Ah, so that’s why she was so excited! Makes so much sense now.
“Kimberly, I’d like to introduce you to Hank Pope, my Head of Security.”
And Head of Pleasure, apparently.
I notice the way he looks at her, like she has the entire universe at her feet—a look I’ve only ever seen one other time. Between Raea and her man.
“It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Hank says in a deep baritone. He has kind, brown eyes, a sexy bald head and he’s wearing the hell out of that suit.
Go, Christina!
I should remember to text Raea and Ivy with this tidbit of gossip.
“Now please, if you’ll follow me into the security room, we’ll get you up to speed with the security of the mansion as well as for the estates.”
“The estates?”
“Oh, after what happened years ago when there was a security breach…”
And my best friend in this entire world, who so happens to be my cousin, was abused in the most brutal way by the man who raped my mother which is how I came to be.
I gulp, looking down at the floor as guilt churns in my stomach.
The shame of what happened to Astraea still haunts me till this day.
I have my own secrets and hidden darkness I’ve never shared, but this isn’t about me, this life has never really been about me.
“So, what does the system do?” I ask after clearing my throat.
“Well, first of all, no one is granted access to the estates at all unless expressly permitted by the residences that live within these twelve estates.”
That makes sense. No one likes an intruder.
“Also, as you might’ve noticed, the four estates that belong to the Kings, the Beaumonts, the Eastons—God only knows that family needs all the protection right now—these four families are the—”
“At the top of the food chain.”
“In a manner of speaking, but with great power comes great shitty drama and inconveniences that have taken lives. It’s a lot,” Christina says sadly, suddenly looking way older than she really is.
I guess everything that happened in this town also somehow affected her. God knows it affected her son.
“Yes,” I mutter, looking away.
“Since this morning, we’ve been trying to beef up security. It’s been crazy all morning.”
“Oh?” I frown. “All this because Noah is back home?”
“Did no one tell you what’s going on?” Christina asks, looking concerned. I shake my head, my stomach churning. “Have you checked your phone?”
“I mean, I have a missed call from Astraea, but I figured I’d call her back later.”
The girls and I have a system now. If one of us calls the other once and the call is not picked up, then that means someone is busy or something. But if it’s a double call, it means one thing. Trouble.
“What’s going on?”
“Well, it seems all the prodigal sons are coming home.”
I hold Christina’s gaze, not sure if I’m hearing her correctly.
“Do you mean to say all of them are coming back?”
“Yes.”
“But…” Astraea and King would never come back to a town that took so much from them. Why would they come back now? Especially when Raea is expecting a little bundle of joy? “Why?”
“I’m not really sure, but either way, you need to let Mr. Pope here...” she glances at him, a shy smile on her face that makes me swoon. “He’ll get you all sorted.”
I bet.
I wonder if Noah knows about this.
I’m not sure if Christina divorced David or not, but I love that she’s living her best life.
“Anyway, security has been beefed up. You’ll get your own unique code for the main gates and the front gates of the estates.”
“Like Christina said,” Hank steps forward. “However, to actually enter the house, you’ll need to come with me.”
If I didn’t know the tragic history that took place in this very mansion, if I didn’t know Noah at all, I’d have said wealthy people are delusional.
That they think everyone’s out to get them, but no. Craig, Noah’s brother killed himself in this mansion.
Astraea was raped and brutalized in the foyer of their mansion.
Astraea and George’s mother was fatally shot in the Easton’s mansion… so yeah, there’s a lot that happens in these beautiful mansions that so many people never see or hear a peep about.
After all, not everything that glitters is gold.
I follow Hank and the other guy out of the office, then down a hallway where there’s a door so obvious and a bit too simple that anyone would think there’s nothing special behind it; but instead, there’s a whole operating room that would rival the Pentagon’s black ops site.
There are screens on one wall that show every inch of the exterior estate and what’s happening outside.
The other wall has several screens mounted up, monitoring the interior of the mansion.
“Jesus,” I whisper, not knowing what to think of all this.
“Yes, well, this is all necessary, Miss. If you can come this way, we’ll take your fingerprints and your retina scan.”
“And my passcodes?”
“You pick ones that are easy for you to remember but nothing so obvious like your birthday or anything.”
“So, I can get onto the grounds and into the house with this?”
“Yes, apart from the east and west wings of the mansion.”
That makes me pause.
I look up at Hank, but I don’t ask. I already know why. And because of the moving trucks I saw outside. I’m surprised he hasn’t popped up to torment me yet.
“Well then. Let’s get this done.”
A few minutes later, I’ve gone through all the procedures and make my way back to Christina’s office only to come to a halt when I see her.
She’s closing up a Balmain suitcase, with bigger suitcases waiting by the door.
“Oh, you’re done. Good,” Christina starts. “So, this will be your office.”
“Isn’t this yours?”
“Well, consider it yours from now on. I’ve taken the liberty of having a new computer, laptop and iPad delivered for your use. Also, there’s a new phone here for your use. It has all the important numbers that you’ll need in order for you to do your job well.”
