CH 5: The Masquerade Party (And The Night Worsens)

"Your what?!"

"My wife, Cos. We met in Thailand." Felix shrugged his shoulders, "What can I say? It was love at first sight."

Delphine smiled weakly.

Cosima swayed on the spot. Her mouth was arid, to the point where it tasted bitter. And she was hot. She was so hot. It's as if the thermostat had suddenly been cranked up. And her vision. Cosima shook her head lightly, to rid the blurriness from her eyes.

"I don't…" Cosima slurred. "I…"

Cosima lost her balance, and in turn, her footing.

Delphine caught the petite woman in her arms, and held her steady. "Are you okay?"

"What's wrong, Cos?"

"I…I'm, uh, just a bit queasy. I need to use the washroom. Excuse me."

Delphine kept her arms around Cosima. "I'll go with you."

Cosima still had the mindset to say, "We're not done here, Fee."

Delphine had to practically carry Cosima; it was like teaching a child to walk again. Security personnel directed them to a VIP area, and with it, a secluded bathroom. Delphine had a feeling it was because they recognized Cosima, and the fact that she was a Black. If she had been by herself, they wouldn't have given a rat's ass about her.

With her mask and glasses off, Cosima proceeded to rinse her face with ice cold water. She needed the shock. Then she took a mouthful of water, to quench her seemingly unquenchable thirst. Something was wrong. She wasn't feeling herself. She felt like she was having an out of body experience. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't focus or concentrate. She felt drained, but she wasn't tired; her mind was spinning a mile a minute, but her body wanted to shut down.

"Are you feeling better?"

Cosima turned off the tap. She leaned against the counter, and stared at the reflection that was Delphine. Her eyes were fixated on the mirror, and with it, the reflection within.

Delphine noticed Cosima's intense gaze on her. It was impossible to miss. But she said nothing.

Cosima turned to face Delphine. Without her glasses, she struggled to see the woman before her. She closed the distance between their bodies.

With her back to the wall, Delphine couldn't move. She wasn't the least bit intimated. Cosima's movement was slow, gentle almost. She meant her no harm.

"What are you doing, Cosima?"

"I want to see your face."

From the first moment Cosima laid eyes on Delphine, the mask had always been a barrier that stood in her way. She wanted to see Delphine, the real Delphine, not the masquerade she had built around herself. Cosima gently lifted Delphine's golden mask off. And there she was, in all her imperfect perfection. Cosima had never seen a woman as ethereally breathtaking as the creature that stood before her now. Her heart quickened.

Cosima was standing dangerously close. Delphine could feel Cosima's warm breath on her lips. But that wasn't what caught her attention. Delphine found herself drawn to Cosima's hazel eyes, but not for those reasons. She hadn't noticed it before, on account of the lack of lighting, the mask, and her glasses, but from such a close proximity, it was undeniable. Cosima's pupils were noticeably dilated.

"Cosima?" Delphine wrapped her arm around the woman, again. "Did you take anything tonight?"

"Tell me it isn't true." Cosima answered, "Tell me you didn't marry Felix."

Delphine didn't have time to mess around. Not when it came to something as serious as overdosing. And that's when she realized she left her clutch with Felix. It had both her cellphone and car keys. It would be next to possible to find Felix again, in the sea of human bodies.

"What room are you staying at?" Delphine picked Cosima up, and walked her out to the lobby. "We'll get you settled. And if need be, I'm calling you an ambulance."

"My room is on the fourteenth floor. It has a giant picture window. And paintings of unicorns on the walls."

Delphine rummaged through Cosima's bag, and found a keycard for room #1418. Her first reaction was to call an ambulance, but on second thought, she wanted to get Cosima to her room first. If she searched her room, and found whatever narcotic she ingested, then maybe, maybe she could keep this hush-hush, and in turn, spare Cosima the trouble.

The elevator arrived, and the doors parted. Inside was an elevator operator, with a uniform and a red masquerade mask.

"The fourteenth floor, please."

"Certainly."

The doors closed.

Delphine kept Cosima on her two feet the best she could, but it was proving difficult to do.

The elevator dinged. And the doors came undone. It was fast; too fast. The panel light indicated the second floor.

