Black Butterfly (32 page)

“Huh? You saw your father die. As a kid? How awful.”

Nolen closed his eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. “The problem is there have been these cons, the old cons he used to pull to raise money for his bigger score. I’m thinking maybe it’s an associate of his mimicking him. Either way the police never found his body.”

“Why are you so sure he died, if the police aren’t?”

Nolen put his hand over his. “In Vegas we’d hit the poker rooms. The money to get us in the door could have been enough to put food on our table for a year. But my father never provided for us that way.”

“Why take a kid to a poker room?”

“I could help. These people didn’t care that I was there. Hell a couple of them asked for him to put me up as a wager when his money ran low.”

“Did he?”

“No. But that was the only kindness he ever showed me.”

Somehow she felt there was more to the story. Nolen wrapped his free arm around her and sighed. His voice cracked with pain and bitterness as he said, “A game went wrong, someone figured out my talent for helping him—counting cards. He sent me out the door before they came after him. I heard the gunshots. He’s dead. The police believed me when I told them the story. There were arrests. Thing is we never had a body, and when the feds stepped in my mother learned her marriage wasn’t a marriage at all. That Ed Banks never really existed. Our entire life, including my conception was built on a lie. My mother remarried soon after. We didn’t have the body to bury, in those kinds of situations you never do. From what I can tell she was the only woman he stayed with for a period of time. The only woman he was with that wasn't over forty and rich.” Sydney felt her stomach tighten as she digested what he was telling her. She rubbed his chest, trying to calm him while listening to the bitter tone in his voice.

“I've been on the outside of my family because of my part in his crimes. After the shooting I was taken from my mother. For some reason she wanted me back. She and her new husband moved me and my infant brother out of Vegas. She suffered guilt I suppose. For what she let my father do to me, to us. She should have been stronger. She wasn't. She blamed me. They all did.”

“How could she blame you? You were a child,” Sydney said and sighed.

“I was no normal child.” Nolen slipped her a sly look. “At eighteen months I was talking in complete sentences, at two I was reading from the bible.”

She double blinked. The limo drove over rough roadway causing them to shift a bit in the backseat. “Are you saying you were a genius?”

“Genius, wiz kid, freak, I’ve been called many things.”

“From idiots, jealous people. You’re twenty-seven and you’ve accomplished more than men twice your age. I just thought you were driven. I didn’t you know it was your brilliance.” She smiled.

Nolen slowly smiled despite his evident need to stay sour and distant.

“I’ve fallen in love with you Sydney,” he said.

She stared at him in shock.

“Love is a feeling, it’s pure feeling. People put time watches to it. They think it can only last with time. I know different. I have a lot of anger in me. What I feel for you isn’t close to it. What I feel for you is solid.”

“Are you sure?”

“I only bet on a sure thing.” Nolen said.

“I’ve never felt so strongly for a man before. You excite me Nolen. And here’s something you don’t know.

I am in love with you. I’m one of those people who used to believe that time and knowing someone is how you build on love. I believe differently now. The way you make me feel was all the proof I needed.”

“I love you too.” He pulled her closer. “I’m a better man because of you.” Sydney closed her eyes, listening to his heartbeat again. She had wanted the hovering black cloud to blow away with his confession, but she still felt a sense of dread. He had many dark secrets, and she knew that there was more to the story of his con-man father. Much more.

Trish stared out of the bay window to the left of his bedroom. The glass was frosted over from the icy wind blowing off the sea. Trish knew Nantucket well. Her family vacationed here. Though they kept a house in the Hamptons, they came here often and rented places like the one she was in now. The old her would have never come to this place. Hell the old her would have never told a man her secrets. She couldn’t share them with her friends. But with Todd things were different.

Todd hadn’t noticed her apprehension, and she was grateful for that. When they’d arrived they made out by the fireplace. Kissing always stirred feelings of desire and lust. If she could just get out of her head she could give in to what they desired. Instead they cuddled and drank wine, talking about anything they could think of.

When he was near she was whole. Alone in his room now with the memories of Nantucket surfacing, she felt the anxiety return.

“Trish, you need to get dressed,” Todd said, walking into the all-white bedroom that matched the decor of the rest of his beach house. “They’ll be here soon.”

