Black Obsession

by C. J. Thomas

  Her eyes softened. “No. I’m back to working gossip stories.” She turned her gaze back to the crowd. “You know, stories about who’s fucking who. It’s bullshit, but certainly more upbeat than the alternative .”

  Murder.

  I lowered my voice. “Nash is back in town .”

  She blew out a heavy sigh and set her empty glass on a passing tray. “Have you spoken with him ?”

  Crossing my arms, I shifted my weight and lowered my chin. “I did .”

  Side-stepping closer, she asked, “And ?”

  I covered my mouth. “I’m not convinced .”

  She tapped her heel and gave me a quick glance .

  “He’s dating another intern, isn’t he?” Her lips pressed flat. “You don’t have to confirm it. I already know it’s true. What’s he doing with someone like her, anyway?” She shook her head with disbelief. “Nash is better than that .”

  “What’s your point, Sylvia ?”

  She dropped her arms and squared her shoulders with mine. “Has he convinced her to attend Mint with him ?”

  I spotted an old colleague not too far away and we exchanged smiles as he passed .

  “Kelly?”

  “I’m not sure, Sylvia. I was under the impression he was no longer a member .”

  “You’ll know if he has.” She continued. “Any changes in demeanor could signal it. A loss in confidence, a heavy use of makeup to cover bruises. Plenty of things to look out for .”

  But as Sylvia was talking about what to look out for, all I heard was white-noise as I stared at Kendra, thinking she would be the one to confirm whether or not Nash had introduced Alex to the world of submissive sex .

  “Got it,” I said as the raw feeling in the pit of my stomach festered in my gut, knowing that Sylvia was a reliable source I could trust nine out of the ten times I needed her expertise. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was lying to me about telling me when Nash stopped attending Mint. And despite the reservations I had with Nash, Wes was completely trustworthy—someone who would never lie to me. And his story lined up with Nash’s .

  Kendra’s doe eyes soon found me and I flashed her a smile just before she got scooped up by movie star Orlando Lee. “What do you suggest I do?” I asked, turning back to Sylvia .

  “Keep your eye on Nash’s new number.” Sylvia touched my elbow. “Her body will give you the answers you need .”

  Landing my eyes back on Kendra, I watched her laughing and being completely charmed by Orlando. There was little doubt he was hoping for more than I knew she was going to give, but I’d let him have his moment. She would soon let him down .

  But when I saw who was approaching her next, my eyes widened .

  Angelina Davis was about to swoop in for the kill. And if she was here, I wondered if Oscar was, too .

  “Kelly, there is something I need you to see.” Sylvia’s long fingers curled over my arm—her brightly painted nails catching my eye. “Stop by my place soon and I’ll show you what I’m talking about. Maybe, then, you’ll believe me when I say that Nash Brooks has it in him to kill .”

  19

  Kendra

  “C all me sometime.” Orlando’s hot breath spiraled in my ear. “A woman like you is hard to come by, and harder to forget. Especially in a town like ours .”

  Heat spread across my chest and I felt my cheeks flush with embarrassment as I lingered on Orlando Lee’s charm. Within seconds, he’d managed to disappear into the crowd, allowing me a moment to close my eyes and collect my thoughts that were quickly getting away from me. Without thinking too much about the celebrity and attractiveness of someone like Orlando Lee, I quickly turned to where I’d last seen Kelly .

  Suddenly, I hit a wall of a woman standing in my way .

  Stumbling back, I was taken by surprise at the full bust staring me down. Slowly, my eyes drifted up the soft skin of her neck until I locked my gaze on her narrowed slits for eyes .

  “You can take your drama somewhere else.” I held up my hand and went to step around her .

  Angelina Davis blocked me with her long legs. “Just thought I’d say hello .”

  Her voice was as conniving as the look on her face. “Hello. And goodbye .”

  “C’mon, Kendra.” She inched closer, closing the gap between us. “Look around.” She lifted her gaze above the crown of my head and scanned the room before letting her eyes fall back to mine. “You and I both know that you should consider yourself lucky to be here .”

