by Jen Davis
“We will definitely see each other again before Sasha and I leave tomorrow. In the meantime, have fun.”
“Are you having fun?” Sasha asked, tapping her feet to the music as Renee approached their table.
“I’m tired.” Renee turned to Michelle. “Did something happen with your client?”
Michelle and Sasha laughed lightly then Michelle answered while handing Renee the man’s lapel pin. “He couldn’t stay. His wife called.”
To Renee, Sasha said, “You are going to be spending weeks opening all your gifts.”
“Well, on the sixteenth birthday, there’s only one gift that truly matters,” Michelle said. Renee looked at her, confused, and Michelle laughed. “A kiss, of course.”
Sasha nodded in agreement. “Definitely. Every girl should be kissed on their sweet sixteen.”
Renee didn’t know the first thing about boys, dating, or kissing, and had no idea how to respond to the statement. Michelle nudged Renee with her elbow. “Hey. When you meet the guy, you’ll never want him to stop kissing you.”
Renee was rescued from the conversation as the lights went down and the band changed songs while her cake was being wheeled into the room. Cameras flashed and threatened to blind her as she began walking toward the cake cart, when she caught sight of the mystery guest once more. This time, he didn’t disappear. He was standing next to the stage and staring directly at her, making her stop in her tracks. Her breathing seemed to stop and she stared back in stupefied silence. He was the most stunning human being she had ever seen; his eyes sparkled in the light, as green as the emeralds she wore. He was smiling at her. She was so transfixed on him that she had no idea if she was smiling back. As she stared at this handsome stranger, her stomach turned, her mouth went dry, and her palms suddenly got clammy.
Did the room just go silent, or am I going deaf?
The flash of cameras reminded Renee of what she was supposed to do as she approached her destination, forcing herself to focus on the crowd. She cast a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure this man wasn’t a figment of her imagination—he was still there, still watching her. He made a gesture like a cowboy tipping his hat and she smiled stupidly at him, like in a daydream.
Turning her focus to Matthew as he proudly approached, she couldn’t understand why she was anxious. She casually turned her head back to the stage and felt her heart crush. The mystery man was gone.
When the show was over, Renee made her way back to the table, disappointment written all over her face.
“It’s okay, honey,” Sasha said.
Exasperated and confused, Renee turned to Sasha. “You don’t know that. If I don’t know what’s wrong with me, how would you?”
Sasha gave Renee a motherly smile. “He’s a very attractive boy.”
Renee let out a sigh. This was a foreign feeling to her and she wasn’t sure how to handle it, but she knew she had to control it. Logic above all else, emotion just got in the way.
Sasha spoke with softness and complete understanding. “His name is Christopher Reynolds, and as of the day before yesterday, he is in your father’s employ. And believe me when I tell you that he was watching you more than you were watching him.”
Chapter 6
For the first few months in her new responsibilities, Renee often thought of her last conversation with Sasha.
“The most important thing to remember is that these girls are human beings with feelings and emotions just like anyone else,” Sasha had told her. “Trust and respect are earned, not given freely just because you’re daddy’s little girl. You are no better than they are, and don’t you forget that. Watch out for Mr. Crescent.” Sasha had certainty in her eyes that told Renee this was one of the most important points in their conversation. “He is unpredictable, as well as the eyes and ears for your father. Be watchful of him. That little bastard can be sneaky.”
Trying to hide and control the enormous amount of loss she was feeling was physically causing Renee pain. She couldn’t let the hurt show because, in this life, people came and went, and that’s just the way it was. Sasha, however, leaned in and hugged Renee, not ashamed to let a few tears run down her face. “I love you.”
Renee hugged Sasha harder, almost willing her not to walk out the door, but still she would not allow herself to cry. “I love you too.”
Renee’s eyes were rimmed in red, waiting for the dam to break as Sasha stepped into the hallway. As the door closed, Renee was left feeling unquestionably and completely alone for the first time in her life.
***
Renee stayed in her room with the door open to wait for the girls to check in after their clients left. While reviewing upcoming appointments, her head snapped up when she heard the sound of heavy footsteps as Kristin ran into the room, out of breath and full of panic.
“Help!” Kristin yelled, trying to catch her breath.
Renee bolted down the hall toward the girls crowding the open door of Saffron’s suite with Kristin on her heels. Before she was close enough to cross the threshold, she heard the crack of a fist making contact with flesh, then a muffled cry of pain coming from the far end of the room. Renee knew she couldn’t waste a second as she burst into the room, in no way prepared for what she saw.
Saffron, naked except for the shreds of fabric clinging to her that used to be a silk robe, was cowering against the far wall of the room in unquestionable terror. Her face colored red and black from the fresh bruises forming at the hands of her attacker; her hands and ankles bound so she couldn’t defend herself. All she could do was try to scream, but her lips were swelling too fast to let any sound escape.
On the bed, Mr. Escalona, an attaché to a visiting diplomat from Columbia, was out cold.