Trish looked at him sadly. “I don’t feel like it.”

“You ok?”

“Yeah, but can’t we just stay in bed a little while longer?”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

Trish shook her head, and long strands of blond hair fell across her face. “I’m fine. I just need a moment to get myself together. Maybe it’s the weather.”

He brushed her hair aside and kissed her lips. “Guess what we’ll have for lunch before we go shopping?” Trish gave him a weak smile. “Fried bologna?”

“God, no. Please get dressed.”

“What are we having?”

“Steak and lobster. You and I can grill it up. You said it’s been awhile since you had a good steak, remember?”

“Mmhmm.”

Trish pulled off Todd’s over-sized shirt not caring if he saw her. Her head was filled with all of kinds of troubling thoughts she was afraid to share. As she dressed with him under the arch of the doorway watching, knocking to the front door alerted them to her friends’ arrival.

“Finish getting ready. I’m sure Sydney is anxious to see you.” He walked over. He kissed the top of her head, patted her on the rump then left the room.

“Welcome!” Todd said, slapping Nolen’s arm and giving him a fraternal hug. Sydney smiled at him as he hugged her too. “We meet again. How are you, Sydney?”

“Cold,” she said, shivering.

Todd laughed. “Come in. I’m so sorry!”

As they walked inside, Sydney admired the beautiful house. The purity of the all-white decor made her think of heaven. As her eyes moved from the large white fireplace to the high, vaulted ceiling, she spotted Trish leaning over the balcony railing, her blond hair swaying. “Hey, Sydney. Come up here!” Todd smiled warmly at Nolen once the ladies went upstairs. “Thanks, man, for coming.”

“Yeah. I saw the setup and almost didn’t.” Nolen walked away with his hands in his pockets.

“Look—” Todd began, but Nolen turned on him, cutting him off.

“Listen to me. I don’t want to hear anything about that broad this weekend. I won’t get involved.

Understand!”

“Calm down,” Todd said. “I was going to tell you to squash it. I’ve found another way!” Nolen looked at him quizzically. “You did, huh? How?”

“Therapy.”

“You’ve lost your mind.” Nolen headed to the bar and poured himself a whiskey.

“Just trust me. It’s something Trish and I will both do, and it’ll all work out. It’s best to go about it this way.”

“You think she needs therapy to hear that you hurt her friend?” Nolen balked. He took a drink. “Ok, I’ll bite. What’s wrong with her, besides sleeping with a jerk like you?”

“Never mind that. I’m handling things with us. And we aren’t sleeping together.” Nolen lowered the glass slowly from his lips. His eyes narrowed. “Come again?”

“We aren’t sleeping together. And we won’t. It’s not that kind of relationship. It’s deeper.”

“You barely know her.”

“You barely know me.” Todd shot back. “We’ve been friends since college, but you don’t know all the shit I put up with being an Ellison. Just like I don’t know why you hate and love your mother at the same time.” The comment stung. Nolen gripped the glass tightly.

“All I’m saying man is Trish is different. She’s delicate. I want to protect her. We have something special and my cock has nothing to do with it.”

“Good luck with that.” Nolen tossed the glass on the counter and walked out. He had no time to listen to this shit. He needed to call Annemarie and make sure she let him know how the Hollister board members vote on taking the company public. Agent Mitchell’s visit to his office had him jumpy. The secret about Portia and Todd had him anxious. Plus he decided to take Sydney to meet his brother and possibly his mother. He just didn’t feel good about the uncertain things coming his way.

Trish sat on the bed, pulling on her boots. “So, Sydney, what’s up?”

“I need to ask you the same thing,” Sydney answered.

“So much has happened so fast!” Trish gushed.

“I know the feeling.”

“Strange, huh? If only they had a third friend for Portia, it would be perfect.” Sydney folded her arms and leaned against the dresser, her smile fading.

Trish looked at her. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, of course not. I just have to tell you something.”

“Ok?”

“Portia came to see me yesterday, to tell me something.”

“What is it? Just say it.”

“She slept with Ricky.”

“No. She wouldn’t do that.”

“It’s true. She slept with Ricky, and then she had the nerve to tell me that he forced her into it!”

“That can’t be right.”

