THE
DEVIL’S
INTENDED
LOVE & EVIL
IN
PALM BEACH
PAMELA
SOUTHWOOD
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
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THE DEVIL’S INTENDED
LOVE & EVIL
IN
PALM BEACH
PAMELA SOUTHWOOD
Devil’s Island Publications-Palm Beach
© Copyright 2017
ISBN: 9781370818389
DEDICATION
For All My Angels
And
A Few Devils…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 DEVIL’S ISLAND
2 THE BOY NEXT DOOR
3 SHARK BEACH
4 SUGAR DADDY 101
5 DARK GAMES
6 BOTTOM FEEDER
7 THE PYRAMID FALLS
8 FOR A NIGHT LIKE THIS
9 DINO
10 LIEUTENANT WALSH
11 RETURN TO SHARK BEACH
12 THE WHITESTONE
13 ANTHONY FIORE
14 TESTING THE WATERS
15 PRELUDE
16 A.K.A. “TONY”
17 TURNED TO SALT
18 BLACK SUN
19 BÊTE NOIRE
20 OUT FROM THE SHADOWS
21 UNDER WATER
22 THE DEVIL’S INTENDED
1 DEVIL’S ISLAND
And on the eighth day God created Palm Beach…
Palm Beach was bustling with activity as the global elite toasted another new year and migrated back to its gilded shores via yacht and private jet. The shop windows reflected their polymer and spray-tanned faces as they strolled down Worth Avenue on their way to dine at Bice, Ta-boo, and the other exclusive restaurants. Their flawless diamonds sparkled under the quaint streetlights.
The town was open to all, but only the hand-picked few were truly allowed to enter and embrace the dream. This select inner circle was deeded access to the private collections, reserved tables, and the invitation-only galas that were held inside the magnificent turreted estates. Their net worth, secrets, and lies, remained securely locked behind those grand doors. It was surprising that the tiny island didn’t sink into the ocean with the sudden shift of weight from the sizable egos that returned each winter to walk its pristine paths.
The "Season" had begun!
Everyone knew about the philanthropic side to Palm Beach and the generous charities, but very few were aware of its nefarious underworld and the island’s covert societies. Many of their affairs took place at the Whitestone Country Club where the members convened without their spouses to attend these darker soirées. Though no one was privy to the club’s register, it boasted the names of prominent men throughout the world. They were the leaders, the scholars, the athletes, and the kings of business. They devoutly swore to uphold the club rules, and above all, they always knew when to give the Devil his due. One could only speculate what sacrifices these successful men made to attain their power. It seems that nothing could ever hold them back in their quests.
In Palm Beach, only the insiders knew what really went on inside the Whitestone, and within its ranks, even fewer knew about the founder and his top echelon known as the Black Veil Society. It was a rare treat to be invited to a Whitestone party and the decadent frivolity could go on for days. An invitation to a Black Veil affair was quite the opposite, and it was never a privilege to be the Guest of Honor.
Kristen Stratford was the quintessential Palm Beach girl. Both her parents were silver spooned. Her mother was descended from fine English lineage with not just one; but two occupants from the Mayflower. The matriarch was blue-blood WASP all the way, belonged to the “Daughters of the American Revolution”, and never failed to let everyone know it. Kristen’s father was the CEO of a major aerospace company and very active in politics.
Kristen was born very late into the Stratford marriage and even with the great difference in age, her busy father always found the time to dote on her. It was not easy being the youngest in a family filled with narcissists. Each new birth was greeted with resentment from the other siblings who realized the meaning of having to share the wealth. Kristen was somewhat of a mouse, and felt so intimidated by them that she distanced herself. She might as well have been an only child since she felt so alone at home.
Of course, according to Mrs. Stratford, since Kristen had won the baby lotto, it meant she was supposed to be living the American dream with the perfect husband, Mercedes, and the majestic house in Chicago’s affluent suburbs on the north shore of Lake Michigan. It was also socially mandated that she wintered in Palm Beach in an equally impressive ocean-front mansion.
This is what “North Shore Brats” grew up to expect. It was deemed to be a non-stress life of the Garden Club, charity balls, and an ATM card that never came up declined. By no means, was there ever to be a struggle to just merely exist…
Now it was already mid-January and Kristen would have normally left for Florida by now and would be lazing in the sun, instead of freezing. But this Season was different and sadly she would not be included in the usual festivities. This was definitely not going to be the year for her! She was sliding into her last large chunk of change and was considered broke, by peer standards, until Margaret, the new Step-Witch passed. Only then, would Kristen receive the “big” money from both of her parent’s estates.
The illustrious Arthur Stratford never imagined that he would suddenly be struck to the ground by a heart attack a week before his 75th birthday. He had been in perfect health and not a gray hair in sight. The “Old Gold Digger”, who he married a short time before he died, was probably floating in the Stratford’s Palm Beach estate pool right now and Kristen couldn’t bear the thought of that.
It was very obvious from the beginning that Margaret resented Kristen for being her father’s favorite, and the Step Witch had it in for her. After a while, Kristen gave up trying to get the new wife to like her. It made her sad and she felt like Cinderella. No one else, except her two sisters and brother, knew that Margaret had recently cut her off. And as long as her siblings stroked Margaret, they were assured of extra funds and a family heirloom doled out early here or there.
To Kristen, money represented security, not greed. And unlike the others in her world, she actually cared about people and helping them. High Society was an evil entity and it was difficult not to be sucked into its game. Kristen would laugh at the absurdity of it all, but half-heartedly she con
tinued with the charade since it was expected of a Stratford.
Kristen was quite the romantic and was only out to find true love. As she aged and began her ascent to the next tier, she became less sure of her footing. The wealthier men that she now encountered had more acquired tastes and a higher threshold for excitement. She either needed to conform to meet their demands or present a challenge in order to hold their interest. She hoped she would never become jaded. In the meanwhile, she had many frogs to kiss and needed to learn more about herself before she could rise to that point where she could find her prince.
And, if Kristen ever managed to regain her rightful position on her beloved island again, it was inevitable that she would eventually meet up with someone from the Whitestone clan. They already had her in their sights…
2 THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Kristen was a beautiful blonde debutante with light blue eyes and perfect facial structure. She was 5’6, all legs, and very fit. Like her mother, she had been groomed to marry a successful man and let him take care of things. Kristen always joked that she wanted “clones” of herself, and she was aware that it would make her mother very happy. She knew exactly who she wanted their father to be. She had a major crush on her next-door neighbor Michael Hansen. He would be perfect! He was tall, with sandy hair and strong model looks.
Although Michael was only two years older than Kristen, he was so much more mature. He was very popular and was always busy dating the cheerleaders and prom queens. He seemed to have a special light about him that touched everyone that he was with.
Michael always had a soft spot for Kristen and he treated her like his little sister. During the summer, Michael worked part-time at the local sailing beach. After spending a day of sunning, Kristen would often find herself wandering over to the boat shack to visit him. She would help Michael pull in the smaller sailboats across the sand and mount them on their racks. The two of them would then huddle together and tell each other