by Annie Jocoby
As he swallowed hard while carefully avoiding my eyes, I knew that Slade was not only sincere but was expressing something that was hard for him. He continued to look worried, and that worried me even more. Something had changed for him, and it had changed just recently. Something was going on with Charlotte. Perhaps it was just a feeling that he had, or maybe she said something concrete to make him believe that she was going to throw caution to wind and come after me. But it was definitely something.
“Slade, what is it? Is there a credible threat that I need to know about?”
He looked at me for what seemed to be the longest time, just staring at me with those beautiful green eyes of his. I closed my eyes and clearly felt deception coming from him. He was going to lie to me, and I knew why – this weekend wasn’t about stress, or it shouldn’t be. It was a time just to forget all about Margot and Charlotte and Derek.
Finally, instead of just coming out and telling me what was on his mind, he just shook his head. “Not right now. I’m so sorry, Serena, but I just feel that now is not the time.”
I hated that. I had always hated that. Somebody clearly has something to say, yet they don’t say it. You’re left with knowing that something is out there, something bad, but not knowing exactly what that bad thing is.
“Slade, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that if you talk to me about whatever is on your mind, that the weekend in New York will be ruined. But if you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to wonder. It’s going to be built up in my head the entire time. I’m going to be looking over my shoulder the whole time that we’re in Montauk. This should be a time when there’s nothing but happiness and love and light surrounding everyone. It certainly shouldn’t be a time when I’m looking around, half expecting there to be men with guns shooting up the place.”
Slade smiled and, just for a second, I thought that whatever was on his mind wasn’t as bad as I was thinking. “I believe that somebody has seen too many movies. A mob hit doesn’t necessarily work like that, my love. They’re not going to be recklessly coming into a wedding and mowing everyone down. Well, unless your name is Pretty Boy Floyd and you lived during prohibition.” He was referring to the “Union Station Massacre” in Kansas City, Missouri, in which law enforcement officials were gunned down by mobsters, right in the public view. “And even they didn’t do anything to a wedding party.”
“No, but some terrorists did. Right?”
“I believe so. But the Italians aren’t quite as ruthless as terrorists or even as ruthless as different ethnic mafias. They have some respect, and they’re usually only interested in targeted hits.”
I shook my head. I was an innocent person. So was Slade, for that matter. How I possibly became the target of a hit was something that I couldn’t even fathom. It was all because Charlotte was a mafia princess. I guessed that she really had control over who her family hit.
“Slade, you’re avoiding my concerns and questions. What do I have to worry about?”
He finally sighed and shook his head. “Nothing. I mean, I don’t know. It’s just that her agent called me the other day.”
“Her agent? I don’t quite understand.”
“Yes, her agent. Her agent knows all about Charlotte’s past. She knows about the murder and about Charlotte’s mental problems. She’s been trying to keep it all under wraps, and she’s done one helluva job with that all these years. Her agent is somebody who has a lot of power in Hollywood. And she called me.”
I swallowed hard. I looked down at my hands, and noticed how much they were shaking. I felt like I was in the presence of Derek, all alone. I had the sinking feeling that somebody gets when they’re facing certain peril. Like when inmates take that long, long walk to the death chamber. That’s what I was feeling like.
“What did she say to you?” I asked in a tiny voice. I almost didn’t want to ask the question, but I knew that I had to.
“She expressed concern. She told me that she knew what evidence I had that confirms Charlotte is crazy, and she told me that Charlotte had been asking her, the agent, to go public with it. Charlotte and her agent are working, even as we speak, on how to spin this story once it gets into the public.”
“Why did she call you?”
“She wanted me to try to talk Charlotte out of doing it. She told me that she thought that I had some influence over Charlotte, and she thought that I might be able to talk some sense into her.”
“I see.” I felt all the blood rush from my head and it felt like it left my body completely. I suddenly felt cold, clammy and hollow. “So, Charlotte is…”
“She’s ready to back out of our agreement. I don’t necessarily know why. I need to get to the bottom of it, and I will, once you and I get back to LA. My fear is that…”
“I haven’t suffered enough.” I nodded my head. “That’s what she wants. She wants me to suffer. She wants to know that I’m spooked and afraid. She hates that you’re protecting me from Derek. She hates that you’re protecting me at all. I know her game, believe it or not.”
Slade finally nodded his head slowly. “Yes. I think that you might be right about that. And I’m torn. I’m torn, because I don’t want you to suffer at all. I want to make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you. But, ironically, the thing to do is to make Charlotte believe that you’re suffering. That might make her back off. Then again, I don’t know that it will. Charlotte tends to make a decision and stick to it, no matter what. If she has her mind made up that she’s going to back out of our deal, then I don’t know that I can stop it. At that point, we might have to go on the run, although I don’t think that we can run far enough or fast enough to get away from her.”
“Okay.” I felt helpless, like there wasn’t a damn thing that could be done about Charlotte. If she was determined to make me “pay” for the sin of loving Slade, then she was going to do it. There wasn’t much that could really stop her, if the threat of the whole world knowing that she murdered somebody when she was very young couldn’t derail her. What Slade had on her was powerful stuff. I didn’t think that Charlotte’s career could really survive it. I had always heard that there is no bad publicity, but an exception can be made when somebody had actually murdered a person in cold blood.