“It’s right, Trish. She told me to my face.”

Sydney watched Trish digest the difficult news the same way she had. They were friends, best friends, and this wasn’t supposed to happen.

Finally Trish said, “How could she do something like that?”

“I don’t know. Something’s wrong with her, Trish. I think maybe she’s sick, like mentally sick.”

“Don’t say that. Portia saved us from ourselves. Neither of us would be here right now if it wasn’t for her.

Hell she met and offered me a place to stay the same day. Who does that? And you. Look at what she did for you. How she helped you when your father cut you off.”

“Well then you explain it. Why on earth would she sleep with my ex-boyfriend, and then rush over to tell me about it? It’s like she wants me to be mad with her. And it’s constant with us, the more we don’t rely on her, the meaner she gets. I have to wonder if she helped us because she loves us or because she loved having us need her.”

Tucking her hair behind her ear and biting her lip, Trish said, “She was wrong, very wrong. But we haven’t been home lately. The last time I saw her, she was hurt that we were shutting her out.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“I know, I know! Sydney, please. This is Portia we’re talking about.” Sydney shook her head. “I can’t be around her, Trish.”

“What are you saying?” Trish asked, standing up.

“I didn’t tell her this, but I’m putting distance between us.”

“You can’t!” Trish shouted. “Stop it, damn it! Just stop it!” Sydney frowned. “What on earth is wrong with you? Why are you yelling?” Footsteps thundered up the stairs and down the hallway. The door opened and Todd rushed in. “Trish, what’s wrong?”

Sydney looked at him first, and then at her friend. “Yeah, Trish. What’s wrong?” Trish blushed deeply. “Sorry. I just—I don’t know. I’m sorry.” Todd put his arm around Trish as Nolen came into the room. He looked at Sydney, who shrugged, unsure what to make of her friend’s uncharacteristic screaming fit.

Todd broke the tension. “How about we go to town and get something to eat?” Trish looked up at him and smiled, and he kissed her forehead tenderly, like a father would. The exchange between them was a bit off. Sydney couldn’t put her finger on why it troubled her. Something in her friend seemed different, tense. She turned to see if Nolen agreed and he had a deep scowl on his face.

“Come on, Sydney,” Nolen said, reaching for her hand. “Let me show you our room.” Sydney looked at Trish. “You ok?”

Trish let go of Todd and smiled. “Sorry, Sydney. I’m fine, really.” She perked up immediately.

Reluctantly Sydney left with Nolen, who led her down the stairs to the opposite side of the beach house and into a large bedroom.

“What do you know about him and Trish?” she asked.

Nolen shrugged. “Just that he likes her a lot.”

“Yeah, they seem really close.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Nolen asked.

“It’s just weird. I’ve known her for almost two years, and I’ve never seen her even hold a man’s hand, yet in a matter of days, he’s her protector.”

“Look who’s talking.” He took off his suit jacket and tossed it onto the bed, which was covered in white down pillows on top of a quilted white bedspread.

“You’ve got a point,” she said, licking her glossed lips and putting a little seduction in her walk toward him.

Nolen smiled at her slyly. “We’re going to eat?”

“Mmmm hmmm,” she said, unbuckling his belt.

“I mean, we’re going out to eat with them.”

“Baby, it’s cold outside,” she sang, kissing his lips.

Nolen stared into her eyes as she slid down the zipper. “Don’t start something that you won’t be able to finish,” he said.

Sydney laughed, sliding her hand into the opening of his pants and massaging him through his boxers.

“It’s you that won’t be able to finish when I’m done with you.” Nolen made no attempt to remove her hand.

Sydney got the reaction she’d hoped for and reached up to kiss him, wanting to start their Valentine’s celebration now.

Before he could respond, they heard Trish calling for them. Sydney slipped her hand out of Nolen’s pants and looked at him, disappointed, as he fixed himself to get rid of his erection. “Should I make up something?” she asked.

“Nope. You wanted to come here, so let’s go with them.”

She smiled and headed out of the room with him following.

Trish was wearing her jacket and boots. “Let’s go, guys! Todd has the car warming up for us.” Sydney threw her arms around Trish’s shoulders. “I’m sorry about earlier. I know you want us to get along.”