“What are you doing now?”
“I’m going to upset it and make it sick so someone has to come and heal it.”
“I doubt anyone will come. They will probably just set it to a new location.”
“Oh I think they will.” I nod assuredly.
“Well, I am not waiting here all day and night for someone that may or may not show.”
“Fine, go.”
“Austin, this is ridiculous, and I have to be at the dinner tonight to see your father’s speech. Aaron’s going to be there; don’t you want to be?” I roll my eyes. “I am not working overtime again only to get yelled at for working without approval.”
“I said ‘fine’. Go.”
“You’re going to get into trouble. You’re going to get in over your head and get killed, and then I am going to get into trouble because you’re dead. Then, I will have to bring you back to life so I can kill you for ruining my career,” she hisses in frustration.
“I will wait safely across the street. Will that make you feel better?”
“Not much.”
“Fine, then stay and miss your chance to be around Aaron when he’s drunk.” She instantly stands back, thinking about the possibilities.
“Bye,” she exclaims, running out the door.
“Have a good night.” Once she’s gone, I make myself a nice viewing spot across the street and wait. It isn’t long before someone comes rolling by on their motorcycle. He doesn’t stop; he continues past, but the coincidence is simply too perfect. Jumping up, I rush out the door and across the street, running to the back of the store. Making my way quietly through an alleyway, I find someone opening a back door. “Stop and put your hands up,” I say, holding my gun steady on him. Dace slowly turns around with his hands up all the while shaking his head. “What are you doing here, Dace?”
“I’m helping out some old family friends with their computer, Austin. I’m a giver.”
“Sure you are.”
“Ask them, if you don’t believe me,” he says as the door opens wider and the little old lady walks out.
“Oh my! What is happening here?”
“Mrs. Brooks, this woman thinks I am breaking into your store.”
“Oh no.” She wraps her arms around his waist. “Dace is a lifesaver. When you said there was a problem, we called him to help. He is so smart about these things and nice to help us out whenever we need him. Oh, please don’t think badly of him. He might not look it, but he is a very sweet boy.” Dace smiles, and I roll my eyes.
I put my gun down. “Do you mind if I talk to the sweet boy alone for a few minutes?” She nods and walks back inside after some persuasion from Dace. “There’s an interesting program on their computer that hides business dealings for a company called Elision.” I watch his expression carefully, but his poker face doesn’t give me anything. “I know you know what is going on with that company, and whatever you programmed onto their computer is causing disruption in the system to block anyone from seeing what is happening with that company’s accounts. Good idea by the way. No one would ever suspect these people.”
“Then why do you?”
“Because I know how you people think.”
“You people? Wow, that’s harsh, Trouble,” he says, nearing me with a smile. Clearing my hair from my ear, he leans down and whispers, “I’m just a sweet boy helping out some old family friends.” With a soft hand down my arm, he continues, “You remember how sweet I am, don’t you?”
I jerk my arm away from him. “Dace, you are up to something, and I am going to find out what.”
“Let it go, Austin. There is nothing to be found here. I’m not sure what led you here, but whatever it is or whoever it is, is going to end up getting you killed,” he says, walking away.
“I’m not. I’m not ever going to let it go. I am going to arrest you and your brothers,” I yell out to him, causing him to stop and turn to look at me with frustration.
“You can’t win this one, Austin. I swear … you’re only going to get yourself killed.”
“If that’s the way it has to be, then so be it,” I say, lifting my chin up to him in defiance.
“Don’t look for me to help you.” I shrug, and he hisses, “You’re a damn fool. Stick with Michael and stay away from Ettore as much as you can. He is beyond your reach, Trouble. Trust me.” He smiles briefly with a slow upward movement of his eyes along my body.
