by C. J. Thomas
Kelly laced his fingers with mine and began leading me through the house. As we passed the ballroom I asked, “Don’t you want to say goodbye ?”
His eyes scanned the many faces that lifted their heads as we approached. “I’ve said all I needed to say .”
Fighting to keep up without tripping over my feet, Kelly seemed to be in a hurry to leave. It was this feeling of urgency coursing through his veins that had me drawing into myself as if we were being watched .
“Not even to Wes?” I hooked my free hand in the crook of his arm, needing to pull myself closer to him .
His grip tightened, cutting off the blood circulating to each of my fingers. “We’re done here .”
When we rounded the next corner, I could still hear the notes coming from the grand piano and when I lifted my gaze, I caught sight of Orlando Lee spotting me from across the room. His gaze was warm and friendly, but without wanting to send the wrong message I quickly ducked my head, feeling slightly embarrassed by the way Kelly was dragging me away from the party .
I could only imagine how it appeared from an outsider’s perspective, and it was enough to make me wish that I hadn’t opened myself up for all to learn who I was. Remaining the unknown face on the outskirts was so much easier than being the face of attention .
A small group huddled in a circle saw us coming and stepped forward to avoid the inevitable collision with Kelly .
Despite how I felt when we’d first arrived, I didn’t want to end the night. I was having fun, enjoying my conversations with the various people who stopped me just so they could introduce themselves. Even with Madam and Angel in the same vicinity, I was still able to relax, laugh, and find comfort among strangers. It took me by surprise and I couldn’t wait to tell Alex everything .
“Did you even say hi to Ty Lemon?” I asked as my heels clacked across the marbled foyer .
Kelly kept on marching as if not hearing a word I said .
I let it go, just as I did when thinking about how pissed Alex was with me .
But when I came face-to-face with the entrance, I dug my heels in and put on the brakes. Flashbacks to the media storm I knew was still waiting for us on the other side filled my vision and caused every muscle in my body to tense. Every thought I had kept coming back to the worst possible outcome and I feared that we would have to endure the onslaught once again .
Kelly tugged on my arm and I pulled back. “What’s wrong?” he asked with a tone of annoyance .
My eyes darted between him and the door. “Are they still here ?”
“Is who still here?” He raised his voice .
“You know,” I swallowed down the nerves, “the media .”
He barked out a quick laugh of disbelief. “Of course,” he said under his breath. “Those assholes never leave until the party is over .”
Taking my face inside his hands, he stroked my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Don’t worry. You got this. You’re with me, remember ?”
Nodding, my lids hooded over. I knew he would protect me from anything that presented danger, but what I was really concerned about was who was going to protect him ?
“C’mon. Pretend like you belong and leave the rest up to me .”
Nodding, he leaned down and pressed his thick lips against mine. Nudging his tongue against the seam of my mouth, I opened for him. Bolts of lightning gave my heart a much-needed jolt. Then he flicked his tongue against mine, stealing a quick taste before pulling back. And when he turned around, I squared my shoulders and followed him to the door .
Upon stepping outside, I braced myself to have my photograph taken. Holding my head high, I did everything I could to keep my frayed nerves hidden inside. But the second I heard it, I felt my heart jump .
“It’s him! It’s Kelly Black!” someone yelled behind the bright flashes of light .
Kelly pulled me closer by his side. Hooking his hand around my waist, he yanked me tight against his solid frame of muscle as if to shield me from the arrows that were sure to fly .
“Just keep walking.” His hot breath blew against my ear, prickling my scalp. “Don’t say a word. Got it ?”
I nodded, licked my lips, and felt the sandpaper stick to the back of my throat. Keeping my head down, I focused on only what I could control—concentrating on each step, helping Kelly to keep his feet moving forward. But even when focusing every bit of energy I had on directing us toward our waiting ride, it was impossible not to turn my head at the questions being asked or at the flashes of light that stripped me of my vision .