"I said the fourteenth floor."

"I know."

And that's when Delphine felt something foreign jab itself into her rib. It was quite obvious what it was. But even so, Delphine couldn't help but look. It was a 9mm pistol of some sort.

"Move it. Now."

"Are we...there?" Cosima slurred, "...come to my room. I'll show you my unicorn."

"Not now, Cosima. Not now."

- o -

When Rachel said the resort was one of a kind, she wasn't kidding. The place was twice the size of its next competing rival. Donnie had left Alison with Sarah and Paul, and decided to have some alone time. He didn't like the socializing aspect of the party, or the ass-kissing part. And on that front, he and Cosima had something in common. He knew for a fact that she, too, despised these kinds of events. But unfortunately, she didn't pick up any of his calls; they all went straight to voicemail. He didn't have any luck bumping into her on the dance floor either. So once again, he found himself alone with his thoughts.

After a few turns and a flight of stairs, Donnie found himself at the entrance of the in-house casino. Donnie had no idea the place existed. Alison made no mention of it either. The place was huge, and had quite a few visitors already. There were plenty of slot machines near the back. And near the front, were more than a few floor tables. They had almost every game imaginable: black jack, craps, roulette, and they even had baccarat!

Donnie found himself drawn to the empty baccarat table. He's never been much of a gambler, but he's seen the game played by none other than James Bond, in the 1967 Casino Royale film. He remembered watching it as a kid, back when James Bond was played by David Niven; way before Daniel Craig's time.

"Fancy a game, Sir?"

"You talking to me?"

"Try your luck."

Donnie shook his head, "Sadly, there's no such thing as luck. In the game of baccarat, it's simply a matter of statistical probability and wild card variant."

"Like I said, try your luck."

Donnie thought about it for a second. He knew how to play. And he's always fancied the game; he just never actively sought out an opportunity to play. "How many decks do you use?"

"Our game is Punto Banco. We use six decks."

Donnie emptied his wallet. He had around $300. He handed the dealer his money, and took a seat.

"Alright. Let's try my so called 'luck', shall we?"

- o -

The party was finally winding down. People were starting to thin out. The entire masquerade party, from start to finish, had drained everything Alison had. By the time she finally called it a night, Sarah and Paul had to practically carry her to her room. Well, that and the dozen drinks she had; half of those were Jell-O shots.

Even though Alison was the older one, and she definitely acted that way, too, but every now and then, Sarah treasured the chance to reciprocate the favor. Sarah made sure Ali was out of those killer heels; and in her comfy pajamas, and tucked comfortably under the duvet, before she closed the door behind her. Sarah and Alison were on the same floor, as opposed to the others, where they were scattered throughout.

The first thing Sarah did was kick off her own pair of heels; she felt liberated. Sarah found Paul by the nightstand, his gaze locked on his phone.

"What's wrong, babe?"

Paul fidgeted for a moment, before he said, "Do you think it's too late to give Kira a call?"

"It's twelve-forty three in the morning, Paul, of course it's too late to call." Sarah said, as she continued her mission to disrobe. "Besides, if there was an emergency, Rose would've called. We left her our number."

Paul simply nodded. It made sense. He turned off his phone. Paul then followed Sarah's trail of destruction; he picked up everything in his path.

Sarah's heart dropped, when she saw what Paul was doing. He was a loving father, and a dotting husband; she didn't deserve him. And that sense of burden and guilt had been eating away at her, little by little, ever since Dr. Schultz dropped that bombshell on her.

Paul dumped all the dirty clothes in the hamper, and placed the set of heels by the closet door.

"Will you, please, stop being so responsible, for once in your life?!" Sarah didn't mean to shout, and she most certainly didn't mean to direct her anger at Paul. If fact, that anger was misdirected; she was angry with herself. The more Paul cared, the more she hated herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

Paul wasn't the best reader when it came to emotions, but he could tell something was bothering her. "What's the matter with you? You've been antsy this entire trip. First it was Kira, then Cosima, and now this. Talk to me."

