by Stone, M. T.
“Nothing really, I was just thinking about the fact that Carly introduced Tommy to Bill and your dad,” I tell him as we exit the vehicle. “I can’t believe we have to check in to this place in scrubs,” I add as we walk up to the shiny gold-plated doors.
“Hey, I just finished eight hours of intricate brain surgery… who had time to change?” Trey jokes while taking my hand and leading me inside. “Besides, this is all they really care about anyway.” Trey pulls his black card from his wallet and hands it to the gentleman at the front desk. “The penthouse for Addison.”
“Everything has been prepared for your stay, sir,” an elderly man named Avery says, swiping his card through the machine. “If there is anything that would make your stay more comfortable, just let us know.” He smiles and gives Trey his card back.
Once again I find myself amazed by the architecture that went into these old, landmark hotels. There is a huge mural of a blue sky and clouds on the wall behind the front desk that curves up toward the ceiling. Intricate gold crown moldings adorn beautiful gray and white marble columns topped by another huge mural painted on the ceiling. The theme again is a blue sky with dark ominous clouds and youthful angels darting amongst them. I spend a moment trying to distinguish where the actual structure ends and the painting begins. It’s a phenomenal piece of work. The enormous crystal chandelier that hangs down from the center of it is astounding as well. I wonder how much that thing weighs.
“Did we lose Anthony?” Trey asks, not paying the slightest bit of attention to the beautiful surroundings. I follow him back to the entrance where we find Anthony standing in front of the entrance looking frustrated. “What’s wrong, Trey yells out to him.
“I gave him my keys and off he went,” Anthony huffs and shakes his head as he comes through the door into the lobby. “Then I realized… shit, I don’t have my damn bags.”
“Can you take care of my friend here?” Trey turns back and looks toward the concierge.
“Right away, sir!” A young man named Renzo comes out from behind the podium and appears to be intent on taking care of it himself. “I’ll get them from the parking garage.”
“At least your bags are at the right hotel,” Trey replies as we both realize we once again have nothing but the clothes on our backs.
“I know,” Anthony says, holding up a finger and messing with his phone with the other hand. “Your bags have been picked up and will be here within the hour,” he tells Trey before turning to Avery at the front desk. “Where does the valet park the vehicles?”
“Do you want all of your luggage, sir?” Avery asks him in return. “Yeah, I think so,” Anthony replies, raising his eyes in thought.
“Bring all of the bags from the brown SUV,” Avery relays to Renzo, using a small radio of some type. “We’ll have them for you shortly,” he informs us. “Along with a complimentary bottle of…” he pauses, waiting for a suggestion.
“Jack Daniels Single Barrel,” Anthony suggests upon realizing that Trey was waiting for him to answer.
“Add a bottle of Camus Cuvee 5.150 to my tab as well and a bottle of Ace for my lady,” Trey says, giving me a smart-ass grin.
“I think you have me confused with someone else,” I turn to Trey, narrowing my eyes. He knows damn well that I can’t tell the difference between Ace, Cristal or Dom Perignon.
“Would you prefer something else?” Avery asks, aiming to please.
Truthfully, my favorite is Martini and Rossi Asti Spumanti, but I really don’t want to mention that fact at the moment. “No, that will be fine.” I laugh and roll my eyes. “Can I get some fresh strawberries with that?” I give Avery my best puppy dog eyes.
“Darling, you are spending the night in the Presidential Suite,” he replies with a smug smile. “You can literally have anything you want. Just an hour ago, I sent Renzo to the Doughnut Plant down on twenty-third for one of our guests,” he informs us as the young man comes trudging through the hallway with Anthony’s luggage. “We aim to please.”
“All I need is a stiff drink and a good night sleep,” Trey says with a tired smile.
I need something stiff too, to go along with my strawberries and champagne. I smile silently as we join Renzo and a bellman, named Ozzy, in the elevator. I close my eyes momentarily and let out a sigh of relief. I’m not used to this kind of excitement.