“Mr. Black, did you speak with Timothy Parker tonight ?”
Kelly’s fingertips dug into my side as feelings of guilt over what I’d admitted to Madam began to take root in my conscience .
I held onto Kelly as if I would lose him the moment I let go .
Regretting everything I’d shared with the Madam, it wasn’t my place to let my emotions get involved. And that was exactly what had happened. Somehow, she’d made me feel safe and I spilled my baggage in her ear. I’d let my guard down. But with Alex not available to talk to, I had nowhere else to turn. And, at this point, I could only assume that Kelly knew what I’d told her .
“Kelly, who is the woman you are here with tonight ?”
I felt Kelly’s stride slow almost completely to a stop. He angled his head to look at me and when I caught his dark gaze, I could tell he was thinking about making our official introduction to the world .
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” The reporter directed his questioning at me .
I shook my head just enough to convey my lack of interest in speaking with the media. They didn’t need to know who I was, and if we wanted them to, Kelly had his connections—sources he could trust to do it right. I wasn’t even sure what we had was anything more than an agreement, and whether Kelly could see it on my face now or not, I knew I had let my heart get in the way of what was only supposed to be a contractual agreement between two consenting adults. After tonight, I wondered if I’d jeopardized everything we’d built so far. He looked at my different than he had as early as this morning .
When we continued walking, Maxwell’s stoic face pulled my lips at the corners as I watched him open the backdoor of the limousine .
A couple bright camera flashes flickered across my vision and more calls for Kelly to open up came flying our way before I realized that Kelly wasn’t going to feed the beast like he had when we’d arrived .
“Your timing couldn’t have been planned any better.” Kelly nodded to Maxwell .
Maxwell bowed his head to me as Kelly assisted me inside. Scooting to the opposite end of the bench, Kelly followed my lead and once the door shut …
Silence.
Closing my eyes, I breathed a sigh of relief .
I wanted to laugh, felt the need to cry. But when I opened my eyes and let my gaze travel to Kelly, I found him with his eyes closed and face twisted. There was so much torment painted on his face. It had me reaching for his hand, wanting to console him .
His chest rose and he opened his eyes and grinned .
Maxwell pulled away, leaving the media herd and sprawling mansion behind .
There was nothing I wanted more than to be here, with Kelly, and away from all those cameras pointed in our faces .
Kelly’s gaze was fixed on my thumb stroking the back of his hand. I didn’t know how best to break the ice, ask him his reasoning for leaving so suddenly, but I knew he would come around when he was good and ready. In the meantime, he barely made eye contact with me and I wanted to know what was eating him up .
“Are you all right?” I asked .
When Kelly grimaced, I knew that today was shaping up to be one of the worst I’d had. And just like Alex, he was cold, distant, and that was what had me most concerned—I couldn’t lose him, too .
I squeezed his hand, getting him to lift his head. Finally, he looked me in the eye. His eyes were glazed over and filled with pain—emotions I knew he didn’t want me to s
ee. Slowly, his head nodded. “Did you enjoy your night?” he asked .
“I did.” It was the truth, but what I didn’t tell him was that I would have liked to stay longer. That I saw no reason in leaving. But this wasn’t my party. It was his event, a gala he had invited me to .
When his expression cast downward, I wasn’t sure that the same could be said for him .
“That doesn’t surprise me.” His voice was filled with audible stress. “Though, I must admit, I thought you’d never come back from retrieving drinks .”
I laughed even though I wasn’t sure it was meant to be funny. But I could see his point; how in the world could a simple run for drinks turn into an hour or more of socializing? It had me realizing just how right he was. “Everyone was so friendly .”
“They couldn’t keep their hands off you.” His gaze fell to his finger tracing the lines in my palm .
“You were watching?” I twisted in my seat, angling more of myself toward him .
“As much as you would allow.” His eyes flickered up to mine .
“So, you didn’t see everything ?”
His eyes raked over my face before landing on my lips .
