by Sara V. Zook
I never wavered my stance as we stood practically face to face. This Herson guy was a small problem compared to the other things I knew I’d be forced to face in the future. He was the kind of guy that if I turned around, he wouldn’t hesitate to stick a knife in my back. I didn’t like the idea of him still out on the streets—the same streets that Lilah walked down every day. I could only imagine all the sick fucking things he did behind the scenes when others weren’t watching. The world would be a far better place without a Christopher Herson breathing his stank breath in its depths.
“Fuck this,” I said loudly, turning to my side and looking at the guys. “This isn’t worth our time.”
“What?” Hagan bellowed out.
Herson sneered behind me as if in glorious triumph already.
“This is small town shit.” My eyes met Hagan’s and he looked like he was going to kill me himself. “I’m not going to waste my night on this jerkoff.”
“So we’re just going to leave?” Hagan asked.
I nodded. “I’m not going in circles talking to this simple fuck. It’s not like he’s going to negotiate here. He obviously thinks the Due Amiche is his.”
“Nicky…” Seton said.
“Listen,” I told them, my adrenaline only rising, “this is how I handle things. When I say someone isn’t worth our time, you’re going to fucking listen to me.”
A high-pitched squeal came from Herson’s mouth as he clapped his hands together merrily.
In an instant, I had lifted my arm and pointed my gun straight at Herson’s gross face. He barely had time to process what exactly was happening before I squeezed the trigger and blew off half of his face. Blood exploded everywhere—on the counters, all over the cook’s beautiful white attire. The rest of Herson’s body slumped in a heap on the floor. I turned around and eyed his other men. “Get the fuck out of here,” I commanded them between clenched teeth, “unless you want to die here tonight, too.”
They couldn’t get their legs working fast enough as they headed out the back door.
“Holy shit.” Hagan ran his hand through his hair.
I looked down at some of the trembling staff members. “Sorry for the mess,” I apologized to them. I motioned for the Triplets to come over. “Get a cleanup crew in here and get rid of this piece of shit.” I touched the edge of my boot to Herson’s limp leg. I looked up and met Seton’s eyes. He came over and rested his hand on my shoulder. I thought he seemed almost…proud of me.
“Guess that takes care of that problem.” Seton laughed and stepped around a puddle of blood as he headed toward the door.
“Holy shit,” Hagan repeated. “I read that situation completely fucking wrong. Here I thought you were going to just leave.”
“We are.” I smirked.
One Triplet was already on his cell phone making arrangements for a whole lot of bleach to be delivered to the Due Amiche. The other two were talking discreetly among themselves in discussion of how to dispose of what was left of Christopher Herson. I felt the exhaustion hit me as the adrenaline seeped from my body. I stuffed my gun back into my waistline and took a deep breath. Well, how fucking perfect was that for a first impression?
TWO
CROSS
“What is taking so long?”
I raised up on my tiptoes to get a better look. I had made reservations for me and Victoria Dermonte to have dinner at the newest—and, it seemed, most popular—restaurant in Haven—Coppertop. I was still nervous being around Victoria, though we’d interacted daily for the last few weeks. She was a brilliant interior decorator who was turning my new clothing shop into a masterpiece. It was amazing how she could turn an idea into something so much more. The store was coming along better than I could’ve ever anticipated. I was so lucky that Victoria was taking the time out of her incredibly busy schedule to work with me. I had Nicky to thank for that. I would never forget how he was making my dream a reality. He truly was an incredible man. My respect grew for him each day. I didn’t know how he was able to pull off Victoria Dermonte, but I’d forever be indebted to him for bringing her to me. So despite my having made a reservation for Coppertop, we were still standing in line. It was a small, crowded waiting area. Victoria Dermonte was not used to waiting—so much that her patience was pretty much nonexistence anymore. She snapped her fingers, and people listened. This looked so bad on my part.
“I don’t know,” I told her, trying to catch one of the staff member’s attention to no avail.
“This is ridiculous,” Victoria mumbled, shoving her hands in her coat pockets.
I frowned. “I did make reservations. I can’t even get around all these people to see what’s going on.”
Victoria didn’t reply. She didn’t have to. I knew she was about five seconds away from going off.
My phone vibrated. Reaching into my clutch to retrieve it, I saw Nicky’s name flash across my screen.
Headed back. What are you into?
I opened up the text message and began to reply. Coppertop with Victoria. It’s VERY busy here.
A man dressed in a Coppertop uniform brushed past me. “Excuse me,” I said, reaching out for his arm. “Can you tell me what’s going on here?” I motioned toward the crowd engulfing us. “What’s the hold up?”
He was a young kid, his eyes nervously shifting from me to Victoria, then settling on me again. “Oh. If you’re expecting a table as a walk-in, you might as well not waste your time. We’re struggling with just our reservations tonight.”
“We have reservations,” Victoria told him, her accented voice thoroughly annoyed at the situation at hand.
The guy’s huge Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He scratched the back of his head. “You do? Oh.” He looked toward the front of the room. “I’ll take you to Heidi. She can explain.”
