Chasing Bliss (22 page)

Khalid glanced at him. “Well, hurry the fuck up. If we have to deal with Wolf ourselves, things
are gonna get a lot worse before they get better.”

Cyrus nodded in agreement. After all, they were just drug dealers. Chase was the killer.

Chapter 13

B
liss’s curiosity was getting the better of her. She followed Chase into the Waverly Inn, wondering what
it was all about. He’d called a meeting with Corey, J.T., and Dee, telling them all he had something
important to talk about. When Bliss and Chase arrived at the round table, everyone was already there, enjoying a
bottle of wine.

Chase let go of her hand and held her chair out for her. “Damn! Y’all couldn’t wait for us?
Bunch of drunks,” he chided as he smiled and sat down.

J.T. leaned over and poured wine for him and Bliss, and then he shook the bottle to let him
know it was empty. “There were only five drinks in this damn bottle. That ain’t enough to get me
drunk…” He glanced sideways at Corey and Dee. “Or these lushes either.”

Dee waved her hand at him. “Be quiet, J.T. Chase knows how we do.” She smiled at Bliss. “It’s
nice to see you again, honey. How are things down at the club? They workin’ out okay?”

Bliss nodded. “It’s going okay. Everything’s on schedule for the opening next Saturday.”

Dee picked up her wine and sat back in her seat. “Damn, that’s quick, honey.” She sipped her wine and
turned her eyes to Chase. “Don’t you think so? You didn’t just throw the shit together, did you?”

Chase gave her a biting little look. “No, I didn’t just
throw the shit together
, Dee,” he said
sarcastically.

“Don’t get your drawers in a twist with me. It was just a question.”

“Everything’s cool, Dee. It’s been inspected, it’s up to code, and we got the liquor license
straightened out. It’s all good,” J.T. interrupted to avoid an argument.

“Yeah, Dee. Why would Chase want to put a rush on Cyrus’s club? They got enough shit goin’
on between them already,” Corey said, looking at Dee like she was trying to start trouble.

Dee smiled at him and patted his cheek. “Poor Corey. You’re so sweet. I know you want Chase
and Cyrus to get along, but you know as well as anybody at this table that it will probably never
happen. A snowball’s got a better chance in Hell. You also know as well as I do that Chase
would
do a rush job just to fuck Cyrus without really fucking him.” She paused and looked at Chase.
“Don’t look at me like that. You know I ain’t lying. Now, anybody else want a
real
drink? To Hell
with this goddamned snooty-ass wine.” She signaled for the waiter.

Bliss looked at Chase, who was looking at Dee like he was holding back a frown. Dee was
looking back at him with subtle defiance. A glance at J.T. and Corey told Bliss they were watching
the whole thing like a tennis match. She frowned herself.
Maybe it’s time I really get to the bottom of
this situation with Cyrus and Chase.

The waiter arrived and took their drink orders. Chase had his Rémy, Dee had a double Grey
Goose, and J.T. and Corey selected Hennessey
. Fuck it,
Bliss thought.
Since they’re all drinking like
men—Dee included—I’ll have a shot of Patrón. Maybe the conversation is gonna call for it anyway.

Chase was sitting with his arms folded across his chest, not quite staring daggers at Dee. He
leaned forward suddenly. “Can I get a minute, Dee?” He stood up, and Dee looked surprised—
amused, but surprised.

“Uh-oh. I think I pissed off the boss, y’all. He wants to see me outside.”

Bliss looked up at him, and Dee was right: Chase was tight, staring a hole through her. “Right
now, Delia. I’m not playin’ with you.”

Some of the amusement left her face when she realized how serious he was. Her mouth formed
into a perfect circle, which she hid with her hand, in a flustered little feminine gesture. Then she
did the absurd and started to search around under the table with her feet.

Chase looked at her like she was crazy. “Two minutes, Delia.” He ran his hand over Bliss’s
shoulder and walked out of the restaurant. Bliss saw him reappear by the entrance and look at his
watch.

“Shit, J.T. Kick my shoe over here. He’s not fucking around,” Dee said, slipping her feet into
her Prada pumps and looking at Bliss apologetically. “Guess this wasn’t a good day to run my
mouth, honey. Be right back.” She stood up, straightened her dress, and wiggled out of the room,
turning several appreciative heads.

Bliss crossed her legs and shrugged out of the jacket that matched her dress. Corey and J.T.
tried not to let approval register in their faces, but they failed. Bliss smiled at them and picked
up her Patrón. She tossed it back and grimaced a little but then gestured to the waiter for another
one. “You may want to keep them coming,” she said to his retreating back, and then she looked at
Corey. “All right, Corey, so what’s the deal with Chase and Cyrus? Please fill me in.”

Corey lifted his glass and drank half his Hennessey. He shrugged and smiled sadly. “Some
people just can’t get along, Bliss. Cyrus and Chase never have.”

Bliss looked at J.T. for a better answer.

“Talk to Chase, sweetheart, not to us. Trust me,” J.T. said and sipped his drink.

