by Michael Todd
Katie returned to the hall and made her way into the master suite. It was smaller than she had hoped, but she was in a New York City condo. Most apartments in the city could fit inside this bedroom. Iris came in behind her and flipped on the switch in the master bath. Katie walked in, blinded by the white and gray opulence.
“This is the master bath. The ceilings, counters, walls, and floors are all Dolomiti white marble, and the fixtures are polished chrome Dornbracht. The cabinets are glass fronted, and the oversized tub is cast iron.”
Katie’s heart skipped a beat when she saw the tub. “I could swim in that thing.”
They walked through the rest of the place, listening to Iris namedrop designers, architects, and companies that had been part of the design, none of which Katie had ever heard of before. It was obvious from Angie’s face that she hadn’t either, but both of them acted impressed or shocked, depending on how Iris presented the information.
When they were done touring the apartment, Iris brought them back to the foyer. “What do you think?” she asked Katie.
“I love it. It’s beautiful, but I would like to see other options.”
Iris did a little skip of happiness. “Of course! Come on, we’ll head over to The Astor. It’s on my top five list of the most beautiful places to live in Manhattan.”
Katie and Angie followed Iris as they made their way back to the busy New York streets. As they walked along enjoying the air, Angie looked at Katie.
“These are all so swanky,” she marveled. “I’ve never met someone who could afford something like that.”
“I haven’t always been able to, either,” Katie told her. “It’s pretty new to me. I guess I got lucky, in a way. I have to work hard to keep the luck, but I’ve been letting the money pile up instead of spending it. I think it’s time I let my hair down a bit.”
“Gosh.” Angie chuckled in shock. “I’ve never known what it was like to have too much money. Even before I was with that guy I was lucky to keep my account in the black most of the time.”
Katie smiled. “I have a business out in Nevada that throws off a lot of money. The product is invaluable to very important people. It kind of runs itself now, and I have a great staff constantly striving to reach that next level in productivity. I do, however, plan on adding additional businesses that aren’t related to it, and I’m thinking New York would be a good place to start. What do you do?”
Angie reddened. “I haven’t had much experience at anything, but I’ve had one year of college. I made some bad life decisions. Never believed I could make anything of myself.”
“I can only offer the opportunity.” Katie shrugged. “If you don’t step up I’ll make sure you’re okay, but you’ll miss out on further opportunities.”
Angie pressed her lips together as she processed everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. She had gotten out of a situation she’d been dead sure she would only leave in a body bag. She’d been given a safe place to stay and clothes, and now here was an opportunity to leave all that behind and move on to the kind of life she’d never even dared to dream of. It was like her fairy godmother had waved a magic wand, and everything had changed in a heartbeat. A song from Hamilton played softly in Angie’s mind. I’m not going to miss my shot.
At that moment, she made her decision. She was going to make it happen one way or another, and she wouldn’t let her doubts overtake her like they usually did. She had always battled with the concept that she might be capable of anything outside the normal day-to-day struggle to survive, and now she would no longer be ground down by life. She was being offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she was determined not to screw it up.
She didn’t want to live the old way anymore.
“Angie, you coming?” Katie called. She waved to her as Iris entered the next complex.
“Oh, sure!” Angie giggled, realizing she’d stopped and had been staring into the distance. “Yes, sorry.”
They walked into the lobby of the Astor, instantly wowed by the marble ceilings and floors. Like the other place, there was both a doorman stationed at the front and a concierge at the desk inside.
Iris led the way up to the fourth floor and down the hall to apartment 801, giving them the rundown as she walked. “This building has been lovingly restored with the utmost respect for the original features. Each condo includes a library and separate office, vaulted ceilings, and the finishes have been completed to the highest standards. This particular condo is close to two thousand square feet, with custom moldings, three-paneled doors, double-paned bay windows, and original hardwood flooring throughout. The foyer leads down the hall. On the right, you’ll see three doors. These are the two bedrooms with the adjoining full bath between. There’s also a half-bath across the hall for guests. At the end of the hall is the open living and dining area, and the kitchen is beyond, which you’ll see is very spacious and bright. The left turn at the end of the hall takes you down another shorter hall to the master bedroom and master bath, as well as two large closets.”
“This is beautiful, though not as open as the other,” Katie pointed out. “It’s more like a home than an apartment.”
The kitchen was beautiful, with a table built into the stone-topped island, shining hardwood floors, and spotless white cabinetry. Katie could definitely see herself learning how to cook for herself, Angie, and Pandora in the space. Even if she didn’t, there was plenty of counter space to order in. She could see them heating up leftovers and chowing down around the chunky wooden table in the middle of the night. Iris guided them through the large bedroom and into the master bath, which included a beautiful clawfoot tub.
“Now, this is my absolute favorite thing,” Iris gushed, pushing them back down the hall to the living room. “All the fireplaces have been restored to full working order, so you can relax in front of a crackling fire on cold New York nights.”
“That is nice.” Katie smiled. “Reminds me of home. I always loved a fire.”
Pandora snickered. Reminds me of home too.
