“Oh, that’s okay. I have a ride,” she said and stood up and smiled.
“Thank you so much, Mulgoff,” she said and he went to shake her hand but she hugged him instead and he chuckled. She stepped back and felt her cheeks warm.
“Thanks.”
“So sweet. You are a gem, and worth way more than any jewel I’ve ever had the pleasure to incorporate in my designs. I’ll be in touch.”
She grabbed her bag and Corpias walked her out of the room. The moment she was in the hallway she locked gazes with Mercury.
“Are you all set?” Mercury asked.
“Yes. Thank you for waiting. I didn’t know I would be so long and I appreciate the ride.”
Mercury pulled her close and gave Corpias a mean expression.
“You know my brothers and I wanted to wait for you to ensure you get home safely. You must be tired.”
“Exhausted,” she said and then looked at Corpias.
“Goodnight, Corpias.”
“Goodnight,” he replied but looked so angry it made her heart race. Mercury must have sensed her fear as he gripped her hand tight and walked her out of the hallway and into the main lobby.
He lifted his wrist to his mouth.
“I have her. We’ll meet out front.”
He guided her out of the building and into the parking lot and she tightened up as a black SUV pulled up front. He opened the side door and helped her get in. Rylan was in the back seat, Falco was driving and Slade was in the front passenger seat. The door closed after Mercury got in and the SUV took off.
Rylan pulled her close. “Are you okay?” he asked her.
“I’m fine. Everything was fine. More than fine, actually,” she told him and she explained about the money she made, about the gallery event and about what her next steps would be.
“I can’t believe that meeting Mulgoff caused all of this to happen. It’s incredible and I feel like I owe him so much for pulling this off.”
“You don’t want to owe Mulgoff anything. Your work is exceptional and would have sold in the right setting,” Slade said from the front seat.
“You’re wrong. I needed someone with connections. Someone who created an imaginary hype around my work that got people to spend more than a hundred thousand dollars on a no-name artist like me. Come on, Slade. You have to understand where I’m coming from.”
“No, you don’t seem to understand the seriousness of those men you were keeping company with. Molokai is involved with illegal things. Mulgoff wants control of your work and success because it will bring him money. Did he have a take from that hundred grand plus he gave you in a check tonight?” Mercury asked.
“What? A take, what do you mean?”
“You didn’t ask him, did you?” Rylan asked with an attitude. She was really feeling on the defensive right now.
“He didn’t mention anything about that.”
“Fuck. You don’t even know what he wants in return for doing this for you,” Mercury scolded.
“What would he want? He didn’t mention wanting anything, he just mentioned…”
“What? What did he mention?” Rylan asked her.
“That I keep an open mind about Molokai. That he has power and connections that could help me be successful.”
They were all silent but she felt the anger. It was palpable. Tears stung her eyes and she was confused. God, she was stupid. It was like everything she ever wanted could be at her fingertips but it came with a price. Apparently she didn’t read between the lines or understand the unsaid words of men like Mulgoff and Molokai.
“You’re not doing business with them. You’re not going to do the gallery event,” Mercury stated and stared straight ahead as if he had the final say in her life. What gave him the right to say something like that? She needed this. She didn’t want to be poor, to be hungry and needy. She wanted to paint, to express her creativity and live without fear of failure again in her life.
Tears filled her eyes. “That is not your decision to make. It’s mine.”
“Want to bet?” Mercury whispered, teeth clenched. She swallowed hard.
“I am not going to throw away this opportunity because you think it’s a setup. I have waited my whole life for this. To have my work be in demand, on display at some upscale gallery where people pay big money for artwork. Do you understand the personal success that will bring me, never mind the monetary freedom? You probably don’t. You have money, you have power, your fancy cars, your fancy house, and the ability to snap your fingers and have women kneel at your feet. I’ve had to struggle for every ounce of what I have, which isn’t much. I’ve gone without eating to buy more paint to finish a painting. I’ve had to lose my pride, my studio, my self-respect, and came so close to winding up in a shelter or having to tell my friends I’ve failed and can’t even support myself. You don’t know what my life has been like and tonight, this past week, and meeting Mulgoff has changed all of that. He hasn’t asked me for anything but to do the work he hired me for and I did. I paraded myself around to sell that diamond and I’m a shy, quiet person. I’ve sacrificed and will continue to sacrifice if it is going to help me be successful. So don’t you dare try to come into my life and make demands you have no right making. Stop the car. I want out,” she said and sat forward.