“Jazz.” Ainsley tugs on my arm. “Are you okay? Why are you crying?”
I furiously swipe at the tears on my face. “Yeah... uh, I’m fine. I just got scared because I’ve been trying to find my way out of this damn maze, and I can’t. I guess I kind of freaked out a bit.” Neither one of them looks like they believe me, but I do my best to control my emotions. “What are you guys doing here?”
“We were looking for you,” Reed answers, holding out his phone. “Kingston gave me the login for his tracker app when you never returned from the bathroom.”
I look at the screen, and there are two little green dots right next to each other. Shit, I almost forgot about the tracker he installed on my phone.
“Why didn’t he come looking for me?”
If Kingston’s playing me, who’s to say Reed isn’t in on it?
Reed briefly looks at Ainsley before replying. “Because he’s tied up with something.”
Yeah, tied up being wrapped around a whore.
I scoff. “Right.”
Fuck. Do not cry, Jazz. Do. Not. Cry.
“He, uh...” Reed grabs the back of his neck. “Said he’ll be a while, so he gave me the keys to his Rover so I can drive you home.”
Ainsley bites her bottom lip. “Jazz? You ready to go home?”
Well, isn’t that a loaded question? I’d do anything to go back home, but the thing is, Sperm Donor’s mansion isn’t the place.
“Sure. I’m tired, anyway.” I sniffle, looking around. “Do either of you know how to get the hell out of here?”
“Yeah. I’m actually freakishly good with mazes. Piece of cake.” Ainsley taps an index finger to her temple. “Built-in GPS.”
I throw my hand out. “Lead the way.”
Ainsley wasn’t exaggerating. She leads us out of the maze without any hesitation or errors. I’m quiet the entire drive back, using exhaustion as an excuse the few times she questioned me. The more I think about what I witnessed at that house of horrors, the more I tell myself to take it at face value. Nobody forced Kingston to kiss that girl. To ogle her naked body with such a lust-filled gaze. To take her hand and disappear into a back room, doing God knows what. Oh, who am I kidding? I know exactly what they were doing.
Just as we’re pulling in the driveway to my house, a text comes in from my boyfriend, forcing me to choke back a sob. I guess I shouldn’t call him my boyfriend anymore, considering he’s a liar and a cheater . I can forgive a lot of things, but the latter isn’t one of them.
Kingston: You make it home yet?
I battle my inner smartass, wanting so badly to respond with something sarcastic, but I manage to control myself.
Me: Yep. Just pulled in the driveway. I’m tired, so I’m going to bed. Talk to you later.
Kingston: You sure? I’m about to head out. I can swing by on the way, and you can stay at my place.
Yeah, right. That’s not happening.
Me: I’m sure. Really tired. Goodnight.
Instead of another incoming message, my phone rings. I hold it up as I open the car door, showing Reed and Ainsley Kingston’s name flashing on the screen.
“I’ve gotta take this. I’ll see you guys later. Thanks for the ride.”
“Night, Jazz,” they say in unison.
I take a seat on the front stoop as I hit the button to accept the call. “Yeah?”
“You sure you’re okay? You sound weird.”
“How can I sound like anything through a text?”
I’m pretty sure he growls. “You know what I meant, Jazz.”
Actually, I’m not sure I know anything about you.
I sigh, telling myself not to cry again. “I’m fine, Kingston. Just really tired. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”
“Reed said you were crying when they found you.”
That fucker.
“It’s no big deal. I just panicked because I got lost. I’m fine.”
“Why were you in that maze, Jazz?”
Why were you in that house, Kingston?
“I thought it looked cool, so I went in to check it out.”
He’s silent for a moment. “How’d you end up outside when you said you were going to the bathroom?”
“Why does it matter?”
“What do you mean, ‘Why does it matter?’ You know I didn’t want you alone for any reason.”
“Why not? Because you were afraid I’d see you doing something you shouldn’t have been doing?”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“Don’t yell at me.”
“Don’t piss me off, and I won’t.”
I unlock the front door and step inside. Thankfully, no one is loitering in the foyer.
“And on that note, I’m done with this conversation. Goodnight, Kingston.”
My phone rings one second after I hang up on him, but I decline the call. He tries three more times before sending a text.
Kingston: Pick up the fucking phone, Jazz.
Not gonna happen, buddy.
Kingston: If you don’t pick up the phone, I’m driving my ass over there, and I’ll drag you out of the house if I have to.
I know that’s not an idle threat, so I move fast. I trade my fancy dress for some black jeans, a matching hoodie, and some Chucks, pulling my hair in a low pony before sliding a beanie over my head. I look like I’m getting ready to do a little B and E, but I suppose blending in is precisely what I’m going for here. I thumb through the contacts on my phone and pull up the one I need.
The deep voice I know as well as my own answers on the first ring. “Jazz. I didn’t expect to hear from you anytime soon. What’s up?”
I step into my bathroom and flip on the fan in case anyone’s watching the camera feed. Fuck, for all I know, Kingston is the one responsible for that camera. “I need a favor. Can you come get me?”
“At your new place?”
I nod. “Yeah. Well, no... but close to it. I’ll text you the address to a gas station. Can you pick me up there?”
“Babe, it’ll take me at least an hour to get up there.”
“That’s fine,” I assure him. “It’ll take me a bit to walk there anyway.”
“Why don’t you want me to pick you up at your house? Embarrassed to be seen with me?”
“Not at all. It’s more like I need to get the hell away from this house as fast as possible.”
He sighs heavily. “Okay, baby. Text me the address, and I’ll haul ass to get you.”
“Thank you.” I blow out a breath. “Shawn? There’s one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m leaving my phone at home, so after I text you, you won’t be able to reach me. And don’t text me back.”
He chews on that for a moment. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“I’ll explain when I see you. You know I’m good for it.”
“Trouble with the rich folk, huh?”
“Something like that. Look, I gotta go. I’ll see you soon. Bye, Shawn.”
“See you soon, Jazz.”
I forward the address to the Chevron, then delete our text thread and the call log before setting my phone on the charger. Going back into my closet, I stuff my ID and some cash in my pocket and grab a jacket off the hanger. At the last second, I grab my backpack off the floor and throw a change of clothes into it. Better to be prepared than not. Good thing I’ve taken to running outside lately because I’ve familiarized myself with the area quite a bit. Now, I just need to make sure I stay out of sight during the three-mile walk in case Kingston drives by. I may have a thousand questions running through my head right now, but one thing I’m sure of is that he’s coming for me.
Chapter 9
KINGSTON
What the fuck is going on with Jazz right now? I don’t buy the tired excuse for one second. Reed said she was definitely upset when they dropped her off, and he doubts it had anything to do with getting lost. Why was she in that maze? Did Jazz see my dad and me as we passed through? More importantly, did she overhear our conversation? Is that why she’s ignoring me?
Fuck.