Call Me Cat (Call Me Cat Trilogy #1)(25)

He was at this party. Oh God. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Ask your B.F.F. She really does have terrible taste in men."

The phone went dead, and I screamed Bridgette's name, forgetting about the detective as I searched for her in her bedroom, the master bedroom and every guest room I could find. Ash found me in the hall, tears streaming down my face, body shaking. He wrapped his arms around me. "Catelyn, what's wrong? What's happened?"

"He's done something to Bridgette. We have to find her."

He led me by the hand, and we searched the rest of the second and third floor, then went downstairs and searched the basement.

Bridgette lay on a spare mattress, her dress torn, face bruised, body exposed. She looked dead. "Bridgette!" I ran to her, shaking her shoulder, holding her as I yelled for Ash to call 911. Bradley staggered into the room. He'd been in the bathroom, and his face paled when he saw us.

I let go of Bridgette and flung myself at him. "What have you done to her?You *!" I punched him and felt something snap in my hand. "Bloody f*cking hell!"

He sneered at me. "Bitch, you need to get raped, just like her. I showed her, and I'll show you." He backhanded me, and I fell to the ground, my cheek exploding from pain.

I'd forgotten about Ash—and, by the look on his face, so had Bradley. When Ash lunged at him, Bradley tried to fight back, but it was clear from the first punch that Bradley was outclassed in every way.

Ash knocked him on his ass with a well-placed punch, and I thought that would be the end of it.

But it wasn't.

Ash kept punching.

And punching.

And kicking.

His face filled with so much rage it scared me.

Until Bradley lay in a pool of his own blood, as still as Bridgette.

Detective Gray came down with Mr. and Mrs. Beaumont and Ash's dad, and I went into shock, shaking as flashbacks from the night my father was beaten to death filled my mind, paralyzing me and blocking out anything from the world around me.

And then I passed out.





Chapter Twenty One


Orgasms


NEON LIGHTS BLARED down at me and the smell of antiseptic and sickness clung to everything. My head throbbed when I opened my eyes, unsure of where I was or what had happened. "Bridgette. Is she okay?"

A man came into view, his bow tie undone and white dress shirtsleeves rolled up. His right hand was bandaged, but he didn't seem to notice. "Catelyn, you've rejoined the living."

My vision cleared as Ash bent over me, but I remembered how he'd looked the last time I'd seen him. The rage and hate on his face. The uncontrolled fury. I pulled away from him. "Where's Bridgette?"

He stood and sat down in the chair by my bed, disappointment in his sigh. "She's got her own hospital room, but she's going to be fine. They found GHB in her system. Bradley slipped it into her champagne when she refused him."

"Oh God, did he—"

"No, there were no signs that she'd been raped. We got there in time."

I rubbed my head and felt a lump forming. My knuckles ached from when I hit Bradley. "What happened to me?"

"The doctor said you went into shock and passed out. You hit your head on the concrete floor going down."

My eyes fell to his bandaged hand, and I winced. He noticed and covered his hand with the other. "I'm sorry I scared you."

I didn't know what to say. He had scared me. He still scared me. And I couldn't be with someone who had such little control over his temper. Something about the way he beat that man felt too… too much like the night my father was beaten to death. "My father… "

"I know. The Detective told me. I can't imagine what you must have gone through. What you're still going through. But Cateyn, I want to help."

He put his hand on mine, but I yanked away without thinking.

"I can't. I'm not ready."

"I can wait," he said.

"No. Don't. I don't want you to. It would never work between us. I'm sorry, Ash. Please leave. I just need some time alone."

He stood and draped his jacket over his arm, staring at me with an inscrutable look on his face. When I didn't say anything, he shook his head and walked away.

Detective Gray shuffled in, holding a notebook and pen. "How are you?"

I clutched my neck. "In pain."

"Then let's get these questions over with."

I told him about the call.

Detective Gray took notes. "The Midnight Murderer must have provided Bradley with the date rape drug. That's what he meant by helping out a friend."

"Bridgette told me they'd already slept together. Why would he—"

"Maybe he has a rape fantasy. Maybe the Midnight Murderer just wanted to hurt you."

I flexed my bruised fist. "Right."

"You said he likely had a partner. You were right."

"What will you do with Bradley?"

"If he wakes up—"

"If?" I leaned up in bed, though it felt like pounding nails into my skull.

"He's still passed out. After the beating…" He stopped himself. "After the self-defense Ash gave him, the doctors fear Bradley might slip into a coma."