Chapter Nine

Claire’s Point of View

For the first time in my life, I saw someone share a look as dark and hateful as Caiden’s. Jesse glared at the officers as he slowly went to put his gun down.

“Now put your hands up and behind your head,” the officer ordered.

He did as he was told. It was strange to see Jesse actually giving up and letting this happen. He was in prison for about 9 years. I don’t understand why would he go back this easily.

We all watched as he walked out of the bathroom in handcuffs. I was almost positive at least half of my guests were freaking out, so I straightened out my dress and hair before turning to Nick. “You’re at a charity event. So try acting like it,” I told him disappointedly. “And you should clean yourself up and return to your husband before I go and have a chat with him,” I told her before leaving the room.

“You have a husband?” was the last thing I heard before the door completely shut behind me.

“Claire, what the hell is going on?” Caiden demanded.

I hesitated, knowing he would get even more mad.

“Jesse basically cornered me in the bathroom and almost killed Nick,” I stated nonchalantly while looking around.

“The cops were in there and out in less than four minutes. Did he let them arrest him?” Caiden asked suspiciously.

I nodded.

“It was strange – he didn’t even try to argue or fight them either,” I said.

“I think we should get everyone out of here,” he said.

I took one look at him before agreeing. He wouldn’t want us to kick everyone out for something small, so I had to trust him. I walked towards the stage where the orchestra was playing. I quietly whispered to the conductor to quiet down the orchestra, and he immediately did so they were only playing piano.

“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt, but I thought it would be a great time to thank you all for the lovely donations. I promise you all of your money will go to great causes. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I am going to have to end this event early. I will be rescheduling this, since I know we didn’t actually get a chance to reach the goal, but I wanted to thank you all for coming, and it would be great if you all could start making your way out.”

Chatter immediately filled the room. I walked across the room and stood next to the door thanking everyone as they walked out.

“HELP!” someone yelled, running this way.

“Please help me!” a woman yelled, running over and grabbing my arm as she glanced behind her. Fear was written all over her face as she looked at me again.

“What’s wrong?” I asked immediately. Worry crossed my face and she removed her hands and stood up straighter, sending me a smirk before coming closer so she was right next to my ear.

“Remember Claire, the game’s not over just yet,” she said before pushing herself back and walking out of the building. The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties and she seemed to have an innocent look. How does Jesse get such people to join his disgusting gang?

“What is going on?” Elena asked, trying to stay calm.

“I was assaulted in the bathroom, and he had guys crawling everywhere so the cops asked me to evacuate the place so nothing else happened. I want you to check my schedule and find me another place and day for this. Do not speak with anyone besides me about the re-schedule.”

Elena gave me a tight smile.

“Okay, anything else?”

“No, that’s it. Thank you for your hard work tonight,” I told her softly before pulling out my wallet and grabbing a hundred dollar bill. “Go out and enjoy the rest of your night.” I smiled, sending her a wink, and she laughed, returning the smile.

“Thank you so much. Just call me if you need anything,” Elena said, and I nodded before shooing her away.

“She’s the last,” a waiter told me.

I nodded and mumbled a thank you.

“Everyone got out safe,” I said, leaning my body against the side of the doorway. Caiden didn’t respond, causing me to glance at him.

“That girl wouldn’t have made such a scene for nothing,” he said aloud. I followed his gaze. At the left side of the room was a door and there seemed to be dark, black colored smoke coming out little by little from underneath it.

“Oh God,” I mumbled, placing my hand to my mouth. “What if someone’s in there?” I gasped. Slipping off my heels, I started running towards the door.

“Claire, wait!” yelled Caiden, running after me.

“Don’t go in that door!” an unknown voice yelled at me.

I paused. I looked behind me to see a tall, brunette standing there.

“Emily?” I asked confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Jesse is our case, and when he was spotted here they sent me in. I’m trained for things like this and you don’t know what you’re going to see in there,” she told me, walking closer.  

“It smells like something’s burning,” I told her.

She nodded before heading in. I watched as she put a mask on and entered the room. Her gloved hands had no difficulty with opening the door. I stood there silently and just prayed everything would be okay. I wasn’t really a religious person, but I would definitely hope for the best.

“Are you just going to stand there all day or come with me?” Caiden asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Put on your shoes in case there’s glass or something.” He told me and I slipped on my heels again and followed him to the door. He used his jacket to open the hot handle.

