Flynt shouldered his way into the small kitchen, carrying a tray of dirty cups. Zea looked at him in amazement. Since she’d introduced him to Jared a week ago, she hadn’t seen him at all. Her brain told her that was a good thing, but her body craved his touch.
‘You work here now?’
Flynt dumped the crockery into the sink and cranked the faucet. He squeezed some soap into the water and started to wash the cups.
‘Voluntary service. I’m bored. Anyhow, as I was saying, the creepy brother-in-law’s back again. What is that – the third time this week?’
‘Fourth. And have you been spying on me, Flynt Newlan? That’s just sad.’ Zea peered through the round window in the kitchen door. She saw Jared, waiting patiently at the counter. ‘And he’s not creepy.’ She added after seeing Flynt’s disbelieving face. ‘Hey, we’re getting to know one another, be nice.’
Flynt snorted. Zea ignored him and took some freshly baked muffins from the oven. Burning her fingers and wincing, she popped them from the tin and arranged them on the cake rack to cool. Bringing a rush of cool air and rain in with her, Teresa came through the back door, ready for her shift.
‘Hey, kids.’ She shrugged off her coat and hung it up, casting an eye over Flynt’s handiwork. ‘Am I dreaming?’
Flynt blew her a sarcastic kiss and Zea laughed.
‘Hey girlie, can you take over here? Apparently, I’ve got a visitor.’ Teresa shot a glance at Flynt who pulled a face.
‘Again?’
‘Uh-huh.’
Zea ignored them both and went out to greet Jared, wiping her hands on a dishcloth.
‘Hey, Jared.’ She noticed how formal he was, sitting almost ramrod straight on the counter stool. His spotless, ever present, suit and tie, gray today with a lighter gray shirt. His blue eyes were clear but narrowed. Jared, Zea decided of late, had the bad luck to look permanently suspicious - one of the ways he differed from David.
‘Hello, Zea. How are you?’
‘I’m good, thanks. Same as yesterday.’ She smiled, but there was an edge to her voice. ‘Don’t you have anything else to do but hang out in here?’ She checked herself. ‘Sorry, that was rude. I meant to say, don’t you get bored?’ She poured him a black coffee, and he raised his cup.
‘Of your company, never. Hello’
Zea turned to see Flynt behind her. He raised his eyebrows at her, but she couldn’t read the expression in his eyes.
‘I was wondering if I could take you to lunch. I would like to talk to you…in private.’ Jared’s voice was hard.
He cut his eyes to Flynt, and Teresa who had sidled from the kitchen, and who were both openly and unashamedly listening to their conversation. Zea sensed them behind her but didn’t turn.
‘I’m sorry, Jared, I have to work all day for the next couple of days. It’s our busiest time of the week. How about I show you around on…’ She turned to look at the calendar, moving a smirking Flynt out of the way. She turned back to Jared, managing to get in a little punch to Flynt’s kidney. He laughed. Jared stared at him in dislike. ‘Thursday? Holly is in that day so I can skip out early. Come to my apartment around six?’
‘Fine.’ He gave her a quick smile and left as quickly as he’d arrived.
‘Freak.’
Zea ignored Flynt and went to clear a table. When she came back, she eyed him. ‘Have you got a job, Flynt?’
He grinned. ‘I protect the staff of this fine diner from rapscallions and vagabonds. It’s tiring work.’
She sniggered. ‘Rapscallions?’
‘Yes, rapscallions. Also,’ he paused to kiss her cheek before backing away with a mischievous look on his face, ‘from creepy brothers-in-law. Oooooooo.’
Zea shook her head, laughing. ‘Fool. Go on, scram.’
Teresa stuck her head out of the kitchen. ‘Is the foreplay over? Is it safe to come out now?’
Zea grinned at her. ‘You were right about that one,’ she said regretfully. ‘Trouble.’
Teresa studied her. ‘You’ve fallen for him.’
‘Hell no,’ Zea said firmly, but inside she knew she wasn’t telling the entire truth.
Emory felt sick. Another day, another news story making up lies about her. Now they were saying she faked her injuries. That David Azano was obsessed with her. That she was the reason he went insane and killed eleven people. That she was a femme fatale.
