Chapter 46 Forty Six
AMELIA XAVIER
Although I had never been to a cocktail party before, I was in good spirits — maybe it was Owen who made me be in good spirits. The party was well lit and looked more like the Erin ball party except there were no artworks only music as dragging as a crime novel with a thousand chapters.
So much for good spirits.
The moment Owen and I walked into the room, though one might call it in sync with time and event or unexpected, the room went quiet with only the music from the instrumentals playing. Then the whispers came.
“Isn't she the daughter of the house of Xavier?” “What is she doing with that man?”
“Talk about contrast of colours, isn't he the illegitimate child of the Winters and the heir to the house?”
I gulped as the whispers tried to drown me in. I became aware of my environment, I could feel my heels as it hit the floor, the sweatiness of my feet as it shifted uncomfortably in my shoes… yes, I heard my heart beat and that ringing in my ear threatening to overwhelm me… “Snap out of it, Amy,” Owen said bringing me back to reality.
“Don't let them get to you, partner,” he mused though I knew he was mocking me. I smiled brightly grabbing a cocktail, I took a sip and instantly felt relieved.
“Welcome, Mr Winters and Amelia Xavier-” a man who had walked to us said, he took my fingers to kiss it, but one look at Owen, he let my arm drop to my side. “- it's a pleasure to meet you,” he continued and bowed his head slightly in greeting.
“Pleasure to meet you too, Sir Phillipe, the great sea lord, is it?” Owen asked grabbing a cocktail. I assessed the so called great sea lord, he was short and had such fat hands that his buttons of his sleeves were almost bursting. “Oui, oui. Mr Winters, back in my days, your father and I did business…” he inched closer to us and lowered his tone so much I struggled to grasp his words. “When I still did ammunition selling by sea.”
I heard it.
“Well since you're retired, it's a shameful thing we don't have such sea lords again,” Owen replied taking another drink.
“I have a son about your age and he is doing the business quite well except he's my son unlike you,” the man retorted.
Fuck?
I glanced at Owen to watch his reaction, but instead he laughed taking a third drink. “Too bad, your son, Emilio, only knows how to chase women as a business, I suppose he'll be chasing mermaids next, you know as the sea lord's only son,” Owen said calmly and when I glanced at sir Phillipe, he was dumbstruck, his face looked constipated and his fat hands clenched into a fist.
“How did you… nevermind. What about this beautiful lady here?” He changed the topic not wanting to push further about his own life. He face me.
“Well…” I started but Owen stopped me midway. “She's my business and she's staying in Paris for work, you could say in a short man's words, we're business partners,” he explained sarcastically, but his expression said something else, he was glaring intensely at Sir Phillipe.
“Oh really, and I bet she's trying to prove herself to him because her step mother, Annie Xavier has a son…”
Before my senses could react and my brain process the situation, the great sea lord, sir Phillipe was pinned to the wall, his legs hanging on the air and his neck at the mercy of Owen's large hands. “You can insult me all you want, you can criticize the shit out of me, Sir Phillipe, but one word about her, I'll be sure to dry that your sea. Lord or not,” Owen warned, his arms pressing the young man's vital point — he was about sixty years.
He's going to kill him.
“Owen, that's enough!” I heard myself say. I didn't want any trouble and if he caused one, all eyes would be on us. We were at the disadvantage.
Owen released his hold on the sir Phillipe, and he fell to the floor with a loud thud. He grabbed my hand gently and turned to leave. “A business partner? What a joke, would you do that for just a business partner?” The man scoffed rubbing his neck — if he had any; they were just fat and no bone. Owen sighed, but didn't turn to look at the man. “I believe you have a don to worry about. Emilio is about selling a dozen of your ships as we speak. Au revoir.”
I stared in amazement at the situation almost forgetting the real reason we came here. To see Kayla Xavier.
Fuck!
“Let's go,” Owen muttered and I didn't object. He wasn't in the mood and I also felt sort of terrible. As we left, I caught a sight of the woman I had been looking for. It was already late.
We spoke nothing as Owen drove home, each to our own thoughts. Tonight was a disaster.
Daddy would find out.
OWEN WINTERS
Amy had gone inside the house without me. I sat in the car looking out the window and into the night. For once I noticed how the moon shone brightly down on the earth and the stars dotted in the dark blue sky. For once, I was grateful for nature and the eerieness that lurked at the corners of the night.
“What the fuck did I do?” I asked rhetorically recalling my impulsive behaviour. I was creating enemies and if I were not careful, I would be a target. No. Amelia would. I already had enough headache about the serpent and this? This was going to jeopardize everything I planned out for myself.
“I should call Dylan,” I muttered pulling out my phone. I dialled his number and he answered on the first ring.
“Hello, Mr Xavier,” I started but he meant business because the words that left his mouth, made me realize who exactly I was speaking to.
The most feared mafia lord.
“What sort of behaviour did you exhibit, Mr Winters? That man you pinned against the wall… very untactful!” I said nothing. Nothing was to be said at that moment anyway.
Why do I feel sick?
“Whatever, saw you're worth Amelia l, is she okay?” He asked, his voice calm and un-scolding. I sighed and gave him a positive answer. “She's healthy, sir.”
“I know you called about the serpent…” he started, but not waiting for him to continue, I chirped in. “Yes, how's it going?” I asked curious to know. “I'm not doing that again. Mr Winters said you would handle it,” he answered bluntly.
What the…? Why exactly would that man do something like that?
“Why? I thought we discussed…”
“Discussed? Your father said you had that under control, but seems like you don't, yes?” He inquired. The calmness of his voice made me panic — with irritation laced around it.
“I don't have shit under control. I made an enemy of the sea and the fucking serpents are after me and Amelia!” I made a mistake and it was already late when I realized what I had done. I shut my eyes waiting for Dylan to fume and pour his anger out on me on how careless the heir of the Winters was.
He said nothing.
Nothing?
Then he spoke, “I'll stop them, Owen Winters, just get your shit right and don't let anything happen to my daughter!”
“I…” beep. He hung up.
“I promise,” I muttered under my breath and left the car to go into the house.
As I headed into the house, I saw a figure sitting by the pool. I knew that figure even in the blackest of night.
Amelia.
I sighed moving closer to her, until I could finally take a look at her face. She looked distressed.
Get your shit right… Dylan's voice rung in my head. I moved towards Amy and called her.
“Pumpkin.”