  Grinding my teeth, I didn’t have time for her bullshit. She had done this before, and it was one too many. I’d had enough .

  Her tongue rounded her lips as I stared into her challenging eyes with both hands tightening their grip around the drinks Kelly asked me to fetch .

  Glancing around her shoulder, I searched to find Kelly without any luck .

  “Look, whatever your problem is with me, you can take it somewhere else.” I stepped forward and glared up into her painted face. She had too much makeup on and it made her look fake. “I’m still with Kelly Black, despite your warnings he would leave me. He doesn’t have the commitment problem you think he does, so stop feeding me lies and move on .”

  “Move on?” She hooted .

  “He’s mine.” I growled. “Get over him .”

  “Sweetheart, sweetheart.” She smiled. “I’m not interested in stealing Kelly Black away from you.” Her head waggled on her shoulders. “Even though we both know that your arrangement is temporary .”

  My eyes narrowed, ready to strike when the opportunity presented itself. The chamber quartet picked up the rhythm and my heart went along for the ride, full of adrenaline to keep my blood pumping strong .

  She dropped her gaze down to size me up. “Besides, I’m here with someone else .”

  “And you can tell him Kelly won me over fair and square.” I barred my teeth close to her face .

  She flashed a questioning look like she didn’t know who I was referring to. “Ahh … I see,” she finally nodded. “But it’s not the DA I’m here with .”

  “I don’t believe you.” My eyes worked the crowd, searching for Oscar. I knew he couldn’t be far. Not with Angel here tonight. “He’s the only reason you keep finding a way to plant seeds of doubt in my head. Admit it. That’s why he hired you .”

  “Hired me?” She arched a brow .

  “Yeah. Hired you. We both know that you’re an escort .”

  Her eyes crinkled with amusement. “Kendra, you need to stop believing the rumors this town produces.” She laughed. “No matter what you’re implying, I’m not a prostitute like—” she raked her eyes down my face “—well, like some people I know.” Her brows flickered .

  My fist clenched at my side and it took everything I had to refrain from lifting my hand over my head so I could let the flat of it slap the slut off her face. “If you’re implying that—” I stammered as another woman approached, interrupting me mid-sentence .

  “Did I interrupt something?” Her voice was light, snide .

  “Just catching up with my friend, Kendra.” Angel looped her hand around the woman’s thin waist .

  I didn’t recognize her, but together they were beautiful. Though Angel still dominated when it came to height, her friend’s curvy body was stuffed inside a tight, form-fitting dress that even left me begging to see how she looked when wearing nothing else. And judging by first impression, I knew that this wasn’t some ploy to throw me off. They looked genuinely interested, making me wonder if maybe Angel was bisexual and had fooled us all from the beginning .

  “Kendra was just asking if I was here alone.” Angel’s eyes drifted back to me .

  Lost inside my head, I couldn’t stop looking at her friend’s beauty mark above her lip .

  “Isn’t that right, Kendra ?”

  “I better get these back,” I held up both drinks, “before my man gets angry .”

  Angel caught my shoulder just as I took my first step forward. Leaning close to my ear, s
he whispered, “If you don’t believe that I’m not an escort like you, why not just ask her?” She pointed across the room. “She’s your boss, isn’t she ?”

  I turned to look over my shoulder only to find Madam standing next to Jerome, hiding behind a wide-brimmed hat .

  “I believe she’ll tell you which of us here tonight are working girls, and which are not .”

  20

  Kelly

  I quickly got sidetracked on my hunt for Kendra, instead finding Giselle flirting with a man whose face I didn’t recognize .

  “Excuse me,” I said, butting in. “May I have a moment with my colleague ?”

  The tall man with broad shoulders nodded and smiled as he let me lead Giselle away .

  “Who is he?” I asked as we moved closer to the wall .

  “Handsome, isn’t he?” Giselle rolled her eyes back in his direction .

