“You are going to be the next one on their list. There is no way they are going to let you go your own way. They will want your territory too, and once we are gone there will be nothing to stop them either.”
Nick puts his arm around me, “Nice to see you again Elijah. Come on Kayla.” We leave and I can see the disappointment and worry on Nick’s face. I squeeze in tighter to his side and look up at him trying to read his thoughts. He smiles at me, “It’s going to be okay, don’t worry. I’ll figure it out.” Nick kisses me before he retreats into a pensive mood.
I can’t let it go, even with Nick devising alternate plans. I still believe his original one is the best one, and the one that will help keep him alive. The new one has him risking too much of himself, and losing him is not something I am willing to do … not again. On my own, I decide to try Elijah again. I find his home and after a few deep breaths I walk up to his door and greet his guard who escorts me to a room where I wait for Elijah. Dressed for business, I hope to win this negotiation with an intelligent approach. I stand ready and determined with my argument prepared. Elijah enters the room dressed casually and already has a scowl on his face. The man reeks of arrogance, everything he puts on his body highlights his ripped features. He thinks so much of himself he purposely chooses the perfect colors to emphasize his deep skin tone and the brightness of his eyes. The amount of time he must spend on his hair I am sure out does me - by hours. I am not threatened by his tall stature or his overtly masculine qualities - still, I can understand how women could be easily seduced by him. But if I can resist Nick, I can resist anyone. Especially this overconfident fool.
“Why are you here?” He asks, looking me over with a sarcastic grin.
“To change your mind.” I say, causing a full smile to form across his face as he prepares himself a drink. Elijah walks over to me and hands me a glass before taking a drink of his own. “I don’t think you made the right decision, but I also wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you. There is a better way to handle business.”
“Nick send you?” He watches me closely. “Of course, he didn’t. He doesn’t have a clue that you are even here.” He turns from me with a laugh, but I stop him and turn him back to me.
Smiling sweetly, I let my softened eyes control him as I lower myself to a standard I never like to go - groveling, but with a twist. “Elijah, please help me. I know you are a smart man that has a lot of power, but imagine what you can do with Nick’s help.” When I realize I have his attention, I step back and take in a breath, “This is an opportunity for you, and I would hate for you to miss out because of your … jealousy.”
“Excuse me? And who am I jealous of?” He mocks back at me.
“No reason to be embarrassed, Nick is incredible in so many ways. I can’t think of any man that could live up to all that he has become. It only stands to reason that you would want to distance yourself from him, not be reminded of your shortcomings. But I assure you, you are a great man as well. You have obviously achieved much in your own life.” I smile waving my hands at the gorgeous room that surrounds me. “All I am here to say is that I think that your fears should not hold you back from what could be a great and prosperous partnership. So please, set aside your insecurities and reconsider.” With a sweet innocent smile I hold my hand to him watching the fury within him intensify.
Setting his drink down, he makes his way to me and instead of taking my hand he forces me against him. “I tell you what, I will change my mind if you kiss me. Actually …” he picks me up and throws me on the nearby lounge and immediately climbs on top of me. “Let’s just fuck, what do you say? Maybe you can change my mind with a good fuck.” He says crawling over me with his mouth exploring the exposed areas of my skin.
“Get off me. I am not interested in this kind of business with you.” With a swift kick I knock him away and adjust my posture properly.
“You telling me you didn’t come here to try to convince me with all of what you got hidden under that sweet little dress of yours. Baby, I will give you what you want, just give me some of that sweet ass of yours. It must be damn good if you got Nick to marry you.”
“If you would listen and stop being so full of yourself you might realize what is best for you.” I try to persuade him with a more determined approach.