With a sudden reach, I grab hold of his coat and jerk him to me. Looking into his dangerous, steel blue eyes, I smile. “And you? Will you stand back and watch me die? Or will you stop the bullet from reaching my skin?” His eyes dance around my lips and to my soul before denying me my answer. I watch him walk away knowing if the words are that hard to say, then they must not be the ones he wants to admit to himself.
“You’re not eating. Is there something wrong with your food?” Michael asks.
“No, it’s fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“Work?” I nod. “Dare I ask what you are investigating now?”
I look him over and consider what he may know. Maybe I should see if my so-called “boyfriend” is up to no good right along with his dangerous brother. “Oh, just a small unknown company named Elision,” I say with ease, carefully watching his expressions. He stares down at his food with barely a glance in my direction. Nothing? “Are you not even curious as to who they might be?”
“Of course. Who are they?” he asks with no sign of any knowledge at all. The perfect poker face must run in the family.
Shaking my head at him, I sigh, “I thought maybe you could tell me.”
He wants to deny me, but surprisingly, he looks up at me and grabs my hand from across the table. “Austin, clearly you know enough, and I will be honest with you. I don’t get in the middle of my brother’s businesses if, indeed, it is his. If you want help taking down my brother, I can’t help you. I wish I could, but I won’t.” Michael squeezes my hand, looking away from me. “Austin, I am not about to tell you, of all people, what to do, but I will ask that you be careful. Please. I would very much like to spend a very long time looking into your beautiful eyes.” His words instantly make me smile. I am not even sure what happened within me, but I felt something, and that something seemed obvious to everyone around us as even the lady at the next table smiles with a nod in my direction. Michael squeezes my hand, and I squeeze his right back with a shy laugh. “Wow, there are no words for how beautiful you are right now. I love to watch you blush. I’m not sure what caused it, but it looks good on you.”
“You make me so uncomfortable when you say things like that.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. I am simply overwhelmed sometimes and can’t help myself. It’s insane really. You know, I have to be honest. Originally, I pursued you for my political career, but you know what? After spending time with you and getting to know you, I would give it all up just to spend another night simply talking and holding you.”
“That’s so sweet. Okay JFK, you have my attention. What do you want to do with me now?”
He looks at me with an odd expression. “That’s funny. My brother is the only one that has ever called me that. What made you think to call me that?” I shrug my shoulders, suddenly recalling talking to Dace late into the night about his brothers and him referring to his oldest brother as JFK. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but now it makes sense. Wow, he was trying to tell me who he was without telling me.
“Don’t change the subject. I asked you a question …” I wink at him.
His smile brightens up the whole room. “I told you …” he says, sitting back holding my hand. “I want to spend the entire night in this moment.”
Michael’s kiss is warm and soft. I can’t help but feel lost within it. The only thing that keeps me from staying lost is the kiss that made me soar. How to forget one for another? Maybe it can be done; I am just not sure how much time it will take.
“I would like for you to have dinner with me and my
daughter?” Michael asks. I look up at him in shock. “Don’t be scared. She is only three, and she is amazing—just like you. You two are surely going to get along. I really want you to meet her. I have told her all about you.’’
I don’t know what to say to him, but his hopeful expression and tender touch makes me want to please him. “Okay, if you think it’s a good idea.”
He smiles happily and hugs me tight. “I know she will love you as much as … well, you will love each other I’m sure.”
I smile as best I can, but I am terrified on the inside. Not of his child but of the idea of being in his home, his turf, and the expectations that are surely to come.
I know how to dress for work, or even a date, but how do you dress for a date with the future governor and his three year old daughter? I have been through everything in my closet, from a pantsuit to my college sweatshirt and jeans. I don’t know why it’s so difficult to make up my mind; my closet only holds so much and I have nothing more outside of it. No, there is simply no perfect outfit for this occasion. The best thing to do is to go with something in between incredibly comfortable and terribly uncomfortable. With that part of my decision making out of the way, I now have the horrible responsibility of trying to decide what to bring to dinner, wine? Probably not the best for a three-year old. However, wine for me and a charming little bunny purse for the child might work just fine.
