Dynasty

by Jen Davis et al.

  Christopher took a drink of his beer to give himself a minute to think about a careful answer. “I only talked to her for a few minutes, but, yeah, I think she’s likable as long as you don’t piss her off.”

  “He’s never going to let you date her,” Tucker pointed out.

  Christopher’s head snapped back in surprise. “Who said anything about dating her? I just said she seemed likable.”

  Tucker turned to the bartender, who was listening with rapt attention. “You should have seen the way she was gawking at him.”

  “She was not gawking at me,” Christopher corrected.

  “And,” Tucker continued, “the smirk on his face wasn’t telling her not to.”

  “I was being nice.” Christopher felt the need to defend himself because he knew Tucker was right. Since he saw her at her birthday party, he did want to take her out, and he knew Parnell would never allow it.

  “Whatever. Gotta piss,” Tucker said as he walked to the back of the bar.

  When Tucker was out of earshot, the bartender looked at Christopher with all seriousness and lowered his voice. “Just between you and me, there were others who attempted to make an uninvited move on her. Neither are alive and neither are missed.”

  “I never said—”

  “Wait for Mr. Lundy to get here and ask when they’re both in the room. Lundy adores that girl and will do anything for her. Look, I’ve been working this bar as eyes and ears for seven years. Normally, I wouldn’t say anything and let you figure it out for yourself, but I like you, so I’m just putting in my two cents. Keep it to yourself.”

  Christopher nodded in understanding and realized how much he had underestimated some of the people he had met since he joined the Family. He made a mental note to take all advice, whether good or bad, seriously. After all, nobody gave it without a reason.

  “Now get out of here,” the bartender said. “I want to go home.”

  Chapter 10

  A few weeks later, Christopher had been called into Matthew’s office to deliver a collection. When he saw David sitting with Matthew, he decided to take the bartender’s advice and simply ask.

  “Absolutely not,” Matthew said with forced denial.

  Christopher stood across from Matthew’s desk with calm understanding on his face. “I understand, sir. The subject won’t come up again.”

  Matthew gave a sharp nod of his head in agreement, closing the conversation, but not before David asked, “Why not?”

  Matthew turned on David. “What do you mean, why not? She’s sixteen years old; he’s twenty. That’s reason enough.”

  Christopher stood completely still, hands behind his back, his face impassive, not giving away the internal smile and knowledge that with David’s blessing he would be taking Renee on at least one date.

  David gave a short laugh. “Jesus, Matthew, it’s just a hockey game. You’ve got to let her have some kind of life outside this hotel, and if you don’t do it now, the next guy won’t ask your permission. She’s old enough to drive a car, she’s old enough to go on a date.” David turned to Christopher. “Take her to dinner before the game. Hell, spend the whole day with her. She deserves a chance to feel like a normal girl for once.”

  Matthew turned to Christopher while trying to contain his obvious anger with David. “Does she know that you’ve come to me about this?”

  “No, sir.”

  Matthew leaned forward on his desk and spoke to Christopher in a stern voice. “You will be a gentleman. If I hear otherwise, you will be in that room,” he pointed toward the guarded door, “and won’t be coming out. Do I make myself clear?”

  Still with respectful indifference on his face, and in an even tone of voice, Christopher replied, “Absolutely, sir. Thank you, sir.”

  Chapter 11

  Renee’s friends said to just be herself, reminding her that when he saw her for the first time she wasn’t putting on an act or behaving like a child.

  She met him in the lobby, both of them smiling and eager to start their day. She was nervous and trying to calm herself as they got in his car and he started the engine, stealing looks at him from the corner of her eye. Stop acting like a love-struck teenager, for god’s sake. She quickly knocked the immature emotions away and took a breath, but remained internally giddy at the thought of spending the day with Christopher.

  “So aside from the hockey game, I really didn’t have any plans for today. I was thinking we could get lunch, if you’re hungry, and then play it by ear. Unless you have something you’d like to do.”

  This wasn’t something she had been warned might happen and she didn’t know what to do. They hadn’t even made it out of the parking garage and the only thing she knew for sure was that she couldn’t eat without the fear of her nerves making her throw up on his shoes. She said, “I’m not really hungry right now.”

  “Too nervous to eat?” he teased.

  A little embarrassed, Renee again pushed the unwanted juvenile emotions away and cleared her throat, remembering that he already knew what kind of person she was. “Being alone with you makes me nervous. I don’t know why, but it does.”

  Christopher turned to her with a smile and held out his hand. She trusted the sincerity she saw in his eyes and cautiously took his hand, her jumpiness slowly receding, but her lips apparently couldn’t decide whether to smile or not. He leaned into her, his face so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath on her lips as he whispered, “I’m a little nervous myself.”