Iris clapped her hands gleefully. “You’re very close to the park, shopping, donuts, and transport links.”
Katie nodded as she considered the information. “How much is this one compared to the other?”
“Let’s see,” Iris replied. She scrolled through her phone. “Eighty-eighth Street is 4.95 million, and this one is 5.7 million, so you would make an offer to the owners in that ballpark.”
Angie’s eyes grew wide, but Katie wasn’t sold. She had more than enough to buy either one, but she hadn’t seen enough to make a decision just yet. She liked the Astor better, of the two so far. It had that old warm charm, with sleek touches of modern design. She wasn’t even sure how much she would be staying there, but she had come to learn that her home base was very important, so she had to get it just right. Doing the kind of work she did, the comfort of home was the only thing that really kept her grounded, and there was no way she wanted to get stuck with the New York equivalent of sand in her mouth.
I like this one, Pandora pointed out.
I do too, but I think I want to see one more before I make a choice.
It was as though Iris had read her mind. “I do have one more property I’d like to show you. It backs up to Central Park.”
Katie smiled. “Perfect.”
They headed out of the Astor and down about twenty more blocks to the Circa, which was a more modern take on the condo. They went inside and took the elevator up to the eighth floor.
Iris led them to the door of 8A. “Now, this condo boasts magnificent views of both the park and the city from terraces around every apartment, and a modern architectural style that you won’t find too much of in this area. They tend to stay more traditional up here.”
They followed her into the condo. The bedrooms were to their left, and the master was in the back corner with its own private bath. There were two bedrooms with a connecting bath, and a half-bath in the hallway. To the right was the expan
sive living room and kitchen, both of which had tri-fold doors in place of the walls leading out onto the terrace. The kitchen was a little smaller than the one at the Astor, but not by much, and it had all the same amenities.
Katie ran her hands over the blue marble countertops and admired the grayish-white finish on the wood flooring. It was open and airy, and the wall of windows made it even more so with the light cascading through the floor-to-ceiling glass of the terrace doors. It was just what she’d had in mind—a space that didn’t feel claustrophobic like so many of the places in New York did. It had a level of luxury she could afford and the space to entertain if she wanted to, or just take in the park from the terrace in her downtime.
“This one is on the market for 4.995 million,” Iris mentioned as she pointed out the Bosch appliances and the large pantry.
Angie and Iris began to chat about the area, giving Katie a moment to slip away and look around on her own. She stood at the terrace doors and drank in the view of Central Park, which was lively with lunchtime joggers and walkers. She also had a beautiful view of the city. She was just high up enough to see over the buildings across the street and off into the distance. She had never thought of herself as the type to live in the middle of a big city. Frankly, she had never been bold enough to consider it.
As she’d grown into her role as a Damned, she’d found many things in life that should frighten her. Living in a city as vibrant as New York and building her future her way wasn’t one of them, though.
Chapter Twelve
Just outside of town, nestled on the beaches of Cabo was The Office, the perfect place to get your grub on with the warm sand between your toes. Brightly-covered tables inhabited by happy patrons dotted the beach just feet from the lapping water.
Calvin had gone back to town that morning to buy some things he had seen at the market. While looking at different items at one of the local craftsmen’s booths, he had run into someone he only knew by face and the way he put pen to paper.
Calvin approached a little nervously. “I’m sorry to disturb you. Are you Russell Blake? The author of the Jet series?”
The guy looked up, shifting his baseball cap to shield his eyes from the sun. He smiled, the creases at the edge of his eyes giving Calvin an impression of thoughtfulness. He put down the knickknack he was looking at and rubbed his goatee before nodding, then offered his hand to Calvin, who introduced himself. “Good to meet you, Calvin. I’m very surprised that you recognized me.”
“Your books kept me going through a tough tour. I recognized your face from the picture online and on the back of your books. It’s actually pretty strange running into you here.”
“I’m on vacation, and I figured I would take a look-see at what was in the market today.”
Calvin nodded. “I’m in the same boat. On vacation, just came out for a late lunch and some shopping.”
“Where you headed for lunch?”
“I was thinking The Office.”
“Funny you should say that. So was I. It’s the perfect place. Would you like to join me?”
Calvin nodded. “That would be awesome.”
The two men made their way to The Office, getting a bright green table off to one side. They sat on the same side, so they were both facing the ocean. Calvin ordered the cheese dip for an appetizer and three shrimp tacos with cheese, while Russell, ordered the crab.
“It’s always so nice to meet a fan of my writing.”
“I’m a huge fan of your Jet series. I’m one of the mercenary fighters, but before that, I was in the military. I read the entire series.”
“Wow, that’s impressive.”
“I read some of the Day After Never series, but I preferred Jet. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but I think it just hit a little too close to my work efforts at times. I find myself getting lost in your books, transporting myself to another life and time. You know, the way books are supposed to do. With Day After Never, I was going from real life to a daydream that was exactly the same as the world I was trying to escape.”
