Infinity (6 page)

My hands tightened on Diego’s shoulder causing him to look over at me concerned. “You okay?”

I nodded yes, not trusting my voice to utter anything remotely intelligent. Zoe looked at me with worried eyes, nudging me forward.

The Paparazzi asked, “Any truth to the rumors that the Collective Corporation is shutting down your concert tomorrow night?”

I gritted my teeth before responding, “None. In fact, all of my sold-out concerts will go on as planned. And just for the record....”

Zoe broke out in a fit of coughing before catching her breath. “Oh shit, this is not going to be good.”

I continued angrily, “As I’ve said several times, which remarkably has been quoted incorrectly just as many times, I’m using my celebrity power for a good cause. The money made will be used to open clinics for the free distribution of Rejuvenator pills to underprivileged people in the New York area who cannot afford to pay the outrageous and gouging price that the Collective Corporation insists on charging for the privilege of using their cure-all drug.”

I continued walking when a pale, strawberry blonde haired woman with obvious fake breasts stepped forward, grinning snidely. “Well isn’t that a tad hypocritical for a superstar known for her abusive use of Rejuvenator? And let’s talk about that celebrity power. Aren’t you using it for your own private agenda that seems centered on throwing stones at a Corporation that provides a lifesaving drug to the world.”

I turned, glaring at her. Literally biting my tongue to prevent myself from spilling the real truth about the big conspiracy known as the cure-all Rejuvenator pill, the conspiracy manufactured and distributed by the billion dollar Collective Corporation. The conspiracy touted as an monumental scientific break-thru discovered after the
Fire and Ash
war, which was nothing but a lie marketed by the Collective as a daily supplement, a harmless vitamin, a cure-all that removed and prevented all disease within the body by rejuvenating the cells was anything but.

A pill that people clamored for. A pill that the people who could afford it, would buy it and use it like candy. But of course, not to miss another opportunity to addict people to their cure-all drug, the Collective started marketing another benefit of taking the pill, the more Rejuvenator people ingested, the more euphoric they became, giving them a buzz that not even the hardest drugs could replace, and overnight Rejuvenator became not only a cure-all, but the party pill of choice.

I pulled out a smile from deep within my gut and answered with all the calm that I could muster—which was very little. “No, what’s hypocritical is that the super-rich, yes, like me, are standing idly by while the poor are forced to exchange their blood for their monthly dose of Rejuvenator. What’s hypocritical is that the super-rich, again, like me, are exempt from participating in the Blood for Rejuvenator Program because we either get it for free for endorsing it, or we can outright buy our dosage.”

Fake boobs sneered, “And the question is, why do you care?”

Diego scowled, pulling me along before I could kick her skinny little ass or respond. I wanted to snarl at her audacity. I had no delusions of grandeur about exactly who I was. I was a superficial superstar that just six months ago cared more about what outfit I was going to wear to see my personal trainer than this whole Rejuvenator debacle. Months ago I didn’t know about it or care about it. Now I was stuck knowing way too much with no way out. Could I have ignored it, yes, but that’s what sent me damn near crazy. What was revealed in my dreams could never be ignored; the strange women ensured that tenfold.

So yes, I gave a shit about the Blood for Rejuvenator Program for so many reasons and for her to insinuate that this was just some rich girl on some save the world project was a load of shit. She knew that. Shit, anyone with common sense knew that. I was putting my career, and yes, my life in jeopardy by going against the powerful but reclusive Collective Corporation. A Corporation that controlled everything in the world and who made world leaders shake in their shoes. The same Corporation that was allegedly behind assassinations of anyone that publicly opposed or tried to expose them.

Frankly, the only reason that I was still alive was that the strange woman said it wasn’t my time to die, and that if I played my cards right tonight, and do exactly as she told me, I would stay that way.

“Girl, when will you learn to reign in that temper of yours?” Zoe muttered.

I stomped my way down the red carpet, snarling, “Never. Especially when it comes to the Collective and that woman that was obviously sent by them to publicly give me shit.”

Diego shook his head with dismay. “That woman was Vivian LaRue, Anchor and managing editor of her own namesake evening news program. You really need to watch the news more often.”

