A Sea of Smoke_A Dark Romance

by Karen Lynn

  The vacant look in Nick’s eyes as the fantasy faded was replaced by a sly, knowing grin. Logan’s hand tightened around the wine glass.

  Nick moved in for the kill. “How about another round with her? What do you think?” He was right next to Logan now, a rapturous look on his face.

  “Are you crazy? She'll never go for that, forget it.” He let his eyes meet Nick's. The wine had taken effect, but he still had some of his senses.

  Nick straightened up, his tone hostile. “Then you need to convince her who’s the boss.”

  For a brief moment, a tense silence consumed them. “Let's smoke before I leave. Think she wants to join us?” Nick raised his eyebrows, lighting a joint as he gazed outside.

  Logan studied Kristen. Her eyes were closed, but she couldn’t fool him. On the outside she appeared relaxed, but on the inside he knew she was fuming.

  “She can't,” he snapped, grabbing the joint.

  “Her loss,” Nick sneered. “What about that other one, the hot Cuban bitch?”

  “What about her?” Logan mumbled, his eyes glazing.

  “She was smoking hot too! You can really pick them! Tell her to bring a friend next time.” Nick's hand on his shoulder started squeezing tighter. He suppressed a chuckle when Logan flinched mumbling something inaudible.

  “Hey, I almost forgot about tomorrow night!” Nick rose, fumbling in his jacket pocket for his checkbook and a pen.

  Logan watched, his head in a fog.

  Nick slapped a check on the table. “A little gift for the baby. Maybe that'll help change her mind.” He winked.

  “Tomorrow?” Logan slurred, holding his head in an effort to stop the room from spinning. “What the hell was in that stuff?”

  “Don't worry about it. Here's some more.” He chuckled, whipping out a small bag of weed. “Some NYC boys are coming in for dinner. Tell your lovely wife we'd be honored if she graced us with her presence. I'll text you the details.” He swayed slightly and shook his head. “Strong shit, huh?”

  Logan nodded, regretting the sudden movement when he had to struggle to keep his balance to trail after him.

  Without warning, Nick stopped by the balcony door, slid it open, and called out to Kristen. “Nice seeing you again, Kristen.” She didn't acknowledge him, and Logan was too stoned to care.

  When Nick reached the door he winked, grasping Logan’s shoulders. “Work on her, Logan.”

  * * *

  Logan must've fallen asleep on the sofa. When he rolled over, catching himself a second before ending up on the floor, he realized his stomach was grumbling. Desperate to fill it, he fought through the pounding and flip-flops in his head and made his way to the balcony.

  “Do you always have to be so rude to him, Krissy?” He held onto the patio table for a minute for support. “You know how—”

  She finished his words. “—much he's done for us! Yes, I know baby, but he gives me the creeps! He is so damn sleazy! Yuck!” She watched as he threw his cold steak back on the grill and fumbled with the nobs to ignite it.

  She smirked. “Please don't blow up the building.”

  “Right.” He laughed, walking unsteadily over to her. “I guess you don't want this check for the baby then?” He grinned, thrusting it in her face.

  “Five hundred dollars! He must really love you, Logan.”

  Of course, another business write-off. The sleaze ball made it out to Logan, not me. “Maybe I can get those art supplies now?”

  “Shit! I burned myself!” Logan squealed, ripping his hand away from the grill.

  “You're stoned!” She frowned. Nick the drug dealer, it figured.

  With a pained look in his eyes, he put his hand to her lips, hoping for a sympathy kiss. When she didn’t comply, he sat down next to her on the lounge chair. “Really good shit too!” He closed his eyes, dropping his head to her shoulder. “Why do you always have to look so beautiful?”

  “What?” She was stunned. “You are out of it for sure!”

  “Come inside with me.”

  He kissed her head before getting up to carry his steak in. Encouraged by his compliment, she decided to follow him.

  “I still can't believe you never even told him I was pregnant, Logan!”

  “Guess I forgot. Anyway, I thought you hate him.”

  He rushed to pull out a chair for her. For a second she looked at him with amazement, then sat down.

  “What did he want anyway?”