Her attacker was Evan Crescent. Renee never considered a confrontation like this as he hunched over Saffron, his right arm poised above his head, ready to strike. Even though he was taller, stronger, and older, Renee didn’t have time to think things through. Crescent was able to bring his fist down to connect with Saffron’s face one last time before Renee jumped on his back, wrapping her legs around his waist and locking her ankles together for balance. As he raised his right fist for another strike, she hooked her arm through his and pulled with all her strength, willing him not to swing again, and put her face between his head and right shoulder, biting down as hard as she could. Within seconds she tasted blood as Crescent’s head snapped up, connecting with Renee’s, forcing her head back and loosening her dental grip on his shoulder. He gave a grunt of pain as he violently twisted his body, trying to dislodge her, finally deciding to slam Renee up against the wall. The back of her head connected with the wall with a painful thud, but she wouldn’t budge. He slammed her against the wall a second time, knocking the wind out of her as her body slacked and she slid to the floor while trying to catch her breath.
Kristin, Michelle, and Charlotte succeeded in helping a barely conscious Saffron out of the way as Crescent focused on Renee, his face speaking nothing but rage and death with blood spilling from the bite on his neck. He lifted his leg and kicked. Renee had been able to react fast enough to turn to her side and take the blow in her arm. She could have sworn she heard bone crack but didn’t have time to think about it. As he readied for another kick, she rammed a fist into his groin, lunging around him as he doubled over. She quickly crawled over to the bed and lifted herself off the floor, using the bedpost for leverage. The bedpost snapped off in her hand and she saw an opportunity, watching Crescent advance on her and knowing it was her last chance to try to stop him. She choked her hands around the bedpost, bent her knees, planted her weight on her left leg, and swung the broken post as hard as she could. Her eyes widened and loud gasps of surprise came from behind her as Crescent collapsed on the floor in front of her, blood not only dripping from his right shoulder, but now also from his left ear.
Renee stood where she was, momentarily stunned. She heard the cries coming from behind her and turned to see Saffron, also unconsciou
s, being protectively held by Kristin, and the crowd of girls all staring in awe. Renee’s legs felt weak as she dropped the broken bedpost on the floor. She sat on the floor and leaned against the bed, her head tilted as she stared at the ceiling.
The drama wasn’t over. She still had to deal with her father.
Chapter 7
Renee sat straight and silent, staring at her father with anger and defiance burning in her eyes, holding her arm where Crescent had kicked her. Matthew stood in the middle of the room while taking inventory of the disarray in silent fury. Crescent sat in his chair stoically with no remorse, applying pressure to his shoulder with a towel. Her arm wasn’t broken and the cuts and bruises would heal in a matter of days, but she knew the patch of Crescent’s blood on her chin made her father cringe. Standing quietly in the doorway were her girls, curious as to what would happen next.
Matthew took a deep breath, keeping his anger in check. “Let’s start with who is responsible for the damage to the room.”
“You would need to ask Mr. Escalona,” Renee said while glaring at Crescent, “or Saffron if she could open her mouth to talk.”
When Crescent locked eyes with Renee, even she knew the girls watching from the hallway could see the absolute and unquestionable hate between the two of them. Matthew shot Renee a significant glare that told her she was skating to the edge of his tolerance. Renee returned his icy stare, letting him know she didn’t really care.
Renee turned to Crescent and asked the obvious. “Why don’t you start with what you were doing on this floor in the first place?”
“Mr. Escalona’s employer called and asked me to immediately deliver a message.”
“Anything that has to do with the girls goes through me and you damn well know it.”
“Apparently, he doesn’t like working with children.”
It took everything she had not to jump out of her chair and bite him on the other shoulder, but she refused to give in to her anger. “These girls are my responsibility. I have a telephone in my room and I know you not only have the number, you also know how to use one.”
“Enough!” Matthew’s voice boomed through the room. “Just because one of you is a child doesn’t mean either of you will act like it.” Matthew focused on Crescent. “What prompted you to believe you had to discipline…”
Renee stared at him with incredulity. He didn’t even know her name. “Saffron,” she said through clenched teeth.
Matthew, in his rising irritation, ignored Renee and addressed Crescent. “Saffron.”
“When I got to the door, I could hear her yelling at him and calling him vulgar names. At first, I thought it was roleplaying. Then I heard her scream ‘9-1-1.’ I entered the room and found her leaning over him on the bed, hysterically screaming at him.”
What else was she going to do, asshole? She was bound hand and foot, Renee thought.
“His face was pale, his lips were blue, and had what looked like foam coming out of his mouth. When I tried to question her, she wouldn’t talk.” Crescent turned to Renee to emphasize his next point. “Her client was dying from a drug overdose and she wasn’t doing anything about it. I hit her in an attempt to snap her out of her stupor and she lunged at me with a syringe in her hand. I was defending myself.”
Are you kidding me? Renee knew if she said it out loud, the interrogation would be over and she would reap all of the consequences. What Renee knew from Dr. Michaelson, and what Crescent failed to mention, was that Saffron was holding a needle in an effort to show Crescent what her client had been using; she didn’t stick it in his arm or cause the overdose to happen. What he also didn’t mention was that when she lunged at him, it was an attempt to beg him for help. Apparently, he felt it would be best to leave that part out.
