The silence was deafening and I almost laughed out loud.
“Oh, come on! You guys cannot be serious?” Kane looked around at the three of us as Nick drank his beer, Julian kept looking at the instructions and I still fiddled with the pieces. “You’re telling me three of the wealthiest men in the country actually contemplated kidnapping three poor unsuspecting females as a Plan B in case charm or money didn’t work?”
Nick pointed his beer towards Kane. “You just haven’t met the right woman, yet, that’s all.”
“What?”
Julian joined in. “You say kidnapping like it’s a dirty word, but you’d be surprised at how very possible that option is once you meet the right woman.”
Kane looked over at me with a look of utter disbelief on his face. I just shrugged my shoulder at him. What could I say? Julez was right.
“Actually, no. No Julian. Kidnapping is never an option, no matter who the woman is,” Kane protested.
Nick just shook his head at him. “To be young and clueless again,” Nick philosophized.
“I am not clueless. I’m apparently the only law abiding citizen in this room.” He went back to gather pieces of the entertainment center. “You guys are fucking crazy.”
“The day is going to come when you’re going to need our help kidnapping the love of your life and we just might not help you,” I threatened.
That got his goat up and he pointed a finger at me. “That’s bullshit, Chase. You know damn well the three of you would never leave me to kidnap a woman on my own, if I needed help. Don’t threaten me like that!”
Julian set down the instructions and grabbed his beer. “What brought this up?”
Kane jabbed a thumb towards me. “This one sharing that he’s in love with Quinn.”
Julian huffed. “No shit.”
Nick rolled his eyes. “I think you’re the only one who didn’t know he’s in love with Quinn.”
It’s been a week since I told Quinn I loved her and so far nothing worrisome has come from it. I did my best to respect her wishes at work and stay away from her, and she’s done her best to make sure we spend some time together after work. Now that I felt more comfortable about where we were in our relationship, staying away from her during work hours wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. We were both so busy we didn’t come in contact with one another enough to give into temptation.
I also didn’t bombard her with declarations of love either. Actually, I haven’t said it since I make it clear to her last Saturday that I meant it. She knew how I felt. I didn’t need to put it on repeat to prove it to her.
“It must be because I’m the only one in this room who isn’t pussy whipped that I missed the little hearts and flowers shinning in Chase’s eyes.”
“Laugh it up, kid, but the day will come and we will be ruthless. Mark my words,” Nick promised. “Hey, Chase, where are we with Valerie Stratton?”
“I’m scheduling a meeting with her Monday for a business dinner next Friday night.”
Nick looked over at me and asked, “Why a business dinner?”
“I’m hoping it will keep her from causing a scene. She’s…she just seems the type to cause a horrid scene in front of our employees and other clients. I’d rather not go through all that and have to have her escorted out by security and all that jazz.” I was good at reading people. It was a skill that came in handy growing up the way we did. Being able to assess a situation in the hood usually meant the difference between life and death…or the very least, a serious ass beating.
“Dumping a client?” Kane inquired.
“Yeah, some spoiled bitch who thought she could get catty with Avery,” Julian explained.
Kane looked over at Nick. “Surprised she’s still breathing.”
I took offense. “We’re still professionals, asshole!”
Kane darted his eyes to Julian and then narrowed them back onto me. “Really? So if some client of yours insulted, disrespected or hit on Isabella they’d be left happy, healthy and breathing?” I chanced a glance over at Julez. He had me there, but he continued before I could respond, “Besides, you guys just all admitted to not being above kidnapping innocent fem-”
Nick grimaced and said, “Nothing innocent about those three women.”
Kane gave up. “You guys are nuts.”
“Can we get going on this thing, please?” I suggested. I didn’t give up a Saturday with Quinn to help Kane accomplish nothing.
“Oh, by the way, I’m supposed to tell all you fuckfaces that Avery wants to have a barbeque get together sort of thing next Sunday before football season starts,” Nick informed us. “She knows we’ll be unemotionally available for the next 20 Sundays or so after that.”
“We’re going to have a barbeque at your penthouse?” Julian asked. “How does that work?”
“Easily, since we’re not having it at my house. When I called to invite Ma, she insisted we have it at her place. She misses us all together.”
“You’re going to be the only odd man out, Kane,” I teased.
He smiled good-naturedly. “Nah, I’m going to have the best date there.” He beamed at all of us. “Momma can be my date.”
None of us disagreed. Our love for my mother was incomparable. She literally saved all our lives.
“Okay, now that that’s settled, can we get this thing done? I’m sure Isabella misses me,” Julian insisted.
“Pfft,” I scoffed. “Are you for real? She’s probably happy as hell to have some time to herself without you hovering over her like a first time mother.”
“Fuck you,” he countered. “Isabella wouldn’t know what to do without me.”
“Yeah, because her life has been so unsuccessful until you came into the picture,” Nick quipped.
He looked over at Nick. “Yeah, because Avery wasn’t getting along just fine before you came along.”
