S*x and Secrets: Alpha Billionaire Forbidden Romance (16 page)

“He was saving all his kisses for you, hon,” I said, meaning every word. As much as I admired Beckham, I couldn’t imagine us kissing. Levi however . . .

Don’t go there, Montana. Forget about Levi’s kisses.

“You called three times. Anything wrong?”

“You were right about Jake,” I blurted out, bursting at the seams. How I even managed to stay calm and not shout out the news was a miracle. “I’d forgotten how perceptive you are.”

“I was?” she shrieked. “How?”

I sucked in a shaky breath. “Jake was Jacqueline. She had a sex change. Can you fucking believe it?”

Red gasped. If she was breathless before, I presumed this knocked all the air from her lungs. “What the fucking fuck? I was right!”

I chuckled. “Yeah, that about sums it up. Who would’ve thought?”

“Jacqui gave me the fucking creeps. I couldn’t understand how you managed to stay so nice to her after everything she did.”

“Hmmm.” I rubbed at the spot on my chest just above my heart. “That’s because I learned that if I pissed people off the consequences could be far worse.”

“Oh yeah. For a moment I forgot about your dad.”

“Let’s not go there,” I said, my voice catching. I couldn’t deal with those memories on top of everything that was happening right then. My head still wanted to burst open and now I felt nauseous, too.

“Tell me what happened tonight. Don’t leave a thing out.”

She listened as I recalled everything with only an occasional curse word interrupting me. “The whole thing sounds like a bizarre episode of a soap opera. What are you going to do now?”

I scrunched my face and pulled my shoulders up. “What really puzzles me is why she’s . . . I mean he’s obsessed with me after all these years. It’s freaking me out.”

“Sounds like a deadly crush. Maybe you should talk to the police?” Silence fell between us as I considered the option. I didn’t want to have to deal with making statements. Plus, I was allergic to cops. “You still there? Jake did threaten your life, Monty.” Red’s voice was laced with concern.

“What if I’m wrong and I’m blowing it completely out of proportion?”

“What if you aren’t?”

Damn. She was right. But worse: what if Jake harmed Levi? He’d sure given it his best shot with the exposé, but that was tame for the type of revenge Jacqui had meted out before. My gut told me he was capable of so much more.

“I’m assuming Levi doesn’t know about Jacqueline?”

“No.”

“You’ve got to warn Levi.” Her voice was stern. “Tell him about your past and about Jake.”

“I can’t. I don’t want him to know how fucked up—”

“Montana! Listen to me. Talk to Levi. He’s so fucking in love with you, and he has a right to know.”

“No, he doesn’t. I meant it when I said we were over. There’s nothing Levi needs to know if I’m not fu . . . fucking him anymore.”

Red chuckled. “You said
fucking
. I never thought I’d hear that word from your mouth in a sexual context.”

Good Lord, if only she’d heard the filthy words that tumbled from my lips when I was with Levi. How I begged him to fuck me. My hand covered my mouth. A tingle went straight to my core and my cheeks were hot.

I needed Levi to take away all the bullshit by fucking me hard. I missed The Monster desperately. Hell, who was I kidding? I missed Levi so much my heart ached.

But now more than ever I had to give Levi up. For his own sake. If Jake harmed Levi, I’d never be able to live with it.

S
tartled, I sat upright in my bed. What the hell were those noises? It sounded like water and it sounded as if it was close—more like gushing. Shit.

Leaning over, I found the lamp switch to turn on the light, but nothing happened. I fumbled in the dark to find the flashlight I kept in the nightstand drawer in case of emergencies.

God, I hoped this wasn’t one of those situations where I had to get out of the building in my pajamas, or rather
lack
of sleepwear in this case. Since I usually got myself twisted up in clothing because I was a restless sleeper, I’d taken to sleeping in the nude, especially in summer. Even with the AC at full blast, my skin had felt sticky in the humidity, and I hated the restriction underwear placed on my body.

Finding nothing in the drawer, it hit me that I’d used the flashlight in the kitchen a while back. Damn.

The gushing became louder, yet I couldn’t hear any sirens. Did that mean nobody else heard it?
Strange.

