Beautiful (Book Three of the Beautifully Broken Series)

by Angela Stephens

  Kathryn leaned into his embrace as they walked out of the bedroom. “Isn’t your Dad expecting a call?”

  “Already spoke to him. Told him you’re still settling in. He said we’ll go over everything tomorrow.”

  As they approached the dramatic, transparent stairs, James took her by the hand.

  “Close your eyes,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”

  Kathryn entrusted herself to James’ guidance and made her way down the stairs. The delicious aromas emanating from the kitchen stoked her appetite even further. Now they moved through the living room toward the source of the odors.

  “Can I open my eyes yet?”

  “Only when I tell you.”

  James maneuvered her onto a chair that she recognized was in the dining room.

  “Okay, you can open them now.”

  “Wow,” was all Kathryn could say as she regarded the impressively set table replete with candles, flowers and goblets of rich, red wine. A variety of plates and serving bowls displayed regional Italian dishes with the skill of a master chef.

  Her eyes bouncing from one dish to the other, Kathryn grinned and felt herself literally start to drool.

  “James, this is incredible! You didn’t have to go to all this trouble. A quick pasta and a bottle of chianti would have been enough.”

  James grinned and served a mixed antipasto as an appetizer. Seating himself with a flourish, he raised his glass.

  “To a good meal to fill the stomach and a great love to fill the heart.”

  Kathryn watched him with emotion as they clinked glasses.

  “That’s beautiful, James.”

  “So are you, Kat.” He reached for a breadstick and snapped it in half. Buon appetito!”

  Sitting together on a cushioned ledge by a city view window, James and Kathryn sipped the last of the wine and quietly enjoyed each other’s company. The busy day had left them wanting nothing more than peace and quiet, something Kathryn had grown more accustomed to as she came to know James more each day.

  “Want a refill?” James asked, nuzzling her neck.

  “I’ve had enough, thanks,” Kathryn said. “Anymore and I won’t be fit for work tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” he said, rising. Let me go clean up.”

  Kathryn started to rise, but James placed his hand on her shoulder.

  “Guests do not engage in cleanup duty.”

  “Do you consider me only a guest?”

  “Absolutely not,” James said, “but just for tonight, I want you to learn that it’s okay to be still and be quiet. It’s something you’re going to have to get used to if you’re going to be hanging around with me.”

  “I think I can get used to that,” Kathryn said.

  “Sit back and enjoy the show,” James said as he took their empty glasses and headed off to the kitchen.

  Kathryn settled back onto the cushions and gazed out at the twinkling city vista. Pearlescent moonlight created mysterious shadow puppets of light and darkness, casting the night into a surreal still life. She gazed down at what appeared to be the quiet street, until surreptitious movement caught her eye.

  Something about it prompted her to look more closely and then she glimpsed a pale flash of hair merge into the shadows of a tree. A second figure briefly appeared and disappeared before the vague shape of two figures moved from view.

  Kathryn felt her breath catch, her illusion of security rudely shattered like a fragile glass exploding on a concrete floor.

  Chapter Six

  Sitting in front of an array of monitors in James’ office, Kathryn watched James scan through the images captured by both the building’s security cameras and his own private system. The night vision cameras captured mostly mundane activity, until he scrolled through images taken within the last thirty minutes.

  He paused at a series of still images showing Heather, dressed in a black sweatshirt and tights, walking down the street and pausing at various points to stare up at the penthouse.

  “Oh, my God,” Kathryn said, feeling her heart sink.

  By the direction of Heather’s gaze it was clear that she wasn’t looking at any of the other lofts. Now and again she would remove her phone from her pocket and make a call. After a few more stills, another figure emerged from behind a tree near the end of the street. Though the image wasn’t clear, Kathryn knew it was Antoine by the way he moved.

  “It’s him,” she said.

  James replayed the footage twice and then saved it to a file which he emailed.

