Chapter Eighteen

It was almost three in the morning when the prepaid phone that Scorpion had given him vibrated with a new text message. Kyle hesitatly opened his eyes and swept the phone into his hand and opened the text.

*Goldsworthy found out. Left the apartment. Call*

How does he know these things? Kyle thought to himself as he went through his short list of contacts to Scorpion's name and hit call. Kyle cleared his throat nervously just in time. Scorpion picked up after the first ring. "What do you want me to do?" Kyle asked tiredly. He'd almost been asleep for the first time in weeks and he just had to be interrupted by a text that meant he was going to go do something.

"I am giving you a choice, Kyle." The deep voice of Scorpion emitted from the other end. "I am allowing you to choose who you would like to rough up. I can have Goldsworthy's location within minutes and Edwards is probably in the apartment, sulking. Take your pick."

Kyle was thankful, now, that Scorpion hadn't asked for a face to face meeting. Kyle's jaw slackened and he stared at the wall. He was being given a choice? Scorpion had never done this. Not in the time Kyle had known him, and the rumors about him suggest that he rarely gave people choices; it was always orders.

"Just to make sure I heard you right, sir, you did just say rough up, correct?"

"I do not desire their deaths," Scorpion explained menacingly, "I simply want to see justice served."

Your own brand of justice. Kyle thought to himself. He moistened his lips nervously. He needed to give Scorpion an answer and soon.

The opportunity might slip him by.

"Edwards." Kyle said slowly and deliberately. "I want Edwards."

There was a short pause.

"Very well. Go to Goldsworthy's apartment. She will be there. Do not kill her, Kyle. Or I'll kill you myself."

There was a click and the line went dead.

Kyle stood up slowly from the bed. He had no intentions of killing Clare Edwards; not if it meant invoking Scorpion's wrath. He was just going to give her a good beating.

Just like Jake used to do.

She couldn't believe it.

She just couldn't freaking believe it.

How had someone managed to find the confidential DNA records? They were supposed to be confidential. Clare just couldn't find it in herself to bring her emotions under control. Someone, she didn't know who, had just undone her happy ending. She had found a way to get away from Jake and live a happy life, and now it was growing dimmer with each minute Eli didn't show back up.

She didn't bother to stop the tears.

What was she crying for, though? That the person she'd been lying to found out about the lie and probably hated her guts? Or the fact that she'd now been caught in a lie? One that she'll never be able to escape from.

She didn't know. She didn't care.

She just wanted Eli back.

"Eli!" She sobbed, putting her face in her hands. Guilt ate at her like a disease. "I'm so s-sorry..."

Clare knew that expressing her sorrow and regret to a man that wasn't even here was pointless, but she needed to get it out. She needed to express her grief before it consumed her. The tears flowed freely for a long time, and the only time they stopped was in order for her to choke on Eli's name.

It wasn't until there was a knock at the door when the tears finally ceased. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest. Eli! She squealed to herself as she got off the couch and bound for the door, opening it without reservation.

It took her only a second to realize that it wasn't Eli.

"Can I help you?" She whispered to the tall, hooded man.

Before she could even react, she felt his fist connects to her cheek and that sent her stumbling backwards. The man stepped into the apartment, closing the door behind him quietly.

"Help! Help me!" Clare tried to scream, but the man's fist connected again and again in quick succession. She finally collapsed to the floor, but not before she managed to scream for a second before he punched her again, this time square on the lips and she tasted blood almost instantly.

"You need to shut the hell up." The man growled menacingly. "I don't want to kill you, but I will if you keep making noise."

Even in her half-conscience state, she knew that was a lie. He was either going to rape her and then kill her, or just kill her outright. She gathered as much blood and saliva as she could and with what strength she had, spat it directly into the hood.

The man murmured a profanity and punched her again and again, sinking onto his knees to give him more force behind his punches. After what felt like forever, he finally stopped, panting heavily.

Darkness was threatening to consume her.

"Oh, no, you don't," The man said and smacked her hard. When she couldn't even respond to that, he smacked her even harder. She moaned, and tears welled into her eyes. She forced herself to look at her attacker, because she knew that was what he wanted. "Good. I want you to be conscience so you can see what I'm going to do to you."

What is he going to do to me? Clare thought, even though thinking caused her pain. Her eyes opened and she tried to spit more blood in his face, but he smacked her again. "Don't even think about it."

She could feel herself being lifted up onto her feet and pulled along to the outside of Eli's apartment. "Grab onto this." The man grumbled, and she did as she was instructed. What more could she do? She'd tried to put up a fight, but he more or less silenced her. All she could do now was hope it was over soon.

"This is for Jake Martin." The man said from behind her and she swore she could feel his foot on her back.

He pushed with all of his might and she didn't even make it to the second step before darkness claimed her completely.