Page 8 of Burned
“I know, Axe. Felix is working on moving up your bail hearing. We are going to get you out of here. Once you are out, you can’t leave Georgia. You need to trust me, but more importantly, the men ofThe Society, to bring Kenzi back to you.”
Davian was right. I couldn’t leave Georgia, not unless I wanted to land right back in jail. “Just get me out of here.” I placed the phone back on the hook and left the visitation area without another word. Davian remained seated, never taking his eyes off me as I walked through the door.
When I finally got to my cell, I collapsed on the bed and just stared at the crumbling plaster on the ceiling. Thoughts of what I would do first once my bail was paid ran through my head. The only thought that came to mind was revisiting Stevenston’s log home and talking with the housekeeper again. She was the only connection I had to finding Kenzi. All we knew was that Stevenson went to Chicago. Maybe his housekeeper knew where he was staying.
~6~
Kenzi
The hired driver that picked us up at the airport drove the black Navigator into an underground garage at a swanky high-rise with a silver emblem of a double triangle mounted a few floors from the top of the tall building. This was only my second time in Chicago, but I wasn’t a stranger to the emblem. Triage International, a well-known multinational commodities company, supplied not only precious metals, oil, and textiles to international markets but also innovative technology for electric automobiles and power generation. It was ranked amongst the highest public companies in the world. My dissertation on multibillion dollar companies in college centered on Triage. Even though I received a high grade for my work, I could never find out who owned it. Maybe the multibillionaire wanted to remain anonymous, away from the media, and leave the publicity to the shareholders and board members.
The driver pulled the Navigator into a vacant parking spot near the elevator and got out of the vehicle. Opening the passenger door on the driver’s side, he held out his hand and assisted my exit from the SUV. While we were driving, I could only see the back of his head and his brown eyes whenever he looked in the rearview mirror. It was refreshing to see the face that belonged to those mysterious eyes.
My assessment of the middle-aged man was interrupted when River placed his hand on my lower back and said, “Let’s get you settled in so we can make some ground rules.”
There it was. Ground rules. I should have known better than to think that River would give me free rein once we got to Chicago. I twisted my body and looked up at River with an eye roll. “Yes, Dad.”
With no comeback for my sarcastic comment, River looked at the driver. “I have your card if we need your service again.”
Tightening his grip around my waist as we headed away from the SUV, River acknowledged his disapproval when he leaned inward and whispered. “You know… you aren’t too young to be taken over my knee.”
His comment should have pissed me off, but the thought had me wanting him to do just that. Smiling to myself, I allowed River’s arm to remain around my waist as we walked to the underground elevator.
Once inside the elevator, River pulled a key card from his coat pocket and inserted it into the panel. The light turned green, which gave him access to the top floor—number forty. The car shot to the top floor in a flash. This elevator had to have been one of the fastest ones I had ever ridden.
In a matter of seconds, the elevator door slid open, revealing the inside of a penthouse twice the size of my apartment, and that was just the living/kitchen area. I stood opened-mouthed with amazement, unable to move as I took in my surroundings.Did River own this monstrosity, or was he just renting it?
“What exactly do you do?” I asked as I looked around. “This place is enormous.”
“A little bit of everything.” he replied hesitantly, like my question caught him off guard.
The décor was nothing like River’s home outside Atlanta. There were many shades to his persona. I had only witnessed him as a rugged mountain man type, but seeing this home proved how refined he was. His astute taste in furnishings was refreshing. There were two sides to this man, and the current one was the one I preferred.
River walked past me down a short hallway, which I assumed led to the bedrooms, since he had our bags with him. Stopping for a moment, he turned my way. “Let me show you to your room. It has an en suite if you would like to freshen up before we have our much-needed talk.”
I hadn’t showered before we left Atlanta, so a shower would be wonderful. As I followed close behind him, he opened the first door and stepped inside the room. His body blocked the view, but when he began walking over to the bed, I could see the entire room. It was beautiful. The décor was warm and subtle, with a few abstract paintings on the walls. It almost appeared as though no one ever used this room or only used it when needed, possibly for guests.
River broke my thought process when he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and pulled back the curtains. I couldn’t see much where I was standing, but as I moved closer to him, I could see a perfect view of Chicago. I could only imagine what this view would bring once the sun went down and the lights of the city came to life.
The view was even more spectacular when River pushed open the glass door that led to a sizable balcony enclosed with glass panels and rod-iron posts about forty-two inches high. The glass balcony provided a perfect unobstructed view of the city. As I walked through the glass door, I took in my surroundings, noticing that the balcony stretched out beyond the length of the bedroom to my right and to my left. I could see myself having my morning coffee out here and making myself comfortable on the outdoor furniture, arranged masterfully just outside the living area. I was hesitant to get any closer to the balcony railing, afraid that if I got too close, it would shatter and I would tumble to my death. That thought was ridiculous, especially since most glass railings were shatterproof and made of durable material.
Without warning, River stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “How about you shower and I’ll prepare dinner? We can have our dinner on the balcony if you would like.”
As much as I welcomed as the hug, I felt like I was betraying what Axe and I had. After learning what he did, I wasn’t sure if I could ever trust him again. I had to give him the benefit of a doubt, though. I had to believe that it wasn’t him and he had nothing to do with the explosion. Twisting my body to face River, I looked up and met his eyes. “That would be wonderful.”
I walked to the open door to my bedroom. Instead of waiting for River to follow, I went to the bed and pulled out a change of clothes. Holding a pair of black leggings and a leopard print top, I glanced over to the glass door. Wondering if River was still outside or if he came inside through another door, I left the glass door open just in case and headed to the bathroom.
~
My shower was amazing, but even more amazing was the aroma coming through the bedroom door. I hurried to get dressed and headed back to the bathroom to dry my hair. When I felt it was dry enough, I pulled it back and piled it on top of my head in a messy but stylish bun. Grabbing my make-up bag, I brushed a coat of mascara on my lashes and dabbed some gloss on my lips. Taking one last look at myself. I had to admit I looked pretty good, especially with the lack of sleep while at the shelter and on the plane.
When I stepped into the kitchen, River was pulling out a pan covered in aluminum from the double oven. I kept my eyes on him as he folded back the foil, revealing a casserole that looked amazing. As though on cue, my stomach rumbled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten since last night.
River turned to face me with a brilliant smile. “I take it you're hungry.”
“Starving. I could eat a horse,” I said, staring at the casserole. “Where are the plates?”
“In the cupboard above the dishwasher.” he said, pointing toward the cupboard while opening the drawer in front of him and pulling out a large spoon.
