Breaking the Ice (St. James Family #0.5) (6 page)

“
It's a Friday night. We should go out,” Vivica said.

“
I'm not in the mood,” Annata said. The only thing she was in the mood for was crawling under the covers and fantasizing about Christophe Van der Kind. Rolling her eyes at her own stupidity, she plopped down on the couch beside her cousin, kicking off her shoes.

“
You're really boring, you know that?” Vivica said.

“
I'm tired.”
And I've been thoroughly worked up and fucked today, so cut me some slack
, she thought.

“
So who's the guy?” Vivica asked, her big dark eyes flashing mischievously.

“
Nobody. Find something to watch.” Annata rubbed her forehead, another thought suddenly coming to her. She needed to tell Vivica. Give her time to adjust to the move. But she didn't want to. She didn't want to deal with it at all. Draining her glass, she shrugged. No time like the present. “Hey.”

“
What?” Vivica was distracted by some awful reality TV show about housewives.

“
I talked to Granny and she wants you to come stay with her.”

“
I told you not to tell her!” Vivica's full attention was on Annata now. “God! I'm not going down there to live in the middle of nowhere!” Her voice was getting shrill now.

“
It's non-negotiable. I already bought the plane ticket,” Annata said.

“
I have to stay here!”

“
Why? What are you doing here?” Annata gestured around the room. “You fuck around, sleep all day. Smoke and drink. Granny will take care of you. You'll go to school and make something of yourself.”

“
My
career
is here.” Vivica said through clenched teeth.

“
What? Are you high?” Annata shook her head. “You don't even have a job.”

“
You don't know anything about me.” Vivica stood. “Nobody gives a shit about what I want.” She threw the hoody over her head. Stomping around in her bra and a pair of shorts, she dug through the piles of clothes. “I have goals, you know? I have plans.”

“
Christ, you're a kid. Go to school.”

“
What, like you? Be a boring office drone?!” Vivica threw a black dress over her head and yanked it down her torso.

“
Okay, what are these big plans you have?”

“
Just forget it.” Vivica kicked off the shorts, running her hand through her wild tangle of hair.

“
Tell me. I want to hear your grand ideas.” Annata could hear the sarcasm in her voice.
Tone it down
, she told herself.

“
Don't pretend like you care!”

“
Fine. You're flying to Louisiana on Monday. End of story.”

“
And what if I don't, huh?” Vivica stopped, her chest heaving in the skimpy dress.

“
You can't stay here anymore,” Annata said.

“
You're going to throw me on the street?!” Vivica looked so stricken for a moment that Annata almost backpedaled. Almost. But she knew that she had to stay strong. Girls like Vivica needed structure. Structure like her grandmother could give. Then Vivica's face went blank, her eyes hardening. She slid her feet into a pair of heels, grabbed her purse, and stomped to the door. “Fine. I've been taking care of myself for a long time now. I'll just keep doing what I do best.”

“
Where the hell do you think you're going?” Annata said, standing.

“
Like you give a shit.” Vivica threw open the door, and then shot her a deadly glare. “Bitch.” Then she slammed the door shut. Annata clenched her jaw, wanting to scream. But more than anything, wanting her peace and quiet back. Annata slumped back on the couch, staring at the TV as two women on the show lunged at each over, their friends holding them back. Annata zoned out for a minute, wondering what Christophe was doing. She wondered where he'd gone after he left. He was probably out on the town right now, whispering in some other woman's ear. Whispering about how he wanted to eat her pussy and fuck her until the sun came up. She closed her eyes, a flare of anger rippling through her. Fuck Christophe Van der Kind. Fuck Vivica. And most of all, fuck Cassandra for being a drunk deadbeat who had gotten her into this mess.

Then a thought came to her. She glanced at the pile of clothes Vivica had unearthed her dress from. Where did all these clothes come from? Vivica had barely had anything with her when she arrived. Annata leaned forward, pulling the pile of garments into her lap. They were new, designer. Most still had tags. What the hell? So Vivica was shoplifting, most likely. Or had a rich sugar daddy. Annata groaned inwardly and shoved the clothes back onto the floor. Monday suddenly seemed so far away.

Chapter 6

Annata heard Christophe before she saw him, his laughter echoing across the room as she walked from the bathroom back to her office. He wasn't supposed to be here, she knew. He was supposed to be gone. She turned, and saw him. He had his back to her, talking to an administrative assistant. He was leaning in, his hand close to the girl's cheek. Then he reached out an tugged a lock of her blond hair, the gesture intimate and flirtatious. Annata shook her head, refusing to let herself get worked up over him. He was just being himself. He hadn't miraculously changed over the weekend. Rolling her eyes, Annata shut herself inside her office, prepared to hide out. Just in case Christophe Van der Kind came to look for her. Not that he would.

Her phone rang.

“
Where's my Vivvy?” Granny said, her voice slightly hysterical.

“
What?”

