Fashion Jungle Read online

  “Do you do that often?” Brittany asked. “Just take over other doctors’ jobs.”

  “Actually, no.” Dr. Desmond shook his head. “But this is important.” He locked eyes with Everlee. “The paramedics who treated you said you were experiencing some sharp cramping and that you saw blood.”

  Everlee felt like her soul was suspended from her body as she watched everything taking place. Not really participating, just waiting to hear the news she already knew was true.

  Hope had died right along with the baby, hadn’t it?

  “Yes.” She found her frail voice, hating how scared she sounded. “I think I’m around six or seven weeks along, I hadn’t made an appointment yet for the doctor… I made dinner.” Her voice cracked. “I made dinner for my h-husband.” As she talked, Dr. Desmond put on gloves and pulled out the stirrups, urging her legs into them while Dane excused himself to get coffee. “And I was…” She squeezed her eyes shut as fresh tears finally made their way down her face. “He doesn’t want kids. I just wanted one nice meal with him where we could laugh and love each other like it used to be.”

  “Oh, honey.” Brittany grabbed her hand and squeezed it, holding tightly while Zoe did the same with her other.

  “I knew he’d be angry, but I just wanted one last dinner.” Why couldn’t she stop saying that?

  One last dinner.

  One last moment.

  One last reason to think he still loved her.

  That he always had.

  “Everlee…” Dr. Desmond’s voice was gentle. “I’m going to examine you. Can you tell me what happened first? So I know what we’re dealing with here. Did he push you? Did you fall?”

  “I wish,” she found herself saying, and then she gasped as her stomach cramped again. It was happening. This was happening. “I wish it was that evident. That I could say, ‘here’s my bruise. Look, I’m bleeding.’ God, I’m bleeding!” Her voice shook. “But they’re all inside, all of them, every blow, they’re on the inside. And I’m so tired. So tired.” Another cramp followed by the feeling of more warm liquid trickling down her legs that she knew was blood. “He ate.” Her lower lip quivered. “And then he took off my dress. And I didn’t say no because you don’t say no to your husband. I don’t say no to my husband even when it hurts, or when he’s drunk. Even when I know he’s most likely cheating. So, I stood there and closed my eyes, and I thought about my baby and the life I would have with him or her. I let him use me because I knew that I had something else to live for. And now, I’m losing my baby, and it’s his fault. He was rough. He’s always rough. And I didn’t want it, and… God, why am I so weak? Why?” She sobbed against Brittany, while Zoe rubbed her arm.

  “He’s the weak one,” Dr. Desmond said in a strong voice. “And I don’t care if you’re married for twenty years, a man never forces himself on a woman.” There was movement, and then he said, “I’m going to do a pelvic exam right now and order an ultrasound. I need a nurse in here in order to proceed, though. Do you want your friends to stay?”

  “Yes.” Everlee sniffed, stared at the white pillow on her side, at Brittany’s worried expression, focusing on the pat, pat, pat of Zoe’s hand.

  Seconds later, a nurse walked in.

  And then pain.

  Pain because she knew that the doctor was trying his best to be gentle. Pain because Frederick was probably somewhere partying right now while she was in the depths of Hell.

  Pain that she’d given her soul to a man who would rather party with models than have a child.

  “All right.” Dr. Desmond pulled off his gloves. She was afraid to look, to see all the blood she knew was there. “Everlee, it looks like you’re having a miscarriage, but I want to be sure. The ultrasound machine should be here in about ten minutes.”

  “Doctor?” She had to know. “Is it because of the sex? Did that cause the miscarriage?”

  “No.” His handsome face relaxed. “We can’t explain why these things happen. Sometimes, the fetus just doesn’t attach properly. Everlee, the reason doesn’t matter. Knowing won’t make this easier. I don’t want you walking out of this hospital thinking that you did anything wrong. If you truly are miscarrying, then we’ll discuss options. Until then, I’d like to see the ultrasound.”

