Chapter 133
Five Minutes
Rhi POV
Entering the main room, Kate and Ana are standing in the kitchen and there are now two bottles of Patron on the table, one is empty. My eyes light up and I give them a huge smile. "I see you've all been drinking it up. It's about time!" Giggling, "Pour Kong and I one please."
"Rhi, what the fuck? Why aren't you dressed? We've got to get going." Kate glares at me. "You have five minutes. Not a second more. Have your drink and move it."
Laughing, I down my drink. "Relax, it won't take that long to get dressed." Glancing at Scrooge, "I do, however, need to have a talk with Scrooge before we go. So hurry up and drink and follow me." With wide eyes, I hear him sigh. Whirling around, I head back to my room.
Kate calls after me, "Remember Rhi, FIVE MINUTES. If you're not dressed by then you're coming in whatever you have on."
Yeesh, they don't sound too happy with me. Oh well, it's been fun after all the bullshit the past few days.
We're fine on time. Besides, I plan on taking a taxi. I'll be damned if I'm going to walk down there, even if it was only a block. Fuck that. These feet and legs are being saved for dancing. I giggle, thinking about my plan. I have a fantastic idea. I just need approval.
I pull a black lace thong from my suitcase and lay it on the bed, just before Scrooge rounds the corner. He stops in his tracks when he sees me.
"For fuck's sake, would you relax? Come in and close the door." Rolling my eyes, "You can help me while we have a chat. I'll be damned if I'm going to hang out with someone I know nothing about." Glaring at him, "Who also knows nothing about me and ruined my vacation."
I don't know how I can make it any clearer how pissed I am, at him and his boss. I watch as he steps further into the room stiffly and clearly uncomfortable. Good. Let him be uncomfortable. He deserves it.
What pisses me off the most is that he has yet to say or do anything to indicate he's sorry for what he's done. My anger isn't only because of sending them here, it's more about the attempted invasion of privacy. That is unacceptable. Apparently, he's the right hand man of his boss and gives orders to the other three. I can tell he's trying to figure me out, the way he analyzes me. Well, good luck with that. How's that going for you?
He's been too wrapped up in following orders and who knows what else. I've decided to make him as uncomfortable as possible. I'm going to help him understand just how big a part he played in this mess. Maybe he'll get the picture when he sees that I can no longer do things on my own because of HIM.
Pointing to the bed, "Have a seat." I'm not about to let him use the chair. I watch as he glances at the bed where my panties are like they're going to bite him. Reluctantly, he sits down and looks at me, clearly uncomfortable.
Well, things are about to get a lot more uncomfortable, buddy.
"You do know why I'm pissed, right?" Walking over to the bed, I stand in front of him. Unfortunately, we're at eye level because he's tall like the rest of them. "Jeeze, do all goons come in your size?" Rolling my eyes and picking up my panties, I decide at the last second to put them on right next to him. I smirk as he stiffens and averts his eyes. "You guys are all the same. You think with your dicks. I'm not sure about your boss though. Something tells me he's a control freak and doesn't care who gets in the way, as long as he gets what he wants." I laugh at the fact that I took their phones away, "Too bad he doesn't have control tonight while you guys are here."
I really should get dressed and I really do need his help but I'm disappointed when I don't get the reaction I wanted. Well, I just wanted a bit more of a reaction. Hell, he's not even talking right now. I'm starting to think I've lost my touch. This will get him.
Dropping my robe, I walk over to the closet and feel eyes burning into my back. Good. He's interested enough to watch me walk away. That's what I need…his attention. I'm pretty sure that if I just start in on him it won't do any good. If he's like me, he'd tune it out.
Pulling my dress out, I slip it over my head and sigh. "I asked you a question. Let me repeat myself in case you didn't hear me. You know why I'm pissed, right?"
"Yes, I'm well aware of why you're pissed. We invaded your privacy. Well, we tried to behind the scenes." He sounds defeated. "We invaded your privacy by following you and the girls."