Both of us sat back in our seats and sipped our champagne. Neither of us talked for the next few hours. I was too lost in thought and I knew that Slade was as well.
Right before the plane landed, though, I knew I had to talk to Slade one more time about Charlotte. “Slade, you’re not thinking…” I shook my head.
“Yes, I have thought about that. I already know what you’re going to say. And, yes, I have thought about giving Charlotte what she wants. I would be absolutely miserable, but if it ensures your safety, I would do it.” Once again, his eyes didn’t meet mine.
My heart started to pound when he said those words. I felt hot tears rush to my eyes, even as the city came into view. I wanted to tell him not to do that, under any circumstances. That I would take my chances out in the world, and if Charlotte hit me, she hit me. But I knew that Slade wasn’t thinking like that. He was thinking about all that I was going through, seeing Derek every day. He was thinking about my safety and my life.
He was gripping his glass, which was empty, and he picked up a tumbler and filled it with some gin. “Let’s not think about any of this over the weekend, okay? Charlotte might be ready to do something drastic, but I don’t think it’s going to happen within the next 72 hours. And meeting your family is an important thing for me. I want to be accepted by them, because I still believe that you and I are going to be together. Please, don’t worry about Charlotte or anything else.”
I nodded my head, but said nothing. I had no words.
The plane was descending rapidly, and Slade looked over at me. “When this plane touches down, it ends the discussion of Charlotte, at least until we leave New York. So, if there’s anything that you need to ask me about her, ask it now.”
&nb
sp; I didn’t say anything, but I couldn’t control the tears that started to stream down my cheeks. “You and I…” I shook my head, unable to say more.
“We have a future together.” When he said those words, though, he said them weakly. As if he didn’t really believe those words himself. “I believe that, and I want you to believe that, too. I need you to believe that I’m going to find a way out of this for both of us. I need you to believe that, Serena.”
“I believe that,” I said, although my voice sounded just as weak as his. “I believe that.”
“Good.” Then he smiled. “Now, I already arranged for a limo to pick us up and take us out to our hotel. The driver will be waiting for us with a big sign, so keep a lookout.”
I smiled, although it was forced. “I’ll keep a lookout.”
The plane landed and we walked out onto the tarmac. It was autumn, so it was getting cold. The time had just switched over, so it was also getting dark, even though it was only 4 PM. I smelled the air, feeling comforted. This was home to me. I loved San Diego for the weather and for the fact that it was relatively uncongested. “Relatively” was the operative word there, of course, as San Diego was a large city and had a lot of traffic problems of its own. But it was still nothing like New York. Yet, New York was the one place where I truly felt at home. I had lived there, or in the general area, for almost a decade.
Slade smiled. “I guess it’s good that we brought our heavier coats. We certainly don’t need them in California, although I think that they’re going to come in handy for us on this trip.”
“Good thing the wedding is during the day. It’s on the beach, and it’s supposed to get to 80 degrees on Saturday. Right now, though, it certainly does seem cool.”
“I know how we can keep warm,” Slade said with a sly smile. “And wait until you see the suite that I booked at The Four Seasons. It will take your breath away. It takes my breath away, so I can just imagine yours.”
I smiled as we sipped more champagne in the limo. As the limo meandered through the crowded streets, and I was able to really take in the scene around me, I started to feel calmer. Charlotte was across the country, as was Derek, and Margot’s case was still about a month away, barring any unforeseen circumstances. This city felt like a world away from all of my problems.
When we got to The Four Seasons and we checked into our suite, I found that Slade wasn’t exaggerating. This suite did take my breath away. 100%. The ceilings were easily 20 feet tall, and there was a wall of floor to ceiling windows that had a magnificent view of the New York City skyline. As I walked from room to room, I saw that the view was panoramic, because every single room had a different view of the city. As it was already dark, the lights on all the buildings were twinkling. There was a grand piano in an alcove, and there were two jacuzzi tubs, one of which was so large that it was like a small pool. Everywhere I looked, there were bouquets of flowers, candles, and opulent works of art.
“What do you think?” Slade asked as he came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. “Does this suite meet your expectations?”
I smiled. “Does it. I’ve never quite seen anything like this. At least I haven’t in a hotel.” Of course, Slade’s mansions in San Diego and Los Angeles were much more well-appointed than this suite, but, for a hotel suite, Slade was right. This place was truly magnificent.
Slade made both of us a drink and we settled in next to the fireplace. He turned on the gas fireplace and put his arm around me on the couch. “I’m glad that you like this place. It’s really difficult to book, but we’re lucky that there isn’t a whole lot going on in this city this weekend. I mean, there is, there always is, but there isn’t a heavier-than-usual crowd to deal with like there would be during the holidays.”
“Have you been to this city often?”
“As often as I can. I’ve been here quite a bit for business, of course, but I’ve also managed to visit this city when my mom lived here, after Hugh was killed.” He shook his head. “I regret sending her away now. It makes her look guilty as hell.”
