24: Are You Really Surprised

Kevin "Fuckweed accepted the invitation. He's been texting the number Polly put on his invitation like crazy. Seems to be under the delusion she'd want him back since he got a special delivery with his card." Goose says with a sly grin. "And I will admit, I've been stringing him a long a bit. Though Brad is much worse than I am." Brad smirks slyly. "I am more of a mental torture kinda guy and this is right up my alley." "What did you gift him?" Klein asks with a smirk. "A plant. Nice peace lily with a little bitty bug in it courtesy of Antoine. I thought it was symbolic." "He talks too f*****g much which is to our advantage." Jaws says coldly. "He plans to tip off the FBI to a kidnapping plot against Kevin and Polly AFTER they are taken from the party. His mother and brother will take the fall completely allowing him and Delilah to escape. He'll use the two of you against each other to get Polly to sign over her inheritance while you give up your freedom for Polly's. Except he has no intention of letting Polly go free until after he has her money. He'll torture you to get her to sign the papers at some warehouse he thinks no one knows about." Polly curses under her breath and her face is flushed with anger. She's still pretty when she's mad, those brown eyes glittering with that familiar rage I've seen in her uncle. "Dimitrios?" Aunt Relly gazes at him knowingly. "Yes. He is leasing it from him. Meaning it's also wiretapped now. He meets with some guy named Hall there. He's an ex-merc and he likes money. A lot. Enough that I bought him out from under Fuckweed." Jaws adds coldly. "He surprisingly knows Grant who has offered him a job for after this. Grant is watching him closely. Seems on the up and up to this point. But the minute he's not, Grant will take him down until this is all over. He's been letting Delilah shop for their new island home. Which will be even more fun to reveal he no longer owns it. Especially after the designer shows her that he's been replacing her selections with some other females." "How much are you spending on this Uncle Ellis?" I tilt my head at him curiously. "Don't worry. I can afford it." He says with a half smirk. "It's worth it. Though I must say, I've paid more for you than I did your aunt. Course back when you were a kid, I considered that a down payment for her attention." He winks at me with his mouth turning up at the corners. I smother my laugh. "You always spent too much on me during that contest." She rolls her eyes at him. "I'd have spent every dime I had if necessary, shortcake. And I'll do that again if required to protect my family." He growls. "I happened to run into Lisa yesterday as planned and she followed me for a whole block before seeming to come to her senses." I tell them grimly. "I actually turned and said hello to her and waved." "Perfect. She should be receiving some emails the day before showing Archer making plans to keep Kevin away from her. Paid invoices to a contract hit man. One whose name she's familiar with but cannot fully confirm. The fake emails to Bonnie would be there too. Goose, you figure out how we'll do that yet? Also their phones should no longer connect to each other once we change all their contact information to the phones we'll be using as her, Eric and Archer." "I'll have it all loaded on a tablet and get her to his office while we lead him out. We'll be using Polly's phone to see about maybe having coffee. She'll show up and conveniently read everything. Will try the same for Delilah but also give her the idea that she should double-cross him and take all the money by setting up a back door account attached to his. I swear their security was the worst. Lois has access to everything in the building." He holds up his RFID duplicator. Klein points to him. "The money should already be showing on Fuckweed's account to Christos's friend. He's getting married next month. I thought we might set him up for a honeymoon trip to show our gratitude." I tap the table as I think if we've left anything out. "He'll be enraged when Polly doesn't speak to him and is standing with me." "Yes. We have metal detectors and scanners for all who enter that way he can't sneak in a weapon." Klein informs us. Polly I watch Kevin drum his fingers lightly on the table. I remember when he'd hold my hand to climb up the stairs at our houses growing up. Those hands are stronger and I wonder what it would feel like for him to reach over and lace his fingers through mine. I stare at him through my lashes when he leans forward. I swear I can't stop thinking about him and not like Sir Kevin anymore. I bite my lip as his arm muscles flex and I wonder what it's like to have him wrap them around you. Uncle Goose's laugh breaks me out of my most inappropriate thoughts and I shake my head a little to pay attention to the meeting again. Uncle Ellis would revoke my invocation to the shark squad if he knew I was over here fantasizing about my seatmate while we are planning out a dangerous night of revenge and retaliation. Luckily no one really needs any further input from me. They all start leaving and I find it hard to look Kevin in the eye. "Lunch tomorrow Polly?" I nod making a uh hmm sound and he leaves while I gather a few of my sketches I brought. I almost sag with relief once he's gone. Only to look up and spot Uncle Ellis's shrewd gaze on my face. "Are you alright Polly?" "Yes. Just have a lot running through my mind. Lots to finish and get done. Helen has been amazing by the way. I can't sing her praises enough for all her hard work." He nods knowingly. "She is fantastic. You know Polly, did I ever tell you when I figured out that I belonged to Laurel? I realized I was completely sunk without hope watching a comedy with her in a hotel room over a bowl of popcorn and a chocolate cake that was about a foot tall." He chuckles a little as his eyes take on that tender glow when he thinks about her. "Nothing grand or fancy, just a simple moment when I knew that she was everything I would ever want or need in this world. It can be very humbling." I simply stare at him my mouth slightly open. "That's a sweet memory, Uncle Ellis." "It is. Salem is downstairs waiting?" "Yes he is. I....I should get going." I say quickly and move to leave. I manage to make it all the way down to the lobby before I thumb through the papers in my hand. "Damn...." I mutter. Realizing I left the sketch of Daphne's dress on the table, I sigh and head back up the elevator to grab it. I have other copies, but it's a surprise too and I don't want her turning up unexpectedly. As I walk towards the office, the door thankfully remains ajar. “Curious how long it will take Polly to realize that Sir Kevin was completely in love with her before Archer came along. He ruined a lot more than just a long-standing friendship.” Uncle Goose says dryly. “Partly why Kevin changed so much. He lost a lot that summer. His best friend, his first love…that’s rough.” Klein adds as he sits down. "If it hadn't all gone to hell, he had plans to tell her in Australia." "Yes he did. That guy did more damage in three months....I plan to knock all his teeth out with a well aimed puck." Ellis says coldly. I lean back against the wall, letting those words sink in. I think back to how protective Kevin was of me. I stumble toward the elevator needing to leave. I always wondered, but he never crossed a line and when one of the other girls in school accused him of being my boyfriend, he'd turned red and played it off. After I had told her we were best friends, I remind myself. I figured there was no way my best friend would look at me that way the one time I thought he'd be a great boyfriend. Had convinced myself that I could never look at him that way. He was my Kevin. I bury my face in my hands. "f*****g i***t. Right under my nose the entire time." He said he was going back to work to finish something for his dad. Cranking up the car, I send Salem a text that I'm heading to the Langston Law Office. I'm done running and will go ask him if that was true. My hands are shaking as I ride the elevator to his floor. I knock on his door and he opens it staring down at me surprised. "Pol everything ok? Did something happen after we left?" He ushers me in and nods to Salem who remains outside. I turn and stare at him. "What did you have planned when we went to Australia?" His face shuts down though I see the sudden flash of emotion in his eyes. "What do you mean?" "You were planning to tell me something. What was it?" I grip my fingers tightly to stop their trembling. My legs are a little wobbly though. My whole body knows this is a pivotal moment, it seems. "Nothing that matters, Polly. Do you need to sit down? You are trembling a bit." He sounds concerned now and I stare up at him. "Kevin, did you have feelings for me in high school?" I blurt out and he freezes, his eyes wide with alarm.