Remaining silent, I wait to see what he's going to say. "I'm sorry for sending the guys to keep an eye on you girls. I was following Grey's orders and our protocol. You're right. He's controlling and obsessive and I'll deny I said that should it ever come up." He smiles a little. "He's obsessed with Ana and is afraid she'll leave him. I don't think he realizes that it's this kind of stuff that will make her leave."
Snorting, I say, "You've got that right. She should leave him. She deserves better."
"Rhiann, I'm not placing all the blame on him. I could have told him things were fine and stopped him but I didn't." He swallows. "You became a challenge to me, just another name I needed to find information on. I didn't even consider YOU as a person, that you had a history and a life, that you were more than just a name. I needed to find out about you. I don't know if it was the challenge or that I found you attractive and just wanted to know more. I let that affect the way I handled things."
I don't know what to say so I remain silent. At least he's talking.
He continues, "We never should have sent the guys and when Luke lost it I should have done more to get him away from you, but I didn't. I failed to do what we're trained to do, protect the innocent. To protect YOU. I can sit here and apologize over and over but it will never be enough. There's nothing that will make this right." Taking a deep breath, like he's trying to gather courage, he says the words I need to hear. "You shouldn't have had to defend yourself and you should NEVER have gotten hurt. Know this, I am sorry. Terribly sorry about everything. This whole mess is my fault."
I'm not sure if I believe him, not about everything. I'm still pissed off. "Why haven't you apologized since you got here? You just watch and don't say anything. It's like you're unfeeling. How am I to believe you truly are sorry when you won't even acknowledge the fact that I'M the one that's been hurt, in more ways than one? You didn't apologize until I confronted you. So explain to me, how am I supposed to know that your 'I'm sorry' is true?" My breath stutters when I continue, "A lot of unpleasant things have happened because of this mess. A lot that I've had to go through and you don't even acknowledge your part in it. Why?" I need to know this in order for me to start to be civil to him.
Looking down at the floor before answering he says, "I haven't said anything because I can't admit that I was the one that caused your pain. I'm in awe at how you've handled everything. Shocked that you're so forgiving of the guys, especially Luke. You blow my mind and I'm stunned into silence. I can't wrap my head around what happened and who you are as a person." Looking back up, "I should have said something when we were downstairs before lunch but I couldn't. I physically couldn't. I'm sorry."
Fighting an internal battle, I'm trying to decide how I want to handle this. I guess if I want to enjoy tonight I have to be civil. However, I don't know if I can forgive him. He's done more damage than any of them. He's the one who gave the orders. He's the one who did the digging, or attempted digging, into my background. While he may not have orchestrated it, he carried it out.
After a minute, I make my decision. I can be civil but I don't know what's going to happen later. I don't completely believe him, like I do the others, but that doesn't mean any of them are off the hook. How would YOU feel if your privacy was disregarded at the whims of some pompous ass? Yeah, me either.
"You know, while I can't say I completely forgive you for what you've done, I decided earlier that I'm not going to deal with any of this until I return home. You're getting a pass for tonight. Just because I'm forgiving doesn't mean I'm easily taken advantage of. It doesn't mean that I'm OK with being treated like some insignificant person in the world." Holding eye contact with him, I want to make sure he completely understands what I'm saying. "This isn't over. This is far from over."
Nodding, he responds after a few seconds. "I understand. Thank you for giving me a chance to explain." He looks surprised, "Luke was right. You are surprising with the way you handle things AND people you come into contact with. Thank you Rhiann, for listening and trying to make tonight relaxed and fun for yourself. You really do deserve it." He gives me a smile that has a touch of sadness.
Ignoring his comment, I move on. "Now, there's one more thing I need from you." I smile, making sure it's genuine, "I want everyone to have fun tonight, to let loose and relax and enjoy themselves. You've been a good sport with the drinking I've forced on everyone. You CAN say no, you know that right? I'll give you shit about it but I will respect your wishes. I've had things forced on me even when I said no so I know what it's like."
Confusion clouds his eyes but he doesn't say anything, which makes me relieved. I don't, won't, go into that. He's done enough damage.