Chapter 5
Trey
I glance at my watch as the elevator comes to a stop on the top floor. It’s only a quarter past ten, but it feels like it should be two or three in the morning. I glance over at Mandy who has been resting her eyes and wait for her to open them. She gives me a sexy smile as her beautiful blue eyes reappear to greet me.
“Doesn’t it feel like it should be much later?” I ask her. “It’s only a little after ten.”
“I saw that on the clock in the lobby,” she concurs. “At this point, I don’t even remember what day it is,” she says looking slightly confused.
“It’s still Monday!” I laugh. “This has been the longest Monday of my entire life.” I glance over at Anthony who is busy exchanging text messages with Romeo.
“No wonder I’m so exhausted,” Mandy groans. “It seems like forever since we got back from Mom and Dad’s.” A hint of sadness enters her expression as she realizes that it’s now just her dad’s place. “I should let him know we are safe and that we now have security.”
“That’s a good idea,” I reply as we exit the elevator and walk toward the presidential suite. “You go call him while Anthony and I go over a few things.”
Mandy
Trey seems a bit surprised when the bellman opens the door to our suite. We are greeted by a very modern looking entry, which leads us into an absolutely gorgeous living room. I immediate walk over to the window which looks out over Fifth Avenue giving me a stunning view of the city.
“Are you surprised?” Anthony asks Trey while Ozzy transfers his luggage to the second bedroom.
“Yeah, they have changed it completely,” Trey replies, walking over to Renzo with a hundred dollar bill and giving another to Ozzy. “Make sure our luggage is brought up as soon as it arrives. If we don’t answer, just leave it in the entry way.”
“Will do, sir,” Renzo replies as both he and Ozzy leave the room. “We are both at your disposal sir, so let us know if you need anything.”
I wander back to the master bedroom to give Dad a quick call. “Amanda, is everything okay?” he asks immediately upon answering.
“Yes, we are fine. I just wanted to let you know we are safe and secure for the night. We now have members of the Alpha 9 as our security detail. One is with Trey and I, one is spending the night at the hospital with Tyler and another is at Victor’s penthouse at Trump Tower protecting Silvia, Vanessa and the others,” I elaborate, wanting him to know that everyone has been accounted for.
“That’s good,” he replies firmly. “I wonder what Silvia thinks of being back there?”
“I think after finding out that both Dr. Potaturri and Bill were dead, she was just happy to have a safe place to sleep,” I tell him bluntly.
“Yeah, she called me half an hour ago and told me all about the Alpha 9 and the fact that now Bill’s son-in-law, Nolan, is missing as well. Is this all because of a business deal gone bad?” Dad asks, seeming as mystified as the rest of us.
“It seems like a stretch, but it kind of looks that way,” I confirm. “If Tyler had his memory it would make it much easier to figure out, especially since Bill is dead and now Nolan is missing. Hopefully, Aileen knows something. She has to be totally shell-shocked now that Nolan has disappeared too.”
“Silvia said she hasn’t stopped crying since the moment they picked her up. I can’t even imagine.” The conversation pauses as we both know exactly how it feels to lose someone special. I can’t imagine losing your father and your husband on the same day.
“Hopefully Nolan is okay,” I mutter after a long minute of silence.
“Agreed. You keep yourself
out of harms way too!” he says with a renewed conviction in his voice. “Leave this to the investigators and you two lay low. This family doesn’t need any more loss either.”
“I know. We’ll be careful,” I assure him. “Goodnight Dad.”
I stand for a moment in front of the second window that looks out on Fifty Fifth Street. We are only a few blocks from Central Park; it would be a beautiful night for a walk if we weren’t completely exhausted. Anthony probably wouldn’t allow us to go for a walk anyway.
“Your champagne and strawberries have arrived,” Trey says softly after sneaking up behind me. As I turn to face him, he holds a big, perfect red strawberry up to my lips.
I draw the end of it between my teeth and envelop it with my lips as an explosion of deliciousness springs forth against my bite. “I’ve been craving these ever since Monaco,” I tell him with a satisfied smile. “They are so delicious. Especially with champagne.” I take my glass from his hand and clink it against his rocks glass.
