Darkness Follows

by J. L. Drake

  ***

  Emily

  I tried to convince Riley to eat with us, but he insisted on sitting a few tables back. He said he felt more comfortable with the whole room in front of him. Pete grinned at me as the waiter poured us some red wine.

  “To the prettiest person in the room.” He raised his glass to me. “And to you, as well.” I laughed and rolled my eyes.

  “How are you not taken?” I joked at his vain flattery toward himself.

  “I like to be available for when Matt Bomer realizes I’m better suited for him than Simon Halls.”

  “Ah, of course.” I looked over the menu. Everything looked delicious.

  “Emily,” Riley came up to me, “I’m not covering for you anymore. Call Connors.” Crap, the calls must have started. I grabbed my phone and saw four texts from Seth. I sighed while the phone rang. He answered on the second ring.

  “Where are you?”

  “Hello, Seth, and how are you this evening?” I hated when he was all business.

  “You haven’t returned any of my texts, and when I called Riley, he said I had to speak to you before he’d talk to me. So what is going on?”

  “I’m spending the next couple of days at the Wind Gate Spa and Resort in Laguna. I just need some time, Seth, time to myself. I’m not alone. I have Riley and Pete with me. I didn’t say anything because I knew you’d never let me go. Lasko had the perfect opportunity to make a move when my mother was in town, but he didn’t. I don’t think he’ll try anything. I’m tired of asking permission. Lasko will not ruin every aspect of my life.” I felt my heart pound hard enough to leave a bruise. There was a long pause before he finally spoke.

  “I agree that you could use some space. We’ve all been smothering you, trying to keep you safe.” I could hardly believe he was all right with this. “But make sure you keep Riley with you at all times, and please check in with me whenever you can.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Wow, who are you, and what have you done with Seth Connors?

  “I’ll get in touch with the spa’s security team to make sure they know what Lasko looks like.”

  “Seems fair.”

  “And, Emily,” there was a small pause, “so help me God, if I find out you left the resort, I will personally come down there and bring you home myself.”

  Oh, there he is.

  “I won’t leave. I never had any plan to. Thanks for being so understanding about this.”

  “I’ll talk to you later.” The line went dead. I shrugged. That could have been worse.

  A bottle of wine and a glass or two of champagne later, Pete and I were on a roll.

  “I say four-point-five out of ten.”

  “What!” Pete shrieked. “He’s at least an eight.” We ranked the waiters as they walked by, and we had been there long enough that we had pretty much closed the place down. There were a few stragglers who didn’t seem to mind our random outbursts of laughter.

  “Wait, do you hear that?” Pete strained to listen, and then started to laugh. “This place really changes after hours! Listen to the song.”

  I winked at him; it was Hungry Eyes from the movie Dirty Dancing. I sang as he drummed his fingers on the table. “Why do I feel like Patrick Swayze is going to come bursting through those doors wearing a tight dress shirt and black pants?”

  “One can only dream, my love,” Pete muttered.

  A few staff members seemed to enjoy our company. I glanced over at Riley, and he just shook his head at me. He suddenly tensed and looked behind me.

  “Excuse me, but I think you dropped this.” A set of chocolate eyes gazed down at me. I pulled my sweater out of his grasp.

  “Oh, thank you.”

  “You’re most welcome.” He smiled at Pete. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.” The man slipped a hand into his jacket pocket and strolled off.

  “Holy hell, that man is hot.” Pete hopped to his feet as Riley approached us.

  “Let’s go.”

  Pete grinned at me, “I would seriously consider a sex change just to have five minutes alone with that guy.”

  “Hmm, I see you with a B cup.” I felt his chest with both hands as we were pushed to the lobby by an unimpressed Riley.

  “Double D. Go big, or go home.” Pete laughed as he watched Riley’s face.

  “Okay, you two, upstairs.” Riley pushed the elevator button and hustled us inside. “Why do I feel like all the warnings the guys gave me about you are going to be proven true in these next few days?”

