Annihilate Me (Vol. 4) (The Annihilate Me Series) (17 page)

“And
what do you think my mission was?”

“Profits.
 
Outsourcing.
 
Something less rather than something
more.
 
That sort of thing.”

“The
perfumes I created are best-sellers.
 
You can never duplicate them.”

“We
don’t want to.
 
Those products also
will end, and new perfumes will emerge.
 
You need to think concept here, Adrianna.
 
We’re changing up everything.”
 

When
I said that, I was aware of a photograph being taken of us to my right.
 
I immediately looked over and saw the
figure of a man step away from us, though the flash was so bright, I couldn’t
see who took the photo.
 

My
heart started to pound.
 
Adrianna
was looking at me coolly.
 
Is she
the one?
 
Is it her?
 
I wouldn’t know unless I was sent a
threatening email with a photo attached to it—and if Tank could prove
that someone connected to Bomba took it.
 

“Do
you mind if I ask what your background is in?” she asked.

“Business.”

“You
look a little too young to me to be making the sort of decisions you’re making
now.”

“I
believe you just said you began in your twenties.”

“Let’s
put this into perspective.
 
When I
was in my mid-twenties, which is where I guess you are at this point, I was
making over five million dollars a year.
 
By thirty, I was making over fifty million.
 
By forty—yes, forty—I was
making over two hundred million.
 
How much have you made, Jennifer?
 
How successful do you think you really are?
 
Because for me?
 
You’re not successful.
 
You just happen to have landed in the
lap of Alexander Wenn, who has given you the illusion of success.”

“My
success or failure will be tested through Wenn Cosmetic, and many other
ventures.
 
As for Wenn Cosmetic, I
think we have a winner.”

“Since
you’re getting rid of my name, I guess we’ll see.”

“I
guess we will.
 
Anyway, it was nice
meeting you, Adrianna.
 
Alex and I
should mix.”
 
I reached down and
took Alex’s hand in mine as he said his own farewell to her.
 
We started to walk away only to hear, at
our backs, her cold voice railing against them.

“You’re
no Diana,” she said.
 
“Everyone here
knows that, girl.
 
They’re all
talking about it.
 
You’ve been
compared and dismissed.
 
It’s
probably best that you know that as you go into the crowd and start your
mixing.
 
Because when you do?
 
That’s what they’ll all be thinking.”

*
 
*
 
*

“Jennifer—”
Alex began with a note of anger in his voice.

“Just
keep walking,” I said to him.
 
“Don’t hesitate.
 
I’m not
going to give her the reaction she wants.
 
I just devastated that woman—which is pretty much what I was told
to do—and Bomba knows it.
 
So,
we walk.
 
Ignoring her is the best
way to handle that kind of remark.
 
She wants a show, but she’s not going to get one from me.
 
I believe I provided a rather
significant one that last time we were here when I slapped down
Immaculata.
 
Now.
 
Touch glasses with me.
 
That will send her over the edge.”

He
did and both of us sipped our martinis.

“You’re
incredible.”

“No
I’m not.
 
I’m just trying to figure
out how the game is played.”

“And
I’m afraid it is a game.”

“With
some of them, though not with all of them.
 
Remember Peachy.
 
She didn’t
have to do any of this for us, but she did.
 
Henri also has decided to stand up for
us—he’s throwing the next party.
 
And then there’s Addy.
 
I
love him.
 
All of them are good
people.”

“I
agree.”

We
moved through the crowd and I was aware that many people were watching us,
likely because it was now well documented that Alex and I were under fire by
some unknown entity, and were back from obscurity to face it.
 

I
tried to appear relaxed and as if I was having a good time.
 
But I wasn’t.
 
It wasn’t what Adrianna had said to me
that troubled me—I could care less about her.
 
It was the photograph that was taken of
us while she was talking to me that was eating away at me.
 
At any moment, I expected to hear the
cell in my clutch sound with a ding, and then vibrate, indicating that an email
had been received.
 
It was
coming.
 
I knew it was.
 
And while a part of me was dreading it,
another part of me welcomed it because it would mean that all of this might
have worked.
 
Maybe it was Bomba.
 
If an email was sent, we could be on the
verge of knowing.

“You’re
aware that a photograph was taken of us, aren’t you?” I asked Alex.

“I
am.”

“I
looked but I couldn’t see who did it, though I could tell that it was a man.”

“I
couldn’t see his face, either.
 
The
flash was too bright.”

“Unlike
the last time, there are no paparazzi here tonight.
 
Peachy listened to Tank and refused to
allow them in.
 
So, who in your set
would randomly come up and take our photograph?
 
I have a feeling that’s something that
isn’t done.”

“With
the old money?
 
No.
 
With the new money?
 
Anything is possible.
 
The good news is that Tank will have it
on video.
 
I’m sure he saw it when
it happened.
 
