He yanked her in for a kiss, trying to rekindle her former passion, but she was so upset by his cruel words that she barely noticed. She collapsed against him, tears running down her cheeks. Daniel ran his hands roughly down her body, dragging the straps of her tank top down her arms and baring her small coral pink bra. He bent his head to explore her cleavage with is lips.
Still she lay limp in his arms, crying softly, offering no resistance, but refusing to participate. He lifted her against his body and carried her into the bedroom. He laid her down on her bed and looked down at her half naked body, clearly torn. Finally, with a growl, he flipped the quilt over her body and strode away, leaving her to cry out her misery alone. He knew if he stayed it would be rape this time, and he couldn’t do that to her.
Chapter Sixteen
“Mr. King is not going to like this,” Laney announced, bringing the Lexus to a halt in one of the sketchiest neighbourhoods in the city.
“Which part won’t my darling fiancé like?” Claudia asked innocently from the back seat, busying herself with unbuckling her seatbelt.
“The part where I can see an actual drug deal taking place on the street corner over there,” Laney replied dryly, reaching for her cell phone.
“Really?” Claudia and Addison asked simultaneously.
“Uh huh,” Laney murmured, texting someone.
“Who’s she texting?” Addison asked Claudia.
“Tyson probably. She’s supposed to take me wherever I ask her to go, but if she disapproves then he likes to hear about it,” Claudia said, opening her door. “Which means we need to make this quick. Once back up gets here, we’re going to be whisked away to ‘safety’ and I’m going to get verbally chastised. If you don’t want Daniel hearing about this, then we’ll need to come up with a really good excuse as to why we’re in this area.”
Addison waved her hand up the street as Claudia took her other arm. “I heard they sell good drugs around here. Do you think the guys’ll buy it?”
Claudia laughed and opened the door to Jane McKinley’s Private Investigation business. It took a moment before they were greeted. Claudia described the small office as simple, but pleasant with a small reception area and an office in the back. After about a minute a woman approached them from the back office.
Her voice was tough, with a touch of friendly wariness to it. “Hello. Jane McKinley,” she said, reaching out to shake Claudia’s hand.
"Can I help you Ms. Cantore?" Jane asked, ignoring Addison who was still holding Claudia’s arm.
How did Jane know Claudia? Addison could feel a very slight start go through Claudia and she realized that Claudia didn’t actually know Jane personally. Yet somehow Jane recognized her. The woman must be very good at her job, or very observant. It probably took a very observant person to make a good detective. Addison felt the first spark of hope that perhaps this person could help her.
Addison could feel Claudia's sharp eyes assessing Jane in turn. "You know who I am," she commented, her voice cool. Addison smiled slightly. Claudia didn’t often play the rich bitch card, but it seemed she was about to pull it out.
"It's my business to keep up with lines of communication in this city. You're decorating the arm of a very powerful man, running what used to be an illegal casino and you're good friends with a woman who has mob connections. It's useful in my line of work to know who's who." Jane said pointedly. "Your friend, however, I don't know."
Claudia was about to introduce her, but Addison decided she’d had enough of being talked about instead of to. She was the reason they were there after all. "Addison Sterling. I live in Claudia's building."
Jane reached out and took the hand in a firm grip. Addison squeezed her hand with equal pressure. Addison wondered what Jane McKinley looked like. She made a mental note to ask Claudia later. The woman was abrasive, but there was something about her that felt… vulnerable somehow. Addison couldn’t help but wonder about the other woman. How had she become a private investigator? Is seemed like it would be a really tough job.
Jane waved the women toward two plastic chairs in her office. Claudia squeezed Addison's hand and set the two chairs up in front of the desk. She took Addison’s hand and placed it on the back of one of the chairs so Addison could seat herself. Addison smiled. She was gradually training Claudia in the proper etiquette of helping the visually impaired.
Once the two women were settled, Jane turned her attention to Claudia. "What can I do for you? I don't usually get walk-ins. My clients are almost always referrals. This is a little unusual."
Addison took a deep breath and said, "I apologize for just showing up here. I'm at a loss for what to do and the police are no help. It was Claudia's friend that gave us your number and Claudia insisted I come."
Addison could feel Jane’s surprise. She probably thought Claudia was the one that needed the services of an investigator, which made sense. Claudia was beautiful, successful and she was dating the most eligible man in the city. She had also nearly been killed a few weeks earlier by an ex-boyfriend.
"Anastasia Sitnikov?" Jane asked.
Claudia nodded. "She sings your praises."
"Odd, considering I only met her once and she advised me to leave the country."
Claudia laughed lightly. "Apparently you made an impression. Plus you get under her brother's skin, which delights her to no end."
"Lucky me," Jane said dryly and then turned to Addison. "How exactly can I help you Ms. Sterling?"
Addison clutched her fingers tightly in her lap and kept her head slightly bent while she talked, allowing her hair to swing forward in a curtain around her body. Her mother had hammered the action into her from an early age. It made people uncomfortable when she met their eyes. She couldn’t focus, so her pupils tended to appear wild and strange.
"I have a stalker," Addison said quickly.
