by Amarie Avant
“One word.” Yasmin spoke up. She was seated at the foot of the furthest bed. “Lido.”
Gathering more information was not a necessity. It would only make Blake put his foot down and tell Mila that he forbade the bitch’s presence at their wedding. He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “I don’t understand how family can . . .” Blake paused. If he really stopped to think about it, his father strung his mother out on crack. But that was different. Again, he knew for a fact that trusting Isaac and Zenobia with his life could be done without hesitation.
Blake asked, “Where is she?”
“The bathroom,” Veronica chimed in. “Locked herself in there a second ago.”
“You all pack up,” Blake said. He pulled out his cell phone and addressed them both. “I’m dialing my assistant, Lamb. The moment he answers tell him that you all need a driver and rent a mansion. I have a friend who lives near Silverado Country Club—tell him somewhere in that area. This room is suffocating. Let him know what else you all need. Shopping, fun. I don’t give a fuck. Mila will be happy.”
He pressed the call button and handed it to Veronica since she was the closest.
In less than three steps, Blake stood at the bathroom door. He knocked, and he knocked. Mila didn’t answer. “Baby, it’s me,” he called out. Blake tried the knob. It wasn’t locked.
MILA
In the bathroom, Mila’s brain thumped and thumped against her skull. She had a major headache. She glanced at herself in the mirror and spoke.
“I have enough family. There is no reason to pout over someone who doesn’t give a damn about me.”
Images of the people she helped at The People’s Love Project roamed through her mind, reminding her that family did not have to be blood. And hell, she had a mother and a father who loved her. She had Yasmin and cousins, aunts, and uncles. She had family. Now, she’d have Blake’s family.
Moreover, Veronica was crazy fun tonight, lifting her spirits, before returning to the hotel room and being blindsided by the invoice from Madame Renee. The list of people who truly cared about her roamed through her mind. She determined not to be the reason the women had an awful time on this vacation.
A smile almost turned the sides of her mouth, until she spotted Todd in the mirror.
He was standing behind her.
Mila’s shoulders jolted.
“Mila, baby,” Blake spoke. Instantaneously, the image of Todd’s gnarled face faded away. There in his stead was the handsome man who had mended her heart a few years ago. “Were you afraid just now?”
She moved around in the chaise lounge. “Hey, baby, you’re here—”
“Were you afraid just now!” he demanded.
Measuring her response, so as not to reply too soon or too late, Mila shook her head. “No, I just didn’t . . . I’m drunk, Blake.”
Blake sunk to his knees. They were eye level. He cupped her face in his hands. “Fuck, beautiful baby, talk to me. What were you thinking about?”
“Lido,” she gulped, hating herself for the minor bit of deception. “I wish we were closer, Blake. She’s—I don’t know,” Mila sighed. “Lido, was my best friend when we were kids.”
“Look me in the eye, Mila.”
Her eyes landed on his for a fraction of a second, and then Mila shrugged. The way Blake had beaten on Todd—she didn’t want to cause any other problems by mentioning how creeped out she was. This was something they’d talk about after the wedding. Mila sighed. If it weren’t for her fear of some impending doom regarding the wedding, a longer engagement would have been nice. Probably would’ve given her time to flesh out her feelings about Todd coming into their home to do God knows what with her.
She pawed his cheek. “Really, I am okay.”
Blake clasped a hand over her throat. He kissed her on the lips. Then he laid his forehead against hers. His eyes closed. “I can’t believe that fuck. He tried to hurt you. Mila, I swear on everything that I believe in. I tried. I tried to get to you sooner.”
“Oh, Blake.” She dabbed at her tears that fell on cue. These damn waterworks. She couldn’t stop them. Blake took her hand, moved it, and kissed the wetness on her cheekbones. Damn, he wasn’t listening to her words. He had to be listening to her soul. The part that was still shaken up by the entire ordeal.
“Look at me.” He met her gaze. “You won’t ever have to worry about Todd ever again.”
“I don’t, Blake. I promise that I’m just upset about Lido, not Todd. I’m okay, baby.”
