by Penelope Sky
When we were finished, Pias closed his folder. “Would you like me to begin the process of finding a replacement for Ariel?”
No one could ever replace her. Not just because she was a phenomenal worker, but because she was loyal and trustworthy. Her shoes were simply too big to be filled. “I’m not sure. Don’t even know where to begin.”
“We can start by encouraging people to apply for the position.”
The only reason why Ariel had been made a partner to begin with was because she was the best at what she did. I would never give that position to anyone else. What I needed now was just an assistant who could handle all the tedious and annoying things. “I could use the help, but I’m not looking for another partner.”
“I’ll get on that, sir.”
“Thanks, Pias.”
“Of course.” Pias left the room.
I sat at my desk and dragged my hands down my face, feeling a migraine approach. Instead of taking painkillers, I usually just drank more scotch. But now that I shared my life with the queen sitting upstairs, I had to make some changes.
Losing Ariel was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. I felt like someone had ripped out one of my kidneys so my body was required to function with one instead of two. It wasn’t life-threatening, but it was still uncomfortable.
But I couldn’t give up London.
She was the only woman I’d ever had these kinds of feelings for. I thought I’d loved Josephine, but my love for her was nothing compared to what I felt for London. I’d been shot because of her, and I still protected her. When Josephine betrayed me, I stopped giving a damn about her.
London was definitely different.
But Ariel was important to me. She was a family member I assumed would always be there. She and I had a good friendship as well as a business relationship. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
I felt like shit.
But I couldn’t allow Ariel to tell me how to run my business and my personal life. I couldn’t allow her to insult me like that. If I did, she would have more power than I allowed anyone to have.
There was no other option. She had to go.
Now I would have to work longer and harder to make up for Ariel’s absence, but it wouldn’t be too difficult. Once I hired one or two people, everything would slowly return to normal. Ariel couldn’t be replaced, but her necessity could be erased.
Dunbar knocked before he stepped into my office. “Sir, Ariel is here to see you. Should I let her in?”
I stared at him blankly as I processed what he said. “What does she want?”
“Said she forgot a few things.”
“Such as?”
He shrugged. “She didn’t say, and I didn’t think it was my place to ask.”
I shut my laptop and gave a slight nod. “Send her in.”
Dunbar shut the door and disappeared.
My heart began to race, and my fingertips felt numb. No one ever made me feel nervous. Even when Joseph pointed that gun at my chest, I wasn’t nervous. When I lay on the ground with my blood soaking into the rug, my pulse rate didn’t increase.
The door opened again, and Ariel stepped inside. She was in dark jeans and a black t-shirt, casual for the first time ever. Her hair was pulled back into a rigid ponytail, and her glasses were gone. She seemed to be taking her unemployment well.
I rose to my feet and placed my hands in my pockets. “Ariel, how are you?”
“Good.” She stood in front of my desk with her hands held together at her waist. “You?”
“Good,” I lied. “What can I help you with?”
“I left a few things behind. I was wondering if someone could fetch them for me.”
I was stupid for hoping she wanted her job back. Ariel was far more stubborn than I was. I was more likely to fold than she was, and that was never going to happen. We both cared about image, about pride. “Of course. What are they?”
“I left fifteen thousand in your grand safe. I left it there for traveling expenses.”
I’d forgotten about that. “Anything else?”
“Yes. I have some sentimental jewelry in Fair Isle. I’d let Finley mail it back, but I don’t feel comfortable with that arrangement. If you can fly me out there, I can retrieve it myself. Or you could have one of your men escort it here.”
“I’ll arrange for Dimitri to fetch it for you.”
“Thank you.”
I walked around the desk, keeping my shoulders straight. “I’ll be right back with the cash. You can take a seat if you’d like.”
Ariel remained in place.
I left the office and walked upstairs to the bedroom. I had safes in various places around the castle, dispersing important items in separate locations so it would be difficult to rob me. Ariel’s cash was in this safe, along with some of my family heirlooms.
When I walked inside, London had just finished drying her hair with a towel wrapped around her waist. “What a nice surprise.” She walked up to me and kissed me, dropping the towel at the same time.
My hands slid up her back and to her shoulders as I kissed her, my body automatically reacting to hers. Her perky tits were pressed against my body, and my hands slid down to her ass and gave both cheeks a squeeze. For a second, I forgot the reason why I came up here to begin with. I pulled away and ignored the hard-on that formed in my slacks. “Ariel is waiting for me downstairs. I just came to grab something from the safe.”
“There’s a safe up here?”
“Yeah.” I walked around her and entered the private living room. The safe was behind one of the picture frames. No one knew where it was besides myself. I didn’t even share that knowledge with my employees. I was about to ask London to go into the other room so I could have some privacy, but I knew that wasn’t how I wanted our relationship to be. I trusted her, and I needed to prove it.
