One Two Three(61)

“What kind of job do you do, Blue?”

I don’t know why when JD asks that question it sounds so… genuine. But when Ark asks it, he makes me want to lie. JD makes me want to tell him all my secrets. I can hear the sympathy in his voice. “I’m a reporter.”

Ark’s eyes meet JD’s for several seconds like they are having some secret communication. His jaw clenches. “So you came to Denver to find a job? Or to help your friend?”

“Both.”

“Did you get a job, Blue?” JD this time.

“No. I got…” I have to take a deep breath, so I stop. And once I stop, I can’t find a way to continue.

“Just say it, baby.” JD leans into my neck and kisses me. “Just tell us what’s going on. We won’t judge you. I mean, look at us. We make porn.”

“I thought if I could just help her, I could maybe write about it. And then publish it online. And maybe that would get me a real job. I mean, they wanted me to be a blogger, you guys.”

“What?” Ark asks. “Who?”

“After school. I applied to hundreds of publications. And I got one offer to blog. Blog,” I repeat. “And I know some people have huge careers as bloggers, but that’s not what this was. It was blogging statistics. It wasn’t even writing. Just copying and pasting.”

“OK,” Ark says, a little bit annoyed. “I don’t get what that has to do with any of what’s going on. How is your friend connected? Where did you get that brand? Who the fuck are you hiding from?”

“When Janine came to me and asked for help, it was a huge favor, OK? She was pregnant and she told me that they were gonna take her baby and give it to another couple to adopt.”

“Who?” Ark demands, making me jump.

JD’s arms wrap round me, trying to calm me down.

“And I thought that was the perfect opportunity, you know? I could help her, right? I could stop those people from taking her baby. And I could write an expose on what they were doing and maybe get a job out of it.”

Ark leans his face into his palm. He takes a deep breath. “Please tell me you did not infiltrate this group to write a story.”

I swallow hard. “I did.”

He stands up, gets out of the tub, looks at the camera like he forgot it was there, then grabs it and walks out, trailing a puddle of water on the floor behind him.

“Damn, Blue,” JD says. “That was a pretty stupid idea.”

“I realize that now. I mean I realized that back then, too. It took me about five minutes to understand I fucked up in a major way.”

“So where did the brand come from?”

“I… I… I joined up.”

“You joined?” Ark peeks his head into the bathroom as he buttons up one of those white dress shirts. He’s already got jeans on. Like he’s going somewhere. “Now why the fuck would you do that?”

I shrug my shoulders and look up at him. He’s so angry. Why is he so angry? And then he disappears and then reappears pulling on his boots.

“I don’t know, you guys. It was like they brainwashed me or something. I became… Are you going somewhere?” I ask Ark. Because he’s got his boots on and there’s a leather jacket in his hand.

“Yeah, we’re going somewhere. You’re gonna show me where the fuck it was they had you.”

“I don’t know that.”

“You do know, Blue.” He snarls this at me. “You do know. And I’m not playing here, I want you to show us.”

“I don’t know! They blindfolded me and kept me in a basement or something. The other day, when you found me, I was at some special party that night. They drugged me before they took me out of the basement. So when I escaped, I didn’t understand where I was. I have no idea where they are. I have no idea who they are. The only face I ever saw was my husband’s.”

“Your husband?” They say this at the same time.

“It was never legal. I had a fake name. So he’s not my real—”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

I jump at Ark’s shout again.

“Shhh,” JD says behind me. “He’s not gonna hurt you, Blue. He’s just pissed off that you didn’t say something earlier.”

“Why would I tell you guys? You’re porn scum! Why is this my fault all of a sudden? Why do you care so much?”

Ark stomps into the bathroom and looms over me, making me tip my head up to look him in the eye. I feel more vulnerable here, sitting in this tub with JD’s arms around me and Ark’s disapproval, than I have ever felt in my life. Even after all the shit I’ve been through in the past year. “Listen to me, Blue. These are the people who killed JD’s girl. That brand was their brand. They killed his girl and stole his kid. That’s why we’re so fucking interested. OK? So you’re gonna get your ass up and—”