That she was a whore.
God.
Luca couldn’t make her feel better – in fact, she’d asked for some time alone. ‘Just for an hour or two, baby,’ she’d said to him, and he’d understood. God, she was crazy about this man, but she needed that time to cry and yell and get it out.
She did all those things in the luxury apartment that Luca had provided for her. How did I get here, she wondered, as she calmed down. What the hell is my life now?
She heard the key in the door and turned, expecting to see Luca.
Instead, Bree Saffran stood in the doorway, staring at her.
Zea had worked since six a.m., and she was exhausted. Not only that but her entire day had been ruined by the fact that on the front of every newspaper she’d seen, David’s face stared out at her. New lies, new revelations. She didn’t believe for a moment the stuff about Emory. She had known Emory, liked her immensely. The two women had been friendly, and she knew David liked the other woman, but no way was he obsessed with her. He felt sorry for her being married to that monster, Ray Grace. Zea wondered if the man was behind this smearing of Emory’s character. Zea had met Ray Grace a few times and thought he was a loathsome creep – and wondered how the hell a bright and beautiful woman like Emory ever married him.
And then, on the walk home, using the evening air to try and clear her headache, Flynt had pulled up alongside her in his car and called out to her.
She turned and glared at him. ‘Does it hurt your knuckles when you drag them along the ground, you Neanderthal? Would it kill you to treat me as something other than a convenient hole?’ She hated snapping, but Flynt was the only person around, and she had to vent at someone.
To her chagrin, Flynt just grinned. ‘Bad day, sweetheart?’
‘What do you care?’
‘I don’t, don’t flatter yourself. See you around.’
Asshole. She stared after his car as he gunned the engine and took off. She hated that she felt guilty about being rude to him.
Sighing, she turned for home. I need an evening away from men…all the men in my life.
But she’d only been home for a half hour before the knock on the door came.
‘Bree.’ Emory felt breathless as the teenager gazed at her. There was hurt in the girl’s dark eyes, so like her father’s, and Emory could barely look at her. ‘Bree, I’m so sorry about this.’
Bree walked into the room, still wary. ‘It’s okay.’
Emory shook her head. ‘It’s not, Bree, it’s not okay at all.’
Bree hesitated them sat down. Emory sat opposite her, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Protection against the onslaught.
But Bree was calm, and now Emory saw compassion in her eyes. Bree cleared her throat.
‘I’m not mad at you, Em, how could I be? I told Dad to go for it, and after all you’ve done for me, you are my blood. I’m mad at Dad. For handling it wrong, for not giving my mom a heads up. She deserves better.’
Emory relaxed her position a little. ‘Yes, she does, and I am sorry for my part in her distress, please believe me.’
‘I do. And Mom knows that too. She just rocked back, is all. She’s not over Dad.’
Emory could think of nothing to say to that. Bree half-smiled at her. ‘Do you love him?’
Slowly, Emory nodded, and Bree grinned. ‘Good. Then all this crap is worth it.’
She got up and came over to hug Emory. Emory felt like bursting into tears – a few escaped. Bree’s eyes were red too.
‘I’m really sorry about all this shit in the press too.’
/> Emory sighed. ‘It’s my ex-husband’s doing.’
Bree shook her head, disbelieving. ‘How the hell were you married to him? All of us used to talk about it. It was like seeing Tinkerbell married to Hannibal Lecter.’
Emory burst out laughing. ‘That’s quite an image, and for what it’s worth, I wish I could remember what I was thinking when I married him. My mom had just died, and he was there for me. He appeared charming, and I was such a mess. It wasn’t long after the wedding that he revealed himself, but my confidence by then was rock-bottom.’
‘Men.’
Emory grinned. ‘Men,’ she agreed. ‘Listen, do you want to stay? We can get pizza and watch trashy t.v.?’
Bree looked regretful. ’I would, but I’ve arranged to meet some friends. Rain check?’
‘You bet.’
Another knock at the door, louder. Zea sighed and got up. She walked slowly across the hallway, feeling the numbness creeping over her body. Her mind. She pulled the door open, and Jared smiled at her. ‘Hello again.’