“Here’s to the longest Monday ever,” he says, stealing my line. We both take a long sip before lowering them and simply staring into each other’s eyes. “Even after a day like today and dressed in some old scrubs, you are still stunning,” he says before leaning forward and kissing my strawberry and champagne coated lips. “I’ll get us a refill, while you slip into something more comfortable,” he says with a devilish smile.
“What’s more comfortable than scrubs?” I ask, having been impressed by the freedom and softness of them.
“Fifteen hundred thread count Egyptian cotton sheets,” he says adding a cocked eyebrow to his sly grin.
When he leaves the room to retrieve a refill and more strawberries, I turn and spot a gorgeous Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. I walk over and turn on the hot water, knowing that a soothing bath will help me relax and unwind from the day.
Hearing voices, I take a peak out into the living room to find Anthony engaged in another serious conversation with Trey. With a champagne bottle in one hand and a bottle of hard stuff in the other, Trey listens impatiently to what Anthony is telling him. Having had enough for one day I head back to the bathroom, slip out of the scrubs and into a steamy hot tub.
Trey
I knew I shouldn’t have come back out here. Anthony has only been involved for a couple of hours, so he is dying to get up to speed on all that is going on around us. I set the champagne and cognac back down on the bar and take a seat to answer his questions.
“According to Dad’s old personal assistant, Becky, Carly introduced Tommy to Bill Gleason,” I explain answering his question about how Carly was involved. “Apparently, Bill, his daughter, Aileen and her husband, Nolan, were part of the group who bought Tommy’s company, Firefly Media.”
“That’s the company that he promoted on his TV show,” Anthony states correctly.
“And there were several start-up companies under Firefly Media’s umbrella,” I inform him. “And that is most likely where the problems lie.” I try to recall how many different times I’ve heard the word fraud tossed around in the past couple of weeks. “Nearly everyone who was involved with the transaction is either dead or missing at this point. Except for my brother.”
“And he is fried,” Anthony adds, finishing my sentence. “And you say Carly has fled to Belize, which is suspicious in itself. That probably means that she is either running from some sort of fraud or trying to keep herself alive.” He plops into one of the leather chairs and tilts his head back, rubbing his hand across his forehead.
I pull up my phone and click her number again just to see if she has landed. It immediately goes to voicemail for the third time. “I wonder if she still has one of the corporate phones as well?” I look at Anthony who is still rubbing his forehead in deep thought.
“If she does, she’s probably going to be dead before we get a chance to talk to her,” he says lowering his hand and giving me a blank stare. “Let’s hope that Bill’s daughter knows something. I told Romeo to protect her and Mrs. Gleason at all cost,” he adds.
“If he keeps everyone at Trump Tower, there shouldn’t be any chance of anyone getting hurt. Should there?” I ask him, suddenly feeling a little less certain about everything.
“I never say, never,” he says with a sigh before rising and walking over to the bar. “I guess I will have a nice, tall glass of Jack after all. Otherwise, this case will be spinning in my head all night.”
“That’s why I’m so exhausted,” I explain, joining him at the bar. “Mandy and I have been caught up in this mess ever since the day after Dad was killed. It has been a relentless downward spiral.”
“It’s always darkest just before dawn,” he assures me with a well-worn cliché. “This will all come to a head in the next forty eight hours. I’m going to need at least two or three more men though. Hopefully, we have at least two more in position by noon tomorrow.”
“Sounds good,” I reply, picking up the two bottles and positioning the bowl of strawberries between my elbow and ribs. “I’m going to go get a little… rest.” I raise an eyebrow and head for the bedroom.
“Yeah, you go get a little,” he says with a chuckle. “You rich fuckers are all the same.”
Chapter 6
Mandy
Submerged to my chin in a luxurious, warm bath, I am nearly asleep when I hear the clink of a crystal champagne glass against the surface of the marble tub. I keep my eyes closed for a moment, anxious to smell, feel and taste him instead of merely seeing him.
“I’m sorry you’re so tired,” he whispers in my ear. “I had something special in mind,” he adds, nuzzling his nose behind my ear and kissing the side of my neck.
