“I would also suggest that the two of you not be seen together until after the school board meeting.” He glanced between William and me. “Any questions?”
Although my mind whirled with questions, I couldn’t bring myself to voice any of them. I guess it was because I didn’t feel Dr. Levinson could answer them, or if he did, I wouldn’t like what he had to say. Finally, I shook my head.
“None for you at the moment,” William replied.
Dr. Levinson nodded. “I’ll see you both at the meeting tomorrow night.”
William and I rose out of our chairs. When we got to the office door, we were to go our separate ways. I just wasn’t sure for how long. Instead of opening the door, William hesitated. As he turned to me, he looked like he was struggling with wanting to say something. After giving him a sad smile, I headed out the door alone.
I once again kept my gaze averted as I left the main office. I went out the front entrance, rather than walking back down the hallway and risking seeing anyone else. When I got to my car, I found that my purse and messenger bag were sitting in the front seat. Either Jane or Mrs. Cleary must’ve brought it out for me.
Just as I was about to slide into the seat and crank the car, I heard, “Ms. Jameson, do you have a statement regarding the charges against you?”
In horror, I looked up to see several news reporters and cameramen making their way over to my car. I hurriedly cranked up and squealed out of the parking lot. As I drove along, I tapped my thumbs on the steering wheel, debating my options. There was no way in hell I could go home right now. The thought of facing Daddy and telling him about what had happened caused my stomach to churn so violently I gagged.
And then I had the answer.
After I dug my cell phone out of my purse, there was only one person I could think of to call. “Hey cuz, it’s Sophie. You think you and some of your buddies could do me a favor?”
Wind rippled through my hair and clothing as I tore down I-75 on the back of my cousin, Everett’s, motorcycle. Everett’s dad and my mom were brother and sister. I didn’t see a lot of him, except at the holidays. He’d grown up in the rodeo circuit, following in his dad and my footsteps of barrel racing. But when he turned eighteen, he traded a horse for a hog. He showed up that Thanksgiving wearing a leather cut, signifying he’d joined a MC club. Although he had a road name of “Rodeo”, none of us in the family called him that.
I’d met up with Everett and two his buddies at their club roadhouse. After eyeing the two hulking guys, I swallowed hard. “Easy, cuz. They’re on our side, remember?”
“I know.” I pulled on Everett’s sleeve. “If you guys help me out, does it that mean I’m going to owe the club a favor?”
“Maybe.”
“Like a sexual favor?”
Everett laughed. “Do you think I’d let those two goons lay one finger on you, least of all fuck you?”
“I hope not.”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about favors. While they’re happy to do it for free, you could sweeten the pot by throwing a case of beer their way.”
Relief flowed through me. “That’s it?”
“Yup. That’s it.”
“I can totally do that. Two cases in fact. You know, one a piece.”
With a grin, Everett said, “Sounds good to me.”
“Then let’s go.”
When I started to throw my leg over the back of his bike, Everett stopped me. “Before we do this, I just gotta ask if you’re sure about this.”
“One hundred and ten percent.” At his continued look of skepticism, I sighed. “I can’t just bend over and take this up the ass without a fight.”
Everett shook his head at my choice of language. “I just want you to make sure you realize the shit that could get thrown back on you.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
He held up his hands. “As long as you’re sure, I’m more than happy to help you.”
“Good. Now let’s do this.”
Everett dropped his cigarette to the ground and stubbed out the embers. “It’s on.”
Now that we were a block away from Club 1740, my once firm resolve started wavering. My stomach felt as tight as some of the rope I used to knot. I began to worry that my harebrained idea had come from me cracking under the pressure of the looming school board meeting.
But then I thought about what had already been taken from me and all I could lose. That’s when courage once again pumped through my veins, and I was ready to take on my adversary.
When we pulled up at 1740, I shouted to Everett over the roar of the pipes, “Go around to the back of the building. That’s where the staff entrance is.”
