by C. J. Thomas
“A month alone with Kelly.” I licked my lips, hating that I could still taste him on me. Of course Madam knew about last night. I hid sex like an alcoholic hid his drink from his breath. It was impossible and stupid of me to think that I could get away with it. Especially while sitting in front of an expert like her.
“He must have a way of convincing you he’s not as bad as he truly is.” She collected her papers, placing them in a neat pile before opening a bottom desk drawer.
“So this is my choice to make?” I asked, watching her dig around.
“This time the choice is yours to make, darling.” Her head popped up and she had something in her hand. “But before you decide,” she handed me a newspaper article, “I suggest you read this.”
It was the story of Maria’s death. I was aware of it. Hell, the whole town was. “I’m aware,” I said, placing the article back on top of her desk, not bothering to read any more than the headline at the top.
“Then I also assume that you’re aware of reporter Sylvia Neil—”
My head dropped in my hands. A headache was coming on. I could feel it. “Look, Kelly told me everything. I’m comfortable with what he does, who he represents, and the people he works with.”
“But did he tell you that Sylvia’s life is being threatened?” Her lips flattened into a straight line as she stared me down. “Did Kelly mention anything about that? Do you think that’s coincidence, doll?”
I jumped up from my seat and clenched my fists at my sides. “Why are you trying to tear us apart? What is it about him that you hate so much? Or is it me you hate?”
“Being with a man for a month is a big commitment,” Madam said coolly. “I want you to have the facts before you decide. Because I might not be there to save you if he drags you down with him.”
“Really?” I crossed my arms, hovering over her. “Because it seems like you don’t want us to be together.”
“Kendra,” her voice was soft with a hint of compassion, “I know about your rape.”
My chest tightened and suddenly I couldn’t breathe.
“And the family inheritance you received.”
Warm feelings of embarrassment flushed my cheeks. Asking for more money only made me look greedy. I had money, and the means to afford a very comfortable life. It was the excitement in my life that I was lacking. And now that I’d found Kelly, my life was more complete than it had been in a very long time. “What are you getting at?” I crumbled into the chair.
Madam pushed back in her chair, stood, and came to rest her hand on my shoulder. “Honey, I know everything about you. It’s my job to protect you from getting hurt. That’s why I tell you these things about Kelly. The reason I want you to have facts—so you can make informed decisions.”
“My life’s story isn’t a secret.” I played like I didn’t care, but I did. I kept more secrets than I knew was considered healthy. My past was fucked up. A life history that I tried every day to erase from the books. Stories that I didn’t want anybody to know about.
“What I’m saying is that if you do decide to be with Kelly for a month,” she squeezed my shoulder, “then you’ll be acting more as his girlfriend than a date. You understand?”
My gaze was trained on the floor. I didn’t respond because I knew everything she was saying was true. “How much did he pay to have me?”
“Sleep on it,” she released my shoulder and pulled me to my feet, “and let me know what you decide.”
I moped to the door with my head hanging.
“And Kendra, baby?”
My feet stopped dragging as I glanced back at her.
“Keep your phone on.” She smiled. “You’ll be making another delivery for me soon.”
41
Kelly
The woman escorting me to the top floor hid her face behind a masquerade mask, the same silver color as her gown.
Mint was the popular nightclub that catered to the lifestyle of exposition sex, glamor, and social encounters with the elite who called LA home. It was here where Wes insisted we talk. Ultimately, I was fine with that because I knew that we would be uninterrupted.
The woman stopped at the security guard, who dropped the rope to the stairs leading to the top floor. “Mr. Reid is immediately to the right at the top of these stairs.”
“Thank you.” I nodded, passing security and beginning my journey up.
It was late and already crowded, but I knew that the party was just beginning. Peak occupancy would come around one in the morning and slowly dwindle until it was just a handful of hardcore members who refused to leave until the doors closed at dawn.
The bar at the top had florescent blue lights behind the many bottles of liquor. They were lit up like night lights and created a cool glow that spread to the dark corners of the room. The bartender nodded and smiled when he caught my gaze, and there were a handful of people sitting on stools, drinking and chatting.
I found Wes at the table overlooking the activity below. He had his arm around his woman, his back to me, quietly nipping at her ear, making her squirm. I approached slowly, unable to recall the last time we’d met face-to-face. It had been a while, and though we went our separate paths over the years, whenever we did come together, it was always a reunion of respect and friendship.
“Wes,” I said as soon as I was within earshot.
He kissed her cheek one more time, then turned to me with a huge welcoming grin. “Kelly Black.”
I reached out and shook his hand. He stood, deciding that a handshake wasn’t enough. He needed a hug. We laughed, looked each other over, then he introduced me to his woman. “Kelly, this is Kami. My fiancé.”
My brows raised, surprised to hear that he was engaged.
Kami was a natural beauty with brown hair that she had done in a French twist. “Mr. Black.” She shook my hand, smiling.
“Kami.” I bent and brought my lips to the back of her hand.
“Well then,” she glanced at Wes, “I know you boys have some important business to discuss so I’ll leave you to it.”