I glanced back at Victoria who rolled her eyes but moved forward as we pushed our way through the irritated crowd.
Nicky texted back again. Coppertop? Never heard of it.
I almost laughed aloud. Of course he hadn’t. One thing I’d learned about Nicky was that he didn’t exactly keep up with the latest trends, and me…well, that was going to become a critical part of my life now in the designer lifestyle. I was going to have to take clients out to restaurants just like this, and so far my test run with Victoria Dermonte was not a great one.
It’s on the strip. Don’t bother coming. It’s crazy here.
We had finally pushed our way to the front of the crowd. It appeared that every table was filled to the max.
“These ladies have reservations, too,” the guy told a woman behind a desk who was also wearing Coppertop attire.
She gave us a grim smile and nodded toward the man before he darted away again. “Name, please?”
“Cross.”
She skimmed her finger down a book and then looked up again. She brushed her palm against the side of her head, obviously flustered. “I’m so sorry. The employee who was taking care of all the reservations…well, he messed up and double-booked our tables. It’s an absolute mess.”
Victoria groaned from my side. I didn’t bother looking at her. My stomach was already churning as I wondered what exactly she was thinking about me.
The woman ignored Victoria and went on. “Since there are only two of you, I can offer you a small table in the corner.”
“The corner?” I asked, heat filling my face.
The woman shrugged. “If not, you’re going to have to wait…” She looked down at her watch. “…probably at least an hour, if not more.”
“I am not waiting a single second more,” Victoria huffed out.
I closed my eyes for a moment. “Okay. We’ll take it,” I whispered, completely mortified.
My phone vibrated again. On my way.
I just shook my head as we maneuvered our way through the tables to the back corner where our small table awaited us. Of course Nicky would try to come down here. Well, he’d see for himself how crazy this place was and that ther
e was absolutely no room for him at our table anyway. I shoved my phone back into my clutch and took my seat. The woman handed us menus and said someone would be with us shortly for drink orders.
“I am so sorry, Victoria. I’m horrified at what happened. I plan on getting in contact with the owner of this place and giving him a formal complaint,” I mumbled off, my eyes darting down the first page of the menu.
Victoria waved her hand in the air. “It is what it is, darling. There’s nothing we can do to change it, so let’s just make the best of it, shall we?”
A waiter came strolling up to us. He seemed just as flustered as the other staff members we’d been in contact with. “Good evening. Can I start you off with a drink?”
“Vodka on the rocks,” Victoria replied quickly.
I raised my eyebrows at her. A smirk played on her lips. It made me feel a little better.
“And this.” Victoria leaned over and pointed to something on the page. The waiter nodded. “An entire bottle.” He nodded again. “You’ll like this wine, Lilah,” she told me.
“Sounds good.” I watched the waiter leave as I settled in to actually take my time to look at the menu. “I’m starving.”
“Me too. Despite the confusion tonight, many have raved about this place,” Victoria told me. “They said their food is incredible in both taste and appearance.”
I bit my bottom lip, hoping the rest of Victoria’s anticipations weren’t crushed tonight.
“So the boutique is coming along quite nicely, don’t you think?” Victoria said as we continued our menu perusals. “It’s becoming quite charming.”
“Thanks to you,” I said chuckling. “Working with you has been such an honor.”
Victoria’s smile broadened at the compliment. “All I do is take your ideas and run with them. I can’t wait to see the whole thing blossom.” Victoria’s eyes followed someone across the room. Then she reached over and lightly touched my arm. “Don’t look now, Lilah, but if that’s who I think it is…”
“What?” I turned my head to look. Who was she seeing?
“This is such an opportunity, Lilah.” With that, Victoria practically launched out of her seat and turned an older man around by the shoulder. “Langford, how are you, dear? What an incredible coincidence seeing you here.” Victoria’s voice was loud and overly dramatic as she plastered on the charm.
The man stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to place who she was.
Victoria laughed as if that hadn’t bothered her, but I knew better. “Victoria Dermonte,” she reminded him.
The man bellowed out in laughter then. “Victoria Dermonte,” he repeated in a low, harsh tone. “How have you been? It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”
“Oh, ages,” Victoria continued. “Please, do you have a moment to spare?”
“Well, I …” he began.
Victoria didn’t give him a chance to say no. “I have someone I want you to meet.” She led him over to our small table. Not knowing where to seat him at first, she pointed to her chair. “Please, sit there. It’ll only take a moment.”
The waiter arrived with our wine and Victoria’s vodka.
“Get us a chair, won’t you?” she ordered the man.
“Uh…” He looked around, knowing there were none to spare.
“Hurry now.” Victoria pushed the waiter along.
“Langford, this is Lilah Cross. I’m working on putting her boutique together right now along the strip in Haven. Lilah, this is…”
My eyes lit up as I nervously extended my hand toward the older man. He was bald, he was too overweight, but he was dressed to kill. I would’ve been a complete idiot not to know who this man was. “Langford Witherite,” I finished for her. He politely shook my hand in return, though he looked as though we’d cornered him. We pretty much had. “Very nice to meet you.”
“Same to you. Congratulations on your new place. I wish it the best of success.”
