by Jenny Rose
“Ah, you failed to mention that but you shouldn’t worry your pretty head about all this. I’m sure it’s just a big misunderstanding.” She looked at him with eyes that said she was reading past his calm, confident bullshit and he gave her a little squeeze. “I’ll tell you what: if you feel like you need to get away and hide out, I have this awesome place in the Catskills that not even Whit knows about and it’s yours any time you want. All you have to do is give me the word and you will have keys in hand within the hour.” He flashed his dark eyes and she felt an instant wave of comfort from his demeanor but she knew it wouldn’t last past the second he left the apartment. Perhaps, getting out of the city was what was best but she didn’t want to raise any red flags at work, just in case she was being watched.
“I’ll be alright, I’m sure. I just got spooked because this is a bit much to process but I’m alright. I guess I just needed to talk it out with someone and now that I have, I see how absurd it sounds. This is embarrassing, actually. Out of everyone in the world, the only person I have is you and I haven’t seen you in practically forever.” Pulling her back in for another hug, he held her close as Easton whispered,
“I’ll be here for you whenever you need me and I hope you know that. Just because I’m not around all the time doesn’t mean that you aren’t one of my favorite people.” Wrapping her arms around him, she felt so safe and far from any danger. She didn’t want it to end but she knew that he would soon be leaving to head to the arms of whatever woman he was entertaining before he went home to his wife. The only person who didn’t know of his extra-marital activities seemed to be Whitney, herself.
“If she does know, she must value what he can do for her above how he treats her because he never acted too concerned that she would find out about any of it.” Tori thought to herself. He even took an escort to a charity ball but Whitney never batted an eye over the incident. The fact that she was passed out in their king size bed with her satin eye-mask and furry slippers at the time may have held some reasoning behind her lack of confrontation. All Whitney cared about was how she looked, how others saw her and feeling good. Everything else played second fiddle or didn’t make the band at all. Easton was a gorgeous man with an amazing, hard body but the way he was with Whitney only reminded Tori that he was a dog underneath his three-thousand-dollar suit. Strong men with his kind of power usually only saw people as assets or property that could be bought and sold like cars or cattle. Tori was so glad that she was born with a brain instead of overly large breasts, not that she’d ever had a complaint with the size of her perky bosom.
“I guess I should be going, then,” Easton said as he stood up to leave but there was a part of Tori that didn’t quite feel comfortable with being on her own. Knowing that it would be foolish to ask him to stay since she wasn’t actually in physical danger, she smiled and thanked him for coming to her rescue. “You know me. I’m Prince Charming, lady and it’s my job to save the damsel.” He gave a half-hearted bow and laughed as he reached for the door knob. Before stepping through the threshold, he turned and said,
“I was serious about the Catskills so just let me know if you change your mind.” With a wink, he added, “Don’t forget to lock up tight.”
“Not a chance,” she replied and with a flash of his handsome smile, he was down the hall, turning the corner for the elevator and out of sight. Feeling somewhat better than before he arrived, Tori closed the door and leaned against it as she thought of his arm around her shoulders and how it made her feel. When her shy accountant made an aggressive move on her she didn’t feel near the thrill as the subtle, yet innocent, contact with her stepbrother. She tried to push the thoughts from her mind, for she knew that it would be nothing but trouble if she sat around and started fantasizing about the son of her mother’s husband.
Reminiscing their conversation from the night, she thought of what Easton had said about making sure that she was not connected in any way, so she went back to the computer and went over everything from purchase orders to utility bills. She was looking for her signature or employee ID number, which would have to be used on all official documents requiring her authority. With no luck for so long, her heart leapt when she saw her personal employee number used on older documents that were dated before her employment. Would it be that she was given the number by mistake or had it all been part of some grand scheme that she inherited the identity marker? Delving further into the newfound information, she quickly noticed a pattern developing. Each time a new account was acquired, a seemingly failing business was bought then quickly turned profits. It happened at least twelve times before she sat back in her chair and closed her eyes to rest them as she released a small groan.