"You need to relax tonight so I want you to leave the stoic bodyguard behind and actually enjoy yourself. Something tells me that you either don't know HOW to do it or you haven't been given the chance to. It's time to make up for that and I'm all about making up for lost time and opportunities." Smiling, "Can you do that?"
Chuckling, he answers, "I can't make any guarantees but I can try."
"That's all I ask. Well, I have two more things to ask. Will you please zip me up and help me with my shoes? I can do it but it'll take a lot longer than we have and I'm pretty sure everyone is ready to kill me, considering dinner reservations are at 9pm and it's getting close to that." Laughing, I raise my hand for emphasis.
"It would be my pleasure." He stands up and I turn around, he fumbles a bit but recovers quickly. Hell, it's a lot faster than I could have done. Grabbing my shoes, I hand them to him and watch in awe as he deftly places them on my feet and buckles the straps.
"I feel like Cinderella." I giggle and smile when he looks up at me. The smile he has as he stands up is bigger and more genuine. Grasping his shoulders, as much as I can, I say, "No weirdness tonight. I want you to enjoy yourself. I didn't take your phone away for you to sit around and pout or be bored. Got it?"
Nodding, he smiles, "I'll try my best."
"Good. Now let's go have one more drink and head out. Otherwise it'll be my funeral you're attending." I laugh, "You go out first. I want to surprise Ana and Kate. They haven't seen my outfit yet. You are the first!"
He chuckles, "You are absolutely breathtaking."
After watching him leave the room, I take a minute to look in the mirror for the final time. Thankfully, it doesn't look like I've been crying. Where the hell that came from I have no idea but something Kong did or said triggered it. That's something to think about another time. Tonight it's all about having fun. Satisfied with my looks, I head out to the main room.
Taylor POV
That was a surreal experience. I could feel the anger emitting from every pore in her body, yet she held back and allowed me to explain my actions, or lack thereof.
Grey and I really fucked this whole thing up and I can't even really place the blame on him. I knew it was wrong but I still when through with it, not taking into consideration who would be affected and how.
When she told me she needed to talk to me I had no idea what to expect. I know nothing about this girl and I felt like a lamb being led to slaughter. I guess that's why this is worse than all the other security jobs we've done. We don't know anything but insisted on finding anything we could about her. Everything we did was under the guise of 'security and safety' for Grey and everyone and everything connected to him. I don't know how it turned into an obsession about finding about her but it didn't take long after the initial orders from Grey.
I will give it to her, she has a way of capturing the attention of anyone she's in contact with. She's not very subtle in the way she does it either. She has an 'in your face' approach that says, 'you're going to pay attention one way or another,' and pay attention I did. I didn't expect her to put her panties on right next to me. Nor did I expect her to drop her robe and walk across the room to put her dress on. She definitely knows how to control an audience, no matter how big it is.
My god, I've never seen someone so perfect and flawless. I tried not to stare but I couldn't help it. She definitely had my attention. I also know that there's more that she wanted to say to me but she was holding back for some reason. I could tell by her mannerisms and the tense muscle twitches that would reveal themselves periodically. Not to mention there were a couple of times that she actually flexed her hands, well one of her hands.
She let things go too easily for the sake of 'enjoying her last few hours' here. I understand but she's going to snap and I don't know if she's going to be able to hold off until she returns home. It's hard to tell. Maybe I'll talk to Ryan and see what he thinks. Either way, it's going to be an explosion I don't think even Ana and Kate are aware of.
That dress definitely leaves nothing to the imagination. She's going to be turning heads all night. Which, as a CPO, is going to be a nightmare. However, with everything I've seen on social media, it doesn't seem like she's had any issues with people trying to get to her.
I haven't seen Kate or Ana yet, but they're beautiful too so I'm sure they'll be stunning. Three beautiful women and four large muscular men at a club are definitely going to attract attention.
Leaving the room, I round the corner and see everyone standing around the table and I eye the Patron. I could really use a drink after that. Though I came out of it fairly unscathed, I know there's more to come, I just don't know what or when.
