Dark Perception: The Corde Noire Series Read online

  Once seated at a corner booth in the grand, two-story dining room, Melinda picked up her menu on the table and purposefully kept her eyes from Ellie. A waiter dressed in white instantly appeared, but before he could open his mouth, Ellie stopped him.

  “Bring two vodka and sodas with a twist of lemon and keep ‘em coming. We’ll order after we drink.”

  The waiter rolled his eyes. “Yes, ma’am.”

  After the young man scrambled away, Ellie grabbed the menu from Melinda’s hand and slapped it down on the table.

  “When did you sleep with him?”

  Melinda knew there was no point in keeping the truth from Ellie. Like any good spy, she had an uncanny knack for extracting secrets from anyone she cared about.

  “The night of the party.”

  “The party!” Ellie grunted with annoyance. “Jack hasn’t stopped talking about that party.”

  “Then you know who his mother is?”

  “It does explain why he could afford to buy all those coffees for us over the years. But so what if he comes from a wealthy family? Maybe he didn’t want to tell us about it because he was ashamed.”

  “Ashamed?” Melinda roared. “Ashamed that his mother is loaded and lives in a million-dollar home on the lake? He was afraid of telling us because he thought we would use him for his money.”

  Ellie peered around at the neighboring tables. “Hey, you don’t tell people you can see the future because you don’t want them to use you for your gift. What’s the friggin’ difference?”

  “He lied, Ellie.” She thumped her fist on the table. “He let me believe he was just like us, but he wasn’t anything like us. Doesn’t that infuriate you … that he lied to us?”

  “You need to just calm down.” Ellie’s blue eyes came together with concern. “Melinda, lying is when you purposefully tell someone a false truth. Jack never said anything to us in the first place, so how was it a lie?”

  “Not telling you something is the same as lying.”

  Ellie leaned back on her bench. “And what aren’t you telling me right now?”

  Dropping her eyes, Melinda pretended to adjust the sleeve on her blouse. “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s something wrong with this pretty picture you’re trying to shove in front of me. What I’m seeing doesn’t add up, Melinda. What’s really going on with you and Nathan?”

  Melinda squirmed in her chair. “He’s been trying to close on this big deal to develop the old power station on Market Street. Jack’s mother is one of the backers.”

  “That should make things interesting.”

  Melinda fiddled with the silverware in front of her. “He plans on turning this property into a retail and upscale apartment complex. He says he wants me to live with him in an apartment he’s going to have at this new development.”

  “Live with you as a wife or girlfriend?” Ellie badgered.

  “He’s talking about kids and minivans. Does that give you any idea?”

  Ellie rested her hands on the table, looking grim. “Mrs. Nathan Cole. Do you want that?”

  “He’s awfully good to me, Ellie.” Melinda touched her emerald and diamond necklace. “He took me to a private show for this local artist at some fancy mansion on Prytania Street, and I got to pick out some paintings for his penthouse. Then, last weekend we went to a party at The New Orleans Museum of Art. It was a benefit for the—”

  “Do you like this life, Melinda? Because when you talk about going to these places I don’t see the usual sparkle in your eyes. You look run-down, and you’ve been fidgeting since you sat down at this table.”

  Melinda viewed the patrons in the restaurant, struggling to find the words to explain exactly how she was feeling.

  “Have you been writing your music?” Ellie demanded.

  Melinda turned back to her. “I’ve been home a lot during the day while Nathan is tied up at meetings, so I’ve been doing nothing but working on my music.”

  “How is that going for you?”

  Wringing her hands together, Melinda shook her head. “I can’t quite get into the flow of it. I don’t understand it. I used to be able to sit at my keyboard and the melodies would just pour out of me. Lately, it’s like I can’t hear the music in my head anymore.”

  “Maybe you’re hearing something else in your head?”

  Flustered, Melinda crinkled her brow. “Like what?”

  A hint of a smile brightened Ellie’s countenance. “Not what Melinda, who.”

  Their waiter reappeared, carrying a tray of drinks in his hand. “Your order, ladies,” he announced, and placed the drinks on the table.