With all the questionable accounts being activated with her identity number, she became the executive over them when she registered with the company and given the marker. If Tori understood this correctly, she was technically responsible for nearly twenty illegal businesses that were used to launder money for the Russian mob and now someone was after her. Still unsure as to the extent of her safety, Tori wasted no time getting Easton back on the phone. When he answered, she told him that she needed to see him again but didn’t feel comfortable on the phone. He suggested that they meet for lunch tomorrow and she told him that she would see him then. After disconnecting from Easton, Tori called Burt and informed him that she would be taking the rest of the week off due to personal illness. She had never so much as called off before, so Burt seemed genuinely concerned for her well-being.
“I’m sure it’s nothing, Burt, but I really feel like crap and I just know tomorrow is going to be worse. I figure I’ll need a few days to sleep it off and get my mojo back where it’s supposed to be.” She spoke faintly and threw in a cough when she felt it was warranted then told him goodbye.
Sleep that night was hit and miss but when her alarm went off, Tori jumped out of bed and rushed to the shower like she’d gotten a full eight hours. Tori knew that she wasn’t well-rested, but instead she was reeling with anxiety. There had to be something she could do to calm down but she’d never been one for drugs and her mind was too busy for meditation. Deciding to have a warm, chamomile tea on the balcony after her shower, Tori smiled as she thought of being able to sit in the morning sun and have a moment to herself. As the sweet aroma of jasmine filled the bathroom, Tori ran the rich shampoo through her hair and created a thick lather. With her head under the faucet to rinse, she couldn’t hear the banging on the door. Humming to herself, Tori smiled as she felt the warm water cascade down her back and her light locks felt soft between her fingers as she cleansed it of the aromatic shampoo. Her hummed tune quickly became sang verse and as she lifted her voice, the bathroom door swung open and she shrieked as she grabbed the curtain to herself.
“Tori? Are you okay?” She peeked around the thick plastic to see Easton standing there with his hand still on the knob and his eyes searching her for signs of distress.
“Of course, I’m okay! Why wouldn’t I be?” He looked her up and down through the semi-transparent sheet and smiled as he said,
“Just grab a towel and meet me outside.”
Chapter Five
The ride to the Catskills was going to take about an hour and Easton didn’t think it was the best idea for Tori to take her car, so the two of them rode to the mountains together in a limousine. Easton preferred to take the drive in one of his sportscars but with the present company, he decided it would be much more pleasurable a journey if he kept Tori company. After her shower, Easton told her that he’d done some more research on the situation and found that the last two people that had gone into business with Petrov had come up missing and another before that was found dead. He told her that if there was some tie to her and Petrov that he didn’t feel safe with her in the city any longer and lunch would have to wait.
“You need to leave, now.” He was adamant that he felt Petrov may come after her, so she quickly packed a bag and the two of them got into the car and left as s
oon as possible. The city seemed so quiet from the back seat of a limo and Tori couldn’t help but watch her surroundings as they left the hustle and bustle behind them. Her stomach lightly growled and she turned to see if he saw, which he did, and they both chuckled.
“Maybe we could stop somewhere quick for a bite?” He rolled his eyes and asked,
“You mean like Quik Burger or some shit? No thanks.” He pressed the button to lower the partition and to the driver, said, “Hey, Neil? Do you remember that place just before Yonkers that had those little biscuit things with the sugar on top?” The balding man of about forty looked into the mirror and replied,
“Kosmas, sir.” Easton’s face lit up like a child and exclaimed,
“Yes! Kosmas. I believe it’s time for some of those sweet biscuits, Neil.” The driver nodded and answered,
“Indeed, sir,” to which Easton raised the partition. He reached for a bottle of scotch and asked Tori if she wanted something to drink. “You’d be surprised how much alcohol one of these things will hold. Come on, try me.” She gave him a leery glance and said,
“With this empty stomach, I’m sure a glass of white wine would knock me for a loop.” He chuckled and said,
“Well, maybe being knocked for a loop is exactly what you need. How long has it been since you really let your hair down and felt alive?” He knew that she wasn’t much of a risk taker and the most daring thing she’d ever done was probably go to Northwest when her parents wanted her to go to NYU. Her rebellion during her teen years extended to staying out half an hour past curfew one night but it was excused due to the fact that she’d had a flat tire. Easton knew her too well and sometimes he had legitimate points with logical reasoning.
