For years he has been supplying the area and students with this homemade killer. Over fourteen deaths have been attributed to this at Shelby High alone, the school where Erik still teaches and has taught for years. He preys on the addicted young women, often forcing them to pleasure him in exchange for their next fix. In the months since, we have placed our private investigator on the task and Erik has become more and more brazen; we have captured evidence of young women leaving his home with baggies in hand and multiple bandages on their body. Several of the girls have turned up dead with autopsies showing signs of rape as well as the effects of the drug.
“Is everything okay?” Natalie’s sleepy voice snapped Xander out of his otherworldly trance.
Xander clicked off his iPad and placed it on his lap. “Me? Of course, just catching up on some Derby news,” he replied over the steady hum of the jet’s engines.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you; you just looked so sad.”
“Sad? Hmm, maybe that’s just my reading face?”
“Maybe. Well, get some sleep, stud. I need you to show this California girl how to get back to her real world roots tomorrow,” Natalie told him as she tried to lighten his mood. She heard him when he said he wasn’t sad, but she could tell there was more to that story.
“Yes I do, Hollywood. Thanks for the concern. By the way, if it’s real world you’re looking to get back to, tomorrow will be about as far away from that as you have ever been,” Xander replied, sinking to a lying position into the couch. She smiled as she closed her eyes. To Xander, it was as if she could see straight into his soul. He wasn’t sure that was a good place for anyone to see, much less an undeserving sweetheart like Natalie had turned out to be. Underneath the glitz and glamour-filled surface, Xander’s was a dark world. He’d never even thought about bringing someone into that world. But then again, he’d never spent the night with Natalie Rockwell, either.
What Goes Up…
“Mr. King.” Amy placed her hand on Xander’s shoulder. “Mr. King, we’re going to be landing in just a few minutes.”
“Of course. Thank you, Amy,” Xander said as he roused from sleep with a deep breath and sleepy eyes. “I’ll wake the others. What time is it?”
“Seven,” she replied. “I have coffee in some travel cups for everyone.”
“Thank you, Amy. You’re the best.”
“Good morning, handsome,” Natalie said, still lying down on the couch. “We almost to Kentucky?”
“Hey, gorgeous.” He smiled. “We land in ten. You sleep okay?”
“Like a baby. You know, I wasn’t sure how I would feel when I woke up this morning.”
“Yeah? What’s the verdict?”
“Excited.”
Xander smiled as Natalie sat up and Amy handed them both coffee.
“Good morning, you two,” Sam said, spinning in her chair. “Big day, boss. You ready for this?”
Natalie assumed of course that she meant a big day at the races. Xander knew she spoke of something else entirely.
“Born ready,” he replied. “What about you, Miss Natalie? You ready for your first Kentucky Derby?”
“I am really excited for this!”
“Me too!” Annie chimed in from her seat across from Kyle’s, toward the front of the plane.
“You kids have fun last night?” Natalie asked them.
“I sure as hell did,” Kyle interrupted. “But I have a feeling today is gonna be even better.”
Everyone agreed and buckled up in their seats as the plane began its descent into Lexington. Xander loved the scenery into this airport. As beautiful as his ocean view could be from the back of his home in San Diego, in a completely different way, the scenery here was just as beautiful. If not more so. Acres of rolling hills lined with what looked like an endless maze of wooden fence, intertwining with each other as they crisscrossed over the perfectly manicured Kentucky bluegrass. As if it wasn’t beautiful enough already, the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, casting a majestic orange glow over the land below. It was just as enchanting to him now as it had been when he was a boy.
Moments later, the plane touched down safely and as it taxied to its spot at the airfield everyone gathered their things and said good-bye to the jet’s staff. Amy opened the door of the plane and pushed a button to lower the stairway. The cool May morning air filtered in around them. The scent of honeysuckles and freshly mowed grass tickled their noses. Annie clutched her arms in a chill.
“Don’t worry, Annie. I just checked the forecast and it’s supposed to get to seventy-five degrees today,” Kyle told her.
“It’s going to be a perfect day,” Natalie said, flashing Xander a grin.
At the bottom of the stairs, one red Ferrari and two black Mercedes sedans with drivers holding open the back doors awaited them. A woman in a fitted black sleeved dress jumped out of the front passenger side door of the first Mercedes with a bounce and a smile. Her jet-black, chin-length hair bobbed up and down with each quirky step she took. Xander had always loved her nerdy bangs and black-rimmed reading glasses. He thought, without needing words, they explained so well her infectious personality.
“Xander! How was the San Diego launch?” Melanie asked, running up and hugging him. She gave Kyle the same hero’s welcome.
“It went great. Melanie, this is Natalie and her friend Annie.”
“I thought someone was playing a joke on me when Sam told me the name of Xander’s guest for the Derby. I am such a huge fan and it is such an honor!” Melanie exclaimed. Natalie bypassed her outstretched hand and went in for a hug. Melanie’s face lit up as she mouthed “oh my god!” to Xander over Natalie’s shoulder. Melanie extended the same hug to Annie.
