Chapter 3
Kennedy
“Are you sure he’s coming?” I ask the stern-faced security guard standing in front of the door to the private room that I was escorted into ten minutes ago.
“Yes,” the guard answers, his eyes flicking away from me quickly.
It’s as if he’s afraid to stare at me for too long.
After a week of phone calls with no response from Dae Kim’s office, I decided to use my membership and come to the Black Opal to speak with him directly.
I lift my gaze to the crystal chandelier hanging overhead and the velvet red walls that outline the black and gold furniture. This place has exclusivity written all over it.
The gold dress, which stops at my five-inch heels but has a split on the left side, fits in with the club’s atmosphere.
“Do you know how long it will be?” I ask after another five minutes.
Before the guard can answer, the door behind him opens. He turns quickly to face whoever enters.
“Sir …” he greets.
I don’t hear the rest of the guard’s words because my gaze locks on Dae Kim.
He’s an up-and-coming business mogul with multiple nightclubs, lounges, and real estate ventures under his Lee Corporation. It was challenging to find out that information about the company.
The bodyguard exits, leaving me alone with Dae Kim.
He remains standing, his back to the closed door for a beat. I can’t see his eyes due to the angle of the lighting, but I feel as if he’s watching and assessing me.
He takes a step forward and another. Each movement unveils the handsomeness of his features.
The information I could find on him revealed that he’s South Korean. His square jaw, beautifully tanned skin, slanted, intense eyes, and jet-black hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of his neck give him a slightly dangerous look.
Dae Kim is tall, around six feet two inches, and is dressed in a black suit vest, white button-down shirt, and pristinely tailored black pants.
As he gets closer, his eyes linger on me. It hits me then. Have I seen those eyes before?
Yes, here at the Black Opal, but I’ve seen that same intense glare elsewhere. That’s impossible. Aside from that one time, we’ve never met before.
Dae Kim has an unforgettable presence about him.
He comes to a complete stop about a foot in front of me, sliding his hands into his pockets.
Tension swirls around us, although neither of us has spoken one word.
I study his features.
“You’re a difficult man you get a hold of, Mr. Kim.” I speak first, more for my benefit than for his.
“Yet, here you are, Kennedy.”
The sharpest chill I’ve ever felt runs down my spine. I open and close my mouth, but the lump in my throat prevents words from coming out. I step back to put more space between us.
Clearing my throat, I meet his eyes once again.
A foolish move.
Looking him in the eye makes me feel unsteady.
I urge myself to pull it together. Dae Kim isn’t the first handsome man I’ve come across.
Dae isn’t just handsome, though. The man is a sculpture—a piece of artwork my cousin, Monique, might love to hang in her art gallery.
It’s the wild look in his eyes, however, that reveals his true essence. A combination of calm demeanor on the outside, yet a palpable danger that lingers just beneath the surface.
All of a sudden, I want to know his story.
What in his life created such a dichotomy?
It’s not strange for me to wonder what makes people tick. What is odd is that Dae Kim and I have yet to exchange more than two sentences, yet my head swirls with questions.
But I’m not here for Dae Kim. He possibly has information on the actual focus of my investigation.
“Thank you, Mr. Kim, for meeting with me,” I say.
“Is this a meeting?” he asks, lifting a dark eyebrow.
I flash him the widest smile I have. “You’re here. That’s enough.”
Something sparks in his dark coal eyes.
“I was told you’ve been trying to contact me.”
“Yes.” I nod.
Before I arrived, I had a list of questions to ask Dae Kim about my investigation, but now that I’m facing him, the questions aren’t coming to me as quickly as I’d like.
Don’t blow this, Kennedy.
I lift my chin. “It’s about Sebastian Blackmon.”
His eyes narrow, but other than that, he doesn’t respond.
“He’s a former owner of The Black Opal and remains on the member list, correct?”
There’s something devilish about the way his lips shift into a smile. “As you’re a member yourself, I’m certain you’re well aware that I can’t confirm or deny the members’ names on our list.”