Sarah wanted to tell Paul the truth, right then and there, but she was a coward; she couldn't find the courage to break his heart, and perhaps more importantly, their marriage. So she lied. "I'm still upset about Kira, is all. I don't know what I'll do if something happens to her."

Paul pulled Sarah into a tight embrace, and kissed her. "I know, babe, but there's nothing we can do. Dr. Schultz says it's nothing to worry about. So you shouldn't either. Okay?"

"Okay."

Paul threw his blazer down, and began to undress. "I was actually talking to Rachel about Kira earlier this morning. She says it's strange. Anemia doesn't run in your side of the family. Not in mine either. I wonder where she got it from."

Sarah wasn't in the right mindset to think on her feet. She did the only thing she could do at that moment. She pulled Paul in for a hard kiss. The kiss was rough. But the moment Paul's lips livened, the kiss grew softer, much gentler. Sarah found herself humming into Paul's mouth, as his callous hands circled her waist.

The passion between their bodies intensified. Paul pulled away, but only just for a moment. He wanted to undo his pants, but Sarah caught his hands and stopped him.

"Don't. You look dashing in a suit; don't let it go to waste. I want you to keep it on," Sarah grabbed a lock of Paul's hair, and whispered quietly, "When you're fucking me raw."

Sarah shoved Paul onto his back. His bowtie was undone, and his blazer was off, but the rest of his tuxedo remained intact. Sarah climbed on top, and grabbed his cock. It was hard. Sarah took in a sharp breath of Paul's cologne, and said, "Take it out."

Paul was eager to comply. He undid his fly, and with a tug, he exposed himself. It didn't take much to get him riled up. It's been weeks since they were last intimate. And quite honestly, he hasn't been in the mood lately, given everything that's on his plate.

Sarah marvel at the sight. The look of lust he had written on his chiseled face sent a jolt of shiver down her spine. She was in her night gown; she wasn't wearing any panties. She straddled Paul at the hips, lifted the hem of her gown, and proceeded to sit down on him, in an excruciatingly slow manner. Sarah paused at different intervals. Every time she felt Paul enter her, bit by bit, she would pause, linger, and would continue the naughty ministration. Sarah did this until Paul's rock hard cock filled her completely.

Paul sat up, and into an easier penetrating position. He buried his face in Sarah's breast, as his lips roamed the sensitive land.

Sarah's hips moved with a mind of its own. She grabbed Paul's head, and she buried it in her chest. She didn't want him to see her cry. She cried. Because all she could do, was cry.

- o -

Delphine kept Cosima closed. By this point, she was already out of it. They were being led down a hallway. The gunman was behind them. Delphine no longer felt the barrel of the gun pressed against her, though she was far from being safe. If this was a one-on-one hostage situation, Delphine was confident she would be able to handle herself — she's seen and been in worse situations — but she wasn't alone, that's the problem.

Delphine had no idea where they were being led. It could be into any one of the many rooms on this floor. It was a difficult decision, but one that had to be made. If they complied and did as he said, the moment that door closed behind them, there's no way they'll live to see another day. Delphine knew that for a fact. But if she fought back, there might be a chance one, or both, of them surviving. But it was going to be difficult to do, given Cosima's current disposition.

"You only have yourself to blame, lady. I only wanted that arrogant cunt. But you had to stick your nose where it didn't belong."

He wanted Cosima, not her. And that gave her an idea. Delphine brought her lips to Cosima's ear, and hoped for the best. "This is going to hurt. So get ready."

Cosima couldn't move her body, much less reply. The sensation resembled locked-in syndrome; it was every bit as frustrating as it was frightening.

With unadulterated force, Delphine shoved Cosima to the other side of the hallway. The force of the blow knocked Cosima against the wall. She went down with a solid thud.

At the sudden movement, the madman trained his gun at Cosima.

He had one gun, but two bodies. And unfortunately for him, he chose to guard the wrong body.

Delphine charged at him with such speed and agility, the gunman failed to react, nor did he know how to react. He still had his gun, stupidly, pointed at an incapacitated Cosima. The moment the gunman was within striking distance, Delphine rained down on him with everything she had. This was, literally, a life and death battle, and she had no intention of losing.

