by Anna Collins
“I may have an idea, but it’s still going to be risky. It doesn’t look like we have any better ideas. We need to somehow get one or two of those caterers alone. I have noticed they come out every so often for a smoke break in pairs. We’re just going to have to wait for two of our size to get out together. It doesn’t have to be an exact match, but it needs to be close to it, so it isn’t funny.” I said as I got out of the van slowly with him following until we were crossing the street and moving within the alleyway of the building next to the one we were after. We climbed up onto a huge trash bin and surveyed the area to see there was one guard on the door where the employees came out for their smoke break. He needed to be taken care of. I turned to Casper to see he was already gone. I didn’t even hear him get off of the trash bin and he was as quiet as a church mouse.
I saw a hand come out of the darkness and pull this man in. I didn’t hear anything and then he came out of the same spot where the soldier had been waiting. He was holding his gun and was wearing his clothing within a span of 5 minutes after we had arrived at the Dumpster. We didn’t need two caterer outfits when he was now sporting this guise of being one of the guards. It was even equipped with a face mask which covered half of his face from the chin past his nose. The only thing visible was his eyes. They may have been the windows to the soul, but you would have to take a very close look to realize he wasn’t what he was supposed to be.
One man was standing and looking the other way wearing a caterer’s outfit. He was bigger than I was, but beggars couldn’t be choosers. I would’ve dealt with him on my own, but Casper could get close enough with his disguise to do what needed to be done. The way he had fought the Raven and the injuries he had sustained had slowed him down but didn’t keep him from walking headlong into danger once again.
A right cross took the caterer by surprise. His head snapped to the side with the cigarette in his mouth flying out and landing near the entrance way. He must’ve had a glass jaw to crumple with that one and very accurate shot. Casper gave me a look I should join him. I scurried over to where he was unbuttoning this man’s shirt, and I helped him with the pants. He dragged the unconscious form into the same shadow in which he had dragged the soldier. I had no idea if they were living, but I didn’t see any reason for him to kill them.
“This should get us into the building, after that, it is going to be a matter of being one step ahead. This is a huge hurdle we had to jump over, but there are going to be several more before the day is done,” Casper said as we both went inside and found nobody paid us any mind.
I followed from behind, and he had put the mask up, even though it was not necessary inside the building. This was to avoid the unnecessary entanglement of being recognized. If questioned, he could be quite persuasive with only his words as his weapon of choice.
“Don’t look now, but Raven is coming this way,” I barely had the words out of my mouth, before he was pushing me into a closet where there were disinfectant and different supplies for cleaning. It was a sickening smell; it made me want to wretch.
“I want you upstairs and guarding the door. They’re not going to get past us. I want you to relieve Ramirez and send him down here. We need to switch things up and keep things from getting too complacent. A new set of eyes will help to prevent any problems from occurring during the signing. They have both arrived on time and are now enjoying a cocktail with the press coming to record everything for those who would want to see such a thing. This is a big moment for my boss, and I don’t want anything to ruin it,” The Raven said to Casper not even realizing it was him underneath the mask.
Casper didn’t say anything and only nodded his head to give confirmation he was going to follow through with the orders given. The Raven bowed politely and then walked away with two other men wearing the same masks. They wanted to be an imposing figure and make us second guess ourselves when we got to the scene.
I came out of the closet looking both ways and then we walked over to the elevator. The lighting was sparse and would make anybody watching the cameras not exactly comfortable with having the lights turned off. Only the emergency lighting was giving this strange glow of what you would find in the red light district of Amsterdam.
There were construction workers covered in dust going to a floor that was under renovation. They were talking about their girlfriends and whose sex life was better than the other. It became a matter of pride. I doubted very seriously some of their claims had any validity. They bragged and boasted about the kind of sex life only x rated porn stars had. That didn’t mean their significant others would have the same story.
I was coughing, and I turned to Casper to see he was standing at attention like a good soldier. I gave him a look, and I think he understood what I was saying without me speaking anything at all.
The elevator arrived at the floor where the signing was going to take place. We both stepped out, and he began coughing with wheezing fits; his voice was hoarse and not very recognizable.
“Ramirez…he wants you downstairs. If I were you, I wouldn’t make him wait any longer than necessary,” Casper said as his voice was low and indistinguishable.
“I’m on my way. Is there anything I need to know before I relinquish my post to you? One thing you need to know is they are in there drinking with a couple of buxom young ladies they requested for the occasion. The press will be here shortly and hopefully they will be done with their premature celebration,” He said to Casper as he was waiting for any further instructions needed.
