by Lan LLP
“I think I can manage that.”
As soon as I complete my masterpiece for Gabby, the woman in the blue fairy costume walks up to us and introduces herself to me. “Hi. I’m Jane, Gabby’s mom. She wanted to do this all by herself,” she explains. Gabby’s mom is probably younger than she appears. Her youth has probably been minimized by her daughter’s illness. Even the makeup around her dark, puffy blue eyes can’t mask her sadness and countless sleepless nights. I can’t imagine a greater heartache than what she’s experiencing.
“I’m sure she would’ve. I’m Li…Lucy.”
“Thanks for watching over her,” Jane tells me softly as her hand strokes Gabby’s face tenderly. I see where Gabby gets her petite crescent smile and pale, flawless skin from. She’s a perfect replica of her mother.
“It was my pleasure. She is so precious.”
“She is,” she agrees in a faint, delicate tone while her eyes dote on her baby as if she’s capturing this treasured moment and locking it into her heart. “We better get going, Gabby. It’s already way past your bedtime, sweetheart. Thank Miss Lucy.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Gabby. Bye, angel,” I tell her.
She lures me down to her level with her tiny index finger and tells me, “Bye, Princess Lucy,” and circles her arms around me a second time. She lifts my tiara off her head and hands it to me. “This is yours. It fits you better. It’s too big for me.”
I give her one more squeeze, knowing this could be my last time seeing her. My tears are teeter - tottering on the rim of my lower lid. Now I truly understand why Carson has been so obsessed with finding a cure for cancer. “Bye-bye, Gabby.” I bid her again and watch her walk away with her mother. My chest caves in as I share the tug of her mother’s pain.
How do I deal with sadness? The answer lies before me in the form of sugar. I pick up a dessert plate and fill it with brownies, cookies and candy, losing myself in a sugar coma.
“Hi, I’m Alison,” a timid voice introduces herself to me as I top my plate with a cherry. “Are you going to eat all of that?” she asks me at point blank.
“I might,” I reply, annoyed that she’s inquiring such a personal question. Why does she care? “And who are you?” I snip like Carson would. Ugh…I’ve been around him too long.
“I used to date your cousin, Carson,” she discloses as she strokes her fingers along the purple scarf around her neck which looks completely out of place. It’s not even the same color as her skimpy Jasmine costume. Even I can see that.
“It’s hard to keep up with my cousin’s women,” I retort as I force back my jealousy. My cheeks redden and are hot. “He goes through so many,” I add for the heck of it. How does she know that I’m Carson’s cousin? Is she another Bianca?
“Do you like my silk scarf?” she asks. “It was a present from Carson.”
“It’s lovely.” My answer is brief, as I try to hide my irritation.
Hesitating to speak, she laces and unlaces her fingers while her mind contemplates. “Can I ask a favor of you please?” she requests. “I still care so much for Carson. I haven’t been able to get over our breakup from three years ago. Will you ask him to give me another chance?” she pleads wholeheartedly.
Though my jealousy is clearly present, her sincerity makes me feel for her because I have experienced that kind of loss with Carson once. It was unbearable. Even when my eyes stopped crying, my heart continued. I didn’t know how I would be able to move on without him in my life. I was so hopeless and desperate.
“I…would love to help you, but unfortunately, I can’t control his heart. It wants what it wants. No one can sway that kind of momentum,” I tell her sincerely.
Carson approaches us, appearing worried as he reads my eyes. “Alison, I see that you’re getting acquainted with my cousin, Lucy.”
Alison’s eyes widens with delight as she absorbs his presence. “Yes, I am. I was showing her the special scarf you gave me when we were dating. But I didn’t get to tell her the story behind it yet.”
Curious as a cat and not caring if the answer will kill me, I immediately demand, “What’s the story, Alison?” and then give Carson a warning glare.
“Alison, you don’t need to share those personal details with my cousin,” Carson interrupts in a firm tone while his hazel eyes glare coldly at her.
“I don’t mind. Go ahead, Alison,” I insist, driven by jealousy. Carson is hiding something from me and I intend to find out what it is.