  ***

  Their day began with spending time at a small amusement park where they played miniature golf, which she wasn’t very good at and obviously didn’t enjoy, but she played with a smile on her face and focus in her eyes. They raced each other in the go-karts and afterward headed over to the batting cages, where Renee astonished Christopher with her accuracy and tenacity when it came to making the baseballs fly across the cage. She hit every ball that came at her, each one categorically being hit harder and faster than the previous. He must have spent fifty dollars at the cages just to stare in awe at her persistence.

  Afterward, they found a small diner on the outskirts of the city where they ate lunch and began getting to know each other. Because she felt completely comfortable with him, and because he was the only one she could really talk to about the world she grew up in, she told him everything she could possibly think of. When Christopher spoke, she was very much interested, locking eyes with him and intently listening to every word he had to say.

  “You don’t have the life of a typical sixteen-year-old,” Christopher noted.

  “I’m not your typical sixteen-year-old,” Renee replied.

  Hiding a smile behind his glass, Christopher asked, “Where did you learn to hit a ball like that?”

  “David is a huge baseball fan. He introduced me to batting cages and the rest is what you saw me do. David has always been a big believer in me being able to defend myself. You should see my right hook.” She smiled and he couldn’t help but laugh.

  By the time lunch was over, the conversation was flowing freely and she never wanted to leave his side. As they drove away from the restaurant, Christopher questioned her on what she wanted to do next. The answer came to her instantly: her favorite place in the world.

  They walked through the botanical gardens as Renee narrated its history, pointing out different features and educating him on everything they saw. They entered the Isle of Lilies—her sanctuary—and she stopped walking to watch Christopher take it all in, the hopeful smile never leaving her face. The lilies were caged by a tall hedge with only one entrance and exit; the circumference comparable to that of a grain silo with a circling path just big enough for two to walk side by side. It was filled with lilies of different colors, and a fountain of marble in the middle of it all, adding to the relaxation and peace a person could find just standing there for a few minutes.

  He smiled and turned to her with awe. “It’s really beautiful.”

  Her smile grew bigger
as her eyes focused on the bench situated in an alcove—the best place to get the full aroma of the flowers and just secluded enough to hide someone from the world. She nodded at the bench and they sat in silence for a few minutes, taking in the garden and wondering what he was thinking.

  Finally, Christopher broke the silence. “I wanted to meet you the night of your party but I didn’t think it would be right since we work together. I watched you though. You were very beautiful that night.” Her cheeks were quickly warming as he gently took her hand in his. “You’re beautiful right now. I’d like to spend more time with you and am wondering how you feel about that.”

  Her heart was racing and she felt an electric shock running through her body just from him holding her hand. She knew what she wanted as she looked him in the eye with complete certainty. “I would like that very much.”

  Christopher slowly leaned in, kissing her gently, which she happily returned. When the kiss ended, they locked eyes with each other and Renee felt a twitching smile coming forward.

  “Do that again,” she said, and he did. The kiss began slowly until Renee leaned into him and parted her lips, the tip of her tongue brushing his upper lip and giving him permission to kiss her however he wanted. He placed his hand on the back of her head in an attempt to pull her closer to him and she began to tremble. She placed her hands on either side of his face as their tongues explored each other’s mouths for the first time. Renee could think of nothing else in the world except kissing Christopher as often as she could. She now knew what she had been told about a first kiss was true, except that she never imaged she would feel the electric sparks run through her body and want to be with him forever.

  She couldn’t say how long she felt like she was floating before Christopher broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes. Her breathing was rapid, her face was flush, her smile was still twitching, and the look in her eye couldn’t have been anything but bliss. He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled the scent of her hair while she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. There were no words either of them could say so they stayed where they were until they heard someone approaching the sanctuary of the lilies. Quietly, they left hand in hand, and from that moment on, would forever belong to each other.

  Chapter 12

  “I don’t recall giving permission for a second date,” Matthew said as he stared at his desk, reading the contracts in front of him.

  “I’m not asking your permission,” Renee answered definitively.

  Matthew slowly raised his head to gaze at his daughter, who was returning his look of disapproval with one of unabashed defiance. “Is that so?”

  “Just because you don’t want me to do something doesn’t mean that it can’t happen.”

  “And if Christopher should be discharged from my service?”

  Renee slightly shook her head and tried not to roll her eyes. “You would dismiss him just to prevent me from dating him? That’s rather petty of you, don’t you think? In answer to your question, if Christopher wasn’t here, I would still find a way to be with him.”

  Fury burst out of Matthew as he rose from his desk. “Who do you think you are? You do not simply walk into my office, disrespect me, and tell me how it’s going to be. I am the parent, you are the child, and you will do as I say until I decide otherwise.”

  Unaffected by Matthew’s anger, Renee replied, “I’m old enough to arrange sexual entertainment, witness punishments, supervise deliveries and shipments, but I’m not allowed to choose the person I want to date? I don’t understand. What is it about Christopher that you object to?”

  Taking his seat, Matthew replied, “I don’t have to explain myself to you.”

  Renee let out an exasperated breath. “Don’t you ever get tired of the animosity between us? Why is it that you and I can’t have a civilized conversation without it turning into some kind of argument?”

