28. MAN DOWN
Friday Night
2 Hours Before The Charity Event
In between wondering what Lance and Julian were doing and worrying about if he'd make it to Jeremy's place in time to catch Clarissa, Aiden's brain was ready to split in two as he broke the speed limit to get to Jeremy Pine's house.
"I'd go inside with you, but I can't feel my legs right now," Cassie muttered after they came to a screeching halt in Jeremy's driveway. "With your wild ass driving, I didn't think we'd make it here in one piece."
"Listen carefully – lock the doors, stay in the car, and don't come out no matter what. I mean it, Cassie. Don't come out for anything, no matter what you see or hear. Do you understand me?" Aiden was trying to mask the nervousness in his voice, but he failed. Cassie nodded anyway before he pulled his cell phone out from his pocket and gave it to her. "If I'm not out of there in ten minutes with that crazy bitch on my arm, call Julian and the cops. Tell them everything."
Cassie's eyes grew wide as she stared at Aiden's; his facial expression matched how she felt and that was scared shitless.
"I understand," she said as Aiden turned to open his car door and on cue, screams erupted from Jeremy's house. "Please be careful, Aiden."
"I'll try," he whispered before exiting the car.
He could hear the locks click behind him as Cassie locked herself inside. Aiden didn't look back as he slowly approached Jeremy's house. All the lights were on inside and the screaming grew louder and louder as he walked towards the front door. It was only then that he could decipher that it was the sound of a woman screaming.
"You'd better not be dead in here, Pine," Aiden muttered under his breath as he placed a hand on the doorknob. Just then, the screaming stopped and before Aiden could open the door himself, someone on the other side opened it first. It was then that he came face to face with the woman who'd been causing him so much hell these past few weeks - Clarissa Bollinger.
Speechless, all Aiden could do was stare.
Clarissa looked worse than what she did in the pictures that Terrance Price had secretly taken of her during his investigation. She no longer had brown hair and a pixie cut. Currently, she sported a wig with long black hair that looked awkward on her malnourished face. She no longer wore those fake contacts either. Her real eye color, blue, shown. And the baggy clothes that she wore, black and littered with filth, were way too big for her small body. It looked like she hadn't slept, and smelled like she hadn't bathed, in days.
In a way, Aiden almost pitied her.
"What did you do to Jeremy?" Aiden asked, looking past Clarissa. He spotted Jeremy's motionless body on the floor of his living room, which was currently a mess. Things had been thrown around, broken, and tables flipped as if a nasty fight had gone down. "What the fuck did you do to him?" Aiden's voice grew louder; meanwhile, Clarissa had yet to move. Even though Aiden was bigger and taller than her, she seemed completely unfazed by his presence. "Is he... did you kill him? Is he dead? Say something!"
Clarissa smirked and ignored his question. "In my last letter to you, I said if I ran into you in person, I'd end you with my bare hands..." Aiden's jaw tightened, but he didn't move. And it was smart that he didn't because Clarissa had drawn a gun from behind her and pointed it directly at Aiden's face. "Today is your lucky day, Mr. Grayson. I'm going to let you live but only because I have other places to be right now."
As much as he didn't want to let her go, there was literally nothing that he could do in that moment. He was stupid, but not stupid enough that he was going to stand here and argue with a crazed woman who held a gun to his face.
"The baby," Aiden spoke. "Was it mine or not?"
A dark look flashed across Clarissa's face as she cocked the gun and pressed it into Aiden's chest. His hands went up, letting her know that she was still in control and held all the power as she made him walk backward into Jeremy's front lawn.
"You really don't remember when we first met?" she asked. Aiden, more so due to his jittery nerves, shook his head. "We were close. I almost met your family one time. I can't believe that you don't remember any of that."
"Oh God! Aiden!" Cassie shrieked, standing outside the car with Aiden's phone in her hand. "The police are on the way! Let him go, crazy bitch!"
"Get your ass back inside the car!" Aiden shouted, still staring at Clarissa who was now looking over at Cassie. "Why are you doing this to me?" Aiden said, trying to get Clarissa's attention. "You've already won. My company is gone, my father took it from me after you vandalized the property. I have nothing now. You've won! Now tell me why you're doing this to me, please."
