Chapter 7 #2
Not wanting to miss my one shot at getting my name on that list, I wrap up my call with Milan before heading down to the lobby and getting an Uber across town.
This afternoon’s target: Louis Mendez.
He’s a business associate of Javier’s, working primarily in arms dealing.
He’s a known playboy who enjoys screwing around on his wife.
She knows all about it, and considering how much he’s worth, she turns a blind eye.
But it’ll all be worth it soon enough. The moment Javier is out of the picture, Louis will be the one to step up and take the reins, and just like Javier, he’ll get himself killed, and all that agony of having to watch her husband entertain countless other women will finally pay off.
Could I stay with a cheating man? I don’t know.
I’ve never loved anyone enough to bother remaining in a relationship long enough to find out.
Truth is, I’d probably kill him before I was able to reel in my emotions.
But could I do it knowing there were hundreds of millions of dollars coming my way if I were to play the long game? Damn right, I could.
There’s a beachside restaurant where Louis likes to go every time he visits Barcelona, and if the flight logs for his private jet are correct, he only got in late last night and is due for another flight tomorrow morning.
If I were going to stage a run-in, then a late lunch at that beachside restaurant before tonight’s big party is going to be my best bet.
Arriving at the restaurant, I head straight for the bar and order a mimosa before sitting down at an outdoor table.
The waiter takes my order, and within twenty minutes, I’m sipping on my drink while eating the most delicious salad I’ve ever consumed.
Barcelona really is shaping up to be one hell of a treat.
I sit at the table for only forty minutes before Louis Mendez shows his face, and I have to smother the smile that cuts across my lips. That was too easy. If he plans on making it as the head of Javier’s empire after he’s gone, he’s going to have to learn to be a little more discreet.
Louis walks in with a flood of men in designer suits, and they arrogantly take up a table, talking and laughing loud enough to get dirty looks from the other diners.
Half of them are already buzzed, the other half are on their way, and as they start demanding attention from the young waitress, I can’t help but feel worried for her.
It takes no time at all to realize that young waitress isn’t somebody I need to worry about.
She can more than hold her own against these filthy rich men who think they’re entitled to anything and everything they set their sights on.
The head chef with the massive butcher knife keeps staring down anyone that even looks at her wrong, and he seems to have the situation under control.
Not wanting to drag this on too long, I get up from my table and take the glass of water the young waitress brought over a few minutes ago.
Then, as I stride toward Louis’s table, I make sure to catch his eye before offering a shy smile, and the moment he smiles back, I know I’ve got him hook, line, and sinker.
Showtime.
I stumble, letting the water splash against my chest as I fall to my knees, and just as expected, the number one playboy in town gets straight to his feet, hurrying around the edge of his table to help me up.
“Ma’am, are you okay?” he asks, taking my elbow and helping me back to my feet.
“Oh my goodness,” I say in a sickly sweet tone. “I’m so embarrassed. I’m such a klutz.”
“Not at all, sweetheart,” he says, taking some of the napkins from the vacant table to our left and handing them to me.
“Thank you,” I murmur, shyly dabbing at the water soaking through my sundress, all too aware of the way the material has become see-through enough to see the full curve of my tits wrapped in my favorite bikini top, and he sure as hell notices it too. “Oh no. My dress is ruined.”
“It’s just a bit of water,” he says. “Nothing the hot summer sun can’t fix.”
I let out a shy laugh. “I guess you’re right.”
“Why don’t you join us? A beautiful woman like you should be wined and dined, not sitting at a beachfront restaurant all by herself.”
“I wasn’t meaning to be here alone,” I tell him. “My date was a no-show.”
He gasps. “I’m appalled. What kind of red-blooded man would stand up such a beautiful woman? I insist, you must sit down.”
“Really,” I say, offering another shy smile while also gently laying my hand against his chest to suggest that perhaps I’m not as shy as I’ve been letting on.
“I really couldn’t. Not now that my dress is all wet.
And besides, a bunch of well-dressed, handsome men sitting down to eat without a female in sight tells me that you’re a very important man who’s come to discuss business.
I couldn’t possibly get in the way of that. ”
“You’re perceptive,” he says, lowering his tone and shifting closer, his gaze filling with a strange mix of desire and curiosity.
I nod. “I am.”
“I’d like to see you again.”
I arch a brow, my flirty side beginning to shine a little brighter. “Is that so?”
“There’s a party tonight. You should come.”
My gaze shifts to the men sitting around the table, some of them openly gawking at my wet tits.
