Tangled Beauty (20 page)

I touched my chin, which was
still very sore. “Yes,” I said. “But I’m sure that I hurt him much worse.”

“Good,” said Reed
, relaxing slightly.

“
So, what happened?” asked Jesse.

I told them everything
, including the fact that I’d cut the psycho man’s hair a few times and his obsession with me.

“Did they catch him?” asked Jesse
, chewing on his lower lip.

I shook my head. “No,
unfortunately he escaped and they’re still looking for him.”

“You’re kidding,” gasped Jesse. “He’s still at
large
?”

I nodded.
“Apparently. They traced him back to the cabin, where he’d held me but I guess it’s not even his place. He must have broken in.”

“What about fingerprints?” asked
Reed.

“
I’m sure they’ll get some,” I said. “So, at least there’s that.”

“We were so worried about you,” said Jesse, touching my hair
with tenderness. “Not knowing what had happened.”

“It was pretty scary,” I said.

“Jesse,” said Reed. “Could I have a minute alone with Sinclair?”

Jesse stood up. “I don’t know, can I trust you?” he joked.

“You can but she might not be able to,” said Reed.

I had to refrain from rolling my eyes. The fact that
I’d almost interrupted him and Sela having sex in the library still angered me. I didn’t even want to hear his excuses. 

“
I don’t know, seeing how Sin escaped one crazy bastard, I think you’re the one who should be careful,” smiled Jesse, as he stood up and walked towards the door.

“I hear you
,” said Reed, sitting down next to me.

The intensity of his gaze was disarming and I knew I had to get rid of him. I just didn’t have the strength to deal with his lies at the moment.

“Reed,” I said, after Jesse had left. “Look, I’m really tired and would just like to rest if you don’t mind.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Are you kicking me out?”

I licked my lips. “Well, I’m grateful that you stopped by to check on me, but I’d just like to be alone for a while, until my parents show up. You know?”

He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. “I understand. I’m sorry, I just wanted t
o-”

“Please,” I interrupted. “We can talk later, okay?”

He nodded and stood up. “Okay. How long are you going to be in the hospital?” he asked.

“They’re keeping me overnight and the
n my parents are going to take me home tomorrow morning.”

“I could drive you.”

I shook my head. “No, thanks.”

H
e frowned. “Can I at least
call
you?”

“Um, sure.
Jesse has my number.”

His eyes narrowed.
“Why do I have this feeling that you’re brushing me off?”

Because
I am?

“That’s ridiculous,”
I lied. “I’m just exhausted and after everything that’s happened…”

“Okay, sure, I understand
. Well, I’ll definitely be calling you, if that’s okay?”

“Sure,” I said, wondering how Sela would feel about that. Obviously he wouldn’t tell her.

He bent down and brought his face next to mine. “I’m sorry
that this happened to you,” he said, his voice low. “If you need anything-”

“
I’m fine,” I answered.

“
Anything
,” he continued with a stern voice. “You call me. You still have my card?”

I nodded. “I’m sure it’s with my things, back at your parent
’s home.”

“Actually, Jesse brought your overnight bag, it’s in the trunk
.”

“Okay.”

His eyes softened and he leaned forward, as if to kiss me, but I pulled away. “Please, my entire face aches.”

Reed
’s eyes burned into mine before he raised his lips and kissed the top of my head. “Take care of your-self,” he said. “I
will
call you.”

Right.
Only when his fiancé was out of town and he wanted a piece of ass.

“Okay,” I said.

***

Reed

I wasn’t sure what was going through Sinclair’s mind after everything she’d been through, but I could definitely tell she was distancing herself from me. I wasn’t going to press her about it, however.

Not yet.

I went back out into the parking lot, grabbed her over-night bag and brought it back to the room as Jesse was saying his goodbyes.

“I’ll call you,” I said, trying to control the rage I felt inside from seeing her beautiful face so bruised and swollen. I wanted to find that bastard myself and fuck him up
.

B
ad.

Make him pay for what he’d done to Sinclair.

“Okay,” replied Sinclair, not quite meeting my eyes.

Sighing, I took one final look at her before I left the room
. She looked so small and vulnerable in the hospital bed and I wanted nothing more than to stay and protect her. The fact that she was pushing me away was aggravating but I certainly couldn’t be angry with her. She’d been through hell the last few hours.

“Keep your chin up,” I said. “And call me if you need to talk.”

She nodded, although it looked as if she’d already given up on having anything further to do with me. Little did she know that
I
didn’t give up that easily.

Sinclair

When my parents arrived at
the hospital, they were obviously upset and I had to keep reassuring them that I was fine.

“You’re coming to stay with us until they catch this person,” said my mother, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Promise me, Sinclair.”

“Mom,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I’m not going to let this man scare me
, okay? I have a job and a life. I can’t let him take that from me.”