"Karma, that's why," Clarissa said, tears hitting her cheeks. The pain, the trials, and tribulations that she had to go through over the last year was enough to break anyone. If only people understood what she had gone through, maybe then they'd understand how she got onto the dangerous and destructive path that she's on now. "You manipulative men with your fancy lifestyle and riches, you all treat women like objects, toys, and then toss them aside like trash when you're finished with them. That's what you did with me. And had the baby really been yours—"
"So it wasn't mine?" Aiden whispered, feeling a little bit of relief.
"Never mind that now, asshole!" Clarissa pressed the gun further into his chest. "The past is in the past. The future is now and you're on my radar for dickheads that have done me wrong. Payback is a bitch and that's what I'm dishing out to everyone that's ever crossed me and fucked me over."
"You can't be doing all this on your own," Aiden said. "Someone has to be working with you."
"Well, duh." Clarissa laughed. "Do you really think that I'm the only one that's out to get you? So many people hate you, Aiden. There are so many people out there that despise you, that want you dead as much as me and you don't even know it. You have no clue just how many people there are who—"
"Tell me who's helping you," Aiden cut her off, growing irate.
"Wouldn't you like to know." Clarissa smirked. "It's best if you don't. I'll let the suspense drive you mad. Tell me, how does it feel to—"
"What do you want, money? Do you want those five million dollars? Because it's nothing to me. I can get it to you and whoever else it is that you're working with," Aiden said. "Just tell me what you want from me. Do you want me to apologize? Will that get you to leave me the hell alone?"
"Your money or apology is no good to me now, Aiden. It's way too late to make any deals." Clarissa started to walk toward Aiden's Ferrari. Aiden followed her, but she pointed the gun in the air and shot. Aiden dropped down to the ground. Cassie screamed and backed away from the vehicle as Clarissa approached the driver's door. "Don't fuck with me, Aiden! I'll leave you and your little bitch here bleeding out on the ground if you try to test me."
"Please," Aiden begged, slowly rising from the ground as he looked over to a visibly frightened Cassie. "Take the car and do whatever you want to me but let her go. She doesn't have anything to do with this. She's innocent."
"Innocent, huh?" Clarissa waved the gun at Cassie, letting her know that it was okay for her to go and stand by Aiden. "You'd better get away from him while you still have a chance," Clarissa said to Cassie after she reached Aiden's side. "Otherwise, you might end up like me, Cassie Day."
"How does she know my name?" Cassie whispered to Aiden as Clarissa got into the car and sped off down the street. Only then did she break down and begin to cry. "Aiden, I'm scared."
"She's gone. We're safe." Aiden held her close as they made their way back to Jeremy's house. He locked the door behind them as Cassie fell into a nearby chair. "Did you really call the police?" Aiden kneeled in front of her, grabbing her quivering hands. She nodded. "And Julian?" She shook her head and started to explain that she couldn't reach him. "Sit here and keep calling Julian. I'm going to check on Jeremy."
"Okay," Cassie said. "Julian's not going to like this, you know. He's going to kick both of our assess."
"I know, Cassie." Aiden sighed, not wanting to think about what Julian's reaction will be when he finds out what they'd been up to tonight as he jogged over to Jeremy's body. "Please don't be dead." Aiden held his breath as he bent down and placed two fingers on Jeremy's neck, checking for a pulse. "Thank God." He exhaled, finding the familiar thumping. It was faint, but there. "She really did a number on you, man." Jeremy's head had a large gash on the top like something hard had made contact with it. "How did the little bitch manage to take you out?" When Jeremy groaned, Aiden gasped in shock. "Shit, can you hear me?"
"Where am I?" Jeremy grumbled, trying to open his eyes. "Clarissa... gun... crazy bitch."
"She's gone, man." Aiden held Jeremy's head still. "Try not to move. You more than likely have a serious fucking concussion."
"I hear the ambulance!" Cassie shot up from the chair and turned to look out the window. "I see the police! Oh, thank God."
Great, Aiden thought. But where's Julian?
. . . .