Scandal:The Complete Series(16)
“Brad and I go a long way back. I needed an ally in there. He created that little scene with you so you wouldn’t have to be targeted for real. He kept an eye on you and would have interfered if things got out of hand. He will help us get to the bottom of this.”
The more he talks, the more pissed I get. What now? Do I owe Brad an apology? Gratitude maybe? “So you left me in the dark about the whole private room thing while Brad knew everything the whole time?”
“Honestly, Ella, I thought the less you knew, the easier it would be for you. I didn’t know how well you could act if you knew beforehand it was all staged. I still don’t know. Taking you by surprise ensured you’d have a hypnotized look on your face.”
“You looked drugged,” Brad says with a wink.
Maybe in his world that’s a compliment, but in my world, it does nothing for my confidence. Whatever. There is one very important question I need to ask. “So, in your opinion, and I’m asking both of you, Madison’s murder is related to something or someone at Peach Corner?”
“Here’s the thing,” Jaxson says. “Madison was getting really close to someone who joined one of the bigger groups recently. A fucking dangerous thug with a horrible reputation. She invited him to her place more than once. He’s been known to rough women up and worse.”
“Some bitches love that shit,” Brad says, creepily indifferent.
“Yeah,” I say. “That ranks right behind being called a bitch.”
Brad raises both hands in surrender.
“The point is,” Jaxson says, “there’s a code of silence in the club. They don’t share information with outsiders. Even if they know something, they’d never tell the police. I wanted you to see what I’m talking about, so you don’t think I’m making it up.”
“You don’t really expect me to join the club, do you?”
Jaxson shakes his head. “You’d never make it past stage one and I’m only an honorary member. Brad here’s the real deal though. A full member who could milk some information out of those tied lips if we play our cards right. Then you could take that information to the police and a formal investigation could begin as long as you don’t involve Brad or me.”
As preposterous as it all sounds, I don’t want to disappoint Jaxson. I don’t want to tell him I’m no detective and I already got cold feet before I even knew about all this dangerous shit. “Why are you helping me?” is all I say.
“Because I want to know what happened to Madison.”
“I do too, but I think we should bring Detective Esposito in now.”
“Absolutely not,” Brad says. “If you do, I’m out. I won’t back up anything that was just said.”
“Calm down,” Jaxson says. “Ella wouldn’t do that.” He turns to me with a pleading look on his face. “More people could die, Ella. These are dangerous dudes. Can you trust me on that?”
“I honestly don’t know what to tell you.”
“When you have proof that doesn’t implicate us, you can do whatever you want with it. I believe in you, Ella.”
His eyes are gorgeous when he’s being sincere. I want to kiss him again, have his hands all over my skin.
“Don’t trust him,” Brad says, shoving my shoulder with his second beer bottle. “I can see it in his eyes, he wants to fuck you.”
I study Jaxson’s reaction to those words. He never blinks.
Brad’s words make my blood boil all over. “Are you always this charming?” I ask Brad, rolling my eyes, trying to hide how I’d love for what he said to be true.
“Don’t worry about Brad,” Jaxson says. “He’s all bark and no bite. I’ll straighten his ass out soon.”
*
Jaxson walks me to the parking lot with his hands in his pockets. He’s already apologized three times but he gives it one more try as I unlock the car.
“I’m sorry I brought all this on you like a ton of bricks. I figured there was no time for explanations once Brad agreed it would be okay to bring you in, but I see now I should have given you some warning.”
“No worries, I’m a big girl,” I say, opening the door. “I’ll think about what you said, sleep on it.”
I’m amazed my tongue didn’t slip and said I’d like to sleep on him. Or under him. Any fucking way, really. He wasn’t Madison’s man. The two were never a couple. At this point, the faster I get in the car and drive off, the better.
He stops me, arm blocking the door as I try to shut it. His eyes are oozing sexiness into mine.