All In (The Blackstone Affair, Part 2) (23 page)

She rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“Umm hmm. Not kidding. Cockroaches are just
vile things, slinking around into places they definitely do not
belong.”

She laughed at me. “You’re adorable when
you’re jealous.” She narrowed her eyes and leaned in closer. “But
if you embarrass me in front of him again like you did that morning
getting coffee, I will hurt you, Blackstone. And there will be lots
of excruciating pain involved.” She looked down below my waist.

I laughed back and only because it
was
funny and I didn’t doubt her threat for a moment, and
the fact that The Cockroach was watching us from across the way.
“I’ll be a perfect gentleman…just as long as he keeps his pincers
to himself.”

She rolled her eyes at me again and I
noticed how blue they looked paired against her dress tonight.

After dinner, I got the pleasure of being
introduced to the very female, and very gracious Alex Craven from
the Victoria and Albert. I sent up a prayer of thanks to my mum
that I never sent Ms. Craven the toxic text from ‘Ethan w/ the big
knife’ and figured Mum had to have been looking out for me that
day. I never take my luck for granted.

It didn’t take long for Brynne to be whisked
away by patrons who wanted a blow by blow of the conserving of Lady
Percival. I resigned myself to that eventuality and headed off to
get another drink. I sensed eyes on me and turned around to find
Strawberry Blonde honing in fast.
Shit.
I knew this would
happen.

“Hello, Ethan. It’s so nice to see you here
tonight. I was just asking Ivan about you the other day.”

“Is that so?” I nodded at her, desperately
wishing I remembered her name. “Drink…um…?” I looked down, feeling
like an asshole and wanting to be anywhere else at this moment.

“Priscilla.”

Well, I got the first letter right.
I
snapped my fingers and pointed at the ceiling. “Right—Priscilla,
can I get you a drink? I’m just about to head back up to the
Victorian Gallery.”
Please say no.

“Yes! I’d love a Cosmo.” She gushed, her
eyes lighting up as she perceived some interest on my part. She
gave me a thorough looking over and I found it more than
uncomfortable. This was something I’d put up with for years from
women. I’d done it for the sex of course. I mean, who will shag you
if you don’t at least let them admire and pretend to be flattered
by their attentions? But really, I didn’t like it, and it had been
nothing more than a game for me. Before Brynne much of what I’d
been doing had been games.
I’d been
a dog.

“And what did Ivan say about me?”

“He said you were very busy with your job
and the Olympics…and your new girlfriend.”

“Ahhh…well he told you the truth at least,”
I said, looking for a way out of the room without being cruel, “I
do have a girlfriend.”
And I need to get away from you like
right-the-hell-now!

“I saw her earlier at dinner. She’s a young
little thing isn’t she?” Priscilla stepped closer and put her hand
on my arm, her voice laced with enough toxin to sting.

“She’s not that young.” I gulped a mouthful
of vodka and prayed for some act of God to get me the fuck out of
this uncomfortable situation when in walked The Cockroach with
Brynne at his side.

There’s your act of God, asshole.

“Baby.” I detached myself from Priscilla and
went toward Brynne. “I was just getting a drink and ran
into…um…Priscilla…” Bloody hell if I didn’t know her last name
either! This sucked, and I just didn’t have the skills to do this
shit anymore, not that I’d ever had them, but this was awkward as
fuck.

“Blackstone.” Paul Langley gave me an
accusatory look. “Brynne was feeling a little lightheaded and
needed to take a break.”

I took her hand and put my lips to it. “Are
you all right?”

“I think I just need some water,” she said.
“I just felt hot all of a sudden and weird.”

“Here, I want you to sit and I’ll get you
some water.” But before I could move, there was good ole Langley
pressing a crystal glass into her hands. I tried mental telepathy
on him.
You can leave us now, Langley.

It didn’t work.

“Thank you, Paul,” Brynne flashed him a
grateful smile and started drinking.

“My pleasure, darling,” The Cockroach purred
back at her.

Damn…I’d hoped you’d left the room.
Langley, the epitome of manners that he apparently was, stuck out
his hand to Priscilla and introduced himself. “Paul Langley.”

