Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94686 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“That was the only way my man could do it because there’s was just too much.”
“Well, all I’m saying is that this buddy has to be the one killing them. When the one chick was depressed, she called this person and cried all of the time. The cocaine addict chick did drugs with this same buddy, I think. Although I never saw her do drugs with this person on camera.”
Frowning, Chase stirred in his seat. “Then whoever it was knew the exact location of each camera in the house, and knew I monitored them myself at times. If there’s one thing I’m not a fan of, it’s hard drugs, especially cocaine. I caught Evelyn snorting a few times. Whoever she did it with, kept her involvement far away from the house.”
“Maybe it was Wendy,” Jazz offered. “When I was up in your”—she did air quotes—“‘monitoring room,’ Wendy was lying in bed, naked, staring directly at the camera and begging you to come to her.”
Chase averted his eyes from going back to my sister. “She did that sometimes.”
“Did the others?” Jazz asked.
“No.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because they didn’t know about the cameras. Okay. Let me explain.” He tapped his fingers. “See. Dawn and Lucy knew there were cameras all over, but. . .only Wendy knew that they were inside the bedrooms and. . .that I had my own monitors upstairs to watch them.”
Silence set on the table. I didn’t have to look at Jazz to know she was seething. Why, I wasn’t sure. All of this stuff had somewhat happened before her. It shouldn’t have been a big deal, but love was like that.
Which is why you can’t fuck with this guy, Jazz.
I attempted to get the conversation back on the problem at hand before Jazz assaulted Chase. “How did Wendy find out about the cameras in the bedroom?”
“Just like Jasmine, she stumbled upon my secret passageway when I was with Dawn. She told me she was frightened and needed a kiss from me to go to sleep—”
“Oh, please,” Jazz blurted out.
Viv snorted into her hands.
“Anyway.” Chase cleared his throat. “Wendy said she watched Dawn and I have sex on camera, and wanted to watch again. Just her and my secret.”
“So you let her?” Jazz beat me to the question.
“Of course.”
“Of course,” Jazz muttered and took another bite from her bread. “Did Dawn know about this?”
“Wendy said she would tell her,” Chase said.
“But how do you know she did?” I asked.
“I don’t.” Chase shrugged. “You have to understand that I have several companies. It takes up most of my time. When I get to Willow Park, I’m not interested in managing my. . .”
“Whores?” Viv suggested.
“Harem?” Jazz raised one eyebrow.
Now is the time to cover your balls, brother. These girls hit low when agitated.
“Girlfriends,” Chase said through clenched teeth. “Ex-girlfriends now.”
“But for how long?” Viv asked.
Chase checked my face as if a plea to help him out. I couldn’t. I was wondering the same damn question.
“Jasmine you are who I want to be with. There’s no need for any other women.”
Skepticism hung on all of our faces as we stared back at Chase.
He touched his neck like he’d just been cut. “And by the way, this is a tough room.”
“Trust me.” Viv winked. “If you think, you’re going to be with Jazz for the long haul, oh, it’s going to get tougher. As far as I’m concerned, you have a whole lot to prove to me, before I box up my meat grinder and ship it away instead of making a sausage out of your penis.”
Oh, shit. Not the meat grinder.
Chapter 19
JASMINE
Rome was a different sort of city, one I’d never experienced. It could’ve just been all the things I’d learned in my life through history class or popular mythologies, but I could’ve sworn something more breathed within the city’s walls. Roman civilizations had built many things here, aqueducts, calendars, bound books, and even the most sophisticated highway system the ancient world had ever seen. An aged pride in humanity radiated from every architectural treasure and artistic masterpiece. I could’ve stared at some of those buildings for hours and still not captured every detail of the concrete men on the walls.
Thousands of tourists traveled the city, toting cameras and travel guides. Traffic had been chaotic. Our driver swerved in and out of lanes, maneuvering like some sort of champion race car driver. I didn’t mind. There was so much to keep my eyes busy and entertained. Restaurants with outdoor seating crowded the place, so many I might’ve just snapped pictures of hundreds as we zipped by, wondering what they served inside. I imagined those places had probably been there for many years, and pictured a few mom-and-pop ones, where the meals united with a sense of culture and family.
Chase knew how to show a city. We had our own tour guide, car, and driver. The moment we landed, he’d given Vivian and me cameras, shopping money, sunglasses, sunblock, hats, and an empty bag for the stuff we bought. We started off at the Spanish Steps. A flowery fragrance saturated the air. I could’ve stayed on that huge staircase all day. The steps sat in the heart of Rome, all vibrant and dripping with elegance. Blushing pink azalea flowers adorned most of the 175 steps. Our guide had explained that the steps were constructed to celebrate a peace treaty between France and Spain. Apparently, the top of the hill where the steps led linked to the Spanish embassy at the bottom of the hill. During the Renaissance, artists would line the steps and lounge at many of the restaurants near the foot of the stairs, making it a hugely painted and written about area in Rome to this day. Tons of street sellers packed those steps, peddling their goods—Italian trinkets and mementos that most tourists would drool over, but never use once they got back home. I bought a few for my nieces and nephews.