Chapter 19 - The Party

I got to the ground floor and headed for the main door. The anger bubbling in me still hadn’t subsided, and my head was gripped with regret and betrayal.
I cursed the moment I let Derek talk me into becoming a witness. I had booked the next flight out of the country and was fully prepared to vanish. However, Derek’s little speech about getting justice and helping put away a notorious criminal melted me. I had placed my trust in Derek, and now I was getting burnt.
I opened the door and stepped out into the darkness. The chilly night sent a shiver down my spine as I realized there was no streetlighting to guide my way. I instantly regarded not calling an Uber before leaving the building. Pulling my jacket tightly around me, I rubbed my arms to try warm myself up a little.
“Need a ride?” a deep voice pierced the silent night, making me jump with fright.
I quickly turned to find an ominous figure standing in the dark alleyway next to the building.
My heart was beating so fast that it felt like it would jump out of my chest at any second. I could feel my feet start to move by themselves, taking slow retreating steps.
“You know a pretty girl like you shouldn’t be out alone this late.” the figure slowly stepped out of the darkness, letting the buildings’ lights show his face.
I swallowed loudly.
“Zach…” I gulped. “W… what are you doing here?!”
“When you got on the lift, the security sent me a notification that you were leaving the building,” he explained.
*Shit!* I forgot about the cameras.
My mouth was so dry at this point that trying to get rid of the lump in my throat was no longer an option.
“You know, a gentleman always makes sure his girlfriend gets home safe and sound. Letting her wander the dark corners of a dodgy neighborhood is a cowardly move.” Zach taunted.
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I snapped. I knew this would blow my cover story, but right now, I didn’t want my name associated with Derek.
“Really? Broken up already?” Zach raised one eyebrow. There was less shock and more amusement on his face.
“How did you even find me?” I questioned, trying to change the topic. I hadn’t felt any clue as to where I was going.
“Jaxson tracked your phone for me. Maybe turn your phone off next time you need to sneak out.” Zach snickered.
Seriously, having me followed, tracking my phone. This guy was doing a better job in looking out for me than the FBI was.
“I don’t need you to keep tracking me down. I can look after myself, Zach.” I muttered.
“Yeah, I can see that. You’re standing outside your so-called boyfriend’s house in a dodgy neighborhood at this time of the night. You can totally look after yourself,” Zach sassed, crossing his arms.
“I’m not alone. I’m sure Derek is in there somewhere keeping an eye on me, plus I was going to call an Uber to take me back to the penthouse.” I protested, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right.
“You’re a terrible liar. Get in the car. Let’s go,” Zach grumbled, walking toward the car parked around the corner.
I knew if I wanted to, I could protest further, but it would just piss Zach off, and I was too tired to deal with that right now. So I hung my head and followed Zach. he opened the passenger door for me, and I quickly slid into the seat. Zach got into the driver’s seat and started the car.
The silence in the car was awkward, but I knew any conversation we had would result in us arguing.
Zach cleared his throat and ran his fingers through his tousled hair. I bit my lip and looked down at my fingers.
How the hell was I going to get myself out of this hole I had buried myself in?! I knew I didn’t have much time left. Knox had already figured out where I was hiding, and he wasn’t going to hesitate to kill me or anyone in his path.
“What was so important that you had to go all the way to Mountlake Terrance at this time of the night? You couldn’t wait till the morning to see your beloved boyfriend?” Zach interrupted my thoughts.
*He was not going to let the boyfriend thing go, was he?!*
“I just needed to talk to Derek about something, and he wouldn’t answer my calls. So I went to see him. What’s the big deal anyway? You’ve got your hawk eyes on me. What’s the worst that could happen?!” I exclaimed, knowing exactly what the worst that could happen was.
Zach tightened his grip on the steering wheel but stayed quiet. Honestly, his silence scared me more than it should have.
Once we arrived at Zach’s building, we made our way up to the penthouse in silence. As soon as the lift doors opened, I bolted for my room.
“Good to see you’re still alive,” a voice stopped me in my tracks.
I turned to find Keiran coming down the stairs with a thick folder in his hands.
*That folder could be about anything, right?*
I gave Keiran a quick smile before turning in my original direction.
“Your friend called while you were out. He had one of his guys here in Seattle hand-deliver this for you. He said we’re even now”
I pretended not to hear what Kerian said as I turned the corner.
“It’s an interesting read, that’s for sure,” was the last thing I heard before I started speed walking down the hallway.
