Chapter 12
"Calm down everyone." Victor's voice could be heard over the din noise of voices after the scream had died down. "Everything is ok, I'm sure it is just a blown fuse or broken circuit."
Chloe cursed her luck as she tried unsuccessfully to make her way through the crowd of people in the pitch black foyer. Suddenly she bumped into a strong male chest and warm hands reached up to hold her arms at her sides. Fighting the urge to kick the guys butt should he want to harm her she patiently said "Excuse me, I need to get through."
"Going so soon? I thought we could share an interlude seeing as how the lights have decided to give us the perfect cover."
Chloe suddenly saw a flash of white teeth as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and she had to bite back a groan as she wished she had acted on her earlier instinct to kick the guy's ass.
Chloe shivered, "Nicky, I swear if you don't let me go..." She never got to finish her sentence as the lights in the mansion suddenly came back on and the screaming began once again.
Brady had tracked the figure around to the pool house in the back of the mansion before he lost whoever it was who was trespassing on Victor's property. As he turned back around he was surprised to see that Nicole had followed him out of the house.
"Brady," she purred, "I knew you couldn't resist stealing away with me to have a quick fling before you have to pretend for that bitch Chloe again, come on honey no one is around out here let's have that quickie." With that she kissed him hard on the mouth and began pulling his shirt from his pants and unzipping his fly.
Damn this girl has more arms than an octopus! Brady thinks as he forcefully pushes Nicole away and wipes his lips with the arm of his jacket to remove any trace of her lips from his.
"DAMNIT NICOLE! Why can't you get it through that head of yours? I. LOVE. CHLOE. Not you and we will never have that kind of relationship, not now, not ever!
Nicole stumbled her way back toward Brady and poked him in the chest with her perfectly manicured finger. "YOU are going to regret the day that you ever said that to ME! You are playing with fire Black! Do you know what I am capable of? Why I could kill you as easily as...." Nicole's speech was interrupted when they suddenly heard screams coming from inside the mansion.
"Shit, what is going on tonight?" Brady asked himself as he began to run to the mansion, "We'll finish this later Nicole." You can count on it, Black Nicole thought to herself. One way or another that boy is going to be mine even if I have to get rid of the precious Diva to do it.
The party had come to a complete standstill after the lights had come back on. There in the middle of the dance floor was Roman Brady dead with a knife sticking out of his chest. Chloe had to stop herself from going over to examine the body but had secretly thanked Victor when he had asked her to be the one to call 911. She was able to fill Tek in on what had happened and what suspects were accounted for without arousing the suspicion of the other guests. Chloe quickly pocketed her cell phone and went back to tell Victor that the police were on their way and that no one was to leave the party.
Victor quickly ushered everyone out of the room and into the sitting area to wait for the police to arrive. He asked that Chloe and Nicholas stay in the room with the body with him as they had just arrived back into town and he did not consider them to be responsible for the murder. At least that is what he told the other guests, in reality he was giving them an opportunity to look over the body for any clues they could gather.
"I just don't understand this, Nicholas, Roman was a good man! Why on Earth would anyone want to kill him?" Chloe leaned down and started to look the body over for clues when suddenly Roman's eyes popped open and he grabbed her by the arm. Chloe jumped back slightly and began to shake but as quickly as it had occurred Roman let go and fell back onto the floor. Chloe was badly shaken by the incident and while Nicholas checked for a pulse she moved and sat a few feet away holding her knees to her chest.
"Is he...? "Nicholas nodded his head and Chloe began to cry. Nicholas went over and held her in his arms and as she cried into his chest he rocked her gently and whispered calming words to her. "This shouldn't upset me like this! Gawd! I am trained to handle these situations, but you didn't see his eyes...they were crying out for help, Nicky, and I couldn't do anything but sit there!"
"There wasn't anything you could do Chlo, I think it was just a last minute reflex before he died to reach out for help. He was too far gone; there is blood everywhere in here and you're not a doctor. Let it go baby, let it go." With that Nicholas held her close and kissed the top of her head.
Chloe was shocked by Nicholas's tenderness and moved her head to look up into his eyes to say thank you for being there, when what she saw shocked her. Unless it was her mind playing tricks on her Nicholas was looking at her the same way Brady used to when she was fighting for her life with leukemia. With eyes full of concern and...of love.
"Nicholas I...." Chloe began but was interrupted when Brady burst through the doorway.
Brady had walked back into the mansion and Henderson had filled him in on what had happened since he had taken his little trip. Brady quickly pushed his way through the grieving crowd and entered the room where Roman had been found. He first took in the sight of Roman's bloody body on the floor and then was shocked to see his Diva in another man's arms, namely his cousin's.
"What the hell is going on in here?" He bellowed.
Chloe began to explain how the lights had gone out and then Roman was found after they came on but Bray interrupted her. "Not that, I mean what the hell are you doing in his arms!"
Nicholas was shocked at how untrusting Brady was of Chloe and came over to intervene.
"Listen, let's just say that Roman there gave Chloe a little shock and she became upset so I was just trying to comfort her. She loves you, you need to trust that."
Brady visibly relaxed a little until Nicholas who was giving him the once over asked, "What were you doing while the light's were out anyway? Your shirt is all untucked and your zipper is open."
Until this statement all Chloe could do was stand in shock at how jealous Brady had become but as she noticed his appearance with Nicholas she couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on.
"Yes Brady I would like to know the answer to that question as well, why did you show up looking like you just got done having sex?"