“The honor is mine, and I love your hair, girl! Ugh, I wish I could pull that look off,” Natalie replied. She had a way of making everyone around her feel good about themselves. Xander couldn’t help but smile.
“Oh good! You’re sweet! I knew it. I told my mom I just knew you would be the nicest person,” said Melanie. Natalie gave Xander a smile and he quickly returned it.
“Okay, good lord…I’ll see all of you at the house,” Sam said from her Ferrari. Xander could tell she was over this Natalie situation. She hated complications, and had warned Xander many times that that was all a love interest was. He knew she was right, of course, but that had never stopped him before.
Just a few minutes after leaving the airport, Ron made a right off of Versailles Road and in front of them was a large gated entryway. The two harpsichord-shaped, wrought iron gates were held in place by two grayish-colored stone columns. In the middle of the iron entryway, where the two gates met, was a crown of the same material—the same crown that adorned the tail of Xander’s plane. Natalie noticed a plate in the middle of the stone column on the right. Usually this is the place where you would find the name of the farm or ranch. Instead of naming his horse farm, however, Xander had chosen the words “Love Like a Prince. Live Like a King.”
“That’s an interesting choice of words. Are they yours?” she asked Xander.
“The quote? Yes.”
“What does it mean exactly,” she asked.
“You tell me.”
“Okay.” Natalie thought for a moment. “Hmm, I think it means that though you must always strive to achieve your highest level of greatness, you can never let that journey keep you from cherishing what really matters in life. Basically, be all the things a king is, but remember to enjoy life through the un-jaded eyes of a prince? That close?”
“Wow, Xander…She is good,” Melanie said, somewhat in awe.
Planning a Hit Before Breakfast
Melanie pressed the button on the remote and in a slow inward motion the gate opened to one of the most beautiful things that Natalie had ever seen. It was like a painting. The driveway continued in front of them down a long and perfectly straight path. Massive oak trees lined both sides of the road as far as her eyes could see. She looked to her left and off in the dista
nce, white wooden fencing encased the entire entryway. As if it were planned, three gorgeous Thoroughbred horses frolicked in a field as the now yellow glow of the sun shimmered off their brown, sleek-haired backs. As the driver pulled forward inside the gates and Natalie took all of this in, she gasped out loud at its splendor. Xander always loved seeing first timers’ reactions to his property. It gave him a sense of pride that no other material thing he owned had ever quite been able to give.
The trees stretched on. In the distance she could see what looked like might finally be their end. The sun was breaking through the open slots in the branches’ leaves, and as they approached a circular driveway it shined its rays across a fantastic neoclassical Southern mansion. She knew this term from her research for the role she’d played in Wild Roses, a film where she’d played the daughter of a racehorse trainer.
We should have filmed here, Natalie thought as she noticed a glistening pond off to the left of the mansion. The driver brought the car to a stop at the front of the house. It looked as if there was a main part of the house, shaped like a box, with two wings that were shorter, but wider that stretched out on either side of it. All of it was painted white with four gigantic white pillars that supported the entryway, and above it were four white chimneys that protruded from the gray, pyramid-like roof. Both second story sets of windows had balconies that extended out from the front. There was a large gray front door and over it was a gorgeous circular window that she was sure let a wondrous amount of light into what was undoubtedly a spectacular foyer.
They all walked toward the house as Annie and Natalie continued to marvel at their surroundings.
“Natalie, Annie, I’ll show you two to the fitting room where you can pick out your dress,” Melanie said, unlocking the front door. “Jonathan just texted me that breakfast is ready and being put out on the patio. Don’t worry, we have heaters if you get cold, but the view will warm you right up. You’ll be able to shower and get beautified after we eat, so don’t worry about any of that right now.”
Melanie opened the front door and, sure enough, Natalie’s inclination about the grandeur of the foyer was dead on. Dark hardwood floors greeted them at the door. Two winding staircases cascaded down both sides of the room and joined together at the top to form a balcony. It was as if Rhett Butler would be sauntering in from around the corner at any moment. The ceilings must have been twenty-five feet, and a magnificent chandelier pulled everything together from the center of the room.
Xander said, “Okay ladies, you’d better go see if those dresses will work. But don’t take long or we might have to start on breakfast without you.”
“We’ll be there in just at few. I’m starving!” Natalie assured him.
Melanie ushered the girls down a long hallway filled with pictures of Xander and his family. Natalie stopped and admired them along the way. Pictures of a young Xander in baseball uniforms and in family pictures with his mother, father, and sister. He looks just like his dad, she thought and wondered if they were still close. She also morbidly wondered if he was past tense, as she had found out Xander’s mother was on the plane last night. She thought that was probably the case because none of the photos with his father seemed to be recent ones. Xander looked so happy in all of the photos. Not that he didn’t seem happy to her now, but there was certainly a sadness in his eyes. Natalie walked on down the hall and noticed a picture of Xander in uniform. She leaned in and noticed that he was being given a medal. The writing on the table banner behind him read “Navy SEALs,” and under it, “The only easy day was yesterday, it pays to be a Winner.”
