Annihilate Them

by Christina Ross

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  WHEN ALEX, LISA, TANK, Epifania, and I walked through the Stone Foundation’s doors, Kate Stone and her fiancé, Ben Cade, were there to greet a line of guests that was so long, I had to wonder if they’d ever get through it in time to enjoy the party themselves.

  When it was my turn to come upon Kate, I saw a sense of relief overcome her. “I’m so happy that you’re here,” she said.

  “As if we wouldn’t be here.”

  “After what happened last weekend at the Witherhouses’ party, I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if anyone would show tonight. I’ve been worried about it for days.”

  “And yet they have shown,” I said as I turned to look around the massive, beautifully decorated space. “I mean, look at this place, Kate. It’s already packed. I can almost smell the money rolling in.”

  “Let’s hope that’s the case,” Kate said as she gave me a kiss on each cheek, which I returned. “Because the charities Michael supported when he was alive deserve his continued support—even if it’s only through his memory.”

  “And because of your hard work,” I said to her.

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Michael. Giving to those charities meant the world to him.”

  “You’re good to do it, Kate.”

  “I know he sees what I’m doing,” she said with a smile. “I know that he’s watching me...”

  When she said that, I felt my heart break for her. Kate had lost her husband, Michael, five years ago to murder. Somehow she’d pulled through after losing one of the great loves of her life. She’d turned the tragedy of his death into something productive and profound, and then after years of being single, she’d reconnected with her first love, Ben Cade. She was fast becoming one of my best friends.

  Aware that I was holding up the line, I squeezed her hand, said that we’d touch base later, and then shot a glance over at Ben, who was standing next to Kate and looking especially handsome in his black tuxedo. “Well, look at you,” I said with a raised eyebrow as Alex and Kate began to talk. “So dapper.”

  “And you look beautiful, Jennifer,” Ben said. “That’s some gown.”

  “Thank you,” I said as I picked up the skirt and fanned it out around me. “I think there’s enough material here to swaddle every one of your guests.”

  “You know?” he said. “I think I’d pay to see that.”

  “And I think I would, too.”

  “Thank you for coming.”

  “We wouldn’t have missed it. Now, give me a hug. Good lord, you’re tall.”

  “He’s a beast,” Kate said.

  “These former SEALS generally are,” I said. “I mean, look at Tank. Whenever he and Ben are near each other, I feel like the rest of us have just been transported to the Land of the Boys Who Ate Their Vegetables. Anyway,” I said. “You’ve got guests to greet. More later?”

  “We’ll be talking for sure,” Kate said.

  “Have a great night. The four of us need to do dinner soon, OK?”

  “We’re on it,” Ben said.

  “Agreed,” Alex said, and then he stopped. “Kate, before I leave, do you happen to know if Rudman Cross has arrived yet?”

  “He has,” she said. “About ten minutes ago.”

  “Was he by himself?” I heard Epifania say.

  Kate turned to look at her. “As a matter of fact, he was,” she said. “And by the way, we haven’t met yet. You’re Epifania Zapopa.”

  “Otherwise known as the Loose Cannon of Park Avenue,” Epifania said with a sly smile while she and Kate shook hands. “I hear what the people say...”

  “Ignore them.”

  “Sometimes Epifania do—and sometimes she doesn’t. Let’s just the say that when she doesn’t, things can get the messy.”

  While Epifania and Kate continued to exchange small talk with Lisa and Tank joining in, Alex and I moved into the crowd and waited for our friends to join us. When they did, my thoughts turned to the bar. I needed just one drink before Alex and I approached Rudman Cross—if only to settle my nerves. “How about if we all go to the bar and get drinks?” I said. “A Guinness for Tank and martinis for the rest of us?”

  “You’re on,” Lisa said.

  “And you said that way too quickly.”

  “I’m a martini girl—what do you expect?”

  “Epifania love the martini, especially since she’s about to meet her Rudsy! And believe me, the cookies, I need to cheel the hell out before that happen.”

