Chapter 2 Felix
CHAPTER TWO
FELIX
Present Day
Diamonds at their throats. Fringe tassel dresses swaying at their thighs. Silk that catches the light when they dance. Finger-waved hair and feathered headbands. Mesmerizing red lips.
That’s how the ladies dress when visiting The Scarlet Mirage, like they’ve stepped into a real-life 1920s speakeasy. Gorgeous, sophisticated, sinful vixens. All of them have their eyes on me, hoping for an invitation to my bed.
It’s a shame not one of these women holds my attention.
They’re attracted to my power and that I own this place, Manhattan’s best kept secret, where only the elite are invited. I have fun with the ladies, the petite redheads especially. Often times, there are multiple women in my bed at once. But my thirst is never satisfied for long.
The lights are dim and cigar smoke swirls through the air. I lean back in my booth, sipping on liquor while watching the jazz band on stage. The tune is slow, creating a sultry ambiance that would have even the sweetest girls thinking sinful thoughts.
“Blackwood.” Theo slides into my booth. “I have a lot to report on.”
Like myself and every other man here, Theo is dressed in a three-piece suit. Tattoos mark his dark skin, more so than mine. He has a buzz cut and a head covered in ink.
“I’ve sourced a new list of developers for you to consider,” he says. “They all do off-the-book work.”
I have a vision of expanding The Scarlet Mirage into more than just a speakeasy but a gambling den and sex club.
A one-stop destination for a night patrons will never forget.
The issue is finding a trustworthy developer to make the vision a reality.
No reputable business will work with an illegal establishment.
The ones who are willing don’t have their name advertised. They’re found through word of mouth.
But I don’t easily trust new people regarding my business. My registered venue is Limerence Land, the cocktail lounge this speakeasy is hidden beneath. I’m running the empire of sin I always dreamed of, existing outside the law. I’m well aware of my rivals and how my success threatens them.
When I returned to the city after my breakup with Harper and Tyler, I had too many fires burning, trying to establish my speakeasy while dealing eclipse with Theo. We were young and inexperienced, selling to anyone interested in the drug.
Eclipse was growing in demand, more than we could handle.
We were over-confident and reckless. Theo started bringing in other dealers.
People who hadn’t proven themselves to him.
That’s when things got out of hand. There were a lot of back-alley deals that went wrong, ending in violence, even a few deaths.
Theo and I had a lot of cleaning to do. We weren’t trusting the right people, nor were we selling to the right clients.
One night, a deal turned south and Theo took a bullet. That’s when I realized things needed to change; otherwise we’d both end up dead. I had a proposition for him.
I would bow out from dealing eclipse. Afterall, eclipse was Theo’s territory, not mine. My focus would shift to running The Scarlet Mirage and turning it into the most prestigious venue in town. I asked Theo to sell eclipse exclusively at my speakeasy. But that wasn’t all.
I told him I’m nothing in this game without people who are loyal to me. I trusted him with my life and needed him as my right-hand man. My confidant. My Fixer.
He believed in my vision. That was the turning point for The Scarlet Mirage, where success beyond my wildest dreams became a reality.
Over the years, my speakeasy has brought Theo a lot of clients. I’ve made him a lot of fucking money. He’s loyal to me beyond a doubt. Anything I ask of Theo, he does. Nothing is off limits for him. He’s violent at heart and takes pleasure in getting blood on his hands.
As the jazz band transitions to a new song, Theo slides the list of potential developers along the tabletop to me. I scan the names, not recognizing a single one.
“Who’s the man Beaumont recommended? Is he on this list?” I ask.
Beaumont is the owner of a joint in Brooklyn. I wouldn’t call him a good friend, but I’ve invited him to a few poker games over the years. He met his wife while visiting The Scarlet Mirage and always praises me for the introduction.
“Yes, Mitchel Gregor is on the list. Beaumont highly recommends him.”
My hand clenches into a fist. Fuck, I hate trusting new people. “What do your instincts say?”
Theo laughs while signaling the bar staff to bring him a drink. “We both know there’s someone better suited for this job. Someone with the perfect skill set. But as for my instincts, they’re telling me to shut my mouth and not piss you off.”
I shoot Theo a foul look. “Good instincts. I’m not asking for Tyler’s help.”
Shortly after my father started Forever Families, he passed the reins of his hotel empire to my brother.
Tyler develops luxury hotels. He would be perfect for this job.
But aside from not trusting the asshole, working alongside Tyler on this expansion would bring up too much shit from the past. The Scarlet Mirage was supposed to be our speakeasy.
“If you won’t work with Tyler, I suggest we look into Mitchel Gregor.” Theo’s drink arrives. He raises the crystal glass to his mouth, smirking as he sips. “So… this weekend should be interesting.”
“Man, fuck off.”
I don’t know what’s up with Theo, mentioning Tyler twice in the space of a minute and acting smug about it.
It’s Monday night; come this weekend, I’ll be in close confines with Tyler and Harper while attending Dan and Ally’s engagement party at the Blackwood beach house.
