Darkness Follows (10 page)

Seth cleared his throat. “Yeah, she’s fine.”

“Just breathe, Em,” Garrett whispered. I let my body relax slightly.

“Good to hear, sounded like he was surely going to kill—” The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Seth muttered, turning toward the door, finally drawing his gaze somewhere else and freeing me from his hold.

“Hello.” Gary stepped in and shook Seth’s hand. “I’m here for Jenny.”

The lean, silver-haired man dressed in a black tux came into the living room. He introduced himself, and we all waited for my mother to come down. No doubt she was at the top of the stairs counting to sixty to make him wait the appropriate amount of time. Mom had rules for everything.

Ethan moved to my side. “That’s a beautiful dress.”

“Yes, it is,” Seth added. He didn’t miss a beat. I looked at him, confused by his sudden flattery.
You think I look nice, but you hardly talk to me or touch me. Hello, I’m your girlfriend. Or am I?
Maybe he didn’t want this anymore. My head hurt.

“Could you excuse me for a moment, Ethan?” I walked into the kitchen. I needed a breather.

“Oh God, that dress is low in the back,” I heard Ethan say as I pushed open the kitchen door. “Gonna be an interesting night.”

I leaned against the counter and embraced the cool tile and took a few deep breaths. Just a few more hours, then I could escape to my room and hide out a little longer.

“Emily,” Seth said quietly behind me. I hated how my body reacted to him. My skin tingled and slowly awakened. “You need to be careful tonight.” And every time he killed my high and my heart stung a little more.

I turned to face him, my anger sitting heavy on my chest. “Careful with the possibility of Lasko showing up, or careful with Ethan?” I shot back at him.

Seth’s face hardened. “Both.”

I shook my head and went to move past him. He stepped in my way. “Hey, I’m sorry,” he whispered. He reached out to touch my shoulders but stopped himself.

“For what?”

“For not going tonight. I really can’t, Em. Something came up.”

I laughed slightly. “Well, don’t sweat it. At least I won’t be alone.”

“What does that mean?”

I stepped back. “I have to go.” I strode past him to the door. I felt my walls crumble around me. I stopped then and put my hand on the door frame, keeping my back to him. “You were the reason why I made it out of that basement, nobody else but you.”

“Em, I’m—” he murmured.

I pushed open the door and left.

***

Seth

I waited until I heard everyone leave. Then I found Garrett opening his garment bag. “Okay, so Riggs and Campbell should be here any moment, and Johnnie will meet us there. We’ll want to blend in and try not to let her spot us.”

“All right.” Garrett buttoned up his white dress shirt. “You sure your head’s in the game for this, after—” I shot him a look. “Okay, okay, any word on any communication with Johnnie since he got that letter yesterday?”

“No.”

“I don’t get it, why Johnnie? Why send it to him? It’s always been through us.”

“I’ve been asking myself that all day.”

“You think Lasko will show?”

I stared into the mirror as I fumbled with my bow tie. “Every time we’ve gotten a letter or a text from him, he’s always followed through. I think he’ll show, and when he does, we’ll be ready.” I pulled on my shoulder holster, and then slipped my jacket on over the top.

“Em looked really pretty tonight, hey?” Garrett eyed me as he fastened his belt.

I sighed and decided to go with the truth. “She looked beautiful. It was damn hard letting her walk out the door with someone else.”

“He’s clean,” Garrett assured me. I knew he’d do a background check; we did one on everyone we surrounded ourselves with. We had a good reputation and we wanted to keep it that way. “I’m sure she’ll understand why you couldn’t go tonight.” Garrett opened the door and let Riggs and Campbell in.

“Let’s hope.”

***

Emily

I felt like I was blind from all the camera flashes. Lord, wasn’t there anything else going on in the city? I made sure to stop for as many as possible so Marc would be proud of his work. I even dropped his name several times and hoped he’d be mentioned. Ethan was a great escort; he never complained once. He kept his right hand pressed gently into my lower back and smiled and did the occasional wave.

A waiter walked by with a tray full of champagne. I reached for two and handed Ethan one.

“You read my mind.” He tapped his glass to mine. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

The ballroom was massive, with gold diamond chandeliers casting a soft glow, with mini ones that matched running along the wall. A hundred tables covered in black linen staggered all the way up to the dance floor. Tall, rectangular glass vases with a single lily submerged under water sat in groups of three at different heights. Tiny white candles floated on top and made the white pebbles on the bottom sparkle.

These events always seemed to outdo the last. I spotted my mother introducing Gary to some friends. I threaded my arm through Ethan’s and muttered an apology for my mother’s inevitable bluntness.

We made our way to our table and listened to some very long speeches, and one of them was my mother’s. Dinner finally arrived, and we were all able to relax a little. Even my mother seemed to be a little less wound up than she had been earlier.

An attractive couple started to play some light jazz as we were served crème brûlée and fresh raspberries with a tiny wedge of dark chocolate nuzzled in the middle.