“Yes…there is…a…construction crew. They are covered in dust, and it will get into your lungs regardless if you’re wearing the mask or not. I already feel like I’m coming down with something, but I think it is just the dust that needs to expel from my lungs over time. Try to hold your breath as much as possible. It will help you avoid being hospitalized,” Casper said with a choking jag doubling over with his hand on his knees to support his bent over position.
“I don’t have anything to worry about, and I’ve been the picture of health for as long as I can remember,” It was a good thing he didn’t ask him to take off his mask or the jig would have been up.
When the elevator doors closed, Casper looked at me, and we knew the best thing to do was to wait until the press arrived. The noises heard through the door were of the loving kind. The CEO and Nash were indulging in the world’s oldest profession. They were taking their pleasure from those who sold their body to the night.
“You may not stick out, but I certainly do,” I said holding a tray with some canapés; they would most likely not look too suspicious.
“Those are meant to be eaten cold. As long they open the door before the press arrives, then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You have your hair in a ponytail, and you’re wearing glasses. Nash would have been told about you, but I doubt he will take you as any kind of a threat. He probably won’t even recognize you. This success depends on the both of us playing our part. When the press arrives, you can request entry, and I’ll keep my foot on the door to make sure it doesn’t close before I get inside,” Casper said as we both heard the elevator and the sure sign of the press coming in with cameras and microphones.
I hadn’t listened to any moans of wild encouragement from behind the door in almost 5-minutes. The girls did not come out this way, so there had to be a separate exit away from the scrutinizing eyes of the judgmental press. Most of them were only here for sound bites. Some of them were hoping for a bigger story than what it already was. They were the ones who were going to get more than they bargained for.
Nash opened the door and looked at both Casper and me before turning his attention towards the press. I slipped by him, but he put his hand on my chest and with the other he lifted the tray to see what I had brought. He gave me the once-over, most likely undressing me and thinking of different ways to make for an interesting afternoon of debauchery.
“We are a bit early, but we frankly were hoping we would catch the both of you doin
g something unseemly,” The girl said with the microphone extended.
I recognized her from several other stories. She was always there when the shit had hit the fan. There was nothing better for her career than unforeseen rising circumstances. You could almost see her eyes darting around and then staring blindly at the subject in question.
“We were just enjoying a fine bottle of wine together. It had a great body and a taste that really does stay with you. We emptied the bottle, but as you can see, we can both handle our liquor. You can all go in and set up. We’re just about to finalize this deal. It’s been a long time coming. This is a partnership that is going to change everything. We will build an empire nobody can tear it down,” Nash said as he was apparently reading from a memorized script.
“I didn’t come here for the same press release everybody else received. I want something off the cuff and a real moment. I want something a lot more unpredictable, with more bite to it. You promised me unrestricted access, and I’m going to take you on your word,” She said as she moved to enter the room, but he wasn’t budging and made her squeeze by him in less than a subtle way.
“I think we both know the reason why I gave you that unrestricted access, Lydia. You will get what you want, and the price was something you were willing to pay,” Nash said as he slapped her ass and gave a giggle of appreciation to how she smiled with indifference.
The door was about to close, and then I saw Casper hold it in place before the lock was able to connect. He came in and stood behind Nash with his arms behind his back. I was relegated to going around and offering up what was a taste sensation.
“I want to thank you for coming here for this auspicious occasion. I have the documents, and I believe you’ll find everything in order. I’ve already sent a copy of this over to you to peruse at your leisure. The only thing left is signing our names and mugging for the camera,” Nash said as he took out the documents and laid them on the table. He was a handsome dark-haired man with the kind of body he flaunted with the tight clothing he was wearing.
Casper moved to where Lydia was currently waiting for an interview after the festivities had come to an end. He whispered to her and handed over a folder he had taken from underneath the tray I was carrying. We had made an impromptu stop to get the damning evidence found in Nash’s nightstand. He really did think he was untouchable.
Nash had his pen poised and ready to sign his John Hancock when he was interrupted with Lydia seizing on something damaging about the character of Global Enterprise.
“Before you begin, do you have anything to say about allegations of inferior materials? I have detailed proof that five of the buildings that have been recently renovated or erected have some major flaws. This report is an unbiased opinion from a zoning commission. It was buried and was never meant to see the light of day again. Don’t think this is the only copy. I wouldn’t have come here with this had I not had a backup plan. This is your one chance to say something,” Lydia said as Nash looked at her with hatred in his eyes.
“I have never seen these documents in my life. I believe I’m going to have to take a step back and reevaluate this before we continue. I’m going to have to look into this a little deeper,” Nash was backpedaling, but it wasn’t the only thing we had as a pipe bomb.