I pulled the picture off the wall then spun the dial left and right until I got the code right. Then I opened the door and saw the heirlooms inside. My great-great-grandfather’s crown sat on the top shelf, the material rusty and some of the gems missing. There were a few other things passed down from my ancestors, including a brush that had most of the bristles missing.
London stood beside me and peered inside. “Oh my god…are those real?”
“Yeah.” No matter how many times I looked at them, I never forgot how significant they were. These were relics that had lasted hundreds of years. There was a time when civilization didn’t rely on the internet, mass production, or even automobiles. My ancestors survived long enough to have me, and now I lived a life of luxury that my relatives never dreamed.
“That’s incredible…” She stared at them for a long time and didn’t try to touch anything.
I didn’t put my hands on any of the relics because the oils from my fingertips were damaging. They weren’t exposed to sunlight and stayed at a constant temperature at all times. I pulled out the bag of cash and left the door open. “Make sure you close it when you’re finished.”
“You’re gonna leave it open like that?” she asked incredulously.
I wanted to prove that I trusted her so we could be the way we used to be. I knew she didn’t want me for my wealth or my connections. If anything, she loved me in spite of those things. “I know you’ll take care of it.”
A slight smile crept into her lips. “Ariel stopped by for money?”
“Yeah. She has some stuff at Fair Isle as well. I’ll have to have someone fly out and bring it to her.”
She nodded slightly. “You aren’t gonna try to talk to her again?”
“No.” Ariel wouldn’t change her mind unless I gave her what she wanted. I walked out so I wouldn’t have to listen to London convince me to fight for a woman who didn’t want to work with me anymore.
I returned to my office and set the cloth bag stuffed with money on the desk. “I haven’t touched it since I put it in the safe. You can count it if you want.” I sat in the leather chair and crossed my legs.
“Of course.”
“Thank you.” She wasn’t just civil, but slightly cold.
“Where are you living?” It was strange not knowing about Ariel’s life. It’d only been a short time since she left me, but it felt like an eternity.
“I’m moving to London—with Cassandra.”
“That’s great. I’m happy for you.” Maybe she was taking this opportunity to settle down and have a life that wasn’t centered around work. “She seems like a nice woman.”
“She’s incredible. I’m looking forward to living with her.”
I suddenly felt a pain in my chest, missing her before she even walked out the door. “You know, you can always call me if you need anything. I’m more than happy to write you an incredible recommendation.”
Her coldness finally dropped, replaced by a soft expression I’d hardly ever witnessed. “I know, Crewe. I appreciate that.”
I came around the desk and extended my arms to hug her. At our previous interaction when we were closing our partnership, it wasn’t the right time for a real goodbye. We got down to business, and she got her check and walked out the door. I was too angry to say how I really felt.
She smiled before she hugged me back, moving into my chest for a real embrace.
I held her for the first time since I met her. We were never affectionate, hardly giving each other a handshake. This was a big deal—for both of us. “Please invite me to your wedding.”
“Of course, Crewe.” She was the first one to pull away, that softness in her eyes. “Good luck with everything.”
“Good luck to you too.”
She smiled and finally turned around and walked out the door.
The second she couldn’t see my face, I let my smile fall. I let the pain enter my chest, the paramount loss crippling me. Most of the people I was close to had passed away. There were a few people I considered family, like Finley. He’d been in my life for a long time. I saw Ariel in that same regard, and watching her walk away was more difficult than I expected it to be.
I tried to swallow the pain and pretend I didn’t care.
But I did care.
I hoped it would get easier in time, but I suspected it never would.
I’d just have to make my peace with it.
Work wasn’t enough to block out my thoughts. But I did manage to cut down on the scotch since London would smell it on my breath the second I walked through the door. I was in the mood to be alone, but I knew I couldn’t push her away—not like I did the other night.
She was finally back in my life, and I couldn’t take her for granted again. When I was with her, the pain didn’t seem so bad. At least I had someone to carry the burden with me rather than suffering alone.
It was a cold evening and the sun was gone, but I asked Dunbar to get the fire pit going so I could sit outside and watch the flames with a cup of hot tea.
Yes, I was drinking tea now. Tasted like shit.
I instructed Dimitri to fetch London for me—and to tell her to dress warmly.
She came out to the courtyard fifteen minutes later in jeans and a thick snow jacket. She took the seat beside me on the couch and pulled a blanket over both of us. “The fire looks nice.” Her tone suggested she recognized I was in a particularly bad mood. She treaded carefully, talking about things that had no real meaning.
“It does.”
“Are we gonna make some s’mores?”
“Some what?” I asked.
“S’mores,” she repeated. “You know, you roast the marshmallows over the fire and then put them between two graham crackers with a piece of chocolate.”
I’d visited America enough times to know most of their customs, but this one was lost on me. “Can’t say I do.”
“We’ll have to do it sometime. You’ll love it.”
I didn’t have a big sweet tooth, so I doubted it. But I didn’t mind doing something she enjoyed.
“So…something else happen with Ariel?”