Zea leaned against the doorframe. ‘Oh. Jared, I’m so sorry, I forgot our date. Do you mind if we make it another night? I’ve had a really rough day.’ She looked up, and a chill ran through her. His expression was rigid, frozen. Fury. She balked. ‘I’m sorry, Jared, I really did forget. It’s been a bad day.’
His expression cleared. ‘Of course. Are you okay? After today, I mean.’ He walked into the kitchen and sat down. Zea sighed. Not now, please. She pulled a couple of glasses from the cupboard, snagged a bottle of bourbon. Her hands were trembling. Jared took the bottle from her and steered her into a chair.
‘Zea, you’re tired,’ A smile but his voice had an edge. ‘Let me look after you.’
Zea let the fatigue wash over her, her body slumping. ‘Thank you.’
‘Do you want to talk about what the papers are saying? About David?’
A jolt of anger shot through her. ‘You know what, Jared, I really am sick of talking about David. Of thinking about him, about what might have been. He killed people, Jared; he murdered them. He stabbed Emory Grace and would have killed her, and now she’s getting hammered in the press. She doesn’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this. I thought I had been living in limbo…Jesus Christ. Can we just sit for a bit? I’m so tired.’
She put her head down on the table and sighed. Jared stroked her hair, and despite her mood, it felt nice. She put her hand over his. They sat in silence for a while then Jared cleared his throat.
‘Zea…I don’t want to overstep the mark here but…’ He faltered, and she sat up, curious.
‘What is it, Jared?’
He didn’t meet her gaze. ‘You are a very beautiful woman. You’re bright and kind and…Flynt Newlan isn’t the only option you have in front of you. I could take care of you if you’d let me.’
Zea flushed and looked away. ‘Jared, please, I…’
He held his hands up. ‘No, it’s okay. I just wanted you to know that.’
The atmosphere had changed, turned into something new. Jared touched her face, his smile oddly hesitant.
‘So, I’ll leave you alone. Unless I can talk you into some dinner?’
Zea tried to smile. ‘I’m sorry but no. I really don’t feel all that well. Another night, please.’
He nodded, and she walked him to the door. He stepped out into the hallway but then turned. Swiftly he leaned down and kissed her, quick but firm, on the mouth. Drawing away, he smiled down at her.
‘He’s not the only man in the world. Just promise me you’ll think about it.’
Zea nodded. Jared waited, his eyebrows raised. Her irritation returned.
‘I promise I’ll think about it, Jared.’ She intoned with just a touch of sarcasm. Jared didn’t notice.
‘Good girl.’
And then he was gone.
Zea closed the door and leaned back against it, confused, irked. Jared knew how to pick his moments. He’d taken her aback with the kiss, but it hadn’t been unpleasant. But she hadn’t felt anything either. She rubbed her face and groaned. Jared’s declaration wasn’t what she needed right now, she decided but then laughed. What the hell do I need?
She padded into the kitchen and locked the back door, turning out all the lights and went upstairs. In the bathroom, she opened the cabinet above the sink and took out the small bottle of Tylenol PM. She hesitated, looking at her drawn face in the mirror. I need oblivion for a night. Then, tomorrow, I’ll make a new start. Figure stuff out. Decision made, she threw the pills into her mouth and scooped up a handful of water from the faucet. She stripped and stepped into the shower, coiling her hair up into a bun.
Drying, she pulled on an old t-shirt and shorts and slid beneath the duvet, turning off the lamp. The buzz of the tablets didn’t take long to kick in.
She didn’t even hear the door to the apartment creaking open, or the footsteps of the intruder who stood over as she slept.
Bree Saffran felt lighter, relieved to have cleared the air between herself and Emory. She had seen how the other woman seemed strained and desolate and her heart had gone out to her. It wasn’t anyone’s fault that Emory and Luca had fallen so fast for each other, it was just one of those things.
Bree walked quickly down to the parking garage, digging in her purse for her keys. She didn’t even sense the movement behind her until a hand was clamped over her mouth and she was being dragged backward. She struggled violently then felt the sting of a needle in her neck, and she began to spiral down into a dark void. The last thing she heard was the laugh of a man, a laugh that sounded vaguely familiar…
Raymond Grace dumped Bree’s unconscious body in the back of his truck. For a rich man, Luca Saffran’s idea of security was weak – unless, of course, the girl chaffed against any protection or restrictions. She was only a teenager, of course, Ray smirked. No matter – it had made it easy for him to follow Bree.