  “I just sent it the file to Dad, Sam and a few of my contacts,” he said.

  “I can’t believe they’re actually spying on us,” Kathryn said. “It’s like something out of a movie, people following us and hiding in the shadows.”

  James swiveled around in his chair and squeezed her hand.

  “It’s not actually surprising to me,” he said. “Knowing what we do now, it suits her character to a tee. Dad’s called will have stirred up a few things by now so we have to be prepared.”

  “Prepared for what?”

  “Antoine has acquired quite a reputation as a drug dealer after his modeling career tanked. By then he had already established a clientele but just went underground. I think he targeted Heather because of her contacts through me, Dad, and the people we know.”

  “I didn’t think your circle was the type open to the likes of Heather and Antoine,” Kathryn said.

  “Money, power, influence. Think about it, Kat. Though I’d be sure of any of Dad’s contacts, some of those connected to us but outside our immediate circle could be open.”

  Kathryn glanced uneasily toward the windows.

  “Don’t you worry about being seen?”

  The glass adjusts automatically to privacy mode during the evening hours. Heather obviously forgot about that, but she might have thought she could spot some activity on the patio.”

  “When... was Heather last here?” Kathryn asked.

  “Not for a long time.” James sat back in his chair with a thoughtful expression. “In fact, she’s only been here twice. That should have been a clue right there, but honestly ...” He paused to gaze at Kathryn. “I never realized how tuned out I was to everything. It was like I was living in daze, going through the paces but just not really being aware of anything around me.”

  “Do you think this would have happened if we hadn’t met?” Kathryn asked.

  James took a long, hard look at her.

  “That’s actually a very good question. I think it would have still happened, but not quite in this way. Sooner or later, though, the real Heather was going to emerge, and if not through you, someone or something else would have triggered it.”

  His gaze drifted to a point past her shoulder. “Funny thing, not long before I met you I was having doubts about Heather, but Dad and I weren’t on the greatest terms at the time. I tended to phase out of things I didn’t want to waste my time and energy on, but I see now that was a fatal mistake of judgment on my part. Dad was clueless as to what was going on with her as well, and I guess at the end of the day she was kind of like the trophy wife he thought I should have.”

  “She’s a long way from being a trophy,” Kathryn said.

  “We know that now,” James said, “but as you’ve seen, she’s a great actress, or was, until the drugs.”

  James’ phone rang, the intrusive sound shattering the silence. He glanced at the unknown number and placed the phone on speaker before he answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello?” he repeated more loudly.

  Silence, then the line disconnected. James glanced at Kathryn. The phone rang again, displaying an unknown number.

  “Hello?” James said aggressively. “You think you’re scaring me with this high school bullshit?”

  Faint laughter echoed. Kathryn glanced at James in alarm. He pressed his finger to his lips.

  “Oh, man, I’m shaking in my boots,” he said. “Think I’m going to have to run to mama.” />
  “You don’t have a mama,” came a sneering reply.

  James paused a beat. “And you don’t have many brain cells left by the sound of it. Sounds like it’s time for your next fix.”

  Kathryn gasped and stared wide-eyed at James.

  A shrill voice emanated from the speaker. James initiated the phone’s record function.

  “I can’t understand you, Heather. I’ve heard better sounding seagulls than that squawking voice of yours. If you can still remember, try speaking English.”

  “Fuck you!” Heather cried, her voice a shrill parody of the smooth voice Kathryn remembered from their lunch.

  “About all you were good for. Who still wants to fuck you anyway?”

  “You having a good time with that little whore?” she spat. “I know what’s been going on.”

  Kathryn shuddered at the venom in Heather’s voice. Had she not known it was Heather she would not have believed the words resonating from the phone came from the same person. Fear coursed throughout her. Up until now, she hadn’t really been affected by crime or violence, the depictions on the news or online her only exposure apart from a couple of incidents on campus. But this personal attack and the sheer hatred in Heather’s tone emanated from a dark, dangerous place Kathryn could barely imagine.