I sat on the bed in the comfort of my room and tried to process everything that had happened tonight. It was 4 am, and I knew I needed to sleep, but the thick air in the room submerged with static just wouldn’t let me.
A sharp pain coursed through my head. Overthinking was starting to take a toll on me. I finally gave up and tucked myself in bed. Once I closed my eyes, sleep immediately took over. It wasn’t long after that that was body was encircled with the same warmth from the previous night.
The warmth was so comforting that it quickly erased all the stress, and I found myself inching closer toward it. I let the warmth take over and soothe every last pain before falling into a dark abyss.

###

The next few days felt like I was walking on eggshells. Zach had become very quiet, and even though we lived under one roof, I barely saw him. To an extent, I was happy that he was avoiding me, but something about the quietness bugged me. With how outspoken Zach was, I expected him to bombard me with questions as soon as he learned about my past. So if he had found out, why was he so quiet?
I hadn’t heard from Derek either, and it was making me very anxious. There were several possibilities of what could happen next, and the longer it took to find out, the more worried I got. Although, I don’t know which scared me more, Zach’s silence or Derek’s disappearance.
Keiran and Jaxson’s banter was what was keeping me sane at the moment. Keiran turned up every day and helped Jaxson annoy me. With how much he was around, one would think he had no work, and right now, I was a little thankful.
The week flashed past like this, and Friday rolled around. The penthouse’s indoor swimming area was buzzing with vetted workers from a prestigious event planning company setting up for the party Zach had told me about.
Keiran told me Terence was around today so I could stay in my room until the party started and that he would come to get me around 6:30 pm.
Around 2:30 pm, I snuck into the kitchen to make myself a snack. I tried to keep my presence as quiet as possible. The event company workers rushed around the penthouse like bees in a hive.
A tall blonde lady came down the stairs typing furiously on her phone. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, she bumped into one of the workers, scattering all the flowers the poor guy was holding.
“You idiot! Can’t you see where you’re going?! Using your fucking eyes!” she yelled, not even stopping to help him.
The guy frantically started to pick up the flowers and rushed up the stairs.
The blonde, however, stormed toward the lift and stabbed the button repeatedly. The door finally opened, and a short skinny, ebony guy walked out with a coffee cup in his hand.
“Where the hell have you been?! Do you have any idea how stressed I am right now.” the blonde lady hissed.
“S-... sorry, Courtney.” the guy held up the coffee cup, visibly shaking.
The blonde took a sip of the coffee before spitting it out and coughing.
“What the fuck in this?! I asked for a venti salted caramel macchiato with five pumps of vanilla and three pumps of toffee nut syrup in oat milk. Can you do anything right?!” Courtney yelled at the scared guy.
“I’m s-... I’m so sorry! I can go get you-... you a new one,” the guy stuttered.
I felt horrible for him. Who the hell did this lady think she was yelling at people like this?!
“I don’t have time for you to go fix your mistakes! Stupid Andy just called and said his short on staff for tonight. I need you to arrange five staff immediately.” Courtney demanded.
The guy shook his head vigorously, continuously shaking.
“Make sure these staffs aren’t as incompetent as you! This night is very important. I will not have incompetent mutts like you ruining it.” Courtney shrieked before storming back up the stairs, leaving behind a rattled man.
I felt so bad for the guy. He stood there just staring in the direction Courtney had stormed off in. his lips curled into a pout.
I couldn’t help myself and slowly walk toward him.
“You okay?” I asked softly.
The guy whipped his head around and stared at me with wide eyes.
“Y-... yeah… Who are you?” He stuttered.
“I’m Stacey. I work for Mr. Masters. You are?” I tried to keep my voice as calm and quiet as possible. I didn’t want to scare the poor guy anymore.
“I’m-... I’m Ryker. I work for Courtney,” Ryker introduced, clearing his throat to eliminate the shakiness.
“Nice to meet you, Ryker. Would you like some water?” I smiled.
Ryker nodded, and I motioned him to follow me into the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed it to Ryker, watching as the poor guy chugged the entire bottle of water in one breath.
“You know, no one should be treated like that. You should stand up to her,” I subtly suggested.
“You heard all that?” he asked.
I nodded, giving him a tight smile.
“She’s not normally that bad. Unfortunately, the company has been having some financial issues, and this event will help solve a lot of them. So, she’s been a little more stressed than usual.” Ryker swallowed loudly.
