by R. G. Angel
“Thank you.”
I kissed the top of her head. “Anytime. He is probably behind the pool.”
She smiled at me once more. I watched her as she left the room and took my human part with her.
Antoine scoffed, “I never thought I'd see the day Caleb Astor would be pussy-whipped.”
“Nope,” Taylor said, taking a step away from him as I turned around slowly.
“And why don’t you two go get fucked?” I growled. “You’ve put her in a very bad situation with Archibald.”
“I didn’t–” Taylor started.
I raised my hand to stop her. “Yes, you did! You never should have put her in the middle of all this. You’re her best friend; he’s her brother. There was no winning for her. You knew it couldn’t end well.”
“Okay, you shouldn’t be all self-righteous either. You’ve been the worst of all of us.”
I nodded. “True. I am not denying that, but I need you to fix it with Archibald. I don't care what you do or how you do it. Things need to be fixed by the party next weekend. Are we clear?”
“Crystal.”
“Perfect.” I walked to the door. “Oh, and St. Vincent?”
“Yeah?”
“Our parents won’t be in charge forever. Be who the fuck you want to be because nobody really cares,” I added before leaving to see if Esmeralda was okay.
Chapter 20 - Esme
The night of the party arrived much faster than I’d expected. The stress was so high I wasn’t sure I would get through the evening and the plan without a fault. All eyes would be on us tonight. We were the golden couple. Vanishing, as we’d planned to do, would be really difficult.
“Up or down?”
I turned my head to look at the stylist. “Excuse me?”
She sighed. “Have you listened to anything I’ve said?”
No.” I threw her a chilly look I hoped was as good as Caleb’s. Apparently, she was a big deal and hard to get, but I really didn’t appreciate her talking to me as if I was a difficult child.
A knock on my door distracted me. I laughed with relief when Sophia entered the room.
“Oh, Esmeralda, honey, you are so beautiful!” She smiled at me and the tenderness in her eyes thawed me a little. “I hope I'm not bothering.”
I smiled gratefully at her. “No, I’m so happy you’re here.”
“Would you mind leaving us?” Sophia asked the stylist.
“I’m not done!”
“Her makeup is done and her dress is laced. I can do her hair. I need time with the future bride.”
“But–”
“Thank you,” I announced, not leaving any room for discussion.
She shook her head and grumbled, “Unbelievable.”
“I don’t like her,” I admitted as soon as the door closed behind her.
Sophia waved her hand dismissively. “Nobody does, dear. We just accept her because she’s good. I hope you don't mind me coming to see you? I’ve barely seen you since you came back.”
“I’m sorry,” I said and I meant it. I did like Sophia a lot, but I’d had too many things to deal with and the last week had been spent trying to mend things with my brother. Our relationship was still tense, but he’d started to understand that I hadn’t been trying to betray him. Caleb's advice to go after him had been perfect. I always knew those two were much more similar than they wanted to admit. But maybe that was why things were always so difficult between them...
“It’s alright. I'm glad your father’s plan to destroy you, failed. Sit. Let me do your hair. Everybody is here. It will soon be time for the couple of the day to make an appearance.”
I nodded and sat silently as she braided my hair.
“Oh, also I received your wedding dress yesterday,” she let out as if it was nothing.
As she brought my braids up in a type of crown, I met her eyes in the mirror. We both knew I hadn’t ordered a dress.
“That’s…great."
“Uh huh. I don't know what you kids are planning, but it looked far too suspicious that a couple of weeks before the wedding, there was no dress. Your father is not stupid, Esme. He was getting suspicious. And please tell your brother to be more discreet when he is snooping around the house. I am not sure how long I can keep distracting your father.”
I didn’t know what to say, once again touched by her help without even asking for it.
“I can see you are genuinely fond of Caleb Astor, but you’re only eighteen. You’ve barely lived. Nobody should be forced into something they don’t want. You shouldn’t be making big choices now. You need to experience life before settling down.”