  “He has a couple of deals he wants me to do with him. One is Saturday night for dinner with some clients. You think you can behave?” His eyes were soft and pleading.

  “I'm invited? Wow!” It was definitely an unwelcome surprise. But a night out would do her good. “If it's fancy I need a nice, big dress.”

  “See, you have something to buy with the money after all. We can go shopping tomorrow.”

  “What about my easel and stuff then?” Throwing herself on his lap, her arms draped his neck.

  “Okay! Whatever you want. Just don't break my legs!” He chuckled, kissing her.

  “Soon you won't be able to make fun of me anymore, whitey.”

  “Is it that bad?” He held out his arms, inspecting them.

  “You sure don't look like a Floridian! You have pasty New Yorker written all over you.”

  “When you're not 500 pounds anymore we can go to the beach,” he shot back, hitting her butt as she got up. His eyes lingered on her.

  Maybe things will actually work out and she’ll get over her grudge against Nick. A big bonus as a reward would definitely be nice. Better yet, with a little extra luck Nick will disregard the money I still owe him altogether.

  Logan groaned when his mind returned to that night a few months earlier, the night those super-hot French chicks took him for a ride. Like usual, he didn’t heed Nick’s warning. It went in one ear and out the other when he told him no spending binges with the money that was promised for his part of a co-dependent deal. And par for the course, his magic dick controlled his brain. The minute he entered the club, they were on him like a couple of bitches in heat. It didn’t’ take long before they were in a room and the party heated up. The next thing he remembered was waking up in a drugged daze, a huge lump on his forehead, one wallet full of cash and credit cards plus a gold watch short. With the choice of calling Kristen or Nick to rescue him, he chose Nick. Unfortunately, it was his second big mistake of the night.

  SATURDAY

  JAKE

  Jonny had a couple of unsavory looking friends filling in for him for an undisclosed amount of time. Jake and Ben looked on skeptically as they roamed the club, sticking out like sore thumbs. One huge, particularly ugly one couldn't resist hanging out by Jake's station, ogling the women like a dog in heat. Jake watched disgusted, hoping he wouldn't scare them away. A large number of tips were at stake if he did. Even Jonny never acted as hard up as this idiot did.

  “Hey, Jake, right?”

  Jake nodded, his eyes dull and disinterested.

  “You're a real chick magnet, ain't ya?” The guy’s loud cackles screeched through the noise as he motioned for another shot. Jake rolled his eyes, beginning to get agitated. What the hell could he say? He was another boss.

  “What's your trick? I could sure use some pussy.”

  Jake felt the first throbs of a headache coming on fast from the guy’s annoying, booming voice. He knew he had to act quickly, since the jackass had already chased away several female customers, all of which didn’t bother to conceal their contempt.

  “You want my secret?” Jake asked, moving closer, as if he were about to give away top confidential information. “What's your name anyway?”

  “Oh, pardon me! It's Joey!” He grinned, spilling his vodka on the counter.

  Jake mopped it up without a second thought. “Joey, you have to act like you don't need it, plain and simple. Make them come crawling to you.” He stared at him, waiting for it to sink in. “Walk around, blend in. See how fast they come running to you.�
� He winked, patting his shoulder.

  Joey shook his head with boyish enthusiasm. “Yeah! Yeah, l like it. Good man, Jake, ya know your stuff. Gotta tell Jonny to give ya a big raise!” His stomach jiggled under the outgrown shirt.

  Jake gave him a broad smile, confident he would get rid of him any second. Ben glanced over with a curious expression.

  “Hey, how about another drink then?” Joey slurred, sticking out a meaty hand anxiously.

  “You sure you're up to it, Joey? You don't wanna come on too strong with the ladies, know what I mean?” Jake’s face took on a look of undeniable sincerity.

  “Right, right! Yeah, I hear ya.” Joey grinned, his eyes following Jake's as they fixed on a couple of busty blondes leaning against the wall.

  “Nice, right? They've been checking you out for a while, probably waiting for you to walk away, to follow you.”

  Joey gave him the thumbs up, tumbled off the stool and strutted away into the crowd. Exhausted by the interaction, Jake sighed, pushing a smile as soon as the blondes rushed over to order drinks. Grateful to be rid of Joey, he didn't charge them, and happily accepted a big tip instead.