"Calm down everyone." Victor's voice could be heard over the din noise of voices after the scream had died down. "Everything is ok, I'm sure it is just a blown fuse or broken circuit."
Chloe cursed her luck as she tried unsuccessfully to make her way through the crowd of people in the pitch black foyer. Suddenly she bumped into a strong male chest and warm hands reached up to hold her arms at her sides. Fighting the urge to kick the guys butt should he want to harm her she patiently said "Excuse me, I need to get through."
"Going so soon? I thought we could share an interlude seeing as how the lights have decided to give us the perfect cover."
Chloe suddenly saw a flash of white teeth as her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness and she had to bite back a groan as she wished she had acted on her earlier instinct to kick the guy's ass.
Chloe shivered, "Nicky, I swear if you don't let me go..." She never got to finish her sentence as the lights in the mansion suddenly came back on and the screaming began once again.
Brady had tracked the figure around to the pool house in the back of the mansion before he lost whoever it was who was trespassing on Victor's property. As he turned back around he was surprised to see that Nicole had followed him out of the house.
"Brady," she purred, "I knew you couldn't resist stealing away with me to have a quick fling before you have to pretend for that bitch Chloe again, come on honey no one is around out here let's have that quickie." With that she kissed him hard on the mouth and began pulling his shirt from his pants and unzipping his fly.
Damn this girl has more arms than an octopus! Brady thinks as he forcefully pushes Nicole away and wipes his lips with the arm of his jacket to remove any trace of her lips from his.
"DAMNIT NICOLE! Why can't you get it through that head of yours? I. LOVE. CHLOE. Not you and we will never have that kind of relationship, not now, not ever!
Nicole stumbled her way back toward Brady and poked him in the chest with her perfectly manicured finger. "YOU are going to regret the day that you ever said that to ME! You are playing with fire Black! Do you know what I am capable of? Why I could kill you as easily as...." Nicole's speech was interrupted when they suddenly heard screams coming from inside the mansion.
"Shit, what is going on tonight?" Brady asked himself as he began to run to the mansion, "We'll finish this later Nicole." You can count on it, Black Nicole thought to herself. One way or another that boy is going to be mine even if I have to get rid of the precious Diva to do it.
The party had come to a complete standstill after the lights had come back on. There in the middle of the dance floor was Roman Brady dead with a knife sticking out of his chest. Chloe had to stop herself from going over to examine the body but had secretly thanked Victor when he had asked her to be the one to call 911. She was able to fill Tek in on what had happened and what suspects were accounted for without arousing the suspicion of the other guests. Chloe quickly pocketed her cell phone and went back to tell Victor that the police were on their way and that no one was to leave the party.
Victor quickly ushered everyone out of the room and into the sitting area to wait for the police to arrive. He asked that Chloe and Nicholas stay in the room with the body with him as they had just arrived back into town and he did not consider them to be responsible for the murder. At least that is what he told the other guests, in reality he was giving them an opportunity to look over the body for any clues they could gather.
"I just don't understand this, Nicholas, Roman was a good man! Why on Earth would anyone want to kill him?" Chloe leaned down and started to look the body over for clues when suddenly Roman's eyes popped open and he grabbed her by the arm. Chloe jumped back slightly and began to shake but as quickly as it had occurred Roman let go and fell back onto the floor. Chloe was badly shaken by the incident and while Nicholas checked for a pulse she moved and sat a few feet away holding her knees to her chest.
"Is he...? "Nicholas nodded his head and Chloe began to cry. Nicholas went over and held her in his arms and as she cried into his chest he rocked her gently and whispered calming words to her. "This shouldn't upset me like this! Gawd! I am trained to handle these situations, but you didn't see his eyes...they were crying out for help, Nicky, and I couldn't do anything but sit there!"
"There wasn't anything you could do Chlo, I think it was just a last minute reflex before he died to reach out for help. He was too far gone; there is blood everywhere in here and you're not a doctor. Let it go baby, let it go." With that Nicholas held her close and kissed the top of her head.
Chloe was shocked by Nicholas's tenderness and moved her head to look up into his eyes to say thank you for being there, when what she saw shocked her. Unless it was her mind playing tricks on her Nicholas was looking at her the same way Brady used to when she was fighting for her life with leukemia. With eyes full of concern and...of love.
"Nicholas I...." Chloe began but was interrupted when Brady burst through the doorway.
Brady had walked back into the mansion and Henderson had filled him in on what had happened since he had taken his little trip. Brady quickly pushed his way through the grieving crowd and entered the room where Roman had been found. He first took in the sight of Roman's bloody body on the floor and then was shocked to see his Diva in another man's arms, namely his cousin's.
"What the hell is going on in here?" He bellowed.
Chloe began to explain how the lights had gone out and then Roman was found after they came on but Bray interrupted her. "Not that, I mean what the hell are you doing in his arms!"
Nicholas was shocked at how untrusting Brady was of Chloe and came over to intervene.
"Listen, let's just say that Roman there gave Chloe a little shock and she became upset so I was just trying to comfort her. She loves you, you need to trust that."
Brady visibly relaxed a little until Nicholas who was giving him the once over asked, "What were you doing while the light's were out anyway? Your shirt is all untucked and your zipper is open."
Until this statement all Chloe could do was stand in shock at how jealous Brady had become but as she noticed his appearance with Nicholas she couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on.
"Yes Brady I would like to know the answer to that question as well, why did you show up looking like you just got done having sex?"