  “Then let’s go,” I said.

  With Alex’s hand caressing my back, the five of us went off toward the bar.

  I WAS STANDING AT THE bar while Alex ran through our orders with one of the bartenders when I saw Rudman Cross.

  Just like the night I’d first met him at the Witherhouses’ party, he was standing at the end of the bar and talking with a small group of people while he sipped what looked to me like a glass of Scotch.

  “Epifania,” I said.

  “What, the honey pot?”

  “Look to my far right—at the end of the bar.”

  She leaned forward a bit, and then she immediately fell back in line beside me. “He here,” she said. “And thees time he not talking to that beeg beech Immaculata Almendarez. Heyzeus Cristo! Did you see how handsome he look? Epifania gonna faint!”

  “No, you aren’t.”

  “She gonna drop to the floor!”

  “You’re stronger than that.”

  “She about to go down!”

  “Oh, you are not.”

  “Then why I feel so lightheaded?”

  “Because you’ve obviously got a thing for him.”

  “My little meow-meow has had a thing for him since we first met—but now he starting to get into my head.”

  “That can be a good thing, Epifania.”

  “I want it to be a good thing, but now I starting to freak out. I been burned a few times, Yennifer.”

  “That doesn’t mean that always will be the case—just remember that. OK?”

  She nodded at me as Alex turned and started to hand us our drinks. “Here you go, everyone,” he said.

  “Oh, thank you,” I said when he slipped my martini into my hand before giving me a chaste kiss on my lips. “And thank you for that, too.”

  “Want another?”

  “Is that even a question?”

  I took him by his lapel and laid one on him.

  “What will people think?” I said.

  He cocked his head at me. “That we’re in love?”

  “If they’re perceptive, they will. And they’ll be exactly right.”

  He grabbed my ass when I said that, and my eyes popped. “Look at me—winning the day!”

  “Look at you,” Lisa said. “Needing a room.”

  After everyone had their drinks, Alex held up his in front of him. “Cheers,” he said. “To all of us, and to a great night. After last weekend, everyone in this room deserves exactly that.”

  “Hear, hear,” Tank said.

  “Epifania couldn’t agree the more,” she said.

  “God, this is good,” I said as I sipped my drink and wrapped my arm around Alex’s waist.

  “As smooth as silk,” Lisa agreed.

  When the first round was down, Alex looked at me.

  “We should go over and see Rudman,” he said.

  “I know—and I’m ready.”

  I looked at Lisa and Tank, who knew that we were here for another reason.

  “Business,” I said. “Do you mind if Alex and I take care of this now rather than later? That way, we can move on and have fun for the rest of the night.”

  “Not an issue,” Lisa said. “I know a lot is riding on this for you and Alex—and also for Epifania. So, I say that you three go over and score a win. Tank and I will wait here.”

  “Wait here?” Tank said, looking down at her. “I was going to ask you for a dance.”

  “You were?”

  “I was.”


  “Since when do you dance?”

  “I don’t dance,” he said. “But this song is slow, so I can hold you close to me for a few minutes while I shuffle my feet from side to side. I’d like that.”

  “How dreamy,” she said with a smile. “Let’s dance.”

  “You two have fun,” I said. “We’ll be back in a bit.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?” I asked Alex as we moved toward Cross.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Do you think he’ll bite?”

  “In fact, I do.”

  I shot him a sidelong glance as we maneuvered through the crowd. Epifania was just behind us. “You sound awfully confident.”

  “I’m just trying to stay positive.”

  “Oh,” I said. “I get that.”

  “Do you want to start the conversation, or do you want me to?”

  “Whichever you’d like.”

  “How about if you go in first? I’ll interject as needed.”

  “Done.” I turned around to glance at Epifania. “You OK?”

  “I’m about to hurl,” she said.

  “Stay strong. You’ve got this.”

  “I hope you do, too, the cookie.”