  “Okay,” she whispered. Her teeth started to chatter as Brittany rocked her back and forth. “Okay.”

  “Are you thirsty?” Zoe asked. “Hungry? I can get you something.”

  “Dane.” She sighed. “Can you have Dane text Frederick?”

  The girls both fell silent.

  “I want him to know.” Her voice strengthened. Let him know he was a murderer. Let him know that she would never forgive him even if it wasn’t his fault because all of the pent-up anger and sadness had suddenly clicked the minute she’d started to bleed. “He needs to know.”

  Everlee wanted him to text Frederick.

  And Dane wanted to strangle the man and then throw him into oncoming traffic. If Dane texted him, the guy wouldn’t show. He had no moral compass. To him, being married was like being in prison.

  He’d said as much the night before at the club, right after Dane had given him a warning for biting a girl’s neck and drawing blood.

  He was getting more and more violent with the women, needing more and more of their attention and time. He would snap, and soon. Besides, Dane knew that Frederick had demons that needed to be fed—and well.

  Monsters recognized monsters, but there were always different types, weren’t there? Frederick’s was crazed. Dane’s was controlled, solely focused on one thing. Justice.

  Dane drove the fifteen minutes to the club, and one of his many bouncers opened the door. “Evening, Dane. Everything all right?”

  “Oh, it will be.” He patted Mario on the back and walked through a haze of music, smoke, and dancing people.

  It was easy to spot Frederick. He was always in the same place, the only thing that changed were the women he wanted around him.

  Bastard.

  “Dane!” Frederick held his arms open wide and offered a sloppy, drunken grin. “You here to party? Have a drink with us!”

  Us? Did he mean the women Dane paid to pretend they actually enjoyed Frederick’s company? Idiot.

  And then Dane’s gaze fell on her.

  A face he knew too well.

  A girl he’d helped save.

  “You’re underage,” he snapped, crossing his arms. “Why are you in here?”

  “Frederick was supposed to take me around, but we only went three places before stopping here.” She was slouched over, hugging herself, too young and beautiful to be surrounded by all this garbage, by a darkness that would swallow her whole and make no apologies about sucking her soul dry. “He’s also my ride.”

  “He’s drunk,” Dane pointed out, and right on cue, Frederick tried kissing the neck of the woman hanging on him while the other whispered in his ear.

  “I know.” She stood, arms still crossed, beautiful hair hanging down over her right shoulder. She looked just like her mom, not that he would tell her that. Just another secret on top of other secrets, right? “But I just started booking campaigns. I haven’t gotten paid yet, and if I ask my uncle for more money, he’s going to kill me.” Tears filled her eyes.

  And Dane knew why.

  He knew more than she realized.

  With a sigh, he pointed his finger. “You see that man at the door?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s Mario. He’s one of my bouncers, and he also drives me around when I need it. He’s going to take you back to the model apartments and make sure you make it up safely.”

  “How can I trust you?” She narrowed her eyes. “How can I trust anyone?”

  He tilted his head. “I’m very good friends with the women you look up to, one being Brittany. In fact, I was just with them.”

  She didn’t look convinced.

  “Fine, give me two seconds.” He quickly dialed the police chief. “Yeah, I need a blue at
the new club, nothing serious, just an escort.”

  Her eyes were wide. “A police escort?”

  “Well, I could tell I was getting nowhere with the whole he’s safe story.” He flashed her a grin and looked over her shoulder just in time to see Frederick try to stand.

  “Hey.” Frederick reached for her and stumbled forward. “Don’t go, we were just starting to have fun.”

  The guy smelled like he’d taken a bath in rum and then set himself on fire in the beer aisle.

  “Frederick.” Dane stood between the drunk and the girl. “You’ve had a lot to drink, and your wife is currently in the hospital.”

  “Wife?” one of the girls on his lap repeated. “Wait, you said you were divorced.”

  Frederick glared at Dane.

  “Did you not hear what I said?” Dane gritted his teeth. “Your wife is in the hospital!”

