Chapter 7

The time was twenty minutes past nine. Vince came back home from the casino, terribly tired. It had been a hot, hectic day, and he had been supervising the croupiers before he had handed over to Canyon to handle the group of Cuban syndicate gamblers who seemed to prove troublesome. He parked his car in the big lighted garage, then he got out and walked up to the front door. He rang the bell and waited. But there was no answer. Feeling tired to ring the doorbell again, he took many keys from his hip pocket and inserted it into the lock. It opened, and he sighed with relief. Eva had not locked the door after all. He opened the door and stepped inside the house. He walked through the foyer and got to the living room. The whole place was dead quiet. Where was Eva? He asked himself. Had she gone out? Was she with another man? and it angered him that he could not answer these questions. He was starting towards the cocktail cabinet when he heard movements in the bedroom upstairs. He frowned as he began to up the stairs that led to the bedroom.

He got to the bedroom door. Eva was in the bedroom. She was wearing an expensive sleeveless black dress. Her hair was piled high on top of her shapely head, and she wore diamond earrings and a diamond necklace around her neck. The effect was to make her more beautiful than ever. Vince stood there a moment watching her, his body crawling with rage and jealousy.

"Going somewhere?"

Eva turned around sharply and saw Vince standing at the doorway, a hard expression on his face.

"Oh! You are back!" She said.

"Where are you going?" He snarled.

She regarded him for a long moment.

"My godfather called me this morning right after you left. He's having a cocktail party at his house."

A shocked expression was plastered on his face now.

"You have a godfather all this time we've been together?" He asked, incredulous.

"Hell yeah," she answered.

He eyed her suspiciously.

"You are a pretty good liar. If you have a godfather, how come I never know of him all this while we've been together?”

"That's because we never got the time to talk about him." Eva replied curtly, and she turned her back to him to check out herself in the big standing mirror.

"We're you ever going to tell me about him?" he continued, "You could have informed me about this outing earlier."

Eva narrowed her eyes at him through the mirror.

"Why? So that you can follow around like a lost dog?" her tone was cold and contemptuous. "I don't think so!"

Vince stood there for a long moment, then turned and went downstairs back to the living room. He moved towards the cabinet cocktail and fixed himself a gin and tonic drink strong enough to knock over a horse. When she was through, he heard Eva's voice saying, "Don't wait up for me. I'll be back late," and then the slam of a door. Vince finished the drink and fixed himself another one. His body was trembling with rage, but he controlled himself. He downed the glass in a long gulp, then shuddering, he moved away from the bar and went upstairs.

A few minutes later, he came down wearing a black coverall, on his face was a black ski mask, and was a deadly vicious baton in his hand. He grabbed the car keys on the table and stumbled out of the house.

********************

There were almost a hundred people at the cocktail party that night. The men wore dinner jackets, and the women were graciously dressed in dresses by Chanel, Victoria Secrets, and Alexander McQueen. Eva looked around the room and saw her godfather talking to one of the guests. She walked over and tapped him lightly on the shoulder. John Roth swung around and saw Eva smiling broadly at him. Roth excused himself from the guest and walked over to a corner of the room with her. He drew her close and gave her a warm hug. For a brief moment, they stood like this, then he pulled away and stared at her.

"Eva! You look exquisite," Roth commented.

"Thank you, godfather! I missed you so much," Eva replied.

"I missed you too, child. So how are you?"

"I'm fine!" Eva answered.

Roth looked inquisitively into her face.

"Are you sure about that? don't lie to me, Eva."

Eva drew in a long slow breath.

"I'm not fine, godfather! Vince is making my life a living hell."

"Everybody in Miami knows that! I never knew how you ended up marrying that crazy man but don't worry; everything will be fine." He assured her, and he kissed her lightly on her cheeks.

"Thank you, godfather!" She said, her eyes misty with tears.

"Don't cry!" he said, "I don't want to see the mascara running down your face." and he brought out a handkerchief from his breast pocket and gave it to her.

She collected it and wiped her face.

"Everything will be alright, okay?" he continued. "and, please, there is someone I would like you to meet."

Eva lifted an eyebrow.

"Who is that?"

"Mr…oh! The son of a gun! Here he comes," Roth said, looking over Eva's shoulders.

Eva swung around Darius Kane, walking towards them, a smile of recognition on his lips. He was wearing a flawless dinner jacket, and well-polished shoes graced his feet. But Eva was staring at his face. That devilish handsome face with those large, dark teasing eyes of his. She watched unbelievably as he came over, grinning happily.

"Good evening, Mr. Roth!" he said to Roth, stretching out his hand.