I knew that would be his first answer. The Black Opal has a highly discreet clientele list.
“I especially can’t divulge that information to a reporter,” he adds.
“Worried about your clientele finding their names in the paper?” I ask.
“What the members of this club do in their private lives is none of my concern.” His breath brushes across my face. It’s only then that I notice how close he’s gotten.
I must be tired because I know better than to let anyone get this close without my awareness. I move to take another step back, but my calf brushes against a piece of furniture. A glance over my shoulder reveals the black leather loveseat.
I turn to face Dae. He hasn’t budged. Instead, he continues to tower over me. Is he trying to intimidate me?
No.
That’s not it. I’ve encountered men who try to intimidate through dominance of their height or size. That’s not what Dae Kim is doing.
I move to the side to allow myself space to breathe without inhaling his woodsy scent with a hint of citrus.
“It is true that Mr. Blackmon was once an owner of The Black Opal, isn’t that correct?” I try for a different angle.
“Is that what your investigation uncovered?”
Annoyance ripples up my spine. “Do you always answer a question with a question?”
“Do you?”
I pinch my lips. I knew to expect this. Most people aren’t exactly forthcoming with reporters. Especially not investigative reporters.
Businessmen, typically, don’t want their dirty secrets uncovered. Hell, I come from a family of businessmen, probably with more secrets than I care to know about.
“Mr. Kim, I assure you I’m not here to sully your friend’s reputation needlessly.”
“There’s a difference between friends and business associates, Kennedy.”
Something about the sound of my name in his voice makes my heart rate quicken. I’ll chalk it up to the fact that I haven’t gotten any in a while.
A long while.
“I’m aware,” I reply. “Yet, when I dig into Mr. Blackmon’s business dealings, your name pops up more than once.”
His sharp gaze slices to the side. He takes his eyes off of me, and I inhale deeply for the first time since he entered the room.
The relief doesn’t last long.
Why am I feeling so undone in this man’s presence?
“Is that so?”
“Another question,” I say.
“Answers don’t come easily.” There’s something cryptic in the tone of his voice.
I’m over this cat-and-mouse game he thinks we’re playing. I’m not here on a social call.
“Mr. Kim, I should apologize for dropping in on you like this and asking questions I’m sure you weren’t prepared for.”
He raises an eyebrow but doesn’t say anything.
“But I’m here on an important matter that involves Mr. Blackmon. He’s an even more difficult man to get a hold of than you are.”
“You’ve tried to contact him?” he asks in a tone that somewhat startles me.
Something I just said set off an alarm in him. He doesn’t even bother hiding it.
I raise my chin. “Yes.”
His lips pinch.
“As his business partner—”
“Former business partner,” Mr. Kim interjects.
“As his former business partner, I would like to ask some questions about your business relationship.”
“Such as?”
“How long were you business partners?”
“Long enough.”
I grind my teeth together at his evasive answer.
“Was there a particular reason your business relationship ended?”
“Yes.”
I pause, waiting for him to elaborate. He’s smart enough not to give more than what I asked. I know better than to ask open-ended questions. I’m feeling thrown off.
“Can you elaborate on that answer?”
His lips spread again, drawing my attention to them. “No, I don’t think I will.”
Disappointment fills the pit of my stomach. This meeting is turning into another dead end.
And I’m running out of leads.
“I’m sure, more than anyone, Kennedy, that you’re familiar with non-disclosure agreements.”
A frown touches my lips. More than anyone. He says it as if he knows who I am beyond this first meeting.
Of course, he probably is familiar with every member of his exclusive nightclub. But something in his tone …
I shake off the thought because I’m probably reading more into it than I should.
“And assuming that we’re not off the record,” he continues, “I’m not at liberty to go into detail about my former business relationship with Mr. Blackmon.”
“And what about your current relationship with him?”
He frowns, a wrinkle appearing between his eyebrows.
“He’s still a member of this club, correct?”