  It was clear she admired the man. Somehow, between her evening date with John and tonight’s main event, he’d managed to sweep her off her feet .

  “What’s going on with John?” I asked quietly .

  She adopted a sullen look, then rolled her neck back to me .

  “I thought you had a date with him earlier tonight .”

  “I did.” The color drained from her face .

  “I saw the way you were looking at him,” I said, pointing at the man she was flirting with.” I can see it in your eyes .”

  “Kelly, I don’t need you to lecture me. Especially now, in the middle of the party .”

  “You can’t wander off the reservation if you expect it to work out with John.” I didn’t want her to have any regrets, any feelings of remorse like the ones I had when I was with Nora .

  Taking one step forward, Giselle leaned in to say, “I need this Kelly .”

  I smoothed my hand over the right side of my tux, ironing out the wrinkles I’d imagined .

  “It’s not every day that I get to dazzle Hollywood elite. And, besides,” she turned her head back to the man with tussled dark hair, “he’s hot .”

  When he glanced at Giselle, she waved her fingers at him. He was busy talking with another guest wearing a similar styled tux as his own. But he wasn’t about to let Giselle get away, always keeping one eye on her, patiently waiting his turn .

  “What happened with John?” I reached for her elbow, gently drawing her attention back to me. “I thought you wanted to make it work .”

  “I think he might be having an affair.” She sighed .

  “Shit.” My spine straightened as I rubbed my hand down the front of my neck .

  “Yeah.” She tossed back her drink, her eyes widening with disappointment .

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered .

  “Don’t be.” She folded her arms across her belly. “He knew what he was getting himself into when we started dating .”

  I couldn’t help but feel guilty that I might have been partially to blame for Giselle’s boyfriend choosing to look elsewhere. The hours we pulled were long, and the demands to succeed dire. But I knew Giselle would pull through. She always did. “I heard from Oscar earlier,” I said .

  The excitement in Giselle’s eyes was back. “What did he say ?”

  “That he knew about our names being added to Stone’s list.” I nodded, knowing she understood that Oscar had set me up .

  “Holy fucking shit.” She tucked her hair behind her ear .

  “Yeah.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets, keeping an eye out for Kendra .

  I didn’t want her to feel like I’d ditched her or to find her still struggling with the anxieties that could come from attending a party such as this one. But now that I had Giselle’s attention, it was important that I caught her up on the latest news—after all, that was the real reason why we were both here tonight .

  “Oscar must be afraid of you actually winning Stone’s case.” Giselle smiled .

  “The nerve that man has to think that he could get away with this .”

  “You know, Kelly,” she turned back to me, “if that is the case, then these charges being brought by Timothy Parker won’t stick .”

  “Regardless,” I smiled and nodded at a friend as he passed, “of what Oscar’s motivation is to rid me from the equation, they won’t stick .”

  Giselle’s brow pinched as she saw a thought wrinkle my own. “What is it?” she asked .

  “Nothing,” I murmured as I thought about the reason Madam put that call into Oscar right before everything seemed to unravel. “Forget it .”

  “Kelly?” Giselle reached up and put her hand on my arm .

  “Look,” I said, pointing at her new man of the hour, “he’s coming back for you .”

  Giselle held my gaze for a moment before turning around to give her new interest a warm welcome back. He handed her a new drink and introduced himself. “Drake Goodman .”

  I took his hand and we shook. “Kelly Black .”

  Then he turned and whispered something in Giselle’s ear that made her giggle. “If you’ll excuse us .”

  I nodded and smiled at Giselle, proud to see her as happy as she appeared to be .

  “They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Wes came to stand next to me .

  “Indeed, they do.” I smiled .

  “Though, if it wasn’t for her, I’m not sure you would be nearly as successful as you are .”

  “Ah,” I twisted my spine to face him, “you mean like you without Adrianna ?”

  His brows furrowed, getting me to laugh .

  “Is Kami here, or did you come alone ?”

  “Quick stop on my way home from the office.” He nodded and smiled to familiar faces across the room. Then he said, “I saw you speaking with Sylvia .”