Delphine delivered a closed palm strike to his windpipe. She followed through with a chaser, only it wasn't juice that was being served. She kept her right arm straight and delivered a back fist blow, aimed with precision at his temple, for maximum effect.

The gunman went down hard, but even so, he kept his fingers latched onto the pistol for dear life.

Delphine grabbed his hand, and placed it in a wristlock. It wasn't hard to do, not when your target was on the floor, and flat on his back. The pistol hit the floor with a hard thump. Delphine kicked the gun down the hallway, and out of reach. The moment she did so, she essentially defanged him; he wasn't an immediate threat. But she wasn't done with him. Not by a long shot.

The perp was on his hands and knees, dazed and winded. Delphine closed the gap, and without hesitation, she kneed him in the face with a hard right. The shot was delivered point blank; Delphine delivered maximum pain and damage.

Cosima couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Holy watershed, Batman."

Though the immediate threat had been eliminated, they were still in danger. With a bit of quick thinking, Delphine ran to the nearest fire alarm, and she pulled down on it. The moment she did, the sprinkler system activated, and the entire hallway was doused in water.

"Watch out!"

Delphine turned around, but it was too late. She held her arms out, and prayed for the best.

The madman came rushing at Delphine with a switchblade. The sharp blade pierced the delicate skin with ease. Delphine fumbled backwards. He came at her again, only this time, Delphine was ready, and she evaded the best she could, by sidestepping the blade.

"HEY! YOU!" Security shouted, "Arrêter!"

The madman froze in midstride. He gave the girls one last fleeting look, and decided to bolt the other way. He sprinted down corridor, and ducked into a nearby stairwell.

Three security personnel gave chase, while one stayed behind.

"Are you okay, Ms. Black?"

Delphine was by Cosima's side. "Get her up. We need to get her to a hospital. She needs immediate medical attention."

Something caught Cosima's eye. Without thinking, Cosima poked at something red.

Delphine hissed painfully. Cosima practically jabbed her entire index finger in her gaping knife wound.

"You're bleeding, Delphine." Cosima rolled her head back, and snorted a giggle, "Angels don't bleed."

- o -

Penthouse twenty-three was the single largest suite the resort had to offer. And inside this luxury suite, was a raging party of its own. Only unlike the masquerade party, this party was exclusive to only a select few.

There were two types of people at this party: venture capitalists, and high-priced call girls. You either belonged in one category, or the other; there were no shades of grey. It was an open style buffet, though it wasn't food or drinks that was being served. The highlight of tonight's cuisine was cocaine. And there were lots of it. There were tiny mounts of the white powdery goodness, at every twist and turn.

The mastermind behind the party was none other than Kára Lang. This was her doing. And though she was the orchestrator behind the thrill, she refrained from indulging in the party treats, be it the sin of flesh or the powdery bliss. She was sober, and she had no intention of going through that period of Hell on Earth, ever again.

A couple of the guys were getting their dicks sucked on the balcony. In the den, Dennis Copeland, the CFO of the Copeland Group, was getting his ass handed to him by one of the girls with a strap-on dildo. It was quite obvious, given their indiscretion, that Dennis Copeland wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow. But Copeland couldn't care less. Based on his blank expression, he was coked out of his mind.

Kára closed the sliding doors, and kept the madness contained to only that side of the suite.

"I honestly didn't expect you to come through tonight."

Rachel was ever the relaxed figure, with a glass of wine and toned legs crossed. She was unaffected by the rowdiness of the boys.

"I have my reasons."

"And is that reason Cosima?"

Kára's face said it all.

"After what you did to her, I ought to knock your teeth out." Rachel couldn't hide the contempt she harbored for this woman, nor did she attempt to. Every fiber in her being wanted to hurt this woman, for hurting her baby sister. "So, please, don't tempt me. I might just give in to that impulse."

Kára leaned forward, unafraid to poke the bear. "If you hate me so much, why did you accept my invite?"

"Don't get me wrong. I wish every morsel in your wretch being was set alight. But your proposal was simply too lucrative to pass up. My contempt for you is a personal matter. I am capable of separating my personal life, with my professional life."

