Page 107 of Nest Of Lies
“Marcum.” The way she says my name with hesitation has my hackles rising.
“Talk to me,” I order, my tone harsh but I get a little brutal when I get worried. It’s the same timbre I use when I’m telling my brothers what needs to be done. Xavier calls it my president voice, and if I wasn’t concerned right now, I’d probably chuckle.
“It’s been a day,” she tells me.
“From the sound of your voice it sounds as if it’s been a bad one. Tell me what’s going on, Luna.”
I can hear her sheets moving in the background and assume she’s in bed. Thoughts of what I would love doing to her there has my cock growing rock hard. But when I hear her sob, I jump out of my chair grabbing my keys and wallet.
“I’m coming over, Luna.”
“No,” she quickly says. “I have my best friend here and she’s finally passed out. I don’t want to wake her up. How about if I meet you somewhere? I’m not sure where you live, but I’m not far from the venue where we first met. What if we meet somewhere around there?”
Now I have a bit of confessing to do. I’m not sure how she’s going to feel about me prying into her life, but she knows who I am so it shouldn’t come to her as a shock. “I know where you live, Luna.”
“Of course you do,” she giggles. “Why doesn’t that surprise me, Marcum?”
“Because you know what type of man I am and what lifestyle I lead.”
“I’m not upset, not really. To be honest with you, I kinda expected it. Why doesn’t it feel like an invasion of my privacy?” she questions. “It should, you know?”
“Let’s deal with that later, okay? Right now, I want to see your face while you tell me what has you so worked up. Do you know where Ferry Park is?”
“Yeah. I like to go there and unwind. Feeding the ducks is the highlight of my day when I can’t think or things aren’t going my way,” she confides. A visual of her enjoying that simple task takes root in my brain and has me smiling, despite my worry.
“I can be there in thirty minutes, Luna. Stay in your car until I arrive.”
“Okay, Marcum. See you soon,” she says.
The sadness radiating from her tone has me picking up the pace. When I make it to my bike I have to take a second to compose myself. No need to ride recklessly since I want to make it to her in one piece. I’m not sure who’s going to die for upsetting her like this, but I vow that somebody is going to pay.
The ride is short and sweet. When I pull into the park’s lot, I notice her SUV sitting in a dark corner. I shake my head, surely she knows better than to pick an unlit place to keep her safe. Thieves and rapists take advantage of situations like this. She made herself easy pickings and we’re going to have to broach that topic sooner rather than later.
Revving my engine, I back into the spot directly next to the driver’s side and shut off my bike, the faint ticking sound breaking the silence that surrounds us. I swing my leg around and march over to her door. I hear the locks disengage and reach out and grab the handle, dragging the door open.
“Luna, why didn’t you park under a street light?”
She glances around, taking in her surroundings before closing her eyes and inhaling. “I wasn’t thinking. I was on autopilot.”
“Come on. Let’s go sit on the bench while we talk,” I say, reaching out my hand and helping her climb out of her vehicle. I sling my arm across her shoulders and guide her in that direction. When we make it to the bench, I sit and drag her ontomy lap, my arm never leaving its wrapped position. Whatever she’s about to tell me, I feel that Ihaveto be touching her, so I’m going with my gut. “Okay, lay it on me.”
“So, I know I’ve mentioned Demi before,” she starts. At my nod, she continues. “Well, she’s been a little bit off lately and after our um… recent weekend stay in jail, she kept pushing to work for me in some capacity. She’s been more abrasive and aggressive than normal, which I should’ve picked up on sooner, only I’ve been buried in a new manuscript so missed some of the signs.”
I don’t mention that I know she and Demi were in jail but will get back to that with her shortly. “What signs, Moon?”
She chuckles, but there’s no humor in it, and replies, “Demi’s always been protective of me, but lately, any time we go anywhere together, she’s almost hypervigilant.”
My heart seizes; I’ve been around long enough to know what that usually means when a woman becomes hyperaware, and I prepare myself for what she’s about to tell me.
“Anyhow, earlier, she lost her shit on me totally and I kept pushing until she finally told me what happened during her last work trip,” she whispers. “Marcum… she was out with her coworkers, drinking and dancing, and while… while she was out on the dance floor, one of them slipped something in her drink, then they assaulted her.”
“She was roofied by someone she works with?” I question, my temper seething. “People she should be able to trust to have her back?”
Luna nods, tears now steadily falling down her face. “She didn’t report it either.”
“Why the fuck not? Jesus fucking Christ, I’m sure wherever she was at likely has cameras where they could’ve seen it happening so it wasn’t a he said-she said situation.”
“Because it was the company founder,” she grits out. “He wasn’t the only one, Marcum. Every one of them raped her that night. Every. Single. One.”