Chapter 6: Our Next Appointment

Nadine Black's POV:

"Now what do we do?" I asked sharply as I turned around to look out the back window.

"No one is following us," Andrew said as he looked at Mathis in the rearview mirror. "For now, we head on to the next appointment."

I looked over at the empty seat beside me and saw my small clutch bag, reaching over to pick it up. I immediately opened it and took out my phone, checking to see if I had missed anything. There were no texts or missed calls. Well, did I escape an after-math or what?

"Are the cops going to come after me?" I asked him nervously.

"I don't think that is wise on their part," Andrew said, turning around to look out the back window again.

"Why not? You were the one who drove me there," I said as I lay my head back on the headrest when I fixed my position sitting there in the middle seat and inhaled sharply to speak next. "How was I supposed to know that the cops would come in full force like that?"

"All we can do is proceed with our next appointment," Andrew told me as he turned to look at me this time. Then he paused before he spoke next, only this time using a softer tone, when he said, "Next time, it won't take all that long, huh?"

I nearly blew my top when I looked at him dead in the eye and tried not to break down when I shouted at him. "What else was I supposed to do when Shane asked me a question? Ignore him? You know who he is! You know what he's capable of. Did you want him to hit me again? You saw what he did to Kelly Anne!"

I turned away as I saw the image of her on the floor flash in the forefront of my mind again. I knew my brother was ruthless, but to see him do that to a woman he was supposed to protect under his wing as they were married, what could he do to anyone else?

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is that we're on the way to meet with your father," Andrew said, reaching over and placing his hand on the top of my shoulder as I looked up at him.

For the next moment, I could hear him inhale, and I could tell he was trying to calm down. This time, when he looked up at Mathis, Mathis looked at him before he seemed calmer, and then he looked back at me. I didn't return his gaze, but instead, I looked in a different direction. Then something he said ran through my mind again.

I wasn't sure what my father wanted, but it was usually business. He never wanted to meet for something casual. On the other hand, as calm as Andrew appeared, I was still a bit upset about everything that happened. I mean, this was supposed to be a simple trip to pay a bill, to put it plainly. What happened back there? That wasn't supposed to happen.

"You don't think they know it was us who left Shane's house, do you?" I asked, turning to look out the back window once more. My voice seemed much calmer than I felt it was.

"It wouldn't matter if they knew it was you or not," Andrew said, adjusting his tie before he turned to look at me and placing his hand on the back of the headrest instead of my shoulder. "What matters now is that you look the part for what comes next."

"And what the Hell is that supposed to mean?!" I asked, not trying to hide my frustration about what we had just walked away from.

"Your next appointment," he said with a plain tone, turning to look away from my frustrated look.

"What?" I asked, still quite upset at what was going on, as my tone returned. "Fine, fine," I said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm back down a bit, which was easier for them apparently than it was for me. "Where exactly are we going anyway?"

"Your father has invited you to dinner, Miss Nadine," Mathis mentioned calmly when I spun around to see him looking at me in the rearview mirror.

He immediately broke eye contact and looked out the front window. I forced my eyes closed, knowing there was nothing I could say to change this next appointment. When my father made plans, no one changed them, especially me, of all people. I could only go along for the ride.

With my eyes still closed, I asked, "Well, do I at least get to change it first before we arrive?"

"Your father doesn't want any more delays," Andrew told me as I opened them to see him looking out his window.

Before long, we pulled up to the front of a pristine restaurant where my father had his own staff who served him whenever he chose to come to this place. It was a lavish place, just like any place in the city he would eat at. He liked to keep the staff on their toes as he rarely ate dinner or any meal cooked at home. He even hired his own cooking staff to make sure that nothing was poisoned, like anyone would ever think of pulling a ridiculous stunt like that.

Mathis pulled up to the curb, and Andrew stepped out quickly before he turned around and reached for my hand. Oh, he wants to play nice now, huh? I wondered who else was going to be at 'the dinner'. I scoffed as I clutched my small purse and reached toward the open door, as Andrew took me by the hand. If we are going to call it dinner, then I might as well act the part.

My father did eat early in the evening, but that was because he had meetings in the afternoon that he liked to attend as such. Suddenly, I was called when I heard his voice.

"My daughter," Germaine, my father, called out to me just as my feet rested on the curb.

I looked up to see him standing there at the double-door entrance of the private VIP section. As usual, it was guarded by his four personal guards, who never left his side. They were always with him, even when he went to the bathroom.

"What a pleasure it is that you could join me on such short notice," he declared, reaching his hands toward me. "Come inside."