Use Me Page 13

  “I have to say that was a first for me, but I wasn’t going to let him hurt any of us. Ashtyn’s breathing, and the paramedics should be here any second.” He took his cell phone out of his pocket, pressed a few buttons and then held it to his ear. “Yeah, dispatch. This is Detective Valor, badge number 57689. I responded to the call at,” he rattled off Ashtyn’s address while I brushed her hair away from her face. “Please be advised that I’m in plain clothes, shots were fired, and suspect’s deceased.”

  “You’re a cop?” I asked, looking up at him as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

  “Yeah.”

  “Not that I’m not grateful, but how did you get here before the other cops?”

  “Ashtyn told me about this guy when I saw her on Thanksgiving.”

  “She did?” I looked back at her, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was only sleeping on the couch, not unconscious from ether.

  “Yeah, and I just got off duty and wanted to check on her to see if she had any more info on this guy. The doorman almost didn’t let me in, but I showed him my badge, and he told me you said Ash was getting attacked.”

  I stood and took a deep breath, trying to calm the adrenaline that was still coursing through my veins. “If you would have been a second later, he would have shot me, so thank you.”

  He turned to me and stuck out his hand. “You’re welcome. Next time hold the fucking elevator for me. I’m Ethan, by the way.”

  I took his hand. “I will, and damn, I wish we could have met under different circumstances.”

  I woke to a room full of people.

  Right away, I realized that I was lying on my couch, and a blanket was over me. From the quick look at my chest, I was still in my dress and shoes from the Emmys. I didn’t know what had happened, but I wasn’t chained somewhere with Philip looming over me.

  When I turned toward the voices, the first person I saw in my haze was my brother. “Ethan?”

  He looked over at me when I called his name, and as he moved, there was movement from my right side. I turned my head to see Rhys was moving toward me as well. Something tugged my arm, and I noticed a female paramedic was by my side with a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm.

  “How are you feeling?” the paramedic asked.

  “Foggy. What happened?”

  “Your head should clear soon. Ether only stays in your system while it’s being administered. And you’ll need to ask a detective about what happened. I don’t know.”

  “How long was I out?” I felt as though it had been hours, maybe even days.

  “Maybe twenty minutes,” Rhys answered.

  “What happened?” I asked Rhys this time. I noticed he was still in his tux.

  “I’ll fill you in once you’ve had time to get all the ether out of your system.”

  I turned my gaze and looked at my brother. “What are you doing here?”

  “It’s a long story.”

  Rhys handed me a bottle of water that he was already holding. “Drink some water.”

  “Yes,” the paramedic agreed. “You need to rest, and we need to get you to the hospital, but let’s bring you closer to the window so you can get some fresh air first. That will help clear your head faster.”

  “Do I need to go the hospital?”

  “I would advise you do go.”

  Rhys and Ethan helped me off the couch and then brought me to a window where the paramedic placed a chair. Rhys opened the window, and a rush of winter air blew in, sending a chill over my body. I took a few sips of the water.

  “But I don’t have to go to the hospital, right?”

  “Well, given it was only ether and all your vitals are stable, you don’t have to, but—”

  “I don’t want to.” I took in another deep breath of the fresh air. I was already starting to feel a little better, and given what I knew about ether, doctors once used it like they used Propofol as a general anesthesia. “My other brother’s a doctor and if I don’t feel better, I’ll have him check me out.”

  “Okay,” the paramedic said. “Just promise me you’ll get a lot of fresh air and drink plenty of water.”

  I nodded. The paramedic took my blood pressure one more time. “What happened to Philip?” I asked both Rhys and Ethan, not caring who answered.

  Rhys and Ethan looked at each other, but my brother was the one to answer first. “He’s—”

  Rhys knelt beside me and brushed a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear and spoke before Ethan could finish, “He can’t hurt you anymore, Cupcake.”

  “He’s in jail?” I looked up at my brother for confirmation.

  Ethan took a deep breath. “No. I shot him.”

  I gasped, and my eyes widened in shock. I hadn’t realized Ethan arrived while everything was happening. I assumed that he was called in afterward. “You did?”

  “Shit went down, Ash.”

  “Apparently,” I replied dryly. My stomach started to feel a little queasy, so I turned back toward the window and took a deep breath of the chilly, fresh air.

  A detective came over and pulled Ethan away. Rhys started to rub circles on my back. “You want to walk over to my place?”

  “Yes.” I definitely didn’t want to stay at my place.

  Rhys looked toward the paramedic, and she nodded. “If you can walk, that should be okay. Just go slow.”

  “Let me see if we’re allowed to leave.” Rhys stood and spoke to my brother for a few seconds. After it looked like they exchanged numbers, he came back. “We can go. Ethan pulled some strings or something, so the detectives will come over to get your statement tomorrow morning.”

  I nodded and started to stand. Rhys reached out and guided me as though I was a ninety-year-old woman. I actually felt as though I was. It didn’t dawn on me until I noticed the lump on the floor that Rhys was taking me the long way around toward my front door. My breath caught as I realized who was under the white sheet.

  “Is that …”

  “Yeah.” Rhys moved to block my view.