Bliss looked out the window. Chase had his back to her and had placed his body so the only
thing she could see of Dee were her gesturing hands. Bliss looked at them and spoke in a low
voice. “What’s the big deal? I know what he’s doing. He’s out there telling Dee that she better
keep her mouth shut about him and Cyrus, right? I’m not stupid. I know what Cyrus does. Chase
told me that himself. He also told me he does stuff for Cyrus. So what’s up? Is Chase a drug dealer
too? He better not be.”

Corey knocked off the rest of his drink. “Naw, Chase ain’t into that, Bliss.”

She looked from him to J.T. “Then what the hell
does
he do for him?”

J.T. shrugged. “You know…stuff, like helpin’ him open his club and shit like that.”

Bliss sucked her teeth. “He didn’t need that horrible-ass Charger to help him open the club.”

J.T. raised his hands. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, pretty lady.” He dropped his
hands and picked up his glass. “Perhaps you should holler at Chase about that.”

Bliss watched Dee and Chase walk back into the restaurant. A moment later, they were seated
at the table.

Chase put his hand on Bliss’s knee and smiled. “Sorry about that. These knuckleheads treat you
okay?”

Bliss sat back in her seat and stared at him. “Chase, I want to know what’s going on with you
and Cyrus.”

To his credit, he didn’t even look at anybody else; his eyes stayed on hers. “There won’t be
anything
going on between me and Cyrus in a minute.” He took her hand in his and kissed her
fingers. “That’s why I wanted to sit down and talk some stuff over with the people at this table.
Everybody that matters to me is at this table right now, Bliss, and we got a couple decisions to
make regarding Cyrus.”

Bliss sighed in frustration. “No, Chase. There’s something you’re not telling me, and I am not
going to be involved in any decisions about anything until you bring me out of the dark. I want to
know what the major issue is between you and your brother.” She pushed away from the table and
grabbed her jacket. “I mean it, Chase…or I leave here walking.”

Chase listened attentively to her small tirade, still holding her hand and looking in her eyes.
He exhaled in resignation, but he didn’t lose his patience. “Okay, Bliss. Whatever you want.” He
turned his head and addressed everyone else. “Bliss wants to know, so I’m gonna tell her. Y’all
know I can’t do that here, so let’s go.”

Corey’s mouth was open, J.T. was frowning, and Dee was toying with her glass.

“Um…Chase, you sure you want to do that, man?” J.T. asked.

“I know what I’m doin’, J.T.”

They stared at each other, and then J.T. stood up. “I have no doubt you
think
you do. I put my
money on you every time. Let’s go,” he said. He took his wallet out and left money on the table
for the drinks.

They left the restaurant and stood in a little group outside.

“How you gonna make us leave before we eat, Chase? I been drinkin’. I’m hungry,” Corey
complained.

“Just follow me back to my place. Matter of fact, you ride with J.T. and Dee, since you been
drinkin’. I’ll make sure you get fed.” He turned to Dee. “Do you mind?”

Dee smiled and took out her cell phone. “I got the food. See you there.”

Chase held the door for Bliss to get into his Porsche.

“I could have done that, Chase.”

He smiled at her and hit the road. “You don’t have to compete with Dee, Bliss. She’s one of my
dearest friends, but I’m gonna marry you one day very soon, if you’ll let me.”

She couldn’t help but smile, even though she was slightly pissed at him. “Is that so?”

He nodded and made a left, smiling his boyish smile. “Yeah. Just tell me when. Tomorrow’s
good for me. I love you, Bliss.”

She giggled into her hand. If he hadn’t been driving, she would have crawled into his lap right
then and there and covered his face in kisses. Chase made her heart beat fast. “I love you, too,
Chase. I’m not gonna marry you though…not right now anyway.”

His smile slipped a little. “Why not?”

She put her hand on his thigh, and he sighed. “You know why, baby. Don’t even try to act like
you don’t. There are things you’re leaving unsaid. I don’t think you’re being honest with me.” She
said the words, and they were true, but all the same, she let her hand creep a little higher on his
thigh, and Chase didn’t try to move it. She felt his muscles flex as he stepped on the brake to stop
at a light, and just like that, she wanted him so bad it became a deep, sudden ache.

He glanced at her. “I’m always honest with you, Bliss. I’ve never lied to you, and I never plan
to. That’s not the way I want it to be between us—ever.”

Bliss searched his face. She didn’t believe he was lying. She
knew
he wasn’t, but she asked
anyway. “So you’ll never just lie to me then, huh?” She let her fingernails trail lightly over the
inside of his thigh, and she knew he felt it through the thin fabric of his trousers. His lips parted
and he frowned a little,and Bliss smiled. “Would you?”

“No, no, Bliss. I wouldn’t
just
lie to you. If I lied to you, I’d have a really good reason.”

Okay. Maybe that’s good enough,
she thought. She continued to let her fingers work their magic
as she asked, “Would you ever just not tell me something? You know, like it might be better that I
don’t know some things about you?”