She left her place on Thursday evening to dash out to the waiting limousine and head off for her Roosevelt social function. My own chauffeur had been moving in seconds, screeching tires as we pulled away. I’d followed her from her city apartment through to Bishop’s Landing, keeping her in my sight until she’d pulled left into her uncle’s driveway—the asshole called Geoffrey that I’d heard plenty of rumors about over the years. By all accounts, her mother relied on her brother for some of the more nefarious parts of her business. Maybe Elaine’s attendance was a token social event to coast along on top of a more lucrative one.
I’d been hovering around the streets for hours, driving in circles with my exhausted chauffeur until her tracker finally told me she was leaving Geoffrey’s place. I followed her back into the city just to watch her dash from the car through to her apartment building.
One thing the pretty fool couldn’t hide—she was moving damn fast wherever she went. It brought a smile to my face. There was no doubt in my mind that she knew she was being followed. Instinct. She knew she was being chased by a monster.
My lack of attendance at Morelli Holdings on Friday morning was alien to everyone.
I had VPs calling my phone on constant loop. I barked out instructions, barely more than one-liner answers to complex situations, but I didn’t care.
I didn’t have time for any of them, not a fucking peep of it.
Who the hell was I?
Trenton was trying to chase me down for approval of another cross-border arms deal, but I didn’t have time for him either. I couldn’t give a shit who was delivering what and when. It was when he called me late that morning for a final okay that I found myself asking a whole load more from him in return. Much more than should ever have been on my radar.
“I want to know what’s happening between Elaine Constantine and the Power brothers,” I told him. “I want to know what the fuck she owes them and what the fuck they are planning to do about it.”
Trenton paused. “Sorry, what?”
“You heard me.”
I could hear the confusion in his voice. “Yeah, but. I just…if I track them down, they’re gonna know it’s coming from you.”
He was right. I knew he was right. Every scrap of common sense in my head was screaming out about my insanity, but still, I didn’t back down. “I want everything. I want to know everything,” I insisted, and he sighed.
I knew he thought I was as crazy as I did, but he knew better than to challenge me again. Sure thing, boss was the answer he gave me, and with that he was gone.
Friday morning was a bore and a slow burn. Elaine didn’t move until the sun was up high in the sky, walking on foot through New York City with her cousin Harriet.
I was a true damn stalker as I ditched my chauffeur in a city parking lot and followed her through the streets. I kept my distance, far enough behind that she didn’t stand any chance of catching my face, but again, her instincts were still pricking strong.
So many times she cast a glance behind her, wide eyes searching for her hunter.
So many times I dipped away out of her view.
It was when she was getting a dress fitting at one of the premier boutiques in the city that I finally opted to poke her fear some more. It wasn’t right. None of this was right, but I didn’t care. It turned me on. I thought it turned her on, too. That was the game we played.
I stepped up to the window, just close enough that she’d catch a glimpse of me. Then I waited. Waited until she stopped in the middle of a twirl, an instant halt which had the stylists as surprised as she was. My pretty blonde minx blinked and took a step forward, her shock so palpable that I could taste it in the air.
She rushed for the door toward me, but that didn’t matter. I was gone in a flash, just out of view as she dashed out onto the sidewalk.
I loved the self-fucking-doubt on her face as she stepped back inside. So much self-fucking-doubt she must have thought she was losing her mind.
I did it again when she was having a coffee with Harriet in one of the bars on East Street. I hovered on the other side of the street, my eyes firmly fixed on hers until she turned her head and caught a glimpse. This time she visibly flinched, getting up from her seat to rush in my direction, but again, I was gone.
Over and over I played my game through the streets. Chasing her. Teasing her. Watching the paranoia rise higher and higher. Cat and mouse had always been my favorite game, ever since I was a child. It gave me thrills all the way through my veins.
Here pussy, pussy.
So many times I gave her a glimpse. So many times she was rushing to find me.
Every single time she was a failure.
The evening drew in with both girls swinging a collection of designer bags along with them, Elaine laughing a little too brittle. She headed back to her apartment as soon as they were finished, hugging her farewell to Harriet before dashing inside.
I was still hovering outside her place when Elliot began trying to get hold of me. He called three times straight before my reality came crashing back in like a hammerblow. Fuck. Of course he was calling me. I was supposed to be out with him for his social meal.
I pressed to receive the damn call.
“Hey, finally,” he said with a groan. “You coming? We’re waiting on you before we order our main courses.”
I could hear the thrum of the restaurant in the background, and should’ve been heading right on over there, but I wasn’t. One look at the light on in the top windows of Elaine Constantine’s apartment building was enough to keep me in my seat.
“I’m not coming,” I said. “Enjoy your night.”
“Not coming? For real? What the hell?”
“For real,” I said. “Greater priorities.”
“Shit with Trenton?”
I didn’t lie. I never lie. “Other shit that needs sorting.”
He knew me so fucking well. I heard it in his voice as he sighed. “You still caught up with that Constantine girl? Please tell me you’re not caught up with Elaine.”
“Enjoy your night,” I told him again, then hung up.
I didn’t answer when he called back, just put my phone on mute and stared up at that window. I wanted to see her. I wanted to hear her short breaths and feel her fear. Surely she’d leave. Surely she’d head on out somewhere on a Friday evening and allow the cat another tease with his paws, but no. My time was wasted. She didn’t leave her place again that night.
Elliot called me again on Saturday morning, when I’d finally gathered enough sanity to head back to my own apartment for a shower. I tried to keep my tone regular as I answered him.
“Early damn call,” I said. “Calling to give me an update on your pussy exploits?”
“Don’t even try to change the subject,” he barked, and this time his voice was tense as hell.
“What subject?” I asked. “You haven’t even said anything.”
“You know exactly why the fuck I’m calling.”
I laughed. “And you know it’s none of your fucking business,” I said, and he scoffed at me.
“Sure. Call me when you want some sense pushed into that skull of yours.” He hung up.
I doubted I’d be calling him anytime soon.
Elaine didn’t move through Saturday. I kept my eye on her tracker location, but this time it was from my office at Morelli Holdings, fighting back my own sweep of paranoia that she’d headed out without her clutch.