CHAPTER SEVEN - ENZO
I ran out of the kitchen so fast that everything around me was a blur as I beelined for Lucas. He stood with a few women, and though I hated to ruin his party, I needed his help. His eyes widened as he saw the horror on my face. “What’s wrong?”
“We have to go!”
“Is it your father?” He grabbed my arm, but I shook my head and caught my breath.
“No, it’s Esme, she’s missing. Margarite called and said she’s searched the house from top to bottom and can’t find her.”
We hurried out the front door and to my car which was parked to the side. The driver was inside talking on the phone as I ran up to the window. “Get us home fast!” I opened the door and jumped in back, and Lucas piled in with me.
“Where could she have gone? Do you think she’s been kidnapped?” Horror went through me as I considered all of the possibilities. If anyone harmed her, I’d kill them. There was not a single doubt in my mind that I’d do it with my bare hands.
The trip across the city was the longest of my life, and I swore if I ever found her, I’d never leave Aramis again. I found myself making all sorts of bargains in those minutes and then, as we pulled up at the house, Margarite was standing on the stoop with her arms pulled tight around her. She looked so panicked that I knew I couldn’t be too hard on her.
“Have you found her?” She shook her head and about that time, Esme’s voice sounded in the distance. I turned to see her skipping up the street from the corner.
“Daddy!” She ran up to me and hugged my waist, her small face pressed against my hip.
I knelt and pulled her into my arms as Lucas let out a sigh behind me. I held her there the for the longest time, but finally, I pulled away. “Where were you, Esme!”
She winced at my tone and then she glanced around to Lucas and Margarite, both who were about as happy as I was with the situation. She slumped into her shoulders. “I came outside to wait on you, and decided to walk down and sit on the corner so I could see you coming.”
“Why on earth would you do that!” I snapped. She’d never wandered off alone, and she should have known better at her age. She should know that the world is not a nice place and that she isn’t safe out on the streets at night. I suddenly felt like the worst parent in the world.
“I missed you, Daddy. I wanted to be waiting.”
“You should be in bed,” said Margarite.
She turned her head to Margarite and curled her lip. “You said we’d do something. I wanted to watch a double feature.” Her mouth turned down in a pouty frown.
I wasn’t going to let her put this off on her nanny. She’d slipped out of the house after Margarite had put her to bed and retired to her room. “Someone could have taken you! Do you understand that? You can’t leave the house by yourself, not even to wait for me!”
Her face scrunched tight as big tears splashed her cheeks.
“I’m sorry, Daddy!” She fell against me, and I lifted her up into my arms and held her tight.
“I’m sorry for yelling, but you scared me. What would I do if something happened to you?”
“I’ll take full responsibility, Your Royal Highness. I should not have left her side.” Margarite bowed her head.
“You’ll do no such thing. She’s nine, not five, and when you tell her to something, she’ll do it. You listen to Margarite from now on.” I walked past the woman who was still in a half-bow and entered the house. “Let’s get you up to bed.”
After I tucked her in and had a long talk with her, I found Lucas in the front room.
“That was intense.” He let out a long breath and took a sip from his whiskey glass.
“Yeah. I don’t think she’ll ever do that again.” I went to the bar and poured myself a drink. “I want to go back.”
He nodded and held up his glass. “I’ll make arrangements for us to fly out first thing in the morning.”
“What? No, I don’t mean leave New York. I want to go back to the gala.” I looked at the clock on the wall, and I had a feeling Cindy might still be there if I were lucky.
“Do you think she’s there?” He made a disapproving sound and rose up in his seat.
“I know there’s only one way to find out. Besides, I don’t have her number, and I don’t know anything about her. She thinks that Selena will be upset.”
“Why does it matter?” Lucas shrugged. “Selena is her boss, not her mother.”
“No, she thinks Selena wants me.”
“Oh, I see. Well, good luck with that. Are you going to bring her home to the queen?”
“If she’ll let me, I would.” I joked with him. “She’s a charming girl; she might impress the Queen.” The look on his face made it clear he thought I was nuts, and I couldn’t blame him. “Lucas I know this is all very sudden and seems crazy that I could be so enamored by a woman I’ve only just met. Something tells me I should at least find out more about her and there’s only way I can do that.”
He nodded his head and gestured his left arm out as if to say ‘Go ahead’.
I went out to my car and had the driver head back across town.
As we approached, I noticed there weren’t many cars in the parking lot. I decided to go to the building’s back door that led into the kitchen, so the driver drove me around to the alley.
I walked into the kitchen and expected to see Cindy or her friend, the guy who had run off the reporter. If Cindy wasn’t around maybe he’d give me her number.
“I knew you’d come back.” Selena sauntered up from the corner of the room.
“I’m sorry. I was hoping someone was here. I seemed to have lost my tie pin.” I couldn’t think of a better excuse, and her face paled as her brows grew heavy.
“I’ll check the lost and found.”
“I could have lost it earlier tonight when that girl—what’s her name? Cindy? She might have seen it. Do you happen to know how I can get in touch with her?”
“I don’t have her number on me, but I could call her tomorrow and give you a call back if you’d like to give me yours.” She was a sly one, and I didn’t want to cause problems again for Cindy.
“Well, that’s not necessary. Perhaps I could ask her about it at the next gala. Surely your company is working the entire series?”
“Of course. We put all of our competitors out of business.” Her pointed look let me know that she wasn’t the type to give up or back down. I wondered if she really did see Cindy as competition and what I should take from that remark.
“Well, that’s good for you. I’m sure you’ll do well.” At least I knew I could count on seeing Cindy at the next event, and then, I wasn’t letting her get away without at least getting her number.
“I always do. Have a drink with me?” She headed for the bag on the table which had a bottle of wine with a big bow tied around it. “This is from a friend. I was going to take it home and partake, but I think it would taste much better if I shared it with you.” She uncorked the bottle like a pro and poured me a drink in one of the wine glasses sitting in the top box of a stack of others.
“Thank you.” I brought the wine to my lips, and it tasted like swill.
She downed the drink and then poured another. “So, where are you staying?
“I own a house here. My daughter and I have come in for the gala season.”
“I’m surprised you don’t remember me from last year. We shared a dance at the premier ball.” I looked down at her and tried to remember. She seemed familiar, but the woman had so much work done to her face, that I’d be hard-pressed to find any semblance of what she used to look like.
“I’m sorry. Vaguely.” I sipped my wine and looked away. I had to try and find my escape and wished I’d get a call from Lucas.
“It’s okay. I’ve grown up a lot since then.” She leaned in and before I knew it, her lips were against mine.
I pulled away not at all sure what to do with her. I didn’t want her, and it wouldn’t be her, not when it could get back to Cindy. “I’m sorry. I’m not interested.” I placed the wine glass on the table and walked away from the sure thing for the first time in a long time.