I huffed angrily, walking towards the entrance. “You mean the news program owned and controlled by the Collective? Uh, no thank you.” I blew a calming breath when the black-attired bouncers and security detail stepped aside, nodding at me with deference. All except one, my one man ex-commando, Nick, Mason’s business partner and best friend. Security tried to usher the women along who gave him very interested stares which he promptly ignored as he barked into his cell with a light British accent. Who could blame the fawning women, with his lightly tanned skin, short blond hair, bulging muscles and over six foot frame? He was striking, imposing and totally not interested.

“Yes. She’s here and safe. Yes. Let me handle this, ok? Take care of business and let me do what I do best, secure.” He looked at me with cool blue eyes. “Yes, that was Mason. He’s been busting my ass about getting you in the club quickly and securely. This is like the worst time for him to be away on business with all this shit going on.”

I pursed my lips, “He can call you to micro-manage my arrival, but he can’t return any of my text messages? Seems awfully convenient.”

Nick’s eyes narrowed, “What can I say, your brother does what he wants, when he wants. But you know that.”

“Only too well,” was my displeased response.

Nick looked over at the clamoring paparazzi. “I hate those sharks, their always circling looking for blood. I was about to start busting heads to get those savages away from you, but from experience I know that you would have my ass if I did.”

I leaned up giving him a loud smacking kiss on the lips, “Bad Nick. There will be no knocking of paparazzi heads tonight. Any other night, you have my permission.”

He ushered me towards the door gently, “Promises, promises.”

I grabbed his hand smiling. “Think of it this way, Mason will be back tonight and the chore of being bodyguard to the wayward superstar will be over.”

He smirked patting the top of my head like I was a cute puppy, “Chore? Guarding your body is my pleasure little one.”

Being the career flirt that I was, I wiggled my brows with a lecherous grin. “I’m sure you say that to all the girls, handsome.”

My jaw dropped when he gave me this hot, I will fuck you where you stand stare that literally shocked the shit out of me.

“Nope, just you.”

Diego cleared his throat unnecessarily loud. “Oh, I know just how badly you want to...guard her body.”

I looked at him questioningly. “What’s up? Am I missing some guy thing?”

Nick sneered, which made Diego grin like a misbehaving school boy with his palms up in a gesture of total surrender. “Yup, it’s a guy thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

I rolled my eyes. “Shit, guys aren’t that deep.”

“You would be surprised. I’ll see you on the dance floor. I’ve got an angel to capture.” He stalked off without a backward glance.

“Get inside and host your party. I’ll see you later.” Nick grimaced, I could almost hear the angry grinding of teeth as he practically shoved me through the door, while Zoe was laughing her ass off at some inside joke.

As soon as we stepped into the trendiest club in Manhattan, Mason’s first and most lucrative nightclub, all eyes zeroed in on me like they expected to see me being carried in wearing an iced-out strait-jacket. I smiled, waved and blew kisses to the curious, the lustful, and the anxious singers who mistakenly thought they could take my throne while I was on hiatus. I was still on top and it would remain that way.

There was no need for a VIP section, because the whole party was VIP with celebrities: basketball and football players, actors, models, pop, rock and R&B singers, and hip hop stars all trying to act like they were not impressed by each other.

Hot looking security milled through the crowd with watchful eyes and model like waitresses filtered through the crowd with trays filled with a mixture of expensive glasses, green indicating well-poured drinks laced with Rejuvenator and gold for those without it.

Zoe was sauntering around practically snarling at anyone that approached. She hated the celebrity scene just as much as they hated her for being the street-smart woman who made it from poverty to fame and riches by working her ass off to be here. She took every opportunity to show them up as pretentious hags as she preened, doing a full-circle to show off her tall, slender frame, and dark flawless chocolate skin. Loving the attention, she tossed her trademark purple colored hair that was cut short on the sides and long in the front.

“Yes, people, Infinity and Zoe are in the building. The party can commence.” She swayed beside me as we pressed through the bodies on the way to the middle of the dance floor.

It was like a show that I loved watching over and over. Zoe, the diva to be reckoned with, rocked the hell out of her outfit from my ready-to-wear fashion line, tight-fitting, lace-up, black leather pants, a black t-shirt with studs under a black leather motorcycle jacket and high-heeled leather boots. Men’s tongues hung-out as she looked at them dismissively.

