I opened up the link Conner had sent me earlier today.
The video we made from the meeting Calder and I had inside the currently reconstructing St. Patrick building went viral at his expense.
"Serves him right", I mutter to myself.
His company is under investigation by the FBI and there are so many lawsuits being thrown at McKnight & Co. that I doubt they'd ever come back from it.
Kai Barnes is finally free from her marriage/ business contract with Calder and her family totally supports her especially when they saw the way Calder manhandled her in the video.
All is well that ends well, I guess. Especially when the odds are in my favor.
It was way past midnight. I had been trying and failing to fall asleep for the past four hours and I had long given up. Leaving my room I decided to get some tea and see if that would help to soothe me a bit so that I could relax.
After I had confessed everything to my friends earlier today you'd think I'd feel a burden lifted off my shoulders yet I couldn't help but to start worrying more. I just hope that Heather was right and that telling them about all this didn't put them in danger.
I have my earphones in and my tablet in hand as I stood in front of the stove and browsed through some of the comments attached to Calder's video. All in all, I was quite pleased at the outcome of that case and had no regrets whatsoever.
The water for my tea was almost finished boiling by now, so I waited.
Small hands wrapped around my waist from behind startling me and I almost dropped my tablet in the boiling pot of water on the stove in front of me. I quickly turn around to see the flustered Alana with messy hair and flushed cheeks looking up at me innocently.
It's the cutest thing I've ever seen.
I pull out my earphones and place them on the counter along with my tablet and a smile breaks out on my face.
"Hey", she smiles back. The mere action alone ignites something deep inside of me.
"Hi", I turn off the stove without taking my eyes off of her, "what are you doing down here?".
Her eyes dart down to my naked chest -as I was only wearing grey sweatpants -and lingered there for a while, her gaze leaving goosebumps on my skin.
"I couldn't sleep", she squeaks out before looking away.
I couldn't help but to take in what she was wearing. Small blue boy shorts that shows off her long sexy legs and a white tank top that does little to hide the fact that she's not wearing a bra.
My eyes zero in on the imprint of her nipples through the thin fabric and I have to bite my lips to prevent my dirty thoughts from forming into words.
We stay there in silence for a while as my mind begins to create some ungodly mental images of her and of me, together.
"I should uh.. go", her voice breaks me out of my stupor as she motions to the stairs and begins to leave.
My legs move on their own accord. I don't even realize what I am doing until after I've held unto her wrist and pulled her body flush against mine.
Her eyes flash to mine in pure shock by my actions. But she makes no move to pull away.
"What are you doing?", She asks breathlessly. I can feel the pounding off her heart in her chest from our proximity.
My heart begins to pick up speed along with hers when I see the way her body reacts to me.
"Why?", my voice sounds strangely deeper to my ears. "There's plenty of space here for the both of us".
She gulps and begins to take a step away from me but her back meets the counter and I smirk as I close the space between us and place my hands on either side of her on the counter leaving no way to escape.
My eyes flickers down to her lips and I can't help the ragged breath that escape my lips. Her eyes close as my warm breath cascades her skin.
"Blake", she whispers urgently but there is a sensuality in her tone that threatens to unravel all of my self-control.
"We should talk", she manages to say.
I smirk, "Is that what you wanna do right now? talk", she nods and a grin breaks out on my face, "about what?".
She clears her throat and places her palms flat on my chest in an attempt to create some space between us but I don't move a muscle. Her hands on my muscles however only ignites the burning need inside of me.
For her.
"We should talk about last night", she sounds more confident now but her gaze still lingering on my lips betrays her facade.
"Last night", I nod thoughtfully. I gently trail my fingers up her arms and she shivers under my touch. Her eyes closed as my hands cupped her cheeks.
When she doesn't say anything else I continue.
"Last night, you kissed me", she sucks in a harsh breath at my words, "I told you we couldn't be together", my voice is gentle as I caress her face, "You make it so hard to resist you Alana. I was determined to stay away from you but..."
"But what?", She urged.
My blue eyes meets hers and I can only imagine how much they've darkened, "but I got a taste of you and now I want more".
My lips finds hers in a collision of lust and need. She responds immediately to my kiss. Pleasurable shivers run down my spine and straight to my groin. A slight moan escapes her mouth when I gently bite down on her lower lip and I use the opportunity to deepen our kiss. We might've stayed like that for ten minutes or an hour, I don't know, but nothing else mattered in that one moment.
If only I'd known how much things would change.
**********
Sunday evening I was out in the distant behind our house where my father was buried. I had found myself coming here a lot the last few days since I've been here.
Today was the day that I have to go back. Dexter made sure I'd understand that my actions would have consequences. I just hope it wasn't anything I'd end up regretting too much.
As if on cue, my phone rings and I stand up from where I knelt at the graveside to get it from my pocket.
"You answered, good. I thought I was gonna have to come and get you myself", Dexter's voice wasn't threatening but I knew better than to be deceived by that.
Better yet. Did he know where I was?
I honestly figured he'd track my phone like Alana did, which makes this all the more confusing. For some reason I felt like he knew exactly where I was and he was playing with me; giving me the illusion of control.
I wasn't in the mood for this right now, "What do you want Dexter?".
"Your time is up", there was a second of silence, "you have betrayed me for the last time Blake. I know about the chip that you and Wayne were planning to use against me. Did you think I wouldn't find out that you and your little friend were compiling information about my business taking pictures, saving documents, audios and videos to use against me". He paused. "What were you planning to do Blake? Blackmail me?".
"It's not any different from what you are doing to me!", I snapped.
He chose not to respond to that.
"I'm sending you the address. You have two hours to get here. I don't think I need to tell you to come alone.".
Then the line went dead and a few seconds later I got a message with the address just as he promised.
