Black and Blue (Black and Blue Series) (10 page)

“
Dad we need to talk,” she said and put her hands on her hips. He looked up at her, and then glanced behind her to where she knew Ryan and Robert were standing.

“
Thank you, Cynthia, if it wasn’t for you, I would forget to eat all the time,” he said and smiled at her. Jamie wondered why she’d never seen that her father and Cynthia were crazy about each other.

“
William, you have me to remind you,” she said and placed her hand on his shoulder. Then she moved away toward Jamie and the door. Cynthia smiled at her and winked.

n>
“
Dad I don’t want a bodyguard, please don’t make me,” she pleaded, and he smiled.

“
I knew you would be in here about this. Jamie I think this is best for now,” he said and walked over to his large black leather chair and sat down.

“
I will keep my phone on and you can use your stupid GPS on me. Please, I need my time alone and not being watched by your men.” She knew Robert would report every little thing to her father and Ryan. “If not I’ll move out. I’m not a little kid anymore and I don’t want to be treated like one.”

Her father closed his eyes and let his head hit the back of his chair
. “Fine, but if I can’t get a hold of you, that’s it. You will have Robert glued to your side. Do you understand?”

She nodded and
grinned. “Thank you, dad,” she said and held up the package. “I just got my mask.”

“
Good aren’t you and Emily going shopping today for dress?” he asked and she realized she’d totally forgotten to ask her.

“
I think so.” Jamie would have to call her when she got to her room.

Her father stood up and walked to her; he reached into
his back pocket and handed her a credit card. She took it and looked down at it. It had her name on it. She looked back at him with confusion on her face, she’d asked him for her own credit card a while ago and he’d told her she wasn’t responsible enough for one.

“
It doesn’t have a limit on it,” he said and took her for another surprise.

Jamie shook her head
. “I thought you said I couldn’t have a card until I was older.”

He smiled at her.
“You are older and I think you are smart enough to have one. I know you won’t go crazy with it. You can get yours and Emily’s dress today.”

She threw
herself at him and hugged him. “Thank you so much!” she yelled and he laughed.

“
You’re welcome, but I better be able to get a hold of you.” She nodded, turned to walk out and smirked at Ryan. Jamie was pretty sure he was the one that wanted to have someone watching her every move and she’d won. Up in her bedroom she grabbed her phone and called Emily.

Three rings later she picked
up. “Hey, Jamie,” Emily said.

“
My dad just gave me a credit card and he said I can get us dresses for the masquerade ball. Want to come get me and we can talk about tonight?”

“
Really? That is awesome! I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

Jamie l
aughed as she put her phone in her purse. After a moment, she dug through her underwear and pulled out Henry’s phone and dropped it in her purse as well. She walked down stairs and out the front the door. Emily was wai toomily wating outside. They drove to the mall and Jamie remembered the ball dresses she’d seen a week earlier. They walked in and every color you could think of, hung off the walls, but one caught Jamie’s eye.

The dress was a dark green
silk and she knew that it would make her eyes pop. Emily went to look at the different dresses, but Jamie was still drawn to the dark green one. She put her hand on it and it felt softer than she’d imagined it would feel. Little sparkling dark green gems with a sprinkle of silver gems decorated the gown. She knew the dress would match her mask perfectly.

“
Can I help you?” A woman asked and Jamie nodded.

“
Can I try this on?” Jamie never took her eyes off of the dress.

She told the sa
les woman her size and followed her back into the dressing room area. The woman opened a door and walked in first to hang the green dress. Jamie smiled at her and then shut the door. She took off her clothes and gently took the beautiful dress off of the delicate hanger. She carefully slid it on and the dress felt like silk against her skin. The top of the dress was a sweetheart cut and tight fitting, it loosen up below her hips and flared out to a huge ball grown skirt. Jamie took a deep breath, and turned around to look at herself.

The wall was a huge mirror and her mouth fell open
. The dress looked amazing on her and fit her perfectly. She moved her hands to her hair to see what it would look like with it back. This was her dress. She reached for the tag and groaned at the price. Jamie knew her father was really wealthy, but she didn’t like to spend money unless she needed to. The cost of the dress was so high that she could buy so much more if she didn’t get it.

She walked out of the dressing room wearing her perfect dress to
find Emily. A royal blue mask caught her eye, and she knew it would look amazing on Henry. She was planning on asking him to go later that night. No one would know it was him because of the mask, and she wanted to dance with him. Jamie found Emily looking at a bright red dress.

“
You should try it on,” Jamie said and she nodded. Slowly Emily turned around and her mouth dropped open.

“
Oh my gosh! Please tell me that you are getting that dress.” She pointed at Jamie and shook her head. “You know, you make it hard to be your best friend when you look that good.”

Jamie laughed
. “Whatever. When you try on that smoking red dress you will look a hundred times better than me.”

Emily arched a brown eyebrow at her, and shook her head.
“I don’t believe that, but wait here while I try this on,” Emily said and waved the same woman over to help.

