Chapter 27
Elara
His suit was wrinkled. Collar open. No tie. His hair was messy. His eyes were bloodshot. He looked like he'd been up all night.
We stared at each other. Neither of us spoke.
Then his eyes moved. Over my face. The bandages. The bruises. Down to the men's jacket I was still wearing. Over to the table. At Mason's money. His business card.
Something in his expression shut down. Went cold.
"How did you find me?" My voice came out hoarse. Rough.
"Your phone call. The cell towers." He stepped inside. Closed the door behind him. "Do you have any idea how many hours I spent looking for you? Driving around the Bronx in the middle of the night? You could have been killed."
"I tried to tell you what was happening. The phone broke."
"Very convenient." He picked up Mason's business card. Read it. His jaw clenched. He set it down. Very carefully. "Mason Parker. You spent the night here. In a motel. With a boy you don't know."
The implication hit me. My face got hot. "It's not what you think."
"No?" He turned to face me. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. "Then what is it, Elara? Explain it to me."
"He saved me." My voice was getting louder. I couldn't help it. "Those men tried to rape me. Victoria hired them. They said so. Mason stopped them. He brought me here to keep me safe."
"Safe." Julian repeated the word. Looked around the room. "In a motel. How very noble of him."
"It was noble. He didn't touch me. He was respectful. He got first aid supplies and—"
"And gave you money. And his phone number." Julian picked up the bills. Fanned them out. "How much did he give you? A hundred? Is that the going rate?"
I stood up. My legs were shaking but I stood. "Don't you dare. Don't you dare twist this into something dirty."
"Then why didn't you wait for me?" He took a step toward me. "I was coming. I told you I was coming. Why did you run away with him?"
"Because I heard her!" The words burst out of me. "I heard Sloane on the phone with you. I heard her voice. I heard you with her. And I knew. I knew you weren't really coming. Not for me. You were going to deal with her first. You always deal with her first."
His face changed. Something flickered in his eyes. "I left the dinner. I looked for you all night."
"After you made sure she was okay. After you made sure she wasn't worried." My throat was tight. "I'm always last, Julian. I'm always the one who waits. The one who doesn't matter."
"That's not—"
His phone rang. The sound was loud in the small room.
He pulled it out. Looked at the screen. I saw his expression soften. Saw him touch the green button.
"Sloane."
I could hear her voice through the speaker. Sweet. Worried. "Julian, where did you go last night? I waited for you until midnight. I was worried something had happened."
"Something came up." His voice changed. Got gentler. "I'm sorry. I should have called."
"Are you okay? You sound tired."
"I'm fine. Just dealing with some family business."
Family business. That's what I was. A business matter to handle.
"Oh." Her voice brightened. "Well, I have good news. The jewelry store called. They're holding the Tiffany ring for us until this afternoon. We can go pick it up together. I really want to see it in natural light."
Julian was quiet for two seconds. Three. Four.
I watched his face. Watched him decide.
"I'll be there in an hour."
Something broke inside me. Just snapped. Clean.
"Of course," I said. He looked at me. "Of course you'll be there in an hour. To pick out her engagement ring. While I'm standing here with bruises on my face because your sister tried to have me raped."
"Elara—"
"No." I held up my hand. "I'm done. I'm done waiting. I'm done being the problem you deal with after you take care of everyone else."
He ended the call. Put the phone away. "Atlas will take you to get your phone fixed. Then drive you to school. Don't go anywhere alone again."
"I don't need anything from you."
"This isn't negotiable." He moved toward the door. Stopped. Looked back at me. "Victoria. I'll handle it. I'll talk to her. But you need to stay away from Mason Parker. Do you understand?"
"Why? Because he actually helped me when I needed it?"
His face hardened. "Because you're under my protection. And I decide who gets close to you."
"I'm not your property."
"No." He opened the door. "You're family. Which makes you my responsibility. Whether you like it or not."
He left. The door closed.
I stood there. Alone again. Mason's jacket was still around my shoulders. His money was still on the table.
I sat down. Put my face in my hands. Tried to cry. Nothing came out.
I was too angry for tears.
---
I used Mason's money to buy a cheap replacement phone. The store clerk asked if I wanted to transfer my data. I said no. Fresh start.
Then I took the subway to the 44th Precinct. The police station was gray. Busy. People waiting on plastic chairs. Phones ringing. Cops at desks.
I walked up to the front desk. "I need to report an attempted sexual assault."
The officer looked up. Looked at my face. At the bandages. "Have a seat. Someone will be with you."
I sat. Waited. Twenty minutes. Thirty.
Finally a detective came out. Middle-aged. Hispanic. Tired eyes. "Ms. Vance? I'm Officer Rodriguez. Come with me."
His office was small. Messy. Papers everywhere. Coffee cups. He gestured to a chair. Sat down behind his desk. Opened a notebook.
"Tell me what happened."
So I did. The whole thing. The alley. The men. What they said. What they did. What they were going to do.
He wrote it all down. Asked questions. What time. What street. Descriptions. Any identifying marks.
"You said they mentioned Victoria Vane hired them?"
"Yes. They said someone paid them to teach me a lesson. When I asked if it was Victoria Vane, they didn't deny it. One of them smiled. Said I was too smart for my own good."
Rodriguez stopped writing. Looked at me. "The Vane family. You're certain about this?"
"Yes."
He tapped his pen against the notebook. "That's a serious accusation. Do you have any proof? Recording? Text messages? Witnesses?"