Chapter Seventeen

Ella

 

I left Beckett’s office in a daze. He walked me to the elevator and after I got inside we maintained eye contact until the doors closed, then I let the air out of my lungs in a rush. I still couldn’t believe the effect he had on me. The way my body responded to him. As much as I wanted to make sure he viewed me as a strong woman, as his equal, I had to admit there was bliss in surrender. Maybe that’s what drew us to each other in the first place? He needed someone he could dominate and deep down, even though I never knew it until Beckett stole me away, I needed to submit to someone in order to trust them. In order to give them my body.

I filed the article when I got back to the office, hoping it would bring some relief to my boss after the pressure Beckett’s PR henchman had applied to our paper. Knowing about the real motivation behind Beckett donating to the LVPD on the anniversary of his parents murder made me pay special attention to my words this time, as a way to atone for how harsh I had been before. Tonight I had promised to catch up with Reya before she left for work, Fridays were busy nights for her, and tomorrow I had promised to spend the weekend with Beckett at his penthouse.

I left the office and waved to Seth who was on the phone. He gave me a half smile and waved back. It was still a bit awkward between us after our talk, but I hoped with time we could remain friends. He was a good person, and without the few connections I had made in this world that I could count on one hand, I was truly alone.

Before I jumped on transit I stopped to pick up a bottle of crisp white wine to bring to Reya’s, glancing at my phone to check the time. It was a busy day wrapping up at the office after I had been away and I was running a bit late, it was already seven, I had to get a move on. There was a crowd waiting at the stop as buildings emptied and people were headed home or out for the evening. I squeezed my way on when the doors opened and stood holding a pole while we bumped along the route. I sent Reya a quick text that I was on my way. When I arrived I pushed my way off at my stop and jogged towards my door, up the steps and knocked on Reya’s door. After a few minutes she opened up.

“Ella, there you are! Come in.”

I lifted the bottle of wine and she smiled.

“Sorry I was late, busy day at the office and I couldn’t decide what kind to get.”

“Sauvignon blanc is perfect, thanks. I’ll grab us some glasses, have a seat.”

I sat down on the couch and glanced at the TV on in the corner while the news droned on. Reya came back with two glasses filled with wine and put them down on the coffee table where there were a few boxes of chinese food.

“Dig in. I need to eat before work or I won’t have any energy.”

I picked up a set of chopsticks and popped open a container, the smell of savory fried noodles flooding the room and making my mouth water.

“This smells amazing,” I sighed as I took a bite, then groaned at how good it tasted.

“You know, I was really worried about you when you disappeared after I knew you went to do your undercover work. I was scared that something had happened to you, and someone else had your phone. Then when I saw that the building had become a crime scene… I almost called the police, but when I got your text I thought you had gone into hiding.”

I chewed the slick noodles, buying myself time. Obviously I couldn’t tell her what actually happened, but I needed to give her a part of the truth.

“It did get bad. The men there drugged and attacked me. But then the Phantom showed up, he saved my life. I… I got away, but I was so shaken up that I needed a few days to be alone and process everything. I’m sorry, but your dress and wig you leant me are ruined. I’ll replace them.”

Reya leaned over and pulled me into a hug.

“Ella, I don’t give a shit about my outfit. I was so worried about you, I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

She pulled back and looked at me, her face gentle.

“I know we haven’t known each other for long Ella, but I really care about you. You never judged me for what I do, most of my friends are other dancers. The fact that you’re right next door and we look out for each other, it always makes me feel safe.” She raised her glass and took a sip. “Besides. I hate to drink alone.”

She winked at me and I laughed as I took a sip of my wine too.

“Thanks Reya. I’m sorry that I worried you, but I’m okay, I promise. And I feel the same. I don’t have many friends here in Vegas, if it wasn’t for you I’d be some loner who was either at home or work, day after day.”

“Now that you bring it up, you do work pretty hard Ella. Why don’t I take a night off sometime, we can go out to a club? Have a good time, meet a couple of guys and make some bad decisions.”

I looked away and tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Yeah, sure, that sounds nice.”

Reya watched me like a hawk, studying my reaction.

“Wait a second.” She leaned closer. “Ella… did you meet someone?”

