She shook her head. “I didn’t get to her in time.”
“What are you not telling me?” I asked, losing my patience.
Swallowing hard, she headed toward the living room and I followed her. The room looked fantastic, everything completely different from what it used to be. The black couches I’d had were now replaced by soft brown ones with different-colored accent pillows. There were trees in the corners that were lit up like the last ones. I could see Bristol in every aspect of the room.
Angela picked up an envelope that was sitting on the coffee table. “This came in the mail today, only it was addressed to Bristol. When she saw what was inside, she ran out of the house.”
She handed me the brown envelope and I ripped out the contents. Sadie had taken pictures of our night together without my knowledge. Obviously it was to frame me, the way she was doing now. The pictures were bad enough, but the letter infuriated me more. That stupid cunt had crossed the line way too many times. Now she was involving Bristol.
“I have to find Bristol.” Envelope in hand, I raced to the door.
“You don’t think this girl has anything to do with what happened here, do you?” Angela shouted after me. Before I could get in my car, I froze and turned around.
Thinking about it, Sadie was psychotic enough to do it; I could see in her eyes that she wasn’t all there in the head. “You have got to be kidding me. Why didn’t I think of her before?”
Angela shrugged. “She obviously has a bone to pick with you if she’s attacking Bristol. I haven’t lived sixty-eight years without seeing what people are capable of. If I were you, I’d go to the police about it. You need to stay away from that one,” she said, pointing at the envelope.
“No shit.”
She was right. Going after Sadie would only make things worse. If it was her that messed up my house, then she was more fucked up than I thought. Leaning against my car, I ran a hand angrily through my hair. Everything was going great for me until this. Bristol wasn’t going to want anything to do with me now, and I couldn’t blame her. I had to find her.
—
After various attempts at calling Bristol, it was obvious she didn’t want to be found. I wasn’t surprised, but I wanted the chance to explain. Knowing my luck, she probably went to her brother’s and I’d have to go through him to get to her.
What was worse was that I didn’t even know that psycho cunt had taken pictures of our one and only night together. The only thing to do was wait Bristol out and since I had a key to her condo, I decided to go there. I paced her kitchen floor, hoping to hear the sound of keys in the lock, but it never came. My phone rang and I rushed over to it, only to see Jason’s name, not Bristol’s.
“Thanks for calling me back,” I said to him.
“Sorry it wasn’t sooner. From your message, it sounded urgent. Is everything okay?”
“No, that’s why I called. Bristol received something today and I think you should take a look at it. There’s a girl who’s been stalking me and as idiotic as it might sound, I think she might be behind the break-in.”
“Hmm…interesting. Where are you at?”
“Downtown, at Bristol’s condo. I can’t find her, so I’m waiting her out. Want to meet me in the parking garage?” I asked.
“Be there in ten.”
He hung up, and by the time I made it through the building and out of the lobby to the parking garage, he was pulling in. I walked down to his car and he got out.
“So what exactly is going on?” Jason asked. I handed him the envelope and he looked inside, eyes widening the second he saw the pictures.
“Her name is Sadie. I never gave a shit about finding out her last name. But this girl,” I said, pointing at the pictures, “is a fucking nutcase. She’s been following me around and selling pictures to the tabloids. I have no doubt some of these will be next.”
I’d had some scandalous stories circulate about me before, but this one would definitely tear Bristol and me apart if it hadn’t already done so. Gaze narrowed, Jason studied the note. “What has me concerned is this letter. It’s threatening.”
My stomach clenched. “That bitch better not think of hurting Bristol.”
He lifted his face to me and sighed. “You can never be too sure. Delusional people are capable of just about anything.” Putting the letter back in the envelope, he sealed it up. “I’m going to take these and run them for fingerprints. If this girl was responsible for the break-in, she probably left no trace on these either. I’ll see what I can find, though.”
I shook his hand. “Thanks, Avery. This girl’s trying her best to ruin my life.”
Jason started back toward his car but then stopped and faced me. “I know this pisses you off, but don’t do anything stupid. You don’t exactly have the best track record.”
What I really wanted to do was find Sadie and beat the shit out of her, but my mother always taught me not to hit a girl. I had no desire to hurt a woman…except for Sadie. “For the first time in my life, I’m actually going to lay low and let you handle it. I just want Bristol to talk to me again.”
“She will. You have to give women their space. Trust me, I know this all too well.”
As soon as he got into his car and drove away, I took the elevator back to the lobby on up to Bristol’s condo. Bristol had no choice but to come home eventually, and when she did, I would be waiting for her. Once inside her condo, I pulled out my phone and called Hayden.
“Hey,” she answered happily. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”
I sat down at the kitchen bar and sighed. “Sorry, sweetheart, no pleasure in this one. I need your help.”
“Uh-oh, please tell me you didn’t screw things up with Bristol?”
Teeth clenched, I couldn’t get Sadie’s smug smile out of my head. That bitch was probably enjoying every minute of this. “I didn’t, but someone else did. Here it goes…”
Chapter 24
Bristol