The Midnight Club

by Love, Michelle

  “Mr. Duarte?”

  Damn. She has caught him staring and was grinning. “Mr. Duarte, is it because I have boobs? Because I assure you—hell, Beyoncé assures you, girls run the world.”

  Suddenly Lisander burst out laughing, an unusual sound even to his own ears. He shook his head. “You are like no one I’ve ever known,” he admitted with a wry smile.

  Kate’s chicken wings arrived, and she fell on them, offering him one despite her earlier declaration. Lisander shrugged and took one. “Let me guess,” Kate said, wiping her mouth. “The women you’re used to are a) pin-thin models with all the personality of the undead, or b) praying mantises who see dollar signs.”

  Lisander’s mouth hitched up in a smile. “That’s a very jaded view of the world.”

  “I speak as I find.”

  “I’m beginning to see that.”

  “So, apart from my relative youth, what’s your objection to my representing Maceo?”

  Lisander sighed. She had him beat. “Look, I’m sorry. I overreacted. Maceo is my brother … there is no way he killed Tyson Janek, even if he was threatening Ori. Maceo doesn’t work like that. He would have done everything he could to protect Ori, but by the book, building a water-tight case.”

  “Mr. Duarte, you don’t have to sell that to me. I believe Maceo is innocent. But I also believe someone close to him or Ori is setting him up.”

  Lisander was shocked by this. “Why would they do that?”

  Kate shrugged, and he realized that although she behaved casually, she was gauging his reaction to her statements. Smart girl. Lisander took a slug of his drink.

  “Kate, ask whatever you need to; I don’t have anything to hide. Any questions you have, feel free to come to me. I can tell you this—it’s none of his closest friends.”

  “Ah, the infamous Midnight Club,”

  Lisander rolled his eyes. “That name is about 20 years old. Hopefully we’ve all matured past it.”

  Kate shrugged. “You know, I kind of like it.” She smiled at him. “The way Maceo talks about his brothers’ … makes me wish I had siblings. He loves you all.”

  Lisander felt sadness settle over him. “Kate, I just ask that you do everything, everything, to help him.”

  Kate, her own face serious now, nodded. “I promise, Mr. Duarte, there is nothing I won’t try to get Maceo free.”

  Lisander went back to his hotel room, his mind whirling. Who the hell would set up Maceo, of all people? Maceo, the fun one, the easy-going one, with more charm than the rest of them put together?

  His mind flitted to the many, many women—and their husbands—who Maceo had slept with over the years. He vaguely wondered if Maceo had been entirely faithful to Ori … but banished that thought almost immediately. The way they were together—Lisander, as well as Alex and Benoit, had never seen Maceo so wiped out by love. No, he was sure, Maceo was reformed. But, yes, maybe someone from his past or an ex-lover.

  Lisander’s mind went back to Kate Garcia. He would still need convincing that she could help Maceo, but he now had confidence that she would try anything. He felt bad that he’d gone to her boss. I should apologize. He called the concierge and asked him if he could arrange for some flowers to be sent to her.

  He allowed himself a small fantasy that Kate Garcia would be so grateful that she would immediately come to his hotel suite to thank him. He imagined unbuttoning that blouse of hers and letting her honey-skinned breasts fall into his hands, taking their nipples into his mouth.

  Lisander sighed. Really, man, you’re thinking about sex at a time like this? He couldn’t help be attracted to the young lawyer, though. He just hoped she would see Maceo through the roughest time of his life.

  Benoit strode through the hotel lobby. Nairobi was sweltering, but all he could think of was seeing Shiloh—confronting her, actually, he thought. If he was correct in his assessment of the photograph, then not only was Shiloh in serious danger, but she was hiding something from him. Something huge.

  He hadn’t called ahead; he wanted to catch her unawares. Money changed hands at the reception desk, and then he was in the elevator to her floor. The hotel itself wasn’t luxurious but merely functional, and Benoit noticed signs of wear and tear as he walked to Shiloh’s room.

  He knocked and listened for her inside. Shiloh opened the door and rocked back when she saw him. She was wearing a pale yellow sun-dress, her skin already a little tan from the African sun.