Conversation spread around the table, mainly about my mother and her work over in Africa. Gary seemed to be quite fond of her. A few times I caught him rubbing her leg or brushing her hair back from her neck. I couldn’t get a good read on him—something about him made me uncomfortable. My mother certainly didn’t seem to mind. She grinned from ear to ear.

After a few bites of dessert, I pushed it aside; I wasn’t hungry. I caught my mother eyeing my plate, but Gary distracted her as he poured her
another
glass of white wine. Her flushed cheeks gave away how many she’d had. Though it didn’t help that Gary’s hand was permanently stuck to her upper thigh.

Shortly after the tables were cleared, the Willow Band set up and people began to dance.

Ethan was with some family friends, and I lost track of my mother. I didn’t even want to think about what she was up to with Mr. Busy Hands.

The stem of my glass twisted between my fingers as I looked around at everyone. I couldn’t imagine the amount of money that went into this party. It always amazed me how they could come out on top with a charity like this.

“Emily?” I turned to see a man who looked extremely familiar. He smiled. “I’m guessing that’s a yes.” He pointed to Ethan’s chair. “May I?”

I nodded, still thrown by his looks. He undid a button on his jacket and leaned one arm on the table. His cufflinks caught my eye. The letters NC were engraved on them.

He smile grew when he caught my gaze. A moment passed, and I started to feel strangely shy.

“Forgive my stare,” he said. “I’ve just heard a lot about you, and I’m pleased to finally meet you in person. I work for San Francisco Police Department.”

My face dropped and my heart started to race.

“Oh.” I was confused. Why was he in Pasadena? “You are a long way from home. What can I do for you, officer?”

“I wanted to meet you.”

“Me? Why?”

He leaned in and rested his weight on his arm. “You
are
beautiful.”

I bent my head down. I didn’t want a compliment.
Who is this guy?

His hand gently lifted my chin and tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear. I flinched but didn’t pull away. I didn’t know why I let him touch me so intimately, except that he seemed so familiar. “You really are.”

“Nicholas.”

My head shot up, and I saw Seth next to me. He was in a jet black tux. His body was tense, and his jaw was clenched. I looked from one to the other.

“Seth,” Nicholas addressed him as he leaned back in his chair and looked relaxed. “I thought you weren’t coming.”

I stood and pushed my chair out of my way. “You two know each other?”

“He’s my brother,” Seth hissed. I shook my head and tried to let the words sink in. Seth had
never
mentioned to me that he had a brother.
Holy shit!
Then I saw the family resemblance. Jesus, it was uncanny.

Nicholas rose beside me. “Emily, would you care for a dance?” He reached for my hand and ignored Seth.

“Leave her alone,” Seth snapped and wrapped a protective arm around my lower back. The moment his skin touched mine, I felt our connection.

“Perhaps another song.” Nicholas leaned down and kissed my hand. He nodded at Seth before he casually walked away with a swagger.

I heard Seth let out a long breath, and his fingers flexed on my bare skin. I turned to him and waited for an explanation. He didn’t say anything. I stood there for a moment longer. “And the gap widens,” I whispered. I walked away from him toward the bar.

“Wait, Em,” he called out after me.

“Dirty martini, please, three olives.” The bartender went to work.

“Em, please let me explain.”

Suddenly my brain kicked in and I whirled around. “Is…is Lasko here?”

His eyes shifted around the room. “I don’t know for sure. Look, I’m sorry, I wanted to come with you, but Johnnie—”

“Hello again, Ms. McPhee,” Professor Dean said as he came up next to us. “You’re looking lovely this evening.” I had to jump into friendly mode, which was hard.

“Thank you, so do you. This is my
friend,
Seth Connors.” They exchanged hellos. I took another sip to clear my cloudy head. Why was Seth here? Was I in danger? And why had he never mentioned his brother?

“How are you feeling?” Professor Dean eyed my drink.

“Physically or mentally?” I asked flatly, then glanced up at Seth, who kept his composure.

The professor smiled. “You just don’t strike me as a martini drinker.”
He doesn’t know me very well.

“Well, I wanted something strong, so it’s this or tequila,” I joked. “I think given our surroundings, I’ll stick with this.” I held up my glass.

He laughed softly. “Good thinking.”

I watched the band end their second song, then Seth leaned down and whispered, “I’ll be back in a moment. Then I’ll explain, all right?”

I nodded. I spotted Nicholas as he came toward me.

I turned to Professor Dean. “Please excuse me.”

I didn’t get three feet in the opposite direction before Nicholas caught my arm. “Come on, Emily, dance with me.” He pulled me onto the polished dance floor that had swirls of gold woven through it. He wrapped one arm around my back, and pulled my arm to sit on his shoulder. The violin skimmed the strings at a slow pace, while a man hummed into the mic and a piano kept the flow of our dance in rhythm.

My eyes did a sweep of the guests’ faces. Where had Seth gone?

“You seem nervous about him seeing us together.” He gazed down at me. I didn’t answer. “Is it because he’s such a jealous guy?” I shook my head at him and stared off over his shoulder. “We’ve never met any of Seth’s girlfriends before. So when Mother filled us in, I knew this was my chance to meet you.”