I watched as Kane continued working on the entertainment piece, shaking his head. “You guys really are nuts,” he muttered.
We finally got to work on Kane’s entertainment center and one 24 pack and many, many ‘you stupid motherfuckers’ later, it was finally complete.
While Kane could easily afford to have had someone else put this together, he liked doing things like this. He said it kept him from letting his money change him.
I sat on the couch, and like a love sick puppy, pulled out my phone to text Quinn. The only thing that made me feel better about it was that Nick and Julian had their phones out too.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
We’re done here.
Did u guys all have ur shirts off…all sweaty & manly like?
This goddamn woman.
No & quit thinking of other guys…sweaty or not.
Really?? Even Julian??
I looked down at my phone. “Just so you guys know, there’s a good chance that one day I’m going to strangle Quinn with my bare hands. So, write me and visit me often. Oh, and don’t forget to send me those prison packages, too.”
“You got it,” Nick promised.
“My money’s on Quinn strangling you first,” Kane insisted.
Julian started laughing. “It’s going to be like that old movie, The War of the Roses.”
Even Julian! What would Iz think?
Nothing. She knows what she has
You’re evil.
I wouldn’t b if I had a penis n me.
I jumped up off the couch. “Okay, I gotta go.”
“Thanks for helping me out.” Kane was already setting knickknacks and the like on the shelves of his monstrosity.
I clapped him on the back of his shoulder. “No problem, kid. Glad to help.”
I looked down as my phone buzzed with an incoming text.
Just so u know…I’m starting without u.
This. Goddamn. Woman.
Chapter 15
Greed: Because she’s out of her mind if she thinks I’ll share….with anyone!
Chase~
I
was coming back from a business lunch in a damn near run. I had a two o’clock client conference call that I was cutting it close for. I just prayed that Sylvia had enough super powers to know that I’d be running behind and gathered all the shit I’d need in a nice little pile on my desk.
However, all that worry came to a halt when I caught eye of Quinn standing outside the lobby elevator chatting it up with…well, I imagine some guy who worked for us.
It wasn’t the sight of Quinn that had brought me up short; it was the guy.
And the way he was looking at her.
I walked over and stood next to them awaiting the elevator. “Good afternoon.” They both looked over at me and smiled.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Alexander.”
“Hey, Chase.” If the guy was surprised by Quinn’s casual greeting, he didn’t show it.
The elevator dinged and we filed in along with two other employees making their way to the upper floors. Quinn, Work Guy and I lined the back of the elevator, while the other two occupants stood center stage.
All was right with the world until the guy spoke and said, “So, Quinn, when are you going to put me out of my misery and agree to a date with me?”
The silence was loud and uncomfortable.
Or maybe it was just loud and uncomfortable for me.
I could hear Q clear her throat before responding, “You get points for tenacity, Ray. I’ll give you that, but I’ve already told you I have a boyfriend.”
He eyed her up and down. “Yeah, but you don’t have a husband,” he volleyed, “and until you’re sporting a diamond on your finger, anything is possible.”
I looked up at the floor numbers flying by and wished them to go by faster. I wasn’t going to be able to keep my mouth shut much longer. I was trying my best to let Quinn handle this, but…fuck, it was killing me.
Killing. Me.
“Husband or boyfriend, the commitment’s the same if it’s serious, Ray,” she countered.
That wasn’t good enough for Ray, though. “So you’re saying you’re serious about him?”
I could make out her deep breath and I could tell she was getting irritated. “Yes, Ray. I am.”
“Ah, but is he serious about you?” He tried one last time.
I knew she was going to kill me, but by this time, I didn’t give a fuck.
Not. One. Fuck.
I grabbed Q by her arm and yanked her behind me causing her to elbow the poor unsuspecting woman in front of her. “Yes, Ray, he is.” I leaned down and got in his face. “I’m very serious about her.”
Not only could I hear Quinn let out a deep breath, I felt the heat from it on my back. “Chase…”
Of course, I ignored her and the two women who were now eerily mannequin still. “I understand that the work place is a reasonable and expected place to form personal relationships. However, Ray, when a woman tells you ‘no’ you need to respect her and her decision.” His eyes kept darting behind me and I knew he was hoping for some help from Q. “There’s a fine line between insistence and harassment, and if I hear of you ever crossing that line with anyone in this building at any time, we’re going to have problems. Are we clear on that?”
“Y…yes. Yes, sir,” He leaned over to look behind me. “I’m very sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable Quinn. I…I was just playing around,” he stuttered.
She yanked her arm from out of my grasp and walked around to face him. “It’s fine, Ray,” Quinn assured him as she glowered up at me. “No harm was done.”
“Yeah, yeah…no harm,” he agreed, taking a step back.
And because Nick would do the same, “Yeah, and Avery Ellis, that diamond on her finger is courtesy of Nicholas Savage, in case you weren’t aware. So, stay away from her, as well, Ray.”
He nodded so animatedly, he looked like a bobble head.
