Desperate Enemies 3 by Adam Carpenter (latest ebook reader .txt) 📕

. Lauren Healy. The uncertainty he had felt while leaving the message for Marc washed over him again. Their arrival had ruined his otherwise genial mood, and he felt his eyes darkening at the sight of the pathetic little man. Didn't Lauren have too much class to be with this creep?

“Rich. . . my goodness, hi,” Lauren said, coming over to his table. “So good to see you up and about. . . you know, after. . .”

“Yeah, I know. Kind of hard not to,” Rich said.

Lauren, as though sensing his hostility, looked first at Danvers, then back at Rich. “Uh, it's not what you think. . ..”

“I don't know what to think anymore, Lauren.”

“It's just business,” she said, as though those empty words explained it all.

“Not with me, it's not,” he said through clenched teeth, sunglasses removed, his dark eyes focused on Danvers’ ugly, pug face. “Are you proud of yourself, Danvers? All the fucking damage you've caused? Your relentless pursuit of our homes and your need to fulfill some sick notion of revenge, look what it has wrought. One of our neighbors. . . our friends, is dead.”

“As is one of my associates,” Danvers said.

“Yeah, because you pulled him in front of you as a shield,” Rich said. “Well guess what, you chicken shit fuck, there's no one left to protect you, not from any of us. Trust me, Eldon Court will remain with all of its present owners—I won't allow you to win, neither will any of our neighbors.”

“Does that include Mr. St. John?”

“Parker can suck my cock for all I care about him.”

Danvers raised his eyebrows. “A telling statement, Mr. North.”

Just then the waitress interrupted the tense moment, Rich's meal at the ready. She placed the plate in front of him.

“Enjoy your meal, Mr. North,” Danvers said, “you never know when it's your last.”

Danvers pushed on, choosing to get out of the glare of the sun by taking a table inside. Lauren of course had no choice but to join him. Business. . . Rich knew that people used business as a way to excuse any kind of sordid behavior. He was guilty of it himself, the scandal back in New York having cost him nearly everything, and all in the name of so-called business. The move to Wonderland was supposed to have been a fresh start, for him and Marc both, for their relationship, but a simple job as a bank branch manager in his hometown had presented him with his biggest challenge, and his biggest enemy. Danvers Converse was dangerous because he had no morals. He saw, he took. Not this time, Rich thought..

He drained his mimosa, but pushed the food away.

Appetite gone, he considered his next move.

The ringing of the phone was almost like the hand of fate had dialed the call.

“Rich, it's Edgar Newcastle.”

“Edgar, hi, how goes it?”

“I knocked on your door a bit ago, no one was home.”

“I'm Down Wonder, Marc. . . he should be home.”

“Haven't seen him,” Edgar stated, and then pushed forward with the reason for his call. “Can you come over tonight, you and Marc? Jack and I think it's time for us all to get together, there's been a development?”

“Does it have something to do with that woman I saw hugging you last week?”

“Yeah, you saw that, huh?”

“Who is she?”

“All in good time. So, seven o'clock?”

“Should I bring some wine?”

“Oh, I think we're all gonna need something stronger than that,” Edgar said, his tone serious. “Oh, and can you bring over that book you checked out of the library?”

“The one about Wonderland's history?”

“That's the one.”

“What's this about, Edgar, really?”

“Gold.” As though that one word explained it all.

“Uh, okay, see you then,” Rich said, and then the call ended. Rich was a businessman, a banker, he knew the power of money, the seductive pull of wealth. And with the idea of gold, that rich, elusive mineral perhaps held an allure all its own, more valuable than cash to some, more valuable than life to others.

Rich North was suddenly ravenous, the food on his plate drawing his hunger to it. He felt virile again, determined, sexually alive perhaps for the first time since he'd been shot. Staring again at his phone, he wanted to call Marc and have him meet him at home, Rich wanted him with such power he could feel his cock thickening inside his jeans, thought of his chest sprouting thick new tufts of hair, imagined Marc's lithe body beneath him as he readied to be pounded by his thick cock and with new love, the kind of love and commitment Rich had promised him before the gallery opening and failed to deliver on. But Marc wasn't home and he hadn't picked up his cell phone earlier, which only led Rich to wonder just what was going on with his lover?

* * * *

Paolo wasn't up for a social visit, but the phone call earlier from Edgar was not something he could avoid, not after what happened to Aaron and what still threatened to steal their livelihoods out from under them. He owed it to Aaron's memory to find out just what Edgar and Jack had discovered, and what it had to do with that fiery-haired woman.

“Will everyone be there?” Paolo had asked.

“Rich and Marc, yes, Parker too. Not Dane or Sawyer, they're still out of town.”

“Why I do think this is no pool party?”

“Because it's serious,” Edgar had said.

“Yeah, I'm familiar with serious issues,” he said.

“Hey, Paolo?” Edgar said, his voice laced with concern.

“Yeah?”

“It will be good to see you.”

Paolo felt tears spring into his eyes. “Thanks, that means a lot, Edgar. See you then.”

That conversation had taken place around two this afternoon, and now the sun had waned and darkness was beginning to settle over the rocky bluff of Eldon Court. It was just after seven and Paolo knew he was going to be late, not that he could help it. As the time had ticked ever closer to the appointed meeting time,