“Then we’ll hire a bodyguard for you,” said my father, clasping his hands in front of his round belly.

I stared at him and smiled, so happy to see them, again, even under such crazy circumstances. My parents are in their sixties and remind me of what Santa and Mrs. Claus would look like if they’d retired in Stanton – both short, round and tan with laugh-lines, pug noses, and puffy white hair. My dad even has a little white beard and smokes a pipe now and again.

“You don’t have to do that,” I said.

He frowned.
“Well, the police should assign one for you. That’s why we pay our taxes, isn’t it?”

“The detective I spoke with
earlier said they’d probably do that,” I said. “Especially now that’s he’s killed two people. They’re going to send someone to talk to me again, tomorrow before we leave the hospital.”

My mother gasped.
“Are they worried he’ll come looking for you?”

I sighed.
“Well, they
think
he’s probably taken off, fled the city, but they don’t know for certain.”

My dad nodded. “
They’d better get someone for you because I don’t want you going
anywhere
unescorted.”

“Dad…” I said.

“No, I’m serious. If I have to follow you around everywhere myself, I will,” he said.

Just then, a nurse knocked on the door and stepped inside.
“The detective from earlier is back to see you,” she said.

“Good, send him in,” said my dad. “I want to talk to him
about security, find out what they plan to do.”

I sighed.
“Dad…”

“Dad, nothing,” he said, bending down to pat my hand. “You’re my little jewel and I’
m not going to let anyone threaten you again. Not if I can help it.”

My awesome dad had called me that since I was a baby.
His little jewel
. I smiled up at him.

The bald detective from earlier
stepped into the room, his face much less grim then earlier. He held out his hand to my parents and introduced himself.

“Have you heard anything about this monster?” asked my dad. “Have you people found him, yet?”

The officer smiled. “Actually, that’s why I stopped back here myself, to tell you the good news.”

“G
ood news?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

He nodded. “Well, it appears that your attacker
was killed in an automobile fire, a couple of hours ago.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, shocked.

He pulled out a small pad of paper. “Yes, there was an accident involving a semi and a sedan that we believe the perp was driving at the time. The car flipped over the side of a ravine and then started on fire.”

“And you think it’s him?” asked my father.

“Well, the man was burned pretty badly but we found some forged ID’s he’d hidden in a small safe in the trunk which, fortunately for us, survived the fire. One of the ID’s was for a ‘Michael Richie’.”

“Oh my God,
it had to be him,” I said.

“Well, we believe it is. We’re still investigating the scene
and do not really know his true identity, yet, but I thought you should know,” said the detective.

“
Tell us detective, do you think it was really him?” asked my dad.

He nodded. “Personally, yeah I do. There was also a shitload of money and a presc
ription for Clozapine in the safe.”

“What’s C
lozapine?” I asked.

“It’s used to treat Schizophrenia,” he said.

Now
that
made sense.

“He’s really dead…” I murmured
, feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from my chest. I could suddenly breathe again.

“As far as I’m concerned,” replied
the detective. “You’re nightmare is over.”

One Month Later

Sinclair

“Well, what do you think?”
I asked Jesse, as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. We were at the salon and I’d darkened his hair, this time with chocolate and caramel lowlights that really flattered his new windswept style.

He smiled. “Have to hand it to you,
Sin, you know how to bring perfection up another notch. It looks
magnifico
,” he said, kissing the tips of his fingers.

I laughed and removed the plastic cape
from his shoulders. “I’m sure Daniel is going to love it.”

Daniel was his new Asian
boyfriend. He was also gorgeous, young, and full of energy. They’d met three weeks ago at a club and were almost inseparable. Fortunately, we’d gotten to know each other a lot better the day before when I’d given him a trim. He was totally digging Jesse and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

“Oh, I know he will,” he said, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “We’re flying to Vegas tonight. I told you, right?”

“Only about ten times,” I said. “You two have fun and make sure to behave yourselves.”

He snorted. “Vegas
is no place to behave, sweetheart. I plan on being as naughty and obnoxious as I can. Wanna join us?”

“Although I’d love to tag
along and witness your mischief, I’m going to decline. Thanks, anyway.”

He put a hand on my shoulder and shook it, playfully.
“You really need to get out more, you know that, don’t you?”

“I’m fine,” I said.
“I like my solitude.”

He sighed.
“So, I wasn’t going to bring this up, but Reed says you still haven’t been returning his calls”

“I told you
why
,” I said, bending over to clean up the hair on the ground.

“
You know he isn’t with Sela, anymore.”

“
Yeah, but he’s still a player and I’m not interested in dating that kind of guy.”

Jesse s
miled, wickedly. “You could just use him for sex.”

“
No way,” I said. Although I couldn’t say the thought hadn’t entered my mind. Not after the way he’d affected me. I wasn’t interested in getting my heart broken, however. A man like that would be too easy to fall for.