  This made Pete laugh hard enough that he had to hold onto the wall for support. I crossed my arms and pretended to be hurt, but it was no use. I joined his belly roar.

  “Riley, look at it this way.” Pete held his side. “I’m sure your sergeant will give you a raise when you’re done with this one.”

  “Hey!” I smacked Pete in the shoulder when the elevator opened to our floor.

  “Well, actually, you were pretty damn tame tonight.”

  Riley locked the door behind us. “I don’t suppose Seth’s advice to be careful means squat to you right now either.” I waved him off. We’d had too much fun to let him ruin our mood. “Come on, you two, into bed you go.”

  “Night, Riley.” I waved over my shoulder.

  Pete changed into a pair of silk PJs and climbed under the covers. I joined him, and we both stared up at the ceiling, which held a giant net that completely covered the whole bed. It was lovely and set the mood perfectly.

  “Riley has a fine ass, hey?” Pete suddenly blurted out. I started to laugh silently, but I made the whole bed jiggle, which only made him keep going. “Do you ever picture him shirtless?”

  “No.”

  “That’s a shame. I’m doing it right now.”

  “Pete,” I held my stomach, “please.”

  He rolled onto his stomach to face me. “Oh shit, I bet he has tattoos.”

  “Stop!” I closed my eyes. “I don’t want to picture him.”

  “Why? You wanna talk about how Seth looks?” He batted his eyes.

  “Go to sleep, perv.”

  He flopped back over with a heavy sigh. “That’s okay,” he patted my arm, “I can do it without you.”

  “You’re hopeless.” I rolled onto my side and pulled the covers to my chin. Pete flopped around a little, then I heard him giggle. I didn’t even want to know.

  I lay there for a few minutes, then snatched my phone off the nightstand.

  Emily: In bed with the world’s biggest pervert. Hope you had a good day.

  A few moments passed, and then I felt my phone vibrate.

  Seth: Good, stay put until morning.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Emily: There was a time you would have cared who I slept with.

  Seth: I care, but after the pic he just sent me I’m not concerned.

  I rolled over and stared at Pete. He turned the phone around to show me the picture. I laughed when I saw his sad face at my back.

  “I told him you were ignoring me.”

  “Oh, Pete.” I took his arm and wrapped it around my waist so he’d cuddle with me.

  “That’s better.” He stuck the phone in front of me and snapped another photo.

  A few minutes later I felt my phone buzz.

  Seth: I’m sending Riley in.

  Pete laughed over my shoulder. Nothing wrong with giving him a little kick in the ass in the right direction.

  Emily: Goodnight, Seth.

  Seth: Text me when you get up. Night, babe.

  ***

  The sun beat down on my face, and the pool water made for a beach-like feel.

  “Who would have thought Mario’s hands could work that kind of magic?” Pete cooed as he sipped his mojito. He gave me a guilty smile as we lounged around the pool area under the solarium dome. It made me feel like it was the middle of summer.

  I was incredibly thankful I only had to hear about what happened with Pete and Mario as opposed to being there to witness it.

  �
�I’m sure it happens all the time. You can’t blame me for being attracted to a half-naked man. I wasn’t prepared to turn over when he turned me. At least he knows he’s good at his job.” He winked.

  “Oh Lord.” I sighed and reached for my drink.

  “Hello again.” The attractive man from yesterday swam over to us.

  Pete gasped. “Sweet Jesus, it’s Daniel Craig.”

  “You two look very relaxed.” He hooked his arms on the edge of the pool. “I take it you spent the morning with Mario and Tony?”

  “Yes, we did. So, are you a regular here?” I asked as I looked around for Riley, who was across the pool. He nodded to let me know he saw us.

  “Yes, I come at least six times a year for work. It wins over the clients every time.”

