Chapter 5
To Sascha’s relief, the partygoers had all vacated the premises.
She and Gregory curled up on a moss green velour sofa in the gathering room.
The cushions felt cushier than she’d ever sat on, much nicer than her red vinyl couch, with no creaking when she moved around and no sticking to the seat on a hot, humid day.
In front of them, a golden fire crackled in the three-sided peach-brick fireplace, adding to the romantic ambiance as New Age music played softly in the background. She took a deep breath. She could easily get used to a life of luxury.
Rose was sweet, blond-haired, with blue eyes, and Sascha so appreciated that Rose had freely shared her clothes with her so she would feel comfortable after the ordeal she and Raymond had been through.
Sascha told Rose the details of what had happened when the truck had run them off the bridge.
Rose shuddered. “So Gregory told us you are a psychic and can tell fortunes.”
Sascha smiled, figuring this was a way to keep her three thousand dollars and do her reading. “Of course. What do you want to know?”
Gregory laughed. “I wasn’t going to have you return the money.”
“I want to know if the guy I’m dating, who was working and couldn’t come to the party tonight, is going to be my forever person.” Rose sat on a couch near them.
Sascha was amused that Gregory was seated so close to her on the sofa. Did he think she needed his protection now? Or comforting for the close call on the bridge? She suspected she would have nightmares about it forever.
Then Gregory’s phone rang, and he glanced at the Caller ID. “Yeah, Katrina?”
“Put Sascha on the phone.”
Gregory smiled and handed his phone over to Sascha.
“I’m all right.”
“It was all over the news. Prescott and I went to your house to check on you, but you weren’t home, naturally. Since you had been in Gregory’s limo, we assumed he had taken you to his home.”
“Yes, I’m here. But I’ll be going home in a little bit. I’m just going to give Gregory’s sister a reading. Gregory paid me three thousand dollars for it.” She smiled at Gregory.
He raised his brows at her.
“What?” Kat asked, sounding shocked that Sascha had been paid so much.
“Well, it was for his party, but after the accident, he sent everyone home, thankfully.”
“Oh, wow, okay. As soon as you want to go home, let us know and we’ll pick you up.”
“Okay, that sounds good.” She didn’t want to ride in any of Gregory’s known vehicles, making herself a target again in case his assassin was waiting for it.
“You’re sure you’re really all right? We saw the limo being recovered from the lake on the news, and it was a mess.”
“Luckily, Raymond and I both could swim in the dark and made it to shore. But he injured his back. I was much better off.”
“Oh, that’s awful. I hope he gets better soon. We saw that you were being interviewed at Gregory’s estate, which is why I called Gregory to check on you. Call us when you want us to pick you up.”
“I will.”
Gregory spoke to Rose, and she nodded and hurried out of the room. She returned with a cell phone and handed it to Sascha. “Gregory said you probably ruined your phone in the lake.”
“I didn’t have one.”
“We’ll take care of it,” Gregory said, and Rose gave her the phone number so she could continue using it.
It was brand new too. She was shocked, but she couldn’t help but be pleased. “I’ll drop it back off with you later.”
“No, it’s yours to keep. We have a generous family plan,” Gregory said.
Sascha gave the number to Katrina. “It’s my new phone and number.”
Katrina didn’t say anything.
“I know, I’m not into technology, but after tonight, I think it’s important to have a cell phone to call you or others in case of an emergency.”
“And for business.”
“Of course. I’ll call you in a little while. Love you, cuz.”
“Love you.”
Then they ended the call. “Okay, Rose, the guy you’re going with? Fenton? I’m not sure he will be your forever guy, but for now, he’s really a nice date.”
“Fenton? Who’s he?” Rose asked, looking totally confused.
Gregory laughed.
Did he not believe Katrina? Probably not. And he thought she got Rose’s boyfriend’s name wrong, but she didn’t. That made her wonder who Rose was seeing right now.
Before Rose could ask Sascha anything further about Fenton or anything else, Sascha rubbed her forehead near where she'd been hurt during the accident.
"Why don't you get Sascha some over-the-counter pain medication for her headache?" Gregory said to Rose.
"Oh, sure. Maybe you should stay the night," Rose said to Sascha. "We can call our doctor right away if you get sick in the middle of the night."
Gregory watched Sascha as she considered the notion. "No, thanks. I'll be fine after a good night's rest."
"All right." Rose hurried off to get some medication for her.