“No.” I stared at the fire. “We ended on great terms.”
She continued to watch me, her face turned in my direction. “Then why do you seem so devastated?”
I rested my hands together on my lap, feeling the wool blanket underneath me. “Because I am devastated. We had a little exchange before she left…we hugged. She told me she was moving in with Cassandra. I asked her to invite me to her wedding…it was nice.”
Her hand moved to mine where she intertwined our fingers. “I’m sorry, Crewe. I really wish the two of you could have worked it out.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“There’s nothing I can do?”
I squeezed her hand. “No. It’s difficult to lose her, but losing you would be far worse.” I brought her hand to my mouth and gently kissed her knuckles. I didn’t think it was fair that I had to choose between the two women to begin with, but I knew I made the right decision. London was essential for my happiness.
She gave my hand a squeeze. “You’re sweet…”
I lowered her hand to my lap and watched the fire in the stone fire pit. “It’ll take me a while to get over it, but one day I will. People come and go. That’s just how it is.”
“Unfortunately.”
I sank back into the chair and watched the flames with lazy eyes. The pain in my chest was constant, but it would disappear in time. After a full night of rest, I already feel better. I just needed to give it some time. And with London with me, things would get easier.
“Thanks for coming to me…and not going to a bar.” She moved into my side and rested her head on my shoulder.
“You’re much better company.”
She wrapped her arm around my waist then pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Only because I’m with you.”
12
London
I was crushed.
I hadn’t seen Crewe wear that expression too often. He downplayed his sadness over losing Ariel, but I could see the devastation in his eyes. His mood wasn’t just dark like it was when he was angry about something.
He was lifeless.
I didn’t like it at all.
After a few days, he lightened up a bit. When he came to the bedroom after work, he was the worst. After spending an hour with me, he usually came back around, probably because he wasn’t thinking about the mess she left behind.
I knew all too well what it was like to lose someone. I was young when my parents died, but I was never the same after they were gone. I don’t have a foundation, with the exception of Joseph. Ariel wasn’t a mother to him, but she was inside his circle deep enough that she was definitely family.
I didn’t want him to lose that. He already lost so much as it was.
But I didn’t know how to fix it. I’d already tried talking to her once, and she was so disgusted by me that she could hardly look at me. How would I persuade someone that didn’t trust me?
Crewe was in a particularly bad mood that morning. He was silent, and his shoulders were tighter than usual. He showered in less than five minutes then brushed his teeth with an irritated expression. He didn’t bother to shave, which told me he was either too stressed to remember or he just didn’t give a damn.
“Everything alright?”
Crewe looked at my reflection in the mirror as he finished securing his tie around the collar of his shirt. He didn’t dance around the topic like he used to. If something was on his mind, he didn’t beat around the brush. “Ariel is coming by to pick up her things.”
“Ooh…” Now it all made sense.
He folded down his collar then pulled on his jacket.
I didn’t feed him empty lines to make him feel better. He didn’t bullshit with me, and I didn’t bullshit with him. “Anything I can do?”
He held up his forefinger before he turned to the stand-up dresser against the wall. It reminded me of something out of a fair
y tale because I’d never seen a dresser like it anywhere else. Men usually just had closets. But Crewe had so many clothes and accessories that he needed every nook and cranny. He opened the door and pulled out a black ensemble, a lacy bustier and a matching thong. “Yes. Be ready for me when I walk through that door.” He tossed the racy outfit on the bed then gave me a quick kiss before he walked out.
My mind wasn’t on the lingerie or his expectations of what I would do when he finished work. I was thinking about Ariel, the root of his sadness. I could fuck him as many times as he wanted, but that wouldn’t put him back together.
He needed both of us to be happy.
“What are you doing?” Dimitri asked when I stepped out of the front doors.
“I’m a free woman. I can do whatever I want.” I saw Ariel’s car pulled up to the steps in the gravel roundabout. A black Audi with tinted windows, it perfectly matched her infuriating personality. “I’m just waiting for Ariel.”
Dimitri narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
I couldn’t expect any of Crewe’s men ever to trust me again. “I want to convince her not to leave, that’s all.”
Dimitri continued to stand with his hands in front of his waist, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. “I’m watching you.”
I rolled my eyes and stood near her car, knowing she would leave soon. Crewe never walked his guests to the door, so I didn’t expect him to do it today. Knowing him, he would stay in his office and down a glass of scotch. He wouldn’t want to interact with anyone, not even me. So my chances of getting caught were slim unless Dimitri wanted to piss me off.
Ariel walked through the front doors minutes later, a small duffel bag over her shoulder. Her sunglasses were already on, and she wore a black dress with matching heels. For no longer having a job, she looked awfully professional.
When she noticed me, she halted in her steps. Her glasses hid her expression from view, but I pictured how threatening her eyes must have looked. She started moving again, taking the stairs until we were level with one another. “Get away from my car.”
I ignored the insult. “Ariel, I need you to stay.”