"Evening, Mr. Kane. Glad you could make it," Roth answered, returning the handshake.

Eva stared at the two men in utter disbelief.

"You two know each other?" She demanded from Roth, coming out of the shock.

"Yeah! Yeah! Kane is a splendid businessman and a very good friend of mine," Roth said.

"Have known Mr. Roth for a very long time now," Darius added.

"I see!" Eva said in a low tone.

"You've seen nothing. I presumed both of you have already met before?" Roth said, facing Eva.

Eva nodded, then something clicked in her head.

"Wait a minute. How do you know we've met?"

"You've forgotten, I'm your godfather. I have to know these little things." Roth answered, and he pulled her to his body in a warm embrace. Then he pulled away and turned to Darius.

"Take care of my pumpkin," and with that, he moved away from them and joined the other guests.

Eva watched him go, a puzzled expression on her face, then she turned to Darius and saw him staring intently at her. At that moment, a sudden realization hit her.

"You've talked to my godfather about me?" She demanded hotly.

"Not exactly the way you put it," he replied. "But like I told you, when I want something, I will find every means to get it."

Eva stared at him in utter disbelief.

"I don't believe this."

"Would you care for a drink?" Darius asked, lifting a glass of champagne from the trays of one of the butlers who circled the room.

"I don't want a drink." Eva answered.

"That's bad. I figured you for the champagne lover."

"Just what do you want with me, Mr. Kane?"

"Please, call me Darius," he said mildly. "It will sound better on your lips, don't you think."

"To hell with the name. Why do you keep following me around?" she retorted in a hard tone.

"What's wrong, Eva? The last time we met was not like this. Have I done something wrong?" he asked, wondering what was wrong with her.

"You've done nothing wrong, and for me, there was no last time," Eva replied.

"How could you say a thing like that? Your husband hit me at the back of my head, remember?" he said, his eyes were twinkling with amusement.

"I don't remember anything. I don't want to remember anything about you."

He stood there looking down at her, a pained expression on his face. Watching his face, Eva knew she had hurt his feelings.

"Don't do this to me. I'm a married woman. I want you to leave me alone." She said in a small voice.

"Why are you saying all these things? This man you are talking about got no love for you."

"That's my cross to carry and not yours," Eva replied.

"You should leave him! He's dangerous." He continued.

"For God's sake," she said desperately. "What do you want me to do?"

"Leave him!" he said quietly.

"I just can't leave him like that," Eva gritted out.

"You can, Eva!" he returned.

"I know, but it's not that easy," she said.

"Don't worry! I will help you."

Eva narrowed her eyes at him and drew in a long slow breath. At that moment, a white-gloved waiter was passing by with champagne.

"I think I will have a drink." She said.

Darius stopped the waiter, lifted a glass from the tray, and gave it to Eva. He watched her as she drank it down.

"Is that okay?" he asked.

Eva nodded and stared at him.

"Mr. Kane, you've been such a nice guy. I have told myself I would not have anything to do with you, but it seems you are a man who loves to have his way. So I will let you have your way, but still, we will do it my way, is that okay with you?"

"Sure! Whatever you say," he answered.

"Alright! I am going to give you a chance," she said. "There's a restaurant in downtown Miami called The Becker's. Let's meet there, say, seven o'clock. I'll make a reservation for two under the name Amber Curtis."

A smile tugged Darius's lips as he thought about the name she had given herself. He had to commend her. She was smart about their little affair, and she wasn't taking any chances.

"Amber Curtis, you say?" he asked.

"Yep!" she replied. "What name did I call the restaurant?"

"The Becker's, right?" he said, laughing lines around his eyes.

"Yeah! Is there something funny about the name?" she asked, irritated by the smile on his face.

"No! Nothing at all," he assured her.

"Just be there!" she said, not believing him.

"I'll be there." Darius affirmed.

"Alright." she paused then went on, "This is the only chance I am giving you. If you fuck it up, it's your loss."

"I won't! Well, I'll be looking forward to meeting you, Miss Curtis," he said, teasing her, and he dipped his hand into his inner pocket and produced a business card.

"Take this," he said, thrusting it to her.

"What's this? Don't push your luck now, Mr. Kane."

"Luck got nothing to do with this," he told her. "I just want you to have it. It might come in handy. My cell phone and telephone number are there. Call me if you need anything. I mean anything!" he emphasized.

Eva scrutinized the business card for a long moment, then finally making a decision, she snatched it from his hand and slipped it into the purse she was holding.

"I've got to use the gent. Will, you still be here?" he asked.