  And then we were upon Rudman Cross, who caught my gaze as we wended through the crowd. He was still talking with the same people he’d been speaking with since I’d first seen him, but then I watched him beg off.

  “It’s been great seeing all of you,” I heard him say. “But now, if you don’t mind, I have a bit of business to discuss with Alex and Jennifer Wenn, who are just behind you. Good catching up,” he said as they nodded hello to us and stepped away. When they were gone, Cross looked past Alex and me and fixed his gaze upon Epifania.

  “Look at you,” he said.

  “No, look at you, Papi. Always so the handsome.”

  “You know how much I like it when you call me that.”

  “Then maybe I say it for a reason...”

  “Maybe you do. And by the way, that’s some dress,” he said as his eyes roved over her. “It’s like you’ve been dipped in gold.”

  “Tonight, you can call me the ‘Goldfinger.’”

  “To me, you look more like an Academy Award.”

  “Want to win one?” she asked. “You might even be able to take it home with you tonight.”

  My jaw almost dropped when she said that. Epifania clearly knew no bounds—which was just one of the reasons why I loved her. There was simply no bullshit when it came to her. She was who she was—take it or leave it.

  “God, you’re quick,” Cross said. “You may have meant that as a joke, but you can expect me to take you up on it.”

  Epifania tossed her hair to the side and leveled him with a glance. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. Let’s see how tonight goes...”

  His gaze turned to us. “Jennifer, Alex—good to see you.”

  “Hello, Rudman,” I said as I leaned forward and gave him a kiss on each cheek.

  “Rudman,” Alex said as he shook the man’s hand. “It’s also good to see you.”

  Cross furrowed his brow as he looked at our empty hands. “Why don’t any of you have a drink?” he said. “This is a party. Let me get us a round.”

  For the conversation that was to come, I needed to keep my wits about me, so I declined—but Rudman wasn’t having it. “I insist,” he said. “For you, it’s a martini, right? No olives, but with a twist?”

  I knew better than to decline when so much was on the line. I also knew that I could just sip the drink slowly, so that it wouldn’t affect my judgment.

  “You know? On second thought, a martini sounds perfect,” I said.

  “I’m glad that it does. Alex and Epifania, martinis for you as well? But with three olives, right? Have I remembered that correctly?”

  “You have,” Epifania said. “But then you never forget, Papi.”

  When she said that, he held out his arm to her. “Come here,” he said.

  As much as Epifania wanted him, she refused to reveal her heart fully to him—and so she hesitated a beat too long before she shrugged and walked over to him. When she slinked between Alex and me, and sank between Rudman’s open arm and his broad chest, I had to admit that this man was seriously sexy in ways that were beyond alpha.

  The masculine set of his jaw, the deep dimple in his chin, the way his hair was just starting to gray at his temples, and his muscular form—which strained against his tuxedo—belied his years. Rudman Cross was in his mid-fifties, but to me, he looked as if he was in his early forties. There was a lion-like electricity about him that was palpable, which likely was why Epifania was becoming increasingly undone by him.

  And yet, despite how nervous she’s been tonight, just look at how she’s handling him now. My girl is a pro...

  The first time we came upon Cross at the Witherhouses, he and Epifania had been playful with each other—but now there was an undercurrent of a relationship that was unfinished. In a matter of a week, it was clear that each had privately assessed the prior relationship they’d had with each other, and what it might lead to now that Cross had put his divorce behind him.

  I’m pulling for you, girl, I thought. He seems like a nice man—and he just might be the catch you’ve been looking for.

  After Cross ordered our drinks, he held Epifania a little closer to him and looked around the crowded space. “Quite a party,” he said.

  “Kate knows how to turn it out,” I said. “It’s as amazing as she is.” I paused for a moment and looked at him. “Rudman, I never had the chance to ask you how you got out of the Witherhouses’ that night. I believe the next morning, you were off to Europe. Where were you when the terrorists opened fire? How did you get out alive?”