Huh? I guess he is good for something.

Of all times now you decide to come back?

It’s not my fault you decide to listen to me now after all these years.

The room was blazing and seemed like it was going to start breaking apart any minute. “What the hell are you two doing in here?” Emily asked as she slowly helped a man up from the ground. “I told you to stay inside.”

“I don’t listen to rules very well, and for future reference you should know I do what I want,” he told her before bringing my body close to him. I coughed at the smoke that filled my lungs, and he looked at me with worry.

“You should go back out there. This isn’t good for the baby.”

“You’re in here and pregnant?”

“Hey, help me!” a woman yelled.

I looked to see it was Caitlyn Mccluskey, a woman who worked with me from time to time when it came to making designs for huge labels. She was sitting on the ground with her hand on her ankle. “I think I did something to my ankle.”

Caiden pulled her up, trying to help her out of the large room that was slowly becoming consumed with flames.

“What happened in here?” I asked her softly before she had a coughing fit.

“There was one of those old oil candles in here, and some guy poured it everywhere and lit it on fire with a match. When I tried to stop him all he did was push me and beat up the few other people in there,” she said, rubbing her throat as we helped her limp out of the room.

“There’s more people in there?” Emily asked, setting the guy in the chair next to her.

She nodded.

“Yeah, a girl came in and helped the guy who started the fire put the rest of them in the back room where all the extra trays of food were,” she said.

I looked back at the burning room.

“We have to go back in,” I said.

Emily shook her head already heading back that way.

“The room she’s talking about is almost impossible to get to at this point. You’ll only be a nuisance,” she told me and I frowned as she ran back in.

“Did anyone call 911 yet?” Caitlyn asked.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Emily did, but call again just to be safe. I have to go back in and help whoever I can. Stay safe Cait,” I told her before we rushed back in. I paused at the doorway when all I could see was flames slowly eating everything. The curtains in front of the window fell, making me jump.

“That’s it!” I said suddenly. I rushed over to the bathrooms, which I knew had curtains. Grabbing the curtains from the window, I basically ran as fast I could in heels and threw one at Caiden.

“They’re heavy enough to help. Now where’s the door?” I asked, putting my hand in front of my eyes for a second. There was enough smoke in here to make someone go blind.

“Over here,” Emily yelled as she attempted to push a huge, antique table from in front of the door. The one side was on fire, making me panic. Caiden grabbed her side and helped her push the heavy table away. If we weren’t in such a crisis, I probably would have just stood there watching Caiden since his muscle really showed through his white shirt. But instead I started hitting the door that had flames on top of it.

“Forget about that,” Emily yelled at me as she heard the sound of sirens outside. She tried to open the door, but it didn’t open, making her run her hand through her hair.

“Damn,” she muttered to herself before taking four steps back and running, slamming her foot into the door. The door surprising went off the hinges and hit the ground.

“Oh, thank goodness!” a woman yelled, jumping up.

“Who is hurt?” Emily said.

“Basically everyone in here has something wrong with them.”

“Okay, well if you can walk you’re going to have to get out of here and immediately exit the building. The room leading to this one is in flames. I give it maybe two minutes before the ceiling caves in,” Emily announced.

Everyone started panicking. Some even cried.

“Shut the fuck up and get the hell up and start leaving before we all end up here stuck for the dead,” Caiden yelled. The room went silent. Three of the ten people could walk. We all grabbed one person who couldn’t and helped them out of the room.

“Claire?” the man I was helping said, and I frowned not recognizing exactly who he was.

“Yeah, it’s me,” I told him, struggling to help him since he must have weighed a little more than me.

“Don’t think for one second everyone won’t hear about this. Never in my forty years have I left a charity event with what I’m guessing is a broken rib or even a black eye,” he hissed.

I frowned realizing it was the one reporter who was supposed to write a story for his paper about this event.

“Listen, I’m really sorry about all of this, but I didn’t know the building was going to catch on fire,” I told him before setting him by the door right as firemen came rushing in.

“How many people are still in there?” a man asked me.

“About four more,” I told him.

He nodded, running in there after the rest of the men.

“That was all Jesse wasn’t it?” Emily asked us, setting down another person.

I bit my lip thinking about it.

“It had to have been someone from his gang because I watched as he got brought out, handcuffed and everything,” I said.