“You mentioned a big project.”
“Yes, well,” she starts, looking at me directly now. “You’re going to be the organizer, the point person, and the showrunner for the yearly Montreal Inc dinner.”
“I’m going to organize the what?”
“The annual company dinner,” she says simply. “It’s a big, fancy dinner where we appreciate all our partners, our business connections, the media and everyone else. It’s also a charity ball.”
“And you want me to organize it?”
“Uh, yes,” she deadpans. “It’s part of your job now.”
Have you ever felt bamboozled? Like you’re just minding your own business but then a freight train just comes for you? Yeah, that’s me right now.
She starts moving around the room, grabbing random files—or I think they’re random—and she places them on the desk, telling me about the list of things that I need to make sure gets done.
“When is this ball?”
“In three weeks.”
“Three weeks?” I screech.
“Well, my dear, if you can’t handle it…”
“No, it’s just that I wasn’t thinking that…”
“I’d throw you into the deep end on your first day?” she questions with an amused smile on her beautiful face.
My stomach starts sinking slowly with each word she utters. My palms grow sweaty until I can’t take it anymore.
“Are you leaving?”
“Yes. Didn’t I tell you I’m going to Europe for the next three months?”
“Three months?” I shriek. “In Europe? Th
ousands of miles away? Across the freaking ocean?”
She turns around to look at me, giving me a small, sympathetic smile.
“You have to know there’s a reason why I wanted you to accept the job this fast, dear,” she says softly, walking over to me.
“But I don’t even know how to do this.”
“That’s not true! You can do anything,” she says sweetly. “Besides, everything you need to do this, you already have, and the rest, well, like I said in that office, I believe you’re one of the smartest people I know. You’ll figure it out.”
I only stare at her, at a loss of words.
“But do you have to be gone for three months? Will you be here for the ball?”
“Oh yes, I’ll be there,” she says. I sigh feeling thoroughly relieved. “But you will have to go to a charity ball this Saturday in my place.”
I can feel the screech coming, but I hold it in, staring at her like I’m about to burst.
“Okay, breathe,” she says all amused and enjoying my distress. “I’m not asking you to go stand naked in the middle of Times Square.”
That would be so much better than this…
“So let me get this straight,” I start. “There’s a huge annual dinner party for Montreal Inc in three weeks?”
“Yes.”
“And you want me to organize it?”
“Yes.”
“Also, there’s a charity ball on Saturday? And you want me to go in your place?”
“Yes, a hundred percent yes.”
I stare at her.
“And you’re leaving for Europe?”
“I’m leaving for Europe to go shake my beautiful toosh on a yacht.”
“For three months?”
“Actually, I cut it short from six to three, so there’s that.”
“There’s that indeed,” I repeat like a puppet. “Christina, seriously, as your ‘right hand’,” I say sarcastically. “Don’t you need me to come with you? To make sure you get where you need to go on time and that your accommodations are well taken care of, so you don’t have to lift a finger?”
“Dear, I’m not afraid of a little work. As for my accommodations, I’ll seriously be sunbathing on my yacht in Monaco when I’m not signing checks and smiling at dignitaries all over Europe.”
“Will you be alone?”
“Actually, I’ll be going with my chief of security.”
I can’t help but smile at that.
“What’s that smile for?”
“Astraea would be proud.”
She giggles! Actually giggles. It really brings out her doe eyes and in that moment, all I see is Noah.
My heart tugs painfully as I think of the last time Noah laughed genuinely.
Firsts might hurt, but when it’s a last, it’s excruciating.
“Well, you girls will understand one day. Age doesn’t mean you have to lose your sexiness or your ability to have fun.”
“Oh, trust me, Astraea is having all the fun, sexy time in the world.”
“That’s all I want for you,” she whispers under her breath.
“What?”
“Oh, I said I miss her and Alex so much. I can’t wait to see them all, back together again.”
“Uh, yeah. I miss them too,” I mutter. I’m pretty sure she said something else but I can’t tell over the fear that’s snaking into my heart.
“Oh yes,” she says.
“I trust you.”
“And you expect me to believe that you trust me with your empire?”
“Empire? Kimberly, I trust you with my life and the life of the one person that matters most to me.”
And with that, she elegantly gets into the car and in short order, she’s gone.
* * *
Not five minutes after Christina is gone, my phone rings with both Ivy & Astraea’s names flashing across the screen.
“Kimmy!” Raea says in a rush, her beautiful face looking radiant with a fucking glow that only comes from true and authentic happiness.
“Uh, it’s too early for this type of energy, ma’am,” I mutter, deciding to just sit on the porch.
“Right? Like I was just telling her to calm down,” Ivy mumbles sleepily.
“Dude, are you still in bed?” I ask, shocked to see that she’s all cuddled up in her blankets.
“Yes.”
“You’re sleeping at this time?” I shake my head, repeating this viral TikTok video she sent me. “It’s not possible.”
