened again. “Yes, but also no, I’m sorry, that isn’t what I’m saying. There’s no postage on this envelope. No evidence it’s been through the postal service. This was hand delivered.”

“You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kiddin’ me!”

“Who has access to your office?”

“Anyone. Everyone. I got a safe I keep anythin’ valuable in, but the door is unlocked.”

“I need any surveillance you have, Mr. Hyde. I’ll contact businesses around you to see if anyone has seen anything. We’ll also check if there are other cameras in the vicinity that might’ve picked something up. In the meantime, I’m going to send these off for analysis. In fact, Mendez and Franklin here will take them to the lab.” With a nod, she held them out to the officers that had burst in.

“That means you might be able to get the DNA, right? And if there’s DNA, he might be in a system? Or it could help when you catch him?” I preferred to look at the one positive thing that could come out of having my privacy so grossly violated.

“
If
it is confirmed that this is ejaculate and there’s DNA, it will help. But you need to remember this kind of extreme escalation is a double-edged sword. On one side, he’s breaking his pattern. Instead of the occasional emails, and most likely the flowers too, he’s increasing both in timeframe and actions. He’s pushing for a reaction.”

He’s about to get one in the form of me losing my lunch on my shoes.

“And he’s getting stupid. All of this could make him easier to apprehend. But I need to stress that this level of recklessness could also make him more dangerous. His obsession with you is surpassing his desire to not get caught.”

“Fuck,” Jake cursed roughly.

“Jake, we’ll need to swab for your DNA so we can exclude it.”

Clenching his jaw, he jerked his chin up.

“How long do the results take to come back?” I asked.

“It’s not like on TV. DNA is temperamental and it takes a while for the analysis to come back. After that, there’s the additional time to search through multiple databases. In the meantime, keep safe. Continue to have friends go everywhere with you.” Her voice softened. “We’ll get him, Piper. Just stay watchful and vigilant. Contact me day or night, okay?”

“Yes, thank you, Detective Oscar.” My legs shook as I stood and began walking to the door.

“Come on, sweets. We’ll head to the condo for the day.” Jake’s arm wrapped tight around me.

“No. I have so much to do and want to work. It’ll help.” I felt numb, my mind in a fog as I tried to process everything.

“Okay, we’ll go to Hyde’s.” With a nod to the detective, he guided me from the room.

Rhys fell in step behind us, a silent guard.

Jake touched his pockets. “I ran out of the shop without my phone. Call Ray and get her to head to your place with Edge and some of the security if he can swing it. Have her pack a bunch of your stuff for the condo, yeah?”

I nodded, pulling my phone out as we exited the station.

*******

“You need to cancel that cake,” Jake said, storming into the Hyde kitchen a few days later.

I didn't have to ask which one he was referring to.

After our argument about Blake Green, Jake had tried to be cool and supportive about me doing the cakes. More so after our skeevy and upsetting visit to the police station.

I knew it wasn’t easy for him. So, making myself a total hypocrite, I didn’t tell him any of the shit Blake spewed.

I tuned Blake out and never even showed a reaction to any of the ridiculous things he said. Since I usually wanted to laugh in his face or roll my eyes so hard I’d give myself a headache, it was sometimes tough not to respond. When it became difficult to remain professional, I’d just remind myself how many opportunities this job could bring.

I’d thought things were moving along tolerably. Based on Jake's tone, however, I was wrong.

I sighed and continued washing measuring cups without looking at him. “I’m not cancelling. What’s up?”

“You tried goin’ through Rhys but Green shot that shit down. Now every fuckin’ day he’s callin’ to talk about the cake. Needin’ to get together to change somethin’. I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I,” I readily agreed. “Which is why Rhys is there. Or Kase is there. Or Z. Or Eli. Or Key. Or any combination of them.” Picking up a dishrag, I turned to face Jake as I dried my hands off.

“Well, next time I’ll be there.”

“No way. Not gonna happen. We don’t need a repeat of the Tools for Teens event. He’ll poke the bear. The bear will punch him in the face. Then the bear will fuck me up against a wall.” The towel in my hand flipped back and forth as I talked. I tossed it on the counter before I accidentally hit myself in the face. Again. “I’m all for the wall fuck, so can we just skip the other steps?”

“I don’t like the shit he says to you.”

“Yeah, what about Chloe? She’s still texting you, but you don’t see me bugging out.”

Jake leaned on the table and shrugged. “I ignore her shit.”

“And I ignore his.”

“Yeah, but he’s in your space. I can hit delete on a message without readin’ it. You can’t mute Green.”

“Yeah I can. He starts talking, and there’s this little black and white cow in a grass skirt that pops into my head. She dances the hula and plays a ukulele, and I don’t hear any of the white noise that comes out of his mouth. I’ve got a handle on this. I’ve gotten this far, and it’s almost done. If I do this, I’ll be a lot closer to hiring help and expanding.”

