by Jayce, Aven
“We are in an awkward position.”
Carl returns on the screen and smiles. “Go with the flow tonight young ones. Everything will be okay if you play by the rules,” and once again, he’s gone.
“What does that mean?” I gripe.
“It means don’t make any noise. Just do what we’re supposed to do and let what happens, happen. Dayne’s not going to do anything before this party. He’ll wait until the house is cleared.”
“You sure?”
“No. I hope.”
I turn away from the blank screen toward Cove and know I owe him an apology. “I’m sorry for my comment about your father.”
He shakes his head and holds out his arms. I press my body against his for comfort and we embrace. “It’s okay. You’re right. I need to let go of the fantasy that he’ll be freed.”
“Yeah, but it’s good to have hope. I didn’t mean to take that away from you.”
His hands grip my ass and he lifts me into a kiss. “Let’s shower. The clock’s ticking and the sun will set in about an hour. It’s time.”
CHAPTER NINE
“Your table’s ready.”
The maître d’ at Bella Vione leads the women to a back corner of the high-class Italian restaurant in the heart of Vegas. Leondra pulls out a chair for her sister and Devery, then takes the seat between them. The three Rosen women haven’t been together in the same location for over seven years, but the event is hardly a celebration and the moment is tense. Paul Jameson has come between them, destroyed Devery’s confidence, caused tremendous suffering in Lydia’s nephew and sister, and taken away everything that Leondra holds dear. It’s time to strike back. Together, they may have a shot at curbing Paul’s power; his rule over so many lives, and they may be willing to unleash the past secrets of Devery’s brothers for the safety of Cove and Sophia.
“Devery,” Leondra sighs, as she reaches her gold-covered hand out to her cousin. They lock fingers over one another’s rings and Devery smiles. “Sweetie, please tell me you’re okay. I can’t even imagine what you went through last night in Paul’s office. You’re a true gem, my love. How are you managing? Do you need to talk about it?”
“I did what I had to do for everyone, and it’s over.”
“It’s not over,” Lydia chimes in. It’s a rare occasion that she raises her voice and allows her normal, bubbly, fun-loving personality to disappear. “That beast needs to be arrested so my brother-in-law can come home to his family. We still have a long way to go.”
“I know. All I meant was that my time alone with Paul is over, and he feels the same way. He almost shot me.”
“What!” Leondra raises her voice, looks around, and then quickly lowers her voice to a whisper. “What do you mean he almost shot you?”
“His computer didn’t fall asleep and I never thought to force it to when I finished. He noticed and became suspicious. I barely made it out of his office. He could have easily killed me, but he shot at the door instead. Dayne was behind that door and he’s just as lucky as I am that Paul didn’t kill him.”
Leondra leans back and adjusts her sleeveless black chiffon dress that stops just above her knees. Feeling a chill in the room she pulls it as far down as the short length will allow. “So he knows.”
“He doesn’t know anything. His worry was that I was trying to get into his bank account.”
The women laugh as a server arrives with a bottle of wine. Lydia takes a sip and nods, signaling their waiter to fill all three glasses. Leondra holds hers up for a toast. “To our safety and well-being this evening, a wish for luck, and the crowning destruction of Paul by the end of the night.”
“Cheers,” they say, clinking glasses; fully aware that the smiles on their faces are masks behind which they hide their true feelings about the night.
“Do you think he already found the file on his computer?” Lydia inquires.
“If he looked for it, yes. It’s labeled as one of his other files, so he’d have to open something that looks like his own folder to find it. His desktop was packed with company information, so it may take awhile. He stated he’d search over the weekend and asked if I would still be in town if he came across anything. It was a whispered warning.”
“A whispered warning,” Leondra seethes. “Paul’s favorite way of threatening people. He sounds so cold when he speaks in that tone. I know it all too well.”