  “I can see that,” Pete chimed in as he finished off his drink. He stood and eyed mine. “I’ll get us some refills.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “It’s okay to be friendly. I know where your heart belongs, love.” He kissed my cheek. I guessed he had a point. I didn’t have to be rude. I’d just learned there was a fine line that seemed to get crossed often.

  “May I sit?” he asked as he pulled himself out of the pool.

  “Sure.”

  He laid a towel on the lounge chair, and then sat down to face me. “Hi.” He waited for me answer him.

  “Hi, I’m Emily.”

  “It’s nice to meet you properly. I’m Blake.”

  ***

  Seth

  I sat a row behind Riley with a ball hat, sunglasses, and board shorts. I was careful to hide myself from Emily’s view. No doubt she’d spot me a mile away.

  Emily had the attention of most every male in the vicinity. Her black bikini made me want to toss her over my shoulder and take her into a room where I could sink my teeth into her neck as I slid balls deep into her.

  My erection strained against my shorts. I blinked back my fantasy and stiffened when I saw him approach her.

  “Who’s that?” I asked loudly enough for Riley to hear. Riley, who pretended to talk on the phone, turned his head slightly.

  “He approached them last night at dinner. He handed her a sweater. I checked around. He’s a businessman who brings clients here a lot. They’ve never had a problem with him. He never goes to his room alone, though,” he said with a side glance at me. My skin crawled at the thought.

  “Keep your eye on him.”

  “You want me to interfere?” Riley shifted a little like he was about to get up.

  Yes.

  “No, Pete is back now. He won’t let her do anything stupid.” Riley nodded and settled back in his seat.

  Riggs was at the far end of the pool. He twisted his straw between his fingers and signaled that everything was all clear on his end. He picked up his book and opened it, resting his hands on his knees so the tiny mic was close to his mouth.

  “Don’t take your eyes off her.”

  “Copy that,” Riggs muttered into his glass.

  ***

  Lasko

  I grabbed a shopping cart and whipped down the aisles and grabbed duct tape, zip ties, a black cloth bag, and a piece of foam that was six feet by three feet. I chuckled to myself when the clerk glanced up at me with an unsettling look.

  “I watched a show once,” the clerk started to shove the items in a bag, “where a guy bought this same stuff so he could kidnap a girl. Only he got rope rather than zip ties.”

  I handed him a fifty dollar bill. “Zip ties are faster, though less comfortable. Keep the change.” I left the clerk, who looked shocked at my comment. I didn’t care. I planned on taking Emily far away from here. I opened the borrowed van’s door and placed the foam piece on the floor in the back. I chucked the bag on top and headed back to the spa. I needed a progress report from Blake.

  My phone rang just as I turned over the engine.

  “Yeah.”

  Background noise made it hard to hear the voice. “She’s not alone. You’ll need Blake’s brother.”

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “No, handle it.”

  The line went dead.

  My thumb zipped through a few contacts until I found Blake’s number.

  He answered on the fifth goddamn ring.

  “Blake Barker.” He answered, which meant he was with her.

  “You need to bring in your brother.”

  “Yes, I noticed that problem, and I’ve already handled the issue.”

  “Good.” I hung up and reached for my Jack. I took a long sip and chased down three painkillers. My goddamn head hurt. I needed some blow badly.

  After I parked, I pulled on my blond, shaggy wig and made sure it looked right. I attached my mustache and fastened the Velcro that supported a fake tummy around my middle, then grabbed my purchase from the local food market and headed inside. I was so excited, I could taste her.

  ***

  Emily

  I felt a little uncomfortable with Blake’s friendliness. Any other girl would have tossed themselves at his feet. He was tall and lean, with deep, chocolate-brown eyes and a great smile, but that didn’t mean anything to me, not since Seth. Seth had had my heart from the moment I laid eyes on him.

  “So, what do you think?”

  “Huh?” I looked over at Blake and tried to recall what he had just said.

