by Jade Kuzma
“You look like something out of a fantasy,” he said. “Have you ever thought about modeling?”
“Modeling. There’s a laugh. I don’t think I could do something like that. It takes more than some hair and some makeup and a nice outfit to be a model.”
“Oh, and I suppose you know what it takes to be a model?”
“I think I know more than you do. If anybody has what it takes to be a model, I think you’re the one more fitting.”
James Emerson wasn’t one to fish for flattery but damn if he wouldn’t accept it. You couldn’t blame the guy. He looked like someone who’d stepped out of a magazine. Dark hair slick over his head. Face shaven clean by his own personal barber. Then there was his custom-tailored suit. It looked nice enough just because of how expensive I knew it was. But it framed his massive physique even more perfectly. A strong, square jaw and some chiseled cheeks. Eyes as intense as any you’d ever seen. James commanded a room before people even knew who he was. It was no secret why he was so successful.
“Modeling,” James said as he examined his reflection in the mirror. “I think that’s something to consider. But… I don’t think it’s for me.”
“Why not? Not enough money for you?”
He smirked at my reflection.
“You know me too well, Kristen.”
“I imagine that’s what tonight is about. Another celebration. Another congratulations. Are you going to tell me what tonight’s gala is all about?”
“What is every gala about? Another success in Ivory. My partners and I are celebrating the purchase of more real estate in town. We have some property in Old Town. We open a few businesses and we’ll breathe some life into the area.”
“More money. More fortune. More success. More power. Does it ever get old?”
He looked at his reflection in the mirror and straightened his tie. He clenched his jaw and stared at his own face. James was always careful with his words.
“You would think that,” he said. “But it never does. I guess that makes me an addict.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being addicted to something good. More people should take an example from you.”
“I’m more than willing to give my advice. Unsuccessful people choose not to take it.”
“That must be why they’re unsuccessful.”
“Indeed.”
A knock at the door interrupted my moment with James.
“Come in,” he called out.
The door opened up and a man I’d never seen before stepped in. And from the looks of him, I wasn’t sure what to think of him. His head was shaved bald. He had a goatee, thick and red around his mouth. His eyes were wide and round like he was trying to stare a hole through whoever he was looking at. But it wasn’t his face that had me so distracted. His suit looked to be about three sizes too small. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it burst at the seams at any moment.
“I’m ready to escort you,” the man said.
“Yes, I’m on my way,” James said. “Just give me another second.”
The stranger stepped back outside and I exhaled a deep breath, not realizing I was holding it.
“Who’s that?” I said as I shook my head.
“Oh, forgive me. His name is Kel Blackwell. I decided to invest in some personal security.”
“He looks… intense.”
“Doesn’t he? I figured he was the best man for the job. Frightening though. I’m sorry that I let him in without thinking.”
“No, no… Don’t apologize. Personal security is important. If you feel he’s the man for the job, then he’s the man for the job.”
“I knew you’d understand. Now… Come along, Kristen. The guests are waiting for us.”
He offered his hand out to me and led me out of the bedroom. We headed down the stairs with his new personal bodyguard. Blackwell looked just as focused as I saw him when he was in the room, scanning left and right like he was looking for something.
There wasn’t much for him to find though. Dressing up for these fancy galas in the mansion James owned were always nice but the guests themselves weren’t very interesting. Old men in tuxedos whose personalities were tied to their bank accounts. Trophy wives who were just clinging to them, waiting for them to pass so they can receive their inheritance. I couldn’t blame the women for doing what they did. Most people thought the same thing about me, being with the richest man in all of Ivory, even though I know that was the furthest thing from the truth.
We stepped through the main hallway and James was immediately swamped by all of the guests.
“Congratulations!”
“Wonderful party, Emerson!”
“It’s a good time for a celebration!”
It wasn’t long before James and I were separated. I got used to him having the obligations of a man of his stature. He was the man of the hour. He was always the man of the hour.
He handled it well though. That smile that showed off his pearly white teeth was always on display. His chest out proud but never intimidating. He shook hands and kissed cheeks. He looked like a model but he handled everything else like a politician. Just a glance at James was enough to understand why he was so successful in his life. In a small town like Ivory, a man like James seemed even more magnanimous.
“Hello, Mrs. Emerson.”
I turned toward the man next to me. His face was wrinkled and his skin sagged so much that it looked like his eyes were closed. He had so little white hair on his head I could count the individual strands. Hunched over and his hands in his pockets, he was the least threatening man in the room.
“Oh, I’m not married to him,” I said with a smile. “James and I are… We’re only a couple.”
“I think it’s only a matter of time. You’d be wise to scoop up a man like Emerson as quickly as you could. He’d be just as wise to do the same with you.”
“I appreciate that,” I said, chuckling softly.
“Where are my manners? Giving you marital advice when I haven’t properly introduced myself. Alex Schneider.
“Kristen Watson.”