Devery sips her wine and wraps her fingers around a bead on her pearl necklace. She’s already dressed for the Jameson event, wearing a classic dark blue satin dress, short and strapless, with an embroidered peacock across the chest. Her hair is tied back in a bun and small strands have been pulled out, intentionally framing her face. Her lips are drenched in a plum shade of lipstick with matching nail polish; two forms of makeup that she rarely wears. This is an important night for her. She’s prepared to stand up to Paul, her family, and to take control of her future; something she’s never done before, something no Rosen woman has ever done. “I’d say we have only this evening and Paul will know after that.”
Lydia places a napkin on her lap in anticipation of her butternut squash lasagna with goat cheese and sage, the dish she orders when Wayne brings her here each year for their anniversary. Terrified of her husband’s reaction, she told him she was meeting Leondra for dinner, and that they would be seeing a movie together afterwards. He’s easy to fool, but she’s worried that misleading him may create bad karma for the entire family. “Maybe I should call Wayne. He could help us.”
“There’s nothing he can do, Lydia. This isn’t the sort of party where non-clientele are welcome. That’s why Dev and I are the only two going in. At least the two of us have some connection and reason for being there. If Wayne came he’d just be sitting in the car with you in front of Paul’s house. It’s too risky to bring you inside, and I don’t trust that Wayne would stay outside. We need to keep him out of this. Just sit in the car and pretend to talk on your phone as we planned.”
“How are you going to get past security?” Lydia inquires. “Someone must be guarding the doors.”
“I’ve known Trey for years, and like Paul, his weakness is women. If little Sophia could get past him and escape Mera’s apartment back in St. Louis, then big mama bear can get through to that party here in Vegas.”
“I meant how are you going to get past him without him discovering Wayne’s gun? You know you’ll be frisked. You’ve mentioned that before.”
Leondra snaps her napkin open and places it on her lap. Fettuccine with Bolognese Ragu steams before her, and she waits for the delivery of her sister and cousin’s plates before taking her first bite. It’s delicious, and as she slowly relishes the flavor, she’s reminded of the patience she’s taught her son over the years, right down to taking a minimum of fifteen chews before swallowing. Enjoy it, savor it, and don’t rush. When you rush, you make mistakes. She knows that tonight she needs to heed her own warning and take her time. If she makes one mistake the lives of many will be affected. Her husband, son, and Sophia may be killed, as well as Devery and herself. She has to make this work. She’s willing to go to prison to save her son. He’s older now and doesn’t need her by his side; he can take over the business back home and start a life with Sophia. She’ll do this for him so he can finally have a life of his own. Parents make sacrifices for their children, and this one is for Cove. She’s ready. “I’ll figure out how to get past Trey when the time comes.”
Devery hadn’t thought of that; that they would be frisked. She took one of Doron’s guns from his house for protection and is now worried that she made the wrong decision. Maybe she should take it out of her purse and hide it under the seat in the car. But what if something goes wrong? Leondra’s carrying for protection, shouldn’t she do the same? She knows if she had brought a gun last night that she would’ve shot Paul dead. It’s probably best to leave it behind. No one’s going to die this evening. She needs to trust that her cousin knows how to get the police to show up and into Paul’s
office. How is she going to do that? “Leondra, I need to know exactly what you’re going to do when we get there so that I can help. Surprises are not my forte.”
“Yes,” Lydia says. “You’re not sharing enough information about this evening.”
Leondra pats her lips with her napkin and picks up her wine. She raises it to the light and swirls the dark liquid around the glass. A soft glow from a wall lamp next to the table, and the light from three glowing candles on the table, flickers across her face. Hoping the two other women don’t sense or see the fear in her eyes, she gives a short response and changes the subject. “Trust me. Just trust me,” she whispers. “How did Cove look when you saw him?” she turns and asks Devery. “Was he hurt? Was Sophia okay?”
Devery sets her fork on the side of her plate and sighs. “I only saw them for a few minutes. Sophia had the company tattoo.”
Leondra and Lydia follow Devery’s action by setting their forks down. The food at Bella Vione is the finest in the city, but none of them are hungry any longer. Wine on the other hand, is another story. They continue to drink in anticipation of the upcoming event.