  Frederick snorted and lifted his glass to his lips. “Probably drank too much or went in for a stomach virus. She’s a hypochondriac!”

  “I’m stunned you can even say a word that big without stumbling all over yourself. You’re drunk, Frederick. Sober up, then go see her, she needs you.”

  “I’m sober.” He swayed on his feet. “Besides, she’s got friends for that. Life’s too short…” He lifted his glass into the air while the paid women cheered. Was he really that clueless? They had been paid to smile at him. Compensated to make him think he was important. Smokescreens. Frederick tried walking in a straight line. “See? Sober!”

  Yeah, so sober that Dane could push him over with his pinky finger.

  He motioned to Mario, who made his way over. “Get him home and sobered up once Miss Underage is safely in her apartment.” A cop walked in the door. “And there’s your police escort, so she trusts us not to kill her then bury the body.”

  The young girl smiled.

  Dane, however, did not.

  Because death was never funny.

  And he’d dealt his fair share of it, hadn’t he?

  “Go.” He nodded to the girl. She was just starting to walk away when Dane stopped her and whispered, “Who’s your agent?”

  “Marnie.” She beamed. “She was one of my first go-sees, and we just clicked. I’ve been working with her and Frederick the most.”

  And just like that, another piece of the puzzle that he didn’t even realize he needed, clicked firmly into place. “Be careful. In fact, give me your phone.”

  She hesitated, chewing her lower lip before handing it over. “If you’re ever in trouble or scared or need me to take care of someone or something, dial this number. My name’s Dane. You can ask the nice police officer. I’m safe.” Complete, bald-faced lie. He wasn’t safe, but to her, he would be a knight in freaking shining armor.

  Because he knew exactly who she was.

  Even if she didn’t.

  She walked off, and all he kept thinking about was the day he’d held her in his arms and done the hardest thing he would ever have to do.

  Zoe gripped her phone in her hand as another text from Dane came in. He was returning to the hospital.

  Without Frederick.

  The results from the ultrasound had come back, and they weren’t good.

  Everlee cried for a solid hour in both Zoe’s and Brittany’s arms after the doctor had told her what to expect. She chose to get discharged and handle everything at home.

  Brave woman.

  In her friend’s shoes, Zoe wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere near Frederick.

  And that was the other thing she couldn’t shake. From the outside looking in, everything had seemed perfect.

  But it was all a lie.

  And she felt horrible that she hadn’t seen even one clue. Was she so wrapped up in her own success and need to prove herself that she hadn’t noticed how much her friend was hurting?

  She let out a shudder and checked her phone again as if it would magically ring or show another text from Dane.

  She was doing exactly what she’d sworn to never do: rely on the monster and fight tooth and nail to see the man beneath it all.

  How had he stayed celibate all this time?

  Furthermore, what was it about her that he wanted? Really? She wasn’t stupid enough to believe that he loved her that irrevocably. That wasn’t him, not at all.

  She glanced up from her phone as Dane strutted down the hospital corridor toward her, his eyes never once leaving hers.

  Nurses stared.

  They couldn’t help it, could they?

  In fact, everywhere he went, people stared, women flirted, men wanted to know his secret. And she always thought to herself, you don’t want to know. You really don’t.

  Because he’d built his empire on life and death.

  “Any news?” He braced Zoe with both hands. When had he ever been like this with her?

  She’d suppressed so much of their relationship. Angry at him, mad at Danica, afraid.

  Terrified was more like it.

  “Zoe?” He tipped her chin. “Talk to me, sweetheart.”

  “Um…” Tears filled her eyes. “The baby… the baby isn’t there anymore.” She couldn’t bring herself to call it a fetus. Everlee had had a baby inside her, and now it was gone.

  Dead.

  She swayed a bit in Dane’s arms before he grabbed her, holding her close to his chest while he rested his chin on her head. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It just…” There it was, the darkness, the secrets they shared, the things she shoved away because it was too painful to think about them. “It just reminded me of her.”

  Dane stilled.

