Chapter Four:
The Party - Part Two
And then they meet… and the world suffered.
Natalie inched towards the wall opposite from the group of giggly women surrounding the billionaire. He didn't pay attention to the women falling out of their dresses; there was one in particular that he was searching for. Irons' eyes scanned the crowd. He was too late. Natalie had already seated herself at a table in a far corner. Her hair wasn't down, so she was practically unrecognizable.
"Ms. Demino, Mr. Irons would like to converse with you after the party's end," a deep, fairly gravely voice said from behind Natalie. She whirled around to see the security guard standing behind her in a submissive stance with hands behind his back, and his head down. His dark eyelashes were pressed against his cheeks in an odd way. They were long, almost too long to be even a woman's.
"I'll be there," was Natalie's simple answer.
* *~* *
The hallway was intimidating. It was filled with paintings. Some were reproductions, others weren't. The statues that stood on small, white, Greek pillars looked ready to topple over. The stark black and white colors were harsh on Natalie's eyes.
"How much longer?" She asked in a bored voice.
"Three doors to go," was the security guard's -Alexander's- reply.
Three doors turned out to be 5 minutes. When they reached the aforementioned door, Natalie could only see a faint outline in the wall. Alexander pressed the top left corner, then the middle, the top right corner, then the middle again, then the bottom in the center, back to the middle, then the place where a knob would have been one of the earlier doors. Natalie filed the code into her brain for possible use later.
She walked into the room with her muscles tense. A huge black chair was turned away from her, facing a floor to ceiling window. With an electric whir it turned around. Natalie froze, sensing that Alexander had returned to the submissive stance that she had managed to talk him out of for a few minutes. Mr. Irons was seated in the chair with a smirk on his face.
"Ms. Demino, nice to finally meet you in person," he said without removing the smirk. He had a predatory gleam in his eyes.
Natalie shifted uncomfortably. "I wish I could say the same," she said with little inflection in her voice.
Irons smiled, it matched the gleam in his eyes. "Please sit." He gestured to the seat in front of the huge onyx desk. Natalie complied warily. "I have asked you to attend this event to discuss a bracelet which may have come into your possession." Natalie glanced involuntarily at her right hand. "It disappeared from an exhibit that was destroyed last month. You were one of the few people in the area that had access to the exhibit when you followed a criminal there, if I am correct."
Natalie nodded, but didn't offer more.
"I have reason to believe," Irons said, "that the bracelet has come into your possession."
Natalie did not respond she merely tilted her head to the side reminiscent of a small dog, inquiringly. "And why would you believe that?"
Irons smiled again, the same predatory smile that he flashed upon first meeting. "Because it is sitting on your wrist," he said nonchalantly.
The stone in the center of the bracelet flashed, illuminating the stark room with a red glow for a moment. "How can you be so sure? It's a family heirloom." Natalie smiled mockingly.
"So you have encountered your predecessors." Irons stated, rather that questioned. "I'm willing to bet that you have heard all about your past and your future."
"You would win that bet." Natalie said with a slight frown.
The stone on her wrist pulsated slightly. It wanted to send Natalie a vision, but she forced it back.
Irons looked imploringly at her. "I see." He said under his breath. "We could accomplish much together, you and I. Ms. Demino, may I call you Natalie?"
"No."
"Natalie," Irons said with a smirk, "it would be in your best interest to allow me to help you. I know the blade's secrets. I can help you control it." He smirked again.
"I do not want, nor do I need, you assistance," Natalie said with little intonation in her voice. "I will be leaving now."
"Beware, Natalie Demino," Irons said, "I am a formidable foe. Much more that the Internet," he said the word with disdain, "hackers you have so happily disposed of."
Natalie smiled. "That's what I counted on."
"I believe she may be stronger than we first believed," Alexander said softly.
"I know she is. She is cunning, beautiful, and strong. A worthy wielder. She will take some convincing, but rest assured that I am going to handle it." Irons grinned. "I rather like this one."
Alexander nodded with his eyes still on the ground. If his master had looked up from his brandy, he would have seen the flash of fierce hatred in Alexander's eye.
A/N: Soooooooooo Alex isn't as much of a wimp when it comes to Irons as my beloved Ian was. Hmmmm.
TO MY BELOVED REVIEWERS:
Eli: I am in a happy, lovey-dovey mood at the moment. Can you tell? I hope not. I am not intending for there to be much fluff between Alex and Nat, but yah never know what could happen…
Nanz: Why thank yah! I'm glad yah like it.
Divamercury: I just can't get over this picture of Alex in my head. HE IS THE ULTIMATE SEX SYMBOL!
DragonGrrrl: Y'know what? That made my day. I'm glad folks notice the details. It tells me ya'll actually read the story.
I WUV ALL OF MY REVIEWERS! I WUV YOU!
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