“
She never got off the plane. I was waiting for her at the airport.”

“
Oh.” Annata felt a scream welling up in her throat. “Don't worry. I'll find out what's going on, okay?”

“
Okay, dear.” Granny said thickly. “Call me back.”

Annata hung up and checked the airline's website. Using the code on the ticket, Annata looked up Vivica's check-in information. She'd said goodbye to Annata that morning, packing the new suitcase Annata had bought her and smiling like everything was fine. She wasn't happy to go to Louisiana, but she would go. She would go back to school and let Granny take care of her, she'd said, sweetly. The little bitch. She'd never checked in to her flight. She'd never gotten on the plane. Annata took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. Annata should have taken Vivica to JFK herself and forced her ass to get on the plane. She should have escorted her personally all the way to Louisiana.

Annata stood and grabbed her purse. She was out the door in a flash, on the elevator before Christophe had even looked up from his hot and heavy conversation. As the doors closed, he glanced over, his eyes catching hers for a brief moment. He probably hadn't even registered that it was her, but she still imagined that she saw a little spark in his eyes. Shrugging it off, she focused on the task at hand. Downstairs, she grabbed a cab and headed uptown, for her apartment.

“
Son of a bitch.” Annata stood in the doorway, her eyes seeing the room, but the vision not registering. All of Vivica's clothes were gone. The apartment was empty. Apparently, she had disappeared as quickly as she had appeared. Annata sighed, angry as hell. Now it would be up to her to call her grandmother and break the news. Goddammit. She stepped further into the apartment, which was now cleaner than she'd seen it in months. It was like Vivica had never even been there.

She walked into her bedroom, glancing around. She opened the closet door.
              Some shoes were missing, she noticed right away. “
Bitch
,” she hissed, wondering what else Vivica had taken. Where would she go? The only lead she had was Cassandra's apartment, in Brooklyn. Annata scoured her mind, trying to remember the address. She'd never been there, so she couldn't even visit from memory. Annoyed, she quickly dialed her sister's number, knowing that she was probably dancing or studying. Toni answered on the fifth ring, right when Annata was about to give up.

“
Hey, I can't really talk,” Toni said, her voice hushed, like she was in the library.

“
I know. Look, do you know where Vivica and Cassandra live?”

“
I don't know, in Brooklyn somewhere? You'd know better than me. Why?”

“
Never mind. Talk later, okay?”

“
Okay.”

“
Wait!” Annata called out, before Toni could hang up. She knew that Toni and Vivica, who were closer in age, would sometimes call or email each other. “Have you heard from her lately?”

“
Vivica? Well... a couple of weeks ago. She seemed normal.”

“
Did she mention anybody? Like any friends or a job that she might have?”

“
Some guy. She didn't say his name. Just that she was hung up on him. That's all.” Toni said. “I gotta go.”

“
Okay.” Annata hung up with a sigh. She was beginning to realize that although she and Vivica were related, and had been living together for the last two months, she didn't really know her cousin at all. The age gap between them was just too wide to forge a connection. Or Annata hadn't really tried. But she was going to try her best to find Vivica, for all of their sakes. She deserved the effort, even if she was a lying little thief. And she was family after all.

“
Annie! To what do I owe the pleasure?” William said, twirling his big leather office chair around to face her. She smiled and stepped into his office, closing the door. When she'd gotten back to International, Christophe was nowhere around, and she was grateful. She wasn't in the mood to fight and she didn't have her wits about her to avoid his advances, either. If she saw him, she'd probably accept whatever offer he made – getting a drink, getting dinner, getting a hotel. Not that he would necessarily make her an offer...

“
Well, I'm in a bit of trouble.” Annata said, fishing around in her purse for the picture. “I need to find this woman.” She slid the picture of Cassandra to William. It was a 20 year-old picture, but it was all she had.

“
Oh?” William picked it up and glanced at it. “What's her name?”

“
It's on the back. Cassandra St. James. She's my aunt.” William flipped the picture over, and read the name.

“
Why do you think I could help you?” he said, a twinkle in his eye.

“
I'm sure you know someone.” Annata perched on the edge of his desk, drawing her hand across her forehead. “I'm desperate.”

“
When was the last time you saw her?”

“
Maybe two years ago?” Annata said. “She lives in Brooklyn.”

“
Well, that makes it easier. You have a timetable?”

“
The sooner the better.”

“
Okay, Annie,” William said, his brows drawing together. “She is important to you?”

“
Yes.” Annata nodded.

“
Well, then she's important to me. I'll have my guy look into it.” Then he stood, and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Is this why you've been so down lately?”

“
I haven't been down,” Annata said, denying the obvious. She'd been in a bad mood all summer, and of course William had noticed.

