Chapter Fourteen: Colette

L: thank you for tonight x

L: I hope Ali hasn't scared you too much. I forget how scary she can be x

….

L: I can't stop thinking about you x

I place my phone on the charger and shimmy back down under my floral covers. Felix hasn't texted me since he left yesterday, leaving me a little anxious that I crossed a line, even though he made a move first. Maybe everything moving a little too quick for him. He did say he only has eyes for me. And he was the one that gave me cunnilingus in the bathroom at the mayor's house. I blush, thinking about how he looked between my thighs. My brain is so busy that I fall asleep only to wake up a few hours to my phone ringing. Its 3:12am. I grumble then smile when I see his name flash up on my phone.

"Mr Kang," I try not to sound to excited down the phone.

"Miss Callahan. This is Malcolm, Felix's brother."

"Is everything alright?" I sit bolt-upright in bed. He lets out a deep sigh before answering.

"Felix has been arrested for assault. Something about beating some guys up at a bar called Jodies over a week ago. Anyway, are you well enough to come to the station?"

"Yes of course! I'll get up now and head straight there."

"Thanks. I'll have an uber pick you up."

The line dies and I almost fall out of bed, hurrying to grab some clothes. I'm throwing my hair in a bun when Ali appears in my door way.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Felix," my voice shakes. "Hes been arrested for being involved in that fight in Jodie's."

Her face hardens.

"And?"

"And his brother needs me there. Probably as a witness for what happened that night."

"Colette… there's something you should know before you leave."

I tug a long sleeved green dress over my head and sieve through my wardrobe for a pair of sneakers.

"Colette… Colette!" she raises her voice, stopping me in my tracks.

"That man isn't who he says he is."

She blurts out but then seems pensive to expand on her statement.

"What do you mean?"

She rubs her temples before looking me right in the eyes.

"His name is Elijah Kang."

"Ok?" I put forms in my stomach.

"He's kind of like a private detective. But more dangerous. The guy has ties to really, really bad people. That guy who called you, isn't his brother. He's his partner."

She bites her lip. There's more, and I know its going to be a lot worse than Felix being a liar.

"He's working for Howard."

There it is. That sinking feeling. He found me. No. Felix. Elijah. Whatever his name is. He found me for Howard.

"You need to go into hiding. Who knows what his endgame is but you can't stay here. If Howard decides to get on a plane and get you himself, then."

"If he was going to do that, he would have done it by now."

I slip my feet into the trainers, trying to stay more composed than I actually am. Inside I'm screaming. It takes everything I have to fight back tears.

"You need to think this through. This could be a trap. He's seduced you, and now you go running when he calls."

"Alison." I snap. "I want to hear it from his mouth. The whole story. If its true then... I'll run. Far away. Another country if I must. But right now…" I grab a handbag and throw my keys into it. "I have to help him to find out the truth."

When I arrive at the police station, I'm immediately taken in for questioning. I don't know how long I was sat in there, recounting the trauma of being assaulting by some unknown man. It turns out there was a camera in the hall way and from the footage, you can tell I'm visibly uncomfortable. After a while, they agreed to let us both go, pending investigation they said.

"Thank you, Lettie," Malcolm gives me a broad smile. One I can't return. Two officers escort Felix, or should I say, Elijah, from the cells and uncuff him. He rubs a clamped hand on his wrists. A smile stretches across his face when he sees me. I want to run to him, but with what Ali has shared, I need to stay rooted to the spot. I need to fight against my feelings in order to get to the bottom of this mess. I just stare back at him as he approaches.

"Lets get out of here. I'll buy you breakfast."

"No." I answer. His head leans to the side.

"Whats wrong? I know this is scary, especially after what happened at the mayors party but."

"Felix," I fight back tears. "Or should I call you Elijah?"

His eyes widen in surprise, then narrow, turning cold at the sound of his name. The jig us up. Malcolm, if that's even his name, Clears his throat.

"I don't wish to talk. I know why you two are here. That you know who I really am."

I fold my arms and fight back a cry. My heart hurts. There I was thinking I had scared him off, when this whole time he was just trying to scree me before handing me back to Howard.

"What is your plan? Make me fall for you then when you are done deceiving and using me up, you'll hand me back to Howard? Is that it?"

"I'll let you two talk."

"Coward," I spit at Malcolm. He doesn't say anything, just holds his hands up in surrender.