I swung my legs off the side of the bed and yelped as I stepped into ice-cold water. Oh. My. God. What the fuck was happening?

Pulling my legs back up, I huddled on the bed, drawing my knees to my chest as I tried to work out what to do. If the apartment was flooding with water, I had to call somebody. But who? My brain was still muddled from sleep, and I honestly didn’t have a clue what to do in these situations.

Funny how it was especially in moments like these that I wished I had a man sleeping in my bed. Someone I could turn to so that we could solve the problem together. Or in this case, to find the source of the water and fix it, and then carry me to dry ground so that I didn’t need to get my feet wet.

Maybe it was the shock from the cold water, because my teeth clattered and my chest burned. Warm tears spilled over my cheeks, and I bit into my lower lip as I realized I had nobody to call.

Except Levi.
Maybe.

Red was away for an extended weekend with Beckham; they’d left early Friday morning already to make the most of their time getting to know one another better, so she wasn’t any use in this situation.

Not knowing what time it was, because the clock radio had died, too, I reached for my phone. Two thirty-three A.M. Great. Levi would be fast asleep and definitely not appreciative of a call at this hour.

Still weighing up my options, a crashing sound from the direction of the en-suite bathroom startled me. Oh God, the place was falling apart, and I was sitting scared and naked on the bed in the fucking dark.

Time to get brave and check it out.

Gingerly, I placed first one then the other foot on the soaked carpet. Every step I took my feet squelched, creeping me the fuck out. Feeling my way around in the dark, I bumped into a piece of furniture and stubbed my toe.

“Ouch. Fuck,” I yelled, jumping on one foot until I made it to the bedroom door. I reached for the main light switch and flicked it on. Nothing. No fucking power. Goddamnit!

Like an idiot, I’d forgotten my phone on the bed. Hopping back on one foot, I felt around the bedcovers desperately to retrieve my phone, remembering that I’d downloaded an app that served as a flashlight. Why hadn’t I thought of that earlier?

Panic rose in my chest. The phone had disappeared, swallowed by the darkness. Worry knitted my brow. Had it fallen off the bed and onto the drenched carpet? I shuddered at the thought of my phone being rendered useless by the water that rose slowly but surely.

Please God, I need light.
I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes, becoming the kid again who was afraid of the dark.
I promise to be a good girl, just help me find the phone so I can have light. Please, please, please.

Crawling around on the bed, my hands frantically moved over the sheets and pillows, but I couldn’t find it. Long moments passed before my fingertips made contact with the cold glass face. Thank fuck! I gripped it in my sweaty palm, relief flooding my body. The damn thing had been wedged between the mattress and a pillow, only inches from the edge of the bed.

Thank you, God. I owe you one.

Holding onto the phone like a lifeline, I flicked through my apps until I found the one I needed. I could have cried with happiness when a bright light cut through the night like a laser. At last I could kind of see around me.

The light beamed down the hallway. The water was inches deep and rising. Grimacing, I placed my feet back onto the soaked carpet. Even though I knew what to expect, it still caused my stomach to churn over. I waded through ankle deep water toward the kitchen, my heart beating in my ears. What would I find? It would be just my damn luck that a water pipe had burst in the early hours of the morning.

Standing in the doorway, I held onto the doorjamb. My jaw dropped. It looked like something from a movie—a
bad
movie. Water gushed from the walls with pipes protruding from them, and pieces of broken tile floated on the water. I’d seen too many movies where the girl nearly drowned to not be worried. I mean, where would all the water go if it wasn’t stopped?

I had to get help. And I definitely had to get out of there. But first, I needed clothing. Oh God, that meant going back to the bedroom. I shivered, a chill seeping into my bones. I grabbed the first pieces of clothing I found—a T-shirt and jean shorts I’d thrown over the back of a chair. Quickly slipping the top over my head and then shimmying into the denim pants, I sucked in a sharp breath as the phone dropped from my hand into the water.

No. Oh God, no.

I leaned over and grabbed it as quickly as I could, but the light had already died. Wiping it with my shirt, I prayed for a miracle. I couldn’t believe my luck when the light flickered back on.