“I can understand that one.” Russell chuckled. “I’m just glad my books went to someone who could really use them at the time. It always feels good as an author when I hear stories about people going through hard times and turning to my books to take them to another world. It’s a privilege to be there for those who are there for me, even if I don’t always know it—so thank you, Calvin.”
“Feels strange having you thank me.” He laughed. “But you’re welcome.”
“So, are you enjoying your trip?”
“So far, so good. I’ve gone to a few clubs, relaxed, met some people, gotten to know a few beautiful women.”
“Is this your first time in Cabo?”
“Yeah.” He sighed happily. “I couldn’t have imagined it any better. I’m glad I chose to come here instead of touring Europe like I initially thought about doing.”
“You have time for that. This beach life is mesmerizing. I swear every time I turn around I find myself here again.”
“It definitely seems like it can be addictive.” Calvin smiled at the waitress as she set his dip down in front of him.
“How many margaritas have you had since you got here?”
“Surprisingly, only one, and I love tequila.”
“Me too.” Russell chuckled.
“What’s your favorite kind of tequila?”
“Depends on what it’s for. In margaritas it’s hard to go wrong with 1800, but for sipping? I’d have to say either Atelier del Maestro or Herradura Seleccion Suprema, both of which are amazing in different ways. The Seleccion Suprema is like a fine single malt scotch, perfectly balanced, whereas the Atelier has more barrel flavors and is lusher in the mouth. For margaritas, 1800 Anejo, and the Servando is disappointing.”
Calvin nodded his head through the whole spiel, realizing Russell was a touch more passionate about tequila than he had anticipated. From the corner of his eye, he idly watched the women playing in the surf in their tiny bikinis. The unreality of the moment brought a dry chuckle to his lips. He was in one of the most beautiful places in the world, surrounded by beautiful women, eating an incredible meal with a man he’d admired for a long time. He felt like he was in another world. It was definitely fantastic enough to have come from the pages of a book.
Two very attractive women caught Calvin and Russell’s attention. One wore a bronze one-piece that was mostly straps and had a short sheer sarong tied around her waist. Diamonds glittered at her wrists and neck, her tanned skin shimmered with oil, and her brown hair cascaded over her shoulders. The woman next to her wore a white bikini that made her skin appear to glow. She was wearing a long sheer cover-up over her bottom half with the same diamond bracelet on her wrist. Sparkling out from under her long dirty-blond hair were four-inch-long sparkling diamond earrings.
Calvin couldn’t help but stare. They were like the poster women for a “Come to Cabo” commercial.
Russell sat back in his chair with a wistful sigh as the waitress delivered their entrées.
Calvin looked at Russell and took another glance at the women before shaking his head and chuckling. “They make the women out here like supermodels.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if those two were, or at least they were for the men who footed the bill for all of those diamonds.”
“You don’t think they bought them for themselves?” Calvin asked.
“No.” He scoffed, turning back around. “You see those two men about ten yards away from them? The ones walking along the beach all suited and booted?”
“Yeah.” Calvin noticed that their suit jackets bulged in all the wrong places; they were packing in the center of a crowded beach. “Shit, they’re armed.” Calvin narrowed his eyes, looking closely at the guys in black suits and sunglasses on a sunny beach. They followed the women down the strand, their eyes constantly roving the surrounding area.
Russell chuckled. “They’re bodyguards for the girls. The drug lords hire guys lik
e them as protection for their harems or whatever. See the matching bracelets? Those two are one man’s buffet.”
“Huh, I never thought that was actually a thing.”
“Oh, yeah. In fact, many of the murders reported out here are drug-related crime killings. Not all of them, of course, but it’s mostly rival drug cartels taking each other out for a bigger slice of the profits. They’re constantly trying to claw territory from each other. There have been small wars over who controls the streets.”
“Are there demons involved?” Calvin asked, wishing he hadn’t.
“Probably.” Russell shrugged and cracked open his crab. “Mexico isn’t at quite the same level as many of the larger countries, including the US, when it comes to trapping and taking care of demons, but then they don’t seem to be as prevalent here either.”
Calvin grimaced. “They want the US, since it’s considered the most powerful country in the world. They think if they can take America, they can take everything. Mexico is small fry to them; they aren’t worried about it at all.”
“Good. It’ll keep some peace here for now.” Russell chuckled. “But I wouldn’t be shocked if it came out that some of these drug lords were demon-infested. Of course, at the same time, people aren’t as innocent as we’d like to make them out to be. Some don’t need demons to do horrific things.”
“That is very true.” Calvin let his gaze wander back to the two women by the water. They looked like they didn’t have a care in the world, but Calvin thought that if you needed bodyguards to ensure you survived a walk on the beach, you might need to reevaluate your life. Still, they were perfectly-sculpted and absolutely gorgeous women. He looked at Russell, who was smiling and shaking his head.
“The view is free, right?”
Katie left Iris at her office and collected Angie, who was hanging around outside, her mind obviously somewhere else. They made their way through the city, deciding a long walk was better than taking a cab through the traffic. When they reached the Stewart Hotel, Katie went straight to the front desk.