I offered my hand to him and he kissed my knuckles softly.
“Watson. Emerson. Close enough.”
We both looked at James on the other side of the ballroom. He was surrounded by a throng of his supporters, each one of them demanding his attention.
“What’s it like?” Alex asked.
“What’s what like?”
“Being with the richest man in all of Ivory. Nobody has achieved the kind of success he has.”
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “It’s… It’s like nothing else, I can tell you that much.”
“Emerson was always destined for success. I knew him back when he was in the big city. You might not think it, but he was always so focused, so driven. He’d stop at nothing to reach his goals.”
“I’m not surprised.”
“You have to be a bit of a maniac to succeed in this life. Emerson knows that better than anybody.”
“And how about you, Mr. Schneider. Are you a maniac?”
“I wouldn’t be talking to the most beautiful woman in the ballroom if that weren’t the case.”
“You flatter me.”
“Flattery, sure. But it is genuine. I was wondering if you could humor an old man. Care for a dance, Miss Watson? You can tell me all of the secrets Emerson doesn’t want anybody else to know about.”
The old man managed to wink at me despite his scrunched up face. Before I could respond, I felt the vibration of my phone in my purse.
“Excuse me,” I said as I pulled my phone out.
I read the number and looked back toward the old man.
“I have to take this,” I explained.
“Of course. Important business waits for no man… or woman.”
I excused myself and headed out toward the ballroom balcony. I looked around to make sure that there was nobody around before putting the phone to my ear.
“I told you n
ot to call me now.”
“We need to talk.”
“Is that why you called me now? To tell me we needed to talk?”
“Yes.”
“You could’ve just sent me a text.”
“You know I can’t do that.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“I’ll contact you in the morning. Bright and early. Make sure you’re by your phone.”
“I’m always by my phone. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I know the big gala is tonight. The possibility of you getting inebriated—”
“Look, all right. I’m not planning on getting drunk off my ass. I’ll be ready for your call in the morning. Just make sure not to—”
The call ended before I had a chance to finish.
I sighed a deep breath of frustration and shook my head.
What the hell am I doing?
I closed my eyes to gather myself. All of the thoughts swirling around in my head made it hard for me to focus. It felt like I was dreaming.
“Miss Watson.”
A sudden voice made me jump in place. I turned toward the side and saw the old man I was just speaking to inching toward me.
“You look troubled,” he said. “Bad news?”
“No,” I said, putting a smile on my lips. “No trouble. Just… something unexpected.”
“Something unexpected can be worse than trouble.”
“Something unexpected I can handle. That’s how life in Ivory is.”
“Indeed. And speaking of unexpected…”
“That dance,” I said. “I’ll tell you all of James’s secrets if you tell me yours.”
“A true businesswoman. Emerson has a good one.”
I gave him a nod and walked with him back into the ballroom. It was the start of another long night at Emerson’s mansion in Golden Hills. I wondered just how much longer it would last.
What have I gotten myself into?
Chapter 3
SEBASTIAN
“Emerson throws the best parties, doesn’t he?”
“He does. Shame I won’t be able to enjoy this one very much.”
Roman tugged on his collar to try and loosen up his tie. I laughed because I knew that shit wasn’t gonna help much.
“I don’t know how people do this shit,” he said. “Fucking bow-ties. I’m being strangled to death.”
“Come on. Don’t gimme that shit.”
“I haven’t worn a tuxedo since… since high school Prom.”
“Prom. You had a good time. Hooked up with that Tiffany chick, didn’t you?”
Roman pondered my question for a second, his index finger still trying to fix his collar.
“A younger me would’ve worn whatever the fuck I needed to if it meant hooking up. Even with a girl like Tiffany.”
“And now?”
“Now I don’t think even Mia can get me in a tuxedo.”
“I guess that’s why you haven’t put a ring on her finger—”
“Save it. The shit from her and her dad is enough already.”
“All right, all right,” I said with a laugh. “Let’s go. The festivities are waiting for us.”
“I can hardly wait.”
Roman rolled his eyes at me but he was still smiling at me as we made our way to the ballroom. I couldn’t blame him for being upset. A fancy gala like this was no place for a Devil. We made ourselves comfortable back in the part of Ivory where all of the common folks lived. All of a sudden we were surrounded by people who looked like they were from another planet.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” the man at the door said.
“Sebastian Cain,” I said. “My friend Roman Rock here with me.”
The snooty butler looked down at his list and scanned it with his finger.
“Mr. Cain,” he said. “Mr. Rock. I…”
He looked at Roman, who was still fidgeting with his collar.
“…Can I be of any assistance?”
“I’m fine,” Roman said as he put his hand up. “Just need a drink.”
“Of course. Enjoy your evening, gentlemen.”
