by Alison Ryan
“How can you be so sure?” Scarlet asked. “You’re amazing. You’re a college graduate about to go to law school. You’re handsome, charming, and kind. You’re every woman’s dream. If I have a son half as amazing as you, I’ll know I did something right.”
He smiled, “You want kids?”
She paused, realizing she’d revealed a little bit too much.
“I mean,” she said. “Yeah. Some day. Not next year or even five years from now. But of course I want children. You don’t?”
He kissed her softly on the lips and met her eyes for a moment.
“I don’t,” he confessed. “Or I didn’t. But you make me rethink things, Scarlet. You make me rethink everything I’ve ever thought I wanted.”
She wasn’t sure what to say to that.
“I love kids,” he said. “But I’m afraid of them feeling about me the way I feel about my parents. And the thought of that makes me pretty anxious. I don’t want that at all. I don’t want my kid to ever feel like they’re not the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Barrett,” Scarlet kissed his nose. “I am positive you would never be anything but a fantastic father. Just the fact that you worry about such things speaks volumes. And you’re great at everything else. So, I’m sure the Dad Life would be a breeze.”
He laughed, pulling her towards him, “I’m good at everything? What am I best at?”
“Hmm,” Scarlet feigned indecision. “You know that move earlier at the foot of the bed? That one might be up there with your greatest talents.”
“I’ve got better moves than that, Scarlet,” he said, sliding his hands up her thighs that were already wet in anticipation. “Let me show you.”
Chapter Two
By evening there were still no credible leads on where Thisbe was or who could have taken her. Law enforcement hadn’t found any reason to suspect foul play in the deaths of the Holloways, but their little girl seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Scarlet still laid in bed in the fetal position, saying nothing to anyone, not even Barrett. He was busy on the phone, barking orders to people, communicating with the police, with his publicist and with the army of people that usually worked behind the scenes in his life. Nancy and the Blooms were on their way, he’d sent his plane to get them in Las Vegas, and Nancy had been filled in on the details of what was happening.
“I can’t believe this,” Nancy cried into the phone. “The joy of knowing Scarlet had a baby is evaporated by the thought of that sweet child being with someone that would do her harm. Do you think your mother has something to do with this?”
It was a thought Barrett had considered immediately. If Patricia had been more than willing to ruin and threaten lives to get what she wanted, who was to say she wouldn’t be willing to go this far? He didn’t want to think she was capable, and he didn’t know how she would even know about Thisbe, but in his mother’s world it was hard to keep secrets. She made it her job to know everything so she could never be surprised.
But at the same time, this was all too public to be her. His gut told him she wasn’t directly involved in this. Yet he couldn’t be completely sure.
He certainly wouldn’t have put down any wagers on it.
********
Michelle Bloom’s face was pale as she entered the suite at The Hermitage. She’d been through a lot in the last 24 hours, first learning that not only had Scarlet secretly given birth to her granddaughter but now that granddaughter was missing. She wasn’t sure how she would remain strong, but Nancy had adamantly impressed upon her how important it was not to ask too many questions or make Scarlet feel any worse than she already did. All that mattered was finding the child.
Seeing her only daughter in such a heap of pain almost broke her right then. But instead she kneeled next to her bedside and ran her hands through Scarlet’s hair.
“Hey, baby,” she said, softly. “Momma’s here. Everything is going to be okay. And even if it’s not, I’m not going anywhere.”
Scarlet, who hadn’t shown much emotion the last few hours, immediately began to sob. Seeing the face of her mother had broken her open and she grabbed her and pulled her towards her, “Oh, Momma. I’m so sorry. I really messed up this time.”
Michelle buried her face in Scarlet’s wild mane of honey blonde hair, “No, baby. You didn’t cause this. Someone else is to blame and we’ll find out just who it is.”
Barrett walked into the room.
“Michelle,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here. Can I talk to you privately for a moment?”