“Priscilla Banks. Lovely to meet you.”

Marvelous. Now, can you two go off together
and shag in the loo or talk behind our backs or something? Either
of those would be fucking perfect.

To my good fortune, they did move away and
begin a conversation. I looked back at Brynne and asked, “Feeling
better?”

“Yes, much.” She glanced over at Paul and
Priscilla and then back to me. “Who is that, Ethan?” she
whispered.

“A friend of Ivan’s.”

She wasn’t buying it and gave me a look that
spelled certain doom if I didn’t come clean. “Was she a friend of
yours too?”

“Not really,” I offered.

“What does that mean,
not
really
?”

I paused, unsure where to take this
unpleasantness. A public charity event was hardly the place, but
I’ve not always filtered my thoughts from what comes out of my
mouth and therefore forged ahead anyway. “It means we went out one
time together and we are not friends in any sense of the word. Not
like you and Langley are friends.” I raised a brow at her.

“Okay. Fair enough,” she said, with a long
reflective look over at Priscilla and then back at me, before
finishing the rest of her water.

Hmmm…so it seemed she was willing to let it
drop for the moment. Thank. God. Now, if we could just escape The
Cockroach and Strawberry Blonde things would be golden.

“Shall we go back up to the gallery? You
must have legions of fans still waiting to talk to you.”

“Right,” she laughed, shaking her head. “But
yeah, we really should go back. I want Lady Percival to get her due
tonight. She’s been hiding in the dark for far too long.”

As I took Brynne up to the Victorian
Gallery, I couldn’t help but think she was referring to herself
metaphorically with that last part:
She’s been hiding in the
dark for far too long.
It made me happy for some reason.

It didn’t take but moments for Brynne to get
caught up in another round of interviews and I sort of faded into
the background and let her do her thing. She was just starting out
in her career and I wanted her success for a few reasons. One, it
was her dream, and two, a good job in her chosen field would keep
her in London with me. I was just as motivated as my girl was.

“Enjoying the show?” Ivan’s voice came at my
shoulder.

“Glad you could make it tonight. We’ve been
wondering when you’d grace us with your presence. Brynne wants to
introduce you to her friend.” I looked around for Gabrielle in her
green dress but didn’t see her.

“Brynne looks very busy right now.” He
glanced over at my girl admiringly. “Maybe later.”

“Look, Ivan, there was a pseudo threat
delivered to my office today. I’m not horribly concerned but I want
you to know the details.” I handed him the envelope of photos I’d
brought along tonight anticipating his attendance. I was a firm
believer that everyone should know about the threats against them,
no matter how insignificant. Crazy people never seem to get better,
so everyone needs to know what could be a potential problem down
the line.

Ivan and I had done this plenty of times
before so it wasn’t anything new. He grunted at the photos as he
flipped through and after a minute handed the whole lot back to me.
“Thanks, E, for looking out. I’m sure it’ll all blow over when the
Olympics are but a memory.” He looked at the drink in my hand. “At
least I can hope, true?”

“It’s all we can do, mate.” I nodded,
clapping him on the back with one hand.

“I need to have something along the lines of
what you’re having.” He waved off and left for the bar.

I nursed my vodka for a few more minutes
before deciding a smoke would be just the thing. Brynne was still
too busy to be interrupted so I found Neil and told him where I was
headed. I located an exit door down at street level, propped it
open just enough so I could get back in the same way I’d gone out,
and stepped into the cool, fresh, night.

The clove tasted so fine I think I got a tad
hard. Just a few more hours and we’d be on our way out of London
and I’d have her all to myself. The city lights and sounds were a
comfort swirled with the scented smoke that wrapped around me like
a cloak. As I stood there and indulged in another coffin nail, I
wondered how I’d ever get off the ciggies completely. I was really
trying to limit my consumption, but I’d been at it for so long, I
just didn’t know how to let go completely. Addiction was a powerful
component of the body and the spirit. And the smokes had more hold
on me than just the nicotine. I suppose some professional help was
needed and time to face up to that reality as well as some
others.