  Ben danced over, cracking up when Jake told him what happened. “Nice work! That loser was making me sick and scaring away the chicks!”

  “He's an asshole!” Jake wasn’t amused. “Hey, where's Jonny anyway?”

  Ben shrugged, returning to his station as the bar started filling up with exhilarated customers again.

  Ray would've really gotten a kick out of this. If he was still here…

  Jake turned away, a hint of sadness in his eyes from the unwanted image. Another harsh sigh snapped him back to the gloomy reality. It wasn’t going to do him any good wallowing in the past. In an instant, he managed to strike all depressing thoughts from his head and turn on the charm. It was going to be another long, lonely night.

  LOGAN/KRISTEN

  When they drove up to the exclusive, expensive Mama Mia restaurant on Miami Beach, a sinking feeling hit Kristen in the pit of her stomach. A possible premonition of the misery to come? Then again, it could've been the sight of Nick leaning on the bar guzzling a drink as they walked in that really set it off. As soon as he spotted them, he toppled off the barstool, trotted over, and crushed her in a bear hug. Repulsed, Kristen couldn’t stop herself from shoving him away as Logan stood by, his mouth ajar.

  Dumbfounded, Nick brushed himself off and made a valiant effort to disregard it while Logan's eyes devoured her. She could see he was embarrassed, but didn't really care. There was no way she was going to let that disgusting animal paw her, especially in her delicate condition.

  Logan, anxious to ease the tension, admired the view of her plump breasts provided by the low-cut black silk dress he'd bought. “You look beautiful, Krissy,” he purred in her ear as they followed Nick to a large table overlooking the ocean. He held her back in a protective gesture, gazing into her eyes. “Please try to be nice.”

  The nervous smile crossing his face failed to captivate her this time. An anguished scream was stifled in her throat, and the night had only just begun.

  I feel like a clumsy elephant. Look at them all staring.

  With her confidence dwindling, she pulled her shoulders back and waddled past the endless tables of pretentious, overdressed, bejeweled patrons, pretending to ignore them.

  When they reached their table, she swayed, on the verge of passing out. Before she could blink, Jonny popped up, his beady eyes glazed by the liquor. A voluptuous, bleached, platinum-blonde woman and another bald, bulbous-eyed man stared up at them.

  This can’t be happening!

  Kristen's heart palpitated, beating faster and faster, until she was breathless. She slumped against Logan. Jonny veered closer. Panic-stricken, she turned to Logan, her mouth and eyes widened in shock. He avoided her gaze, unable to hide the innocent grin lighting up his face. She watched in astonishment as his hand reached out enthusiastically to Jonny's.

  When Jonny faced her, a hideous glint in his eyes, her face stripped of whatever color remained and she stood speechless.

  “Kristen, nice to see you again.” Her limp hand lay locked in his firm grip.

  Logan couldn’t control his fidgeting as he looked on. Oblivious to the brewing turmoil, Nick sprang into the seat next to the blonde.

  “Tony Spatino.” The bulbous-eyed man's loud, thick Italian accent rang in her ears. His clammy hand grabbed hers just as it dropped from Jonny's.

  Overwhelmed with helplessness, she dropped into a chair. Somewhere in an alternate reality, Logan’s fingers latched onto her knee, squeezing it. When she lifted her eyes to his, the twinkle of laughter she found amazed her. It was devastating, but clear. He had set her up.

  How and when did he build a connection with Jonny? Without blinking, she dug her nails into his hand and ripped it from her leg.

  The huge lump in her throat continued to choke her. She gulped repeatedly to get rid of it, making no attempt to focus on the blurred menu. Everyone drank, abandoning themselves to the liquor buzz, while she was forced to remain in a painful, sober state. Even though she willed her mind to shut down, the sound of laughter and animated voices invaded her subconscious. Over and over, the realization that Logan knew Jonny would be there, that he had betrayed her, that she still couldn’t trust him, coursed through her mind. She pictured Jonny scurrying back like the little rat he was to rub her grotesquely pregnant condition in Jake’s face. To tell him how deliriously happy she was with her loving husband.