Wes pulled her in for a quick, sizzling tongue-kiss before letting her meander to the bar behind us. “It’s good to see you, Kelly.” He tossed his arm around my neck, squeezing me again. “Can I offer you a drink?”
“A sparkling water would be great.”
Wes glanced to the bartender and made a motion with his hands. “Here. Sit. It’s great to have you finally visiting Mint.”
I chose the seat closest to the railing, knowing that I would like to catch the shows below as we talked. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”
“Me too. And it’s only getting better as membership grows.” Wes pulled out the chair opposite me and sat. “Kami, what do you think of her?” His eyes sparkled like a man whole-heartily in love. “Isn’t she the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen?”
I stole a glance to the bar, seeing that Kami was a natural here at the club and a perfect match for Wes. “You’re a lucky man.”
His grin deepened as he nodded. “God, I know.” He turned his head, drinking in all that his woman was. “What about you?” Wes turned his gaze back to me. “Do you have a special someone in your life?”
For what was intended to be a friendly question, it was loaded with a dark past Wes knew about. Kendra’s green eyes sparkled in the front of my mind, and as I thought about how I was going to respond to Wes’s question, I couldn’t deny how crazy I was for her.
And with my request to the Madam to have Kendra as my own for an entire month, I couldn’t stop checking my phone every five minutes hoping to receive a confirmation that the deal was done. With how well things were going between us, I knew that getting her away from Madam’s controlling grip would allow me to personalize our relationship in ways that I couldn’t do otherwise. And if it all worked out, then I could see what needed to be done to break her free from Madam’s contract I knew she was bound to.
I lifted my eyes and said, “I’ve been seeing someone
.”
Wes’s face hardened. “Through the Madam?”
A trumpet began to play below. The band picked up and a quick melody brought the house to its feet. Performers rushed to their poles, and women swung in their partners’ arms.
I knew I could open up to Wes. There wasn’t any reason for me not to trust him. His reputation was solid and in this town, integrity like what he had was a rarity.
“Yes,” I said, causing Wes’s eyes to darken, “but I’m not here to discuss the Madam.”
Our drinks were served and Wes leaned back, nodding to the server in appreciation.
“Forgive me, Kelly,” he sipped his bourbon, “but I just can’t believe that you’re still working for her.”
I swallowed down a sip of my sparkling water, appreciating how it helped cool my body temperature. “It is what it is.”
“Except that you and I both know that you could be doing so much better working with me,” a glimmer of pride flashed over his eyes, “just like old times.”
My gaze dropped to the liquid popping in my glass. After the accident, I’d been a mess and it quickly interfered with my practice, and my life. Everything fell apart, including Wes having to make the tough decision to let me go. He needed a lawyer he could count on, and at the time, I wasn’t the person he needed me to be. That was when a mysterious woman wearing cherry red lipstick and hiding beneath a wide-brimmed sun hat came knocking. And whether I now regretted it or not, it was important to never forget that Madam was the one to help me get back up on my feet.
“Adrianna said you weren’t looking too good the other day.” Wes’s finger circled the rim of his glass.
“She looks good,” I said, knowing that Adrianna’s road to recovery probably wasn’t an easy one.
“I’m proud of her,” Wes said somberly. “It could have been so much worse.”
I leaned back and turned my attention to a pole dancer. I watched as she wrapped her legs around the metal pole and spun upside down. Addiction was a nasty disease and just thinking of it brought me back to thinking of the reason I was meeting with Wes in the first place.
“There’s a case I’m thinking of taking on, and in my research I came across tabloid reporter, Sylvia Neil. You know who she is, right?”
Wes gave a firm, knowing nod.
I rested my elbows on top of the table and lifted my eyes to Wes. “Have you ever worked with her?”
“I prefer to do business with Julia Mabel.”
My gaze dropped back to my hands, understanding his decision. Julia was a trustworthy source, too. “Anyway, Sylvia is the one who told me I should talk to you.”
“Talk to me?” He arched a brow.
“Named you specifically.”
“What about?”
“Nash Brooks.”
Wes’s head tipped back but he kept his gaze focused on me.
“Are you two close?”
“Close, as in, we’re colleagues. Yes. Many of my clients have starred in Nash Brooks’s films.”
“Was he a member of your club?”
“What are you getting at, Kelly?” His brows pinched. “It sounds like you need to be directing your questions to him, not me.”
“I tried.” I sighed. “He’s out of town. Shooting a new film.” I reached inside my suit jacket pocket and pulled out the photos of Maria, laying them out in front of Wes.
He took a minute to study them before looking up at me with anger in his eyes.
“Do you recognize her?”
Wes studied the pictures again. “It broke my heart when the story broke. I’m ashamed of what happened to her.” His voice was full of sincerity. Then he lifted his gaze to me and said, “Makes us all look bad, doesn’t it?”
I swallowed down the guilt I felt inside my own aching heart. “Nash is into the lifestyle, too, isn’t he?”
Wes frowned, nodding.
“Did you ever see him with Maria?”
“She was his intern. And if you know Nash, that’s his thing. He falls in love with his interns all the time. Maria was no different.”