“
You don't have to suffer in silence you know.” He walked around the desk to the small bar against the side wall. He poured two drinks and Annata felt some of her tension fade away. William was going to come through for her. She could count on him. He handed her a drink and she sipped it, gratefully. “Strong people like us sometimes feel like we should take on the weight of everyone's problems. But you can't do it forever. Eventually, you need to pass on the weight to someone else.” Annata didn't answer, so he went on. “I've been a bit down in the dumps myself lately.”

“
You have?” she asked, feeling awful for not noticing.

“
It's Christophe,” William said, and Annata felt her jaw clench. “He's going to London.”

“
London? When?” Annata couldn't stop the words from blurting out.

“
He leaves in a few days.” William took a long draw from his drink. “I was hoping he would choose to stay. He always seems to be on the move. Never in one place for too long. But I was hoping...”

“
This time would be different?” she finished his thought. “He's young. And he has all the money in the world. Were you any different at his age?”

“
I had a wife,” William said. “And I was at my father's side, helping him run this very company.” He chuckled to himself. “At what age did you come to work for me, Annie?”

“
22,” Annata answered.

“
Exactly. You're educated, motivated, and an asset to me. Would it be any different if you were in Christophe's shoes?”

“
I can't say,” Annata murmured, knowing full well that her answer was no.

“
You don't like my son, do you? You've been hard on him all summer.”

“
Well,” she said, not able to stop herself from smiling. “He's...”

“
Be honest. I can take it.”

“
He's lazy and disinterested, with no respect for boundaries or rules,” she continued. William chuckled.

“
That is my son, in a nutshell.”

“
But he's got a sense of humor and he's annoyingly charming,” Annata went on, thinking about the sexy way he laughed. “People, girls especially, seem to like him.”

“
So maybe he is more like me than I thought,” William said with a full-out laugh. Annata smiled, shaking her head.

“
What's the joke?” Miranda said, from the doorway. She too was smiling, but her eyes were not amused. Annata slid off the edge of the desk and set her drink down.

“
Just talking about what a chip off the old block Christophe was.” William said, finishing off his drink. “What do you think Mira? You think he's like me?”

“
Of course, darling.” Miranda swept across the room and slid her hand across his waist. She stared pointedly at Annata. Annata kept her face blank, knowing that if anybody could guess that she and Christophe had something going on, it was Miranda.

“
Well I'm glad to cheer you up a bit,” Annata said, smoothing down her skirt. “You'll let me know?”

“
Of course, of course. Give me a couple of days.” William nodded vigorously, his eyes bright.

“
Thank you.” Annata glanced at Miranda. “Good to see you.” Then she got out of there, happy to be free of Miranda's laser-like gaze.

***

A day later, Annata took a long lunch and headed down to Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in search of the address that William had provided her with. Vivica had still not shown up, and Granny was getting increasingly worried. Granny had even called Cassandra, or the last number she'd had for Cassandra, but the line was disconnected. Annata hurried down the deserted street, happy it was midday and not many people were around. For lack of a better term, the apartment with Cassandra's name on the lease was in the ghetto. Straight hood. A few Jamaican men tried to holler at her, but thankfully, that was the only real notice she'd garnered.

She found the address relatively easy, considering that the number wasn't marked on the building. The dingy building was graffiti-covered, with bars covering broken windows. She hurried to the front door and noticed that it was propped open. No security at all. Stepping over a broken bottle, dirty diapers, and a needle in the front hall, she began climbing the stairs to the fourth floor. A baby's cry mingled with the sounds of TVs and arguing that echoed in the empty hallways. When she neared the landing of Cassandra's floor, she stopped and stiffened. A big man was banging on the second door from the right. He kicked it, once, not much force behind it.

“Vivica!” He called out. “You in there? Answer me, goddammit!” Then he noticed Annata and froze. When she finally got a good look at him, she realized he wasn't that much older than Vivica. He was brown-skinned with a tribal looking tattoo snaking over the knuckles on his right hand, wearing a black leather letterman's jacket with the name 'Hernandez' stitched on the chest. He looked her over as well, taking in her designer clothes and bag, but he didn't say anything. Neither of them looked like they belonged in this building.

“
You know Vivica St. James?” Annata said, finally, breaking the silence. He shrugged his big shoulders. Annata stepped closer to him and glanced at the door he was hovering near. Apt 43. The same apartment that Cassandra was renting.

“
You her social worker or something?” he said, his voice low.

“
No.” Annata tried the doorknob, but it was locked. “How long have you been knocking?” The kid shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. The strong, silent type, apparently. “Look, when was the last time you saw her?”

“
Fourth of July.”

“
Are you friends?” The kid shrugged again. Christ. She hated teenagers. “She's been missing since yesterday, have you talked to her?” Annata said, cutting to the chase.

“
She called me yesterday, but I missed it. She left a message.” He pressed his lips together, gazing off down the hallway.

“
Well? What did the message say?”

“
She said 'bye.”

“
What? That's it?” The kid shrugged again, and Annata felt her patience running thin. “Did she say where she was going? Was she with anybody?”