Chapter 51

* Elena *

“So, I don’t understand; how did you come to be here? Do you know Ryder’s new friends?”

“Yes, of course, come on upstairs and have a rest, I bet you have a million questions, and we didn’t get to talk a lot the last time we met.” I felt very calm in her presence, almost like you’d expect to feel after a long day spent at the spa being pampered.

When she led me up the grand staircase to the largest master suite I’d ever seen, which seemed to be the only room in the house that had been decorated in any way, I followed without complaint. This room was gorgeous, and I noticed that it had many of the things I would’ve liked and chosen myself, which meant Ryder had done this. But how did he know that I would agree to come here?

“Your young man told us what you liked, and we had it taken care of. It’s a bit rushed, and he did say that you would be redecorating at some point, so don’t mind if it’s not exactly as you would’ve liked.”

“Are you kidding? It’s gorgeous. I love it.” Even the green curtains at the window were ones I would’ve chosen for a place as elegant as this.

Everything was so opulent that it was hard to believe this had all been done in a rush, but I had more important things to think about than the décor. “So, Char, was it? Why did you stop me that day, and why are you here now?” I’d thought my run-in with her all those weeks ago was by chance, but her presence here tells a different story, of course. One that I’m still not sure of.

“We’re all here because someone very powerful has taken a liking to you and has been following your situation. I can’t say much more than that about that side of things, but I can tell you that everything I told you that day was accurate to the best of my ability.”

“And what are your abilities?”

“Well, that’s an excellent question. I’m what some call a psychic, others may call me a seer, but I just like to say I have very strong premonitions and can read certain situations that others may not be able to.”

“That day, you said someone had worked black magic against me.”

“Well, it was against you and your young man, really. It was done in order to separate you two because those involved couldn’t find any other way to break the bond between you two. It was too strong for their capabilities, so they sought help. In other words, no earthly disagreement between you and your young man could’ve brought an end between you two. That is the way with soul mates. They may drift apart at times, but always they will gravitate back to each other.”

“I’m not sure I believe in that stuff anymore, soulmates, I mean. I used to feel that way about Ryder; there was something inside of me that made me believe we were meant for each other. I once even thought we’d known each other in another lifetime, but now, I think that was all just fanciful thinking brought on by too much exposure to nonsense.”

“No, you were on the right track, but here’s where the dark magic came in. They, too, saw it and understood, and so they used their craft against you two. It did take them a few years, though.”

“But why? I don’t understand. Why would anyone go to this much trouble just to break us up? Was it just so he could marry her?”

“That’s only part of it; the rest I will leave up to your young man to tell you. I’m here only to protect you from whatever they will do next.”

“Do next? What do you mean? Haven’t they done all that they mean to do?”

“They may have thought so, but the thing with those spells and such is that they can sometimes backfire, and when they do, the ones who sent them, who caused the chaos, might try to fix it.”

“Fix it how?”

“There’s nothing for you to worry about. You just leave that stuff to me. As long as I’m here, nothing can be done against you.”

“But why are you doing all this? And who is this powerful person that’s helping Ryder and me? And why?”

“I’m not a hundred percent sure why. There can be so many reasons with that one. It could be as simple as the fact that you bear her grandmother’s name or the fact that she likes your music and TV shows. All that I was told was to take a look at you and your situation because it was suspected that something more was at play, and they were right.”

“That day I saw you, I’d been watching you for a while before I made my approach. It was long enough for me to see the signs.”

“My mom believed you, but I didn’t. I’ve never really had any dealings with that kind of stuff. Never had a reading or anything like that, not even just for fun.”

“I know, and it’s okay that you don’t. You just focus on taking care of yourself. There are others taking care of all the rest.”

“What about Ryder? Is he in danger?”

“Not the kind that you mean no. I’m going to make sure that their magic can no longer touch him.”

I didn’t want to disrespect her by not believing everything she was saying, but it all sounded like hocus pocus to me. But she seemed to believe what she was saying, and my own mother had mentioned it a time or two.

Back then, I thought she was only trying to comfort me when she would mention the fact that Ryder seemed different from the young man she knew. She’d say stuff like Ryder seemed to be under the influence of something other than drugs, that his eyes never really looked like his own, and he seemed almost robotic in some of the earlier videos that were made public after his wedding.

I always ignored such things as they had no part in my reality. But now…. “Are you saying that Ryder got married because someone did something to play with his mind?”

“In a way, yes, that’s how it would’ve worked. I know it’s a lot to take in at once, and you don’t have to force yourself to accept my word for it. Just know that as long as I’m here, they won’t stand another chance.”

“Is this stuff really real? Does it really work?”