Michael saw to it to have his driver pick me up and his butler help me out of the car and escort me inside. His maid announced my arrival to him while another took my coat before I followed the house manager to where Michael was waiting for me. It’s not exactly what I am used to, this life, and this mansion of a house with all its servants. I don’t know how anyone lives with people constantly around you. Michael waits for me in the sitting room with his daughter in his arms. The little girl has a tight grip on her father and eyes me with a shy awkwardness. “Sage, honey, this is Austin. Say hi.”
“Hi,” she says sweetly.
“Hello Sage. I brought something for you.” I lift up the brightly colored package to her, and she promptly lifts her head up off her father’s shoulder and leans forward. “Here you go.”
Michael sits with her and helps her open it with a smile. “Wow, that is so cute. What do you say Sage?”
“Tank-you,” she says sweetly, playing with the purse with an open mouth smile.
“That was very nice of you, to think of her. You certainly didn’t need such bribery to win her over. All you have to do to make my daughter happy is offer to play with her for a little while. She’s not hard to please. Although, she is a little spoiled, but you can’t blame her for that.”
“She is beautiful,” I say, admiring the picture perfect family that they are together.
Michael lifts her up with pride, kissing her face while she giggles happily. “I tell you, there is nothing better than the laughter of your own child. Are you hungry?” I nod, and he, along with his daughter, takes my hand and escorts me to dinner in the opulent dining room. Staring at the layout in front of me, I begin to become overwhelmed by it all. Wow, this is certainly not a college sweatshirt and jeans room.
After dinner, I play with Sage, but mostly I enjoy watching Michael play the goofy father for his daughter. Seeing him act like a child and be whatever she would like him to be, whether it be a barking dog or a roaring lion, he obliges, giving her every right to imagine all the possibilities. Suddenly, Michael’s phone rings, and he responds with a worried expression.
“Do you mind watching her for a few minutes while I take this call?”
“Of course.” Michael leaves his daughter with me. With me?! I am not exactly a woman that has ever dreamed of having children. Sage looks at me and begins speaking to me in a language I am not familiar with. It sounds like English, but the words are not clear. Maybe best to change the subject. “So … great weather we are having, huh?” She laughs. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s terrible. I am not sure why I even mentioned it. I am sure you would rather talk about something else, like um … politics maybe? Your Dad is in politics. That’s impressive.” She giggles. “Right, you probably don’t care much about that.” I sit down on her princess bed and think. Surely I can come up with something to entertain this little girl. I, after all, was a little girl at one time. What did I want to do at her age? Suddenly, she comes at me with a big hug and a book. I take hold of it for her, “You want me to read this?” She nods, settling into my lap comfortably while I begin reading it to her. Apparently she is sleepy because she curls up under my arm and begins to fight her eyes from closing. Her little blanket is not too far away, so I reach out for it and cover her up, wrapping her up as my mother once did for me.
“Tank you,” she says with her eyes closed and a soft sigh.
I could stare at her all night. “Oh wow, I didn’t know how much I wanted one of you,” I whisper with a soft kiss to her head.
“She is a heartbreaker,” Michael says, coming over to pick her up from my lap and getting her ready for bed. “Alright Honey, it’s bedtime for you.” Once we put Sage safely in her bed, Michael takes my hand and leads me to a quiet place by the fire. Curled up next to him with a glass of wine, he cuddles me, nudges me, kisses me, and encourages me in every way he can to get me to return his affection. I feel obligated to try, and so I do. I am afraid that he will want more, and I am even more afraid that I won’t be able to give it. If not for Dace being in the back of my mind, I am sure I would fall for Michael, in a heartbeat; any woman would. Maybe I need to stop thinking so much? Let him have control of me? I give up my glass and enjoy him removing half his clothes to show his long lean body off. It feels so good that I even allow him to loosen most of my clothes, squeeze my breasts, and grab my ass to pull me in against his erection. I breathe out heavily as he kisses my neck and breaks through my shirt, enjoying my freed breasts. Michael pushes me onto my back and is desperately trying to get me fully naked as he is himself, his erection protruding fully in my sight. Giving up control at this point seems more to his doing than mine. My arms are pinned, my body is forced back, and my clothes are disappearing rapidly, and suddenly, I am having trouble breathing.