"Colette, I'll explain everything but right now we need to get out of here. You need to eat and rest."

"No. I need answers. And I need them now. If you're not going to tell me then I'll disappear. This time somewhere not even one of Howard's lackeys can find me."

"Then let's go back to my apartment away from prying ears."

"No." I shut him down. "My apartment. Where I'm safe and sure you won't try anything."

I don't give him a chance to protest. I'm already heading out the police station and flagging down a cab. I get in as soon as one stops, not waiting for him to catch up. I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to tell this taxi driver to take me to the airport so I can disappear without anyone knowing this time. I try to collect myself in time for the cab to roll to a stop outside the shop. It seems Elijah was able to stop a cab pretty quickly after I had left as another pulls up and he climbs out the back. I don't say a word. He stalks behind me, following me up to the apartment door where I ring the bell for Ali to open. The sun is already rising, its warmth heating the back of my neck. The door swings open and ali's face drops when she seem the silhouette behind me.

"What the fuck Lettie?"

"Drop it. He's here to tell us everything."

She glares at him as I moved past her, Elijah on my heels. I head straight to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water. I need to compose myself. I don't know where this conversation is going to go or where it is going to leave my bruised heart.

When I return, Elijah is sat in the armchair with Alison perched on the arm of the couch staring him down.

"Get talking," I demand, standing by my friend. "Does Howard know where I am?"

He sighs.

"He does. He's given me two weeks to get you back to New York."

"And how were you going to do that?" Alison replies in a harsh tone. Rightly so. I need her here to keep me strong and to ask everything important so I don't get sidetracked with questions about whatever this thing is between him and me.

"A romantic weekend away. I was going to make you trust me, fall for me even, and whisk you away on a surprise trip. Then he would swoop in and claim you back once we arrived at the airport."

"Tssk. You really think Colette is stupid enough to follow some guy she doesn't know to New York?"

I question whether my friend truly knows me. If he had mentioned a romantic getaway, I would have gone.

"How did you know where she was hiding?"

"You were the only person we hadn't checked out. I found out you were Colette's closest confidante, but for some reason Howard didn't think to find out if you were hiding Colette. I didn't tell him Maciek and I were going after you till we had ruled out whether Colette was here."

"That explains you randomly showing up in our shop three months ago."

He stays silent. He's eyes shift to mine.

"When I came looking for you, I had no plans to develop any attachment to you. But then as I observed as you worked, I found myself longing to see you every day."

"Eyes over here you traitor. You have no right to address Colette with your bullshit."

"Alison. Please." I place a hand on her shoulder, not breaking his gaze.

"No Colette, I won't stop. This bastard was going to trick you and hand you back to that abusive piece of shit. You should be getting angry. Shout, scream. Do something! Don't just stand there, swayed by his words of endearment," she fumes, jumping to her feet.

"Do you know what he was doing to her? The pain he put her through? not only mentally but physically."

She grab my dress, yanking it up. I try to stop her but I'm not quick or strong enough. Elijah's eyes open wide with horror as he gazes at the Silver streaks that decorate my ribs, stomach and hip.

"This is from the time Colette interrupted him fucking some blonde in their bed. He dragged her out of the room by the hair and threw her into the glass table. He got no medical help for her. I had to pull out every single shard of glass from her body that I could find. Another time he beat her black and blue then called off a week of shows claiming she had lost her voice so she couldn't perform. Do I need to go on?"

My stomach churns. My eyes sting. I feel so incredibly embarrassed. I manage to release the fabric from her hand and pull it back down my body.

"Thats enough Alison."

"Is it? Because I don't think its nearly enough." she turns on Elijah, her lips curled with pure aggression.

"You send her back, you're signing her death warrant. You think he'll take her back with open loving arms? That'll hell apologise for ever hurting her and they'll live happily ever after? You're as pathetic and spineless as the rest of them who didn't have the balls to stand up to him."

He just sits there, stunned in the tatty green chair. I don't blame him. I'd be in shock too. She storms out the living room. Ali has never liked being vulnerable in front of anyone. I've only ever seen her cry once in our long friendship, and it was watching an anime called Your Lie in April. It took her a week to recover. When she comes back, she's wearing a light plaid jacket and has her bag in hand.

"I have your phone location and your number ready to hand over to the police if she is not here when I return."