“Yes, believe it or not, it has been since the beginning of time. Have you never heard of the witch of Endor, who raised the prophet from the dead? Did you think that was just a fairytale? No young one, it’s very true, and people still practice such things today.”

“And do you? Practice dark magic, I mean.”

“No, my gift comes naturally and should only be used for good. If I try using it for evil, I’m afraid it might disappear, or something more horrible might happen to me. So, I’ve never been interested in using my gift to harm others.”

“I see.” I had so many questions, but like she said, this was a lot to take in at once.

“Does he know?”

“Not yet. He has other things to take care of. But since you are the one they’d come after next, I thought it was best if I shared this much, at least with you. He’d be told, of course, when the time is right. But right now, he’s dealing with a different kind of evil.”

“A different kind of evil? What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s nothing for you to worry about. Those young men will take care of him. Would you like me to have something brought up for lunch? You haven’t eaten as yet, have you?”

I only realized when she said the words that it was way past lunchtime, and I hadn’t even had breakfast. “Now that you’ve said it, I am a bit hungry.” I rubbed my tummy when it started to rumble as if just mentioning food had awakened it.

“That’s fine, you stay here, and I’ll have it brought up unless you’d prefer eating outside by the pool.” I smiled for the first time since she started talking.

“That would be awesome. It’s so pretty out there.” And I needed to sit outside under the sun and think about all that she had said. She had me almost feeling sorry for Ryder if only what she was saying was true.

I still had to call Mom and the others to let them know I was going to be gone for a while, and I wasn’t really looking forward to talking to Rachel. I wasn’t sure I was quite ready to hear her voice or that I could get through a conversation without giving away the fact that I knew what she had been up to.

By the time I made it outside, my lunch was waiting, a rice bowl and a chicken and grape salad, two of my favorite things to have for lunch. I was touched because I knew that Ryder must’ve told them that I liked having either of the two, and they’d made both. As simple a gesture as it was, it brought tears to my eyes that he’d remembered after all this time. The fact that I still remembered all of his likes and dislikes was neither here nor there.

Char had disappeared to take a phone call after our little chat, and now that I was alone with my thoughts, I wondered even for a slight moment if I’d fallen down the rabbit hole. Now I wish that I’d listened to Mom’s warnings in the beginning instead of brushing them off as nonsense because Char’s words sounded pretty close to the things Mom had tried warning me about.

But I couldn’t ask her about it now because it would only raise suspicion, and I was in no mood to deal with the many questions that would arise. I made it through the calls letting them know that I was going to take a break, but the one to Rachel was the hardest thing I’ve done in a long time.

We’d known each other for so long, had seen each other through so much, that I would never have guessed she had any part in this. But knowing that she’d been making me ill and had stood by while they did such horrible things to me was something I couldn’t and won’t easily forgive.

I’d have rather believed that Ryder had made it all up. That it was some misguided way for him to get back into my good graces, but even at his worst, he wouldn’t have done something like that. So I was left with the realization that people I had trusted and kept close had betrayed me, and in the end, it was all so Janie Andrews could have Ryder. It was as simple as that when it all boiled down, wasn’t it?

But how did this unknown girl, who had no talent to speak of and whose parents were barely notable, pull this off? Before, I was under the impression that, like the rest of the world believed, he had fallen in love with her. I never allowed myself to look too deeply at their romance or how they even came to be.

The fact that he’d dated her during one of our breakups made it seem plausible that he’d grown feelings for her, but now it all seems to have been a lie. And if what Char said is true, they needed to get me out of the way so she could have him, and so they’d worked some kind of magic against me. Who would believe it?

But why, though? Why did she want him so badly to the point that the people around her had gone along with it? Obviously, there had to be more to the story. I’d known, somehow, I’d known the first time I saw her at that church, that there was something off, but I never imagined all this.

It was the way she used to look at him, and this was before they’d ever dated before we broke up that first time, or was it the second? Back then, she seemed like an innocent young girl who was just a fan; she never acted in any way that would give me a reason to distrust her.

But I should’ve known when she got mixed up with the Hudsons that she was more than met the eye. But how was I to know that all of this was going on? It’s so beyond my imagination that I still find it hard to believe or accept.

And poor Ryder, he doesn’t know either; he only thinks he was on drugs. How am I going to tell him? How will he react? And just what exactly had that ass done to him?

Instead of the fear I expected they’d expect, I felt enraged. They’d stolen five years of our lives, years that we will never get back. So much pain and sorrow, and for what? So that one spoilt little twit could have something that wasn’t hers? I’m going to find a way to make them all pay if it’s the last thing I do.

***

* Ryder *

We were there for hours. I was only able to get in touch with her twice, each time my heart full of fear and worry because of what could’ve been. But each time, she reassured me that she was fine and was just taking a tour of the mansion and the grounds, which pleased me more than words could say.

