Borden (Borden #1) Read online

  “You’re looking exceptionally beautiful today,” said a regular, John, with a broad smile on his wrinkly old face after I’d stopped by to get his order.

  “Thank you, John,” I said, offering him the brightest smile I could muster. I was still a little out of it, especially after my unsettling dreams, but the normalcy of the day was helping.

  “Has a lucky man scooped you off your feet yet, sugar?”

  I sighed, trying to be patient with today’s round of questions. He usually asked the same ones over and over again, and I wondered if he even realized that.

  “Not lately,” I forced out. “So did you want the usual? Ham sandwich and a coffee?”

  “Sure,” he replied, his eyes gazing up and down my body. John was a seedy old bastard, and you can’t go through life as a waitress without bumping into one of those at least once. It was with great luck mine had to be a regular. “Shame, such a shame. You know, if you ever need a good greasing” –he winked– “I’m here for you.”

  I clamped my mouth shut hard for a moment, fighting the nausea swimming up my throat. I managed a stiff smile. “Will definitely consider that, John, thank you.”

  I turned away from him and my smile instantly fell. What in the actual fuck? Did a sixty something year old just offer to grease me?

  “You okay?” Blythe asked, catching my bewildered look.

  “I shouldn’t have stopped by John’s table,” I simply responded.

  She cringed. “Did he offer to butter your buns like he did with me last week?”

  “No, he offered to grease me, and that was after a creepy wink.”

  “Oh, yeah, the winks are always the creepiest.”

  “I’m taking my break,” Tessa cut in, fanning her face.

  We nodded at her. This was the usual. Tessa took the first break between us. She was in her mid-forties, and surprisingly faster than Blythe and me combined. Off work, she had a never ending supply of drama in her life being a single mom with a run of shit boyfriends. Despite all that though, she was still a romantic and I envied her for it.

  Blythe, on the other hand, was the talker. Only a year older than me at twenty four, she looked like twenty and had an incredibly athletic body to die for and a beautiful wholesome face. It took only a few dirty jokes from her and we bonded very quickly and became the best of friends.

  “You’re going to have to fill me in on Lara the bitch,” Blythe told me as we passed one another.

  “Definitely will,” I replied.

  “I want every detail of that night.”

  I nodded again. Definitely not. I told her everything, sure, but there were certain things that must be omitted. I didn’t want her knowing about Borden. The less she knew about a particular danger, the better. Not that he was any danger to me or anything. It happened, and I was pretty certain that was the end of that.

  I let her have the second break when Tessa returned, but by this point the diner had finally settled down immensely and the tables were no longer packed.

  “You need a ride tonight?” Tessa asked after we’d served everyone their meals.

  “I’m going to Granny’s,” I answered. “I’ll have to take the bus.”

  “That’s a long ways away, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, if your schedule changes up, I’m more than happy to drop you off. I’ll be going up that way again more regularly now. I’ve gotten back together with Dan.”

  I faked a surprised face because their on and off relationship no longer shocked any of us.

  “Yeah, I know, right?” She smiled brightly, turning a light pink in the face. Her fake red hair reminded me of the redheaded woman from the other night, and a flash of panic zipped down my spine. “He’s been begging for another chance and I admit I’m missing him too.”

  She talked about it for a good five minutes before Blythe finally made her return. I headed into the kitchen where Pat the cook had left me a freshly baked blueberry muffin on one of the tables.

  “Thanks, Pat,” I said with a grateful smile. I was starving.

  Pat returned with a sheepish grin. “Of course, Emma. Anything for you. Just, uh, let me know if Blythe wants anything too, okay?”

  I nodded, fighting the urge to roll my eyes at him. Yet another man crumbling for Blythe. Not a surprise since the girl had men wrapped around her little finger at the drop of a hat.

  I took a seat on the chair that was against the opened back door. Tessa usually sat here to smoke her cigarettes and Blythe sat here to make her phone calls. I, on the other hand, sat here to enjoy my muffin and get away from the noise for a good fifteen minutes.