But I can be civil. Chances are, I’ll barely interact with Tyler and Harper. It’s been this way for years.
After we broke up, I spent the first few years being angry with Harper. Enough time has passed that I’ve forgiven her mistakes, but the pain has never faded. To be so in love with someone and then have it all ripped out from beneath me… I don’t know if the pain will ever fade.
I’ve had to enforce space between us for my sanity. I promised myself I would never go back to her because of how much she ruined me. I can’t allow myself to be that vulnerable with Harper ever again.
The same applies to Tyler, though I haven’t forgiven him. What he did was worse than Harper. She was manipulated and lied to. He was the perpetrator.
“Blackwood,” Theo croons my name with a teasing lilt. “I have information about this weekend you’ll want to know.”
I swallow the last of my drink and stand from the booth, ending the conversation. “Whatever you’ve discovered, I don’t care—”
“Tyler and Harper broke up.”
My head whips back to Theo and my eyes flare. Despite not wanting to care, I’m burning for more information and it’s fucking pathetic. I hate that the news of their breakup pleases me. I shouldn’t give a shit about them.
“I was playing poker with Dan last night.” Theo is friendly with my youngest brother, enough so to get invited to his wedding. “He said they broke up three months ago.”
“Three fucking months ago? How am I only hearing about this now? Harper’s name is everywhere.”
My family have learned not to speak about Tyler with me.
Regardless, Harper is a public figure, being the face of the most prestigious ballet company in America.
She’s been labeled the sweetheart of ballet.
Young ballerinas look up to Harper, wanting to be her when they grow up.
She gets stopped on the street to sign autographs.
Paparazzi love capturing her photo. Fashion designers beg to dress her.
She has fan pages dedicated to her on social media.
People buy her dead pointe shoes for thousands of dollars.
On top of that, she’s tied to Forever Families, being Tyler’s girlfriend.
“The breakup isn’t public knowledge, but I thought you should know about Harper’s single dating status in case you want to…” Theo trails off, smug again, laughing as he lifts his drink for another sip.
I raise an unimpressed brow, warning Theo not to voice his thoughts. I know where his words were heading. Harper will still be at the engagement party this weekend as one of Ally’s bridesmaids.
“There’s something else.” He’s suddenly serious. “Harper was attacked by a rabid fan recently when leaving a ballet rehearsal. She fought him off but has a black eye and other minor injuries. There have been a few accounts of this man stalking her.”
My jaw clenches. I slide back into the booth, instantly tense and hot, fueled with rage over the thought of anyone harming Harper. My eyes scrunch shut and I pinch the space between my brows, taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself but with no success.
She’s not mine to worry about, I chant in my head.
I’m not the least bit surprised Harper has a stalker.
She’s beautiful, especially when dancing.
I won’t admit it to Harper, but I’ve attended many of her performances over the years.
During family functions, it’s difficult to keep my eyes off her.
Every time she catches me staring at her mouth, she smiles and licks her lips, pleased to be sending my thoughts to the filthiest places.
I don’t know how the fuck Tyler screwed up his relationship with her.
I hear he’s out of town on business a lot.
Every time I see him at family events, he doesn’t seem happy.
Over these last eight years, I never got the impression he and Harper were blissfully in love, as they once were.
But I’ve been strict with myself, not prying into their dynamics.
Taking another deep breath, I smooth both hands through my hair and open my eyes. “Track the stalker down and kill him.”
Theo grins. “I was hoping you’d say that. My hands have been too clean lately. One last thing. A letter from Harper arrived in the mail today.”
The news isn’t shocking. She’s sent me sporadic letters over the years. I stopped reading them long ago. Harper spilling her heart was agony to read, especially the letters with tear-smudged ink.
I always told myself there was too much emotional baggage with Harper to let her back into my life. As an extra measure, I vowed there was zero chance while Tyler was still in the picture. The excuse was my safety net, knowing Harper would never let go of Tyler.
But now…
Shit.
He’s gone.
The news is truly sinking in. Tyler and Harper are no longer together.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This is somehow the worst and best news.
I’m furious at myself for caring. My hands claw into the leather booth.
I cannot break.
I don’t want Harper back. A relationship with her would be messy. I don’t want her in my life. I don’t.
“Give me the letter.” I am fucking screwed.
Theo attempts to keep a straight face as he passes the envelope to me, but I see the smug bastard’s lips tugging upward.
I love you, Felix. I don’t care how many years pass. You’re mine and I will always be yours. You belong to me for life.
My heartbeat thunders in my ears as I read Harper’s letter ten times over. Her words aren’t anything new. Only this time, knowing Tyler is gone, the temptation of Harper feels impossible to resist.
Forcing myself to be firm, I tuck the letter into my pocket and give Theo an order, knowing he’ll be at the engagement party. “Do not let me be alone with Harper this weekend. I swear to god. Don’t let me anywhere near her.”