Society Girls: Jenysis (10 page)

“You don’t need to ask me that. She’s Society, and we’ll all take care of her. There’s no question of that.”

J
enysis

I made it through the night. Yes, it was with the help of some sleeping pills Audrey brought over, but I’m still counting it as a semi-win. Today is a new day, and I hurry to get ready once I get the text saying Ainsley and Scott have done it. They have the video footage from the hotel.

Deciding to be comfortable, I throw on a sleeveless white jumpsuit with polka dots all over it. My hair is still wet, but I leave it down, knowing I can comb it out when I get to work. I practically run down to my car, and make my way to C&C.

I’m not the first, or the last, to arrive at the large conference room, but I know I’m the most nervous. My heart is still broken, but my mind is clear and ready for whatever I may see. If I keep telling myself that, maybe I’ll believe it.

“How are you holding up?” Stella asks, taking a seat next to me. Tegan squeezes my shoulder before sitting on my other side.

“Whatever Audrey gave me, knocked me out, so I slept.”

“Yeah, you were sleeping when Cal and I came back with your stuff.”

“Thanks for that, Teeg. Was Alesha there?” I don’t want to ask, but I have to know.

“No. He’s not going to sleep with her, or anyone else. He told me that.”

“Oh. I mean, it’s none of my business.”

“It’s totally your business,” Stella says.

“He broke up with me.”

“I refuse to believe that’s anything more than temporary.”

“We’ll see.”

Scott and Ainsley walk in, smiles on their faces. Everyone takes their seats, and looks to the screens behind them as they come to life. I expected them to speak, but instead, they move aside and let us watch.

First, we see Wayne enter the hotel. His first stop is the bar, where we see him take a picture with Sonia, and then talk to the bartender. He is indeed mobbed by the elevators, and loses his hat. He goes into his room, and a little over an hour later, he leaves it. He goes to dinner like he said he did. The fans start to notice him, and he leaves. He’s seen looking into the bar, and going back to his room.

Next, we watch as the bartender gives Sonia water. She shakes her head, but then he says something to her that I can see includes the word “Wayne” and she smiles. The next footage is from her going to her room. We see her walk to the elevator, get on and off, and go into her room. She looks shaky, but not nearly as bad as when Wayne saw her.

Finally, we see a man in Wayne’s hat, with sunglasses on, and a small paper lunch bag in his hand, use a keycard to open Sonia’s door. I immediately know it’s not Wayne. The next timestamp is two hours later. The door opens, and Stella jumps from her seat. “Son of a bitch! I’ll kill him!”

“Just wait,” Ainsley tells her.

The time goes back as we watch Storyside’s former fourth member use another keycard—or maybe the same one—to enter Wayne’s room. Chad’s in there for a few minutes, and comes out holding a paper bag. One that looks exactly like the bag he took into Sonia’s room, but left without.

Reina moves to the front of the room to address us all. “As you can see, Chad is back, and apparently decided it was Wayne’s turn to be the victim of his illegal acts. We believe Sonia was just in the wrong place at the right time. Wayne’s semen was found on Sonia’s body, as you all know, but now we have to wonder if Chad found some in his room, and moved it. I’m not comfortable asking him if he masturbated, so if anyone else wants to volunteer, I’d be extremely grateful.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I say, because I know that there was semen in Wayne’s room. “We Skyped before he left his room. We both orgasmed. He would’ve had to have wiped off his hands, and his stomach.”

“Normally, I would say that is TMI, but not in this instance,” Reina says.

“Do we know where Chad is?” Tegan asks, and I hear the venom in her voice.

“We’re working on it,” Ainsley says.

“Now that we know Wayne is innocent, all of our resources will go towards catching Chad. The fact that it took Scott and Ainsley so long to get the video restored, along with him having keycards, tells me he’s using his leftover money for this. He’s probably got physical protection, and other technology resources as well. But let me be clear, we are going to find him. He can try to hide, but no one’s going to be able to protect him from us.”