“What the hell was that about with Nick?” I waved to a few guests, giving some air kisses as we pressed through.

Zoe ignored me, looking around with a blatantly disgruntled stare. “No fresh blood. Same tired guys.”

Screaming over the thick pulse of hot music as people gyrated, I looked at her excitedly. “You know Nick’s majorly hot and majorly single. Do you want me to hook you up?”

She looked at me like I lost my mind, “Uh, hell no! I’m most definitely down with the swirl, but I’m not interested.”

I skirted to a stop, “And why the hell not?”

She threw her hands in the air clapping to the music as she swayed around me. “Because he’s majorly interested in you, sugar.” She smiled and hip checked me.

“What? No he’s not. He never once acted like he was remotely interested.” She looked at me like I lost my mind. “Okay, well except for a couple of minutes ago.”

Zoe shook her head with dismay, “I don’t know if it’s your virginity thing or what, but dude almost had an erection when he was scoping your ass. There, plain enough?”

I grabbed two gold glasses from the waitress that smiled shyly at me before moving on. “First, there was no erection, believe me, as hot as he is I would have been all over that pointing at it like I won a prize, hopefully a big prize.”

Zoe laughed, choking on her drink.

I smiled, “What? Big is good, that much I know. Secondly, my virginity is a choice, not a mental impediment.”

She grinned saucily as she danced around me. “So says the girl who hasn’t had a penis near her mouth, never mind anywhere else for that matter.”

I looked around the party with fake paranoid eyes, “What the fuck? Shut the hell up, I have a reputation as a slut to uphold.”

“You are a slut. We both are. Slut is a frame of mind, not a status, sugar. Given the right guy, you’ll use all the tricks I taught you and turn some guy the hell out, making me proud that my slutty behavior has finally rubbed off on you. Fly the coup, my slutty baby bird.”

“Really?”

“All I’m trying to say is that you throw up road blocks like crazy, and they’re some very interested guys like Nick and gasp...Mason. And all you have to do is give them the sign that you want to give them a try.”

“Nick is like a brother. And Mason is my brother.” I held up my hand to stop her from talking. “Yeah I know. Not by blood. But I can’t go there. Ever. Shit, why does this feel like some bad after school movie and I’m starring in it?”

“And what about Kir? Even though I’m so glad that you broke-up with that joker, Diego and I made a bet…which I won…that you would find some way to break-up with him before the one month mark.”

I tossed back another drink looking at her pointedly. “I don’t know how I feel about you two making bets on the longevity of my relationships.”

She grabbed the other drink and tossed it back. “Oh please, you don’t have relationships. You try men on like shoes, then put them on the shelf after you get tired of the look. For fuck sake, you’re twenty-two and still at virgin. Who does that anymore? In the fifties you would be considered a spinster.”

I laughed because I loved my best friends’ honesty. “I can’t help it if I haven’t found the perfect shoe. I have discriminating tastes and any old shoe will not do.”

“Whatever. Whenever I spit the truth you get all cranky. Let’s party cranky girl.”

We grabbed more drinks, tossing them back, zoning out to the music, not caring about any onlookers as we gyrated. We battled for best dancer supremacy, dropping our asses to the floor to the remix of my hit song featuring Kir-J. As if it was some dramatic cue, Kir-J, self-proclaimed music phenomenon and all around man whore, sauntered up to me with his entourage of idiots.

“Infinity, baby! Hey, Zoe”

He leaned in to kiss me fully on the lips, which I dodged by coughing loudly.

“Whatever, jack ass...I mean Kir-J” I spat before pulling Zoe past him to check out some hotties giving us the eye. He pressed a hand on my ass causing me to stop mid-stride. “Do you want that hand? Because if you don’t remove it from my ass, like right now, I’m going to break it. And I think you might need it for your nightly hand jobs.”

He snatched it away, stepping back warily. “What’s up with you and the attitude?”

I looked around angrily because this was the face-off that had been brewing for days and I would not be denied. I pointed over at the private dark corner. “You. Me. Over there.”