"Yeah! Sure." Eva replied flippantly.

The look in her eyes told him she was not telling the truth. She was looking for a means to avoid him. He knew the moment he leaves the room; she would be gone. But he did not say any of his thoughts to her. He gave her a faint smile and crisscrossed the room to the carpeted hallway, which led to the man's room. When Darius returned to the room, he was not even surprised when he noticed Eva was not among them.

*****************

They were outside in the cold night air, and Eva was grateful that she left the cocktail party.

"Where are we going?" Eva asked, looking at the tall, lean, middle-aged dark-haired man beside her.

"My place!" the man said huskily. "I'm taking you to my place for a little nightcap but first, let's get find somewhere to eat." His name was Lance Morgan, and he had met Eva at the cocktail party just that night. He propelled her to his Lamborghini Porsche and helped her into it.

As he drove, Eva thought of how she had come to know him and smiled. Lance Morgan had introduced himself to her when he saw Darius leave her side at the cocktail party. He had told her he was a lonely businessman who was only staying in Miami for a couple of days, and he needed a woman to keep him company. Though he was not good-looking, she had obliged.

She liked his direct approach, and she knew his type. He was a man who wanted nothing from a woman except the sexual pleasure she could give to him. He was a man who felt about sex as she did, utterly uninhibited, using her to satisfy his sexual demands. They got to an expensive restaurant; Lance parked the car, helped her out of it, and hand in hand, they both went in. The maître d'hotel came over, and Lance ordered a dozen steaks followed by lamb chops, roast pork, and two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. They ate the food in silence, each aware of the sexual fusion between them, and when they were done, he paid the checks and left.

They got into his car, and half an hour later, he turned to Eva when they stopped in front of a large apartment building.

"We are home," he told her. He stepped out of the car and went around the car to open the door for her. She stepped out, and he took hold of his arm. Lance led her into the lobby of the building and rang for the elevator. They stepped into the elevator, and he pressed a button. The elevator whisked them to the top floor of the building. When they got there, the elevator door swished silently open, and they both stepped out. Lance fumbled for his apartment key, took it out, unlocked the door, and led her inside. The apartment was decorated with intense solid colors and was furnished tastefully.

"Nice place you got here!" Eva commented, looking around the room. The thought that something terrible was going to happen never entered her head.

"Can I get you a drink? I have bourbon," Lance said, looking hungrily at her. He was naked in his need.

Eva shook her head.

"No! Thank you," She could sense his desire for her.

Lance took her in his arms and held her close.

"You are a lovely woman." he said softly.

She felt his body throbbing with desire, and she braced herself as he moved her hand down to his male hardness. Then he bent his head and kissed her mouth then her throat, and it was as if her body was set aflame.

"Come!" He said to her and led her into the bedroom. They both undressed and got on the large double bed. Eva closed her eyes as Lance kissed her tenderly on the lips, then he slid his tongue down her naked body into the soft depth of her. Her feet curled up on the bed, and she gripped his head tightly to her inner crevice.

"Oh, my God!" Eva moaned. "Take me! Now!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" his voice suddenly harsh and cold.

Eva opened her eyes, and suddenly it was not Lance staring down at her; it was Darius Kane, with that teasing look in his stormy dark eyes. This is not real, she thought. It's just my eyes playing tricks on me. She closed her eyes and opened it again, and this time, she saw Lance staring down at her, a puzzled expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a cold voice.

"I….I…ca-can't do this," Eva whispered.

"Yes! You will! I'll be gentle," he said, and as she felt him start to thrust inside her, she screamed, "No! Stop it! Let me go!"

She shoved him off her, rolled away from him, and fell to the floor. She stumbled to her feet.

His face was harshened.

"What's wrong? You suddenly got cold feet or what?"

"Darius!" Eva answered. She did not know when the name slipped out from her mouth.

"Darius!" Lance bawled. "Who the fuck his Darius?" She shrinks away from him, terrified.

"Sorry! I meant I saw……someone," she whispered, and she bit hard on her lower lip.

"There's no one here bitch!" Lance yelled.

Eva looked at his face and gasped out in shock. His face seemed so inhumane. It was the face of a wild, hungry wolf.

"Come here!" He gritted out, his face ugly with menace.

"No!" Her eyes opened very wide, and she began to back away from him.

He noticed the odd look on her face. Instinctively, he knew what she was thinking. Like a streak of lightning, he sprang out of bed and caught her arm before she could bolt out of the room.

"Let me go!" she yelled, struggling to control her rising panic.