I tune out when she starts talking about giving the footage to the police, because I have bigger things to worry about. Namely that I doubted an innocent man. The man I said I loved. I doubted him, and we’ll never be the same again.

* * *

W
ayne

The knock at my door surprises me, since I’m not expecting anyone. Since only a handful of people know the gate code, I’m not too worried, but you never know. I check the peephole before opening the door to Reina.

“Hi Rei. What are you doing here?”

“I have some news for you, Wayne. Since you can’t come to me, I’m coming to you.”

“Come on in.”

“This is a nice house.”

I know she’s not here to talk about my house, so I let her off the hook. “I already know my DNA matches what was found.”

“We have new evidence that proves you’re innocent.”

Thank God. “The DNA was wrong, then?”

“No, but there’s more at play here. I can’t tell you what, but I want you to know we’ll be doing everything in our power to bring it all together, and clear your name.”

“Just give the evidence to Alesha.”

“Not yet, Wayne. I know things may get worse if the police finish their tests, but I need you to trust me.”

“Okay, I can do that.”

“You may be put back in jail for a little while.”

I nod. “Just do what you have to do.”

“One more thing, Wayne. I didn’t want to believe you were guilty, but the DNA really threw me. It threw Jen, too, but she told me she might choose to be with you anyway.”

“What?”

“She loves you, and she wasn’t sure she could walk away from you.”

That’s not right. That’s not what she said. “No. She accused me. She was disgusted by me.”

“She wanted to understand, so she could decide what to do. Decide if she could live with what she was afraid you’d done. I’m not going to deny that she was probably disgusted by the thought of you raping someone. That’s a natural response.”

“I hear what you’re saying, and I also heard what Tegan told me, but the facts are the facts. Whether she would’ve stayed with me or not, she believed I could rape someone. I don’t know that I can get past that.”

“Only you can decide that. I need to get back, but one of us will keep you updated.”

“Thanks, Reina.”

“You’re welcome.”

She leaves, and I sit back down on the couch. I don’t pick up my guitar right away, because I need to think. Think about if I can have a future with Jeny. If I can get past her having doubts about my innocence. Right now, the answer is no.

* * *

J
enysis

“We need to bring that little bastard down,” Stella tells me.

“I want to go undercover if we find him.”

“I don’t know if Reina will approve that,” Tegan says.

“She has to.”

“I’ll side with you. You killed it the other day. Plus, he’s never met you,” Stella reminds me.

“Doesn’t make me hate him any less. I know what he did to Kace, Brett, and their mom. I can’t believe he got out of jail on good behavior.”

“Yeah, well, if he lives through our takedown, I can guarantee he won’t be out so fast next time,” Teeg says.

“I don’t know if I want him dead, or just in a place where I can torture him. We can torture him in jail, can’t we?”

“Oh yeah. You should see what we do to the woman who killed Alex’s parents and fucked with Scott. It’s pretty damn epic.”

“I want epic for Chad.”

“Me too,” Stella says. “What he did to Kace was shitty, but this is other level fuckery,”

I couldn’t agree with her more. I hope Ainsley and Scott find him soon, so we can let him know he’s done messing with the men we love, Brett included. The Society fights hard for everyone, but when it’s one of our own, the gloves really come off. Chad’s going to know what it’s like to have the whole force of one of the most powerful organizations in the world come down on him. I can’t wait to land the first blow.

W
ayne

This time, when the police come to my door, I’m not surprised. Alesha told me the DA petitioned to revoke my bail once their test results came back. She was going to court this morning to argue that house arrest was enough, but neither of us had high hopes for me being able to stay here. I call her as soon as I let them in the gate, and I’m standing in the open doorway when they pull up.

We decided I shouldn’t look too polished, or ready, when I’m led back inside the jail, so I’m just in jeans and a t-shirt. I threw on Chucks and sunglasses, but it really doesn’t matter what I wear. I’m dressing for the press, but I’ll be back in a prisoner’s outfit soon. Good thing I look good in blue.

And yeah, I’m making light of all of this to try and get myself through it. I told Reina I’d be okay with going back to jail, because this time I have no doubt she’ll get me out, but honestly, it still freaks me out. That cell and I weren’t exactly friends, and I never wanted to see it again.