“Just say what you need to in front of me,” Scarlet interjected. “I want to know everything that’s happening.”
“Okay,” he said slowly. “I was just going to update your mother on what you already know. I just didn’t want to rehash it in front of you.”
“Fine,” Scarlet rolled over, wrapping her arms around a pillow. “But don’t keep anything from me.”
“Never,” he said.
Michelle and Barrett walked into the living area of the suite where Holden Greenburg and Barrett’s publicist, Sharon O’Keefe, sat on a silk-upholstered couch speaking in whispers. Three detectives also sat on the other side of the room, talking into their smart phones and looking gravely out the darkened windows facing downtown Nashville.
“I don’t know what to do, Michelle,” Barrett said, running his hands through his hair. “There are no leads. I’m trying to get in touch with my mother and father but they’re both on flights or somehow have dropped off the face of the earth. I mean, this is all over the news, I don’t know how they aren’t calling me back. Something is up, Michelle.”
Michelle shook her head, “I don’t know what to say or what to do. My heart is shattered for my girl. And for the girl I didn’t know I had.”
Barrett wrapped his arm around Michelle, who had finally allowed herself to cry into his shoulder, “We’re going to figure this out. I promise you, Michelle. This nightmare can’t last forever. Right? Eventually we have to wake up.”
Chapter Three
Mark, Barrett’s bodyguard, had been working for the Evers family for almost ten years. He’d worked directly for Barrett the last four; ever since Barrett had come back into the fold of the family business after his stint trying to be a big shot in the Navy. Mark had always chuckled to himself over that one. Who did Barrett Evers think he was trying to be a SEAL? Behind his boss’s back, Mark scoffed at his entitlement.
That was the way it was with these rich folks. Their wealth emboldened them and made them believe anything was within their reach. They never could come to grips with the fact that on their own, they weren’t anything special. It was their money that defined them, whether they wanted to believe that or not.
But Mark was the help and he knew his place. Always had.
Until he met Patricia.
Eight years ago, Mark had been working mostly as Durham Evers’ bodyguard and driver while Durham was attending Furman University. He’d been called in to meet with Rhett Evers, who thought Mark might be better suited as an escort for his wife Patricia, who had recently fired her own bodyguard- the fourth in as many months.
Patricia Evers had a formidable reputation. Everyone knew she was difficult to work for and that she treated her staff like feudal serfs. She was cold, high maintenance, and a general pain in the ass. As soon as Mark found out he’d be guarding her, he figured he should probably start updating his resume; there was no way he was going to last.
But to the shock of himself and to probably even Patricia herself, they’d gotten along much better than he would have guessed. As a matter of fact, after months of tension and flirting, the two had turned into something entirely unexpected.
Mark and Patricia became lovers.
He’d fallen for her hard. She was older yes, but Patricia hadn’t aged like many of her lesser peers. She’d kept a trim figure and her face looked almost as young as when she was in her late 20s; thanks to Botox and fillers, but even so.
She was regal and classic, timeless. And she’d been drawn to Mark’s handsomeness and tireless will to please her. It was an affair neither had known quite how to handle, and it ultimately settled into more of an intense and loyal friendship beyond anything else.
But as soon as Barrett was back from his Navy pipedreams, Patricia had asked Mark her biggest favor. She knew he would do it; there was nothing Mark wouldn’t have done for her.
“I need you to guard him,” she explained one night as they both lay in her bed at the Evers’ Aspen house. “Be my eyes and ears. I need to make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid. Well, besides enlisting in the damn military. I mean with Scarlet. I need to make sure she doesn’t come back into his life.”
Mark looked at Patricia, “But I’d never get to see you. Wouldn’t you miss me?”
Patricia smiled, “Of course, darling. But this is so important to me. And it won’t be forever, just for a little while. It would please me so much, my love. Don’t you want me to be happy?”
“Of course,” he said. “You know that.”