  There was nothing to look at except for the view of the next door’s clothing shop wall where some graffiti had been freshly scribbled on. I noticed a caption that hadn’t been there before, written in terrible penmanship, that said, “Only dead fish swim with the stream.”

  Pretty bloody deep, random dude!

  My flushed skin welcomed the autumn air. I leaned back and picked out the blueberries from my muffin, munching on them hungrily whilst daydreaming about Granny’s yummy sausage rolls. It would be nice to have a good meal. It’d been three days since I last had a full stomach. Didn’t help I couldn’t keep anything big down from the fear of what had happened. And still – STIILLL – that dream plagued me. I wondered why my mind jumped straight to Borden like that. Didn’t help the man looked the way he did. Call it sick curiosity, or the fact I’d always admired his appearance through the papers and was baffled that he actually looked better in the flesh, but there was something about him… Some kind of strange perverse pull to figure him out and get to the bottom of the truth surrounding the rumours. It was stuff made for fantasies, the mystery blaring in your face and yet remaining so unattainable.

  Like everyone else, I would never figure it out.

  Suddenly a hand settled on my shoulder. I nearly jumped and looked up, only to find a bewildered Blythe.

  “Emma, hey,” she said hesitantly.

  “What’s up?”

  “Someone’s asking for you.”

  “Who?”

  Blythe looked very uneasy. “It’s…that Borden guy. You know, the Borden. Everyone’s pretty shaken up right now.”

  I froze, wide eyed and freaked the hell out.

  “The place is like a tomb. You can freaking hear a pin drop. I tried to serve him, only he said he wanted you and that he would wait for you, but that I should let you know right away.” Blythe looked confused. “I didn’t know you knew him! I mean, that’s crazy. You should have freaking told me! What’s he like? He had on this scary ass look–”

  “Shit,” I cursed.

  I stood up and shoved the muffin into her hands, wiping mine against my uniform, wondering why on earth this man was here asking for me. I mean, sure my mind was all over him like white on rice, but I didn’t want to actually see him again. Unless I wanted to die, and yeah, I was probably going to die. Fucking fuck.

  He doesn’t believe you. He knows you heard something. You’re done for.

  “I can tell him you’re not here, Emma,” Blythe said from behind me, catching on to my uneasiness. “Do you owe him some money or something? Should I call the police? Those guys are dangerous. He’s dangerous.”

  “No. It’s fine. I’ll deal with it. It’s fine. I’m fine… It’s…” I stopped talking and tried to calm down.

  “What’s going on?” she suddenly demanded, taking hold of my arm. Her voice turned serious as she said, “Please tell me you didn’t fuck something up. Please. You have to tell me, Emma. You have to trust me.”

  “It’s fine,” I repeated, pulling away from her grip.

  “It doesn’t look fine. I’m going to get Denny out –”

  “No! Don’t start any problems, Blythe! I’ve got this under control, and besides, what the hell is Denny going to do? He’d shit himself if he knew Borden was here.”

  She frowned at me, suspicion in her eyes. “Well, what the hell have you do
ne, Emma?”

  “Nothing bad.”

  “Nothing good either by the looks of it. What’s happening? You look like you’re about to go to your funeral, and with someone like Borden waiting out there, I’m inclined to think that’s actually a possibility.”

  I stiffened at her glare and shrugged. “Honestly, Blythe, the less you know the better.”

  Her face fell. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  I didn’t answer. Instead, I left her like that in all her confusion. I didn’t want to keep Borden waiting. I walked back in and took small steps forward, waiting for the sight of him to come into view. As I walked out of the kitchen, I grabbed my notepad and pen out of reflex, like maybe in some candy land alternate universe he was here to just order something, like a coffee or a sandwich or a milkshake or… Fuck, no alternate universe would let that happen.

  I found him seated alone in one of the booths against the entrance window. He was casually positioned, wearing dark jeans and a black long sleeved shirt that emphasized his broadness. Borden was fucking huge.