Alison glances over to Carson, intimidated by his silent warning, she yields to his command. “Carson is a generous man. He showered me and many other women with expensive gifts like this scarf,” she discloses vaguely.
“I see.” It looks like Carson has stopped her dead in her tracks with his icy glare. “It was nice to meet you, Alison. Maybe we can have lunch when you’re free,” I suggest. I’m going to get my answers one way or another.
“I’d like that a lot,” she agrees. “Will you come too, Carson?” she asks, hopeful.
“Probably not,” he answers curtly, avoiding her eyes. “Lucy, are you ready to go? I forgot that we have an early meeting tomorrow morning,” he lies and tugs at my elbow to follow him.
“Bye, Alison.”
“Bye, Lucy…Carson,” she whispers his name as her eyes cling on to Carson’s deadpan face.
Carson Bradley
“Lucy,” I call after her as she takes off from Alison to a set of elevators. “Stop! We need to talk,” I insist. My fucking history is screwing up my entire future with Lil.
“How many more of these women will I have to deal with?” she yells back and runs into the elevator.
The doors seal her in and I lose her. Fuck! I slam my fist on the Up button to get it to open, but her car continues to ascend. The wait for another one seems like an eternity as I panic. I pull out my phone to call Luke and he’s already hot on her trail.
“She’s on the rooftop, sir. I have her in my view,” he answers.
“Make sure she’s okay, but don’t approach her. I don’t want to scare her. I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I instruct and hang up.
Finally, the damn door glides open and I jump in, cursing myself. How did I ever think I can have a perfect future with Lil when my past keeps coming back to torment us. I don’t want Lil to meet the asshole who never cared about anyone or anything in order to achieve his goals. She’s too pure and kind to be with someone like that. I truly don’t deserve her, but that isn’t enough to keep me from wanting her.
The elevator opens to the top level of the building. I step out and exit a metal door to get to the rooftop. Lil, in her ivory gown, is leaning against a railing, shivering with her back to me under a gleaming moon. This vision of her silhouette is breathtaking. I sidle to her, drape my jacket over her shoulders and cage her trembling body between my arms with my hands gripping the railing.
“If I tell you Alison is the last woman you have to deal with, it would be a lie. Shamefully, I’ve had many women—most I don’t even remember,” I confess. “But you’re the only one I can’t be without. I don’t want to be just me in an empty room anymore. I want to be me with you, living life to the fullest.”
“Carson, what if you grow tired of me? Will you be cold to me like you were with Alison?” she asks with her voice quivering.
“You’ll never be Alison. You’re Lillian. You’ve had my heart since that first day I saw yours at the hospital. Without you, I’m just a wandering soul. I can’t tell you enough how much I love you.”
“I believe you. I know Alison won’t be the last one. But will I? This is what I’m afraid of.”
“You’re the only one. I wished for infinity with you when we were in St. Lucia. A lifetime on Earth with you isn’t enough for me.”
Lil turns to face me and asks, “Infinity is a long time. Are you sure you can handle that?”
“Surer than sure,” I reply and squeeze her into my chest.
“What were y
ou like before me? Why was Alison so easily intimidated by you?”
I can’t keep my past from Lil anymore. She has the right to know. “I was a cold-hearted asshole. Sex was a business transaction for me. I traded expensive gifts for empty sex. My dates were scheduled at my convenience and I never brought anyone home. Kissing was never allowed. This was rule number one. I didn’t want anyone to erase Emily’s last kiss off my lips. That purple scarf around Alison’s neck was used to cover her mouth. I have a drawer full of them. I tied it around every woman’s mouth before I fucked them. It was sick and perverted, but it made sense to me.” Lil remains still, listening in disbelief and her body shivering. “Anyone who sought a relationship with me was dumped immediately. This was rule number two. Alison broke this rule. Desperate to please me, she lost her identity with her infatuated efforts. She became a mindless mute who agreed with everything I said or demanded. I actually felt sorry for her and ended our arrangement for her sake.”
