AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What?” I snapped towards her, my thoughts dissipating.
“I asked if you had a plan for tonight.”
“Uh, good question.” I chew my bottom lip, thinking. “And the answer is no. No, I don’t.”
“All you have to do is just go up to her and ask about Killian,” Sadie says. “No big deal. Just say you met him, heard she dated him from mutual friends, or that he’d mentioned her name, and you just happened to run into her tonight. That should open up the conversation.”
“Yeah,” I mutter. “Thanks.”
15
CARA
Instead of dropping me off at my father’s house near downtown, I have her take me to my mother’s in Neponsit. The custom home has five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, boasting a formal living room, dining room, indoor spa with a hydrostatic pool, and a private elevator. It had been my mother’s project, something my father had indulged in just to make her happy. The marble in the grand entry foyer is marble mosaics imported from Lebanon. The stairs were Calacatta marble, and the glass windows were dramatically stained. And bulletproof.
A black iron fence loops around the yard, with security cameras in every corner. The houses next door are more like dorms for the few security guards my father kept around the house, specifically bought for that purpose. This is just one of our homes in New York, with most being in Greenwich Village and Park Slope. But I prefer staying here. It makes me feel closer to my mother.
I escape here when I need to get out of my father’s gated community. He lets me come and go as I please, but sometimes, I just need a break from juggling the life I have with my friends and the life my father leads.
Waving to the security cameras, I dart through the iron fence. The guards posted out here don’t really have to work all that hard, but I know they’re always watching. I shove my key into the front door, slipping inside. The fresh smell of a clean house hits me as soon as I walk in. I head upstairs to one of the master bedrooms. Since my father doesn’t come out here much, I’ve turned the biggest one into my own personal room, complete with a jacuzzi bathtub I absolutely adore.
The room itself is minimalistic compared to the more regal decor my mother had picked out when she was alive. It’s the only thing I changed when I claimed the space for myself. A gray duvet covers the bed, light against the dark wooden headboard. Two small tables of matching mahogany sit on either side. A matching desk and chair are pushed against the arching window across from the door with a white, fluffy rug beneath it. The walk-in closet is nearly as big as the bathroom, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a small gray stool set in the center, surrounded by my extra sets of clothes.
I flop onto the bed, pulling out my phone. Every instinct I have is telling me to rake through Blair’s social pages to try and learn everything I can before I hunt her down tonight, but I try to resist. Already I feel nervous about our plan tonight, even if I know Kimmy’s right. This is probably my best and only way to get to know who Killian truly is. Exes can be biased, like Sadie said, but they still know a lot more than anyone else.
Sighing, I open my social media page and type Blair’s name into the search bar. She pops up immediately, grinning at the camera in a small swimsuit, laying out on one of the many beaches in Italy. She’s been active recently, sharing posts and photos of herself at various high-end clubs around the city. However, The Salamander is tagged more than any other. I’m surprised to see that she actually knows a lot of the same people as Kimmy does. That makes it a lot more believable if I tell her I heard she dated Killian through mutual friends.
I just really hope my story is believable. And that Blair offers up the answers I’m looking for.
When the time came to get ready, I still couldn’t get Blair out of my head. What is she like? What was she like when she dated Killian? What had Killian been like with her? Had he played these mental games with Blair just as he has with me? I drag the brush through my dark hair before curling it, letting the waves flow over my shoulder as I try to ignore the questions rattling around in my head.
I move to my closet after finishing my hair, trying to decide what I should wear. From her photos, it looks like Blair loves to dress in flashy clothes—something that would have all eyes pinned on her. My closet isn’t anything like that, more subtle and classy than anything else. Is that what Killian liked? I push that thought away roughly. Who cares what he likes?
I needed something to boost my confidence. Something to make me feel edgier and less desperate for what I was about to do. The blazing red bandage mini dress looped around my neck before plunging over my breasts. A small part had been cut in the center, showing off a bit more than I usually did, but for tonight, it made me feel…powerful.
This week, The Salamander is all the way out in West New York. Sadie grimaced when Kimmy told her we’d be driving to Jersey, but she’d still agreed to come. My girls look hot as fuck tonight, going all out in support of our quest for the truth. Kimmy’s tight bodycon dress was practically see-through, with only stripes of solid, vibrant pink to make it less revealing. Sadie wears a halter dress, the marble gray material flaring out in soft pleats around her thighs.
Sadie picks me up exactly at nine. It’ll take us about an hour and a half to get to West New York, which is fine since the night never really picks up until after eleven anyway. I don’t expect to see Blair there until around midnight or later—that’s the time she usually posted her photos, and something tells me she’s the type to post right away just to show off.
I’m a bit nervous to be going back, especially when I shouldn’t have ever been there in the first place. The Arco brothers worked for the Italians. While we might have a tentative alliance now with the possible wedding, I didn’t want to test that new truce out so quickly. If anything went wrong tonight, it could entirely fall back on my father. And then I’d have a bigger problem than stalking my potential husband-to-be.
By the time we arrive, the line is already wrapped around the block. Kimmy heads straight to the front, flashing her phone at the enormous security guards. They nod, letting us in, and she proudly marches past them. She was the one to get us in last time, so I’m not really surprised she still has an in now.
Music assaults us as soon as we step inside. This time, it’s only one floor rather than two. The dance floor takes up most of the space, with a few VIP sections blocked off with blood-red rope. Before, the theme had been black and gold. Now, it looks like a jungle. Vines hang from the ceiling as thick potted plants nearly hide the black walls. More vines cover the bar, the tables, chairs, and couches. I’m a bit disappointed there are no acrobats in the air this time, but it still looks amazing.
Kimmy leads us straight to the bar, ordering our usual. I scan the room almost immediately, even if I know Blair probably isn’t here yet. Even if she is already here, it’s hard to make out anyone between the flashing lights and the packed crowd on the dance floor. I sigh as I take my drink from Kimmy. For all I know, Blair might not even be here tonight, and I would have done all this for nothing.
“No pouting yet,” Kimmy demands, catching the look on my face. “The night has just begun. If it’s meant to be, you’ll find the bitch and get your answers. If not, then we get to have a fun night out. Either way, it’s a win-win.” Sadie just gives me a small smile in response.
I try to shrug off my nerves and give in to the music and alcohol. We drink, laugh, and dance our asses off before doing it all over again. I know they’re trying to distract me, keeping my attention on them rather than the room around me. And it’s working. Time seems to fly by as shots are poured, and the beat thumps through my bones.
But I still keep an eye out, and when the clock strikes midnight, there’s no sign of Blair.
Just as I was about to call it a night, to grab my friends and go, a flash of red catches my eye. Blair Carrington leans against the bar top, surrounded by men and women. Her head tips back as she laughs at something one of the men whispered in her ear. She’s wearing a green halter top that glitters beneath the strobe lights, black leather pants, and black liner making her eyes look even more cat-like than they had in her photos.
I nudge Kimmy and Sadie, nodding my head towards Blair. “There she is.”
“Well?” Kimmy gives me a little nudge. “What are you waiting for? Go over there and talk to her.”