I went back to the house and came up with some bullshit excuse as to why I had to leave early. Before I could go Heather showed up in my room. She didn't say anything but from the look on her face I could tell that she knew. She knew I was going to see Dexter and she didn't stop me.
I left not too long after. The others decided to stay back until Monday. I was still confused over the fact that mom had known that Dexter had texted me the other night. I don't doubt that she knows my 'I'm going back early to finish school work' story is bogus.
How did she know though. How does she know that I planned to meet Dexter today even after I promised to let her handle the situation? Why didn't she stop me when I left if she knew who I was going to meet? How does she know so much about the chip?
There are so many unanswered questions that I need to find answers to soon. Even my own mother is a mystery to me.
****
I've been driving for almost an hour now. The questions from earlier still plaguing my mind, even more so than before. I'm fifteen minutes from the address that Dexter had given me. The realization sends nervous shivers through my body.
What am I in for this time.
Mom is right though. Dexter can't actually kill me. He needs me, if he ever hopes to get a permanent foothold in my company when I take over on my next birthday.
Which begs the question: What does he want?
In what feels like mere seconds later I arrive at the address. The gate was already open and I entered the driveway slowly. It led to a huge twentieth century mansion. I can tell that it's been refurbished lately though.
As soon as the car engine shuts off a message comes in on my phone and I pull it out to see Dexter's ID.
Creep!
Dexter: Be ready in twenty minutes.
A lady emerges from the house soon after and ushers me inside. I don't object, nor do I take the opportunity to observe my surroundings since I am too busy freaking out.
Freaking out on the inside of course.
She leads me up the stairs to a bedroom. The room is nice I have to admit but there is an eerie vibe from this entire house that makes me want to just get back in my car and get a million miles away from here. Consequences be damned.
I can't do that though. Dexter would only go after the people I care about.
"The bathroom is behind that door", is the first thing the lady says as she motions to the door on my right, "you should shower quickly I'll leave you some clothes on the bed".
She then turns to leave. The woman seems to be in her fifties. She has short black hair with small patches of white at the roots. She's plump and seems to have an attitude that much I can tell so far.
I do as I'm told and by time I finish showering I find a blue Armani suit waiting for me on the bed in the room with a matching blue tie. I think it's weird but I get dressed none the less.
I had expected to be welcomed with the barrel of a gun pointed to my forehead and Dexter standing behind it. But all I've seen so far has only thrown me off. I don't know what to expect anymore. I don't even know what's going on.
Five minutes later there is a knock on the door and the lady walks in.
She nods approvingly at me before turning to leave again.
"Come with me", she says at the last moment and I follow her to the front of the house where there is a black SUV waiting for me.
A man dressed in a full black suit emerges from the driver's seat and opens the back door for me but before I enter the car I turn back to the lady.
"I didn't catch your name ma'am", I looked at her expectantly and she seems genuinely confused as to why I asked.
"It's Patricia", she says before retreating back to the house.
These people are all weird.
Once I get in the car the driver begins taking me to an unknown location.
*********
In under an hour the car comes to a stop. I glance at my watch and notice it's almost seven o'clock. The driver opens the door for me and escorts me to a side door to a large building. Looking up, it seems to be about seven stories tall. Hmm.
We go through a narrow hallway before we enter into a common area with bright lights. I can hear loud yet muffled chatter coming from somewhere. It seems like I'm not the only one here considering the amount of distinct voices I can hear.
"What's going on here?", I ask looking at the driver who is standing on my left.
Footsteps. They are coming from behind me. Slow and steady. I don't look though. They can only belong to one person.
"Blake Bennett", Dexter says as if he was actually glad to see me, "it's nice of you to show up", he offers me a smile that I do not return.
It's not like I had a choice to be here. He had threatened Adrianna but even though I know that she is safe I still can't risk Dexter going after someone else that I care about just to get to me.
He is standing on my right now and the other guy is still on my left. Dexter places a threatening hand on my back and nudges me forward.
"Shall we?", He says maliciously, as we all start walking.
We come to a stop in front of a large curtain. There is music and loud talking on the other side. I notice that the two men beside me are dressed just as formally as I am.
"What is going on Dexter?", I ask, my voice stern.
He doesn't respond. He just retrieves a small white card from inside his jacket and hands it to me.
He meets my eyes for only a second and says, "Stick to the script", the next thing I know I am being pushed and I find myself on the other side of the curtain.
Almost as if on cue, all eyes turn to me as I take in my surroundings. I am inside a massive hall filled with people dressed as if they are going to a royal ball. What I also noticed though, is the cameras. The media is here.
I'm not sure what's going on but when my eyes meets Dexter's a few seconds later I know that I should just play along with whatever this is.
"Here he is", echoes a voice I don't know, "the man of the hour, Blake Bennett get up here".
Okay... I'm so confused.
I can feel Dexter's gaze on me as I make my way to the man with the microphone on the stage.
"Okay the floor is yours. Good luck", he says into the microphone as I reach him before he hands it over to me.
I take the microphone and look down at the possibly hundreds of people in front of me.
What now?
Everyone is looking at me expectantly but my mouth stays shut as the room goes dead silent. I gulp, then blink a couple times.
Dexter motions to the card in my hand and I understand quickly as I fumble for the card and pull it open to read.
"Goodnight everyone, thank you for being here to celebrate with us on this special night ", I read from the card. "I want to thank all my friends and family for being here for our engagement party", I nearly choke up there. My eyes glances back at Dexter who is glaring at me.
So I gulp and continue, "Zadia and I are as happy as we could be and we wanted to announce that we are moving up our wedding. It will be...", this time I'm the one glaring at Dexter and he smirks wickedly at me. I clear my throat, "our wedding is in three weeks".