  “Benoit … what the hell are you doing here?”

  Benoit smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “May I come in?”

  Shiloh hesitated for the briefest second then stood aside. “Please.”

  He walked into the tiny room. Shiloh shifted some of her stuff from the bed, and they sat facing each other. “Benoit, what are you doing here?” she asked again, and this time he reached into his pocket and pulled out the photograph from the website. He handed it to her.

  Shiloh glanced at the photo with surprise. “Who took this?”

  “We don’t know. But we’re pretty sure it was taken by the person who murdered Viola. Shiloh, this photo appeared on a website with two other photos, one of Viola, dead, one of Ori after she had been attacked. It’s a threat. I’ve come to take you home and keep you safe.”

  Shiloh was open-mouthed, her face pale. “Benoit …”

  “And then there’s the other thing,” Benoit said softly. He took the photo and traced the image of her, her hand on her belly, looking down at the minuscule bump. Benoit looked back up at her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Shiloh had tears in her eyes. “Because I didn’t want you to feel burdened or trapped. It was an honest accident, and I was going to deal with it and never tell you. But I couldn’t go through with the abortion. I want this baby, Benoit, but I do not expect anything from you.”

  “You think I’d abandon my child, Shiloh?”

  Shiloh looked away from his keen gaze. “You told me to come to Africa, Benoit. You made your position clear.” A tear dropped down her cheek and Benoit couldn’t help but brush it away with his fingertips.

  “Shiloh … perhaps I didn’t make things clear enough. I didn’t send you away. I wanted you to take this opportunity because it was the best thing for you.” He grinned suddenly. “If I had my way, you’d never leave my bed.”

  Shiloh looked up at him. “What?”

  “I’m telling you how I feel about you, Shiloh. But listen, I can see you’re upset, and I think I know why. Let me put your mind at rest. When it comes to us, I’m in, Shiloh. We’re a partnership. A team. You make me a better person. My heart is yours.”

  Shiloh looked pale and shaky. “And you’re not just saying that because … .” Her hand fluttered over her belly, and his big hand covered hers.

  “No. But I am excited about the future, for the three of us. I don’t know if we can work it out, but I’m willing to give it a try if you are?”

  His lips found hers then, and he felt her sink into his arms. They lay back on the bed and began to make love slowly, Benoit tracing his lips along the fine planes of her body, noticing, despite the baby, that she had a lost a little weight, her delicate limbs curving around his body.

  He gazed down at her as he moved inside her. God, this woman … he knew he was falling in love with her. He had never felt this connection before with anyone. A child? Benoit had been staggered to find himself excited at the prospect of being a father. Kids had never been part of his plan. But now, with this remarkable woman … yes. He hadn’t lied to her. He was in.

  Later they ate together, using room service. Benoit returned to the subject of the website. “I think it’s pretty obvious now that someone is targeting us. Ori’s been attacked twice now. We’re all scared that the next time it happens, she won’t be so lucky. Have you noticed anyone following you?”

  Shiloh shook her head. “But then I haven’t been particularly vigilant.”

  “Time to change that.”

  “Yes.” She ate in
silence for a time. ’Benoit, what do you think I should do? I mean, I’d be sorry to leave here before I even started to make a difference.”

  Benoit nodded. “And why should you be driven out of the country by this coward? I agree; stay, be defiant, make a difference. The one thing I ask is that you let me provide you with security. Better safe than sorry. I know you don’t like to be around people all the time; they’ll be discreet.”

  Shiloh sighed, her body slumping, but she nodded. “Okay. I know you’re right. Benoit,” and she suddenly flushed. “What about you? Will you … come back and see me?”

  Benoit smiled and took her hand. “All the time. I wish I could be here permanently for you, but you know my work is in Paris.”

  “I do. It’s a heck of a commute.”

  Benoit laughed. “It is that. And look, not to pressure you, but doesn’t the baby kind of put a time limit on this job?”

  “It does. I worked out that I have about six good months. Even if I just get the ball rolling on some cases, I will have felt that at least I achieved something.”