He had no doubt that Luca would give up his lover to save his daughter’s life and then Emory would be his. The day she came to him, he wouldn’t waste any time. She would be dead in minutes.
‘Enjoy the time you have left, my darling Emory,’ he muttered as he pulled the truck out of the garage, ‘you don’t have much of it left…’
EVERGREEN
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Part #3: Maximo
By Michelle Love
Snoqualmie (twelve hours before school shooting)
Clementine wished for the fifth time that evening that she hadn’t bothered coming. Marcia had invited her to one of her parties – the theme escaped Clem at the moment - more out of sympathy Clem had supposed. The humiliation of being divorced by Luca had yet to abate, and she was dreading the next morning, sitting in their lawyer’s office to hash out the settlement. God.
Clem moved around the party, stopping to chat with her friends from the various charities she helped out. What she noticed though wasn’t the expected show of ‘poor Clemmie’ but something different. She saw the wariness in the eyes of her female friends; the suggestion of something else entirely in their husbands. When she realized, what was going on, she felt like both laughing and crying.
She was now a threat. A threat to her friend’s perfect lives, their marriages. After an hour of trying to make conversation, Clem escaped out to the garden with a glass of champagne and a headache.
‘Are you freaking kidding me?’ She was aware she was muttering to herself, but she didn’t care. So, was this what her life was now? On the periphery of everything, she’d known for the last twenty years?
‘Not sure why you’d think I was kidding you.’ A laconic, heavily-accented drawl came from behind her. Clem turned to see the speaker. He was tall, broad and had the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. Set in a swarthy face with dark curls messy around his head, they fixed on hers with an intensity that made her stomach flip. He pushed away from the wall he was leaning on and joined her on the little stone bench. He leaned forward, his forearms on his thighs and looked ar
ound at her. ‘You look as if you’re having as much fun as me.’
Clem stared dumbly at him for a second then looked away. ‘I wasn’t talking to you; I was talking to myself.’
He smiled. ‘Let me guess. A beautiful woman at a party like this…no wedding ring. And you came alone. To these women, all you are is a threat.’
Clem sighed. ‘But why? It’s not like I have any interest in their husbands.’
He shrugged. ‘You don’t have to. But I guarantee, every man in this place would give anything to be with a woman like you.’
Clem stared at him for a long moment then shook her head. ‘Oh, so this is your pick-up method? Flattering the woman, who will fall sighing into your strong arms? I don’t play games, Mr.…?’
‘Neri. Maximo Neri. Max. And I don’t play games either. Is truth.’
Italian, then. And Christ, he was sensational, but Clem had already had sensational, and she wasn’t impressed. ‘And how do you know that?’
‘Because I am a man, I know men, and no-one could resist a night with you. I tell you this. You want your friends to be even more pissed off? Come home with me. Nothing vexes them more than seeing their newly single friend makes a conquest so quickly, especially with someone like me.’
Clem gave a disbelieving laugh. ‘Wow. You are really arrogant; you know that?’
Max shrugged. ‘I know my worth, Mrs. Saffran. I have eyes; I know I’m good-looking. What’s the point in being coy about it? No point.’
Clem had gone very still. ‘How do you know my name?’
He smiled, and her insides went to mush. God, he was beautiful but so very cocky, way too sure of himself. ‘Because I made sure you would be here before I accepted Marcia’s invitation.’
Clem rocked back. ‘Why?’
Maximo’s grin got wider. ‘Because I want to fuck you, of course.’
Clem felt her body react but her fury at his coarseness, his honesty, his utter guilelessness overruled the frantic beating of her heart, the way her sex quivered. For a second she couldn’t help imagining him taking her, right here in Marcia’s pristine garden. It would almost be worth the look on her uber-conservative hostess’s face. And God knows, she hadn’t had sex in months; she and Luca had slept apart so long she’d forgotten what a man’s touch was.
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