  “Why don’t you bring out an order of Crabmeat Cheesecake to start, and then two Palace Burgers for our entree?” Ellie suggested.

  “I don’t think I can eat a burger, Ellie, I’ll just—”

  Ellie shook her finger at Melinda, silencing her. “Nonsense. You’re as skinny as a wet cat.” Ellie looked to their waiter. “Add extra fries with those burgers, too.”

  The waiter nodded and hurried to another table.

  When Melinda reached for her drink, Ellie’s hand clamped down on her arm.

  “What in the hell is that?” She pushed up Melinda’s shirtsleeve.

  Melinda quickly withdrew her hand and covered the dark bruises on her wrist with her sleeve.

  “It’s nothing,” she commented while hiding her hands beneath the table.

  “So that’s it.” Ellie arched closer to the table, her blue eyes alight with concern. “Look, kiddo, I liked to be tied up and humped like a jackrabbit in heat every once in a while myself, but it doesn’t leave bruises like that.”

  “Nathan got a little carried away the other night, that’s all.”

  Ellie said nothing for a moment as Melinda reached for her drink.

  “Do you like what he does to you?” she finally asked.

  Melinda gulped back a swig of her vodka and soda. “He can be very tender and gentle. Then there are some nights when he gets a little …”

  “What?” Ellie interrogated.

  “Rough.” Melinda put her drink down on the table with a thud.

  “Does he hurt you?”

  Melinda ran her fingers along the rim of her glass. “In the beginning, I liked it, but he’s changed lately. He knows he gets carried away, and he tries to make it up to me.”

  “With presents like that necklace, I suppose.” Ellie sat back on her bench, grimacing. “Melinda, you’re a big girl, and if you want to stay with this man, it’s your choice, but I’m just wondering … why are you doing this? You never struck me as the kind to sell yourself to the highest bidder.”

  “What do you suggest I do? Go back to Jackson Square?” Melinda emphatically shook her head. “I can’t do that. I can never go back.”

  “Why?” Ellie waited for her response but Melinda kept her eyes glued on her drink. “Is it Jack? Is he the reason you don’t want to come back?”

  “He was my friend, Ellie, and he lied to me. What difference does it make if I stay with Nathan or go back to the Square?” Melinda gathered her purse. “Either way, I’ll be in the same boat. At least with Nathan, I can have a future. He’s making arrangements for me to record my music at Canal Street Studios next month. Nathan has done more for me in the last few weeks than Jack ever did in the past couple of years.” She shimmied her way across the booth.

  “But Jack never meant to hurt you. Nathan I’m not so sure about,” Ellie argued.

  Melinda stood from the bench. “It’s just sex, Ellie, a little rough sex between two consenting adults.”

  “I think it’s more than that to Nathan. I’ve always gotten a strange vibe from that man.” Ellie glimpsed the black collar. “This is about possession to him. He thinks he owns you.”

  Melinda tucked her purse under her arm. “He cares for me, Ellie, he doesn’t own me. There’s a difference.”

  “Then I guess you got what you’ve always wanted. But I don’t think everything turn
ed out quite like you expected. Men like Nathan want everyone else to live by their terms, no matter the consequences. You need to think about leaving before it’s too late.”

  “Too late? Really, Ellie, you’re being overly dramatic.”

  “Melinda, wait.” Ellie scooted to the end of the bench and rose to her feet. “You need to consider leaving before Nathan Cole refuses to let you go.”

  “You haven’t seen what I see when I read his thoughts. He’s not like that.” Melinda turned to go.

  Ellie grabbed her arm and spun Melinda around to face her. “There are some things even you can’t see, Melinda. Things that are meant to be.”

  Melinda shook off her words and then her arm. “I should be getting back. I’m sorry I can’t stay for lunch. Good-bye, Ellie.”

  Melinda hurried to the restaurant exit, Ellie’s warnings still spinning in her head. She knew Nathan wasn’t the monster Ellie described. Melinda didn’t want to believe Nathan could ever be more than the attentive and devoted man she had come to know. But then she thought of the white mist in her storage room and the stories she had heard about Julie. Soon, Melinda’s certainty began to crumble, and like a body weighted down in the water, the doubt she had tried so hard to suppress rose to the surface.