“Are you talking from experience?” I asked, standing up, knowing she had barely been an adult when she'd been thrown into my father’s net.
“I am,” she confirmed as she helped me straighten the lavender silk of my floor-length dress.
“Tell Archie that your father changed the safe code. It’s your mother’s date of birth now. Tell him he has another safe in the basement behind the bar; the code is 1929. Also let him know that there is a security system he doesn't know about. Once he gets into the house and disables the alarm, he will need to disable the secret alarm your father has for his office and the basement. The control is in our room, behind the Venice painting.”
“How–”
“How do I know all this?” She laughed. “Being the idiot wife helped me, Esme – being underestimated was my strength. Use this information wisely. I believe in you.”
We were leaving our room when Caleb exited his with Archie on his tail. They were both stunning in their custom-made tuxedos. There was so much power in these two guys. They were forces to be reckoned with.
I reached up and touched the wings necklace Caleb had bought me. For some reason it made me feel safer to wear it.
His eyes followed my hand. He flashed me a little smile as he moved his arms a little to show me the cufflinks I'd bought him.
Wanting to be close to him, I took a couple of steps toward him. When I extended my hand, he eagerly took it and kissed the back of it.
“Angel, you’re stunning,” he whispered, his eyes shining with love and adoration.
I took a step closer, leaning against him. “You look super-hot. Tonight I’ll make you strip,” I whispered. I kissed his cheek gently, making sure not to leave any lipstick on his skin.
“Oh God, you two are adorable!” Sophia beamed, resting her hands on her heart. “Archibald, let’s go down and let everyone know the lovely couple is on their way.”
She turned to me and gave me a look full of meaning. Be careful, be discreet and be smart – I could see it all on her face.
“What was that all about?” Caleb asked when they disappeared down the corridor.
“She’s on our side. We made mistakes and she fixed them. I–” I turned toward Caleb. “She is our ally.”
Caleb looked down at me, detailing my face. “Maybe, but she is in it for something.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”
He chuckled. “She knows we’re after your father?”
I nodded.
“Yeah,” he said as we started down the corridor slowly. “Imagine what her life would be like if your father was gone? Rich and no strings attached. Please, Esmeralda, I’m not saying she won't be a decent help, I’m just saying there’s no help without ulterior motives.”
“Oh yeah? If it’s true, then you’ve got an ulterior motive too.”
“Of course!” he scoffed as we started down the stairs where our families were waiting for us.
“And what is it?”
“You, Esmeralda Forbes, always you.”
Butterflies invaded my stomach and I squeezed his arm tighter.
As soon as we reached the foot of the stairs, I was swept into a hug by James. He hugged me longer and tighter than necessary. We were then led into the main room where we were welcomed by applause. After thirty minutes of congratulations, people finally concentr
ated on their own groups and discussions again.
Archie came toward us, a sly smile on his face. “So, future brother-in-law, may I challenge you to a game of pool?” he asked, slapping Caleb on the back.
“Can I join?” Antoine asked, clapping his hands together.
“Of course!” Archie took a sip of his drink. “I’ll enjoy destroying you both.”
I laughed. I knew it was all a ploy; there would not be any game. Archie would slip out by the games room window and go home, while Caleb looked through his father's things, and Antoine monitored the situation from the feeds on his phone.
“Brother, let me give you a hug for good luck.” I pulled him to me and whispered in his ear everything Sophia had told me.
He pulled back, his hands on my shoulders, his eyes full of wonder and incredulity.
I nodded with a small smile. “Trust me, please,” I whispered.
He kissed my forehead. “Always,” he whispered. I knew then that we were going to be okay.
I looked at Taylor standing by her parents. She would be my decoy after a few minutes. I was supposed to take her upstairs to show her some wedding preps. She would then stay in my room, whilst I went into Jacklyn’s room to see what I could find.
Neither Caleb nor Archie were thrilled about getting me involved in the plan, but I was the main reason for all this. It would have taken everything they had to keep me away.