“Good,” she said, turning over to shut her eyes. “I’ll arrange for you to meet him next week.”
Mark stared at her for a long time, heartbroken that after three years of seeing her every day she could so easily dismiss him. He was hurt but he couldn’t express that to her.
You never showed Patricia Evers how you felt. That was what everyone knew.
********
So Mark had spent years by Barrett’s side, playing the role of the ever steadfast employee. He traveled with him, slept in hotel rooms next to his expansive suites, drove him in myriad luxury cars; Maybachs, Escalades, Mercedes, Bentleys, Audis. On the rare occasion that Barrett was in a crowd, he was behind him or in front, pushing admirers out of the way, making way for the prince of the Evers Empire. Not because he liked Barrett. He’d always been indifferent to him. But because he loved Patricia and it was what she wanted.
Mark was in close contact with her through texting, emails, the occasional Skype. On his days off, which were rare, he would seek her out. No one knew about their relationship and they were incredibly discreet.
And Mark hoped one day he could prove to her once and for all how devoted he was to her. That he could do the ultimate deed that would possibly allow him back into her arms and her bedroom, where he belonged.
It didn’t seem like that time might ever come. Barrett never spoke about or to Scarlet. It had been years, and Mark was positive that it was not a problem that Patricia needed to concern herself with anymore. Mark’s eyes and ears were sensitive to any and everything regarding his client. Barrett held no secrets from Mark. If Scarlet was even close to being in the picture, he would have known.
And then the move to Las Vegas happened and fate had plans for Barrett and Mark both. Scarlet showed up again. And Mark finally had his chance to prove himself.
He’d been in contact with Patricia immediately. Or at least with Pierre, her assistant, the intolerable gatekeeper that had been making it more and more difficult for Mark to get in touch with Patricia these days.
“You need to tell her to call me as soon as possible,” he’d barked into the phone. “It’s an emergency.”
“You always say that,” Pierre sneered. “I need you to be more specific.”
“Just tell her Scarlet is back and she’s in San Diego. With Barrett. And that she needs to call me as soon as possible.”
********
Patricia showing up in San Diego was supposed to be a watershed moment for him. But as swiftly as she arrived, she left him and the city even more quickly, surprising Mark with her ability to be this close to him and not want to spend time with him. It was becoming infuriating, her teasing. He was ready to explode. It was time to up the stakes.
When he’d overheard Scarlet confessing to Barrett that she’d given birth to a daughter, Mark knew this was it. He was also impressed Scarlet had been able to keep it a secret from Patricia. The matriarch of the Evers family had no idea what had happened four years ago and that she had a granddaughter being raised by another family in Tennessee.
But Mark decided to play things differently this time.
He’d texted her to let her know they were heading to Nashville:
Why the hell would they be going there?
He replied:
I’m not sure. But I think it’s important you meet us there.
Five Years Earlier…
Barrett arranged a mansion on St George Island, Florida, for a week, under the guise of being interested in buying some real estate across the bridge in Apalachicola. But in reality, he had no business interests in the panhandle. He just wanted a getaway with Scarlet, one that wasn’t too far from Atlanta in case he really was needed back at the office.
They’d taken one of the smaller private planes that Evers Holdings owned and the flight was incredibly short. They were boarding and disembarking in under an hour and as soon as they’d stepped onto the tarmac the sunshine of a perfect Florida afternoon lit up Scarlet’s eyes, making him excited to take her to the house and have his way with her.
“What a gorgeous day!” she exclaimed as they ducked into their waiting SUV.
“It’s a good sign that we’re about to have an amazing week,” he said, pulling her close to him in the back seat as the driver slowly pulled out of the airport. “I have so many ideas and none of them require us leaving the house. And clothing is optional.”
“Clothing is always optional with you,” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “I think you need therapy. You’re a sex addict.”
“Only when it’s with you,” he nuzzled her neck. “Who wouldn’t be addicted to Scarlet Bloom?”