“The way I see it, you’re under a lot of stress and if you want to drink a glass of white wine before you fill your stomach, it’s your right as an American to do so. You can’t argue with the constitution.” With a hearty laugh, her head tilted so that her hair brushed her face and he gazed at her for a moment.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” As he reached for the wine, he answered,
“Not at all. It’s just good to see you actually let go, if only for an instant.” She knew he was right and that she’d been wound tightly but with everything she’d discovered yesterday, she felt it was only natural to be a bit uptight.
“Well, you can’t argue with the constitution. Fill ‘er up, brother.” She grabbed herself a glass and held it for him as he steadied the bottle and their eyes met for a second and it was at that moment that Tori knew it was a good thing she would be staying at the cabin alone. Easton planned to ride back in the limousine and return to the city. Being out of town was probably the best thing Tori could do if there were, in fact, Russian mobsters after her. She planned to use her time away to put together undeniable proof that she has absolutely nothing to do with whatever Burt was doing behind closed doors, after hours or whatever the case may be. If Easton had planned to stay with her, Tori wasn’t sure that she would be able to control her flirtations with him. He was nothing like the accountant, who was sweet and nice but built like a boy where Easton was all man. His rugged jawline begged for her fingers to trace it and the darkness of his eyes seemed to lure her in like magic talismans.
“So, what about lunch with the folks? They’re going to be disappointed that you aren’t there.” Easton spoke the truth, for she was clearly the favorite, even concerning his own father. He was always a troubled boy; in and out of trouble with the law, skipping class in high school and many things about which their parents were oblivious. Tori was sure his repertoire of tricks included things that she didn’t even want to know. She’d often wondered if he came by his money legally but it was no secret that he had always been a genius. He’d used his intellect in his defense of cutting class more than once, stating,
“I don’t have to go as much as the cretins at that school because I know twice as what they know and it takes me half the time to learn it.” Tori had been jealous of his ability to ace his classes without so much as ever bringing home a book, so she was confident that he’d used his brilliance to acquire his fortune.
They talked for a while then Neil informed them that they were approaching Kosmas and Easton finished off his scotch before adjusting his tie. The three had a wonderful lunch and Easton requested a dozen biscuits to take with them. Once they were back on the road, Tori couldn’t help but feel drowsy from the full stomach mixed with the motion of the car. Fighting back a yawn, she covered her mouth and smiled embarrassingly.
“Sorry, I guess I didn’t rest well last night.” He moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.
“Just take a little nap right here on my chest.” As much as she knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help herself and as she silently agreed, she whispered,
“Maybe just a little one.”
It didn’t take long for the hum of the road to lull her to sleep and as she drifted off, Easton studied every detail of her face. He admired her slightly upturned nose and the sweep pout of her bottom lip as she wrinkled her nose. Brushing hair from her face with the back of his hand, he smiled as she slept peacefully in his protective grasp. He liked the intimacy of being near someone with your clothes on and while she breathed, he watched the rise and fall of her chest. Whitney would never allow something such as this due to the fact that it may destroy her hair or makeup and there were none of his casual friends that he held in high enough regard to hold close to his heart. Easton smiled at the small comfort while he could and enjoyed the feeling of her head on his chest. His gaze wandered out the window as they ascended the windy road to the cabin and he knew that his time with her was about to come to an end. Turning his head back to face her sleeping figure, he memorized the way her eyes fluttered and the slight openness of her mouth as she slept. There was something about her face that he couldn’t stop looking at and though he had seen her almost every day of his adolescence, he felt as if he were just now seeing her for the first time. He couldn’t let his actions go further than they already had due to the fact that it would simply ruin Christmas if the old man found out that he’d been diddling his sister. He could see the reactions now if the folks ever found out about a would-be tryst. They liked to pretend that the two were actually siblings but beside the fact that their parents were married, there was no relation between Easton and Tori. He’d always looked out for her the way a brother would but he never actually considered her his sister but more like his stepmother’s daughter. The thought of sleeping with her had never crossed his mind until he saw her again last night for the first time in a while and since then, he hadn’t been able to get her out of his thoughts.