Jamie turned to watch them walk back to the dressing rooms
. About five minutes later Emily came out looking beautiful. Her long, dark-brown hair with red highlights, and hazel eyes looked great with the dress. The red would have washed Jamie out, but on Emily’s tanned skin it looks amazing. “Wow,” Jamie said, and Emily beamed at her.

“
You think sdth>You tho?” Emily asked as she turned in a complete circle. Jamie nodded speechless and Emily jumped up and down. “We found our dresses!”

Jamie and Emily walked back to change into their clothes and Jamie was done first
. She handed her new credit card to the woman and smiled. The woman’s blue bracelet caught Jamie’s eye. She wondered how it would be to wait on someone else while the other person did nothing for themselves. The only Blue she’d ever really known was Cynthia and she wouldn’t put up with Jamie’s crap, she had to still clean up after herself. Emily’s maid won’t make her do anything because her parents wouldn’t put up with it. Without a second thought, Jamie added the royal blue mask for Henry to her purchase.

Emily came out and they
each picked out a pair of shoes to go with their new dresses. After shopping they went out for lunch.

“
So Henry is a Blue, isn’t he,” Emily said.

Jamie didn’t have a
ny choice but to tell her best friend everything. She told her how she’d found out that Henry was a Blue, how she’d gone to the club to confront him, and how her father had shot up the club looking for her. Jamie told her how at the club she and Henry’d had their first kiss and how perfect he was.

Emily sat in complete silence for what seemed like forever
. “You have it bad for him don’t you?”

Jamie laughed and nodded
. She had it horribly bad for him and liked it. She wouldn’t want it any other way and knew it wouldn’t be an easy road for them to be together, but he was worth it. “I do, and I think he does too. And how he kisses me makes my bones turn to liquid,” she said with a smile. She paused and then said, “I need you to do something for me. I need you to go to a movie with Mike and take my phone with you. My dad will be tracking me and I need to be there, but not be there. Henry and I can’t be seen together at a movie.”

Emily sighed
, but held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

Jamie dug her phone out of her pocket and handed it to her best friend
. “You are amazing, thank you.”

Emily laughed and shook her head
. “I know, but I get to sit in a dark movie theater with a hot guy, so I am amazing and selfish.”

Jamie grinned
. “That works for me.” The phone Henry had given her buzzed in her purse and she took it out. One new text message was waiting for her.

Hey sweetheart, I’
m leaving your house now. I can’t wait to see you again. I’ll call you when we can meet up. I’ll be counting the seconds until then.

Jamie felt a
smile spread across her face.

“
I take it that was his text message you were reading,” Emily said and Jamie looked up from the phone.

“
What makes you think that?” Jamie asked, and kept the smile on her face.

E a size="mily arched her eyebrows
. “Your smile almost slit you face open and I have never seen you so happy before.”

Jamie had never been this happy
, not even with Ryan. They’d fought all the time and it would drive her crazy not knowing if he was in a good mood or a bad one. It was like she was always walking on eggshells with him or active landmines. “I am happy, but I’m so scared. I know what I’m doing isn’t smart, but I can’t stop myself. I want him like I have never wanted anyone else before.”

Emily reached for Jamie’s hand and squeezed tightly.
“I would be scared too, your father can get crazy when it comes to the laws and this is the number one rule not to break. You remember the history lessons. The Blues are always the one to be killed and we both know your father won’t kill you. From what I can see, you have it bad for him and it has only been a couple of days,” Emily said.

Jamie knew she was right it
was something she thought about. She couldn’t live with herself if something happened to Henry because she wanted him. She was the one who went looking for him at his club, but he was the one who kissed her. “I know I should stay away from him, but I don’t think I’m strong enough.” He was all she could think of, his kisses lingered on her lips, and she couldn’t wait to see him again.

Emily gav
e Jamie’s hand one last squeeze and took her hand back. “It won’t be easy for you and him, but if he is what you want, then don’t fight it. You can deal with your father later. Right now just enjoy what you two have.”

Jamie knew she should tell Emily about the revolution and about Mike and Henry being the leaders, but
didn’t. There was no one she trusted more in the world than her best friend, but it wasn’t the time to tell her, and Emily could only take so much before she broke.

The plan was for Mike to come into the theater and to give Jamie the motorcycle helmet. That way, no one saw her get onto the motorcycle. She and Emily were waiting inside the dark movie theater for Mike, and her eyes were glued on the door watching for him. She and Henry would only have two hours together and she was fine with that.

A f
ew minutes later Mike walked in and she stood up to show him where they were sitting. He walked toward them and her heart pounded in her chest; Henry was waiting for her outside in the alley.

“
Hi Jamie,” Mike said and handed her the helmet. “It’s chilly outside.” He handed her a black leather jacket and she put it on. She put her hand into the pocket and she felt something, her eyebrows furrowed together. “Put it on now,” he said and moved passed her to sit down next to Emily.