"Where's Rhi?" Kate and Ana say in unison. I can hear the irritation in their voices and I can't help but smile knowing the surprise they are going to have when they see her. I'm sure the guys will have a reaction that was similar to mine.
"She's coming." I say, as I reach for two glasses and fill them. "Guys, pass me your glasses. I know Rhi is going to want us to all have a last drink here, probably with a toast, so we might as well be prepared." Laughing, I add, "Besides, something tells me you're going to need it."
Just as I finish filling the last glass, Rhi rounds the corner and sashays into the room. I smile as I watch the reactions of everyone. I'm so glad I saw her before they did otherwise I'd die of shock.
Kate and Ana's eyes open wide and their jaws open slightly. "Oh my god Rhi, you look HOT! Girl, you're going to have people dropping like flies when they see you! When did you get that dress and why didn't you say anything? Those shoes are amazing and really draw the eye from your toes up to your hip and continue up to your neck." Kate gushes, spitting out words in one breath. Rhi laughs as Kate gulps in air.
The guys expressions cannot deny their approval. There's a hint of longing in their eyes before it switches to possessiveness. I get it. I feel the same way. I wanted to rip the dress off her and ravish her. I still want to rip it off but now it's to cover her up. No one else needs to see all that. I mean, she might as well be naked. The look I get from Luke makes me laugh and I give him a huge grin. If looks could kill I'd be dead where I stand.
Ryan smiles and chuckles a little. "Wow Rhi, you look amazing. I mean seriously hot. One question though, where are you going to put your phone? I doubt you have pockets hidden in there somewhere and its obvious you're not wearing a bra." He finishes with a wink.
I can tell by the look on her face that she's thinking. After a minute, she hands her phone to Ryan. "Here. Will you please carry it for me? It'll be safer with you than me."
He palms the phone and smiles, "I would be glad to."
Reynolds grins, "Rhi, wow. You are stunning. I get the first dance!" He glances at Luke and lets out a deep hearty laugh at the look on his face. Luke's mouth is open slightly and his eyes are full of jealousy. I think Luke wants to kill him.
Glancing at the table, Rhi notices the full glasses. "You remembered! Thank you Scrooge. Who knows, you might just get a new nickname soon. I'm not sure what yet though, I'll just have to wait and see what happens." She smiles. Looking at everyone else, "OK guys, let's make a toast and get out of here so you guys can eat! I'll do it this time. You guys suck at toasts." She laughs, and we raise our glasses, "To enjoying the night, making new friends and new memories. In the words of Bill and Ted, 'Let's have a most EXCELLENT night!"
As we exit the room, I notice that out of all of us, Rhi is the only one who's not swaying a little. How does she do it? I think we're all screwed tonight if she's making us drink that much. She did say we could always say no though. It never occurred to me to do that. Her personality makes it hard to say no to her. What did Kate call it… the Rhi charm? Yeah, that's no joke. She could have the Pope wrapped around her little finger.
Stepping into the elevator, the four of us automatically herd the girls into the center of us. It's old habit but I know they're going to attract a lot of attention, especially Rhi and that dress, if you can call it that.
When the elevator stops at the casino floor, the doors open and the attendant is there waiting. He looks appreciatively at the girls. "Wow ladies! You look absolutely stunning! It looks like you're going out on the town!" Smiling at Rhi, "How is your hand?"
Interesting. He's super familiar with her. I'm not sure I like that.
"Hi Mark! Thank you! Yes, we're headed to dinner then one of the clubs. It's time to enjoy ourselves, considering it's our last night here." She gives him a bright smile. "My hand is doing much better, now that it's healing. Unfortunately, I have to have surgery when I return home."
I wish she wouldn't be so open with the information she's giving out. It's not safe.
"Enjoy your night ladies and I'll see you when you return! Stay safe!" He has to cut the conversation short because people are starting to flow in.
"Most definitely! Stay safe working. Make all those people feel at home like you do us." She waves and we head toward the taxi stand.