He nodded in response. After pulling around the building, he eased the bike into a parking space. His two goon friends parked beside us. I hadn’t asked for their names. I figured the less information about them the better, and I just decided to refer to them as “the goons.” I reached into my purse and pulled out my ID card. After swiping it through the reader, the green light lit up, and the lock turned. I opened the door and ushered Everett and the goons inside.
“Membership here must cost a shitload,” Everett mused as we started down the hall.
“It’s not cheap.”
When we got to the elevator, the four of us squeezed inside. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten as I regulated my breathing. As I focused on my rage, my fists clenched at my sides.
My eyes snapped opened when one of the goon’s remarked, “Baby Girl’s getting ready to kick some ass.”
“Damn straight,” I muttered as the elevator doors opened.
Since it was a Thursday night, the club wasn’t packed to capacity. I maneuvered my way through the crowd with Everett and the goons behind me. There was one person I was looking for. The one person who had both a motive and access to the surveillance room.
Calla.
The instant Lyle spotted me from his place at the bar his eyes widened. Although I couldn’t hear him over the ear splintering bass pumping out of the speakers, I read his lips as he mouthed, “Oh fuck.” When his gaze snapped from mine and went to the person perched on a stool at the end of the bar, my fists once again clenched at my side.
She never knew what was coming for her.
When I reached Calla’s stool, my hand snatched a fist-full of her hair. With all the strength I had, I jerked her off her perch by the hair. A screech of pain coupled with shock came from Calla. “What the hell are you doing, you bitch!” she shrieked.
Drawing my arm back, I punched her in the nose. “That’s for me.” Then I delivered a right hook to her chin, knocking her to the ground. Standing over her, I said, “And that’s for William.”
The music abruptly shut off while voices began to shout around me. The next thing I knew Everett was pulling me away from Calla. When one of the bouncers tried to take me from him, one of the goons stepped in and shoved him aside. Another bouncer helped Calla up.
I noticed a crowd had encircled us. You could have heard a pin drop the silence was so deafening. “Are you fucking happy now, you conniving little cunt?”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
I shook my head furiously. “Just because you couldn’t have him, you decided to ruin him. And because you thought I took him from you, you ruined me, too.”
“You’re a crazy bitch.”
Glancing around the crowd, I said, “This piece of shit standing before you sabotaged a man’s career today. She’s trying to play dumb, but it doesn’t take a fucking rocket scientist to know that it was her who plastered my school with pictures from the club.”
Gasps rang out in the club while a low buzz of whispering began. “Club 1740 has strict membership and security. Your average Joe could never waltz in here and steal video footage. It had to be a member or employee that did it. It takes a lot of time and effort to take stills from video clips and make them into pictures. That’s some serious dedication on someone’s part. I would imagine that someone would have to have a fucking good reason to want to do that.”
As I turned around in a circle, I eyed the people standing around. “I can’t imagine anyone else here but Calla who would have a personal vendetta against William and myself. You can’t just say me because there were pictures of both of us.”
Calla’s defiance had begun to fade. She cowered back against the bouncer who had helped her up. “Tell me exactly how did you get them? I’m pretty sure you couldn’t have snuck into the security room, so you must’ve worked out a deal with one of the security guards.” I cocked my head at her. “What did you offer him? Sex or money? Hmm, maybe both?”
“You’re full of shit. All I did here last night was party and play with a few clients.”
“I’m not sure how much partying you did after you saw William and me. You were livid at the sight of us together. The fact that I jokingly said he was wearing a collar—my collar—totally set you off. When he told you that he hadn’t wanted to be collared by you, your broken pride had to make him pay.”
“You’re delusional,” she countered meekly.
“No. You’re fucking delusional. But what you didn’t think about is when you were betraying William and me, you were betraying every single person here at 1740. There are only so many BDSM clubs in this area. How long do you think it’s going to take the media to sniff out that the club in question at the heart of the Milton High sex scandal is 1740?”