“Come on, Natalie,” Annie called for her. “Come have a look at these dresses!”
“Do I need to go over everything with you or did you get a chance to look over the file I e-mailed you?” Sam asked Xander as she walked out to the raised patio where Xander and Kyle had just sat down. A large assortment of breakfast foods were spread about the large stone table.
“I’m good Sam, thank you. I’m not really into planning a hit before breakfast.”
Sam ignored him. “So you know where everything will be waiting for you at the track when it is time to take him out? And Kyle, you know—”
“I said we’re good. Thank you, Sam. Now sit down, relax, and have some breakfast.”
“Yeah, relax. Jesus,” Kyle chimed in.
“Don’t.” Sam pointed while locking him in a death stare.
“All right you two, do I need to separate you?” Xander interrupted their staring contest.
Sam stood from the table and looked to Xander. “I’ll be inside tracking the target and making sure everything will be ready for you.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
Sam walked back inside, but not before shooting Kyle another glare. She would never have involved him in such serious matters, but Xander insisted. It hasn’t bit them in the ass, yet.
“Man she is wound tight,” said Kyle.
“Thank God. Between me and you goofing around all the time none of this would ever come off without a hitch the way it always does if she wasn’t that way,” Xander took up for her.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Hey, speaking of goofing off, Annie was a real shot of life on the plane last night.”
“I know, we heard everything. It wasn’t awkward at all,” Xander said, sarcastically.
“Whoops!” Kyle laughed. “Seriously though, Annie was unbelievable. You think Natalie will actually let you have sex with her?”
“Kyle.”
“What? Oh, don’t tell me you actually like this one? X? Uh oh, what is that little grin I see?” Kyle teased.
“Honestly, I don’t know if it’s because I loved her so much in that movie or what it is, but—”
“But what? I was kidding, but holy shit…you really like her. Xander King with feelings, other than lust? Well, I never…” Kyle laughed.
It was true, never before had Kyle seen him do anything other than love them and leave them. It was a defense mechanism for the strong and macho Xander. If he never let anyone get close, there was no way he could lose someone he loved again. It wasn’t a conscious feeling. But he did understand that he was not the type of man that should ever be in a relationship. Knowing this about himself is what made all the one night stands so easy. He was doing them all a favor by letting them go. His was not a life fit for love; there just wasn’t space for it.
Yet, there she was.
The Darling of the Day
“How’d it go in the barn?” Kyle asked Xander as they stood at the helicopter positioned in the middle of the circular driveway at the front of the mansion. Kyle wore a brown suit with a small tan pinstripe, a white shirt, and a tan tie. Xander had had it fitted just for him, just for this occasion. It hung perfectly on Kyle's six-two athletic figure.
“You know I don’t kiss and tell.”
After breakfast with Annie and Natalie, Xander took Natalie to see the horses in the stables behind his house. It had been the first time they had any time alone. Xander let her feed one of the foals with a bottle, then managed a kiss at the edge of the barn. A kiss that still left him buzzing.
Xander wore a tailored slim fit navy blue suit that carried a faint light blue pinstripe. He paired it with a white shirt and a navy blue tie with a matching light blue strip that barber-poled down to the tip. Melanie picked it out because she said it made his eyes pop. Xander was okay with that. And the blue did exactly as she said. Xander stood the same height as Kyle but with an even more solid frame. More like one of the hackberry elm trees at the front gate of the property.
The front door opened and Melanie sashayed out with Annie and Natalie following behind her. Xander smiled to himself at how Natalie had insisted Melanie go to the Derby with them. You could see it all over Melanie’s face how happy it made her. Annie and Melanie were beautiful in their Derby getup and Xander could tell Kyle approved by the nudge he gave him in the ribs at first sight of Annie in that red dress.
Then there was Natal
ie.
Gorgeous to any man, but to Xander, who was such a fan of the Kentucky Derby, in this outfit she border-lined overwhelming. It was like a look back in time at how ladies used to dazzle their men in the same tradition. Her lavender dress wrapped tightly around her spectacular frame. The semi-shiny satin began about an inch above her knee and in a thin, almost spaghetti-strap, it clung to her upper body, revealing her overly respectable breasts without showing too much skin.
Sexy and classy.
Few women could pull this off. It seemed that most believed showing skin to be the only manner in which a woman could be sexy. Lessons could be learned from the severity of this look on Natalie. She had embraced the tradition of the Derby and that was clear by the way the curls of hair fell perfectly from underneath her hat. Her oversized hat that still managed to stay understated by Derby standards. A lavender ribbon wrapped around the base of the khaki-colored hat, a perfect match for the dress. The brim extended out several inches and sturdily flopped with each step she took. Xander almost didn’t notice the hat at all because with each step her chest also bounced with the firmness of woman much her younger. Melanie had done a wonderful job selecting their attire, but even she couldn’t compete with Mother Nature’s triumphs.
Whiskey & Roses (The Xander King Series Book 1) Page 6