Promiscuous (Who's the slut?)

Chapter Fourteen

Something's not quite right here. Well, of course, seeing a dead body was way beyond 'not quite right'.

"Caroline fell off the stairs."

How could Brix said that so calmly? As if stating a weather forecast.

What had been Lucy doing here with Brix? Were they... together?

Why?

There was one obvious conclusion. What the f*ck.

Where's Laina and Rave?

What's going on?

My mind was spinning. No one dared to help Caroline. Out of the blue I saw her moved a finger ever so slightly. She groaned in pain. She was like an apparition to me at that time. She wasn't dead. Yet. Damn. I didn't pray her to be. Anyway, she wasn't that good a person for God to take her so young. She slowly cracked an eye open yet it went... unseeing. I didn't know why or what had pushed me to run to her despite everything but I did.

"Caroline..." I couldn't quite touch her. I was just standing over her. She croaked and moaned.

"I--- I... Pushed. Shoved. Five steps." I heard her trying to form a sound. A sentence. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I kneeled down beside her.

"My... babe... by." I helped her lift her head when she was making a giant effort of doing so on her own. My eyes grew wide in horror.

Caroline fainted in my arms.

I gaped at her from head to foot. She was bleeding through the ball gown that was hiked up on her knees. Her left cheek was coloring blue, starting to swell. There were gashes on her arms and exposed shoulders. Must be from rolling on the stairs.

"Are you just going to watch?" I shouted at the two people upstairs. Lucy had a stricken look on her face while Brix was eyeing us intently. Too calmly.

"Marie Claire."

"Rave!" I wanted to run to him but I was still holding Caroline.

He emerged right where the basement was leading. Relief flooded through me like a soothing balm. He didn't ask. He just took action. It was like a scene in movies I was vividly watching. Reel was turning into real. Minutes later, there were cameras, investigations, authorities. I felt numb. I was like an automaton doing their bidding. Words easily flowed out of my mouth when I've been asked series of questions. I just had no clue as to why I skipped the part where The Phantom had attacked me.

Was he attacking me? Perhaps, trying to take me? Was Caroline... being pushed?

What is he really after? Or rather, who?

I sensed a pair of eyes on me. Kev. He had this leering smirk on his face. I shivered as I felt his cold fury. He turned around and waved in a mocking gesture. Like he was too happy to celebrate.

Is he... somehow responsible?

Someone had put a coat around me. I whirled about as I caught his familiar scent. That manly odor of his... very arousing. Dammit. This is a matter of life and death Marie Claire and yet you feel that way? I rolled my eyes heavenward. I must be nuts to be talking to myself. Well, I've never felt this way toward any other man.

"Rave." He extended the hot coffe to me.

I wondered how long I stayed locked in his stare. It was comforting that someone was there for me. Even if... he was paid to care. But it wasn't enough.

"We have to go home."

"Aren't you going to ask me if I'm okay?" I choked out the words.

He stared at me for minutes as if I've grown two heads.