  For the first time in her life, Melinda was beginning to fear the future.

  Chapter 18

  “How was lunch?” Nathan inquired over the intercom almost as soon as Melinda walked into her apartment.

  She shut her front door before she answered. “I left early.”

  “Why? I thought you were looking forward to seeing Ellie.”

  “Nathan, I …” Instead of saying what was on her mind, she threw her fancy leather handbag at the sofa. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  There was silence over the intercom. For a second, Melinda wondered if he was even listening. She stared at the speaker, debating if he was still there. When Melinda heard the knock on her front door, she knew it was Nathan. It was always Nathan.

  Reluctantly, she turned the doorknob, making sure to put on a happy face. He had been complaining about her constant frown lately, and she wanted to avoid making him angry. She didn’t like it when Nathan got angry.

  “What happened, baby?” he questioned, strutting in the door.

  “Why are you dressed like that?” She pointed to his jeans and long-sleeved T-shirt. “I thought you had a meeting this afternoon with Denise’s backers.”

  “I canceled it.” He shut her door. “I needed to get caught up on paperwork and figured everyone could use a breather from this Market Street deal.”

  “Why does everyone need a breather?” She ambled toward the kitchen.

  “When a deal comes to a head, either about to happen or fall apart, everyone gets burnt out, me included. I find if I purposefully step back, it makes people wonder what I’m up to. The backers get nervous and so do their attorneys. You’d be shocked at how quickly decisions get made after a breather.”

  Melinda went to the kitchen cabinet by the sink. “You amaze me. A multimillion-dollar deal on the brink and you take a step back.” She set a bottle of vodka on the beige-granite countertop.

  “It’s not even one, Melinda.” He came up behind her. “What are you doing?”

  “I need a drink.”

  “What happened with Ellie?” Nathan seized her hand and the bruises on her wrists peeked out from beneath her sleeve. “Did she see these marks and ask a million questions?”

  Melinda wrenched her hand from his and covered her wrist with her sleeve. “Not a million questions, but damn near.”

  He pressed his back against the countertop. “I’m sorry. I get carried away sometimes, but I thought you liked it. I’m just trying to please you.”

  She carefully considered what to tell him, not wanting to arouse his wrath. “I do like it, Nathan, but lately…”

  He lowered his head to her. “But what, baby? If you want me to stop, I’ll stop. I’ll do whatever you want.”

  Relief flowed through her like a mountain stream. “Really?”

  “Is that what’s been wrong with you lately? You haven’t wanted to tell me what you were thinking?” He embraced her, holding her close. “Melinda, I’m not a monster. If I hurt you, I’m sorry. But part of playing the game is telling me what pleases you and what doesn’t. You need to express yourself and not keep your feelings hidden. Being a good submissive isn’t just about following my directions, but giving me direction, as well.”

  She relaxed into his chest. All the worry Ellie’s dire predictions had created disappeared. Melinda felt calmer than she had in days.

  Pulling Melinda by the hand, Nathan led her to the sofa, urging her to sit. He settled down next to her and eased her against him. As she rested her head on his chest, he gently stroked her hair.

  “Have you eaten today?”

  “I’m not hungry, Nathan.”

  “You’re losing weight. I’m sure Ellie probably thinks I’m torturing you after what she saw today. I’ll bet she begged you to pack up your things and return to the Quarter.”

  “Not in so many words, but yes.”

  Melinda felt his body stiffen. “I hate to think you didn’t explain things to Ellie. I don’t want her thinking ill of me.”

  Melinda patted his firm chest. “Ellie will always think no man is good enough for me, including you.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because you’re not Jack. She’s been trying to push me off on Jack for years. No matter how many times I told her I wasn’t interested in him that way.”

  “But he was interested in you. Still is, if you ask me.”

  Melinda shrugged and cuddled closer to Nathan. “Jack and I are like oil and water. Every time we get together, we fight.” She smiled as she thought of Jack.

  His mad Maddie.