“What does that mean? Sorry, I’m not following you.”
“Lydia, Paul tattoos all of his employees as a signature so his clients know they can only find those employees on his sites. If they like what they see, they will know they can’t find it anywhere else. It helps him build a loyal client base,” Leondra explains. “The signature reads Property of Jameson Industries, but I’ve seen other ones as well. It means that he plans to force Sophia to work for him.”
“I remember now. The strippers at my bachelorette party had tattoos. That young man and three women... the big bad wolf and the three little pigs,” she replies with a slight grin. “What a night, I still can’t believe the two of you threw that party for me.”
Leondra unfolds her napkin and snaps it to the side of the table, then refolds it back on her lap. Devery swallows a big gulp of wine and turns her head away in embarrassment.
“What?” Lydia asks, feeling an immediate tension at the table. “Did I say something wrong?”
“That was Cove,” Devery whispers, not able to look either cousin in the eye.
The blood rushes out of Lydia’s face and she feels lightheaded. She turns to her sister who nods, it’s true.
“Cove told me a few things after his father was arrested. I didn’t know that was him that night, but I cried for days after he told me. What sort of man would do such a thing to my son?” she rages.
Lydia looks at the women with alarm. They were all drunk that night many years ago and most of the guests had passed out, but how could this happen? “You knew?” Her words directed at Devery.
Her response is a nod, and after all this time, she’s still repulsed by her actions. She could’ve possibly stopped it right then and there, but Paul convinced her otherwise. “Paul showed me a video of Dayne and Doron planning the event. They spoke of using Cove. I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I kept my mouth shut to protect them. They’ve always been my baby brothers.” Her eyes well with tears as she mentions them. “I’m so sorry I didn’t help. Paul convinced me it was a one-time event and that my brothers had played a prank on us in good fun. I left it at that, but was worried about their involvement with Jameson Industries... and Cove’s tattoo.”
Lydia stands and places her napkin on the table. Her sister has shared very little information about her nephew and brother-in-law, what they’ve endured, and the hidden world in which they live. “Excuse me ladies, I need to use the restroom to freshen up, this is... just too much.” She rushes to the back of the restaurant in a quick burst, visibly upset.
“Give her a moment, Dev. This is her first hint of what Cove had to go through with Paul. She’ll be okay.”
Devery nods and pours a second glass of wine for everyone. “Cove had a black eye.”
“I know. Paul was upset about an online video. He had quite a few marks on his face when he and Sophia left last week.”
“No, this was new... and I believe he was limping. His foot was bandaged.”
“Oh,” Leondra replies in a soft voice. She twirls her wedding ring around her finger and slides it off. She stares at the glistening diamonds before placing it in front of her cousin. “Will you hold onto this for me this evening?”
“Leondra, no. You can’t take that off. It’s bad luck.”
“No,” she smiles and shakes her head. “I’ve had it on since the day my husband placed it on my finger at our wedding. And it was on when he was arrested and on the day of his sentencing. It has meaning, but no luck, good or otherwise. If for some reason something should happen or I’m arrested, just in case, give it to Cove. Tell him to save it for Sophia.”
“Leondra,” she whispers. “I... I ca...”
“Take it, please.” She takes hold of Devery’s hand in a pleading gesture. Her cousin sighs, and places it in her purse. “Thank you,” she whispers.
“Excuse me, I apologize for the interruption,” the maître d’ cuts into the conversation. “The other woman who was in your party just left. She asked me to deliver this note to your table.” She places a small folded piece of cream-colored paper on the tablecloth and walks away.
Leondra touches it, then looks to Devery before she picks it up to read the message.
I’m sorry. I wish I had known earlier about the abuse my family has endured at the hand of Paul Jameson. Forgive me for leaving you. There’s something that I need to do.
She passes the note to Devery with a deep exhale of breath. “I hope she doesn’t do anything foolish.”
“I hope you don’t either.”