  “He’s dead?” Ethan had said he’d shot him. I didn’t realize that he meant he’d killed him.

  “Yeah.” Rhys laced our hands together, and we walked past investigators and out my front door. When we got downstairs, Rhys muttered, “Crap. I didn’t grab you a coat.”

  “It’s okay. We’re only walking across the street. I think I’ll survive.”

  Rhys took off his tux jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. It was warm and smelled like him. As we walked out of the elevator, Rhys pulled me to him, draping his arm across my shoulders.

  “Ms. Valor!” I looked over to see Jose rushing to us. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  He breathed a sigh of relief. “I can’t believe this happened while I was on my dinner break.”

  I stopped walking. “Honestly, Jose, I think he was waiting for that moment.”

  I didn’t know if that was true or not, but it seemed it was the only way it could have happened. Plus, my stupidity thought I’d had flowers delivered while I was at the Emmys, and that it was Jose who was bringing them up to me. But, of course, it was late at night, and deliveries usually don’t happen after five. Foolishness had clouded my judgment.

  “I know, but if—”

  “You’re a doorman, not a security guard.”

  “I know, but I know who comes in and out of this building at all times.”

  “Except when you’re off duty or on break,” Rhys reminded him.

  He gave a slow nod with a tight smile. “Right.”

  I grabbed his elbow and gave a slight squeeze. “It’s not your fault.”

  Rhys and I stepped toward the door, and Jose opened it for us. “Have a good night.”

  We hurried across the street and then up to Rhys’s condo. Once we were inside, Rhys led me to his shower and then told me he’d be back with a drink. I expected him to bring me more water, but instead, after I’d showered and dressed in one of
his T-shirts, he handed me a tumbler with an inch or so of an amber colored liquid.

  “Whiskey?” I asked as I sniffed it.

  He nodded. “It will help you sleep.”

  “What about you? You had to have been there when Ethan shot Philip.”

  “I was.” Rhys sighed and looked away from me. I got the impression he didn’t want me to see how scared he really was.

  “And you’re okay?” In my foggy state, I hadn’t even thought to ask earlier, but now my head was clearing, and I was feeling better, and more of what had happened was dawning on me.

  “Well … I saw a guy die with you in his arms. That’s not something I’m okay with.”

  “Ethan shot him while I was …” I whispered, but couldn’t finish the thought.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Drink up, and I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

  Rhys undressed and moved into the shower as I went to the bedroom and took sips of the whiskey in bed. When he exited the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, he moved to his nightstand and gulped down his whiskey. I watched, still sipping the smooth liquor as Rhys stepped into pajama bottoms and then crawled onto the plush mattress and leaned against the headboard just like I was.

  “Where do you want me to start?”

  I felt my heart start to beat a little faster. I wanted to know what had happened, but it still made me nervous, as if I was standing on the edge of a cliff and just the thought of jumping made me anxious and uneasy.

  “I guess start right after I was knocked out.”

  I was silent while I processed the entire story he told me, and then I sighed. “I think we need another drink.”

  “Hey, faggot!” I hurried and stuffed my books into my backpack, wanting to get to practice and out of the line of fire of Corey Pritchett. “I’m talking to you!” He grabbed the back of my backpack and slammed me into the set of lockers across from mine.

  “I’m not a faggot!” I hissed.

  “No? That’s why you play hockey, right? You get to see all the boys naked in the locker room, and that turns you on.”

  “Fuck you!” I spat on him, not caring if he was going to pummel me.

  “You want to fuck me, faggot?”

  “Stop saying that!” I pushed him back, and before I knew it, he drew a handgun from behind his back. “What are you doing?”

  “You think you can talk to me that way?”

  “What are you going to do with that gun?” I continued to ask.

  “What do you think? I’m going to shoot you then leave like I’d planned.”

  “Then do it!”

  I heard a loud pop, and then a bullet appeared in the center of his forehead. It wasn’t Corey, but Ashtyn’s attacker, Philip.

  I woke with a start, my pulse racing. When I realized that I was home and in my bed with Ashtyn, I laid back down and stared up at the dark ceiling. I expected Ashtyn to be the one who wasn’t able to sleep through the night, but as it was right now, I was the one dreaming of crazy shit. My past and present had collided in a weird dream that never happened, and I didn’t like dreaming about either one of them.

  I’m not sure how long I laid there, staring up into nothing, but when Ashtyn stirred next to me, the sun was starting to come up.

  “Morning, Cupcake.” I rolled over and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

  “Is it?”

  I smiled. “Yeah, but it hasn’t been for long. Want some coffee?” She nodded, and I got out of bed, the cold wood floor sending a chill through my body that started at my bare feet. “I need a place with a fireplace.”

  “Turn the heater on.”

  “Oh, I am,” I called out as I walked down the hall and stopped at the thermostat. After I turned the heat up, I continued to the kitchen and made two cups of coffee, then returned to the bedroom. “You still want to go to Garfield Park today?”

  “No. Not really.” Ashtyn sat up and took a mug from me. “I just want to lay here all day and do nothing.”

