Chapter 10
Drenched in Deceit
A slight stirring in the bed makes me open my eyes, and I see Brazen taking his phone to the bathroom. I look over at the clock to see it’s three in the morning. Who in the hell could he be calling at this hour?
I quietly eavesdrop as the ringing on the other end is answered.
“What’s up?” Grayson hoarsely chirps.
“Come to my apartment and stay with Araya for a little while. There’s a second bedroom. I need to go speak to someone right now,” Brazen instructs.
“Fuck. At three?”
“Will you come or not?” Brazen grumbles.
“Yeah. I’ll need to bring Angelica though. She’s been a little freaked out since Araya’s attack. Is that going to cause a problem?”
“Araya is asleep right now. I’ll be back before she wakes up, and the two of you can go back to Hale’s place.”
“Okay. We’ll be there in a minute,” Grayson groans.
“I’m going to go ahead and go, but you can just come on in if you’ve still got my spare key.”
“Yeah. We’ll be there in five or less.”
I close my eyes tightly when I hear Brazen ending the call, and then the door to the bathroom opens. He creeps over to offer me a soft kiss on my lips, his delicious smell drifting into my nose. Where’s he going though?
He walks out, and I jump up to throw on my robe. I have to follow him quickly and quietly. I hate secrets, and I need to know why he’s keeping one. I have to get the hell out of here before Grayson gets here with Angelica too. They’ll rat me out - Angelica will anyways.
I stealthily creep through the hallways as the air from the vents chill me under my robe. Brazen rounds the corner, and I hear him talking to someone - it’s Grayson.
I duck into the hall closet as they say their passing pleasantries, and I watch through the crack as Grayson and Angelica head to the apartment they’ll believe me to be sleeping in. I slip back and peek around the corner to see Brazen tapping on Hale’s door.
Why is he knocking on Hale’s door?
He huffs when Hale doesn’t answer, and he pulls out his phone.
“Is something wrong with Araya?” Hale worries as he answers.
“No. I just need to speak with you. Where are you?”
“I’m in the fitness room, but I’ll come to you. I don’t want Araya being left alone.”
“I don’t want her alone either which is why I sent Angelica and Grayson over there. I don’t want to chance Araya overhearing our conversation. I’ll be there in a minute.”
What? What is he keeping from me?
He heads down the stairs, and I rush over to pry open the elevator doors. The fitness center is underground. It’ll take Brazen longer than me to get there if I just jump, and that’s what I do. I fall through the empty elevator shaft, and then I grab the cable to halt my rapid descent to keep from pounding the metal at the end just as I reach the doors at the bottom. I crack them open to check the area, and I see Hale speaking with Clay inside the room.
Hale slams his fist into a punching bag, and the thing explodes on impact. His shirtless body is dripping with sweat as if he has been here for hours. His low hanging shorts reveal his toned hiplines, and I almost start sweating too just from staring at him.
“I’m sure it’s nothing. He’s probably wanting to talk to you about a security routine for Araya. I’ve already thought of such a thing myself,” Clay murmurs softly.
Hale hangs up another punching bag, and he goes easier on it as he speaks.
“If I was him, I wouldn’t fucking leave her side. She was almost blood raped, and now he’s sneaking out in the middle of the night? She’ll be terrified if she wakes up,” Hale barks, and then he slams his fist into the punching bag with too much force.
The bag explodes again. His head pops back with exasperation, and he rips it free from the chain to toss it over with the mounding over pile of the other ones.