  “Nothing gets past you .”

  “Still not sure why you prefer her over Julia .”

  “Because you keep Julia on a short leash and make her unaffordable for the rest of us .”

  Wes shrugged. “The best reporters deserve the best pay .”

  “And there you have it .”

  A member of the waitstaff passed with a silver platter filled with scallops and prime rib. Both Wes and I took what we wanted as applause erupted on the opposite side of the room .

  “You know she was the one working with Nash when he was first accused of Maria’s death .”

  “I didn’t know that.” My brows knitted .

  Wes nodded. “Like I said, she’s the best .”

  “Care to share what she discovered ?”

  Greeting a friendly face passing nearby, Wes then turned back to me and said, “Nothing you don’t already know about .”

  Wishing that I could find Kendra, I kept an eye out for her and said, “I have credible testimony from multiple sources that all say Nash has what it takes to kill .”

  “Did Sylvia tell you that?” Wes turned to look me in the eye while shuffling his feet. Without answering his question, Wes continued, “He’s not the one .”

  “I talked with him today .”

  “And did you learn anything new ?”

  I shook my head. “He confirmed what you already said. He didn’t deny any of it, nor try to hide the fact that he had a relationship with Maria prior to her being killed .”

  We stood there silently, letting our thoughts bounce between our ears. Then, after a couple minutes of no words being exchanged, Wes said, “This is all so fucked—blown way out of proportion. Nash isn’t perfect but he’s not the one who killed Maria. I was there with him when the police were first looking into the possibility it could be him .”

  “They have the wrong guy.” My voice was more of a thought than a response. “Mario didn’t do it either .”

  “Whatever new evidence they have against him, Nash didn’t do it.” He paused as if to collect his thoughts. “Maria was gorgeous,” Wes turned to look me in the eye, “and not exactly innocent, either .”

  My jaw clenched as the room began to spin around me .

  “Many men had their eye on her,” Wes
turned his gaze back to the crowd standing in front of us, “including many who are in this room tonight .”

  “And what about Alex?” I asked with my head spinning to understand what Wes was trying to convey. “Many men also have their eye on her ?”

  “You’ve seen her, what do you think ?”

  Without coming out and saying it, I knew Alex was a prize in the eyes of many men and that was what made the stakes so high to clear Nash’s name as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to see anything happen to her—because if it did, Kendra would blame me. And then I would blame myself .

  “I don’t understand, Kelly, why are you worried about Maria when you should be worried about him?” Wes subtly jutted his chin in the direction of Timothy Parker .

  My gaze lowered as I stared at him from under my brow. “Tell me this,” I turned back to Wes, “has Nash taken Alex to Mint ?”

  Wes laughed. “You know I can’t speak for my members .”

  “Not even for an old friend ?”

  “Not even for a good friend.” Wes smiled. “But what I can do is invite you to come by. Bring Kendra. I have a feeling you two might fall in love with the place.” He winked and began to leave. “Who knows, maybe you’ll even see Nash .”

  21

  Kendra

  I didn’t know whose company was worse: Angel’s or Madam’s. Either way, it seemed like I was getting my fill of both whether I wanted it or not .

  “Darling, Kendra, what a pleasant surprise.” Madam took me by the elbows and leaned close to kiss my cheek. “You look fabulous on Kelly’s arm .”

  “Thank you.” I eyed Jerome who remained close by. By the look on his face, he seemed bored with having to follow Madam around. Without even cracking a smile, I thought that a good spanking would wake the man up .

  “In fact,” Madam’s head swiveled on her shoulders like an owl, “where did your handsome man go ?”

  When she turned back to me, I held up the two drinks I was still holding. I had barely taken a sip of my own, and I was sure Kelly was wondering if I had gotten lost or just caught up in the conversations I couldn’t seem to escape. It seemed as if everyone wanted to talk to me, but I couldn’t complain. It was a nice distraction from the initial apprehension I was feeling when we first arrived .