knowledge caused a slow smile to lift the corner of Cainâs wide mouth.
The steaming water rushed over the mass of rippling bronze muscles as Cain flexed and contemplated what his latest project would be.
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Sheila Hamilton sat opposite her husband at the white wicker table that had been placed on the balcony. A lush spring breeze blew caressingly over her supple caramel skin, rustled the blooming greenery, and gently stirred the grass. The air was filled with anticipation as the new season primed itself to burst forth. But instead of the sense of expectation that Sheila normally felt at this time of year, she was filled with a sense of foreboding.
âElliott,â she said softly, distracting him from a case review that lay open in front of him.
Determined not to show his annoyance at the interruption, he slowly removed his glasses from the bridge of his nose and counted, silently, to ten, placing the bifocalson the table. âYes, dear?â he said evenly, pleased with himself for maintaining control. Control was important, he reminded himself daily. Control dictated every facet of his lifeâor else there would be chaos, he reasoned. He looked across at his wife.
She hated it when he stared at her like that. It made her feel as if she were under a microscope, a curiosity to be examined. Sheila adjusted herself in her seat and took a deep breath. âElliott,â she began again, âI have a very bad feeling about this entireâ¦campaign thing,â she expelled, shaking her head with concern. Her smooth brow creased as she continued. She leaned forward. âWeâve been lucky these past years, Elliott,â she said in a hushed but steady voice. âYou know that. Thereâs no way that someone, somewhere, isnât going to dig up the dirt. This isnât some local assembly position, Elliott. This is a congressional seat. Sheâll be up against an incumbent who hasnât been defeated in nearly a dozen years! Lucus Stone is ruthless when it comes to opposition. And now, Vaughn will be that opposition.â Her anxiety over her daughterâs future filtered through her voice and registered in a web of tension on her face.
Elliott stood up. His wide jaw clenched. His ebony skin seemed to darken further with unspent outrage. He squinted his eyes into two warning slits.
âI will discuss this one last time, Sheila. I have paved the way for Vaughn all her life,â he said, with a shake of his balding head for emphasis. âEverything has been taken care of for years. Thereâs nothing anyone can do to her or to us. I wonât allow it. Do you think for one minute that I havenât foreseen this day and planned for it? Nothing will stop Vaughn from reaching my goals. Nothing!â he said with finality. He straightened and adjusted his pantsover the slightly protruding paunch. Then, in a soothing voice, âEverything will be fine, dear. Thereâs no point in you worrying. Havenât I always taken care of everything?â He gave her a benevolent smile, patted her hand absently, and got up and strolled into the house.
Sheila Hamilton watched her husband leave, and her heart sank. When had things changed? It seemed only moments ago the young Elliott Hamilton, full of dreams, ambition, and himself, had burst into her life. From the first moment theyâd met, Sheila had known that Elliott was destined for great things. Heâd caught her up in his dreams. Heâd made her a part of his plans. Heâd promised her a life of influence, happiness, and luxury. Heâd delivered all that heâd promised, and more. And she believed he could do anything he set his mind to do.
Sheila always knew that Elliott was a man driven, and with good reason. He came from a family that had virtually nothing. He was the first member of his family to have an education beyond the ninth grade. But Elliott had changed. Heâd become consumed by his own
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