  “First of all, I was well behind you,” he said. “You and Alex left earlier than I did, and because of that, while you were in their direct line of fire, I was still inside, catching up with a few friends of mine when everything went down outside. Inside, all of us heard the gunfire when it first went off, and when we recognized it for what it was—especially when so many people started screaming—we took to our phones and dialed 911. And then I and several others hurried toward the exit to help those in need. By that point, the terrorists were gone. In their place, it was just bloodshed, mayhem, and death. So many people dead. So many survivors were wounded and looked to me as if they wouldn’t make it. I helped as many people as I could, but it was overwhelming. It was like a holocaust. I know that you lost two board members that night, and I’m deeply sorry for that.”

  “Thank you,” I said, not wanting to relive the fact that I’d witnessed their deaths.

  And yet I’m the one who asked to relive all of this, aren’t I?

  I was, but only because I was curious about what had happened to Cross, and to those who were still inside the party when the shooting began.

  “Here you are, Mr. Cross,” one of the bartenders said as he slid our drinks toward him on a silver tray.

  “And just in time,” Rudman said. “I’d say we all need a drink now.”

  “I’m sorry to have gone there,” I said.

  He shook his head at me. “Jennifer, at some point, we all need to discuss that night, because it’s part of the healing, isn’t it?”

  “I suppose it is.”

  “Then don’t even think about it. All of us lived through an unthinkable, shared experience. It is only natural to touch upon it tonight.”

  He handed me my martini.

  “But that’s enough of that,” he said as he dished out the rest of our drinks. “Let’s end that conversation with a toast. To all of those who died that night. And also to all of those who fought to live on. I might have been in Europe the next day, but I followed the news closely. I know for a fact that Alex and you could have died. And I’m so grateful that you didn’t, I can’t tell you. Because if you had, we wouldn’t be celebrating now.”

  I saw him shoot a glance toward Alex, and then
Cross lifted his drink again. “Here’s to the SlimPhone joining forces with Cross Communications,” he said.

  I could only blink at him.

  “Excuse me?” I said.

  “It’s a done deal,” Cross said. “Well, with board approval it is, which will take time since Alex needs to rebuild his board. But that’s just a matter of a month or so. What you don’t know, Jennifer, is that your husband and I nailed down the details the other day, and I am thrilled to go forward with the partnership. When it comes to the SlimPhone, Wenn and Cross are unofficially a team until we can make it official.”

  I couldn’t believe it. Stunned, I looked at Alex, who had a mischievous smile on his lips. I was about to say something to him when he kissed me on the lips and simply said, “Surprise, my love.”

  “Surprise?” I said, using my thumb to wipe my lipstick off his mouth. “What surprise? I’m lost.”

  “As Rudman said, it’s a done deal,” Alex said. “While you were out with Blackwell and Lisa the other day, Rudman called me before he returned to New York. He wanted to hammer out a deal over the phone, and so we did. We agreed upon terms—and we also agreed to surprise you with our plans to go forward tonight. When Wenn has a full board back in place, Rudman and I plan to present our plans to our respective boards as soon as possible. But as far as we’re concerned, this is finished. It’s sealed.”

  “I can’t believe you managed to keep this secret from me,” I said.

  “Each of us wanted to give you a happy surprise tonight.”

  As shocked and as thrilled as I was, I tried to compose myself. “Rudman, I don’t know what to say,” I said. “Other than thank you. We’ll make this work. I promise that we will.”

  “I already know that we will, Jennifer.”

  “I’m sorry if I’m speechless, but never once did I see this coming.”

  “Which is exactly what your husband and I wanted,” Cross said. “As for me, I hope it’s a happy kind of speechless.”

  “Of course it is,” I said, and then I threw caution to the wind and kissed Alex hard on the lips before I leaned forward and air-kissed Cross on each cheek. “I’m beyond thrilled! Thank you,” I said.

  “No need to thank me—this is a win-win for each of us as far as I’m concerned.”