  “No more talk about Jack. The man’s an idiot.” Nathan sat up. “You fix yourself something to eat while I get back to my paperwork.” He tapped his finger on the tip of her nose. “I’ll go out later and pick up a pizza for dinner. How does that sound? We can just eat and watch TV like an old married couple.”

  “That sounds really nice, Nathan.”

  “Get some rest. You look beat.” Nathan stood and lifted her to her feet. He placed his arm around her waist as he walked her to the front door. “And no more keeping things from me, Melinda. I want you to be happy.”

  When Nathan opened her apartment door, Jack was standing in the hallway.

  “Jack, what are you doing here?” she blurted out.

  Jack took one look at Melinda and then lunged at Nathan.

  “You son of a bitch!” He shoved Nathan against the wall next to the front door.

  “Jack!” Melinda screamed as she tried to break up the men.

  Nathan fought back, shoving Jack away. They stumbled over each other and tumbled to the hardwood floor. Nathan easily subdued Jack by climbing on top of him. Then his hands went around Jack’s throat. Melinda could see Jack gasping for air, his face turning a deep shade of red. She ran to his side and began pulling at Nathan’s hands.

  “Nathan, you’re killing him.”

  “He deserves to die,” Nathan hissed, his face contorted with rage.

  “Nathan, stop it!” Melinda tugged frantically at his hands. “He’s Denise’s son, for God’s sake!”

  Nathan instantly released Jack. He sat back and Jack rolled over to his side, gasping for air. Melinda hovered over Jack while Nathan stood from the floor.

  “Get him out of my building.” Nathan gestured to the open front door. “Now.”

  “Goddamn it, Nathan. Will you shut up?” She worriedly examined Jack.

  “Don’t you ever talk to me like that, Melinda!” he fumed.

  “You fucking asshole,” Jack croaked. “Ellie told me about the bruises. What in the hell have you been doing to her?” Jack clutched his throat.

  “Those bruises are none of your damn business. That’s between me and her.” Natha
n pointed to Melinda.

  “Enough of this!” She helped Jack from the floor, keeping her body between them. “Nathan, let me talk to Jack.” She nodded to the front door. “Go back to your place.”

  “I’m not leaving you alone with him!” Nathan hollered.

  “Please, Nathan.” She pressed her hand to her forehead, attempting to keep her cool. “I need to speak to Jack alone.”

  “No, Melinda! I will not allow it!”

  Melinda had to come up with another approach. She went to Nathan’s side and whispered, “You need to consider your deal with Denise. You can’t have Jack running back to her and telling her about any of this. You know what she’ll do. Let me talk to him. Smooth things over.”

  Nathan ran his hands over his face, settling down. “I’ll be right next door if you need me.”

  He gave Jack one more going over with his dark eyes, and before he stormed through the open front door, he slapped the intercom panel.

  Shutting her front door, Melinda stood gaping at the doorknob, trying to make sense of the jumble of feelings tearing at her heart. Jack could be irrational at times, but she had never seen him go after another human being like he had attacked Nathan.

  “You need to pack your things and get the hell out of here,” Jack insisted, his voice still raspy.

  When she faced him, Melinda could not help but grin. Gone was the sophisticated man she had seen the night of Denise’s party. He had replaced his tuxedo with his usual rumpled jeans and T-shirt, and the sleek hairdo he had sported that night had, once again, become the disheveled mop she remembered. He was her old Jack, but in a way she wished he would return to being the man she had encountered at the party. The handsome man who had taken her breath away.

  “I’m not leaving, Jack.” She pushed away from the door. “You should never have come here and threatened Nathan like that.”

  “Is that from him?” He pointed to her black cord necklace. “I know what that collar means. The guy’s one of those sick perverts who likes hurting women, Maddie. What does he do? Tie you up to the bed? Spank you? Whip you? Is that what he needs to get off?”

  “Listen to yourself! What in the hell is the matter with you?” She walked past him to the kitchen. “What I do in bed with Nathan is my affair. You didn’t get all hot and bothered like this when Collin shoved me from his car in the middle of Rampart Street. Or when Neal hit me with his tennis racket, or even when Mike pushed me to the ground at The Grill Room.”