“What is best for me, is to relieve my swelling dick.” Huffing at his disgusting comment, I continue with one reason after the other as to why he should change his mind, but he continues smiling and coming closer to me. “Come on suck my dick baby … try it. I know you want too.” He grabs his crotch, “Nick is not the only one with a big cock. Come on, try it.” He moves quickly and catches me off guard, pinning me down and forcing his hand up my dress. “I don’t know what wicked voodoo spell you put on Nick, but I guarantee you that same shit won’t work on me. I fuck women. I don’t fall in love, nor am I ever influenced enough to give them anything but an orgasm. If they think otherwise and give me any trouble, I will slit their throat and never think twice about it. Too much pussy out there sweetness, for me to worry about just one.” Elijah’s hardened expression might give most pause, but I have come up against Nick’s devilish eyes and I know Elijah has too. “Now, if you want my help, or hell, if you want to walk out of here alive, then strip and bend over.” He says, removing his shirt and preparing for what he believes is going to be an easy score.
“You really think it’s a good idea to fuck Nicholas Jayzon’s wife?” He laughs and continues undressing and rubbing his hardened erection against me.
“His wife - that still makes me laugh. One thing I know about my friend is that Nicky doesn’t care about any woman, so I doubt he will get that upset about you. Most likely he sent you, knowing you would be a great gift for me.” He assures me.
“I am also the mother of his son. You still think he would send me as a gift?” Elijah pauses and hands me my glass.
“You are something else, a son.” He says, watching me carefully. “I don’t think so, but nice try.” Elijah grabs hold of me, talking to me in his sexually toned voice to try to sway me into his way of thinking. “I don’t want to be the only one enjoying this, so can you please finally admit you want me just as bad as I want you?” Elijah gives me a suave smile.
Squeezing the beautiful old-fashioned Italian glass, I almost feel bad for what I am about to do. Smashing the glass against the nearby table I take hold of the sliver of the broken glass and retake control of the situation. Held against the sensitive part of his neck, the sharp edges of the broken glass help me ease him off me. “Don’t fuck with me! I am only here to protect my husband, not to cheat on him. You would have to kill me first and fuck my dead body.” Smiling wide at his sudden loss of confidence, I kiss his cheek gently. “Not even a kiss on the lips for you.” Backing away, I pick up my handbag and toss the glass sliver to the floor. “Waste of time. Ryan was right about you. You are too full of yourself to recognize the right people you should align yourself with. An aging gigolo – pathetic, you are not even worth respecting. You act like you are Nick’s equal, but you don’t even compare to the man he is.” I tighten my dress around my stomach, stopping Elijah in his tracks as he starts to approach me again.
“You are pregnant?” He asks with wide eyes.
“Yes, with Nick’s second child. He is my husband, the father of my children and the love of my life and you - are nothing more than a man child with a drinking problem.” Before I can finish a door opens and two naked women come stumbling in laughing, “Not to mention your whore problem.” I leave him and wish I had never bothered.
The first thing I do when I get home is shower the scent of him off me. My only problem is the cut across my palm that Nick is sure to notice. I try to clean it up and hide it as best I can only the wound is too deep and I have to bandage it. I make excuses to Nick why I cannot join him for dinner by saying I don’t feel well, that I am too tired and think I will go to bed early. I don’t for a second think he is buying it, but he lets me leave the room withou
t trouble. Before I can feel too good about my triumph, he meets me in our room.
“Are you going to tell me what happened to your hand or are you going to leave it up to me to tear up the city to find out?” Nick asks me as I cringe.
“This? It was nothing baby. I dropped a glass and stupidly picked it up without thinking.” I smile, kissing his hardened lips.
“Where did you go today?” He looks down at me. I scramble to try to think of something but another glimpse up into his eyes and I realize he already knows. Damn Elijah and his big mouth.
“You already know, so why are you asking?” I snap at him.
“Why are you getting upset with me? You have no reason to be mad at me, I however have plenty to be mad about.”
“Nick, I was only trying to help.” He shakes his head at me with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. “I was, I thought if I went to apologize to him and …
“And what Kayla, try to seduce him?”
“No – did he tell you that?”
“No, he said you were insulting, demanding and annoying as hell. Which sounds about right. He also said that he was sorry about his actions towards you. He meant no disrespect, but he thought for sure you would not be over there without permission. He thought surely I must have sent you over there to … fuck him and convince him to change his mind.”