  He was looking out the window, twirling a silver zippo lighter in his hands as I approached the table. I could feel the eyes of many others in the diner looking our way. As if sensing me – because he sure as hell couldn’t hear me by how quiet I was – he turned his gaze to me. He patiently waited for me to get closer. I stood a few feet away from him, unable to hide my shock. What the hell was he doing here? Hesitantly, I opened my mouth to say something, but he beat me to it.

  “Sit down,” he ordered, motioning to the seat across from him as he pocketed his lighter.

  Well, okay.

  I was going to be sitting down regardless of him telling me to or not.

  I did as I was told and stared at the table to avoid his piercing eyes.

  “Having a good day?” His voice was so void of emotion, it was almost robotic.

  “You don’t have to take the cordial route,” I plainly replied. “I know you don’t give a fuck.”

  He stilled for a moment, like he was surprised by my remark. Then, he nodded slowly, muttering, “Right. Let’s get to the point then. You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

  “It’s…to do with that night.”

  “Good, you’re clearly smarter in the mornings.”

  I fought hard not to glare. The jerk.

  “Now I think it’s important for us to begin an open and honest discussion in regards to that night, and we can start by you looking at me.”

  I did as I was told, only because I knew what he was capable of and he scared the shit out of me. With the sunlight pouring through the window and framing him the way it did, he was irresistible eye candy, and I understood in that moment why women flocked to him, regardless of all he was. Looks like his had the power to disguise the darkest sides in people.

  “That’s better,” he said with a single approving nod. “So, I’ve been tossing your other night’s words to me around lately, and I have a few discrepancies I’d like to get to the bottom of. I’m going to ask you several questions, Emma, and you’ll answer them truthfully.”

  It was my turn to nod.

  “Good.”

  He pocketed his lighter and straightened up so that he was fully facing me. Then he folded his large hands together over the table. I had a thing for hands. Couldn’t stand a man with manicured smooth ones. My gaze unintentionally lingered on his long fingers, finding callouses I knew he had. There were no rings or watches on him. He was incredibly plain, and a small part of me felt particularly intrigued by that.

  “What did you see the other night?” he asked, focusing my attention back to him. His eyes roamed all about my face. “Keep looking at me as you answer, Emma.”

  This was a difficult task to do considering I usually had wandering eyes when I lied. I kept them firmly on his, though, and decided this was not the time to let my fear control my words.

  “I saw nothing,” I answered, and that was the truth. “It was dark.”

  “What did you hear then?”

  Now this was the question I’d dreaded the most. I opened my mouth to answer, but then closed it when I discovered that my eyes were wandering. I looked back at him and knew he noticed. His probing eyes roamed my face, distracting me for a moment when he absently ran his tongue along his bottom plump lip. Wow, he had particularly nice lips.

  “Nothing,” I finally said, looking away from that mouth that seemed to be demanding attention. I couldn’t tell him the truth, not when I knew what it might mean if I did.

  He was an impossible man to read. He stared at me harder with each passing second, as if giving me one more opportunity to correct myself, and then he nodded. “Good,” he said, but his voice wasn’t as stern as before. “I’m hoping you told the officer that when he went to your apartment the next morning.”

  And just like that, I felt the wall I’d been putting up crack. My shoulders slumped in disbelief. I was being watched…

  “You need to breathe,” I heard him say. I was having another anxiety attack and breathing was the last thing on my mind. “Calm down.”

  His eyes travelled to my shaking hands. I immediately hid them under the table so he couldn’t see. Jesus, what the hell was wrong with me? I never allowed anyone to see my weaknesses. This was obviously different, I know, but still, I’d always prided myself on being strong, on being able to keep it together under adversity. And I always had.

  Keep it together, Emma. You’ve endured worse things before.

  “I didn’t tell him anything,” I speedily said. “Nothing. He said someone had called to ask for my wellbeing. He said he saw your man—”

  “Lower your voice.”