  “Whore? Are you referring to yourself?” James shot back. “Or is that what you call modeling these days?”

  Heather laughed. “You’re so pathetic, James. You always were a lapdog, first with your Daddy and now—”

  His eyes flashed like flint chips. “Funny, I was just about to say the same to you, Heather. That now you’re a drug dealer’s bitch, I mean. Sounds really glamorous, that. Does he farm you out? A fuck from you has to be worth at least two lines these days.”

  The line disconnected. James noted the time and stopped the recording.

  “What the hell are you doing, James?” Kathryn cried. “She’s totally lost it. Why would you even bait her like that? You don’t know what she’s capable of!”

  “I’m sending the recording to Sam and my father,” he said.

  “But isn’t that kind of recording inadmissible without someone’s permission?”

  James shrugged. “In court, sure. But there’s a lot Sam can figure out from that call.”

  Kathryn sighed and glanced uneasily out the window. Despite James’ assurances about the privacy tinting, she didn’t feel comfortable approaching them. She felt exposed and vulnerable, as though eyes were following her every move.

  James took a moment to email the recording to Sam and his father, then rose and gathered Kathryn in his arms. She nestled against his chest, comforted by the sound of his heartbeat.

  “I don’t want to you to worry,” he said, corkscrewing her curls in his fingers. “We’re going to get through this.”

  “That’s easier said than done considering what we just heard. I’m scared, James. I’ve never faced this kind of thing before. What if she tries something else?”

  James tenderly kissed her forehead. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, to us. Heather always loved drama. But she’s already made a big mistake and she’s going to go down. I can guarantee that.”

  James’ ringing phone broke the moment. James pulled away and answered.

  “James?” Frank said.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Are you and Kathryn available for a Skype call with Sam right now?”

  James sat down and quickly opened the Skype program on one of his computers and logged in.

  “We’re online.”

  A moment later, a grim-faced Sam and Frank appeared on a split screen. Kathryn sat beside James.

  “Are you okay?” Frank asked with a worried expression.

  “You sure you and Kathryn wouldn’t prefer to stay with me?”

  “We’re fine, Dad. You know this place is like a fortress. Besides, I’m not letting that bitch run me off.”

  “James, Kathryn,” Sam said with a brief nod. “Sandra was planning on attending but she had a few things at the office to attend to.”

  Kathryn sighed, imagining the amount of work from the Gala still to deal with. It seemed incredible that the Gala had only been two nights ago. The sense of elation and excitement she had felt seemed to be as distant as Mars.

  “James, I think we can all appreciate your father’s concern,” Sam continued. “I’ll get right to the point. I’m having a friend run the recording you emailed me. You were right to keep her talking. Those few extra seconds can tell us a lot. Granted, we can’t technically use the recording because it was made without Heather’s permission, but for now our focus is to implicate her in some criminal activity that will get her off the street.”

  “What’s the consensus?” James asked.

  “She’s vanished from her condo. Concierge says he hasn’t seen her for over a week. Mail’s piling up and attempts to reach her have proved useless. Cellphone’s been disconnected and there’s no record of recent calls to or from her land line.”

  Kathryn digested the information. It wasn’t such a surprise.

  “I contacted Heather’s family,” Frank said. “Needless to say we’re no longer on speaking terms, but we won’t have to worry about any interference from them. If Heather is involved in anything remotely connected to a scandal, they prefer to steer clear.”

  “Sounds like a great family,” Kathryn said.

  “Calling them family is an insult to the word,” James said. “Did anyone really think they’d be concerned beyond the potential for scandal?”

  Noticing the hostility in James’ voice and the set of his jaw, Kathryn hoped this wouldn’t be a side of him she would see too often.

