Dark Love: A Darker Shade - Book 2

24

Inside the room, the guy had started kissing Zee and she was just lying there, inebriated. He decided to take pictures before getting down to knowing her body intimately. He got off her, picked up his phone and began taking pictures of her when a rude knock sounded at the door.

"Go away." He shouted. "I'm busy...What the hell..." He gasped in surprise as the door burst open.

Lemuel and Inara stormed inside, the Bouncer behind them.

"Get away from her." Lemuel thundered. "Hey, are you taking pictures you pervert? Give me the phone."

The guy got off the bed and held his phone to himself even as Lemuel reached him and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Drop the damn phone."

"I'll take care of him." Said the Bouncer as he drew forward and Lemuel gladly shoved him over to the Bouncer.

The guy was so scared that the phone dropped to the ground as he let go of it.

Inara hastened over to the bed, climbed onto it and pulled Zee up. "Zee, what is wrong with you?"

 Zee laughed. It was a tired sound. Then she pointed at the Bouncer who was handling the guy. "Leave...leave him alone.

"You better shut up." Lemuel told her and she burst into laughter. The sound was forced. "I don't even know why I'm getting verbal with your sorry ass. Baby girl, please get her to dress up."

"Okay." Inara said and found Zee's dress. "Come on, Zee." She urged and started helping her into the dress.

 Lemuel picked up the phone, removed the sim card and threw it on the floor. He smashed the phone on the ground. Then he gathered the broken phone into the pocket of his pants.

"Oh no." the guy cried out.

"Now this should crush every plans of content retrieval you have in that dumb head of yours." Said Lemuel. Then he picked up the SIM card and shoved it into the guy's hand. "There's an act of kindness. I hope you learn from it."

"I have contacts on my phone too."

"A small price to pay for your deeds." Lemuel responded, unsympathetic.

The Bouncer held the guy by the scruff of his shirt. "You have been blacklisted from this club, Mr. Man." He said and started shoving him away from the room.

Lemuel watched them go before giving his attention to Inara and Zee. Zee was covered now. What a night, he thought.

Michael was in a pair of white pajamas as he lay in bed, his eyes on a late night game of football. He wasn't concentrating though. He was finding Mr. Arnold's call quite strange.

Mr. Arnold had called him Mr. Ray. Then he had said he mixed the number up. He wasn't buying it. Maybe he wanted to tell him something but decided to change his mind. He wondered what that was. And he didn't like wondering. He picked up his phone and called Lemuel who received the call after the fourth ring.

"Mr. Ray." Lemuel answered.

"That's what you called me the last time we talked about a few minutes ago."

There was a pause from Lemuel's end. "So?" he finally responded.

"You knew who you were calling." Michael told him without beating about the bush. "What were you going to say? Are you having doubts about the business?"

"No, of course not."

"Are you in transit?"

"Yes. I'll call you back once I'm settled."

Michael heard laughter in the background. The voice sounded familiar. "Shut up, Zee." He heard Mrs. Arnold say and his brows came together in a frown. He was puzzled. He heard Lemuel, sigh.

"Is Elizabeth with you?" he asked.

At Lemuel's end, he looked at Zee who was leaning against Inara at the back seat of the car. She wouldn't stop giggling and making small meaningless jokes. Now, Inara had spoken her name. He was done here. He put the phone away from his mouth and spoke to Inara.

"Why did you mention her name? I'm on the phone with Mr. Ray and he just heard you."

"What?" Inara's eyes widened. "Oh no." she put her hand over Zee's mouth as though that would remedy the situation. "Look what you've caused." She murmured.

The laughter that escaped Zee was muffled over Inara's palm.

"Hello." Michael said due to the prolonging silence. Then Lemuel came back online.

"Sorry about that."

"Mr. Arnold, what's really going on? Is that why you called earlier? I heard Elizabeth's voice."

"Well, yeah. But please take it easy, okay?"

"What is going on?"

"We are taking her home right now."

"What happened?"

Lemuel tried not to make the situation sound serious. Michael was like him in many ways and if he knew himself well, this was a situation that will certainly fuel his fury if his woman was involved in something like this.

For Inara's sake, he tried to downplay the situation. "She got a bit drunk and my wife noticed it over the phone with her so we had to go over and pick her up. That's actually why I called you the first time but changed my mind."

Michael could feel his temper stirring up and rising steadily but he struggled to contain it. "Thank you so much, Mr. Arnold. At this point I'm beginning to see you as a friend and not as a business partner."

"You're welcome. And that is good to know."

"My regards to your wife."

"She'll hear."

"Goodnight, Mr. Arnold."

"Goodnight, Mr. Ray."

"Michael will do."

"Then Lemuel will do just fine."

Michael couldn't help but smile as Lemuel ended the call. Then he remembered Zee and his mood darkened, his eye lashes narrowing with rising rage.