Gregory gave Sascha his doctor's business card. "I'll let her know that you were in that accident tonight, and if you feel poorly, to check you out."
"Your doctor makes house calls."
"Only for special occasions. We go to the hospital or clinics when needed, as everyone else does."
"Thanks." She tucked the card into a shirt pocket. "So, is there anything you would like to know for a further reading?" Sascha asked Gregory.
"About Lucy..." That's what Gregory wanted to know. All about Sascha's family.
"No. About you. I'm not discussing my family with you."
"Do you see any more attempts on my life?" He didn't believe she could, but he would humor her.
"No. Just like I didn't see what would happen to Raymond and me in the limo. Though we often can’t see when something involves us.
I know you don't believe I have any special abilities, but they come, and they go.
I don't have any control over them. Then they can be useful or not. Like I knew the kind of clothes Rose was loaning me before I saw them. I was grateful it was something comfortable and not dressy. But it’s just a weird nonsensical thing. "
Nothing Sascha said could be proven, Gregory was thinking. "I guess you don't know what I'm thinking."
"You're thinking that I haven't said anything that could be proven."
His jaw dropped. Could she read his mind? No, she was only supposed to be able to see future events. She just guessed what he was thinking because she knew he was skeptical about her abilities.
Rose entered the room with a glass of water and a container of pills.
Sascha thanked her, took two pills, and drank some of the water. "What about my clothes?"
"They're being washed and dried, and they'll be delivered to your apartment tomorrow," Gregory said.
"You can keep my clothes," Rose said cheerily. "They're my gift to you after your traumatic experience. I just bought them and haven’t even worn them yet."
"Thanks. I'm going to call Prescott to come get me and take me home."
"I could take you," Rose offered.
"No," both Gregory and Sascha said at once. He didn't need his younger sister to put herself and Sascha at risk.
Sascha called Prescott and asked him to come get her, then they ended the call. "He's coming. He'll be here in about forty minutes. Do you mind if I lie down?"
"I'll get you a blanket." Rose hurried off while Gregory resettled decorative pillows so Sascha could stretch out.
Rose hurried back into the room, covered her with a soft blue blanket, and gave her a pillow.
Sascha thanked her. “Oh, you took Red, your bodyguard, to the hospital for an appendicitis attack last night at the Worthington’s party. Is he okay?”
Gregory smiled. “Yeah. Apparently, it was just indigestion. No inflamed appendix.”
“Oh, good.”
“Yeah. I gave him the day off to feel better.”
Sascha sighed. “That’s nice.” She settled against the pillow and closed her eyes.
Gregory lowered the lights in the room, and he and his sister went outside onto the patio deck overlooking the swimming pool.
"I worry that she's all right," Rose said.
"I'm sure she's just exhausted from all the trauma she experienced tonight." At least, Gregory sure hoped that was all there was to it. He was torn between keeping her here under his protection and sending her home, where she could be safer.
“Katrina was trying to protect Prescott when he was under threat of being killed. I guess Sascha isn’t interested in doing the same for you?” Rose asked.
Gregory frowned at her. “You don’t believe in all that psychic business, do you? She didn’t even get your boyfriend’s name right.”
Rose sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. But what if she does have some abilities?”
“She doesn’t. And I don’t want her in danger because she’s hanging around me.”
Still, she stirred a fever in him like no one else ever had. And he had no interest in anything other than sharing the rest of the evening in close quarters with Sascha.
What was there about the gypsy family that endeared them to the billionaire upper crust and turned their lives around?
Did they have some kind of ability to make men fall in love with them, or what?
And yet with Lucy Brighten and Damon, it appeared that wasn’t the case.
No, just Katrina with Prescott and now Sascha with him.
Something else drove Damon to marry Lucy, but what?
Determined to find out, he knew Sascha was the key. Of the three women, she was the only one who’d socialized with the wealthy class in Dallas before Katrina entered the picture. Somehow, she was the instigator.
He’d expose their secrets and have some fun with the redhead in the meantime. Yep, that was the plan. He welcomed the diversion too. The problem he had with the “hit man” was getting a trifle passé, though his attack on Sascha angered him beyond reason. He’d taken the business too far this time.
“Everyone’s talking about you and Sascha.” Rose looked up at the stars glittering across the night sky.
“Yes, well, that’s what parties are all about…spreading gossip.”
“Stephanie spoke to me.”
“Oh?”
“She says the gypsy fortune teller’s pulling you along by the tongue.”