“I need to ask Sophia to take care of Jacklyn.”” I turned around and froze. “No, this has to be a mistake. Ben?” I whispered with incredulity as he turned from his spot. There was no denying Ben was here.
I looked up at Caleb with horror. “Caleb, no, I swear it wasn't me.”
He cupped my cheek, redirecting my attention toward him. “No, I know. I asked him here.”
I frowned. That was a cruel thing to do. Not that Ben and I were ever that close, but flaunting it in his face was still so unkind. “It’s bad, that, Caleb.”
He shook his head. “I didn't ask him here to be bad. He did something for me and we need to discuss it with you. And look -” he jerked his head toward our fathers, who were not fixed on Ben - “it’s bound to keep them occupied.”
“But–”
He nudged me toward Sophia. “We need to move. Go tell your stepmother to distract Jacklyn and get Oppenheimer. Keep your phone on you at all times, okay?”
I walked to Sophia. “Thank you so much for coming.” I pulled her into a hug. “Keep Jacklyn busy and text me if she leaves the room,” I whispered into her ear before stepping back.
She smiled back at me, but the confusion was clear in her eyes. “Of course, anything for my beautiful stepdaughter.”
I nodded, the fake smile starting to hurt my cheeks. “I just need to borrow Tay for a few minutes.” I pointed to where the Oppenheimers were. Taylor was talking to a couple I'd never seen before.
“Sometimes I forget that these types of weddings are not for the actual bride and groom.
“Tay!” I exclaimed a bit too cheerfully. I needed to rein it in.
“Esmeralda! I was just about to come find you.”
I greeted her parents before interlacing her arm with mine. “Do you mind if I borrow my maid of honor from you? I have a couple of orders to make tomorrow and would like some help with color schemes.”
Taylor’s mother nodded. “Of course. Please do. My daughter has impeccable taste.”
That I could not deny. Taylor was always the epitome of fashion.
“We’ll be back soon,” Taylor chirped.
“Take your time, sweetheart.” Her father kissed her forehead. “We’ll be here.”
“Your family is amazing, you know,” I whispered. We made our way out of the room as nonchalantly as we could. I couldn’t help but wonder if my brother was already gone or if Caleb was already sniffing around. Most of all, I worried about poor Ben. He thought he was stepping into a high-society party. He didn't know he was surrounded by sharks wanting to shred him to pieces.
“Don’t worry about your friend Ben,” Taylor said, almost reading my thoughts. “He knows what to expect. He’s been briefed.”
“How do you know?” I asked curiously.
“He told me.”
I almost missed a step up. “You talked to him? Why?”
She shrugged. “I’ve got your back. I thought he was crashing. I wanted to kick him to the curb, but he is here on a mission.”
“What mission?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t say and I didn’t ask. We have other things to worry about now.”
I nodded. She was right. I needed to keep my head in the game, find something to save us. We had three chances to get it right tonight. I couldn’t mess up my part.
“Okay, so what now?” She asked when we entered my bedroom.
I opened my laptop. “I’ve recorded myself saying things.” I pointed at the screen, which displayed a selection of clips including ‘just a minute’, ‘what is it?’, ‘I’m trying something’, ‘I’m not decent’, and other sentences I had prerecorded.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked, chewing on her bottom lip, a frown deep between her eyebrows.
“I’ll be okay. I need thirty minutes, forty-five tops. They won’t even notice we’re gone.”
“Okay…” She trailed off, the uncertainty clear in her voice.
“And what are they going to do, kill me?” I tried in an attempt at humor.
Her scowl deepened. “That’s not funny!” she hissed.
“Oh, come on, it’s a little funny.”
“No, it’s not.” She pointed at the door. “Now go before you say something even stupider.”