“Hmmm, I’m not sure,” I tease. “What kind of party are we talking about? A bunch of businessmen playing poker? I don’t mean to offend, but I’m only in Barcelona for a few days, and if I’m going to spend one of those nights at a party, then I need the guarantee of a good time. ”
He laughs. “Oh, sweetheart, a good time is the one thing I can guarantee.”
“Is that so?” I repeat.
He nods and holds his hand out. “Phone.”
I do as he asks and hand him my phone, watching him shamelessly add his contact details as his wedding ring stares back at me. “You’ll be there. 9 p.m. I’ll send a car if you need.” Louis calls himself from my phone, gaining my number. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”
The way he calls me sweetheart makes me want to gag, but I keep the smile plastered across my face. “Bianca St. Hayes,” I tell him, knowing better than to offer him my real name.
Louis takes my hand and presses a kiss to the back of it. “Louis Mendez,” he says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I smile up at him as though I’ve just met the love of my life. “You never told me what kind of party this is,” I murmur. “Dress code?”
“Black tie, but make it sexy.”
My smile widens. “Now, that I can do.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he tells me. “Now, where would my manners be if I didn’t insist that you stay for a meal?”
I playfully gasp. “And deprive a woman of the chance to go shopping for a beautiful dress in the beautiful town of Barcelona? You wouldn’t dare!”
“You’ve got me there, Miss Bianca. I do look forward to seeing you tonight,” he tells me, before shocking the shit out of me when he hands me his black card.
“Shopping is on me. Spoil yourself, sweetheart. Enjoy your afternoon, and text me which hotel you’re staying at. I’ll send a car to fetch you.”
Fetch me. Like I’m a dog.
“I, uhhh . . . Thank you,” I say, bashfully playing the part.
In reality, I probably have more money in my account than he could dream of right now.
But hell, if he wants to put his hands in his pockets to get me a dress for tonight, then who am I to argue with that?
Besides, I’m almost positive that he’s only offering to cover the cost because he has every intention of tearing the dress off me later, but he’s about to be sorely disappointed.
If I didn’t jump at the opportunity to ride Raiden’s redwood tree trunk, then this guy doesn’t stand a chance.
Saying a quick goodbye with the promise to see him later, I head out of the beachfront restaurant with Louis’s black card burning a hole in my purse, then I order an Uber to take me to the best boutique in Barcelona.
A few hours later, I stand in front of the full-length mirror in my hotel suite, my brand-new deep red dress hugging my body just right.
It’s a strappy lace full-length gown with a plunging neckline that dives deep between my breasts, showing off just the right amount of cleavage to gain attention while the slit at the front trails right up my thigh and to my hip.
This dress could be torn off me with nothing more than a good gust of wind, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ve never worn anything so daring and sexy, and as I stare at myself in the mirror, I’m in awe of the girl staring back at me.
I wear my hair in a low bun, leaving the dress to be the statement of the night, before adding a few embellishments to finish the look: a dainty gold chain, small gold stud earrings, and a pair of strappy nude heels.
After spritzing my favorite perfume, I take one final look in the mirror and smile.
This is going to be wild.
With everything in place, I head down to the lobby, and just as promised, there’s a car waiting for me with Louis’s driver already holding the door open.
“You must be Miss St. Hayes.”
“I am,” I say with a smile.
A pitying look crosses his face, but it’s gone sooner than it arrived as he ushers me into the back of the blacked-out SUV, and I can’t help but wonder what kind of man Louis Mendez truly is.
After a twenty-minute drive along the coast of Barcelona, the driver finally pulls into the biggest home I’ve ever seen, and considering the types of properties I frequent, that’s saying something.
The driver stops at the very top of the circular driveway, gets out, and opens the door for me. “Miss St. Hayes,” he says, gesturing for me to step out of the vehicle. “Enjoy your night.”
I offer him a small smile, and with that, I walk right up to the door and peer in before immediately realizing that this isn’t the night Javier Rodríguez will die. There must be hundreds of people already inside, and more cars still piling in through the massive front gates.
There are too many witnesses clamoring for Javier’s attention.
But that doesn’t mean that tonight won’t be the perfect opportunity to get close.
Will I be able to get a moment alone with Javier?
Probably not. But will I get a moment alone in his private office with his daily planner? I guarantee it.
And with that, I step up to the doorman and offer him a smile.
“Name?” he asks.
“Bianca St. Hayes.”
He searches over the list, and not a moment later, he steps out of the way and waves me in. “Welcome to the night of your life, Miss St. Hayes.”