“Yes, but we can also explain all of that away.”
“I hope that you’re right. In the meantime, let’s not think about any of that. I’m starving, so let’s go to the restaurant and have some dinner. And then, after dinner, we’ll have dessert.” At that, he growled in my ear. “And just wait until you see the dessert I have planned for you.”
“Oh, I can’t wait. In fact, why do I have to wait?”
Slade smiled. “I told you, I’m starving. We have reservations at 7:30, so get a move on.”
I went into one of the bedrooms and stripped naked. Slade came into the bedroom and slid his arms around me. “You’re serious about not making it to dinner, aren’t you?”
“Join me in the shower,” I said.
“If I do, then we seriously might not make it to dinner.”
“So be it.” I went into the bathroom, beckoning Slade with my finger.
With a grin, he stripped naked as well, and followed me into the bathroom.
There was an elegant jacuzzi that sat right in front of a wall of windows. It was truly tempting me, that jacuzzi, but I knew that Slade and I would be in that hot tub a little later. At the moment, Slade was hungry, and I was too. The plan was to get a shower, maybe fool around in the shower, and be at the restaurant in time for our reservation.
In the shower, Slade put some soap in his hands and soaped up my breasts. I felt the hot water rush over me, and what he was doing felt absolutely amazing.
“Mmmm,” he said, “I know that we have reservations, but I really need to be inside of you. We’re going to have to make this quick though.”
I nodded my head and put my hands on the wall of the shower. I gasped as he took me right there, his commanding hands wrapped around my waist as the water cascaded down both of our bodies. He thrust in and out in an urgent fashion while I screamed out in ecstasy. He had his release and I could feel his cock throbbing inside of me.
Both of us took a few minutes to come down off of the high of the sex in the shower, and then he soaped up my hair and the rest of my body, taking special care to make sure that my nether-parts and inner folds were squeaky clean. Just the feeling of the sponge in those sensitive areas made me gasp, as I was still feeling the ecstasy of having his cock inside of me just a few minutes before.
The act of soaping me up apparently got him going as well, because I soon felt his cock grow hard and he entered me again. He took his time this time around, and I found myself coming again and again.
When we finally finished, he simply said, “that was amazing. And now I’m starving.”
We managed to get to the restaurant in time for our reservation, and that was a good thing. The waiter brought out a bottle of wine when we got to the table and he recognized Slade and called him by name. “Mr. Bridgewell, it is very good to see you again,” he said. “Are you in town for business or pleasure?”
“Pleasure this time. 100%. I’m going to a wedding in Montauk tomorrow.”
“Yes, I heard about that. It’s the daughter of Ryan Gallagher, right?”
“Right. Well, I think that we’re ready to order,” he said, motioning to me. I nodded my head. “She’ll have the pumpkin mole soup and Bibb salad, no cheese, and I’ll have the Walnut Sesame encrusted Cod.”
“Very good sir,” he said, and he disappeared.
“Hmmm,” I said. “The waiter knows about my brother’s wedding.”
“That probably just means that it’s something that high society has been talking about. I wouldn’t be surprised, considering that your brother is starting to become famous in the art circles around here, and your new sister-in-law is the daughter of a fairly famous billionaire. I would be surprised if our waiter, whose name is John Wood, didn't know about this wedding.”
I shook my head. “Who would have thought that Luke would be so successful at such a young age? I know that he has incredible talent, of course, so his success was kind of in
evitable. But he’s barely 22 years old, and he’s taken the art world in New York by storm.”
“I’ve seen his work, and I’m not surprised in the least. His art really does show a fresh and powerful voice. You should be proud of him.”
“Oh, I am. He was a mess for awhile. Dalilah broke up with him because she wanted to help his art career. She married a man who was going to help Luke along by giving him a major showing at one of the large galleries in town. Of course, by the time I met Dalilah and reconnected with Luke, all of that drama had already blown over. He told me later, though, how devastated he was by her actions.”
“Back up. Dalilah married somebody else?”
“Yes. His name is Nottingham, and he’s a billionaire who lives here in town. He was obsessed with Dalilah, and he had offered Luke a showing at this huge gallery. That was before he found out that Dalilah and Luke were together. Once he found out that Dalilah was in love with Luke, he told her that he would pull Luke’s show unless she married him, Nottingham. She married him, but only briefly, and she spent the next year or so trying to get away from him. So, marrying Nottingham was a mistake she made, but she made it for the right reasons.”
“So she married Nottingham to save the person that she loved.”
“Yes,” I said pointedly. “And it was the absolute wrong choice for everyone involved.” I knew that Slade would get the subtext of what I was saying to him. At least I hoped that he would.
Slade sighed. “I know what you’re getting at, and believe me, I would do anything to avoid giving Charlotte just what she wants. What I’m not willing to do, though, is sacrifice you. If there’s even a 1% chance that your life is in danger…” He shook his head and took a sip of his scotch and water, which had just arrived at the table, courtesy of John Wood the waiter. “As I said, though, I’m trying to figure out an alternative. I need to do that, though, before it’s literally too late. If Charlotte decides to strike, she’s going to do so without warning.”