My breaths were shallow as I watched his pupils dilate .
Then his fingers stopped dancing with mine and he asked in a firm tone, “Did Timothy Parker stop to talk with you tonight ?”
My heart stalled in my chest, unsure whether he would believe me no matter what I said. “He didn’t .”
“But you saw him?” His brows drew together but he kept his gaze glued to our hands .
Nodding, I murmured, “And I’m assuming you did, too .”
He lifted his gaze up to mine as he blew out a heavy sigh .
Squeezing his hand, I said, “Orlando Lee was the first to take me away from you. That man can talk. Then it was Madam and a few others I can’t remember their names.” I left out Angelina Davis. I didn’t want to remember anything about her .
Kelly’s jaw muscle ticked as he listened .
“There is nothing to worry about, Counselor.” It was my attempt to lighten the mood. But when I saw Kelly’s chin hit his chest, I slid up next to him and cupped his strong jaw between my hands. “What happened to you, baby ?”
He could barely look me in the eye. But when he did, his voice cracked. “You know you can come to me with your concerns, right ?”
Turning his face to meet with mine, I wanted him to see how sincere I was when I said, “I know .”
His eyes darted between mine. “You trust me, don’t you ?”
“Kelly, baby, what’s this about? Of course I trust you.” Our eyes swayed. “Don’t you trust me ?”
His face flattened. “You don’t even know what you did, do you ?”
Retreating back, I dropped my hands away from his face, feeling my forehead twist with fear. This had to be about what I’d said to Madam. It was the only possible reason for why he was acting this way toward me. Or perhaps it was a culmination of everything that had unfolded in the last twenty-four hours. Whatever it was, I didn’t like it. “You’re exhausted. And so am I .”
Shaking his head, he continued with narrowed eyes. “She got you to open up, and you told her everything.” His lip curled over with disgust .
Glancing toward my hands in my lap, my lashes rapidly blinked. I didn’t know what to say, how to respond. I’d never seen him look at me with such contempt, and it had me feeling like my world was crumbling around me faster than I knew how to save it. “She’s my employer, Kelly .”
“But you made me believe that you wanted to leave her.” His fist slammed against the vinyl door as he growled .
Slinking back into my corner, tears threatened to spill. My throat closed and my chest was tight. It hurt to see him think that I’d purposely misled him. That wasn’t my intention. I did want to leave Madam, but I also wanted to save him from losing everything he had worked so hard for .
“How am I ever supposed to believe that you want to escape Madam’s grip?” His words slithered off his tongue like a snake .
“I do.” My hand twitched with the need to reach out and touch him. I craved his touch, his reassurance, his ability to make me feel safe when I was feeling so vulnerable. This wasn’t how I’d expected tonight to go, but here we were and it felt like I was hanging on to our relationship by a thread. “I don’t want her to come between us .”
Kelly turned his gaze out his window. He bent his arm and rested his elbow on the door while pinching his lips between his fingers. I found it difficult to believe that this was the real reason behind his behavior .
An uncomfortable silence settled between us and my skin felt clammy and cold. Hugging myself did little to warm me up .
“I saw her again tonight,” I murmured, turning my head back to Kelly. “The woman who warned me to stay away from you. Do you remember ?”
Slowly, his hand dropped away from his face as he looked at me from the corner of his eye .
“Angelina Davis.” My stomach rolled at hearing me say her name. “She was there .”
Tipping his head back, he gave me a knowing look .
“She’s Madam’s girl, right ?”
He blinked, then licked his lips. “I don’t know,” he said quietly in his raspy voice .
“I thought she would be there with Oscar, but instead I saw her — ”
“—with Parker .”
“Yeah,” I breathed with bright eyes. And just like that, we were once again on the same page. “I swear, there is something going on with her .”
Maxwell made a turn and I knew we were getting close to Kelly’s building .
“Like what?” Kelly asked .