  Matthew knew the fighting between the two of them had to stop. It wasn’t because it was bad for business, it was because his plans for the future wouldn’t come to fruition without Renee at his side as his loving daughter.

  Matthew sighed and held up his hands in resignation. “No more fighting. Everybody else in this Family is expected to behave with respect and tolerance toward each other, and from this point forward, we shall do the same.”

  “And Christopher?”

  “You won’t have anything to be concerned about unless I am forced to step in for any reason.”

  “What about Mr. Crescent?” Her tone suggested she didn’t quite trust what he was saying.

  “I will speak with him.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she stood, nodding her head at the stack of papers on his desk. “Let me know when you’re done reviewing the contracts and I’ll come get them from you.”

  Matthew nodded in acknowledgement and Renee left the room. Pushing himself back from his desk, he stared out the window with his hands clasped in his lap and, for the first time in years, thought of Elise. He thought about the first time he saw her and the first time he realized how much he loved her. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her until she betrayed him and took everything he ever loved and crushed it in an instant.

  Mr. Crescent entered Matthew’s office from the adjoining room. He stood in front of Matthew’s desk, still as a statue and just as silent as Matthew turned to face him.

  “Keep a close eye on them and let me know anything of consequence. She’s young and doesn’t know any better. Love is an illusion, Mr. Crescent.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “She will fall and she will get hurt.” Matthew’s eyes hardened. “I will make sure of it.”

  Chapter 13

  Present Day

  Doormen with guns, Renee thought as she approached three men standing outside the restaurant who were casually surveying their surroundings. She only knew one of them, the oldest of the three, a man named Schedler who was in his late twenties, and if the rumors were true, he was one of Carl Tempest’s newly appointed captains. His two associates saw Schedler’s posture rise to guarded threat and watched as Renee stopped and smiled.

  “Mr. Schedler,” she said.

  He gently took her hand and laid a soft kiss on top. “Ms. Parnell. What brings you to this part of Philly?”

  “I understand Mr. Tempest is dining here this evening. I was wondering if I might be able to take a few minutes of his time.”

  Matthew Parnell and Carl Tempest were both successful underbosses in David’s family who openly disliked each other. Renee wasn’t judged on who her father was, but if one wanted to avoid a blood war, courtesy and respect was to be shown to all Family members, even if they weren’t likeable. Just because her father didn’t like Tempest didn’t mean she felt the same.

  Schedler motioned his two associates over for introductions while Renee removed the wrap covering her back. Both sets of eyes slightly widened and they looked back to Schedler, who gave a slight nod to indicate she was who they thought.

  Renee smiled at the two young men. “Gentlemen.”

  Schedler excused himself and went inside the restaurant, leaving Renee with his two associates, who could only stare in awe at Renee and wonder. She knew she had a reputation built on truth and rumor, but didn’t care how those two perceived her, so long as she was seen as confidant, which she knew she had to be.

  Schedler returned and escorted Renee to a table, where Carl Tempest greeted her with a smile and a welcoming hug. Schedler held out a chair for Renee across from his boss, then took a seat himself.

  Carl Tempest was as Renee remembered him. Unlike her father, he didn’t crave admiration, but his demeanor demanded respect. As a child, he had been kind, quick to make her laugh, and would never leave her company without a kiss on the cheek and a promise to do well in school. Now she sat in front of him as an adult on a mission—coming to the one man she knew she could trust to ask for help in moving on with her life.

  “Would you like something to drink
?” Tempest asked, gesturing at the champagne bottle chilling next to the table.

  “No, thank you.”

  He nodded as he poured himself a glass. “I was dining with business associates when I heard you were here.”

  “I apologize if I interrupted,” she said with sincerity.

  He waved his hand like shooing away a fly. “Them I can speak with at any time. You are a rare exception where an interruption is welcome.”

  “I won’t keep you.”

  “It’s no bother,” he said as he turned back to the meal on his plate. “I understand condolences are in order. Please allow me to extend mine. It’s a tragedy to become a wife and a widow on the same day.”

  Her hands were shaking in her lap, but her face was serene. “While I appreciate and accept your condolences, I was neither wife nor widow. Christopher died before the ceremony.” Tempest’s eyebrows shot up and she continued with the obvious assumption. “You heard differently.”

  Tempest nodded, utensils poised over his plate as he considered what she had told him. “I hear many things. Does your father know where you are?”

  “I would ask your discretion in keeping this meeting between us.”

  She could see curiosity and questions spinning behind his eyes. She sat before him, poised and confident, boldly striking out on her own in search of something she thought Tempest could help her obtain.

  Tempest set his utensils down and gave her his full attention. “Well, you certainly have me curious; however, I have to surmise, because you have come here without permission or acknowledgement, that what you seek is very important. So, please, Ms. Parnell, satisfy my curiosity.”

  She looked Tempest solidly in the eye. “Was Christopher’s death ordered, and if so, why and by whom?”