“That’s all well and good, but can you explain the reason why you framed Casper. I have this document that shows you were responsible for everything Casper is being accused of. You shouldn’t have kept things. You couldn’t help yourself. Your arrogance is quite unnerving. With this evidence, the police have nothing to hold him on. He has already been questioned extensively on the phone after he supplied them with proof of his innocence. I do believe you’ll find the police ready to take you in,” It was as if her words were the cue for the police to barge in. They put the cuffs on Nash and the CEO of Global Enterprises.
Nash was fuming and screaming for his lawyer when Casper took off the mask and revealed he was right here underneath his nose the entire time. “I will make you pay for this, Casper. This was supposed to be my moment to shine. I didn’t think you had it in you to play rough. I won’t make that mistake again,” Nash said in one defiant gesture; it was supposed to instill some kind of fear in Casper.
The police would want him to testify, but the evidence was damning enough on its own. I rushed into his arms.
I did finally meet his wife on her way out of the estate with whatever wasn’t nailed down. We didn’t say anything to each other. If looks could have killed, I probably would’ve been writhing on the floor in agony. She wasn’t going to have to worry about money for the rest of her life, but it was far less than she was expecting. Casper’s accounts were unfrozen, and we were left with the real estate he had procured over the years. There were too many bad memories in the house he shared with his wife to stay there.
It was a few days later I was in Paris, the city of lights and of love. If I had a cigarette, I would most likely be smoking it at that moment. We were lying on the floor wrapped up in the sheet and kissing each other passionately after a night of lovemaking that continued until the wee hours of the morning. This was the happiness both of us were looking for. I published my book, and it became a nationwide bestseller overnight. I didn’t believe in fairy tale endings, but this one was only the beginning. I took his hands and placed them on my belly. His expression was priceless.
••• THE END •••
Billionaire Darkness
*Please excuse any grammatical and continuity errors in this story. It’s the first draft and not yet edited.
Thanks for your understanding
Blurb
Michelle Swanson is a pharmacist studying to be a doctor but she has no idea if she really wants anything to do with medicine. She was only pushed into it by her overbearing parents who had her life mapped out for her before she was even in her teens. She has interactions with Drake Sumner a charismatic man that has this unique charm that makes her happy every time that he comes in for a prescription.
There is a bit of flirting going on and then suddenly he proposes that they get married on paper. He informs her that he needs to be married before he’s 40. That will be in less than a month and he has no prospects. He wants somebody that he can trust not to screw him over with his siblings. They will embark on a journey of self-discovery. What she doesn’t know is that his siblings will do practically anything to stop him from getting married by the strike of 12 midnight.
Chapter 1
I looked at myself in the mirror and I couldn’t believe that I had allowed this to happen. It seemed only yesterday that I was living underneath the same roof as my parents. I was an only child and to say that they were helicopter role models would’ve been a vast understatement. They wanted nothing but the best for me. They had their own ideas of what that would entail. I had aspirations of being an actress ever since that I got the bug when I was in high school. I even contemplated walking away from their plans for me for something that would make me happy.
“I get tired hearing you sigh with discontentment. One of these days you’re going to have to tell your parents what you feel and stop letting them determine what you are going to do with the rest of your life. I’ve tried to be a shoulder to lean on. I want you to know that I will stand by any decision that you make,” Jackson said as he sat there in a Lotus position quite agile for his 25 years on the planet. He was wearing a pair of Nike black sweatpants and a Timex watch that he had received as a gift on his graduation from his parents.
“I don’t know why we keep having the same argument over and over again. You know that I can never stand up to my parents. I take one look into their eyes and I see the way they live vicariously through me. They don’t want me to end up in some dead-end job for minimum wage,” I said looking back and knowing that time was not on my side.
Jackson was motivated to stay in shape and he had less than 3% body fat. He had several workout regiments. He made me tired looking at him moving from one exer
cise to the other. We were roommates, best friends, but I wasn’t opposed to flaunting what god gave me. He was a man, but he wasn’t like all the others that would eye fuck me thinking that I was there for their amusement and pleasure.
I had my own gay friend and I’d been trying to set him up with a few like-minded individuals, but so far he had been reluctant. He always finds fault with each one of them. I understand being picky, but this was going well and beyond that.
“I know that you have the courage to give your parents a piece of your mind. You are fearless and there’s virtually nothing that you won’t do for a thrill. We’ve never shied away from something that was scary. We’ve ridden roller coasters, swam with the sharks in Hawaii, climbed mount Everest and I know that we haven’t even begun,” Jackson said as he had the bar over the door and was lifting himself up and down in a motion that would make anybody seasick.
