AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Connor?” I bark through the phone. “Come on man, talk to me. Are you all right?” The connection’s lost. Ella opens her mouth but before she gets to speak, I sneer, “Call that damn school in Switzerland and get them to check on Connor. I don’t want to take any risks.”
“Yes, boss.” Ella starts furiously typing away on her phone, and we continue the car ride in heavy silence. I finish my coffee, thoughts filling my mind like dark clouds. “Rachel’s on it, she’ll call me back once she’s spoken to him.” Ella’s back to business mode as she puts the phone away. “We’re going straight to your parents.” She hesitates briefly. “Logan?”
“What?”
“Is Connor okay?”, her voice thick with worry. I understand. Ella’s been part of the family for a long time and has known both me and Connor since we were teenagers. I never let my people out of reach and moments like these are exactly the reason why. Potential danger.
“I don't know,” I mumble truthfully. I fiddle with the bracelet on my wrist as my mind races. What the hell just happened? “Could this phone call be part of the threat?” I ask.
“Could be.” Ella gives me a thoughtful look. “But I don’t think so.”
To be fair, it sounded like two men being intimate with each other. I growl at the thought. Not the fact that Connor could be into another guy, but the fact that I can’t be there to protect him from that other person. That guy sounded like a cat, not like a mouse. For as far as I know, my brother has never had any relationships. We’ve had the same education and don’t trust anyone outside our inner circle. I shoot him a message.
LDonnelly: Are you ok, bro?
I play absently with the phone as I watch the city slowly but steadily wake up, the gloom of dawn being replaced by the bright early sunshine. Streets are slowly filling up with taxis, buses, bikes. There’s no sign of office employees or tourists going through the streets on an early Sunday morning and at this very moment, it makes me feel like I share something intimate with my city. A warm embrace, the protection of a draped blanket, allowing me to curl up into a little ball and get some rest. Angélique’s surely still sleeping on the fluffy comforter. Has she wrapped her silky arms and legs around her sleeping body while her mind’s in a peaceful land of dreams? Is her golden hair splayed across the white, plush pillow, lips slightly parted? If I try hard, I can still feel their softness when I embraced her touch with mine. And I can smell that faint, mesmerizing scent that’s so unique to her being.
Does she miss me?
“Tell my parents we’ll be there soon and stop at my place before,” I instruct. “I need to take a shower.”
Not an escort.Someone’s going to be in trouble today.
Some time later, we open the large, wooden doors of the Victorian building. I nod at the security guard who sits behind his desk, feet on the table, a cup of coffee in his hands while watching something on his phone.
“Feet, Dan.” Ella sneers. She somehow manages to get to the elevator before I do. “Mason will join us in a minute.”
This is the place where I grew up. This large penthouse on the fifth floor with its rich, creamy carpets, its floor to ceiling windows, its magnificent view of Greenwich Village. The large living space is filled with wooden furniture and antiques, personally handpicked by Mom, and two insanely big bookcases, each filled with at least a hundred books. In the middle of all this loving space stands the big, round cherry oak dining table, the perfect host for all of our lunches, dinners, parent-to-child talks, gatherings, parties and more recently, our meetings.
When Ella opens the door, we are greeted by Edith Piaf's dramatic voice. I press my lips together to cover my smile; some things never change. Whenever The Business goes through a challenging phase, and this blackmailing certainly is a challenge, Mom crawls back into her own skin and mind, aka France. She gets caught up with the personal crusade that is her French roots. Something that seems to grow stronger with the years. Recently we even discovered a family member, Philippe Laforêt, a brother of an aunt she’s never known. Theirclickwas undeniable and surprisingly, the man has the same unique copper-colored hair as Mom and Connor. Ironically, Philippe’s a cop at the Parisian Police, fighting criminal organizations. Still, it hasn’t stopped us all from developing a basic relationship. Moving to the French island of Guadeloupe will definitely bring Mom some peace.
“Where’s Big?” I ask Maria, the housekeeper.
“He hasn’t arrived yet.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, fighting my bubbling anger. “As soon as he walks in, bring his ass over, will you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Logan, honey, good to see you.” Mom walks out of the kitchen and puts the pot of fresh coffee on the table, before planting a kiss on my cheek. She takes my frame in from head to toe. “You look tired, do you get any sleep at all?”
“Good morning, Mom. Yeah, I’m fine. So, what’s going on? Ella told me about another threat?”
Maria places a tray with coffee cups on the table and starts filling them up. Dad sits in his usual chair and swipes up the first one. “Yeah, this morning,” he says.
Thismorning. When I forced Angélique into having a “conversation” with me. God, I’m such a bastard. I failed both camps.
Dad lets out a heavy sigh and takes another sip of his coffee. Mom continues, “Jayden called this morning to warn us that a suspicious email was sent to all our email addresses. We were asked to leave it unopened.”
I frown at Ella, who gives me a hesitant roll of her eyes.
You told me not to disturb you.
Yeah, I’m definitely a bastard.
“Tell me you didn’t open it—”
“Damn son, what did you expect?” Dad grumbles. “The subject line was about a new collection of 2015 Haut Medoc wines. You know that’s my favorite grape.” Norah pats his hand gently. “I know honey. I know.”