  “We’ll be keeping an eye on them anyway,” Sam said. “You never what goes on with families with skeletons to hide, in the meantime, I should be hearing from my contact shortly. For now just continue your routine as usual. Your father and I have already discussed surveillance, but I understand you have some top notch security set up there already?”

  “State of the art,” James said.

  “Well, keep your eyes open anyway,” Sam said. “It’s never a good idea to let technology take over from common sense.”

  “Don’t worry,” James said. “This is all going to get resolved sooner rather than later.”

  “Let’s hope so,” Sam said. “Anyway, I have a few more things to attend to. I’ll contact you as soon as I hear anything. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight,” everyone said as he signed off.

  A drawn and tired Frank gazed from the screen. “Let’s hope we can resolve this quickly. There’s a lot to be done in the wake of the Gala. Will you be coming in tomorrow?”

  “Absolutely,” Kathryn replied. “James and I already discussed that. I also have to liaise with Sandra. I feel bad that she’s been holding the fort in our absence.”

  “Why don’t you get some rest, Dad?” James said with concern as Frank rubbed his eyes. “You look exhausted.”

  “I think I will. It’s been a very stressful day. I’ll talk to you both in the morning. Goodnight.”

  James stared at the blank screen after his father signed off.

  “You look tired, too,” Kathryn said. “What do you say we call it a night?”

  “That’s a very good idea,” he said, swiveling around to face her.

  “Why don’t you look that tired anymore?” Kathryn asked as a grin lit his face.

  James rose. He pulled her to feet and kissed her, stopping any further questions with his mouth. It was more a gesture of comfort than passion, and offered them a sense of relief from the stress of the evening. Gazing into Kathryn’s eyes, he smiled and gently stroked her cheek.

  “You sorry we ran into each other in the parking lot? I know this can’t be what you had in mind when you came here.”

  Kathryn considered James for a moment, then planted a kiss on his lips.

  “Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me,” she responded. “No, it
’s not what I had in mind but if everything in life was scripted, we would never evolve beyond shadows of ourselves.”

  “That’s a very profound statement,” he said.

  “Maybe I’m inspired.”

  “I know I am,” James said. “I also know I’m exhausted. Let’s get some sleep.”

  Arm in arm, they walked toward the stairs.

  Chapter Seven

  Listening to the rhythmic cadence of James’ breathing, his naked body warm and close beside her, Kathryn felt a sense of peace that banished the worries of the day. Above, the starlit sky seemed to descend through the skylight and the ethereal images of beauty captured on the canvasses transformed into three-dimensional portals that promised amazing sights to behold.

  She snuggled further beneath the silken sheets and stared at her favorite image of the Milky Way. Her eyes fluttered, then closed and suddenly, brilliant sunlight teased her into wakefulness. Clear blue skies had chased away night’s starlit vista even though it had felt like only minutes since she had fallen asleep.

  Rolling toward an LED clock perched on a futuristic nightstand, Kathryn was shocked to see that it was almost eight. She sat up and sniffed the intoxicating aroma of coffee. A moment later, James appeared at the bedroom door carrying a tray laden with fruit salad, scrambled eggs, croissants and coffee. Dressed in one of Rolf’s v-neck shirts and dressy black jeans, he looked as appetizing as the tasty offerings on the tray.

  They ate in companionable silence. Sipping the last of her coffee, Kathryn glanced up at the skylight in time to see a flock of birds soaring past.

  “Guess all hell’s going to break loose when we get back to the office.”

  “I already spoke to Dad,” James said. “He’s waiting for us. Have you spoken to Sandra yet?”

  “No,” Kathryn said, rising naked from the bed. “I’ll call her after I take my shower.”

  James watched the sensual movement of her body as she picked up her phone from the nightstand.

  Scrolling through the waiting messages, Kathryn was surprised to find a text from Jackie. She felt a pang of guilt. How often had the thought of contacting her friend pop into her mind, only to be relegated on a mental to-do list that never seemed to get shorter.