  Benoit squeezed her hand. “Should we talk about living arrangements when you come back to Paris?”

  Shiloh hesitated. “I don’t know. How about we say not yet’ and see how this thing progresses?”

  Benoit lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “Agreed.”

  Shiloh smiled at him. ’Hey. How’s Maceo? And Ori?”

  Benoit’s smile faded. “Maceo is bearing up. Ori … Alex took her out of state, to his place in Vermont.”

  “Alex did?” She sounded skeptical, and Benoit frowned.

  “Concerns?”

  Shiloh raised her eyebrows. “Hasn’t Alex got a pretty major crush on Ori?”

  Benoit half-smiled. “I don’t think that’s anything to worry about. Maceo wanted her protected while he was in jail.”

  After a pause, Shiloh said softly, “You don’t think he did it, do you?”

  “Maceo? No way.”

  “But if he caught Tyson in the act of trying to kill Ori … it could have happened.”

  Benoit inclined his head. “True, but Maceo would have admitted it, that’s what I’m really saying. Maceo is a terrible liar, so he doesn’t bother. He would take responsibility. Besides, Janek was killed some time after Ori was attacked. Maceo has an alibi—some artist in Queens—but the authorities, for some reason, don’t believe this guy. They say Maceo is the only person with a motive other than Ori herself. What a fucking mess.”

  “I should call Ori,” Shiloh said, thinking about the lovely young women she’d only met once but had liked immensely.

  “I think that’s a great idea,” Benoit smiled at her warmly. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her soft mouth. “Now, Ms. Holt, why don’t you show me around this lovely city?”

  Ori was frustrated, bored, and felt out of place in Alex’s huge Vermont mansion. Even Maceo’s sumptuous Venetian apartment couldn’t hold a candle to it, but for some reason, Ori couldn’t settle. It lacked something. Warmth. Whereas Maceo’s apartment had bookshelves stuffed with books, expensive but comfortable couches, and a kitchen designed to be the heart of the house, Alex’s home was a study in minimalism. Ori had been surprised. Alex seemed far too friendly a man to have a home like this. She wondered what Viola had made of it.

  Outside, winter had set in, and Ori shivered as she watched the snow pile up. She missed Maceo so much that it was like a physical pain in her chest. They spoke every day on the phone, but when she went to sleep at night, the bed seemed huge and cold without him beside her.

  Alex was kind and attentive, but Ori felt slightly awkward around him. There were photographs of Viola everywhere, and Ori saw her own resemblance to the dead woman even more keenly now, living in her home. She wondered if Alex was more aware of it; she would catch him staring at her as if he had seen a ghost sometimes, before turning away, apologizing.

  You poor man, she thought now. I cannot imagine how I would feel if anything happened to Maceo. Desperate to distract herself, she spent time talking on the phone to Lucia at the gallery back in Venice and burying herself in the work Lucia emailed to her.

  Kate Garcia, Maceo’s lawyer, had come up to interview Ori and had brought Lisander. Ori had been amused by the pair’s bickering as Kate grilled Ori on Maceo’s personality and Lisander rolled his eyes constantly. As the pair were leaving to go back to New York, Ori had nudged Lisander. “She’s lovely,” she had whispered, but Lisander gave her a mockscowl.

  “She’s a child...” But Ori could see that he liked the young lawyer.

  At midnight, Ori closed her laptop and padded down to the kitchen to get some milk. The house rang with silence, and she wondered where Alex was. She didn’t want to intrude on his privacy by asking. She wandered through the darkened house. She had been surprised that Alex didn’t have a huge staff for this enormous mansion. His chef arrived in the morning and stayed all day, but apart from a couple of cleaning staff, the house was empty. As Ori made for the stairs again, she glanced over at the front door. Deadbolt and locks. This place wasn’t a home; it was a fortress.

  She went to bed and tugged the comforter around her. Sleep was eluding her, so she closed her eyes and conjured up a memory: She and Maceo working late at the gallery, discussing a new exhibition they had planned for the following spring. She loved that, despite his insatiable appetite for her sexually, he also appreciated her intelligence and work ethic and didn’t dismiss her ideas. He respected her. She told him as much that night, and he grinned at her.