We’ll hear from him
soon enough.”
 
He looked at me.
 
“Time to leave?”

“We
should thank Peachy and let Tank know that we’re going.”

“Stay
with me tonight?”

I
looked at him, and saw in his eyes a mixture of protection and concern, but
mostly love.
 
“I’m absolutely
staying with you tonight,” I said.
 
“I want to snuggle into bed with you, and for the first time today,
truly feel safe.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

As
we stepped out of the elevator at Alex’s apartment, his cell rang and gave me a
start.

I
watched him pull it out of his jacket pocket and look down at the screen to see
who was calling.
 
He then looked up
at me and said, “We’re fine.
 
It’s
Tank.”
 

He
answered the phone.
 
“What’s up,
buddy?
 
Yes, we also saw someone
taking our photograph, but neither Jennifer nor I could tell who it was because
of the flash.
 
Could you see?”
 
A beat passed.
 
“It was Michael?
 
Really?
 
Why would Peachy’s grandson take our photo?”

I
folded my arms around myself, frustrated that I couldn’t hear what Tank was
saying.
 
I was dying to hear.
 
Alex saw my frustration and hit the
‘speaker phone’ button.
 
Tank’s deep
voice filled the foyer.
 

“…simple.
 
He wanted a photo of you two.
 
I questioned him, and he was full of
apologies.
 
He said that he hasn’t
seen you in years, Alex, not since you two were kids.
 
He said that he wanted to meet Jennifer.
 
When he approached you, he saw that you
were involved with Bomba, so he just snapped a quick photo with his phone with
the intent of catching up with you later.
 
But then you left.
 
What
happened with Bomba, by the way?
 
It
looked intense.”

“It
was intense.
 
Jennifer slayed her to
the ground like the warrior she is.
 
And then she set fire to her.”

“I
had a feeling it wasn’t going well.
 
At least from the expression I saw on Bomba’s face.”

“I
wish you could have heard Jennifer.
 
Talk about laying someone flat.
 
I’ve seen her do it before.
 
And while I don’t know where it comes from, I have to say it’s kind of
fun to watch.”

“Is
Jennifer there?”

“I’m
here, Tank.
 
Alex has us on speaker
phone.”

“I
thought so.
 
I can hear the
echo.
 
Good job tonight.
 
Have you received anything yet?”

“Nothing.
 
I checked my cell in the elevator.
 
Not a thing.”

“Before
we rule out Bomba, we give it a couple of days.
 
Unless something has changed that I
don’t know about, Dufort is having his party for you in three days, correct?”

“That’s
correct.”

“I
have the guest list.
 
As you’d
expect, there are some Peachy crossovers, but only a few.
 
The good news is that the majority of
people there will be a fresh batch.”

“Excellent,”
Alex said.
 
“Especially if we
receive nothing from tonight.”

“With
the exception of Michael, we saw no evidence of anyone taking your
photograph.
 
Obviously, we could
have missed something—there’s always a margin of error.
 
That said, if someone did take your
photograph with the intent of using it to threaten either of you, I think
you’ll know by later tonight, or, at the very latest, by tomorrow.
 
Whoever is doing this tends to act
quickly.
 
Is there anything else I
can do for you?”

“I
think we’re good.”

“Thanks
so much, Tank,” I said.

“My
pleasure, Jennifer.”

“Are
you going home now?”

He
hesitated.
 
“I guess so.
 
Yes.”

“I
think Lisa is awake and writing,” I said.
 
“Would you mind giving her a call?
 
She’s probably lonely.
 
I
would, but after tonight, I’m beat.
 
We’re going to bed.”

He
was quiet for a moment, but then he said, “I’ll give her a call.”

“I
think she’d appreciate that.
 
And,
yes, Tank, I’m meddling.”

“I
had a feeling you were.
 
Anything
else I can do for you two tonight?”

I
glanced up at Alex, who shook his head.
 
“No, thank you, Tank.
 
Please
tell Lisa that I’m thinking of her and that I love her.
 
If you would let her know that I’ll be
staying with Alex tonight, I’d appreciate it.”

“I’ll
be sure to let her know,” he said.

And
the line went dead.

*
 
*
 
*

“You’re
meddling?” Alex asked as we stepped deeper into his apartment.

“Maybe
a little.”

“With
what?”

“Maybe
their relationship.”

“I
thought all was going well.”

“It
could be going better.
 
I think both
are frustrated.”

“Is
something holding them back?”

“Trust
issues.
 
Bad former breakups all
around.
 
But there is an attraction
there.
 
Each of them just needs to
work through it.
 
I’m nudging a bit
because I like him a lot.
 
I can see
them together.”

“So
can I.”
 
He furrowed his brow.
 
“I’m kind of surprised they’re not
hitting it off.
 
They got along so
well the night we all went out to dinner.”