“I promise,” he said again. The thought popped into her mind to ask him what he meant. Blake had made such a solemn declaration. His tone was set. His broad shoulders were confident. Before she could ask, he spoke first.
“Look, I take it your sister did something stupid this evening.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you still want her in the wedding?” Blake asked.
“No,” Mila said. Hearing herself decline her sister’s attendance felt right.
He stood up.
She bit her lip for a moment. “Blake, I have no idea. The concept is beautiful. Having both my sisters there. Hell, that ought not even be a question to ask. Who doesn’t want their own sibling included. Then reality hits hard. Then after that . . . I’m back considering what ifs. Like Lido and I growing old, and I don’t have a single photo of her at my wedding? Oh goodness, Blake, just don’t mind me. For a person who has her master’s in business administration—I’m fickle as hell when it comes to family.”
Blake held out a hand. She took it and stood up.
“Alright, baby,” he said. “I didn’t see you off this morning, which is why I dropped by. But, now that I’m here, I think you all could use a bigger place to stay.”
“Oh, we’re okay, Blake.”
“You’re too humble, my lovely, future wife.” He chuckled. “This bathroom isn’t too bad, but all of you in that confined bedroom area. I will not have it. I want you well rested before we leave for China next week.”
She caved. The tender care and love Blake provided meant the world to her. As their tongues collided, the wonderful feeling of butterflies took flight in her stomach. Though she had a few insecurities to iron out, such as Lido and the possibility that she’d have only her eldest sister, Yasmin, as a bridesmaid, at this moment, Mila was the richest woman on earth. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was marrying one of the wealthiest men on the planet either.
Blake
The next morning, Lamb and Blake sat in the outdoor kitchen for breakfast. The shining sun cut the chill in the air. The chef placed a steak omelet before Lamb. He picked up the linen napkin, resting it on his lap. Grabbing a knife and fork, he began to cut into the egg whites, spearing a piece with a hunk of meat and took a bite.
Blake leaned forward. “Lamb, we started off this discussion with me not giving a fuck about any advice that you have to offer. Now, you can’t speak?”
Lamb continued to chew his food. He washed it down with a mug of black coffee, no cream and not a lick of sugar.
“After ten years in your service, Blake, I’m a wee bit astonished at the choice you’ve just made.”
“Okay,” Blake tossed his napkin on the table. “When I hired you, I knew you had a shady past. But I promised everything would be all kosher. And it has been, right?”
Lamb paused, then nodded slowly.
“But I want Welsh six feet under. I’d do it myself but can’t figure out the dynamics of it without ending up in a cell next to him to get the job done. We both know I’m a changed man as well. If it weren’t for Reynolds erasing my past . . . I don’t know where I’d be. But I love Mila, and she needs this.”
The Irishman gobbled down another large piece and then another. “Mila is a good lass. I understand you wanting the best for her.”
“Then help me work this out, Lamb. I need connections, a way in, at the very least. Will you do that?”
“It’s my job.” Lamb caved, and then he stuffed more food in his mouth.
Blake wasn’t convinced by his response. “How? When?”
“Not necessary. The less you know; the better it is for you.” Lamb said. “But we’ll just call it a wedding gift.”
“Good. Now, I have another assignment that needs to be completed by tomorrow.”
“What’s that?”
“Lido Ali. I have to get her to the wedding,” Blake said. He expected the adrenaline to slow within his veins, but the anxiety continued to surge through him. This felt wrong. All wrong. But Mila was so good-hearted.
Though he wasn’t asking Lamb to murder the woman, he knew that she was a different kind of crazy. Blake still doubted that the woman cared for Mila, but his fiancée was entirely too uncertain about having Lido as a bridesmaid or not.
“How do you suppose we do that?” Lamb inquired.
“I don’t give a shit how, just as long as it’s done. That she plays the good big sister—like any other woman would. I need her to attend every event and you, you’ll have to be at her side the entire time, ensuring that she cooperates. Mila can have all the pretty little pictures she wants with her sister.” There is nothing in this world I wouldn’t do for Mila, including abducting her sister and threatening the woman’s life if she doesn’t behave!