“Do you know what happened? How they broke up? Why he was no longer with her?”
Wes rubbed his face, shaking his head. “Traded up. Hell, I don’t know.”
“Ever see them here, together?”
“Nash visits Mint occasionally, but not like he once did.”
“When did he stop coming?”
Wes stole a glance over my shoulder toward his fiancé.
“Was it before or after Maria’s murder?”
He looked up and to the left, thinking before he spoke. “Before. Definitely before.”
“And if it came down to it, would you testify in court that he stopped coming before Maria’s death?”
“Shit, Kelly.” He tilted his head, looking at me with pleading eyes. “I have enough bullshit on my plate already. I don’t need to get myself involved in this mess. At least not until I know you’ve talked this over with Nash.”
“Trust me, I will as soon as he’s back in town.”
Wes swallowed down a healthy portion of his strong drink. “When you talk with him, keep in mind he went through quite the ordeal recently.”
I thought about my visit with Alex Grace.
“You know,” Wes’s eyes widened for added emphasis, “when his girlfriend found the missing Blake Stone money.”
I twirled the thin plastic straw around in my drink. “I heard you were after the money, too?”
“Everyone was.” He lifted his glass to his lips. “That asshole caused me more stress than I needed.”
“I’m thinking of representing the man accused of killing Maria.” My fingers stroked the sweat falling down the sides of my glass.
“What’s his name?”
I debated whether or not I should say, but in the end I decided that if I wanted Wes’s influence to help me work the case, it was in my best interest to tell him everything. “Mario Jimenez.”
Wes dropped his gaze to his nearly empty glass and shook his head. “What’s holding you back from representing him?”
“I need to know how he’s involved, or if he’s just a face to convince the city that justice has been served.”
“And with what you know now, what does your gut say?”
“That he’s innocent.”
Wes picked up a photo of Maria again. “Nash would never take it this far. That’s not what this place is about. Nash was a skilled Dom. All my members are.” He glanced up at me with a knowing look, like he knew I understood exactly what it was he was saying.
“Would Blake Stone or someone he’s connected to be capable of that?” I leaned further across the table. “Would they take it that far?”
“Now you’re just ruffling my feathers.”
I raised my brows.
“This connects to Stone?” He clasped his hands on top of the table and sighed. “And that’s what Adrianna was talking about,” he murmured.
“I don’t know. I’m working through several theories right now. Help me decide which one’s the right path to follow.”
Wes sipped what little remained of his bourbon as we sat there in silence.
I turned my attention to the party below and quickly found myself staring at a woman who reminded me of Kendra. God, I missed her. Last night was incredible, and I hoped to God I’d have her to myself for the next month. Just the thought had my desire springing to life. If it hadn’t been for her, I’d be having to find a way to deal with all this stress another way, and I feared that booze would soon find its way back into my life, not realizing the darkness that would then follow.
“Stone is enemy number one,” Wes said in a grave voice. “If I had it in me, he’d be the first person I’d kill myself. Gladly. After what he did to Adrianna, and so many of my friends, and not to mention my own brother? That fucker deserves to rot in his own feces.”
“So you think he could be connected to Maria’s death?”
“You know what he’s capable of. I j
ust gave you a glimpse of what he did to me.” He tossed back his glass, emptying into his mouth. “You tell me. Darkness follows him like the plague. So be straight with me, Kelly. What is the Madam up to?”
“Excuse me?”
“Adrianna followed you the other day. She said that you both had the same idea, and that she found you at Emmanuel’s warehouse. So, what is Madam up to?”
I told Wes my theory. How I thought the Madam was interested in filling the gap in the market Stone left behind, and maybe that she was using Emmanuel’s business as a front for her drug operation. The evidence was all there, and the fact that Adrianna was even onto Madam only firmed up my own belief. “It makes sense, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” Wes nodded. He couldn’t look me in the eye, instead he stared out over the club and I wondered if he ever thought how many people were here, dancing, snorting the same shit he wanted to rid this town of. “The Madam is capable of some pretty dark shit.”
“I know.”
“And I’m not even talking about the possibility of her taking over what Stone left behind, either.” His eyes were intense as he held my gaze. “If your girlfriend is working for the Madam, you need to get her out.”
My stomach dropped as fear for Kendra boiled in my intestines.
“Madam will ease her in, then turn her inside out. Whether it’s for her own needs or some of her client’s sick desires. Stuff like this,” Wes jabbed his finger down on Maria’s image, “will eventually get her killed.”
“Are you saying that Madam might be behind Maria’s death?”
“What I’m saying is that you might be oblivious to the reality of Madam’s other clients and how they treat their dates. Without knowing the facts, I’m not sure that’s what happened here with Maria, but it certainly seems like a possibility.”
I swallowed the rock forming in my throat as I thought back to the day in the cemetery I visited my wife’s grave. Kendra was new in my life and there was still a lot that we had to learn about each other, but I already knew that I couldn’t bear the thought of having to bury another woman who meant the world to me. “So I guess you’ve heard Stone’s attorney was dismissed by the judge?”