As much as I wanted to rush back to her, it was more important for me to deal with what I was doing here, even though most of it was over my head. No matter how hard it was, though, the fact that my name was used to invite young girls to their demise was something I couldn’t and didn’t take lightly.

I’d never been involved in anything like this, never even thought of it happening, and to know that it was going on right under my nose left me feeling bereft, like everything I’d known, all that I was, was nothing. It had all been brought down to this, and no amount of money or fame could ever wash away the taint.

The more they revealed about what they’d found, and it was a lot, the angrier and more despondent I felt. More than once, I was grateful for their help because I wouldn’t have known where to start if I had to do it on my own.

Who could I have turned to when cops and men and women in high positions were involved? I would’ve probably ended up dead somewhere of an overdose that they’d fed me as had been done to so many others before me, apparently.

I learned more things about this town and the things that went on here than I think I wanted to know. I’ve always heard rumors about the underbelly of Hollywood and the industry, but this was beyond even my wildest imagination, and that was already pretty bad.

I was made to recall times in my past, things that I had done and had had done to me, only now realizing that I was just a child when most of those things occurred. I was so caught up in the fame and wanting to be part of that crowd that it never entered my mind how fucked up it was for grown men and women to share and do certain things with me and other young up-and-coming stars.

I couldn’t get the thought of my Elena being used or hurt in that way out of my mind, and though I may have given up on myself or accepted that I deserved it for being stupid, I couldn’t let it go. I can’t let go of the fact that they’d tried doing that to her. So it was for her as much as those other poor souls who weren’t as lucky that I was here, for her, that I was willing to do whatever it took to bring them all down, even if it meant losing the life I now enjoyed.

But I had to do it all without her ever knowing the danger she had been in. There were times I wanted to tell the guys to stop, that it was too much, but the new me knew that I had to endure it, that the people who had been taken were in worse places than I was even now.

Knowing that some of them were still out there living with some lech who’d paid to have them stolen made me want to go on a rampage, but what good will that do? And what purpose would it serve? It would do nothing but help me let off some steam, but in the end, the situation would still be the same.

“So, you sure you can do it? Are you up for it, kid?”

“Yeah, Mr. Lyon, I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”

“I told you, it’s just Lyon, lose the mister.” He hadn’t calmed down once since we arrived, and I wondered how the guy could keep that same energy from beginning to end.

“I’m only worried about Elena; how am I going to do all this without her finding out what’s going on? I don’t want to lie to her, but I can’t let her know about this or about what almost happened to her.”

“We’ve already told you she’ll be too busy to pay attention to what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, I get that part, but now you’re telling me that I have to keep on pretending, that I have to go back to that house and talk to those people as if I know nothing.”

“It’s the only way for it to work. We need you to keep up appearances. The people they work with don’t use their names. They all show up as numbers and symbols or some such crap. If we want to rescue the women they’ve already taken, then we have no other recourse but to use you. If the only thing you’re worried about is how to handle your woman, that’s good; we’ll come up with something you can tell her that won’t give too much away.”

I didn’t see Elena accepting any scenario where I had to go back to living with Janie. “Shit, shouldn’t I have been to the hospital by now?”

“Haven’t you noticed she hasn’t called? I doubt she wants you seeing her like that.” Tyler had a point, but I still had to make some kind of an appearance, or there would be questions.

Though the old staff was gone, wouldn’t it look strange if I didn’t show some kind of interest in where my wife had gone? No one knew about the divorce, and it looks as if I’m going to have to put off revealing what I had done for a while. As much as it pained me to accept, there didn’t seem to be any other way to do things than to leave things as they were. But the thought of disappointing Elena once again was not sitting well with me.

In the end, I made up my mind that since this was something I had to do, something I was sure she would want me to do if she knew I stopped stressing the point and tried to come up with something to tell her as long as it wasn’t a lie.

“Look, kid, I can see you’re struggling; no one knows more about keeping this kind of shit from your woman better than I do. Don’t look at them. They’re all dense as hell, and their women only have to bat their lashes at them once to get them to spill their guts. Just take it from me—you’ve got to make up your mind that this is something you have to do and protect her at the same time.”

“Part of protecting her is shielding her from the darker shit in life. Women are naturally nosy as fuck, so we’re gonna have to come up with a foolproof excuse for why dafuq you’re going back to….”

“Daddy!”

“Dafuq, Mengele.” All the men in the room looked towards the computer, where a tinny voice could be heard. Lyon, who had been sitting next to me, started pointing at his men, who all shook their heads and started talking without sound with hand gestures and head shakes that I didn’t understand.