As Lance lifted his hand to strike her, a loud crashing sound came from the living room. Both of them remained still, rage draining from them. He slowly lowered his hand and let go of her arms. He looked at her face. The white tautness on her face told him she was severely shaken as he was.

"Who's there?" He called out in sudden panic, but no sound came from the living room. Cold sweats broke out on his face. A great feeling of trepidation gripping him. He moved away from the frightened Eva and crossed the room to his closet. He rifled through it until his hand closed around the cold butt of a gun. He took it out and stealthily moved towards the bedroom door. Eva's eyes widen when he saw what was in his hand. She wanted to scream, but a deadly look of warning from him shut her up.

Quietly, Lance walked into the living room. It was pitch black. He remembered the light had been on before he went in with Eva to the bedroom. Who could have switched it off? He wondered. He moved towards the room switch and pressed it. Suddenly the room was flooded by a hard, bright light. He looked around the room, and his eyes widen in shock when he saw that the apartment door had been forced upon. It was as if a Juggernaut had crashed against it. Cold sweats rolled down his face, and he used his hands to wipe his damp forehead.

He drew in a long, slow breath and moved towards the door. Just then, he heard a sound behind him and spun around, gun in hand. The sight that greeted him made a blind panic hit his body.

A powerfully-built black-clad figure was standing in the middle of the room. On his face was a ski mask and in his hand was something that looked like a baton.

Though Lance was holding a gun, he was frightened. The gun in his hand had never been fired before, and he had only bought it to scare away intruders.

"What….do….you want? I’ve got….no money here," He managed to say.

The figure did not move. The figure did not talk. It looked so stiff. So motionless. Like an effigy.

Lance nearly piss his pants.

"I'm….. going to .....shoot…. if you….don't start talking," he stammered.

Still, the figure neither move nor talk. Lance bit hard on his bottom lip, and he tried to aim at the figure, but in his trembling, sweaty hand, the barrel felt clammy. Just then, the figure covers the space between them. It moved so fast Lance hadn't a chance in his frightened state. Something hard knocked against his head, and the room exploded into a blinding flash of white light. Before he could recover, another agonizingly pain bit him again, and he crashed to the ground like a pole-axed bull.

Vince……for it was Vince…moistened his lips with his tongue as he looked at the unconscious body whose lifeblood was seeping out from a head injury and was rapidly forming a small pool of dark blood on the rug. He bent down and put his hand to the man's throat. He could feel a weak pulse. Satisfied, he crossed the room to the bedroom and met Eva, who had pressed herself against the wall. She saw the powerfully built masked figure walked into the bedroom and a scream rose in her throat. Swiftly, Vince took the mask off his face, and he saw her body stiffened, then it relaxed.

"It's me, baby! You don't need to shout," he said, watching the alertness in her horror stark eyes.

"Vince!" She said in a small frightened voice.

"Yeah! It's me," he reassured her.

Eva stared at him, feeling the blood drain out of her face, her body turning cold.

"What are…you…doing...here? Where...is... Lance?" She stammered.

"Is that his name?" he snarled, and he raised the baton to show her the bloodstains on it.

She saw the scarlet stain, and she felt a tightness across her chest.

"Did you…..hurt him?" She asked.

"Nope!" he said. "Just knocked his fucking head straight, that's all."

Eva shut her eyes while she struggled with nausea. The bloodstains on the baton had told her everything. Vince must have dealt Lance a crushing blow to the head. Looking at the baton, it must have been a terrible blow that could have killed anyone.

"You killed him!"

"He's not dead!" he snarled. "I did not kill him. I only knocked him out. Anyways, He had it coming for him. He was screwing around with my wife."

Sickening bile rose in the pit of her stomach.

"How….how did you find me?" She stammered.

"I followed you to your godfather's house, and from there, I tailed you to this place," he replied. "My car was right behind your lover's car the whole time."

She stared at him, uncomprehendingly.

"My godfather's house?" She asked, "I don't understand, but you told me that you don't know I had a godfather."

He gave a hard, barking laugh.

"Eva! You are so stupid!" he said. "How could you believe that? We've been married for quite a long time now, and you think I won't find out everything I need to know about you. I know everything about you, my love, even down to the frilly panties you wear."

Eva's senses reeled, and the room suddenly felt so hot though the air conditioner in the room was working perfectly.

"You bastard!" She screamed. "You deceived me. I hate you, Vince! I hate you! I only feel sorry for myself cause it took me long to realize how much I hate you."

Vince's face twisted with raw hatred. He regarded her for a long moment; then he seemed to make a decision. He dropped the baton to the ground, clenched his hand into a tight fist, and moved towards her purposely.