“Mr. Preston, the judge has revoked your bail. You need to come with us.”

“My lawyer has informed me already. Do you need to handcuff me?”

“Yes.”

I hold out my hands, and send a thank you up to God for officers who aren’t dicks this time around. The guys who grabbed me last time are the ones who make their fellow officers look bad. Slamming people into walls, and threatening princesses, just isn’t cool.

The drive down to the jail is uneventful, but I see the press out in full force when we get closer. “You can crouch down if you want to,” one of the men says to me from the front seat.

“It’s okay. They’re just pictures, and it’s no secret I’m going back to jail.”

“My daughter has a poster of you on her wall. I have to tell you; I’m going to insist she take it down now.”

“I understand, but once I’m cleared, I’ll be happy to sign that poster.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

I go back in the same door I went into last time, but they don’t need my fingerprints, or my photo this time. The cavity search is still necessary, and just as unenjoyable as the first time. I’m given my blues, and then I’m back in the same cell. They probably weren’t holding it for me, and it was probably used while I was at the house, but for a moment I think that it
was
waiting for me, because they knew I’d be back.

I take some deep breaths, knowing I need to stop thinking like that, even for a minute. I’m going to be in here, no matter what I think about it, and driving myself crazy is not the way to go. I want to be sane when I walk out the door again. Sane, and ready to get on with my life.

I don’t know what that life is going to look like, but I know I have decisions to make. Decisions about the band, because Marv presented us some options that looked pretty good, and if they’re still on the table when I get out, we’re probably going to take one of them. I also need to decide about Jenysis. Over the last couple of days, I’ve tried to put myself in her shoes, and that was harder than I thought. Not the introspection, but what I found when I saw it the way she did.

I’m almost positive I would’ve reacted the same way. Even taking the consent issue from the night before out of it, I would’ve gone to her, and questioned her. She did what she should’ve done—she came to me instead of just shutting down, and walking away. What I said to her was out of line. I knew it then, but now that I’ve had time to think about it, I realize what an ass I am. Tegan was right about me doubting her just as much as I accused her of doubting me. I don’t know what I’m going to do about it, because knowing I was wrong doesn’t make it hurt any less. She didn’t set out to hurt me, but she did. I, on the other hand, hurt her on purpose.

I rationally know I was wrong, but it’s my heart I’m thinking of right now, and not my head. Can I live with someone who doubted me? Can she live with someone who not only doubted her, but intentionally hurt her? I just don’t know. I don’t want us to be one of those love stories where love isn’t enough, but right now I’m really afraid it isn’t.

* * *

J
enysis

“They found him,” Ellie practically yells, looking out at all of us in her class with a smile on her face. I would wonder how she knew, but I know all of the Society members, and a few of my recruit friends, have implants and other things that allow them to communicate with each other.

I stand up, and run from the room. I know I should’ve said something to Ellie, but I need to get to Stella. She said she’d go to bat for me with Reina, and I need her to do that now. Not later, but right bloody now.

I run into her office, and right past Kevin who tries to call out to me. “Stell,” I yell as I open her door, and then stop.

Reina is sitting in front of her desk, and she raises an eyebrow when she sees me run in. “I didn’t know princesses ran through hallways.”

“She’s like me, not your average princess,” Darcy says from behind me, and I turn to see her lounging on one of Stella’s couches.

“Jen is here to make sure I honor my promise to her, Reina. She wants to go undercover with Chad, and I stand behind her.”

“You think she’s ready to do this?” Reina asks, turning serious.

“Yes. I tested her a few weeks ago. Her friends didn’t know who she was.”

“Which friends?” Darcy asks, and then her eyes widen. “Were you Ann? Oh my God, you were totally Ann, weren’t you? How did I not see that?”

“She fooled you, Darce?” Reina asks.

“Yeah, plus Bray and Noah. None of us knew.”

“Wayne knew,” I tell them.

