Chapter 14
Alex
* * *
Whoever said that good things happened when you did good had to be lying.
When I left Clarissa yesterday the woman was so overwhelmed with joy that she couldn’t stop crying. Thankfully I really did save the day, and stop things in their tracks before it got worse.
I was happy I’d been able to help and made a mental note of that being my one good deed of the day.
But then today hit.
I had the morning from hell when I got a call from the police because one of my clients decided it was a good idea to rob a bank to clear his debts. I had to refer the case to Preston because he was the best criminal defense lawyer I could think of.
Then the system crashed and I couldn’t access most of my notes for the rest of my meetings for the day. I had to improvise with Summer’s help. The time it took to get everything together meant that I couldn’t spend the time I wanted with her to take her to lunch, and there were points during the day when she came in to see me but I was with one person or another.
The worst part of the day though was saved for last.
Trouble came to find me as the last trace of daylight retracted into the evening sky.
It was my fault for answering the door without checking first to see who’d rang the bell. I’d gotten home before Summer and thought she must have forgotten her key.
How was I supposed to know that the evil queen was going to be the one standing on the opposite side of the door?
Celeste Langdon didn’t even wait for my invitation she just waltzed in, walking straight past me. Taking her place in the living room as if she owned it.
Just like her father, she moved with that air of authority that demanded attention.
She sat in the center of the largest sofa and put her feet up. The notion allowed her raven hair to fall to the side, along with that God awful slick black fur coat. To me it looked like the animal it was made from was about to regain the life it had lost and run out of the room. Away from her.
“God, why?” I had to ask.
As I walked into the living room she looked over at me and smiled that icy smile I hated from way back when we were kids and she used to get away with murder. It was as cold as her pale almost white blue glacier eyes.
My mother couldn’t stand her either, and always said to both Preston and me to stay away from her.
“Pick anyone else, but not that girl.”Those were my mother’s words exactly.
“Well hello Celeste, why don’t you come in, or better yet stay outside?” I said with a bright smile.
“Is that anyway to talk to a woman that could be your future wife?” She inclined her head to the side and laughed.
“Fuck off.” I kept the smile on my face and made my way around to sit on the love seat.
“I would love to, except that it would appear that our fathers are keen for us to get to know each other in the biblical sense.”
I would have laughed at the biblical reference if I didn’t feel so annoyed that my dad had still pursued the issue.
“I came to give you a test run.” She added. Her devilish smile widened making my skin crawl.
“No, not going to happen but thanks for stopping by. You know where the door is.” I waved my hand towards the door.
She laughed. “Alex, you have to be the only man alive that’s ever resisted me.”
“Please say Preston too.”
“I got a kiss out of him. Would have been more though if he wasn’t so drunk he passed out.” She cooed.