“I’m not surprised,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Neither am I,” Caiden said, coming up from behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He leaned in so his mouth was right by my ear. “If you ever do something that stupid again, I swear I will never let you leave the house.”

“I’m sorry, I just feel partly responsible for all of this since I’m the one who got involved with Jesse in the first place, and I hosted this event.”

He shook his head. He turned me around so I was completely facing him.

“Never blame yourself for anything that he does,” Caiden told me.

I just shook my head, not responding.

“Excuse me, Claire Martez?” a man in a black coat asked, coming up to me.

I pulled away from my boyfriend and took a few steps away, clearing my throat.

“Yes?” I asked, glancing at the notepad in his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m detective Wills. I just wanted to inform you that the man you were with, Jesse Farone, has assaulted the two officers tonight and got away, so he is no longer in captivity. If he tries to contact you or come near you at all, just call my department. Due to some of the responses from some of the others here, I have come to the conclusion that he was most likely behind the fire too. So if you know anything about him, please let us know.”

I felt goosebumps trail up my arm, almost like someone was watching me.

“I definitely will and thank you for telling me, detective,” I said, shaking his hand. He nodded, mumbling something about it not being a problem. I walked back to Caiden and just shook my head.

“Can we go home?” I asked softly. He nodded, putting his left arm on my shoulder and leading me to the limo. The driver opened the door and we slid in. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes for the rest of the ride.

Riley’s Point of View(Reese)

I watched as Jesse slammed his fist into a nearby wall.

“Chris!” Jesse yelled, and two men ran over. One was unfamiliar, but I recognized the other one from the past.

“Did I say Chris Levine?” he hissed, and the guy shook his head.

“No.”

“Then get the fuck out of my sight,” Jesse said. The guy apoligized and left.

“I need to know immediately if Clover Thompson is dead,” he said.

Chris kept his face blank.

“She didn’t get on the plane,” he told him.

Jesse sneered.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, but Jason almost got caught for not actually being in charge of baggage check,” Chris told him.

Jesse rolled his eyes.

“So are you telling me that he didn’t even get the bag on the plane?”

“No, he did, but it didn’t go off. Somehow it got stopped,” Chris said.

I noticed the fear that flickered through his eyes. How is it that even Chris is scared of Jesse?

“No one knew about the bomb besides the five of us,” he said.

“Someone may have overheard us talking about it and told the agents or something,” Jesse said smirking, not holding back a dark chuckle.

“Now don’t tell me that Christopher. I may just end up killing everyone in this fucking place if necessary,” he said and Chris shut his mouth after that.

“We need to get someone on the inside,” Jesse demanded before looking at me. I had my back leaned against the wall with my right foot on it as well. “You. Claire wouldn’t hesitate to trust you.”

“I don’t think that’s the best idea,” Jacob interrupted.

Jesse raised an eyebrow.

“And why not?”

“Claire will know by her clothes that she’s not there to really be friends.”

I narrowed my eyes and pretended to get mad.

“I like my clothes, thank you,” I said before looking at Jesse. “I can do it.” I only agreed so no one else would be secretly getting close to Claire.

“No, he’s right. You won’t work.”

“Who would be a better option than me?” I asked, pushing myself off the wall.

He let his eyes skim around the room.

“I have an idea,” James said suddenly.

Jesse motioned him to continue.

“Claire has been spotted going to the doctors recently, and rumors have it she’s pregnant. Maybe do something about that doctor of hers and have someone fill in,” James suggested smirking.

Jesse mirrored his expression.

“Not bad, Ward. We need someone who’s actually a doctor to fill in though,” Jesse said.

I narrowed my eyes. This was all a bad idea. I couldn’t even go and warn Claire because it would most likely lead Jesse to realize I’m the one leaking information. But the thing is, I had no idea about a bomb being on the plane Clover was going to be on, so I think the real question is who else is in here undercover? I wondered looking around the room.

“Keith Mabry,” Jacob said.

The room went silent.

“Hell no. The guy is the most antisocial one here,” Taylor pitched in.

I raised an eyebrow. This was the first time I’d ever heard of the guy.

“Someone go get him. He’s perfect,” Jesse said.

Everyone’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Jess, man, think this through,” Taylor said, stepping closer.

He looked at his friend seriously.

“I did.”

“He’s a fucking prick,” Jax said.

I almost snorted. He’s the one to talk.

“Who’s this Keith guy?” I asked, causing him to roll his eyes.

