Tony the ass was showed up at my door not long after I was still damn near hanging out at the door.

“What’s wrong now?”

“Nothing!” Was that my voice? Why did I sound like I did when I was twelve and mom wouldn’t let me do some shit that I really wanted to.

“Is this about the girls going shopping?” He was already shaking his head like he was disappointed and he sure couldn’t wait to light into my ass.

“You’re an embarrassment bro, what the hell? Let’s go to the club, you wanted to look over the space to make sure everything was ready for tomorrow remember?”

“You’re right let’s go.” I gave in and called her just to let her know that I was heading downtown. “Where are you baby?” I ignored Tony’s head shaking ass.

“We just walked into Saks.”

“Is your team behind you.”

“Yep, it’s embarrassing.” I heard Sherrie’s mouthy ass in the background, already regretting letting her out the damn house.

“Too bad. Tell Sherrie if she tries to lose them it’ll be the last time you two hang out together.” She laughed like she thought I was playing but I know Sherrie’s scheming ass.

“Have fun baby, buy whatever you like.” I should be the one taking her shopping, but as much shit

as I talk about her, Sherrie’s not a bad friend for her to have.

“Okay, are you going to the club now, will you be home when I get back?” For some reason that question calmed me all the way down.

“Do you want me to be?”

“Yes, I miss you already.”

“I miss you too baby, call me if you need me okay.” I hung up with a big smile and a one-finger salute for nosy ass Tony.

“You cool now? You straight? I put the best on her bro don’t worry about it. Besides, you know Sherrie’s crazy ass ain’t about to let nothing happen to her.”

“You’ve got a point. Did you set it up for tomorrow like I asked you to?”

“You know I did. You sure about this shit?”

“Yeah! I’ma deal with him and then I’ll go see her father and take care of that shit once and for all.”

“What did you want to do about Arlene?”

“Not sure, I don’t know if she had anything to do with him coming to the apartment, I’m still waiting for the word on that.”

“Fair enough!”

I did a walk through of the dance floor making sure everything was up to code before meeting with the chef to go over the menu for the party tomorrow night one last time.

She’d wanted just a small gathering for the parents of the children she would be teaching, but I know very well the draw of celebrity so took the liberty of inviting some people I know. If things go well she might have her school full by the end of tomorrow night.

Once I took care of her shit I headed down to my office to handle my own, not really into it, but it was something to do until she got through with her shopping.

I was in there ten minutes before Tony knocked on the door to tell me my nemesis was out there asking to see me. I was not in the mood for that asshole, but our relationship is such that I knew if he had the balls to come to my place this early in the day something was up.

I went out to meet him at the bar. “What do you want?” He wasn’t wearing his usual smarmy look, in fact he was looking more serious than I’d ever seen him before.

“Is there somewhere we can talk?” He looked around at the staff, who were busy getting ready for the lunch crowd. Not sure what the fuck was up, I nodded to the stairs and had him follow me up to the empty second floor with the dancing stage.

I stopped and turned already bracing for whatever this asshole had coming, but his next words left me damn near speechless. “I hear you had some trouble at your place.”

What the fuck? I didn’t answer but the look I gave him said it all. “You need to leave the city or be somewhere people can see you at all times. Your girl has her opening tomorrow right?”

“How do you know this shit?” Now it was his turn to give me a look. I know this asshole to be a shady fuck that likes to fuck with the women who work for him, but the man looking back at me now had some shit else going on.

“You’re new around here, technically, and you and I have our own shit going on, but no motherfucker gets to play in our pool. Is this him?” He pulled his phone and showed me a picture of Ray.

“What’s this about?”

“It’s about nothing. You don’t know nothing, you ain’t seen nothing college boy. Tell your girl I’m sorry.”

He turned and walked away leaving me standing there wondering if this was what I think it was. I’m pretty sure he just hinted that he was going to take him out.

By the time I got downstairs he was gone and I called Tony to the office to tell him what happened. “You always knew he was into that shit.”

“Yeah, but why the fuck would he want to do me any favors?”