I chuckled and exited the room, finally letting go of the fake bravado I'd been showing to my friend. I walked down the corridor to Jacklyn’s room and used the master key Caleb had given me. Nobody knew he had that. He'd made a copy when he was fourteen when his father had left his keys out in the open. Caleb had known they would be useful one day and today was that day.
Jacklyn's room was enormous and so not what I'd expected. It was strange for someone who’d lived in the same space for the past twenty-odd years.
All of the furniture looked plush and practical with not much extra. It looked a lot like a French country bedroom I'd seen in one of Sophia’s decoration magazines. Her king bed was covered in floral print bedding, fluffy pillows, and a couple of colorful throws. A tufted cream headboard was at one end, a cushioned ottoman at the other. A comfy-looking armchair with a flowery blanket on top of it sat beside the wide French doors, which I suspected led out on to a balcony.
The cream walls sported some bird cage reproductions, making me wonder if it was supposed to be a giant ‘fuck you’ to the life we led. There was an enormous three-way antique mirror by the walk-in closet and a vintage set of drawers on which sat the only things that made the room personal – three photos of her and Theo. It made me angry and sad at the same time how dismissive of Caleb she’d always been. It was not his fault if he was not conceived the way he should have been. He’d still been an innocent baby, nothing more.
I sighed. Shaking my head, I concentrated on the task at hand. I’d have to have a conversation with Jacklyn about the photos though. Well, if she wasn’t my mother's murderer.
My frustration was reaching a new high the more I looked. Her room was the most boring place I'd ever been in. There was nothing of interest here.
In my last attempt to find something, anything really, I rounded the bed and lifted the mattress. Who knew? She might have had the soul of a fifteen-year-old boy hiding porn. But yet again, there was nothing to be found.
“Oh, for the love of God!” I growled in frustration. I laid on the floor for a minute, just letting the desperation get to me.
I rolled over onto my front to stand up. In doing so I looked under the night table and saw there was something there…definitely. I slid my hand under and it grazed against the smooth surface of a box.
Hope an
d excitement resurfaced as I pulled the table up a little to get the box out. I knelt by the bed and opened the box. There were some photos in it, some of Theo with Caleb, and a brown envelope with my name on it. My hands shook. The handwriting was so familiar and inside were the pages of the journal I'd sent Caleb. It was her. It had been her all along.
“Can I help you with anything?
I looked up, startled to find Jacklyn glaring at me from her position in front of the closed door.
“You sent me the journal?” I asked, extending the envelope toward her. How could it be her? After everything, how could she have been my mother's ally?
“You’re J. Astor?! Luke had asked the wrong Astor for help.”
She glowered even more now. “This is none of your business.”
I jerked up, offended by her quick dismissal. “Like hell it’s not my business! I thought you were trying to kill me, but you were trying to help me?” Saying it out loud didn’t help it make any more sense.
“Kill you?” She laughed. “Why on earth would I want to kill you?”
“Why on earth would you want to kill your son?” I knew it was the wrong thing to say, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Get out of my room. Now!” she commanded.
I took a step back, closer to the window, but keeping the envelope in my hand. “No.” I shook my head. “I won’t leave before you explain everything to me.”
Jacklyn paled. I didn’t understand why until I felt cold metal press against my temple and the distinctive sound of the hammer of a gun being cocked.
“Hello, Esmeralda,” said a voice behind me.
“Miss White?” I asked in shock. No, it wasn’t possible; this had to be a mistake. She’d been so nice to me, so welcoming and supportive. Why would she want me dead?
She slipped behind me, wrapping her free arm around my neck. “I’m sorry it had to come to this, Esme, but you are too stubborn for your own good.”
I tried to move within her grasp, but she tightened her arm around my neck. She was much stronger than she seemed. “But you were my friend. I liked you!” I was hoping that I could talk her down. It didn’t have to come to this. "Whatever it is, I’m sure we can fix it.”
Jacklyn was staring at us, her back against the wall by the door, her hands clasped against her heart. I wouldn't blame her if she bolted. Hell, I would even approve.