The way Lamb set aside his half-eaten omelet like he was skeptical, seemed almost like this request held more weight than the one pertaining to Todd Welsh. “How?”
“Threats of bodily harm. I don’t care. Lido treats Mila like crap. But I’m a man with means, Lamb. That girl will stand in photos, and she will not say a word out of line or do anything contrary to what a bridesmaid would. Threaten her job—if she cuts up, we purchase stock in some of the biggest modeling agencies in the world. Cut her out.”
“And again, I say how? I can have Todd handled, easy. But that sister of Mila’s,” Lamb chuckled. “She is a different breed.”
Blake pulled out his cell phone and dialed Lido Ali’s number. He placed the call on speaker.
Lido forwent any greeting and said cockily, “Hello, Blake. Somehow I had an idea that you’d call me.”
Lamb shook his head. “Trouble,” he muttered in Gaelic.
“Can we meet?” Blake asked.
“About what?”
“You and me. Why else would I call you, Lido? You’re the one who mentioned I would need a new mistress, right?” Though his voice was dreamy, Blake had a sneer on his face.
“Hmmm. I just touched down in Manhattan. You’ll have to come to my neck of the woods if you’d like to see me.”
“Bait and hook.” Lamb mouthed the words.
“Tomorrow, the Waldorf Astoria?”
Lido snatched the bait. “Book a room and make the deal sweet.”
They ended the call, and Blake hung up the phone. Lamb returned to the rest of his food. Blake rose from his chair and walked around the lap pool. I’m doing this for Mila. His heart felt heavy. He and Lamb would address Lido and give her an ultimatum that she could not refuse—all for Mila. But he had no qualms about Lido Ali disappearing off planet earth following his pending nuptials. It would make life easier.
He dialed Mila.
“Good morning, handsome.” She spoke in a husky voice.
He moaned. “Fuck, I love your voice in the morning. I can just imagine my cock sliding right down your throat, waking you up. How did you sleep?”
“I slept on air or was it in the clouds?”
Blake smiled, gazing across the turquoise waters. “And your dreams?”
“Shut up,” came Yasmin’s voice in the background.
“Ugh, that is the antithesis of a sexy wake-up voice,” Blake joked.
Mila giggled, and then said, “Boy shhhh . . .”
He could hear her moving around and getting out of the bed. A few moments later, she said, “Okay. I’m back.”
“You ladies didn’t stay in that tiny ass room, did you?”
“No, Lamb is totally awesome. We’re staying at the home of a bank owner or something. The maid gave brief details. I almost do not want to leave for the spa soon.”
“Okay, baby.” He rubbed his jaw. She still slept with Yasmin. He wondered if it was a tradition or was it the memories of Welsh? Everything will be okay, he told himself. At least, as far as that fuck is concerned.
“Why aren’t you somewhere laid up with a hangover and a lighter wallet?” Mila asked.
“I’ll be in St. Louis tomorrow. I told Isaac no strippers, baby. I don’t need them.”
“Um-hmm, Zenobia will be here shortly. I’ll get the truth from her,” Mila joked. They chatted a few minutes longer and then hung up
MILA
Zenobia’s gaze swept across the vast villa. “Oh my god, this is gorgeous. But I swear my GPS displayed Tres Chic was a few more miles up the road?”
“Long story,” Veronica said.
“We technically have a room there. Nevertheless, the reservations got mixed up, and Blake didn’t think all us girls should stay in that tiny room,” Mila said, grabbing one of her duffel bags.
“Aw man,” Zenobia said.
“Zennie, don’t worry. We will go there and take some selfies this afternoon, eat dinner there. We can crowd around one of the chairs in the hotel room and post it on Facebook. Nobody will have to know.”
Yasmin grinned and nodded. “Sister, I love you.”
“What?” Mila hefted the duffel bag and glanced at her sideways.
While they walked toward the house, Yasmin bumped her hip against Mila. “Your personality is beautiful.”
