Chapter 90 90. Creep
I'd been staring at my laptop for three hours. Job applications, cover letters, rejection emails. The loop was draining. I added two more scenes to my manuscript, but the words just... lay there. Flat. My mind kept drifting to golden eyes, to hands that knew exactly where to touch, to the way he said my Fiera like it was something he shouldn't say out loud.
I snapped the laptop shut.
No. I wasn't thinking about him.
The apartment door burst open. Maya stumbled in, grinning in her casual work uniform.
"Guess who just landed a second job?"
My eyes widened. "You?"
"Me!" She did a little spin. "It's remote, and I received the offer email when I was about to close my shift. Which means more money, more savings, more trips!"
"Maya, that's amazing!" I stood and hugged her. "I'm so proud of you."
"And," she mumbled against my chest, "I made friends at work. Like, actual cool people. They're going to a club tonight and they invited me and I said yes."
"Oh..." We pulled apart. Something tugged unexpectedly in my chest. New friends. Going out. Having fun. Living life like a normal twenty-four-year-old instead of sitting in a dark apartment with an ankle monitor and a murder charge. That was... good for her. "That sounds fun."
"It does." Maya dropped onto the couch. "You should come."
I pointed at my ankle. "Eight PM curfew? It's almost ten."
"Oh please," Maya waved a dismissive hand. "When you were out past eight with Lucien, did that thing beep?"
"No, but-"
"And at the Ashford estate?"
"No, but that's-"
"It's malfunctioning or something." She shot me a look. "Cami, when was the last time we went out? Actually out? Danced? Did anything that didn't involve stress, crying, or your laptop?We only live once."
"Maya-"
"Please." Her voice softened. "I miss you. I miss us being stupid together. Also... if anything happens, Lucien will fix it."
I pulled back. "I'm not using Lucien like that."
"You're not using him. He's probably already doing half the work behind the scene." Maya's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Come on. If we're being honest, you know he has people watching you. He should know everywhere you go. If he did whatever shady stuff he did to make sure you didn't get in trouble when he slept over, he can do it again tonight."
"That's not-"
"Please? For me?"
I looked at my closed laptop, my mind drifting to the job applications that would probably get rejected anyway.
"You're naughty, you know that?"
Maya grinned. "Is that a yes?"
"Fine. But if I end up in actual prison, I'm blaming you."
"Deal!"
An hour later, I stood in front of Maya's mirror admiring myself. The dress she'd picked was black and dangerously short, hugging every curve I had and inventing a few new ones. The neckline plunged. My makeup was heavy, dark eyes and red lips. I looked like someone who didn't have a criminal charge to her name.
"You look hot," Maya said, applying her own lipstick. "Like, illegally hot."
"That's appropriate given my current legal status."
She laughed and grabbed my hand. "Come on. The night is young and so are we."
By eleven PM, we were in the back of a cab making stupid videos on Maya's phone. The ankle monitor sat quiet on my leg. No warnings. Maybe Maya was right. This shit was malfunctioning.
Or maybe Lucien really was pulling strings I couldn't see.
I pushed that thought away and focused on Maya's ridiculous faces in the camera.
The club was packed. Bass pounded through my chest the moment we walked in. Strobe lights cut through the darkness. Bodies pressed together on the dance floor, moving as one massive organism.
Maya's friends were waiting at a reserved section. Two girls and a guy, all around our age, smiling and welcoming. Zara had pink hair and a nose ring. Jen wore a leather jacket over a sequined top. Chris had kind eyes and an easy smile.
"You must be Camila!" Zara pulled me into a hug like we'd known each other for years. "Maya talks about you constantly."
"All good things, I hope."
"Mostly." The other girl, Jen, winked. "Come on, let's get drinks."
They were funny and easy to talk to. Within twenty minutes, I felt like I'd known them forever. We toasted to Maya's new job, to new friends, to nights like this. The alcohol settled warm in my belly.
"Dance floor?" Chris, stood and offered his hand.
We all went.
The music was loud enough to drown out thought. All five of us jumped and danced and let the beat take over. I felt wild and free. Maya spun me around and we laughed. Zara threw her hands up. Chris did some ridiculous move that made us all scream.
It was almost normal, until the heavy eyes on me.
I turned, scanning the crowd, but there were too many people. Too many faces in the strobing lights. I shook it off and kept dancing.
A man appeared beside me. Handsome in an aggressive way, with styled hair and cologne so strong it made my eyes water. He smiled and started dancing close.
"You're beautiful."
"Thanks." I stepped back slightly.
At first, it was fine, just two people moving to the same beat.
Then his hands went to my waist. His grip tightened. He pulled me too close, his breath hot and alcohol-soaked on my neck. But I kept dancing still.
"Hey!" Maya appeared, shoving between us. "Back off. She's not interested."
The guy didn't even look at her. "Let her speak for herself."
"She's Lucien Hayes' property. You don't want that problem."
Property. The word punched air out of me. I rounded on Maya. "I'm not his property. I'm not anyone's property."
"Oh, I was just trying to help-"
"By reducing me to something he owns? Is that what you think I am?"
The creep used our argument as an opening. His hand slid up my thigh, grabbed my waist possessively.
I shoved him. "Get off me."
He didn't let go. "You're here without a man, dressed like a slut. That means you're fair game."
"Let go-"
His other hand grabbed my hip, yanking me back against him. Now it was pure groping. I felt him hard against me, grinding against my ass like I was something he owned. Panic shot through the alcohol fog. I twisted, tried to break free, but his grip was iron.
"I said let-"
Someone yanked him backward. A man in all black. Face cap pulled low, black mask covering his nose and mouth. He didn't say a word. Then he drove his fist into the creep's face.
Once... Twice... Three times...