I felt the vibration against my chest and it
gave me a zing because it took a moment to determine what it was.
Brynne’s old mobile in my front jacket pocket. The thing had been
silent for so long I’d nearly forgotten to bring it tonight, but
out of habit I kept charging it and turning it on.

I pulled it out and saw the multimedia
message alert. That meant a picture. I felt myself go cold and knew
the frightening blade of fear slice into my gut. I pressed
open
and tried to breathe.

ArmyOps has sent Brynne a
music video on Spotify.

Oh, fuck no! This is
not
happening
right now. I pressed
accept
against my better judgment, but
was compelled to look. The professional in me had to see exactly
what it was. I knew the song the moment it started playing. Nine
Inch Nails’
Closer
. The one that was used in the sex video
with Brynne. I let it play through because I had to, but felt ill
throughout the whole song. And it was just the official music video
and not the one of Brynne.

Thank. Holy. Fuck.

Images of a monkey on a cross, a pig’s head
twirling on something, Trent Reznor in a leather mask swinging from
shackles, wearing some fetish ball-gag, and a medical diagram of
the female sex…

I pulled in a breath the moment it ended and
just stared at the screen. ArmyOps? Who the fuck was sending this
shit? Oakley? My intel on him was about as secure as it could get.
Lance Oakley was in Iraq and not going anywhere soon, unless it was
in a body bag back to San Francisco if I got that lucky. It could
happen I reasoned.

The text came through a moment later:
Brynne, Help me; I’ve broke apart my insides.
Brynne, Help me; I’ve got no soul to sell. Brynne, Help me get away
from myself. Brynne, Help me tear down my reason. Brynne, Help me
be somebody else. Brynne, HELP ME!!

My fingers definitely shook as I replied to
that freakish mess of words:
Who are u and what
do u want from me?

The reply was instant:
Not
you, Blackstone. I want Brynne. Put out your smoke and go back
inside and give her my message.

My head jerked up and scanned the perimeter
and then the rooftops. This motherfucker was on me right now?! I
don’t think I’ve ever moved so fast in my life but I had one
purpose and one only—find Brynne and get her the hell out of
here.

I ducked back inside and started running. I
got Neil on headset and told him in brief to wrap it up.

“On-site security just got a bomb threat
called in. They’re evac-ing the whole place, E.”

What? My mind was reeling with connections
but there was no time to play Sherlock. “Stay on Brynne and wait
for me!” I barked.

Neil paused before replying. Not a good
sign.

“Do
not
fucking tell me you aren’t on
her right now!”

“I think she went to the ladies, and
in-house approached me—I’m going now to find her.”

“Fuck!”

I changed directions and the alarm system
went off. Really bloody loud. All of the exits lit up and doors
started opening. Gabrielle emerged from a door just ahead of me and
bolted like she was in a foot race which was remarkable considering
the heels she’d worn tonight. Her hair was all askew and so was the
skirt of her green dress as she fled.

I didn’t have time to ask what was doing
with her though; I needed to find my girl. I heard pounding
footsteps behind me and turned. Ivan. He didn’t look much better
than Gabrielle with his hair rearranged and his shirt halfway
tucked. I had to wonder if they’d been together back there…
I
really don’t have time for this!

“Bomb threat. That’s what this is.” I
gestured to the flashing lights. “Everyone’s being evacuated.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?! All this is
because of me?!” Ivan exploded.

“I don’t know details. I was out having a
smoke when the alarm went off. Neil said in-house security got a
bomb threat called in and they’re closing everything down. We’ll
sort it later. Just get the fuck out!”

I left Ivan and ran for the Victorian
Gallery. The place was an absolute crush of insanity. People
shouting and running around in a panic. A lot like me.

Brynne, where are you?!

I looked for a flash of periwinkle in the
crowd and did not see it. And my heart sank.

“Do you have her?” I got Neil on headset
again.

“Not yet. I’ve checked two different loos on
that floor. Empty. I told Elaina to bring her along if she spotted
her on the way out to the street where they’re herding people. I’ll
keep checking.”