  Zoe was almost afraid to keep talking about it. Danica had gotten pregnant and had lost her baby early on, her child with Jauq—at least that’s what Zoe had been told. Things were different then.

  “I can’t do this.” Danica rocked back and forth, hugging her pillow. “You don’t even know what he’s been doing—what they make him do. And he just lets them! Because money trumps everything!”

  Maybe Danica was delirious? Zoe reached for her. “What are you talking about?”

  “They’re bad people. All of them. I’m going to take them down.” Her eyes were fierce, full of pain. “I already have some evidence.”

  “Maybe you should rest.” Zoe sat on the bed and pulled her friend in for a hug. “You’re exhausted.”

  “Yeah.” Danica yawned and then laid her head down on the pillow and cried.

  Dane saved her by letting out a gruff sigh. “I know, part of me thinks that’s what sent her into the depression. But she was doing better, so much better.”

  “She was sad, Dane.”

  His grip on Zoe tightened. “She was a fighter, though. You know that. She would have fought.”

  It was Zoe’s turn to comfort him as she held him tight and started rubbing slow circles on his back.

  “Why?” Dane asked a minute later. “Can you just tell me why?”

  “Why?” Zoe repeated. “What do you mean, why?”

  “You didn’t walk, you ran from this. From us. I want to know why. I deserve to know.”

  Zoe squeezed her eyes shut as the conversation between her and Danica played in her head. She’d made a promise to her friend not to run when Dane gave her everything.

  But it was too much.

  “We fought every day.”

  “You’re provocative. Next.”

  A touch of a smile formed on his lips as they stared one another down, and then he grabbed her hand and walked her into a waiting room, sitting side by side while the news flashed a picture of Ronan in all his glory leaving a restaurant with his mom.

  Zoe almost rolled her eyes. He and his mom rarely got along. Publicity stunt. Then again, she knew he had his reasons, just like he had his reasons for not staying with Brittany.

  She’d been so envious of them when they were together, and then everything had just shattered for Brittany. The only person you could count on was yourself. Hadn’t she learned that by now?

 
“Zoe?”

  She sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her black leather leggings. “Because you will always love yourself and the power you wield over this city, more than you’ll ever love me—”

  “That’s not—”

  “And because the day I came to you for help, you didn’t just go to the police, you killed him with your bare hands while I watched and it was just one trauma after another.” Her voice shook. “What did you think I was going to do? Run into your arms with thankfulness? You killed a human, Dane, in front of me. You stabbed him, and then told me I had to share the burden of keeping it a secret. That I had to lie in front of…” She lowered her voice as tears filled her eyes. “I lied for you. I lied for us. I wanted you to save me. I didn’t want you to damn me in the process! I held onto that for years and when she died it was too much to handle.”

  Dane was silent, and then he clenched his jaw. “I would kill him again and again and again and relish his screams if I knew I was keeping you safe. Don’t you get it? I don’t matter. You do. You, Zoe, matter. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew that I could have stopped him and didn’t just because you wanted justice to take care of the unjust. You want to know why I did it? Why I killed him and framed his brother? Why I forced you to help me?”

  She shook her head as dread filled her stomach.

  “Because I knew the only way for it to look real was to have your horrified expression in court, telling the story I spun. You’re too strong, Zoe. So, yes, I broke you. On purpose. Because that was the only way I could get you to lie to the police.”

  “Y-you!” She started to shake and stood, then paced in front of him. “I puked three times in that room! Three times! My reaction was so violent, and I got so dehydrated that they almost had to hospitalize me. And now you admit that you did it on purpose? That it could have been avoided?”

  Dane’s expression darkened. “When you ask for my help, you get it. You don’t get to dictate how I help you. He was sick, a criminal, and his brother was no better. You helped me take them off the streets. You shouldn’t feel guilty about it; that’s my burden. Yours is in trusting a crooked agent who told you that you were walking into a safe situation when all she meant to do was cause a viral publicity stunt that would have ruined your career before it even took off.”