“Again, I’m not at liberty to confirm or deny.”
He’s not going to budge. I can sense it. But I already know the answer. Mr. Blackmon has been spotted at The Black Opal several times within the last year. In the coveted VIP section reserved for members.
The set of Dae Kim’s jaw, coupled with his unwavering gaze, tells me everything I need to know about the productiveness of this meeting. It’s going nowhere.
Another fucking dead end.
I can feel his gaze on me as I hide my dismay. Despite my good sense, my intrigue starts getting the better of me, and questions about who Dae Kim is emerge.
You”re not here for that.
I don’t have time to get sidetracked.
“Mr. Kim, thank you for your time,” I say into the silence. “If there’s anything you would like to tell me in the future, please don’t hesitate to call me.”
I pull out my business card and hold it out to him.
His eyes drop to my outstretched hand. Just when I think he won’t take my card, he reaches for it. His fingertips brush against mine.
My body stiffens from the sensation that rushes through me. Our eyes lock again, but I refuse to let the stare-off linger.
“Again, thank you for your time, Mr. Kim.” I start to make my exit because the weird feelings popping off in my belly tell me it’s time to get the hell out of here.
However, a hold on my arm stops me.
I twist my body around to find Dae Kim’s large hand wrapped around my arm, trapping me in place. Ordinarily, a move like this from a man I just met would’ve gotten him an immediate knee to the balls.
This time, I hesitate.
My mind goes to the drink I had earlier at the bar. Could someone have slipped something into my drink? That must be why my body feels the way it does.
That has to be the reason.
“Have dinner with me.”
It takes me much longer than it should to process the statement. I can’t call it a question because it wasn’t one. It sounded eerily like a command.
That’s when my brain snaps back into reality.
I don’t take commands from anyone.
I yank my arm away from his grip. Dae Kim doesn’t startle. Instead, his eyes remain locked on the place where his hand held onto my arm, as if he’s savoring the memory.
“What did you just say?” I ask as if I hadn’t heard him perfectly.
“Dinner,” he answers. “With me.”
“To discuss your business relationship with Mr. Blackmon?”
The headshake he gives me is immediate. “That discussion is off the table.”
He moves closer, sliding his hands back into his pockets. “But there’s a whole world of other discussions we can have over dinner, Kennedy.”
There goes that damn lump in my throat again.
“No, thank you.” My answer is as immovable as his previous response. “I didn’t come here looking for a date.”
“You came here looking for me.”
“I—” He’s not wrong, but it’s not how he’s making it sound. “Answers, Mr. Kim. I came here searching for answers.”
He moves closer. “What if I have different answers to give you?”
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what type of answers he wants to give. I look directly into his eyes. Those dark, penetrating orbs don’t flinch, they don’t blink, nor do they waver. Something pulses in my body from head to toe.
All I can think is … Absolutely not.
“No, thank you, Mr. Kim.” I take a step back and then another. By the third step, I spin on my heels and head for the door without looking back.
Even though my body burns with the knowledge that he’s watching every step.
But he doesn’t follow me.
I’m relieved when the door closes behind me. Knowing I’m no longer underneath his heavy stare frees me in a way I’ve never felt before.
The upbeat music of the club’s ground floor level greets me and, for a second, aids in taking my mind off of the stranger whose presence I just abandoned.
Yet, even as I stride toward the door, the memory of his eyes haunt me. It’s like that night months ago when I laid eyes on him for the first time.
Was it the first time?
That question drills in my head as I wait for the valet to bring my BMW SUV to the entrance. I would know if I’d ever met Dae Kim before. I have a good memory.
I shake the thought free as I climb behind the wheel of my car. I need to focus on my next step. Everything up until now has led to a dead end when it comes to finding out more about Sebastian Blackmon.
“What if I have a different set of answers to give you?”
I shake his question loose. The answers Dae Kim wants to give me aren’t the ones I’m looking for.
While I won”t end up on a date with Dae Kim, my curious brain can’t help but wonder … What is his story?