She shifted in her sleep then slowly pulled up her head from its cozy spot on his chest. Trying to get her bearings, she looked around and saw that they were surrounded by forest land and asked where they were.
“You almost slept the whole way because I’d say we are only about a mile away from the turn-off to the cabin.” Smiling, she ran her fingers through her hair to try and fix whatever damage had been done by her nap but since she hadn’t had time to properly curl her hair, she was sure it looked like a stringy mess, anyway. It was a good thing that they were in the middle of nowhere so that nobody could see her because it would be hard to explain why she left the house in two different colored socks and a shirt with a stain on the front. She really wished she’d have noticed the stain sooner but it was in the pile of clothes that were supposed to be clean and there wasn’t really time to hit up that cute boutique down the block for a new outfit.
“I bet I look like hell but I really don’t care.” It was refreshing for him to hear a woman say that since all he ever heard was Whitney go on and on about the shade of her lipstick or some new hair treatment she had to try. She had once said that she wanted him to buy as much stock as he could in some anti-aging cream that was supposed to completely stop the effects of aging but since it hadn’t been cleared by the FD
A and it was being sold illegally, he told her to forget it.
“Well, it’s your fault if I get wrinkles!” Easton could hear her screaming it from the top of the stairs as if it were yesterday and his reply to her always brought him such joy.
“I could say the same thing to you, sweetheart. Every time you open your mouth, I feel my face pucker and become a wrinkle breeding ground in hopes that you’ll shut your damn trap!” Her walking off in a tizzy only made him chuckle harder but he sure did love her ass in those little shorts.
Easton turned to Tori and said,
“You look amazing and I know beauty.” He reminded her of a snooty professor as he held his nose in the air and slowly turned his head away from her with his eyebrows high and she couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I can’t help but laugh when I’m around you. It’s always seemed that no matter what’s going on, you can put me at ease so I want to thank you for that.” He flashed his dazzling smile and said,
“Hell, that’s just my charm. I’m swimming in it, you know.” She laughed and replied,
“Oh, you’re full of it alright but I’m not so sure that charm is what I’d say is your burden of abundance.” Easton playfully slapped her thigh and gave it a little squeeze, allowing his hand to linger for a moment before removing it. “Here we are!”
Tori looked out the window to see a three-story mansion nestled cozily in the woods, far from the highway and protected by a large, wrought iron fence with automatic gate.
“I thought you said you had a damn cabin, Easton!” He shrugged as if he had no idea to what she was referring and said,
“Well, I may have renovated it a tad. It’s in the woods, at least. Come on, you’re going to love it.” She had no idea that he was right about that.
Chapter Six
Tori couldn’t believe her eyes when she walked into the luxurious home tucked far away from the world. It was as if she’d stepped from one reality into another and as childish as she felt, she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face as she followed Easton on a tour of the home. As an art lover, Tori could appreciate the Monet in the foyer before he even showed her the piece. He’d somehow acquired a vase from the Ming Dynasty and even had a sixteenth century, handwoven tapestry that was in immaculate condition. It seemed as if each room held more wonder than the last and Easton knew that she would particularly like what he kept in the library. As they walked the spacious halls of what was supposed to be a small, weekend getaway, Tori wondered why he left such priceless treasures tucked away where they couldn’t be enjoyed.