A deep sigh of relief escaped my lips. With quivering lips and tears blurring my vision, I searched for Levi’s number. He’d know what to do. He’d help me, even if it was nearly three A.M.

Wouldn’t he?

I dialed his number with trembling fingers and held my breath. Waiting. Listening to the familiar ringtone as my heart beat against my ribs.

Pick up the damn phone, Levi.

It rang out and went to voicemail. Damn. Surely the man couldn’t be sleeping
that
heavily. Or maybe he had his phone on silent. I hit the green button again, hard and desperate.

Come on Levi, wake up.

“Hello. Montana?” The sound of his croaky voice was heavenly. Allowing the tears to stream down my cheeks unchecked, I nodded like a fool.

“Who is calling at this time of night?” A shrill woman’s voice came down the line.

Just as my heart shattered into a million pieces, my phone gave up and finally died.

T
here was only one place I could think to go. The loft. I’d be safe there, even if I were alone. I’d never actually slept in the bed for a full night, and I was looking forward to its warmth and comfort. But more than that, I’d feel closer to Levi.

Still shaken by hearing a woman’s voice, my heart twisted achingly. Levi had moved on remarkably fast. What if he was at the loft fucking her in
our
bed?

Before I could fret any more, a crash came from the direction of the bathroom. Hell, I wasn’t hanging around to find out what had happened. I grabbed my car keys and waded my way to the front door. I fought against the rising water to pull the heavy door inward, but I managed to crack it open just enough to squeeze my ass through the gap before it slammed shut.

I stamped my wet feet on the concrete floor because they’d gone numb from the cold, then ran down the stairwell, taking two steps at a time. No way was I taking an elevator. I was too freaked out. What if this was sabotage? I’d watched way too many action movies not to be worried.

Once inside my car, I rested my head on my folded arms against the steering wheel.

My inner child sent up a prayer.

Thank you, God, for getting me out of there alive. I’ll be a good girl now, I promise.

Sometimes when I hadn’t slept well for a few nights in a row, I took a sleeping tablet to knock me out. Thankfully I’d run out and needed a new prescription, otherwise I could just imagine the headline: “Montana Marx found dead floating naked in her flooded apartment.”

I shuddered and quickly started the car. I had to get as far from there as possible.

*****

T
hankfully nobody saw me creep toward the elevator barefoot, disheveled, and trembling. I hit the button for the top floor and leaned against the wall, rubbing my arms to warm me up as it took me to the only place I wanted to be at that moment.

Of course I wished Levi would be there, welcoming me with a warm smile and hugging the shit out of me. I needed a hug that led to fucking. It was the only way I’d calm my nerves and get to sleep.

Once inside, I didn’t turn on any lights because the blinds were still open, and the moonlight and NYC lights came streaming into the room. Shadows played across the wood floor and the huge bed invited me into its warmness.

My shoulders relaxed for the first time, and I sucked a deep breath into my lungs.

This feels like home. I’m never leaving this place again.

I used the landline to make a call to report the flooding water. Heaven knew how high it was, the way it had gushed out.

My apartment was comfortable and by New York standards it was quite spacious because the building was so old. I’d set roots down there even though I hadn’t spent that much time at home.

Rubbing my temples I tried to remember if my insurance covered flooding and water damage. When I’d moved into the apartment after arriving in New York, I was struggling for money and I took the cheapest insurance option available at the time. Since I’d been promoted and started earning the big bucks I’d meant to find another place to live just as I’d meant to upgrade my insurance, but it was one of those things on my to-do list that never quite got ticked off as done.

I shuddered to think of the damage the water did to my belongings, especially my treasured designer shoes and handbags. I’d worked hard to afford those and it was my way of measuring how far I’d come in my career.

Most of the furnishings were replaceable except for one item I’d brought from home when I first moved to the city—an antique buffet that had belonged to my great grandmother and was passed down from generation to generation. It was priceless and no amount of money could ever compensate for its loss. A dull ache settled in my chest as I imagined water seeping into the wood and irreparably damaging it.

Funny how things happened because now I probably didn’t have an option other than to find a new place. The universe was pushing and it couldn’t have happened at a worse time. I felt more alone than ever.