Glancing at the sisters, Zenobia pouted. “Man, I wished for a sister so many times as a child. But all I got was something like a second brother.”
“Oh wow,” Mila chuckled.
“Granted, I threatened him and Isaac in order to watch Disney movies, but nope, two bad ass boys to boss me around wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.”
After Mila gave Zenobia a tour around the home, they met up with Yasmin and Veronica in the dining room.
“Eat up, ladies. Before we head to the spa, I was thinking that we should hike—”
“Oh, no,” Yasmin shook her head. “Stop thinking, Mila. This is a vacation, exercise is not included.”
Yasmin looked to Veronica for a second, but the blonde said, “I guess a short hike won’t hurt. After the spa, it’s more wine and food for me, so the calorie burn is exactly what I need.”
That left Zenobia. “I’m with Mila. We’re part of the Black Girl’s Run on Facebook. Those broads will brag every time they bust a mo. Anytime I can get in a few miles to post is good. For the life of me, I cannot catch up.”
***
They had jogged in the direction of Tres Chic, which meant a moderate incline. Veronica had mentioned that the selfies should start in front of the winery sign. Grape fields surrounded them from the left and the right. At the beginning of the hike, Mila brought them all up to speed about the pageant that was scheduled the night before they’d leave for China. While Veronica and Zenobia excitedly commented about the project, Mila noticed Yasmin was unable to keep up.
“All the young ladies from five to eighteen years old are taking your advice, Veronica.” Mila winked. Then she let her and Zenobia take the lead, while she fell back in line with her sister.
Yasmin struggled at smiling. “Your ev-event will . . .” Unable to take another breath for speech, Yasmin gave a feeble thumbs-up.
“Thanks. Now what I need you to do is to keep mentally telling yourself, I can do all things through Christ.” Mila bumped shoulders with Yasmin. The gesture of encouragement took something out of her. Breathing heavy a few paces, she continued when she caught her breath. “When I first started walking, to running to jogging, that was my motivation.”
“I can't think.” Yasmin stressed each word with a hard breath. With her form all wrong, she was applying more weight than necessary on each foot as she clomped up the hill.
“You remind me of Whoopi Goldberg on How Stella Got Her Groove Back.” Mila
chuckled.
That got a rise out of Yasmin. Her eyes brightened through the pain. She strained out each word. “Th-at used to be my movie.”
“I know. It came on TV the other day.”
Yasmin stopped. Her face was red.
“Breathe, big sister.”
She gasped the words. “St-stop talking to me then.”
They both giggled. Mila smacked her arm. “Look!”
At the sight of the sign for Tres Chic, and the other two women making kissy faces at their perspective cellphones, Yasmin ran harder.
For two seconds she ran, and then she slowed to a stop, clutching harder at her side. Mila nudged her chin to the cars driving by. “You let them see you give up.”
That signature sharmoto, please look was written all over Yasmin’s face.
Blake
Blake rubbed a hand over the stubble along his jaw. He felt dirty. Just the presence of Lido Ali made him want to scrub with an SOS pad and that off-brand stuff Serenity used to grumble about and clean the tub with after Isaac’s peewee football.
Had he crossed a line? He wondered as Lamb carried Lido into the adjoining bedroom. He was at the Waldorf Astoria with the sister of the woman he was madly in love with! The conflict was damn near eating him up.
This was all for Mila. Albeit, if the paparazzi knew he was at a five-star hotel with Mila’s sister a before their nuptials, no amount of explaining would help. It was either him being a psycho kidnapper or . . . who was he fooling? It was probably more believable that she was his mistress.
Never. Blake had a good thing and screwing it up was the furthest thing from his mind.
Lido’s arm flopped down along the side of the bed as Lamb laid her onto the feather duvet.
“How long will she be out?” Blake asked.
“Skinny as she is, I’d say half the night.”
“Good. Keep her here until tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
“I had a discussion with the pilot before we left. He will be discreet. For now, I’ll fly commercial home.” Blake glanced over to Lido. Getting as far away from her as possible was his top priority.