“Oh, I forgot we have a newbie here.”

“Just because I’m new doesn’t mean I’m stupid,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

“He’s basically the top guy around here. If something were to happen to Jesse—”

“And we all know nothing will,” Jesse cut in, giving him a pointed look.

“Then he would probably take over ’cause he is the smartest, the fastest, and the biggest ass. He also has this mysterious vibe that apparently girls love.”

Taylor and I let that information sink in. All this time I thought Taylor would take over, but I guess I was wrong.

“Bet you thirty bucks she’ll be all over him,” Jacob said.

Jax laughed.

“You’re on.”

“Wait, if he has all those qualities then why don’t you want him to do the job?” I wondered aloud.

“Because the prick doesn’t deserve the job. We all know he’ll go his own way with this whole thing.”

“You can only go so many ways with being a doctor,” I said slowly. In return I got multiple glares.

“Keith,” Jacob suddenly said, causing everyone in the room to look at the new figure that entered the room. Standing there was a man with beautiful, dark black hair – the one and only Keith Mabry. They were definitely right about the mysterious vibe he gave off.

“You’re going undercover,” Jesse said.

I almost smiled at the irony. They were going undercover so they could have someone on the inside for Claire, yet here I was the person on the inside for that whole group.

“Why?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Because I said so, and you’re the only one for the job, ” Jesse said.

“Okay, whatever,” he said, sitting on the side of the couch. Jesse nodded and had Chris follow him.

“Chris, your job is to get rid of the current doctor.” That was the last thing I heard Jesse say before he walked out of the room with Chris right next to him.

“Who’s the newbie?” Keith asked, nodding his head towards me as he lit up a cigarette.

“The names Ri—Reese.”

I mentally scolded myself for almost blowing my cover. I needed to put my defenses up again. These guys were all unpredictable, and there’s so many more of them that I still don’t know. Hundreds more.

“You owe me thirty. She’s already stuttering over him,” Jacob said laughing.

I rolled my eyes.

“I am not. He’s nothing special,” I said.

Keith raised an eyebrow, pulling the cigarette out of his mouth.

“Is that so?” he asked, walking over to me, or basically stumbling over to me.

“Man, you’re completely wasted,”  Jacob said.

Keith brought his body so it was directly in front of mine. He placed his left hand with the cigarette on the wall behind me and brought his face so close that our noses were almost touching.

“I think the whole tough girl thing is just an act,” he said.

I resisted the urge to scrunch up my nose in disgust at the smell of alcohol.

“You know to actually pull a job like this off, right, you’re going to have to actually be silver,” I said, pushing his body away from mine. It took very little strength since he stumbled and bumped into the chair.

“Huh, I guess Jesse actually picked a girl with brains for once,” he said.

Taylor chuckled.

“Anyone have a picture of the girl I’m suppose to be getting information on?” Keith asked.

Another guy from the gang named Leon threw a folder at him.

“The name’s Claire Martez. Don’t let the innocent look fool you. She’s smart, very smart, and her boyfriend or ex-boyfriend is on Jesse’s list to kill since he left the gang years ago,” Leon explained.

Keith looked carefully at the picture of Claire.

“I don’t understand what all the hype is about. From the looks of it she’s nothing special,” he said, blowing smoke out of his mouth. “Why does the big man care so much about her?”

“He has some type of feelings for her,” Jacob said, taking a sip out of a beer.

“Who’s actually met her?”

“Almost all of us have,” Jax replied cooly.

“Tell me about her,” Keith instructed.

“At one point the chick was even going undercover at some all boys university. And she’s great in bed in case you were wondering,” Leon said.

I looked at him in surprise. Claire slept with him?

“You slept with her?” Taylor asked, speaking my thoughts.

“Yeah, it was years ago, but it was one hell of a one-night stand.”

Keith watched Leon carefully for a minute before smirking.

“C’mon mate, don’t tell me you have feelings for her too,” he said chuckling.

Leon shook his head.

“I thought it was obvious. Everyone just wants to sleep with her. No one here has real feelings for the chick,” Jacob said.

Everyone chuckled. I scrunched up my nose as they started talking about what they would do to her in bed. It surprised me when even Taylor joined in on the conversation.

“I look forward to meeting her then,” Keith said, standing up and grabbing the bottle of whiskey that sat on top of the table next to the couch. “We’ll see why it’s so hard for Jesse to get one woman to like him.”