Page 3 of Degrees of Control
I have exceeded my usual route, deep in thought, and am completely drenched as I head upstairs to the bathroom and strip out of my clothing. I turn the shower on, letting the warm water from the dual-headed shower cascade over me, removing the chill of the morning run before drying my hair and applying makeup. I rummage through the closet and contemplate what to wear. If I am going to deal with Chase head on, business attire is required. I slip into a gray and black skirt with a slit that shows off my legs, pairing it with a long sleeve black button down blouse and a classic style pair of Louboutin heels purchased from Saks. I grimace at my long wild auburn tresses, apply a little product and begin straightening the unruly locks. When I’m finished, it is shiny and sleek, spilling in long layers over my shoulders. I spin around in front of the floor length mirror, before heading downstairs to the kitchen to face Chase.
There is no sign of him or my parents, but Gaby has laid out an assortment of fresh fruit, pastries, and cheese for breakfast. I select muskmelon, honeydew and Dutch cheese taking my plate outside, opting to sit on the patio to enjoy the view of Lake Michigan. I am just getting ready to text my mom when Chase walks onto the balcony. He is freshly showered by the look of his damp hair and is wearing a Chicago Bears sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. They fit his body perfectly, not tight, but accentuate his powerful thighs. I quickly avert my gaze and try to suppress the blush that I feel rising to my cheeks.
“Good morning, Katarina,” he says. I feel sure he can hear the racing of my heart across the table. His eyes capture mine, and I am unable to discern the emotion that passes through them. It is fleeting and soon replaced with aloofness.
“It’s brisk outside,” he admonishes, flipping a switch that controls the overhead heaters which keep the balcony and adjacent decks warm even on crisp autumn days such as this.
“Thank you, that feels much better. I was just getting ready to text my mom to find out where they are,” I say, pouring another cup of coffee from the carafe.
“Carlos and I had breakfast together, and your mother took coffee in their suite. She’s working on a press release and apparently needs to have it completed by day’s end,” he says.
I wonder with disdain if everyone’s actions are reported to him on a play-by-play basis or summarized by the hour. “Don’t you think it’s a little odd that I haven’t heard anything from them, but you apparently know everything about their plans?” I ask.
He raises his eyebrows in question, and the sides of his lips are upturned. “Your father and I had a very early meeting. I didn’t think there was a need to wake you,” he says by way of explanation.
“I didn’t sleep well and went for a run. How long are we going to be under house arrest this time?” I ask.
He lowers his eyes at me. “We’ll be on the highest level of security until the situation with Alfreita is resolved. It’s unfortunate we weren’t successful in getting to him at the same time we extracted your mom. That would have been ideal, but until we do, he is still a very real threat.”
I cringe at the meaning behind his words.What does it mean to get to someone?
“You didn’t really answer my question, Chase. Are we going to need to remain at the house or can we go into the office?” I ask.
He raises his eyebrows and his mouth quirks in outward annoyance at my continued questioning. “You should plan to work from here for the next couple of weeks. If you require anything in the way of technology or otherwise, let me know. If we’re finished with that subject, I’ve asked your parents to meet us for lunch today. They will most likely want to congratulate us on our engagement,” he says, taking a seat across from me.
“Chase, we need to discuss this further. I do not want to lie to my parents. Why is it so important for them to think we’re engaged? I don’t understand how our relationship has anything to do with Alfreita.”
He sighs and leans back in his chair with his coffee mug. “We organized a celebratory evening to officially announce our engagement. A gathering of this magnitude is needed to draw him out, but I would like to discuss a few things with your dad before we talk in greater depth about it. He’s finalizing the details as we speak and I should be able to explain everything to you this afternoon.”
He looks exhausted, and I fight the bubbling urge to wrap my arms around him. “No news then on Alfreita’s whereabouts?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee.
“You don’t believe this is the last we’ve heard of him, though?”
“Unfortunately not. The leverage Alfreita had for moving illegal product was holding your mom hostage. Now that we’ve got her back, he’s going to need to find a different way,” Chase says.
“Why don’t you just tell him that you weren’t responsible for tipping Interpol last year?”
“Katarina, there were millions of dollars of narcotics in that shipment. It’s not just him we are dealing with, it’s the suppliers, too. He’s trying to cover his own ass and will do whatever it takes to keep them happy. When our teams rescued your mom in Miami, even more of their production was lost. He’s looking for retribution now,” Chase says.
“Well maybe if you and my dad hadn’t blown it up he wouldn’t be out for revenge,” I say.
He lowers his eyes at me. “Katarina, we can discuss this in greater detail after I’ve talked with your father.”
“I guess we can talk about it later, then,” I say, opening my Mac with an aloofness that I do not feel.
Gaby brings a fresh carafe of coffee and Chase takes it from her to top off both of our mugs. The deep rich aroma of Columbian beans wafts through the morning breeze. I take a sip and murmur my appreciation to her before she goes inside. It is aromatic and robust, and not the slightest bit bitter, the same coffee we drink when we are in Aruba. I feel his intent gaze upon me and look up. His eyes, deep green and molten, capture mine and it’s hard to discern the fleeting emotion or turn away.
I pull my eyes away with difficulty; calling on my resolve, forcing myself to focus on the work at hand. I begin responding to emails, hoping Chase will leave me on my own. Instead, he sips his coffee and begins to concentrate on his MacBook. I steal a moment to gaze at him over the top of my computer. His eyes are hooded and controlled, focused on his work, seemingly unaffected by the distance between us.
I half-heartedly peruse my emails completely distracted. I see several from Jenny noticing she has been online extremely late each night. My heart hurts knowing she is recovering from a brutal attack endured at the hands of her boyfriend.
The sound of Chase’s phone pulls me from my reverie and I look up to see him watching me intently. I don’t know how long I have been in thought. “Hi Dad,” he says, pausing to listen for a few moments. “No, Brian’s got everything under control operationally. His father would be proud of the man he has become. I know, I’m going to miss having him around, too, but it’s time.” He pauses for a moment before responding. “Yes, we’ve got security tightened for everyone. I know it’s an imposition for her family, but it’s necessary, and it will only be for a short while,” he says before laughing out loud. “So true, Dad. By the way, did the attorneys get back to you with information on Torzial?” he asks.
I look up at the mention of Jenny’s company and connect with his watchful gaze. “I’m glad that Jenny and her company have been cleared of any wrongdoing,” he says before disconnecting.
“Jenny and Torzial were officially exonerated?” I ask.