“He is … how were you ever friends with him? I can see why Ryan doesn’t like him.
“Ryan’s reasons are valid and he doesn’t seek people out he doesn’t like.” Nick snaps back at me. “Kayla, Elijah could have easily killed you. If not for me he would have. You are lucky that he let you go.”
“I can’t believe you are trusting what he says over me!”
“Okay, tell me then. Tell me how he must have kidnapped you, dragged you to his house and made you insult him, then forced you to attack him with a shard of glass. Go on, tell me how he managed all that and why?” Nick crosses his arms pissing me off.
Smacking his tightly wound arms, “You are being as much of an ass as he is. I am trying to help you Nick, can you not see that? I know you want him to help us, and I know if you want something there has to be damn good reason for it. I did …”
“You did exactly what I expected you to do.” He smiles.
“What? You knew I would go over there?” He nods. “How?” His knowing smile is even more annoying. “Nick! Then why are you mad at me.”
“Because you were trying to hide it from me. I thought we weren’t going to have secrets anymore?”
Walking up to him I look directly into his devilish eyes, “Apparently I wasn’t hiding anything!” Nick starts laughing. “You are really enjoying this, I thought you were mad at me.”
“I was, but you know what - it worked.” Nick approaches me wrapping his arms around me trying to get me to smile, “You got Elijah all worked up, and he can’t stand you. After I made sure he apologized for trying to fuck my pregnant wife, I assured him I had nothing to do with you coming over there. I also assured him you would not be back – that, I am hoping, is true.” He eyes me carefully.
“So he is going to help us now?” I ask him, trying not to look at him.
“He still says no, but give him a few days. I am sure whatever nice things you said to him will eat at him until he can’t take it any longer.”
“They were nice things.” I say, laughing when Nick begins laughing against my ear.
“I can only imagine, Princess. Now, let me see your hand. Elijah has agreed to pay for any plastic surgery you may need.” He looks up at me waiting to hear me curse Elijah’s name but I only crinkle my nose at the thought of the prick.
Chapter 31
~Kayla~
Nicky is especially active today. I nearly wear myself out chasing after him at the Children’s Gym that Nick had built. He refuses to let go of the giant Eeyore so we can leave. So, before we head home I decide to change up his room with some new décor. Stopping by the nearby store, I begin selecting from the Winnie the Pooh collection. A lamp here, draperies there, sheets and even a cute night-light. Nicky screams with excitement with every item. Everything goes well until he spots an Eeyore chair. He climbs into the small chair with a big smile and obviously feeling like a big boy with his own chair. He looks like a small Nick with the way he sits and looks up at me. “You want to get that chair and show Daddy how you can sit like him?” Nicky nods and I ask the lady if the display is the only one left. She says yes and with a sharp tone, tells me the store will not sell the display. I try to offer a price but still no luck, and so I try to ask for her manager to go over her head and she becomes more determined to put me in my place.
“Listen lady, this display is not for sale. I am forbidden by the owner herself to sell this chair. The item has been discontinued and her little girl has requested it. So, you can try to argue with me all-day if you like but the answer is going to remain the same.” She says with a tight smile. She looks down at Nicky in the chair and leans down to him, “Okay honey, we have to put this back on the display now.”
Nicky leans towards her and places his hand on her face. When she meets his eyes, “My chair, please.” He says, breaking my heart but somehow changing her mind. She backs off and even discounts the chair for us. Nicky doesn’t even realize the power he had over her but I do, and can’t help but compare it to Nick’s own ability. I stare at him all the way home … wondering about his future.
When we get home, Nicky wants to show his father his chair and is determined to find him. He yells for him wherever he can only Nick is in his office with the door shut. Nicky can’t get in, so he decides to yell for him at the door. I laugh, but try to stop him when Nick opens the door and picks him up, “What son?” He laughs, giving me a wink.
