Chapter 46 – Brynn
I want to be out there looking for Caleb with Larson and the others. But first I need to talk to some people. I’m so fucking angry and scared that I can barely think straight.
First off, I need to call Steven. I’m pretty sure he’s behind this because of the way the note was worded. He’s trying to prove me an unfit parent so he can take Caleb and not have to pay child support.
“Hello?” he answers, sounding tired and hungover, like I had woken him up.
He definitely doesn’t sound like he was expecting to hear from me, but I’m not going to let that fool me.
“What did you do with Caleb?” I demand.
“What?”
“This isn’t funny.”
“Caleb?”
He sounds as if he forgot our own son’s name.
“I didn’t do anything with Caleb. What are you talking about?”
Shit.
If for some strange reason it turns out that Steven’s not behind this, I certainly don’t want to give him any ammunition to use against me in court.
But maybe I should tell him. Caleb is his son too, after all.
Maybe it’s a test to see if I tell him or not.
My mind races with all the possibilities and I have no idea what’s going on.
I decide to tell Steven if Caleb isn’t back within twenty-four hours, at which point I will need to find out if Steven really is involved or at least inform him of what’s happened.
But I can’t go twenty-four hours without finding out if Caleb is okay. I have to find out now. And Steven doesn’t seem like he’s going to be very helpful in any event.
“Nothing,” I tell him.
I need to figure out a good cover for having called him. I hadn’t thought this far ahead.
“I just wanted to know what you mean to do about the agreement,” I ad lib. “I sent you one back.”
It’s true, I had changed almost everything he’d suggested because none of it was fair to me. Or Caleb for that matter. I knew he wouldn’t like it and hadn’t meant to discuss it now but I didn’t know what else to say I was calling about.
“It’s an awful proposal,” he tells me. “I’ve gotten a lawyer. He will be in contact.”
“Steven,” I say, frustrated. “Seriously? You’d rather spend money on a lawyer than on our son?”
“Look Brynn, I tried to tell you, I’m just not interested in being your sugar daddy. You can work with me to get me out of this huge obligation I can’t afford, or you can fight me in court. Or you could always just let me sign away my rights so I’ll be out of your life forever and you won’t have to deal with me.”
“What did you just say?”
My heart is pounding and I don’t know how much more I can take. First I find out Caleb is missing and now I find out that his father thinks so little of him that he wants to just completely give him up.
My poor baby. He doesn’t deserve this.
“You heard me,” Steven says, and then audibly yawns into the phone. “I gotta go. You woke me up.”
I angrily hang up, wanting so bad to say “Fuck off” but knowing it’s futile. I will have to deal with Steven later. Right now I have to find out where Caleb is.
This could be some elaborate scheme on Steven’s part but he doesn’t seem smart enough to pull that off. Plus, now that I think about it, how would he orchestrate clowns to wreck havoc for months in Albuquerque when he’s in New York, only to finally take Caleb now?
It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but nothing does right now. All I know is that if Steven is behind this, he’s not letting me in on it. So it’s time to call the next suspect.
My hands shake as I dial Clay’s number. I know that doing this could cost me my job— my livelihood and way to provide for Caleb and myself— but I have to do it. I’m sick of catering to everything they want. I need to worry about what’s good for me too, like Riley says. And what’s good for me is finding my son.
“Brynn,” Clay says, sounding happy to hear that I called. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“You tell me,” I tell him. “What is going on?”
“Excuse me?” he says, sounding genuinely surprised. “I thought you would appreciate having the long weekend off for Thanksgiving. But it sounds like you’re upset.”
I can’t straight up accuse him of kidnapping my son. I’d sound like a crazy person. And that wouldn’t even make sense, now that I think about it.
But I don’t know what to think anymore.
“Clay, what is going on with the clowns from your party?” I ask him.
“What?” he asks, in the same confused tone of voice that Steven had had.
“It was pretty shitty to have clowns there when there were real ones terrorizing people,” I tell him.
I don’t usually talk to my clients like this but I’m sick of putting up with Clay and I need to find Caleb.
“Oh come on, Brynn,” he says, laughing. “You just had to call me the day after Thanksgiving to discuss my choice of Halloween fun? What has gotten into you?”
“What has gotten into me? What has gotten into you?” I demand. “Clowns were at the house I was staying at that night, trying to get into the car. I didn’t tell you because I don’t know that they had anything to do with the clowns at your party. But maybe they followed me home. Because now something worse has happened.”
“Oh, Brynn. My clowns were harmless. For entertainment purposes only. And I’m sorry to hear about what happened but there were clowns all over the city on Halloween so it’s not right of you to blame it on me. I was just having some harmless fun.”
“Some harmless fun?” I explode. “You warned everyone to be careful of the clowns out there but then you had some at your party?”
I remember how he had looked at me. I decide to just put it all out on the table.
“You acted like I wouldn’t be safe if I left your house. What was that about? Then after that you started this whole arrangement.”
“Oh, Brynn,” he says.
His dismissive tone is making me even angrier.
“It was all in jest. I have to admit I was quite intrigued by your choice of outfit. I thought maybe we could enjoy Halloween night together. It was just a joke though. Once you left I figured, fine, if she chooses that loser biker over me, it’s her loss. I certainly didn’t send any clowns after you or anything, if that’s what you’re implying.”
He says it as if he has much bigger weapons at his disposal. Which he probably does.
“So why did you come to New York and start this whole regional branch idea after that?” I ask, catching on to what he could mean.
“Because I wanted you and you didn’t want me,” he says, shrugging. “And now we’re stuck together. You know it as much as I do.”
I hate his smug tone and the fact that he knows he owns me. His next step is probably going to be straight up sexual harassment and I can’t do a thing about it because the firm would side with him over me in a heartbeat. Hell, they’d jump at the chance to have me gone so the partners could be in charge like they want to be anyway. Sooner or later he’s going to say I have to sleep with him or lose my job, I just know it.
But right now I have to concentrate on finding Caleb, and none of this entire conversation seems to be leading me towards accomplishing that goal.
“So you really have nothing to do with the clowns anymore, in any way or form?” I ask him.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Clay says.
“Something bad has happened,” I tell him, not wanting to say more than that.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” he says. “You’re clearly freaking out about some emotional problem, I can tell. I hope all is well in La La Land with your biker dude. Hope he didn’t get arrested or anything. But I also hope you return to your senses soon. I was actually going to call you later today and tell you that I need you to do some work for me over the weekend.”
Fuck you, I want to tell him, just like I wanted to tell Steven. Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.
“I won’t be able to do that work,” I tell him, and then I hang up.
It probably means I’ve just lost my job, but I don’t care. Clearly I was going to lose it anyway if I don’t sleep with this asshole, which I don’t want to do.
I just want to find Caleb. And not break down in the process.
Just then, Larson comes rushing in. I hope he has good news, but even if he doesn’t I’m glad he’s back. I could sure use his support right now. My world is crashing down and I can’t figure out a way to stop it.