“What about Bianca? You agreed to marry her. What happen to rule number two?”
“She was a mistake from hell,” I emphasize. The mention of her name ignites a hate that runs deep inside me. I can’t let her poison overtake me–not now, not ever. “Your body is freezing cold. Let’s get you inside,” I insist as I sway her to come with me.
Stretching her arms out, she halts us in place and asks, “How am I different from everyone else? Why did you break your rules for me?” Again, she seeks assurance for her insecurity, rooted because of me.
“Why did you? You had a goal that didn’t include me,” I counter.
“My heart couldn’t let go once I was under your spell,” she replies. “It still can’t even after knowing your past.”
“Mine couldn’t either for the same reason. You paralyzed me with your mesmerizing smile and I didn’t care if it ever wore off. I couldn’t walk away, nor did I want to,” I answer.
I can tell my response appeased her. Lil’s smile begins to surface as she hugs her arms around her chest to shield herself from the wind blowing in our direction. She’s shivering even harder.
“Now , will you please let me get you out of the cold?” I plead.
Chapter 20
Bianca Sorté
I was right. That whore did survive the accident after all, but she won’t be so fortunate next time. I’m taking matters into my own hands. I have an agreement with a very powerful man who isn’t afraid to get down and dirty to get what he wants. I don’t need Sasha anymore. She’s been an emotional wreck since Lillian’s supposed death. Her problem is her conscience. She has one. Her mouth can’t be trusted. I will have to silence it permanently if she doesn’t keep it shut. Her last outburst outside the Karma Lounge was unacceptable and too risky. Getting rid of her won’t be a difficult task for me. She’s a pain pill addict, thanks to me. All I would have to do is slip her one too many pills with several glasses of wine and she’ll be knocked out indefinitely. No one will even question it. Being the generous person I am, I’ll give her til the end of this week to shape up. If she doesn’t clean her act, then it’s bye-bye Sasha.
Pave our way to hell, bitch!
Damn it! If Sasha happens to overdose on her pain pills next week, I’ll need to find a replacement for her. A good fuck buddy is hard to come by these days. Wesley Montgomery. That’s a name that’s been lingering on my mind, keeping my panties wet. He still has me reminiscing about our one nightstand from several days ago. I left scratches on his body for souvenirs. Wes is the closest I’ll come to Carson in cock size and endurance. If I can just get him to shave his goatee and lighten his hair a touch, he can be my Carson substitute. It’s uncanny how much they resemble each other. Hmm…that gives me a brilliant idea. I wonder if I can get him to go along with my scheme. Knowing my luck, which has been shitty lately, he probably has a damn conscience, too. It doesn’t matter. His father has an informer who’ll help me get whatever I need to meet my objective. Tomorrow, over dinner on his yacht, I will be discussing the details of my plan with Mr. Montgomery Sr. I’ve already enjoyed a Jr. appetizer. Now I’m ready for a main course. Father and son within the same month, this is a new one for me.
Wesley Montgomery
After raising my offer from five thousand to ten thousand dollars, Mr. Miller aired all of Bianca’s dirty laundry without hesitation.
“She paid me to spy on Carson Bradley for six months, reporting all his preferences, what charity events he was involved with, what type of women he slept with, what he ate, where he worked out and so on. After that she pursued his mother to convince him to date her and then marry her. This was my first Sorté case. A few months ago, she contacted me again and offered to pay double my fees if I could locate her missing fiancé, Carson Bradley. I found him in St. Croix courting a young medical student. He was so taken by her that he moved there for a month. Can you believe that? A billionaire gave up an entire month for a woman he hardly knew,” he asked me in disbelief.
I didn’t answer him. My mind began to explore the idea and of course I thought of Bridgette. As much as I love her, I probably can give up my entire lifetime to be with her.
Focus!
I pushed my distraction aside and asked him to continue where I drifted off.