As the SUV rolled onto the bridge separating St. George Island from the mainland, they were suddenly being paced by half a dozen pelicans soaring over the water next to the bridge.
“One of my favorite things about this island,” Barrett remarked, “are the pelicans. For being so odd-looking, they’re incredibly graceful in flight. I think they like racing the cars on this bridge.” Barret had their driver gun the engine and the SUV overtook the lead bird for a moment, but an effortless flapping of wings later they were once again looking at tail feathers.
“You’ll think I’m a huge nerd, but do you know what a group of pelicans is called?” asked Scarlet. Barrett shook his head. “They’re a pod. Like dolphins. We used to have this little index card on our refrigerator with all that stuff on it. Murder of crows, a gaggle of geese, huddle of penguins, a parliament of crows, I could go on and on.”
Barrett stifled a laugh. “I hope there won’t be a quiz later?”
Scarlet could scarcely believe she was comfortable enough with Barrett to risk revealing her inner geek to him, but he made her feel so safe and so confident that she knew all she had to do was be herself. To really be herself, no matter what. Not many of her friends, let alone a guy like Barrett Evers, had ever made her feel that way.
Scarlet punched Barrett on the arm. “There just might be. But I’m sure you can perform some extra credit to make up for anything you get wrong. Between the words “extra” and “credit”, Scarlet placed her bare feet in Barrett’s lap and turned in her seat, arms over her head, stretching herself like a cat. Barrett swallowed hard and told the driver he had the rest of the day off once he dropped them off.
“You’re in big trouble when we get to the house, Scarlet.”
Within minutes, they were through the gate and inside the exclusive Plantation section of the island, where the largest homes and most secluded stretches of beach lay. The driveway went beneath the house and around the back, where they parked next to the large pool. A fence and sand dunes sat past the pool and beyond that, the waves of the gulf. The driver took their luggage inside and drove off, leaving Barrett and Scarlet alone.
Scarlet, not yet quite used to the opulence that went with being in the company of an Evers, marveled at the size of the mansion. “All this house for just the two of us?�
�
“This week, just us. But I think Durham holds the record. He had close to two hundred people in here for a party. I have no idea where they all parked. The house belongs to friends of family, but they never seem to use it. One of these days my dad will just buy it. I love it here. It’s so quiet. Nice change of pace. The kitchen is all stocked up for us. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
They entered the house and Scarlet made a beeline for the balcony off the dining room, which afforded a sweeping view of pristine beach and endless water. She sensed Barrett behind her and then felt his hands on her hips. “I’m ready to start work on that extra credit, Ms. Bloom.”
Scarlet straightened up and twisted her head around to meet him in a kiss as his hands busied themselves with her clothing. There was no one immediately visible on the beach, but Scarlet felt very exposed. “What if someone…” Barrett silenced her with a deeper kiss, his hands roaming and discarding clothing, his and hers, as the kiss continued.
“There’s no one. And I wouldn’t care if there was. I’m not waiting another minute. I need you now.”
Scarlet turned completely around and gasped when she saw that Barrett was naked and at full attention. Both of her hands found his manhood as they continued to kiss. She let Barrett finish removing the last of her clothing as she ran a hand across his pecs and the other pulled at his erection.
“We’re going to play a game, Scarlet. Don’t stop stroking me. It feels fucking good. Anyway, we’re going to play a little game. I love when you come. And that you come so easily for me. But I was thinking - I know how good my orgasms feel, but I only get one. I was wondering if you only got to have one, if you had to wait and wait like I do, and put everything into just one, if it would be that much better or if it would be different at all. So what I want to do is to make love to you, but for you to keep me apprised of your arousal. I don’t want you to come until I say so. Ten means you’re there. No turning back. Nine is the brink. Eight means you’re getting close. That sort of thing. If you get to seven, you have to tell me. At nine, you better be punching me to make me stop whatever I’m doing. Does any of this make sense?”