58

Richard was a grifter other than being a hit man and a business man among others.
As a grifter, he was able to read people’s faces and manipulate them.
That night after picking Macy from the bar, he could tell that she was conflicted.
He knew that she would run away from him the first chance she got and he blamed himself for going on her too hard.
He shouldn’t have kissed her.
But should he have let someone else kiss her? He didn’t think so.
He didn’t regret the fact that he kissed her. It felf so right.
He decided to take precautions to make sure that she stayed.
He didn’t want Mel to face another heartbreak from being left by someone she held dear.
He thus would keep Macy close for Mel’s sake; or so he told himself.
He thus drove very quickly to Royal Apartments where they had gotten Macy an apartment.
As he was driving, he called his brother.
By now, Asher who worshipped his older brother was used to being called at odd hours for favour’s and all.
But he never regretted helping his brother because he, Asher, was a sucker for new sleek sports cars that cost millions that he didn’t have and so, his brother was his benefactor.
Asher’s garage was full of sports cars from Bugattis to formula one race cars.
When he looked at the caller ID and saw that his was his older brother, he sat up with a smile.
“How can I be of help this early morning?” He asked after looking at the watch.
It was three in the morning.
“Prepare the mansion at Clear Waters Ridge.
I want to move there with Macy and Mel.
Do it today. No dilly dallying,” Richard said and Asher yawned.
“What’s in it for me?” He asked lazily sounding bored.
He was baiting Richard since he had seen a new car from Germany that he wanted.
It was a new model of a Mercedes Benz and he wanted it.
It changed colours and could also change the body shape.
He thought that having it would be fun and he would test it by having himself chased by the police.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you that the newest version of the Mercedes AMG-GT I bought for you is still under my name.
I also feel that Macy needs a new car. What do you say?” Richard said and at that, Asher jumped out of here bed.
“At what time do you want it done?” Asher asked running to the bathroom.
He would see the cleaning of the mansion himself though the house wasn’t dirty per se.
All he wanted to do was transfer the staff at the main mansion to Clear Waters Mansion.
“ASAP,” Richard said.
“On it,” Asher said as he threw his phone on the bed to get ready.
He didn’t even think of asking Richard for the papers to his cars because he knew his brother wouldn’t do him in.
He just never expected Richard to play dirty like this.
It was Asher who played it dirty.
He sighed all the same and decided to make it up for it later. He knew he would get the latest version of the Mercedes Benz he wanted and who else would buy it for him.
He once had an accident when he was in high school and his dad forbid him from ever driving again.
That was why all the cars Asher had were hidden safely at his own mansion in Clear Waters.
He and his brother had adjacent mansions in that estate.. It was a high end estate that was built by the brothers and they co-owned it.
They had rent out all the other mansions and theirs weren’t occupied.
Asher used his more than Richard does in that he took his flings there and it was the safe haven for his dear sleek babies and he had more than ten of them.
After he was done preparing, he drove towards the Armstrong estate as he called Richard’s buttler to ask him to wake the others for they needed to move.
“Today we will take breakfast at clear waters,” he said as he increased the speed on the very same car Richard threatened to repossess.
Richard, on his side, was on his way to Royal Apartments. Something just told him that Macy was up to no good.
He knew that he could locate her no matter where she went but he didn’t want to risk it.
He wanted her with him. He didn’t know why but he made it easier on himself by telling himself that he was doing it for Macy.
He parked his car and took the lift.
The receptionist knew him by then and she didn’t ask him anything after he placed a gift on her table.
She opened it and smiled.
It was a dozen lipsticks of the most expensive brand she knew and couldn’t afford.
She loved working here because of people like this stranger who always brought her gifts.
What she didn’t know was that Richard was a capitalist and knew how to deal with people like her.
Buying her expensive things that she couldn’t afford was his was of showing her that she was destined for greatness and it would only happen if she kept quiet about his his visits to Macy’s apartment.
If she ever talked, she knew men like him could make her never find a job anywhere in DC.
Richard took the elevator and within no time, he was at Macy’s door.
All was quiet as there was no one in the corridors.
It wad still early and people hadn’t began rising.
He knocked slowly in case she was asleep.
He had his own key card but he wanted her to be the one to one the door for him.
Surprisingly enough, she opened the door on the first knock.
“You are so quick. I am not yet done packing,” she said but froze when she saw who was at the door.
“So, I was right?” Richard said as he walked without an invitation.
“What did you say?” She asked as she followed him.
“How did you know that i wanted us to move?” He asked as he took a cloth and started folding.
“What are you doing? What? What… What did you say?
Us? What do yiu mean?” She stuttered as she tried to understand what he meant.
“I mean, I want us to move from here.
Mel has been missing you so much and your life is in danger.
So, I want to keep you somehqerw safe near me.
Not keep per se. Let’s say I want you to be safe,” he fumlbed his way through words and he looked at her.
Macy was standing there looking at Richard as if he had gone nuts.
“Me? Live with you?
Mr Armstrong, you realize that you are a single after and I am an unmarried woman, right?
What would people say about you? What about…” she argued.
“Please call me Richard. Mr Armstrong makes us look like strangers mad we are past that stage.
Secondly, do I look like the kind of a person who cares what others think about me? Whoever has the guts to say it to my face can try.
Since I got to know you, your life has been threatened a million times and it’s making me very uncomfortable for Mel’s sake.
She keeps worrying about you and having you near her will put her heart at ease.
So, Macy, please, live with us.
It won’t be at the Armstrong Estate but an Estate a little far from all thus hustle and bustle of the city.
You will be safe there and there will be a car for you so you won’t ever be late for work,” he said and she still stood there.
He continued packing all the clothes she had dumped on the sofa to the open suitcases.
“Mel?” She asked.
She had fallen in love with the little girl and she would do anything for her.
If living with her would make the young one happy, then Macy would do it.
As she was standing there looking at this hunk of a man in a suit fold and pack her clothes, they heard the door bell.
Richard walked towards the door before Macy could.
She was frozen and watched him in a detached state. It was like it wasn’t her life or her house that Richard had just got into without a welcome and she now seemed to be so entangled with him that there was no turning back.
“Hello?” Richard greeted the man who was at the door after he opened it.
“Oh, am I in the wrong house? Someone called a taxi?” The man asked looking at the text on his phone.
“It’s the right house. Sorry for the disturbance.
I will take it from here.
Here, for your troubles,” Richard paid the man for his journey there and the man left.
He returned to find Macy in the same state as she was when he was walking out.
“You alright?” He asked her.
“Yeah, yeah, I am okay.
Let’s continue packing,” she said and continued helping him.
She wondered how he had found out about her plan to move.
But it was all good. She would make sure that he hated her by the time she was done with him.