“Hitting her once is defending yourself. Breaking her jaw is something completely different,” Renee pointed out.
Matthew turned on Renee, his patience almost gone. “That’s enough out of you.” He turned back to Crescent. “And Renee?”
Crescent lifted the towel off his shoulder, trying to hold back a grimace of pain. The bite wound was deep, and the surrounding skin was red and tender. Renee lowered her head and smiled to herself. “Again, defending myself.”
Don’t let emotions get in the way, and, if at all possible, be smarter than your challenger. Matthew had instilled these words into Renee from a young age, and she repeated the phrase in her head as Matthew turned to her for her version of the story. She could see he was angry with her for the damage she caused to his captain.
Matthew examined the broken bedpost before addressing Renee. “And why did you feel that you had to play Babe Ruth with Mr. Crescent’s skull?”
Renee turned to Crescent with a smirk on her face and in a mocking tone replied, “I was defending myself. Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it you who brought Mr. Escalona here tonight? Did you know that he had a heroin problem when you did? Because I certainly didn’t when I questioned his credentials, and he never said a word when he and his employer signed our contracts.”
Crescent addressed Matthew. “I didn’t know he had a needle problem, sir.”
It didn’t happen often, but Renee had seen that look on her father’s face before when he didn’t know what to do. If it had been anybody other than his captain and his daughter, one or both of them would not be breathing in the morning, but circumstances were different in this case. The bottom line was that he had to do something, or at least pretend to do something. One of his employees was in the hospital and there was no telling how long she would be there or how the atmosphere on this floor would change when she came back. She would come back because she had no choice and no place else to go. Renee knew Matthew’s biggest problem was Mr. Escalona’s employer and other clients who might have witnessed the fight. He would have to hope that Ambassador Sanchez would know about his attaché’s drug problem and want to keep this as quiet as possible, while at the same time not jeopardizing their current business arrangements. That was, of course, if Mr. Escalona lived.
Matthew turned to Renee. “Were any other clients here tonight who may have witnessed this?”
“No. Mr. Escalona was the last of the evening.”
“And the paramedics?”
“Service elevator.”
“Renee, I have to wonder if I made a mistake by allowing you step in when Sasha left.” Matthew quickly put up his hand to stop her from interrupting. “However, it’s obvious you will still maintain our business arrangements, so I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you continue your current responsibilities. But from now on, you will make sure that we never again have a recurrence of tonight’s events.”
Renee nodded. “I agree.”
“And you will need to find a new girl to take…” Matthew searched for the name Renee had spit out just seconds ago. He looked to her for a clue, but she narrowed her eyes at him as if daring him to ask. “…her place. Once she’s out of the hospital, she will be recovering for quite some time.”
Matthew turned to Crescent. Now was the time for the show, the moment the girls in the hallway had been waiting for. “Mr. Crescent, you are more than aware that I have a strict, absolute, and unbreakable rule when it comes to my daughter. You and I will talk in my office immediately.”
Matthew pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as if he were dealing with fighting children. “From now on, Mr. Crescent will stay off this floor unless it’s imperative that he speak with Renee. Otherwise, you will keep away from each other, only sharing the same space when required.”
So far as Matthew was concerned, the issue was closed and the show was over. He signaled Crescent out of the room and, without casting a glance in Renee’s direction, left as well. Renee watched him leave as the girls slowly filtered in to surround her with condolences for her pain and thankfulness for her defense of Saffron.
When Renee heard the elevator doors open, she knew two things for certain: she had und
oubtedly proven herself to the girls, and there would be no consequences for Mr. Crescent. Instead, he and her father would go to Matthew’s office and share a cigar.
Chapter 8
Dr. Elias Michaelson sat across the table from Renee, facing a wall entirely of windows so that he could watch the sun set over the Boston skyline. Renee was focusing on the papers in front of her, reading intently.
Dr. Michaelson was the one who had delivered her and who couldn’t keep her mother alive. The guilt over losing Elise ate at him every day and damn near killed him each time he looked Renee in the eye. Over the years he had watched Renee grow up, hoping she would be like the mother she would never know. Her mother was kind, beautiful, gentle, and caring. Dr. Michaelson often wondered what kind of person Renee would be had her mother lived.
At this moment, Elias saw Renee as a typical teenage girl, comfortably seated cross-legged in her chair, wearing a pair of faded jeans, a sweatshirt that was probably two sizes too big for her, and no shoes. Her long hair pulled up, her head bowed down, studying the papers that lay in front of her on the table while chewing on the end of a pencil and occasionally taking notes. She was calm and relaxed, soft and beautiful. Then, without looking up from the task in front of her, she spoke.
“You seem restless tonight, Doctor.”
Her tone was indifferent, the same as her father, which meant at the moment she didn’t care whether or not everything was okay, but he had obviously done something without speaking to let her know something was on his mind while they waited for Elias’s patient to join them. He couldn’t stand the pain of looking at Renee for much longer so he crossed the room to the bar to help himself to a finger or two, or three, of scotch. He kept his tone as casual as he could, keeping his focus on pouring his drink so he wouldn't have to look her in the face. “I’m beginning to wonder what is taking her so long.”