  “Of course, mio caro. I didn’t just want you for your body, although now that you mention it, you are looking very fine tonight.”

  Ori chuckled. “After being at work all day?”

  Maceo rounded the table and studied her. The pale pink summer dress she was wearing looked warm against her olive skin; her dark eyes shone at him. He pushed her hair back over her shoulders and trailed his fingers along her throat. “Especially,” he murmured, lowering his lips to hers, “after being at work all day.” He slid his fingers under the thin straps of the dress and pulled them down her shoulders.

  Ori sank into his kiss, feeling him pop the catch on her bra and take her full breasts in his hands. Her dress slithered off her body to the floor, and Maceo gently laid her on his desk, grinning down at her as he stripped off his clothes.

  “I knew I liked this desk for a reason,” he said, and Ori laughed, excited, her heart pounding as she opened her arms to him. He ripped her panties from her in one sharp tug, and buried his face in her sex, nipping at her clit with his teeth, lashing his tongue around it until Ori was shivering with pleasure. After making her come twice, he stood, and she saw his cock, long, thick, up against his belly and she edged forward to take it in her mouth. Her hands massaged his balls and fisted the root of him as her tongue swept across the wide crest of his cock and Maceo groaned her name. She loved having this power over him, her fingernails now digging into his buttocks as she sucked him.

  “I want to come on your skin … lay back for me, bella …”

  She did, and he came, shooting creamy white cum onto her belly before pressing her legs apart and thrusting deep into her soaking wet cunt. Ori clamped her legs around his hips as his cock plowed deep inside her, the girth of him filling her entirely. She would never stop marveling about how well their bodies fit together. Her breasts, pillowy and plump, pressed against his hard chest, her fingers tangled in his brown curls. Their gazes—dark hazel, light green—locked and never slid away as they fucked each other.

  “I love you so much,” Ori whispered, which made Maceo thrust even harder until she was screaming his name. They tumbled to the floor where Maceo took her again, flipping her onto her stomach to take her from behind. Ori had never felt as wonderfully sensual as when she was naked and vulnerable in his arms. She had complete trust in him, both with her body and her heart.

  When finally, exhausted, they caught their breath. Maceo lay on top of her, s
moothing her damp hair away from her face. “You are exquisite,” he said, nuzzling his nose against hers. “Our children will be gorgeous.”

  Ori chuckled. “Seriously, Maceo, I’ve never known anyone with so much confidence.”

  Maceo grinned, shrugging unrepentantly. “I know I’m a good-looking man; I’ve cashed in on it many times.” He grinned, but she winced. “Hey, I meant as a business tool.”

  Ori took a deep breath in. “Sorry. I’m not a crazy jealous person, I promise. But I hear things.”

  “From?”

  She hesitated then said in a small voice, “Cassie.”

  Maceo rolled his eyes. “Cassie likes to exaggerate for reasons of her own.”

  Ori couldn’t look at him. “Were you and her ever …?”

  Maceo shrugged. “She really isn’t my type.”

  Ori grinned then. “So how many women have you slept with?”

  “I honestly didn’t count,” he said, rolling off her, and for a moment she wondered if she had upset him. His face was neutral, though. “Ori, the only thing that matters is how many I’ve slept with since I met you and that’s one. You. You are my life, my love. There will never be anyone else.”

  Ori’s eyes filled with tears and she got choked up. “Oh, Maceo.”

  Maceo pulled her on top of him. “Now, be a good girl and straddle me. I want to play a game.”

  She did as he asked, giggling as he tickled her gently, then, as he grabbed his tie, she raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh, yes?”

  “Do you trust me?”

  “Implicitly.”

  “Good.” He grabbed her wrists and bound them together behind her back. Ori chuckled at him.

  “Kinky.”

  “Just testing your limits, bella.”

  Ori wriggled on top of him, feeling his cock growing hard underneath her. She was completely turned on by the feel of silk tie tight around her wrists. Maceo smiled at her.