“I’m just resting my eyes,” I whisper back, reaching out to touch him. My hand lands right beneath the waistband of his scrubs and I am greeted with enthusiasm. “Those pants aren’t very good at hiding something like that,” I tease, cracking my eyelids open just enough to take a peak.
“What do you expect? I walk in here and find a beautiful woman, naked in my bathtub.” He pauses to pull his shirt over his head. “I think I would have to be dead to not get a hard-on.” He pushes his pants part way down until gravity takes over and drops them to the floor. He takes another sip from his glass before stepping into the tub and slowly lowering himself between my legs. “Hi,” he whispers with a devious look in his eyes.
“Hi,” I reply unable to resist cracking a broad smile. “I’m glad you could join me.” I lift my bottom and slide myself closer to him.
“I would’ve been here earlier, but Anthony is pretty focused.” He lowers his head and begins teasing my right nipple with his tongue.
“There’s nothing wrong with a focused man.” I moan, feeling an instant surge of energy through my core. I love how he does this to me, moving slowly and deliberately. Taking the time to pay special attention to each part of my body, playing me like a finely tuned instrument. Damn, he is good at that.
He works his way down my abdomen, lifting my body above the waterline while continuing his descent. I push my fingers through his thick hair and savor the feeling of his lips traversing the centerline of my body. I am forced to grip the sides of the tub as he cups my bottom and lifts me completely out of the water. His hot tongue slips between my folds and delivers tantalizing strokes across my excited clit. Oh, damn, that feels good.
“Mmm, I love how you taste,” he mutters, pushing the full length of his tongue inside of me. “There is nothing better,” he says after pulling back to give me a few teasing flicks of his tongue. He continues to move his tongue back and forth within me while intermittently teasing my excited clit. My breath catches as he continues to use his hot tongue to send me wriggling up the back of the tub.
His strong hands grip my hips, halting my retreat. He groans loudly as he continues to make love to me with his talented lips and tongue. I suddenly feel an overwhelming sensation within me and realize that a couple slippery fingers have slipped in the back door. Oh my God… that’
s intense! “Oh fuck,” I cry out, before catching myself. I temporarily forget the fact that Anthony is in the next room. How embarrassing…
Trey as usual seems to revel in the fact that I am beginning to lose control. If anything he seems to be determined to make me embarrass myself. Fighting the urge to scream, I allow the wave of orgasmic tension to rush through me. Every nerve in my entire body appears to be on overdrive as he continues to massage that incredibly sensitive area that I didn’t even know existed, while simultaneously sucking my now throbbing clit.
My body clenches as an incredibly intense orgasm begins to grip my overheated body. Pushing back against the tub, I let go of the sides and grab two fistfuls of his hair desperate for a slight reprieve. My back begins to slide down the back of the tub and I breathe a sigh of relief as my body and his head once again fall beneath the water line. Thank God!
“You trying to drown me?” he gasps as he pulls his head from the water and throws his dripping, wet hair back from his forehead.
“I’m trying to be quiet, but you aren’t making it very easy.” I sit up and pull him toward me, kissing his hot, wet lips with all of the passion I’m feeling inside of me. “You were driving me crazy, like usual.”
He smiles and without a word stands up and grabs a couple towels, tossing them onto the floor. “Come here,” he coaxes, taking my hands and lifting me up. He quickly straightens out the towels, before once again taking my hand and helping me from the bath. My nipples instantly harden against the cool air-conditioned breeze that is filtering through the room. “Don’t worry, I’ll warm you up,” he murmurs, seeing the goose bumps rising along the length of my arms.
“I’m sure you will, but let’s try to be quiet,” I tell him, not wanting to make a scene.
“The door to the suite is closed and he has most likely gone to bed, so don’t worry,” he replies with a determined glint in his eyes. “This is another one of my favorites,” he whispers as he guides my back onto the plush towels and slides between my legs. “You are so fucking sexy,” he moans as he teases my lips with his and positions himself perfectly between my thighs. My goose bumps begin to fade as our mutually generated body heat begins to overpower the effects of the cool draft. His kisses warm me to the core.