Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (best 7 inch ereader .TXT) 📗

‘She’s out. When are you coming home, Daddy?’

‘Soon.’

His other family. His secret family. Stella and Madison knew nothing about his second life in Las Vegas. And, for now, that was the way it had to be.

Sometimes, even though he was married to Stella, he never really felt he knew her. Half the time she was suffering from migraine headaches, the other half she was out socializing, buying clothes and jewellery at an alarming rate. They rarely had any interaction together. In fact, they didn’t even make love any more. He’d sold their New York apartment and bought a house in Connecticut to please her and maybe bring them closer together. It hadn’t worked.

Every month he managed to spend a week in Vegas. Things were different with Dani. He always wanted to make love to Dani. If it hadn’t been for Madison he would have moved to Vegas a long time ago. However, Madison truly believed Stella was her mother, and even though he’d promised Dani that when the time came he’d leave Stella, he found it impossible to do so.

He often imagined what Madison’s reaction would be if she ever discovered that she had a half-brother and-sister. She’d either be furious or delighted. There was no in-between with his feisty daughter.

Lately he’d realized that Dani was becoming disillusioned with their arrangement. ‘You told me that when Madison went to college, you’d leave Stella,’ she’d said, the last time he’d seen her. ‘Then you told me that as soon as she got out of college, you’d leave. And now Madison’s graduated, has a job, and still you’re with Stella. I don’t understand it.’

‘I can’t explain it to you,’ he’d said, trying his best to say the right thing. ‘It’s…difficult.’

‘What’s so difficult, Michael?’ she’d answered heatedly. ‘I’ve been waiting for you all these years. I raised your family. We should be together.’

‘Why ruin something so good, sweetheart?’

She’d glared at him. Wrong use of words.

A housekeeper at the Giovanni house informed him that Mr and Mrs Giovanni were away on vacation in the Bahamas. He had to admire the old guy–nothing slowed Vito down, he was always up to something.

It was becoming increasingly obvious that Vito didn’t care about his money. He must be so rich that it didn’t matter to him.

‘Tell Mr G I’ll be in contact when he returns.’

Madison met Jamie and her other best girlfriend from college, Natalie, at a downtown club. Jamie was even more wistfully beautiful than ever in a white linen suit and Manolo heels. Natalie, short, curvaceous and glowingly pretty, was in a sexy red dress, while Madison wore a slinky, pale beige Ralph Lauren suit, clouds of dark hair framing her oval face.

‘Hey, look at you,’ Natalie said, as Madison walked in. ‘Dressed for success.’

‘Is this my celebration dinner?’ Madison asked, sitting down and grinning. ‘’Cause I am now officially a great big deal.’

‘Yeah, yeah,’ Jamie said dismissively. ‘You’re a star.’

‘I flew in for tonight,’ Natalie interjected, ‘so it better be a celebration!’

Jamie had organized everything with her usual style. She was studying interior design, and with her father to finance her she was hoping to eventually open her own place. She’d recently got engaged to Peter, a handsome blond man. Everyone referred to them as the golden couple.

Natalie was living in L.A. with her brother, Cole, trying to get a TV celebrity journalist career off the ground.

Madison was the first one to achieve her dream. She was a published writer at a very prestigious magazine–a magazine that consistently outsold Esquire and Vanity Fair.

‘So,’ Natalie asked, grabbing a handful of potato chips, ‘did you tell Michael?’

‘I showed him the article.’

‘And?’ they both asked.

‘He was kind of psyched.’

‘I bet he was,’ Jamie said, laughing. ‘Is he still as handsome as ever?’

‘Hmm…’ Madison said with a knowing smile. ‘You always had a crush on him, didn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ Jamie admitted. ‘However, now that I’m getting married, my crush will have to be a thing of the past.’

‘Are you inviting him to your wedding?’ Madison inquired. ‘So he can admire the bride?’

‘Of course,’ Jamie said, refusing to be teased. ‘I’ve known both your parents forever.’

‘How is the lovely Stella?’ Natalie asked.

‘She spends most of her time in Connecticut,’ Madison said, ‘and when she comes into the city, she’s either shopping or sick. I hardly ever see her.’

‘Then I guess things are the same as ever,’ Jamie said.

‘I get off listening to you privileged kids discuss family shit,’ Natalie said. ‘Me, I’m the one who had to struggle through college, working as a waitress and all that crap.’

‘You never worked as a waitress,’ Jamie said jokingly. ‘You did one week in a hamburger joint and ran screaming to the hills when you broke a nail. You had so many boyfriends there wasn’t time for work.’

‘Now you’re making me sound like a hooker,’ Natalie objected.

‘They were lining up outside the dorm,’ Jamie giggled. ‘Seven little hard-ons all in a row!’

‘Yeah–and that was for you,’ Natalie said succinctly.

In college the three of them had been nicknamed the Beauty (Jamie), the Brain (Madison), and the Sexpot (Natalie). They’d been inseparable.

Jamie ordered a bottle of Cristal. As soon as their glasses were filled, she lifted hers and toasted Madison. ‘How does it feel to be famous and successful?’ she asked, tucking a strand of wheat-blonde hair behind her ears.

‘Unfuckingbelievable,’ Madison said, using one of her father’s favourite words.

‘Unfuckingbelievable,’ Natalie repeated. ‘Girl! I like it!’

‘So how was Dr Henry Kissinger?’ Jamie asked.

‘Very charming. And extremely clever.’

‘Can you please interview Denzel Washington next?’ Natalie pleaded. ‘Or Sidney Poitier, my hero?’

‘Too old,’ Jamie said.

‘Don’t you mean too hot?’ Natalie contradicted. ‘That man has got it goin’ on!’

‘I’ll try,’ Madison said, sipping her champagne. ‘Apparently he’s a hard get, doesn’t like doing interviews.’

‘So I’ll settle for Denzel.’ Natalie sighed. ‘That man is sweet as molasses.’

Later, at home in the small apartment Michael had bought her the day she graduated from college, Madison propped the magazine up against the mirror in her bathroom.

Profiles in Power by Madison Castelli.

Life