  I sat next to her. “Can’t. Detectives will probably be here soon.” She groaned. “And I think you should get some fresh air today.”

  “It’s probably snowing.”

  “Yes, but I’m sure the conservatory has heat.” I took a sip of the coffee.

  “I really don’t want to go anywhere. I don’t even want to go back to my place if that’s okay?”

  “I don’t want you to go back to your place either, but we should at least walk somewhere for lunch. I want to make sure you get fresh air like the paramedic advised.” I knew she needed fresh air, but I wanted her to get out of the apartment to clear her head a little. I needed to clear my head as well.

  She was silent for a few moments. “Okay, but only because we need to eat.”

  Ashtyn’s phone started to blow up right at eight o’clock.

  Word had gotten back to her parents, and also to her friends. While she reassured everyone that we were okay, I focused on getting caught up on the hockey world. It felt good to get my mind off of the previous night, though what I wanted to remember was the Emmys and not the horrific after party. Maybe my tux wasn’t good luck after all? My friends had no idea what had happened, and all their messages on Facebook were about the Emmy I was holding in the picture I’d posted while we were still at the hotel.

  After two hours of non-stop calls, two detectives showed up. Ashtyn and I each gave our statements separately. After, we sat on my couch, and the detectives sat in chairs at the two ends of my coffee table, they informed us of what they knew so far about Philip and his motive.

  “Your father spoke to Captain Gordon. He wants us to put an undercover outside your place for a few weeks.”

  “Is that necessary? Philip’s dead, right?” Ashtyn asked.

  “Yes, he’s dead, but your father is worried about you.”

  Ashtyn nodded.

  “If I have to, I’ll take her to work every day and pick her up,” I offered. “Plus, I’ll be with her at night. She won’t be alone.”

  “While that probably won’t be plausible given your work schedule, Mr. Cole, I also don’t think it’s necessary,” Detective Cooper said.

  “Okay, but I’d make it happen.” I rubbed Ashtyn’s knee. “I don’t want you to be scared.”

  “I might have another stalker,” she confessed.

  “What?” I asked, raising my voice a little in surprise.

  Ashtyn sighed. “Someone sends me roses at work every Monday.”

  “You don’t know who they’re from?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “They sign it SA or secret admirer.”

  “They were from Philip,” Detective Van Drake stated. “He was watching you for almost a year.”

  A chill ran through my body. How could someone have been watching her all that time and she didn’t know? Was the meeting at Starbucks on purpose? I couldn’t even imagine what was going through Ashtyn’s head right now. I pulled her to me. “It’s over now.”

  The room was quiet for a few seconds until Ashtyn asked, “How do you know it was Philip?”

  Van Drake continued to take the lead. “We went over to his house this morning and found numerous pictures of you, of you and Rhys, you and other men you’ve been with, including live footage of your apartment.”

  “What?” Ashtyn shrieked.

  “He had video cameras in the smoke detectors.”

  “He what?” I stood, ready to kill him even though he was already dead.

  “It appears that he got into your condo somehow. Plus, credit card statements with charges to The Flower Pot every week indicates he was sending you flowers.”

  “How do you know that he bought flowers for me, though?”

  “Why do you think it wasn’t him?” I asked.

  “It’s not that I think it wasn’t him. I just want to make sure I don’t have another stalker out there.”

  “Before coming here, we talked to the owner of The Flower Pot. All orders they delivered to your work were linked to his credit
card they had on file.”

  “So it’s over?” Ashtyn asked.

  “Yeah, we think so.” Cooper nodded.

  “I can’t believe it was all him. I just met him two weeks ago, and now he’s dead.”

  “You told me that you first ran into him at Judy’s almost two months ago?” Van Drake asked flipping through his notebook.

  “Yeah, but that was for a split second. I brushed him off.”

  Van Drake nodded. “Given what you’ve told me and what was seen at his house, we think he was watching you and waiting. When you went to Judy’s, you were alone at first, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “We think that was when he decided to make his move, but it backfired.”

  Ashtyn looked up at me. “Thank you again.”

  “Best decision I made was to go to that bar that night,” I stated, and I meant it more than just because I’d saved her from some wacko. I’d probably be swiping left on some app right now if I hadn’t met her that night.

  “You’re lucky the events played out as they did,” Cooper chimed in. “If you hadn’t seen him slip something in your drink the night you went on a date with him, then there’s no telling what would have happened to you.”

  I didn’t want to think about that scenario, and I was sure Ashtyn didn’t either. Life has a strange way of working itself out the way it was meant to. I heard once that you never know how important something or someone is until you almost lose it. That was true with the way I felt about Ashtyn, and I wasn’t ready to let her go.

  After the detectives left, Ashtyn and I walked to a café down the street and grabbed lunch as planned. Her parents wanted to come over to make sure Ashtyn was okay. But Ashtyn wanted to be left alone. I understood that, but given that she needed fresh air, I all but forced her to walk to lunch with me.

  The snow was falling, and with each word spoken, you could see the breath coming from our mouths. I was enjoying the fresh air, and Ashtyn seemed as though a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She went from wanting to stay in bed all day to asking me if I wanted to catch a movie before we headed home.