“She was livid. I had never heard such filth from a woman’s mouth before. She increased my pay to investigate Miss Ly’s background. She wanted me to find any dirt on her that I could possibly get my hands on. Unlucky for Ms. Sorté, Miss Ly had nothing but a perfect record. She graduated summa cum laude from Indiana University and received a full-ride scholarship to the prestigious St. Croix Medical School. No one had anything negative to say about her. In fact, she’s so dedicated to her patients that she convinced Mr. Bradley to find the cause of a vomiting epidemic that struck most the kids on that island. His discovery made him a hero, thanks to her. There’s a great article in the St. Croix paper if you ever want to read about it,” he suggested.
Always assuming the worst in people, I jumped to conclusion. I accused Carson of greed. I thought he wanted to eliminate me, his competition. When all along he was helping his girlfriend eliminate a life-threatening epidemic caused by my greed. From everything I’ve gathered about him so far, he’s actually a very decent man. Then what the fuck am I doing helping my father steal from him? Doubt immobilized my esteem for my father and my tongue to speak. Mr. Miller ignored my silence and continued recounting the rest of Bianca’s sins.
“Because she couldn’t find any dirt on Ms. Ly, she decided to create her own. She persuaded a young man, who had feelings for Ms. Ly, to drug her. Sasha, her assistance, took pictures of them in racy poses while I was on the lookout for intruders. Yes, I was an asshole for going along with it. Greed can do that to people,” he commentated. “The pictures only separated the lovers temporarily. Desperate to split them up for good, Ms. Sorté offered me a retirement package to rig an accident that would eliminate her opponent once and for all. I told her no way! I didn’t want to be involved with any murder plots, regardless the amount of pay. See, I do have some boundaries,” he pointed out. “She fired me immediately. Somehow she was able to convince someone else to carry out her dirty deed. Poor Miss Ly, God rest her soul,” he paused out of respect for her, I assumed, and then concluded, “I wouldn’t be surprised if it was her assistance, Sasha. Ms. Sorté is a manipulative woman in the deadliest way.”
__________
For two nights, I’ve awoken drenched in perspiration as my heart thrashed against my chest. Tonight is no different.
All I saw was blood—Lillian’s blood. Desperate and weeping, she dug through the earth with her bare hands to climb out of a dark hole. “Help me…please,” she begged and cried. “I know you can hear me.”
I stood there, above the hole, peering down but I couldn’t see her. It was too deep. My eyes darted around to find something I could use to help her escape. There was nothing. I was surrounded by dead thorny plants. I gave up and yelled, “I can’t help you.”
&nb
sp; Her cries grew louder. “Please…don’t let me die down here. I’m scared. You’re my only hope.”
Panicked, I ran away from the hole. The painful sound of her wailing lessened the further I ran. It wasn’t so bad now that I couldn’t hear her anymore. But my conscience wouldn’t let me keep running. My feet stopped and turned around. Why wasn’t her cry audible now that I was closer? I advanced several more steps and realized why. Her body, soiled in black filth and blood, was face down. Somehow, she managed to climb out of the hole. Her hand reached out for my right ankle.
“Please…” she exhaled her last breath and collapsed her head.
Guilt is chiseling away at my conscience. I know something bad is going to happen to Bradley’s girlfriend. I can feel it, but I’m not doing a damn thing about it. Even that sleazy private investigator Miller has a righteous boundary. Where’s mine?
Lillian Ly
The first person I see when Carson and I return to the ballroom is Edison. With two wine glasses in his hands, his eyes feast on me, his prey, from across the room. Heat in its most violent form radiates off Carson as he attempts to steady his temper. His jaw is clenched tightly as his eyes fight the urge to glare.
“I’ll kill him if he touches you again,” he mutters under his breath with his fist balled so firmly that his knuckles are pale white. “One kiss is more than I can stomach in one night.”
“You saw that? But…how? I didn’t see you anywhere in the room.”
“My eyes never leave you. Know and remember that,” he informs and warns me at the same time.
My chest tightens at the sound of his territorial voice. What does he mean by that? Is he spying on me? I can’t be with someone who can’t trust me.
“I hope you’re not telling me you spy on me. That’s a real problem, Carson,” I express, irritated.