  He chuckled. “Am I that boring?” I felt my face flush. No, you’re just not the man I want to be with right now. “I asked if you and Pete wanted to meet me for dinner tonight. My brother is in town, and I think Pete and he would hit it off great.”

  “Wait, wait, shift it back!” Pete squealed from behind me. “You have a brother? Oh, we are so in!” I glared back at Pete, who didn’t seem to care.

  “Great.” Blake rose. “We’ll meet you at the Gate restaurant at six. See you then.”

  As soon as Blake was far enough away, I snatched my drink from Pete’s hand and pinched him on the arm.

  “Ouch!” He laughed and rubbed the sore spot. “Come on, Emily. You already landed yourself a hottie. Now it’s my turn. Besides, Riley and I will be with you the whole time.” He stuck his lower lip out at me. “Please, love, if there are two of those men on this planet and one plays for my team, shouldn’t I have a fighting chance to win him over?”

  I rolled my eyes and sat back down. He knew I’d do anything for him. Even this.

  A few hours later, Pete strolled out of the master bathroom. He gave me one of his famous side smiles when he saw my cream-colored dress with gold threading through it.

  “God, I have good taste.” He referred to the fact that he had picked the dress out for me a few months back.

  I shot him a look. “Yes, you do. I am pretty great.”

  “Ready to go?” He offered me his arm.

  Riley stopped mid-step when he saw Blake and his brother waiting for us at a table. He gripped my arm and spun me around to look at him.

  “You could have warned me.” He was right. I shouldn’t have surprised him like this.

  “I’m sorry. I’m just doing this for Pete. I didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”

  “Emily, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Riley started to search around the restaurant.

  “Why? Haven’t you already done a background check on him?” He looked a bit startled by my question. “It’s okay, Riley. I’m sure Seth scanned everyone in the resort. Is Blake all clear?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, well, I’m going to go enjoy dinner. Besides, I promised Seth I wouldn’t leave the resort, and I’m not.” I stepped back and gave him a reassuring smile. His face didn’t change, but he didn’t argue either.

  “Emily,” Blake greeted me as he stood and pulled back my chair. “Pete informed us that you and your cousin are quite close.” He nodded toward Riley who walked swiftly toward the kitchen. I wonder where he’s going.

  “Yeah, we are.” I felt Pete lay a napkin over my lap, then he gave me a small pat.

  “Hello, Emily
, I’m Simon.” Blake’s brother, who looked exactly like him, extended his hand. “Thank you for joining us tonight.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” I nodded and took note that Riley was nowhere to be seen.

  ***

  Seth

  I sat in the corner of the restaurant in a black suit with a navy blue tie. My mouth was dry at the sight of Emily. The way she commanded the attention of a room was almost too much to take.

  “Would you relax?” Vanessa hissed and made a point to eye my fingers wrapped around the knot of my tie. “Seriously, we look like we’re on a first date or something.”

  “Remind me again how you convinced Campbell to let you be a part of this?”

  She rolled her eyes and smirked. “You needed a date for a cover, and I’m guessing Mindy wasn’t the first on your list of suitable ladies.” She raised one eyebrow as she sipped her water.

  “Really? You just went there?”

  “Yes, I did.” She batted my hand away from my neck again.

  “Wait, how did you even know about her?”

  She shrugged. “Give Pete a drink or two, and the stories start flowing.”

  “Jesus, he’s worse than a thirteen-year-old girl.” I picked up my fork and speared a potato, then spun it in a small amount of sour cream. I wanted desperately to remove my jacket because I felt quite warm, but I needed to make sure my wire was well hidden.

  I flicked my glaze over to Emily’s table. I could faintly make out what their conversation was about. Pete was mostly chatting away about himself—shocker. I lifted my napkin to wipe the corners of my mouth. “Heads up, guys, she’s on the move.” I glanced around the room. “Where the hell is Riley?” I watched Emily make her exit toward the restroom. All eyes were on her.