***
“You look beautiful,” Cove smiles at my reflection in the mirror as I apply a coat of eyeliner on my heavily caked face. Foundation, blush, golden eye shadow, and soon to be highlighted eyelashes glare back. I look like a whore, but smile at his compliment. He’s trying to make me feel better. It’s probably obvious that the substantial amount of makeup I’m using is the only way I’ll feel semi-comfortable tonight in this outfit. If I can’t conceal my torso, at least I can try to conceal my face. Cove, on the other hand, looks gorgeous. His black dress pants and white button down shirt are a perfect fit. Mera must have checked his size when his suit was cleaned the other day. The top two buttons are open and the sleeves rolled, as per my father’s request. He fusses with his hair, and with every movement of his arm I smell his cedar vanilla cologne.
“You want to switch outfits?”
“I don’t believe I’d look half as good as you do in that dress.”
“Cove,” I snarl. “This isn’t a dress. You can see right through it.”
“You’re exaggerating. There’s fabric over your nipples, vag, and ass. Only the rest is that lacy-meshy stuff. No one can see what I don’t want them to see.”
“Did you just call my vagina a ‘vag’?”
He feels his smoothly shaven face and looks over his skin in the mirror. “Yup.”
“Well then, my vag is happy to be hidden, but I can only imagine it will eventually be on view at some point during the night.”
“Soph,” Cove turns and reaches his hand out to mine. “I love you.”
I blush as I put my makeup away and take his hand. We walk to the bed and he sits on the edge with his foot extended. I kneel in front of him and he hands me an elastic bandage from the nightstand. Gently, I cover his wound so he can slip his foot into his black oxford.
“Sit down next to me,” he requests as I clasp the end of the wrap. He pats the bed and I snuggle close to him. My hair falls softly over my shoulders; a few waves frame my face. His hand brushes my forehead, around to my ear, and stops at the base of my neck. He leans in for an impassioned kiss, straight from his heart. His lips and breath are both warm, his eyes heated and they express strong feelings for me.
Music begins to play which means the arrival of the guests. Soon, the great room will be alive and we’ll have to join them. “Stay
close to my side. Don’t go anywhere by yourself or with anyone you don’t know. If someone touches you, male or female, shrug it off. If you see anyone touch me, shrug it off. Stay cool.” He kisses my cheek and nips at my earlobe. “When the time comes, don’t make a sound. Head out the front or the back door. Trey will be up front and Doron in the back. My mother will make sure one of them is distracted.”
I nod and place my hand on his thigh. “Together, right?”
“Yes. Together. I have a feeling my aunt will also be somewhere nearby. Look for her once we’re out,” he whispers, as he places a soft kiss on my forehead. “I need to ask you for a favor.”
“What is it, Babe?”
The door to the suite opens and my father walks in. We both turn and our heads follow him around the bed until he stops directly in front of us. He pulls up a chair and places his feet on the bed between us. He’s dressed in a similar fashion to Cove, with grey dress pants and a crisp black button down shirt. They both look as if they’re about to take a seat at a high-limit table. My father fiddles with his gold watch and rings before he speaks.
“You two know where Dayne went? It’d be nice to have my third security guy for this event. The more the merrier.”
Cove and I both nod no, and stay silent.
“I see... how about Mera? Where do you think she might be?”
“Dayne sent her away, I think to a hotel. He’s pissed about those videos, Dad.”
“Is that right?” he responds in a cold, low voice. “And he told you this?”
Cove reaches over my father’s foot and places his hand on my leg. I send him a look, fully aware of what I’m doing. Why not pit these two beasts against one another? Distracting them may make our escape easier. “He did. He showed us the videos. He thought I may have known about them since I’m in the background of his bedroom in the one, and the pool in the other.”
My father smiles and taps the arm of the chair. He slides a finger across his lips and laughs. “That Rosen family has been giving me shit for days. David, Dayne, Devery, I’m surprised Doron hasn’t opened his mouth yet tonight. Fuckers. There’re too many of them. Which reminds me, Cove, since you’re part Rosen, when should we expect your mother tonight?”