Astraea starts laughing, her voice sounding all musical and shit. “And the gag is, she’s the one who sent us that damn video trying to tell us that we are lazy.”
“Urgh, I know what I did, okay,” Ivy groans, rolling over in her bed.
“Then why are you still in bed?”
“I…” she stutters, looking anywhere but at her phone. “I had a long night okay! And that’s all I’m saying about it so cut it out.”
“You what?” Astraea and I say at the same time, staring at Ivy in shock.
Ivy, bless her soul, looks away in embarrassment. If I didn’t know her well, I’d say… “You saw him, didn’t you?”
“What?”
“You were with Emmett!”
“Oh my God, that’s amazing!” Astraea exclaims, her face transforming into a beautiful smile.
“Wait, how is it that you’re this gorgeous while pregnant?” I ask her. “Can you just not?”
“Uh, you know how hard these last months have been for me, Kimmy so nope, I’m taking this glow and milking the hell out of it.”
“Are you taking selfies every day?” Ivy asks.
“You bet I’m taking selfies every day! I was even forcing Ace to do those couple goals collages with me, but he’s been… grumpy,” she says, worry flooding her eyes. “Which brings me to this call. Before we talk about Ivy being the true bad girl that she really is, what’s going on?”
“I was about to ask you the same question!” I shift, looking to see if I’m truly alone. “Christina just told me that you’re moving back to Westbrook Blues?”
“My brother told me the same thing,” Ivy says. “Something’s going on because he’s been calling every hour and not only that, I swear I have people watching me.”
“Same here!” Raea says, shifting to switch positions. “I know my fiancée and my father have been paranoid since last Christmas, but last night and this morning, Ace just told me that we’re coming back to Westbrook Blues for a while.”
“But why?” I ask, but in my head, I’m already running scenarios and coming up with one possibility. Danger. There’s danger close by and these estates are safest for them.
Suddenly, all the beefed-up security protocols that Christina and Mr. Pope were talking about, click in my head.
Of course, something is going on.
“Could it be Syrus?” I ask.
Ivy looks solemn and cautious now. I think she knows more about what’s happening with Emmett and his father than we do, but I know better than to press that button. I hate it when I’m the one on the hot seat, talking about the ashes that are Noah and mine’s ‘could’ve been’ mess.
“Maybe,” Raea says quietly. “My fiancée is the last person I’d have thought would want to come back to Westbrook Blues, not after…”
We all fall silent.
Within my band of friends, we don’t have words for the tragedies because well, words are not enough. They are not enough to bring back an innocent baby. They are not enough to make Ivy and Spider’s mother stay, and they certainly aren’t enough to make the trauma of my past go away.
“So you’ll be moving to your estate, Raea?” Ivy asks.
“And be in close proximity with that bit…” she cuts herself off, then clears her throat. “I don’t think I’d like to be close to George’s baby mama.”
“You held your tongue,” I nod slowly. “I have to say, Raea, I’m very disappointed.”
“Right!” Ivy exclaims. “I wanted you to let that B word loose! I can’t
believe Lara did that and I can’t believe George has a baby with her.”
Even though Astraea is happy, I can see that she misses her twin, but I know better than to poke that sleeping grizzly.
Family can either be a blessing or a burden that will wear you down. I should know, I ditched my mother in a house with drug dealers for the sake of my sisters but I’m still thinking of her.
“I don’t know, you guys,” Raea says softly. “On one hand, I know that we can’t help who we fall in love with.”
“Yeah,” Ivy whispers and I bite my bottom lip.
“On the other, I just think George did some damage that cut deeper than a knife and not just to me, but to the boys,” Raea continues. “But either way, if there’s a threat, one thing I’m sure of is that all five boys will defend each other fiercely.”
That’s true. Emmett, Noah, King and George are brothers bonded by ties that I don’t think we even know. Add in Spider and the five of them are lethal.
“Whatever’s happening though, one thing is clear,” I say. “We have to watch out for each other’s backs.”
“Exactly,” Raea says. “I don’t know when we’ll be there, but I think soon and when I’m there, we have to meet!”
“Slumber party!” Ivy shouts.
“Oh, Ivy, we wouldn’t want to intrude on your private hours with Emmett.”
Ivy’s jaw drops while Raea and I burst out laughing.
Chapter 21
KIM
Past
Noah: Have you ever thought about death?
ME: Yes.
Noah: Why?
ME: Why do you think of it yourself?
Noah: What do you think of?
ME: I often think of how I’d off myself when I lose everything and it all becomes meaningless.
Noah: How would you go?
ME: I’d drown myself.
ME: After all, there’s a poetic beauty to the way water is the sustenance of life but no one & nothing can counter it when it’s violent, swallowing entire civilizations to its depths. So, why not my own life? Besides, I think I know how you’d want to go.
Noah: How? And just so we’re fucking clear, I’ll never let you fucking leave me or give in to the despair. That’s not how it’ll go.
Petty Rage: Westbrook Blues Book 4 Page 25