That was a typical Rachel response. And it's exactly why Kára chose to broach Rachel with the business proposal. Not only was Rachel Black the CEO of Black Crown Corp., she was also the most pragmatic one of the lot. Both Alison and Sarah were far too emotional. At the mere sight of her, they just might deck her.

"Now that you've raised a seed round for Emerald City, I think I've proven my worth." Kára got straight to the point. "I'm not looking for a handout. All I'm asking for is an opportunity to prove my invaluable worth to the company."

Rachel set aside her glass, and stony said, "No. You can invest in the Emerald City project, but that's as far as you go. We were going to do an open round, but this is just as well. Black Crown Corp. is not for sell, and neither is Cosima. Don't think you'll get back into her good books by going behind her back, and backing her into a corner on a professional front. I may be a businesswoman, but I am also a sister. Am I making myself clear?"

"Very."

"Good." Rachel stood up, and smoothed out her dress. "I have no intention of taking Black Crown Corp. public. I will never allow greedy opportunists, like yourself, the chance to take majority control of the company. The Emerald City project will be the extent of your reach."

"And here I thought it's because the SEC hated your fucking guts."

Rachel's eyes darkened at the below the belt jab.

"We've all heard the rumors, Rachel, so please, don't act surprised." Kára leaned back causally, "Everybody within the industry knows just how much the Chairman of the SEC hates you. I'm not privy to the specifics, but I'm all ears, if you're in a sharing mood."

"Hmph."

"That's the reason why Black Crown Corp. is private. And it's why you needed me, to raise this closed seed round for you." Kára's mood had soured, "Don't belittle my effort. And I won't go for your Achilles heels."

The fire alarm went off. The sirens were loud.

"What's that?"

"It's the fire alarm."

"Fuck me."

- o -

Delphine was in the back of a squad car. The paramedics had wrapped her arm under a heavy layer of gauze, but she needed medical attention. Cosima was in stable condition when the ambulance departed. She was currently awaiting another ambulance for transport. The gash was deep. She was looking at twenty stitches; maybe fifteen, if the guy was good.

"Would someone, please, tell me what's going on here?!"

Delphine didn't recognize any of them; based on their physical likeness though, they were most likely Cosima's sisters. Delphine approached them, slowly. "I pulled the fire alarm."

Alison said, "You did? Was there a fire?"

"No. There was no fire. But there was a guy, and he had a gun. And he ambushed Cosima and I."

Alison gasped, "What, the what?"

Donnie thought he misheard, "Ambush?"

"Why was there a gun?" Paul asked.

"Wait a minute." Sarah interjected, "Who the Hell are you?"

"My name's Delphine. I was with Cosima when the gunman tried to grab us."

Rachel soon joined the group. "What's going on?"

"Police sealed off the property." Donnie said, "And security ushered us here. But they wouldn't tell us anything."

Delphine continued, "I can explain. I was with—"

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" The madman shouted, "YOU'RE ALL DEAD! YOU HEAR ME?!"

It took five police officers to restrain the man, and drag him across the lawn.

Sarah immediately recognized the nut bag. "Isn't that Carl de Boer?!"

Alison's tired eyes widened, "The guy whose marriage we broke up? Charlene Trenbeth's ex-husband? The one whose life we ruined? Yeah. Rings a bell."

Rachel remained silent. She knew this would come back to bite her in the ass. And that's when she realized Cosima was noticeably missing. Rachel panicked. "Where's Cosima?! Is she alright?!"

"She's fine." Delphine replied, "The ambulance transported her to the Wilfred Laurier Hospital. We can meet her there. The ambulance wouldn't allow any ride along."

"Who are you again?" Sarah asked again.

"I'm—"

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Felix pulled Delphine into a tight embrace. "You had me scared shitless! Don't do that again, yeah?"

"Um…Felix?"

"Yeah, Fee." Sarah said, "Want to introduce us?"

Felix had completely overlooked their presence. His family was all there; all his sisters and brothers-in-law were present, minus Daniel. Besides Cosima, he has yet to break the joyous news to his family. No time like the present, right?

"Guys, this is Delphine, my new wife."

"Your what?!"

- o -

A/N: Insert input.