Free The Lies That Bind by Kate Carlisle Page A

contemptuously at his wife when she slipped out. Probably because he was scared to death that Cynthia would catch him and spank him. And that was a visual I never wanted to conjure up again.
    It was almost ten thirty by the time everyone was finished for the night. Following Officer Ortiz’s orders, I put Mitchell in charge of making sure nobody left alone. As the students packed up their stuff, he went around assigning a buddy for everyone.
    Then he turned to me. “What about you?”
    I thought of Derek’s promise that he’d meet me after class. “I have to clean up a bit, and I’ve got someone waiting for me. I won’t leave alone.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes. My friend should be here any minute, if he’s not already waiting in the gallery.”
    “Well, we’re not leaving until he shows himself.”
    “Fine, let’s go.” I grabbed my bag and locked the door, then followed Mitchell, Sylvia, Kylie, and Alice into the gallery. I glanced around for Derek, but he wasn’t there. My first thought was that he was in Layla’s office. I hoped not.
    “Give me thirty seconds,” I told them, and ran down the hall to check. Layla’s office was empty, but Naomi was still working. She looked up when I knocked.
    “Have you seen Derek Stone?” I asked.
    “No,” she said irritably.
    “Do you know who he is?”
    “Yes,” she said pointedly.
    “Okay, thanks. Good night.”
    She muttered something I couldn’t hear and I wondered what had put her in such a foul mood. Then I remembered she worked for Layla and let it go.
    Walking back to the gallery, I refused to show that I was hurt by the fact that Derek was nowhere to be found.
    “Let’s go,” I said.
    “Change of plans?” Mitchell asked.
    “Yeah,” I said, and left it at that.
    Maybe Derek and Layla had gone out for a quick drink. Or maybe he’d run off to guard Gunther. Yeah, Gunther. I preferred that scenario.
    But I was still hurt. Again. I really needed to stop caring about that man.
    Outside, the cold, foggy air hit me hard. I hunched my shoulders and huddled inside my down jacket as we all walked briskly to our cars. Alice’s was parked almost directly in front of BABA and we teased her for snatching the primo spot. The rest of us had all parked farther away because of the party.
    As we hiked down the street, the heavy fog made it impossible to see Potrero Hill, but I knew it was there. I considered swinging over to Goat Hill Pizza to drown my sorrows in takeout and my mouth began to water at the thought of the goat cheese and pesto combo. Last year, before settling on my SOMA loft, I’d looked at houses on the Hill. Some parts were still in transition, as real estate agents liked to say when working-class areas were gentrifying. But I still loved the cozy neighborhood feel of the area, with its Victorian homes perched on the sloping hills and the cool shops and parks. Best of all, besides superlative pizza, the Hill was the home of Christopher’s Books, one of my favorite little bookstores in the city.
    Another two blocks farther, we turned the corner. The street was dark and shrouded in fog that seemed to cling stubbornly to us as we walked through it. It was so thick, I didn’t notice the man standing in the shadows next to my car until I was almost in front of him.
    “Hello, darling,” Derek said.
    I jumped. He looked even more dangerous than usual. Maybe it was the fog.
    “Are you all right, Brooklyn?” Mitchell asked.
    “I’m fine,” I said, staring at Derek. “Good night, gang.”
    “Good night,” a trio of voices answered, and I heard their footsteps recede into the night.
    “You waited,” I said to Derek, tossing my bag into the backseat of my car and pulling my jacket even tighter around me.
    “Of course I waited. I told you I would.”
    “I thought you’d be inside.”
    He scowled. “I tried waiting inside, but it became troublesome.”
    I chewed my lip nervously. “Layla?”
    “Yes. Come here.” He coaxed me into his