“You know how fucked up these people are. They have codes and shit. What do you want to do?”

“What can I do? He didn’t ask my permission.”

“Stay out of it.”

“What the fuck, I don’t want to owe him no favors.”

“You won’t.”

“Tony, did you do this?”

“No.” Lying fuck why don’t I believe you?

For the rest of the morning I was on pins and needles trying to figure out what the hell was going on. And then the phone rang. I saw it was her detail and my heart started pounding before I answered.

“If you tell me some fuck happened to her you’re gonna come up missing.”

“Sorry boss, but we got a situation.”

“What kind of situation?”

“We’re at Bergdorf’s, something happened…you need to get down here.”

“Is she hurt?”

“No, nothing like that.” Why the fuck is this fool talking to me in riddles?

I grabbed Tony and we headed back uptown with me wondering who the fuck opened the gates of hell? As soon as I walked through the door some asshole in a suit approached me calling me by name.

“Mr. Carrington sir, thank you for coming. The young ladies insisted that we call you.” He looked like he was surprised to see me and I still didn’t know who the hell he was.

“And you are?” He held out his hand with a smile. which I looked at and ignored.

“Dan Stephens, general manager.”

“What’s going on? Where’s my woman and my sister?”

“Right this way.” He led me to the back of the store to his office.

Sherrie jumped up as soon as she saw Tony and I but my eyes went right to the chair where Anna was sitting looking shocked. “What happened?”

“These assholes think we were stealing.”

“What? What the fuck are you talking about?” I went to Anna and knelt down in front of her. Her hands were shaking and she looked like she’d been crying. Tony calmed Sherrie down enough to get the story out of her.

They were on their way out when the alarm went off and upon checking their bags an unpaid for eight thousand dollar tee shirt was found in one of Anna’s bags.

“Are you fucking kidding me? She can afford six of those things all day everyday. Did you cuff her?”

“No sir, we didn’t get that far.”

“So why the fuck is she shaking like a leaf, the fuck did you say to her?”

“Sir, we didn’t know that you two were associates, we…”

“Tell me why I shouldn’t call my lawyer and sue your ass?”

“This was all a misunderstanding sir. If you’ll just calm down we’re pulling the tape now sir. The young lady insists she did not take the item. We held off calling the police because those gentlemen out there said they work for you and that she’s your fiancée?”

“Where’s this tape?” I had nothing else to say for now. I can’t believe that in a matter of days this shit was happening. A few deep breaths didn’t do much to calm me down, and the look of terror on her face wasn’t helping matters.

“It’s going to be okay Anna.” I’m tired of saying that shit to her. Some other asshole in a suit came into the room and said they were ready. Now we all left and followed him down to their security room.

The room was silent as they ran the tape. The two women came on the screen entering the door with her detail trailing them with bags in hand. She looked happy and I finally got why Sherrie had taken her to get that makeup shit done the day before. You could hardly see the bruises and scratches on her face and neck.

We watched them move around the room looking at shit and putting it back, talking and laughing. I noticed that she’d put shit back after seeing the price and stored that information away for later.

And then it happened. It was so fast if we hadn’t been looking we would’ve missed it. Someone, a woman, walked past her while she was standing at one of the tables and dropped something in one of her bags before walking away.

Her face was hidden behind the over sized shades but it was obvious she was wearing a wig because it was a little off center. “Who the fuck is that?” They rewound the tape a few times but it was no use, the person kept their face well hidden from the cameras.

I had a pretty good idea though from the knots in my gut. Tony and I exchanged a look before I turned to the general manager who was now full of apologies. “Can we leave?”

“Yes, yes of course, sorry for the inconvenience sir.”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to her, the two of them.” He did that as he followed us from the room.

I motioned for Tony to take her out ahead of me and turned back to the manager. “You know how you can make this up to me? Go back through the tape and find all the shit she put back. Bill it to me and have it sent over.”

He was all smiles and gratitude as I walked away after giving him my information. Sherrie was grilling Tony who had already seated Anna in the backseat for the ride around the corner to my place. Needless to say shopping day was over.