Page 9 of Imperial: The Corvidae Family
It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise and one I had no doubt he planned on keeping and my delusional ass wanted him to.
I threw myself into work,hoping if I focused on emails, vendors, and impossible client requests, I wouldn’t have to think about my stalker or the way his voice landed in me when he said my name like he owned it. I couldn’t get his intense eyes andsexy smile out of my head or the fact that I no longer had visions of him hovering over that body in the hallway and instead had visions of him naked overme.
Girl, you need your head checked!
Sighing through my delusion, I focused on the luxury gender reveal I was working on for a couple who had more money than sense. Tae handed this one to me personally, trusting me to handle the details while she focused on a celebrity engagement party for Jabari Hicks that was happening the same weekend.
I was pissed because even ifhewas getting married all his fine assunmarriedteammates would be there. But at least I would be the one at the wedding on the day of because Tae would be in New York with another client who requested to have her in attendance or they refused to let us plan their event.
With the amount of money they were willing to spend, Tae made an executive decision. I clicked into the digital concept board I put together, scanning the list to make sure things were right. The venue was an exclusive country estate just outside the city, near Blue Mountain Resort that had manufactured green lawns and a grand marble terrace for the reveal. Every detail would be perfect for optics.
The color scheme was champagne, ivory, and gold. Elegant and gender-neutral until the moment of the announcement. The reveal would be a custom fireworks display over the estate’s lake, programmed to ignite in either a deep blue or bright pink.
And of course the luxury add-ons of personalized cocktail menus, monogrammed silk napkins, and a string quartet flown in from New York for vibes and atmosphere.
I pulled up my emails, reviewing the latest round of vendor confirmations and client demands feeling annoyed at the latest one. Mrs. Ridgeway had changed her mind about the floral arrangementsagain. Apparently, peonies were too common and she wanted imported roses from a French garden with a three-month waiting list. Her husband decided he wanted a private lounge for his friends. Because nothing said “celebrating new life” like a cigar and liquor bar tucked away from theactualparty.
I shook my head. Rich people had no idea what to do with their money.
Cami appeared at my desk, drinking what I was sure was her third coffee of the day because just like me, she had a caffeine addiction. “You looked focused as hell. What disaster are we putting out now?”
“Girl you already know. People spending an obscene amount of money to impress their friends,” I mumbled replying to the email that it was received.
She grinned, dropping down in the chair across from me. “I mean, to be fair, I wouldn’t mind throwing myself an over-the-top party every time I accomplished something.”
I clicked through my checklist. “Well, when you marry a billionaire, I’ll plan your gender reveal too.”
“Perfect. Make sure my obnoxiously wealthy husband knows I need at least five outfit changes.”
She lifted her phone, sucked her teeth when she glanced at the screen and then lifted from the chair she had just settled into. “Shit, gotta go. Duty calls.”
I grinned but the moment didn’t last long because as soon as Cami left my iPad pinged with a notification from WCFS-TV. As soon as I glanced at the screen my fingers were tapping the news app and the headline made me frown.
"Still no Leads on the Local Real Estate Developer Found Dead in a Private Club After Attending a Gala for the Kingston Foundation."
My stomach tightened. I clicked the article and scanned the details.
Warren Devon. The asshole everyone at the event was complaining about.
He deserved it.
What the hell was wrong with me?
I had never wished death on anyone but for a split second, I was relieved by what happened to him and that was unsettling and oddly satisfying. I closed out of the article and set my iPad down. I needed to get out of my own head.
I reached for my phone instead, hoping mindless scrolling would help.
That was when I saw a notification from last night and blinked at the top of my screen.
New follower request: @BLKVOID
I frowned, clicking into the account. There wasn’t a profile picture, only a black circle but it wasn’t a fake account. There were posts of random images, all carefully framed which meant the person cared about the aesthetics. A shot of a glass of brown liquor on a table. One of a hand on a steering wheel exposing inked fingers and another one of a man’s profile highlighting neck tattoos.
Tattoos I recognized…
No faces to identify but subtle clues about the man who owned the page. The photos were discrete. I hesitated but curiosity won. I hit follow and smiled because I knew exactly who the person was. Now I needed to finish up here so I could meet my bestie later. If nothing else, she would keep my mind occupied.
The scentof lavender and eucalyptus filled the air as I sank deeper into the plush leather chair sighing as the warm waterswirled around my feet. Tranquil Breeze was one of my favorite places with its oversized chairs and a staff that pampered you like royalty.