“Us?” I finally found my voice. Wait, his mother knew about us?

He grinned. “My mother works for the Getty Foundation, and when we heard you would be attending, I had to come. She couldn’t make it, so I used her ticket. My father and I are both visiting for a few days.” I looked all around. “He’s not here.” He shook his head. “Father and Seth had an argument. Seth warned him to stay away from you.”

My eyes flickered to his. “Why?”

“May I cut in?” Ethan asked, standing formally with his hands behind his back. I actually didn’t want to stop dancing with Nicholas. I finally got some information about Seth.

“Next song, man,” Nicholas brushed him off. Ethan made a face and then turned to look at someone. I followed his gaze but couldn’t see who it was.

“Ethan,” I said as he glanced back to me. “Tell Seth if he wants me to stop dancing with Nicholas, then he can come and cut in himself.”

His eyes scrunched slightly as the guilt ran over his face.

“Okay.” He backed away, then disappeared into the crowd.

Nicholas smiled down at me. “I’m impressed, Emily. Seth’s intimidating to most women. He must really like you.” He laughed, and he sounded just like Seth. “I wish my mother could see this. Oh, that reminds me. She asked me to invite you to dinner.”

I raised my eyebrows. “He’ll never let it happen.”

A wicked grin ran across his mouth. “He’s coming to dinner Tuesday night. You just need to show up before he does, and then there’s nothing he can do about it. That way my parents can actually get to meet you before he arrives. Besides, she’s inviting you to come, so it’s not like you’re just showing up out of the blue.”

It felt weird. I didn’t want to overstep behind Seth’s back, but I really did want to meet his family. I glanced up at him. He smiled and knew I was interested.

“Be there at five. We live at 24 Victoria Drive. I’ll leave your name at the gate, and they’ll let you in.”

I agreed, but felt strange.

“All right, enough fun, Nicholas.” Seth said from behind me.

“Thanks for the dance, Emily.” Nicholas winked before he walked away.

Seth stepped in front of me. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, it was nice to have a conversation with someone.”

He sucked in a deep breath through his clenched teeth. He held out his hand for me to join him for a dance. I hesitated for a moment before I took it. He wrapped his other hand around my back, pulled me in, and pressed me hard against his body. I leaned my head on his chest and breathed in his smell. We fit so well together. He ran his fingertips up and down my back gently. How could something so complicated feel so right?

“You look beautiful tonight, Emily,” he whispered into my hair. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the one to bring you.”

I looked up but didn’t break our contact. His deep blue eyes pulled me further into his trance. All I wanted to do was hold on to him and never let go. “Why didn’t you?”

“We need to talk.”

Fine.

I stepped out of his hold and grabbed his hand, then pulled him through the crowd and down a long hallway. I found an empty room, then closed the door behind us and locked it. I turned to watch him as he leaned against a table. I moved to stand in front of him. “Okay, so talk.”

He rubbed his face. “I had something to do earlier that I couldn’t get out of—”

“You spoke with your father, and you told him to stay away from me. But why?” Seth’s face fell. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily.

“My brother needs to keep his mouth shut.”

“Why? He was only being friendly.”

“I’m sure he was,” he snapped. I was used to Seth’s sharpness when it came to anything personal. It only fueled me, but then it hit me.

“Are you jealous?” I was interested in
why
he would be jealous of his own brother.

He pushed to his feet so he hovered over me. His eyes raked down the whole length of my body to the point I felt every inch he covered. “I would be crazy if I wasn’t. You’re a beautiful woman, Emily. You’ve caught the eye of every guy here.”

“Not every guy,” I whispered.

“You are all I think about, all I feel.” He cupped my face and brushed his lips over mine. “I want to—”

He was about to finish, but suddenly his eyes met mine and he raised his hand to his mouth.

“Copy that.”

I shifted away from him. “What? W-who were you talking to?”

“Riggs.”

“What?” I suddenly felt hurt that we were in the middle of an intimate moment, and once again our reality came crashing down and ruined it.

“Riggs is here with a few of the other guys. We thought some extra protection was needed. Johnnie got a message from Lasko. He was going to show up here tonight. We thought that by you arriving with someone else, not with me, he’d think you were an easier mark.”

My hand flew to my mouth. I really didn’t know how I felt. I was thankful they were there, but beyond scared all at once.

“We’ll talk later, baby. I have to get out there. Don’t worry, the guys have an eye on you.”

I rubbed my chest and tried to gather my scattered emotions.

He leaned down and kissed my lips softly. “I know you’re confused, and so am I.”

“That doesn’t begin to explain how I feel about us, Seth.”
I can’t do this right now.

I made my way into the restroom, where I braced myself in front of the mirror. I took a few deep breaths to steady my nerves. So much raced through my head that I didn’t know where to begin.

After I dampened some paper towels, I blotted them along my neck. The door swung open, and a bunch of tipsy women came in. I beat a hasty retreat to the closest stall and locked the door behind me. I leaned my hip against the door and waited for them to leave. Finally, after about five minutes of discussion over which bartender made the best cosmo, they did.