Selene raised her eyebrows skeptically.
Ethan cleared his throat. “It’s not all strictly legal, as I’m sure you’ve surmised.” He smiled at her sarcastically. “As I was saying, it’s sometimes necessary to perform opposition research. I hire someone to find out what my competitors are involved in: shady business dealings, infidelity, drug abuse, etc. I then present them with this information and well, persuade them to cooperate.”
“You black mail them.”
Ethan sat back in his chair and shrugged. “The important thing is that they cooperate.” He paused letting the implications sink in.
“Let me guess: you fucked with the wrong person.”
Ethan laughed and rubbed his face. A fresh stubble of beard was growing. When he was clean shaven he had an innocent, boyish look. Now he looked like a man who knew where a few bodies were buried. Unconsciously, Selene placed her hand over her
stomach protectively.
“I’m not sure who I ‘fucked’ with, as you put it, or what they want, that’s half the problem.”
“And the other half?”
Ethan sighed. “The private investigator I employ has disappeared, presumed dead. I’ve found out something that someone really wants to keep secret.”
“What?”
“That’s the other half: I don’t know.”
“How does Belle Amie fit into this?”
“Things have been difficult for me financially. I use the girls to supplement my income.”
For the first time Ethan looked ashamed. “I provide Belle Amie with access to my rolodex, they give me a cut of the profits.”
“So the girls service your rich friends,” Selene said more to herself than to Ethan. “And those dummy corporations…”
“A way of laundering the money. Now you know what I know.”
A heavy silence fell on the room.
“What do we do now?” Selene asked.
“We wait. I have people on this. We should know more by later this evening.”
“Now that I’m-” Selene had trouble using the word, “pregnant, we’re through.” She said it more as a question than a statement.
“If that’s what you want.” He studied her closely. “I want to be clear with you: that’s not what I want. I know things are crazy now…”
Selene scoffed. She still couldn’t believe how cool he was about the situation. She suspected this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to kill him.
“…but once we figure out who’s behind this, I’ll take care of them.”
“I take it you won’t be going to the police.”
“These people operate outside of the law.”
“And so do you?”
“Yes, it’s how I’ve stayed alive and it’s how I’m going to keep you alive.”
“What if I went to the police?” Selene said defiantly.
“You could, but they’re easily bought off. I suspect most of the cops are on the payroll of half of the cities worst criminals. You’d basically be turning yourself over to the enemy.”
“Does that mean you’re the good guy?”
Ethan looked taken aback. “You thought I was the villain in all this?”
“How was I supposed to know? This is the first time you’ve been honest with me.”
Selene rose and walked to the window. She pulled back the curtains and looked out. The woods surrounded her completely. The trees grew so thickly you wouldn’t have to wander far into them before getting lost, she thought.
She folded her arms and leaned against the window seal. The scent of pine carried on the air through a crack in the window. She closed her eyes and thought of her life before. The debt, the stress, the tedium; she thought her life would never change. Now she was in the middle of… what? She wasn’t sure. If she could take back her decision, erase Ethan from her life, would she?
She heard Ethan approach her from behind. His hands went to her shoulders, massaging them gently. She made no attempt to evade his touch. In truth, a part of her welcomed it.
When they were intimate she felt a sense of security and comfort. She knew now it was false, but it felt
Ethan cleared his throat. “It’s not all strictly legal, as I’m sure you’ve surmised.” He smiled at her sarcastically. “As I was saying, it’s sometimes necessary to perform opposition research. I hire someone to find out what my competitors are involved in: shady business dealings, infidelity, drug abuse, etc. I then present them with this information and well, persuade them to cooperate.”
“You black mail them.”
Ethan sat back in his chair and shrugged. “The important thing is that they cooperate.” He paused letting the implications sink in.
“Let me guess: you fucked with the wrong person.”
Ethan laughed and rubbed his face. A fresh stubble of beard was growing. When he was clean shaven he had an innocent, boyish look. Now he looked like a man who knew where a few bodies were buried. Unconsciously, Selene placed her hand over her
stomach protectively.
“I’m not sure who I ‘fucked’ with, as you put it, or what they want, that’s half the problem.”
“And the other half?”
Ethan sighed. “The private investigator I employ has disappeared, presumed dead. I’ve found out something that someone really wants to keep secret.”
“What?”
“That’s the other half: I don’t know.”
“How does Belle Amie fit into this?”
“Things have been difficult for me financially. I use the girls to supplement my income.”
For the first time Ethan looked ashamed. “I provide Belle Amie with access to my rolodex, they give me a cut of the profits.”
“So the girls service your rich friends,” Selene said more to herself than to Ethan. “And those dummy corporations…”
“A way of laundering the money. Now you know what I know.”
A heavy silence fell on the room.
“What do we do now?” Selene asked.
“We wait. I have people on this. We should know more by later this evening.”
“Now that I’m-” Selene had trouble using the word, “pregnant, we’re through.” She said it more as a question than a statement.
“If that’s what you want.” He studied her closely. “I want to be clear with you: that’s not what I want. I know things are crazy now…”
Selene scoffed. She still couldn’t believe how cool he was about the situation. She suspected this wasn’t the first time someone had tried to kill him.
“…but once we figure out who’s behind this, I’ll take care of them.”
“I take it you won’t be going to the police.”
“These people operate outside of the law.”
“And so do you?”
“Yes, it’s how I’ve stayed alive and it’s how I’m going to keep you alive.”
“What if I went to the police?” Selene said defiantly.
“You could, but they’re easily bought off. I suspect most of the cops are on the payroll of half of the cities worst criminals. You’d basically be turning yourself over to the enemy.”
“Does that mean you’re the good guy?”
Ethan looked taken aback. “You thought I was the villain in all this?”
“How was I supposed to know? This is the first time you’ve been honest with me.”
Selene rose and walked to the window. She pulled back the curtains and looked out. The woods surrounded her completely. The trees grew so thickly you wouldn’t have to wander far into them before getting lost, she thought.
She folded her arms and leaned against the window seal. The scent of pine carried on the air through a crack in the window. She closed her eyes and thought of her life before. The debt, the stress, the tedium; she thought her life would never change. Now she was in the middle of… what? She wasn’t sure. If she could take back her decision, erase Ethan from her life, would she?
She heard Ethan approach her from behind. His hands went to her shoulders, massaging them gently. She made no attempt to evade his touch. In truth, a part of her welcomed it.
When they were intimate she felt a sense of security and comfort. She knew now it was false, but it felt
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