  The walls were caving in, the feeling unbearable. Without a sound, she leaped to her feet and tore out of the room.

  Logan's face dropped. Shaken by humiliation, he made an indiscernible comment about hormones and took off after her.

  “Come on, Kristen! You can't stay in there all night. Please…”

  No matter how hard she pressed her hands to her ears, she was unable to prevent Logan's desperate voice from penetrating the restroom door.

  A commotion ensued—someone argued with him, their voices receding into the void, as she battled waves of nausea. The sound of footsteps grew louder and closer, followed by pounding on the stall door.

  “Miss, there's a Logan outside, he insists he's your husband. He wants to come in and talk to you.” The woman's voice sounded apologetic.

  “No! Tell him to go away!” Kristen cried out between shudders.

  “I told him he’s not allowed to come into the ladies’ room, but he keeps arguing. Please, miss, go out to talk to him before I tell the manager and he calls the police!”

  With a defeated sigh, Kristen exited the restroom. Logan's hand shot out, clasping her arm. One rough jerk sent her into the darkest, most isolated corner he could find.

  “What the hell, Kristen? Why don't you just fucking kill me now?”

  “Give me the gun, Logan!”

  Logan flinched at the fiery defiance in her face. “How the hell was I supposed to know he was gonna be here? Do you think I want to see him?”

  “Yes I do, Logan! You don't give a shit about my feelings! All you care about is fucking Nick and your god damn deals! Oh, I forgot—and most of all, yourself!” The intensity of her own words incapacitated her. Seeking a release, she collapsed against the cold concrete, hoping to blend in.

  “Why the hell do you care so much anyway? Huh? Does he bring back memories?” He didn’t bother to check around. Stepping in, he used his strength to trap her. She refused to look at him.

  “Go to hell, Logan.”

  “Kristen... you are really pushing me to my limit,” he sneered, trying to pry her hands from the wall.

  Too distraught to struggle any longer, she yielded to him. No longer able to control her tears, they cascaded in endless streams down her cheeks. “Just leave me... go back to your friends...”

  He embraced her, holding her close. “You still care about him, don’t you? Why else would you be acting like this?”

  Her body shook violently against him, the sobs choki
ng her. “Leave me alone.”

  “No—you should’ve been over him by now!” His face contorted in anguish as his fingertips pressed into her back. “This is sick!”

  “You should know.” She sniffled, peeking up at him through long strands of hair.

  His hands fastened onto her jaw, lifting her face up to his. He took a long, exasperated breath, then grinned. “You are going back to the table with me and you are going to behave. You have no idea what these guys can do to us, so you better apologize to them.”

  She cringed, taken aback by the threat. After a moment, she held her head up high, glaring brazenly at him.

  With no more patience left, it was time to end the games. He brushed tangled masses of hair out of her face with his hands, then clumsily patted them down. Satisfied, he reached over to an unattended food cart grabbed a napkin, rubbed it along the smudged makeup stains on her face, and smiled in triumph. “Better, let's go.”

  “I may throw up—just saying.” And she wasn’t kidding, the nausea continued rising as the table came into view. She felt him pinch her waist. Her reflexes kicking in, she grounded herself, lifting a foot to kick his leg.

  “Don't!” He glared at her, hissing through clenched teeth. Pouting, she slowed down to a crawl behind him, her eyes filling with disdain at the sight of Jonny.

  “There she is! Kristen, feeling better?” Jonny jumped up, pulling out a chair next to him, gesturing to her.

  No, you disgusting pig!

  Blinded by hate, she felt Logan squeezing her thigh.

  “Yes.” The word tumbled out of her mouth as she fell into the chair.

  “Good! Must be tough being knocked up, huh?” Jonny paused, savoring the infuriated look on her face. Logan sucked in a deep breath and began tapping anxiously on the table.

  Nick raised his eyebrows peeping over the menu at Logan.

  “Hey, let’s get some food. I'm starving!”

  Kristen scanned the menu, pointing at the most obscenely expensive items she could find.

  Screw him and the prices. I’m fed up and indulging!