“Stop. Stop! Michael stop!” I yell at him, doing my best to break free.
He sits back looking at me confused while I struggle to breathe. “What’s wrong?” He leans over me as I continue gasping. “Are you okay, Honey?”
I quickly grab my clothes and get dressed. “I need to go.”
“Austin?” Michael questions me trying to get a hold of me while I push away from him.
“I want to go home, please, I need to go home.”
“Okay, but first I want to know what I did wrong. Please, whatever it is, I assure you I didn’t want to pressure you.”
I have no idea how to answer him. “I can’t breathe. I suddenly don’t feel well is all. I’m sorry, I really need to go.”
“Alright, I’ll have my driver take you home immediately,” he says, throwing his hands up and walking away from me.
He barely says goodbye to me, not that I expect him to. I am not sure what I should have expected after what happened. I am not even sure what happened. I stumble out of the car and send the driver away, telling him I can make it the rest of the way on my own. I fall into the elevator, shaking and still desperately trying to breathe. When the elevator is stopped from closing completely, I open my eyes, and Dace walks in, looking me over. I jump towards him and grab his arm, but he shakes his head at me with wide eyes. I don’t understand until I notice someone behind him.
The large man walks out from behind him, looking me over with a cold stare, sending chills up my spine. “Good evening.” Ettore nods towards me. I nod towards him and step back, avoiding eye contact at all costs. This is the closest I have ever been to the man, and now I understand why people are so scared of him. There is a deadness about his glare, maybe it’s the scar near his right eye or maybe it’s the lack of any feeling or emotion at all, as if he is the w
alking dead. I can’t get out of the elevator fast enough. I rush into my home and find Preston casually lounging in front of the TV.
“Hey, you’re home early. I assumed you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow afternoon” He laughs while I stumble to my room and crawl into bed. “Austin.” Preston follows, placing a hand on my head. “What happened?”
“I am a disaster, and ruined for good. Why can’t I love the right man and not the wrong one? I panicked, Pres. I was in the moment; I wasn’t even thinking of Dace. Everything was great, but then I couldn’t breathe. It felt so wrong. I don’t know why I can’t love him, even though he’s perfect.”
Preston sits on my bed, sighing. “Have you ever thought that you do love the right one, that maybe your body is reacting to some type of intuition that you’re not realizing yet? You are so good at sizing people up, but this time, you keep talking about him as if he is flawless. You know no one is flawless. Your instinct is telling you something is off, but you’re trying not to listen to it for some reason.” I sit up and look at him, hopeful. “Yeah, maybe you picked the right brother the whole time, but the circumstances have you running from what you know is the right decision.” I hug him tight with a smile. “Never give up on what feels right, even if he is too stubborn to realize that you two belong together.”
“Do you think I am crazy? I mean, most women would kill to be in my shoes right now.”
“Oh, yeah, you are definitely crazy.” I look up from his shoulder. “Sorry, but you are. I mean who wears those ugly ass shoes on a date? I’m sorry Sweetie, but ain’t no woman going to kill to be in those shoes.”
“Oh shut up!” I laugh, smacking him with a pillow.
Preston helped me forget about my issues for a while and laugh about the ridiculous things we get into sometimes. He even talked about Antony. I don’t know why I assumed they had stopped seeing each other, I guess because Dace had put a stop to our relationship. Not that he was wrong. I understand his reasoning, but there has to be a way. I don’t know much about men and dating, but I do know I have never felt the way I do about him.