“You don’t have to justify her actions. You obviously need the money, and I hope this is all worth it. How are you planning on finding staff?”
Ryker shrugged his shoulder and looked down at the empty bottle in his hands.
I sighed and pulled out my phone, dialing Sam’s number. They had staff that was always looking for extra cash.
I quickly arranged the staff for Ryker and confirmed all the needed details.
“I’m very grateful for your help, but there are only four available; I need one more. Courtney asked for five.” Ryker stuttered. He still sounded very nervous.
“I can be the fifth. I just lost my apartment and could use some extra money right now.” I chuckled.
Ryker’s face finally lit up a little, which warmed my heart. This guy must be really desperate for money if he’s trying to keep a job with such a bitchy person. But, whatever his reason, I was just happy to help him.
I finalized all the details with Ryker, and he left to grab some uniforms for the rest of the staff and me.
Around 6 pm, Ryker returned to the penthouse with a uniform for me. I quickly got dressed and followed him to the swimming pool area. Apparently, Courtney had a briefing with all the staff before they started a big event.
We all gathered in the kitchen that was attached to the swimming area. This kitchen was designed specifically for parties and events Zach hosted. I only found out about it during the house tour Terence took me on.
“Alright, everyone, listen up. We can not afford any mistakes tonight, so I need everyone on their best behavior. If I get any complaints, I will grab you by the ear and personally drag you out of the premises. Zachary Masters has some very important and upscale clients coming tonight, and I will not have any of you ruining my company’s name and reputation. So make sure you smile, keep your backs straight, and keep your interactions with the attendees as minimum as possible. Now, go out there and do the jobs I’m paying you for,” Courtney barked before rolling her eyes and walking away.
God, she was a bitch!
Courtney’s behavior towards her staff had me appreciating Sam and Krystal even more. In the two years I had worked for them, they had never treated me this poorly. My newest boss treated me really cordially as well. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Zach’s chivalry. However, right now, due to the decisions I had made this afternoon, I was sure Zach would be more antagonized than courtesy.
We all grabbed our trays and headed for the bar. Serena, Deb, and I were assigned to the bar team as drink waitresses. We helped the bar staff fill up champagne glasses with Louis Roederer Cristal Brut. At $400 a pop, I could tell Zach was going all out for his clients.
At 7 pm on the dot, people started to trickle in. The girls and I plastered big smiles on our faces and got to work. The sea of lavish gowns and perfectly tailored suits made the pool area look like the Oscars. Of course, Seattle’s night light and sparkling stars were also making an appearance tonight through the glass enclosure.
My eyes were on alert, searching the crowd for the three faces that would be blazing with anger. I had disobeyed them, and I knew I would be in trouble.
I handed out my last glass of champagne and returned to the bar to refill my tray. As I stood at the bar waiting, I felt a big hand wrap around my upper arm and pull me back.
My body whipped around, and I came face to face with a very worried Keiran. His forehead was covered in sweat and worry lines.
“What the hell are you doing here dressed like that?!” Keiran hissed, keeping his voice as low as he could.
“I’m working, duh. I thought this would be a good way to earn some extra money to find a new place,” I replied.
“Are you serious?! There are so many strangers in this penthouse right now; it would be easy for someone to come in here and do something to you?! Fuck, when I couldn’t find you in your room, I freaked out!” Keiran exclaimed.
“Dude, calm down. I think you’re overreacting a little. I’m right here, under your nose.” I rolled my eyes.
“*Overreacting?!* Oh, Hunny, you haven’t seen overreaction yet. Just wait until Zach finds out about this.” Keiran snapped. As soon as he flinched at his words and his reaction changed.
Kerian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “Look, Stace, I know you are a strong woman, and you are free to make your own choices, But tonight, I can not have Zach blowing up in front of everyone. So please go and get changed.”
Before I could reply, Jaxson appeared behind Keiran, equally distorted.
“K, we gotta get her out of here. Za-...”
“Why the hell was this such a big problem?! I thought Zach kept saying he didn’t care what my occupation was. So, why is me being a waitress tonight such a problem!” I growled, cutting Jaxson off. They were starting to irritate me now.
Suddenly another hand wrapped around my upper arm, squeezing tightly. The hand forcefully pulled me, and I spun around, colliding with a hard surface. I quickly looked up only to find a pair of smoldering grey eyes staring down at me. Zach’s clenched jaws and rigid body made me swallow loudly. Just as I had predicted, he was pissed.