“That was part of the test. I got him permission for dinner, telling the court he needed to see visiting dignitaries, and that I’d take responsibility, because I wanted to know if he’d figure it out. I was actually happy that he did, and didn’t let on to anyone. We may need her to go places where he’ll be, and I had to make sure he wouldn’t give her away.”

“That’s not an issue now,” I remind her.

“Hush. He’ll come to his senses.”

“Regardless, I want to do this, Rei. Let me bring Chad down.”

“You’ll need an implant, and someone will be monitoring you 24/7. You do not take any chances you don’t need to, do you understand? I am not going to risk you, Jen.”

“I’m totally on board with that, because I don’t want to be risked,” I answer honestly.

“Let’s go into the conference room. Everyone should be gathered there by now.”

Sure enough, when we walk in, everyone is there. All of the Society, including the original five. Matt, Nate, Aiden, and Theo are also present, and I know it’s partly because their military experience will help us execute our plans, but mostly because everyone in this building is under their protection. Matt may be the CEO, but he put his friends in place as the heads of C&C security, because he wanted them here, standing by his side, and keeping his people safe. No one else in this building knows what we do, but that doesn’t matter. They’ll always be safe as long as those four have a breath left in their bodies.

“Hi everyone,” Reina says, stopping to kiss Matt as he rubs her baby belly. She’s in her middle trimester, and pregnancy looks good on her. “I intended to tell you Darcy was going undercover now that we’ve found Chad, but there’s been a change of plans. Jen is the one going undercover. Stella assures me she’s ready, and that she fooled her best friends while in disguise, so I’m going to allow this. However, we all need to support her, and be ready to grab her if things go south.”

“That’s a given,” Jade tells her.

“It is,” Reina agrees. “Now, I’ll give the floor to Ainsley.”

“Okay, so this is what we know. Chad is in a house near Primm. The place is pretty secluded, so there’s no way to sneak up to him. He also has people there almost all of the time. They’re partying, so we think they wouldn’t be a problem if we had to go in, but we’re not entirely sure. He goes into the casinos on an almost nightly basis, looking for tourists from California who might be willing to take him back to their rooms. From what we’ve gathered, he’s not playing on his Storyside past, and with his prison muscles, tattoos, and full mustache and beard, most wouldn’t recognize him anyway.”

“He doesn’t take them back to his place?” Isa asks.

“He does, but very rarely. Surveillance footage from the hotels shows him leaving with maybe one out of every twenty women he sleeps with. He may be asking more, but we don’t know for sure. We do know he has a security detail near him at all times when he’s out.”

“I have to make sure he invites me back there without sleeping with him.” I can’t sleep with him.

“It would be great if you could get him to somehow confess while you’re at the casino, but yeah, you’re probably going to have to go to his place. He’ll feel more comfortable there, knowing he controls that environment.”

“We can’t have anyone there, and he knows many of us in the Society, although thankfully he doesn’t know who we really are. We could disguise ourselves, but I’d like to ask if three or four of the recruits would be willing to stay in Primm, and help us with Jen’s backup,” Reina says, and the room goes silent for a moment as everyone processes this. A few of the girls have gone on personal missions, but no one’s been asked to do it officially.

“I’m in,” Kali says.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Theo says, looking worried.

“Then it’s a good thing it’s not your choice, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Reina agrees, glaring at him. “She can do this.”

“I want to go, too,” Rose says.

“I can help,” Waverly tells her.

“Last but not least,” Nev says with a smile.

Reina shakes her head. “I know you could do it, Nev, but you’re too high profile for this.”

“Oh yeah. I forgot I’m still news. I can help from here.”

“Definitely.”

“I’ll go,” Matisse says.

“Great. Once we’re done here, we’ll get everyone set up. I’m going to have all of the remaining recruits without an implant get one, since almost all of you would have one after this anyway. I have no doubt you’re all going to pass, and this will make things easier all around.”

I don’t doubt that either. As I look around at my friends, I know we’re all going to make it through the challenges we’re presented with. Some of them have already overcome the things that were hardest for him, and I’m about to do the same. We can all do it, and we will.