Scandal:The Complete Series(15)
Something changes about his expression. The complacency is gone for a moment, replaced by a human reaction. “Look, I know she was your sister…”
“She wasn’t.”
“What?”
“I said she wasn’t my sister. She was my stepsister. We lived under the same roof for three years but we had no blood ties. Her father married my mother when we were both children. That’s about it.”
“I know, Ella, it was a figure of speech.” His voice changes, turning more severe and candid. “Madison liked to live on the edge but she wasn’t comfortable with anyone knowing. She pretended to be my girlfriend to get real scrutiny off her back. It suited us both. The night of her death, Madison told me she had plans to visit the club. She even asked if I wanted to join her but I refused as I had a date. Well, kind of.”
I consider his words, trying to determine how much credence I can give them. “And did you make it to your date?”
He nods. “I kind of wish I hadn’t. She was totally uninteresting and way into herself.”
Way into herself? Coming from him, it’s rich, to say the least. “Where did you take her?”
“We dined at Lucques and then we had a drink at the Sky Bar on Sunset Boulevard.”
So, he does have an alibi—a very precise one. A weight is lifted off my shoulders. I don’t want him to be Madison’s killer. The fact he had a failed date is a bonus but I don’t want to go there just now.
When the nachos and guacamole finally arrive it’s not the waitress that brings them to our table. It’s… Brad. Yep, the same fucking Brad who tried to shove his huge dick inside my mouth and then rubbed it against my ass. At least he’s dressed now. And, boy, does he look good. Dark and tall, with smoky eyes and corded, lean muscles, wearing a tight white t-shirt and faded jeans.
“What do we have here? The phony trainee who truly only has eyes for her fake trainer,” he says with a wide grin.
I turn to Jaxson for guidance. Left to my own devices, I will no doubt slap Brad. How is it that he got his hands on our order anyway? And has he washed those hands?
Jaxson is of no help. He shrugs. “What’s up, B-diddy?”
“Man, shit was boring today. Why the fuck do we even bother?”
“You know why,” Jaxson says, winking at me.
Am I supposed to know why?
“May I?” Brad says, pulling a chair to the table.
An intrusion, exactly what I need when I was so close to getting some real answers out of Jaxson. Besides, I really don’t need this Brad to remind me of what I did in the private room right in front of him or of what I let Jaxson get me into; or how I enjoyed it.
“Relax,” Brad says, sensing my uneasiness. “I don’t bite.”
I guess I should take his word for it. The fact that his eyes look me up and down like they’re about to devour me isn’t exactly reassuring. This Brad guy is a predator that likes to toy with his prey and doesn’t care who knows it. He’s that confident—a total pro. There’s not a single doubt in my mind about it.
“Do you mind?” I say, finally losing my patience. “You’re staring.”
He laughs, bringing his Sierra Nevada bottle to his lips. “I’m just trying to figure out if you’re a good lay.”
Oh lord, what a pretentious jackass. “Well, I don’t have to wonder about that as far as you’re concerned because I know for a fact you’re not.”
“I’m offended,” Brad says teasingly, putting his right hand on his chest. “And how do you know, if I may ask?”
“Because you would blow the talking part,” I say. “And the part where you gave a shit about your partner.”
Brad laughs. “There’s a talking part?”
Jaxson chuckles, giving me a high-five. I hardly find the whole thing amusing but I don’t want to sound like a total bitch either.
“Sorry,” I say sarcastically. “How rude of me.”
Jaxson leans over the table to take my hand. “He likes that you take him seriously. No one else does.”
His eyes are sincere and his grip firm and trusting. “No harm done,” I say. “I doubt we’ll have the pleasure of meeting again.”
“You will, Ella. Brad is on our side.”
I withdraw my hand, flinching.
“What’s wrong?” Jaxson says.
“First, you called me by my name and Brad, too. And, second, what side is that exactly?”
“It’s all right. Brad knows who you are.”
Brad corroborates by clinking his beer bottle against my water glass, stupid grin breaking out on his face.
“You told him?” I ask Jaxson, quite irritated. “When?”