“He wants to show you his chair.” I say, setting it out for him. Nick sits Nicky down and watches him climb into it and sit happily. “He is so cute. You should have seen him today with this awful saleslady.” I say, looking back at Nick and noticing Elijah walking out of the office behind him. “What are you doing here?”
“I changed my mind. Even fools can change their mind, Kayla.” Elijah forces a cocky smile in my direction while I fight showing him mine. “Wow, a little Nick. Well if that isn’t scary, I don’t know what is.” Elijah smiles at Nick. Elijah walks towards Nicky and looks down at him, “Hey little Nick, can I sit in your chair?” Nicky shakes his head and Nick and I both laugh.
Elijah chuckles but leans down to him and looks into Nicky’s eyes. “My chair.” Nicky says to him, “You can sit there.” He says, pointing to a bigger chair.
Elijah sways backwards before catching himself, “Whoa, definitely Nick’s son.” He says, standing up and walking away from him.
“Come on son, let’s put your new chair in your room.” Nick says, picking Nicky and his chair up.
I wait until they are gone to look over at Elijah, “Exactly what changed your mind?”
“Well you did, beautiful. I just can’t live knowing you don’t respect me.” I huff at him. “Oh don’t be that way, I respect you. I respect you a lot.”
“Are you staying for dinner?” I ask him, throwing him off guard.
“Wow, dinner. You people have all gone domestic and shit in this house. Sure, why not, I could use some food … and another drink would be nice too.”
“I think you have had enough to drink.” I say, earning a sarcastic huff.
Nick returns with Nicky now in his pajamas, “Nick - Kayla here has invited me to dinner, which sounds great but I am going to be needing some freshening up here. Elijah waves his empty glass at Nick”
“You have had enough to drink.” Nick says, barely acknowledging the glass as he passes him.
“What? Are you two sharing a brain now? Fine, but at least tell me where I can find a lighter. I got this great Cuban from this crazy fuck last week.” Elijah starts to explain.
“No smoking in my house, and before you ask, no inviting any of your prostitutes over for dinner.??
? Nick says, handing Nicky to me. “If you want to stay for dinner that’s fine but you are going to respect my house while you are here.”
“What is this, a convent? I only want a nice meal, not a religion.” Elijah crashes into a chair in frustration.
Surprisingly, Elijah stays for dinner but is more interested in watching Nick and my interactions. “You know Kayla, there is something familiar about you. But I can’t figure out what it is.”
“You met her before.” Nick says suddenly. “In the diner, her sister was the blond that kept flirting with us every time we went in to talk about Harvey. Elijah looks back at me rubbing his chin until his eyes suddenly go wide.
“The book girl? You’re that mess that would bury your nose in those books all the time?” He starts laughing as he realizes the truth. “Holy shit! Wow, well you grew up looking …” Nick growls and Elijah shuts his mouth before finishing his sentence. His pleasant silence is short lived. “You know who you remind of though, that girl in High School, the one that was always talking to you Nick. You know, the one that ended up wrapping you around her little finger. The geek, what was her name?”
Nick tenses up like I have never seen him, “Francesca. Franky, and I wasn’t wrapped.”
“Bullshit! She would call and you would go running. Never could understand what you saw in her. Whatever happened to her anyway?”
“You know what happened to her, now drop it.” Nick barks abruptly. I wanted to ask him. Even after Elijah left I tried to approach him, but he still wasn’t in any mood to talk about a girl I have never heard of before.
Chapter 32
~Nick~
My dreams turned into nightmares and all because of Elijah’s dumbass. I haven’t thought of Franky in years, though the image of her will always remain in the back of my mind. She was the one girl who saw me, and liked what she saw. I haven’t met anyone like her until Kayla, although Kayla didn’t like me all that much at first. Likewise, I didn’t care for Franky that much either – at first. Franky was not at all my type but she was an escape. A safe place to sleep at night when I needed it. She was kinder to me than I was to her but she did grow on me. The geeky, goofball ended up being my favorite place to be. Once I started working for Harvey I decided I would quit school. I had no real need for it where I was going. Franky did her best to change my mind and when I wouldn’t she made me study with her every night.