The elevator dinged and the two women who were in front of us almost tripped over themselves to escape the elevator. And I wasn’t even sure if it was Ray’s floor, but he was wise enough to get off the elevator with them. The doors closed leaving me trapped with a very pissed off Quinn.
Four…three…two…
She was a swirl of dark gray as she turned towards me. “Are you out of your goddamn mind?!”
I faced her down. “Me? What the hell did you expect me to do, Q? Did you honestly expect me to just stand there and watch some guy hit on my girlfriend?”
She started slapping my body with her files of paperwork. “I expected you to let me handle it and act like a professional CEO!”
I threw my palms out, warding off her attack. “I did act like a professional CEO, damn it! You didn’t see me kick his ass, did you?”
We were so engrossed in our battle that neither of us paid any heed to the elevator ding. The doors opened up to an array of people witnessing Quinn still slapping my person with her papers. “You’re a goddamn CEO, Chase. Act like it!”
I should have cared that we had an audience, but I didn’t. “I’ll act like a CEO when I need to be a CEO. But when another man is hitting on you, being a CEO takes a back seat to being your boyfriend! I will always choose you first, Quinn!”
The crowd parted for her as she stormed her way out of the elevator, yelling at me, “You better sleep with one eye open, Chase Alexander!”
I hurriedly punched the elevator button to the top floor praying the doors shut before I really lost all sense of professionalism and went after her.
I looked at my watch and I had ten minutes to get on my conference call. Fuck!
The elevator opened up to the top floor and Sylvia-God bless her little heart-handed me a folder labeled ‘Belshing’. I made it to my desk and on the call with two minutes to spare.
The next hour was pure torture. I managed to get through it, but all I wanted to do was summon Quinn up to my office and fuck the shit out of her.
I had to laugh. She had a set of fucking balls, that girl. I can’t believe she threatened me and told me I better sleep with one eye open in front of a floor full of employees. Sweet Jesus.
My desk phone rang almost immediately after I disconnected from the conference call. I saw the caller I.D. and I just knew. “What?”
“Sooooooooooooooo, Avery may or may not have called me and let it slip that one of SMA Global, Inc’s CEO’s was running amok. Know anything about that?”
“What would you have done?” I challenged.
“I would have kicked his ass, but to each his own,” he needled.
Great. Just. Fucking. Great. I’m pretty sure Nick just called me a pussy. “Fine, I’ll issue an apology.”
“No need to issue one on my account,” he replied. “Like I said, I would have kicked his ass. I just called to tell you that you had a petite, little purple haired sprite pissed as fuck at you. I’m recommending you call her in and…uh, settle this before she really gets mad.”
“Have you ever had to stand by and watch someone hit on Ace?” I asked.
“Nope, and I never would.” His response was simple. “So far, the feedback I’m getting is that all the men are too scared to approach her now and all the women think your caveman ways are romantic. It’ll pass as long as you and Q get your shit together.”
“Yeah, I know. Okay, thanks, Sav. I owe you guys.”
“You don’t owe me, but I have to admit, I’m fairly disappointed in Quinn,” he confessed.
“What for?”
“I would have thought she’d have more sense to threaten you in front of witnesses. Now she has to wait at least a good ten years before ending you or the cops will for surely point the fing-”
I hung up on him.
Ass.
I dialed Q and, luckily for my sanity, she answered, “One eye open, Chase!”
“I love you, Quinn.”
Her gasp of outrage could probably be heard all throughout her floor. “You manipulative sonofabitch!” she screeched. “Hear me, Chase, and hear me well. You are going to pay for this. Pay in the most painful, borderline unlaw
ful way possible.”
“Uh, does this punishment include you riding my cock naked?”
Her voice was a low, forceful whisper, “It’s going to involve that dildo you wanted to use to double fuck me with up your ass instead!”
I winced.
I couldn’t help it. That’s not anything I wanted to contemplate ever, joking or not. “Look on the bright side, babe.”
“What fucking bright side?”
“Well, now everyone knows we’re dating and so you won’t be bothered by unwanted advances any longer. I mean, really…seems to me as if I just made your work day that much easier and more pleasant.”
There was a heartbeat of silence before she filled it. “I’d think very, very long and hard before asking me to take your dick into my mouth again, Chase. You know, near all my teeth and whatnot,” she warned. “Terrible accidents can happen if you’re not careful.”
Hell, I didn’t even have to think about it. “My cock in your mouth, babe…I’ll risk it,” I braved.
I could hear her sigh. “Why couldn’t I have just stayed the fuck home that night? Why?”
My lips twitched. “I would have still found you, Quinn.”
She scoffed. “Oh, really?”
The next words out of my mouth were the most honest I had ever been with her. “I was meant to love you. So, we would have crossed paths eventually, Q.”
“You’re a dick and I hope The Raiders have a losing season.”
The pain.
The betrayal.
“Take that back! Do you hear me? Take that back, Quinn!”
“Never!”
“Thems fighting word, Q,” I announced. Did she not know?
“Bring it!”
Chasing Quinn Page 18