  I shut my mouth hard and glanced around us. I could see Blythe standing half a room away with a look of concern. Everyone else was watching too. When Borden followed my gaze, they quickly turned away and resumed their conversations, but they were nowhere near as loud as before, and I knew they were still trying to listen in.

  “I didn’t say anything,” I managed to whisper, looking him square in the eye. He needed to know this was the absolute truth.

  He swept the diner once more, making sure nobody was looking at us. It dawned on me how out of place we looked. I was a struggling waitress earning fuck all an hour and he was possibly the wealthiest man in New Raven.

  Oh, and he was a bloody criminal! Yeah, let’s not forget that important bit of information, shall we?

  “Where’s an office?” he suddenly asked. “Is there one in this shithole, or no?”

  My brows came together in confusion. “Um… yeah, beside the kitchen.”

  Looking thoughtful, he abruptly stood up and grabbed me by the arm. I gasped as he hauled me to my feet and demanded, “Lead me to it now.”

  I moved, but my brain was racing. Faces looked back at us, and Borden snapped, “Look at your fucking food.”

  They did.

  Of course they did.

  Blythe shot me a pained expression, and I merely shook my head at her. I didn’t need her to catch his attention. Tessa forcefully turned her away, whispering in her ear. Whatever she said made Blythe reluctantly nod.

  I stopped us at the office door and weakly said, “My boss is in there –”

  Borden interrupted me by letting me go and shaking the knob. When he discovered it was locked, he stepped back and kicked it harshly. It took one kick for the lock to break and the door swung open. Denny the Dick jumped out of his chair, quickly zipping up his pants as he gawked at Borden with shock.

  “What is going on –”

  “Get the fuck out,” Borden interrupted, glaring at the man.

  Denny hesitated for a moment, glancing between us, but he did as he was told. I glared at Borden just then, wondering just how far that power of his extended. When Denny walked out determinedly not meeting Borden’s eye, Borden slammed the door shut and turned to me. By then, I was taking steps back, moving toward the desk, and stopping when it hit the backs of my legs.


  Silence filled the room for several moments. Silence and…

  Moans. Light sounding moans, the sound of flesh against flesh, and a girl screaming out.

  I grimaced, and Borden’s face fell.

  “What the fuck?” he barked out.

  I motioned to the computer behind me. “He…He watches stuff.”

  He paused and glanced around the room, as if it was suddenly necessary to take in our surroundings. His nostrils flared in disgust, and yeah, it was gross in here. You could tell it was Denny’s little shrine with his posters of nude women up and high school pictures a million years ago when he was part of the football team.

  As the moans continued, he sighed and shook his head. “This is so beneath me.”

  “I-I can turn it off, if you want –”

  “Yeah, turn it off, doll. Turn it the fuck off.”

  Too shaken to walk, I bent down and pulled the computer plug out from the wall while he mumbled a few colourful curses. Then real silence took over, and I stood back up, leaning my weight against the desk for some support. This man was a ticking time bomb and I needed to get this shit-storm smoothed out A.S.A.P.

  I repeated what I said before. “I didn’t say anything, Mr Borden. To the police officer, I mean. I didn’t say a word.”

  “I know you didn’t say anything,” he told me, moving slowly toward me while he levelled me with a deep stare. “What I’m more concerned about, Miss Warne, is you opening your mouth when what happened eventually hits some moral button inside you and you feel you have the responsibility to say something.”

  I scoffed. “If you knew anything about me, you’d know that’s not going to happen.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I think for myself, and I know the difference between being stupid and smart.”

  “Then you know why I’m doing this.”

  “Yeah, and I think you’re being paranoid.”

  His brows shot up, like I’d just insulted him, and I probably had. Maybe I wasn’t all that smart after all.

  “I’ve been in this situation more times than once, doll,” he explained. “I have a reason to be paranoid. I know how this will play out. You go to the police, you tell them what you think you saw or heard, and then I get a case on my back. The police proceed to tear apart my businesses, fuck with every part of my life, all because of one little mouth opening. No one’s been successful, but that doesn’t stop them from trying. I’m no stranger to the law jumping me from behind–”