This man was one of the most—if not the most—famous clothing designers in Haven. He only designed women’s dresses and tops, and every store was dying to get him to be part of what they could offer their customers.
The waiter had managed to find an extra chair and placed it beside our table. Now Victoria was seated practically in the middle of the aisle, but she didn’t seem to mind all that much right now. Without even a thank you, she scooted the waiter aside again.
“Are you ready to order?” he asked after a moment longer of being ignored.
“Give us a few minutes,” she replied without even turning around to look at him.
“Are you looking for any new boutiques to showcase your latest line, Langford?” Victoria pitched to him quickly. “Because Miss Cross here has a prime location. She has me for her designer for Christ’s sake. How could she not be a total success? I think it would be a fantastic investment if you gave this some thought.”
Langford sighed but gave me a polite smile just the same. He’d come here to enjoy dinner, and Victoria had just ruined it for him by bringing up business and forcing him at our table.
“I’m not in need of anything new being brought in, but thank you,” he replied.
“You don’t like money? I mean, I know you have plenty of it, who doesn’t?” Victoria let out a fake laugh. “But who doesn’t want more? This is an investment,” she reiterated to him. “I don’t say this lightly. Lilah Cross is the real thing.” She looked at me as if wanting me to continue the conversation from there, but my mind went blank. There was nothing I could think of to say. I reached for the wine, feeling as if I needed something in my hand.
“How many boutiques do you own, Miss Cross?” Langford asked.
I tried not to let my face fall at his question. “Just this one in Haven,” I replied, trying to steady my shaky, nervous hand as it clasped the bottom of the wine glass.
The man’s face twisted slightly, his bushy eyebrows coming together once again. “How many years have you been in the business? Can you give me some designer names you’ve been associated with in the past?”
My head was buzzing with more questioning as I knew I was lacking the answers he wanted to hear. “I…”
“She’s just starting out,” Victoria answered for me with another perky giggle. “But we have potential clients…”
“Victoria,” Langford chastised. “A newbie? Really? You should know better than to ask this of me.”
I almost choked on my sip of wine. If I’d been embarrassed before, now I was completely humiliated. Victoria had brought over a top designer and practically begged him to consider my store for his new line—like that would ever happen.
My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I knew without looking at it that Nicky had arrived at Coppertop. Crap. I didn’t need more stress. I was having a great day, and I could feel the tears begin to surface, my anger now aiming at Victoria, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it. I was stuck sitting here feeling even more cornered than Langford at the moment.
Langford let out an awkward laugh, an attempt at dissolving the silence that now lingered between the three of us. “I’m sorry, Miss Cross. I’m sure your boutique is going to be spectacular—especially with Victoria Dermonte working behind the scenes.”
Victoria instantly perked back up at my side.
“I just don’t have time in my schedule right now. Please understand where I’m coming from,” he continued.
“I do,” I managed to get out.
He pressed his lips together in an apologetic smile. “I truly am a busy man.”
“Of course.” I tipped back my glass again, wanting to empty the contents down the back of my throat. Drunk. I wanted to get trashed right now. My first impression on an important man ruined by the term newbie.
“Do you have a name for this boutique of yours yet?” Langford asked.
Now he was just trying to make polite conversation. His lack of interest couldn’t be made more known.
“No, not yet
,” I replied.
“Laced,” Victoria spit out.
Now I was glaring at her.
Victoria beamed as she touched her elbow to mine. “Well, sorry, I know it’s not officially the name yet, but you’ve been tossing that idea around for a while now.” She turned her attention toward Langford again, expecting some big dramatic ooh and ahh over the name of my boutique.
“It’s a lovely choice if that’s what you decide to go with,” Langford stated in his now trying-too-hard-to-be-friendly tone.
Above the voices of those chatting in the restaurant came another commotion—silence. Everyone’s attention turned to the front of the building where staff members fumbled over each other. I turned to see Nicky casually stroll into the large room, his hands stuffed inside his leather coat pockets. His eyes scanned all around, finally finding mine. The corner of his lip curled up into a devilish grin. Then he headed in my direction.
“There you are.” He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.
“We will have a table ready for you in only a few moments, sir,” one of the staff members told him nervously.
“It’s fine,” Nicky replied.
My mouth fell open slightly. We’d just got stuffed into this corner with reservations, and he comes strolling in as a walk-in…
Everything seemed to go in slow motion for the next few surreal minutes. Coppertop staff targeted a table with at least eight people seated around it, stuffing their mouths full of food. They proceeded to go up to the table, somewhat apologize for cutting their time at the restaurant short, but they needed the spot for a VIP. One of the men stood up and opened his mouth to protest but was stopped short as the waiter whispered something in his ear. The man turned to look directly at Nicky who wasn’t paying attention in the least. The staff packed the contents of the food into containers and stuffed everything into bags quickly as others worked to clean up the dirty dishes and wipe the surface clean.
“Will you be dining alone, Mr. Cain?” a man in a suit asked from behind me.
“No,” Nicky answered. “My girlfriend and Miss Dermonte will be joining me as well.”