We walked into the ballroom and the sight before us was different from what I was used to. The giant chandelier shined bright over everything underneath it. All of the expensive dresses. All of the formal tuxedos. But it was the people who stood out more than anything. Bastards who wiped their asses with hundred dollar bills. Ladies who spent more time shopping for a dress they were gonna wear once instead of taking care of their children. A bunch of rich folks who were all just looking for the next indulgence.
At the center of it all was James Emerson. A multimillionaire who made his fortune legitimately but decided it wasn’t enough, so he had to pull some shit under the table. And a small town like Ivory was the perfect way to get away with it.
“All right,” Roman said. “We’re here. Now you wanna tell me what the fuck we’re doing?”
“We’re trying to enjoy ourselves.”
Roman swiped a glass of champagne from a waiter passing by.
“Enjoy ourselves,” he said. “I don’t know if I can do that at one of Emerson’s shindigs.”
“What’s wrong? Too fancy for you?”
“Maybe. Or maybe it’s the fact that James Emerson is the biggest drug kingpin in the city and we’re here for a reason. I’m surprised the bastard invited you.”
“Emerson and I are on good terms. I was at the negotiations when his big deal was first established. I have every right to be here just as much as anybody else.”
Roman gulped his champagne down then took another glass for himself. He stayed next to the wall, trying to look inconspicuous but he’d never look comfortable in a tuxedo with all of the damn fidgeting he was doing. I felt his eyes on me as I kept scanning the room.
“All right,” he said. “You got me in a tuxedo. The invitations are legit. The champagne is good at least. Now what are you looking for?”
I narrowed my eyes as I looked toward the back of the room. There was a small doorway where the wait staff was slowly moving in and out.
“Wait here,” I said.
“Wait here? Shit, man. Are you gonna tell me what the fuck you’re doing?”
“Just… Just gimme a few minutes and I’ll tell you what’s up.”
Roman rolled his eyes and took another gulp of champagne, knowing that he didn’t have much of a choice. A brother who would jump off of a bridge for me indeed.
I patted him on the arm and smirked as I made my way through the crowd. I did my best not to draw any attention to myself. Luckily for me, the crowd was big enough that I could get lost in it.
I got all the way to the other side of the room and near the door where the wait staff were all moving in and out. The small room was dark. The music coming from inside the ballroom was distant. There wasn’t much inside of it outside of a few shelves where there were some uniforms on hangers. The staff themselves didn’t pay too much attention to me, hustling in and out from the kitchen and back into the ballroom.
This is the room… This will work…
I looked around for a second before stepping back into the ballroom. As soon as I got outside, I was greeted by an older man. He looked like he was around the age where you went senile, so I wasn’t too worried about him.
“You,” he said. “Are you lost?”
“No, I was just… I was just looking for the restroom.”
“The restroom is back near the entrance of the ballroom you just walked by.”
“Right. Thanks.”
I started to walk away but the old man wasn’t about to let me do it so easily.
“Do I know you from somewhere?” the old man asked.
He scrunched his face and the wrinkles on his cheeks became even more pronounced.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” I said.
“Are you one of Emerson’s associates?”
“One of Emerson’s associates… I suppose that’s one way of putting it.”
“Ah… That’s what I figured. You’ve got that look in your eyes. A shrewd businessman. That’s what Emerson looks for with the people he deals with.”
“He’s not shrewd,” a voice interrupted us. “He’s not a businessman either. He’s just Sebastian Cain. Nothing more than a petty thug.”
That voice…
I’d remember that shit anywhere. Even if I went deaf, I’d still remember what it sounded like. I slowly turned to the woman it belonged to.
Kristen Watson.
She looked just as gorgeous as she always did. Skin pale like she was wearing a ton of makeup but that’s just how she normally looked. Green eyes like emeralds on the center of her face. Her black hair was put up, so I could see her long neck. Every inch of her was perfect. Just like I remembered. That damn red dress she was wearing wasn’t helping me keep my focus.
“Kristen,” I said with a smirk. “So good to see you.”
“How the hell did they let someone like you in here?”
“It’s as I was explaining to my new friend here, I’m a business associate of your boyfriend James Emerson.”
The bigger my smile grew, the larger her sneer became. I always told her that she looked pretty when she was mad, which only made her even angrier.
“Excuse me,” the old man. “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced. My name is Alex Schneider.”
“Sebastian,” I said as I shook his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, sport.”
“I assure you, the pleasure is all mine. It’s always fascinating to meet all of the people that Emerson deals with. Every person is more interesting than the next.”
“You hear that, Kristen? I’m interesting.”
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “A dumpster fire is interesting if you look at it a certain way.”
“Do… you two know each other?” Schneider asked.
“We’re old friends,” I said.
“Former friends,” Kristen added.
“Known each other for years.”
“Many forgettable years.”
“As a matter of fact, I know Miss Watson quite well,” I said. “I can tell you some very interesting things about her—”
“Sebastian.”
Kristen cut me off so bluntly that even I was a little frightened by her sudden tone. But only for a second. I knew Kristen was harmless.