“You shouldn’t have to deal—”

“I’m dealing with this for my business, for my dream. You’re dealing with Chloe ‘cause you dipped your dick in crazy. It’ll be done soon and we’ll move on. Until then, you have to trust me.”

“Fuck, Piper, it isn’t you I don’t trust. But you’re so fuckin’ naive! You don’t get it.”

“No, I guess I don’t.” Crossing my arms, I looked up at him. “Explain it.”

“Every day that fucker is comin’ up with new shit to say to get you. To try to take my sweetness. And I’m supposed to just sit back? Fuck that.”

“You know what? I’m gonna be smart and bite my tongue right now. I’ve gotta get going anyways.” Storming out of the kitchen, I hopped in my car and drove to lunch with Ray, completely livid.

After all this time, he still didn’t trust me. There was nothing Blake could say that would make me interested in him. There was definitely nothing he could say that would change the way I felt about Jake.

Only Jake could do that.

*******

“Well, well, well. Look who it is. Jake’s innocent little bitch. Or should I say
former
innocent little bitch?”

I’ll take catty, shrill voiced bitches I don’t have patience for, for $800 Mr. Trebek.

Oh look, she’s got a friend. Looks like it’s a Daily Double.

“Rachel, dear, didn’t you hear the news? Oh, I forgot, you’re banned and no one is talking to you. Oh, that makes this extra fun then,” Ray said, giving an evil smile.

I turned to look at Rachel and her friend who were both overly made up and showing near indecent amounts of skin. It was only two in the afternoon but they looked like they’d already been partying hard.

Like the karma gods were in on it, I held up my hand at the same time Voodoo's door opened. Sunlight streamed through and hit my engagement ring at the perfect angle to make it sparkle brightly.

“I’m going to be Mrs. Jake’s Innocent Little Bitch Hyde. Boy, that’s a mouthful. I’m thinking I’ll just go by Mrs. Hyde.”

“That’s not what Chloe said,” her side bitch said, looking to Rachel.

“Shut the fuck up, Chrissy,” Rachel hissed, elbowing Chrissy hard in the ribs.

Chrissy continued on as if nothing happened, giving no indication she felt what had to have been a painful jab. “I’m confused. Chloe said she was with Jake and this chick was gone. Why would he give her a ring if they broke up? I don’t get it.” Even with the distance separating us, I could see that her eyes were glazed over. As she talked, her hand kept darting up to rub her nose.

“Holy shit, that bitch is high,” I whispered to Ray.

“As a fuckin’ kite. I already texted Edge, and he and security are on their way. Rachel’s been banned for a while. I don’t know how she got in, but I’m guessing it had to do with the both of them on their knees. I’m also betting whoever is working the entrance is about to lose their job.”

“Chrissy, I said shut up,” Rachel hissed again, her face contorting in anger.

“But Chloe said now that she’s back with Jake, she’s gonna get you unbanned from all the good places. Then you’re gonna get one of the guys, and hook me up with one. I thought I was getting a man,” Chrissy whined.

Pretty sure my boys would rather cut their own dicks off than dip it into noxious snatch.

“Chrissy, I swear to fuck, I’m gonna beat your ass!” Rachel screeched, stepping to her just as security showed up.

“Chloe said she sends him naked pictures all the time. She said that he has always wanted her back.”

Holy fuck.

Jake had kept his promise and told me when Chloe started texting again. However, he hadn’t said a word about pictures.

“Chloe’s a lying, scheming whore. Don’t trust a word outta that bitch’s mouth,” Ray said to Chrissy.

But I knew she was also talking to me.

“She sent Rachel a screenshot of a text from Jake. Show them.”

“I’m really sorry, but she’s right,” Rachel said with fake sympathy as she reached into her bag. She touched her phone a few times before turning it to face Ray and me.

Jake:
Fuck, that picture has me so hard. I can’t wait to fuck you again. I have to figure out how to get all of her shit out of my shop and house. Then we won’t have to sneak around. I’m going to come over later, get another taste of you to tide me over. I tried to make myself move on but there is no one else for me. You know what I like without me having to teach you every damn thing.

My stomach lurched and my face heated. The restaurant seemed to fall silent as the blood roared in my ears.

Looking around, I saw that Ray was saying something to me. Edge was screaming at Rachel as security forced her out, but all I heard was Jake’s voice from that morning.

“But you’re so fuckin’ naive!”

Was I?

“I have to go,” I mumbled as I woodenly stood. I knew Ray and Edge were talking, I saw their mouths moving, but I didn’t hear a word they were saying.

Grabbing my bag, I ran to my car and drove to Hyde.

I pulled up to the garage and saw that Jake was already outside waiting for me. When my phone rang, I almost ignored it until I saw Rhys’ name.