“Mengele, how did you get in here again? Where’s your cousin’s husband?”

“Uncle Gabriel isn’t here.”

“How did you hack into my computer again, Mengele?”

“I never left.”

“You… what do you want?”

“Oh, he doesn’t have to go back. She’s going to be in the hospital for a while, and by now, she’d be in quarantine if the doctors know what they’re doing. No one will be able to see her.”

“How long?”

“About a month, that was all the time I could buy you. I had to work fast, so I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it. Next time it’ll last much longer.”

“What exactly did you use?”

“Uh, Daddy, Mommy’s calling me. She needs help with the twins. See you.”

“Mengele, MengeLiNi?” I asked as soon as the voice disappeared. He just gave me a look but didn’t say anything.

“You can hide from your wife, but not your ten-year-old daughter?”

“Fuck off, kid, or I’ll let her have your ass next. Tyler, Mancini, one of you, get my kid out of here.”

“We can try, but if Russo helped her, there’s no guarantee it’ll happen,” Mancini answered.

“Wait, does that mean she heard everything we were talking about all day?” I looked around the room at the men, who didn’t seem as bothered as they should.

“Pretty much, which means I’m gonna have to pay her off so she doesn’t tell her nosy ass mother and her aunts what we’re up to.” He didn’t seem too bothered about the kid knowing. Even though he was putting up a fuss, I could’ve sworn there was a hint of a smile around his lips, weird guy.

There was a weight lifted off my chest, and I was still having a hard time believing I had a ten-year-old to thank. I did wonder, though, what she’d used on Janie to send her into quarantine, and the men seemed just as interested as they threw around ideas.

“I still have to make some kind of connection, though, don’t I? I mean, her family is going to want to know what’s going on.”

“Yes, but you don’t have to be at that house to do it. We’ve already cut them off from coming to the house, so it shouldn’t look too strange. As long as you and your girl don’t go out on the town, you should be fine until she heads off to New York.”

Zak said as he passed me another bottle of water. “The only thing is, this is going to take longer than a month; she’ll be in New York in a week, she’ll be there for at least three months, then she’d be doing the charity thing with Heather, and that should take a couple of weeks as well. Your next move is scheduling the tour, but we have to get you ready to be in a room with those guys before we let you do that. One slip up, and we’d lose all the work we’ve done so far, not to mention your life would be in danger.”

“After your girl leaves, we’ll start shooting the show with Sanders, or pretend to anyway, but we’ll be using that time to get you prepared.”

“I get it, as long as I don’t have to go back to Janie.” I don’t think Elena would be too understanding about that one, no matter what excuse I came up with.

“Alright, kid, go see your girl. Have a good night’s sleep, and try not to get too freaked out. This is a lot to take in all at once, and I’m sure once you get home, it’s going to hit you hard. Just remember, none of this is your doing or your fault.” Lyon was the most compassionate I’d seen him all day.

“Daddy, don’t forget to get their autographs. We need three, don’t forget.”

“I thought you had to go help your mother.”

“Oh yeah. Uncle Zak, you didn’t forget to throw out the flowers, did you?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Cool! Did you take pictures? What did she look like?”

“Mengele.”

“What, Daddy, we didn’t get to see what it would look like on a real human, and since we don’t test on animals, we can only guess what it would do.”

“I didn’t take any pictures, but I can tell you that she looked like her face was burnt by some kind of acid. It was red, there were boils, and the skin appeared to be peeling around the eyes and lips. Her nose looked like it got the worst of it, maybe because she smelled the flowers.”

“It’s plastic anyway. She can get a new one.”

That is one vicious little girl.

“She’s ten? You’re ten?”

“Talking to me is a privilege; you do not have that privilege, Ryder Sumner.” She laughed, and I could hear what sounded like other little girls laughing in the background.

“Wait a minute? I’ve heard that before.”

“Oops.”

“Mengele!” Static came through the speaker, and she was gone, or so it appeared.

“Does she have me bugged? How? Elena said that to me last night.”

“Fuck!”

“What is it, Zak?” Mancini asked at his outburst.

“The scanning device we put in his watch. How the hell did they get in there?” That started off another round of questions that were flying too fast for me to keep up, which was fine because I was still trying to figure out how a group of ten-year-olds was doing all of this.

“Is she some sort of child prodigy or something? How is she doing all this?”

“Or something, leave it at or something. She’s not going to make it to eleven if she doesn’t quit her mess.” Lyon growled at the computer.

“Mengele, did you listen in on their adult conversation?” Lyon asked as if he knew she was still there listening in.

“Not all of it, Daddy, just enough to know if he needed flowers as well.”

“And?”

“He’ll live…for now.” I think I was more afraid of that answer than of what any of the men in the room could do to me.