“I don’t know. It’s just, I can’t stop thinking how it seemed like she was placed at the party just to catch the eye of Timothy.” I turned to find Kelly’s attentive eyes looking directly at me. “Just like how Madam set you up to find me with him. It’s crazy, I know .”
Kelly’s eyes rounded. “It’s not. It makes complete sense .”
“Look, Kelly.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I don’t know what Madam made you believe I said, but I’m worried about you.” I extended my arm and let my hand fall over his. “About how these charges Timothy is pressing against you will impact our relationship.” And, though I couldn’t say it, I was worried that I might not get past Kelly’s thirty-day agreement—the deal he’d made with Madam .
He held my gaze. “You need to call Alex .”
My eyes widened, surprised to hear that was his response after coming clean to him about what I’d discussed with Madam. Holding my breath, I said, “If this has something to do with Nash — ”
His shoulders rolled back. “It has to do with completing my job .”
“Please, can we just drop it?” My hand lifted to my face, smoothing out my brows. “I don’t want to be part of your obsession .”
“Obsession?” His brows pinched as he pointed his finger at his chest .
“I’m sorry about what happened to Maria, I really am, but I can’t be part of this. Alex is pissed at me. She won’t answer my calls, and you’re the reason why .”
Shoving his hand through his hair, he turned away. “How well do you know Alex ?”
“We’re like this.” I crossed my fingers and held them up when he turned his head back to me. “Was something said tonight about Alex ?”
He let his thoughts gather before asking, “Is Nash genuinely interested in your friend, or does he have a hidden agenda like what it seems like he had with Maria ?”
Heat flushed through my body. “What are you saying, Kelly ?”
“What I’m wondering is if you know your friend as well as you think you do .”
“Why would you question that ?”
“Because Maria wasn’t as innocent as she appeared to be .”
“What does that have to do with Alex?” The lines on my forehead deepened as my heart trembled in my chest .
“Kendra, do you know how she ros
e to be Nash’s Assistant Director so quickly ?”
My mind raced to keep up. I had dozens of reasons why Alex was where she was at with her career. “She’s smart, driven, and highly creative, to name just a few .”
Kelly shook his head like he didn’t like the answers I was giving him. “Before Nash came into her life, what was her dating life like ?”
“I’m not having this conversation with you,” I huffed. “Alex, and my friendship with her, is off limits.” I snapped my neck and turned away. Kelly knew I would know what Alex’s dating life was before Nash. It wasn’t great, she’d struggled, but what woman didn’t? We all went though it at least once in our lives .
Maxwell slowed and pulled into the hotel parking lot .
“I know you know about Mint.” Kelly’s voice was low and heavy. “More than you want me to think.” I felt him roll his eyes over to me. “We both know what happens inside, don’t we ?”
“What do you want, Kelly?!” I punched the seat between us .
His brows raised. “I want to know if Nash has taken her to Mint .”
The pulse in my neck ticked up another degree and I was beginning to sweat. He was bringing Mint up again, and I didn’t like it. “You’re a member, so why don’t you ask your buddy Wes ?”
He chuckled. “She’s visited already, hasn’t she ?”
“Stop, Kelly. Just stop.” I started to cry. “If you already know the answer, then why are you asking me ?”
Leaning forward, he extended both his arms and turned his palms face-up. Unable to resist him, I let my hands float into his. And when his fingers closed around my bones he said, “Because I’m going to visit Mint, and you’re coming with me .”
24
Kelly
A s soon as I saw her, I knew that something wasn’t right .
“Nora, baby.” I ran over to the bed, knowing that she wasn’t sleeping. She never slept on her back or with her arms extended out to the sides. Collapsing to the bed next to her, I pinched her cheeks. My eyes widened and I raised my voice. “Nora ?”
Her dull eyes were rolled to the back of her head and her muscles were loose. “Nora, wake up,” I pleaded, circling my fingers around her elbow. Smoothing them down her arm, I stopped to check the pulse at her wrist .