The flush that bloomed on my cheeks told her everything. Whenever I had something I wanted to hide, my body betrayed me each and every time. I was just the kind of person who wore her emotions out in the open, even when I tried to act cool.

“Alright, who is this mystery guy. I need to know if he’s good enough for my girl.”

I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you. I wish I could, but I promised him that I wouldn’t. It’s still new, and… it’s complicated.”

Reya sighed. “Oh, Ella. Please tell me he’s not married.”

I shook my head. “No, not married.”

Her eyes brightened. “Ooooh, is he a celebrity?”

I laughed. “Reya! Stop playing twenty questions, I told you I can’t tell you.”

Something out of the corner caught her eye and Reya nodded towards the TV. “Hey look, it’s your friend the Phantom on the news.”

Sure enough there was a blurry photo of Beckett in head to toe black, his mask concealing his face, in the corner of the screen while the news anchor spoke. I grabbed the remote and turned the volume up gripping my wine tighter. Was this about the night I had been abducted? The night he had been shot? Was Beckett okay?

“Breaking news, we have just obtained security footage reportedly from tonight when the Phantom stopped an attack on a couple who runs a local convenience store. Known convict Bruce Killman, recently released on parole and thought to be connected to organized crime, had targeted the store apparently as part of a larger extortion racket. He entered the store with two associates and told patrons to leave, locking the doors and trapping Mr. and Mrs. Kym who run the store inside. After attacking Mr. Kym they grabbed Mrs. Kym and were dragging her to the back when the Phantom broke his way inside. Here is the footage, and we warn you, it is graphic.”

What followed was grainy video of a window being broken and the Phantom stepping inside. The men shouted at him but he walked forward, no hesitation or fear. When one man rushed him he grabbed his arm and flipped him over, landing hard against a shelf that spilled its contents to the floor. A second man rushed behind him with a knife and I threw my hand over my face, but Beckett dodged then grabbed the man’s arm. Whatever he did, the man’s mouth dropped open in agony and he fell to the floor cradling his arm.

Beckett continued for Bruce who was holding Mrs. Kym by the neck. Reaching behind him, Beckett pulled out a knife and threw it swiftly where it buried itself in Bruce’s leg up to the hilt. While Bruce howled Beckett pulled Mrs. Kym from his grasp and she rushed for her injured husband. Beckett walked over to them, there was dialogue that wasn’t caught on camera, then he swiftly used zip-ties to secure the three men dragging them to the centre of the room and looping their arms so they couldn’t run. Then he left the way he came.

The news anchor switched to an interview of Mr. Kym, recovering in hospital, a microphone at his face.

“I’m grateful to the Phantom for saving me, for saving my wife,” he said with eyes glassy with tears. “He’s a hero.”

The reporter asked him what the Phantom had said on camera, and Mr. Kym hesitated a moment before answering.

“He wanted to know who Bruce was working for, they were trying to charge us a fee for protection. They’ve been trying for months, but always I said no. So I told him. I told him it was Venetti.”

The video switched back to the news anchor.

“Attempts to reach a member of the Venetti family to comment on these allegations went unanswered by the time we broadcast this story, however through a spokesperson they denied any involvement calling the insinuation hearsay by a known criminal. In other news…”

I leaned back into the couch cushions, eyes wide, and raised the glass to my lips.

“Wow, they’re lucky he showed up when he did,” Reya said. “He was there that night at the warehouse you said, right? You really saw him?”

I nodded as I took a drink.

“I’ve got to say,” she sighed, running her fingers through her long hair. “I know he’s dangerous and probably a bit crazy for doing what he does, but I sort of think he’s sexy. I wonder what he looks like. I picture him as this tall dark and brooding, sexy man with muscles for days.” She smiled. “He could rough me up any day of the week.”

I focused on my drink, turning my attention back to the greasy takeout hoping we would change the subject before I told Reya how right she was. Before I spilled details about the intense sex I had enjoyed with the Phantom himself. But mostly I kept replaying the vision of the man in the video charging Beckett with a long knife, the fact that he took on three men and could have been killed. I pictured the bullet wound he had suffered only days before, and a part of me was terrified for him that one of these days he would be injured and it would be fatal. It was almost too much to handle, and what scared me more than the idea of something happening to Beckett was the realization I was starting to develop strong feelings for him.