Belly of the Beast

Chapter 1

January was a brutal month in New York. Chapped skin and frozen toes threatened everyone, even gargoyles and demons. The city had endured three days of snow, sleet, and freezing rain, a lethal combination. Yet the streets were filled with people who had to get somewhere. Thankfully, I wasn't one of them. Although, now that I was living in a penthouse sixty floors high with frosty windows as my only connection to the outside world, I was going a little nuts.

Vincent, my solid-as-granite husband with the heart of gold, had done what he could to entertain me, but I was getting sore down-under, and his collection of board games totaled two; Scrabble and Monopoly, and they only served to start a shouting match between Vincent and his brother, Colin.

Thankfully, it was Friday night, and despite the snow piled on the balcony railing, my best friend, Sylvie, was braving the weather to see me. Currently, she was traversing the subway system with her gollum escorts, Colin and Rizzo. They were also in charge of the pizza delivery, and Rizzo suggested we polish off the champagne leftover from the wedding. Sure, my days of champagne were over, but I wasn't opposed to a party.

After an indulgent post-sex shower, wherein Vincent treated me to a shampoo and loofah scrub, I stood wrapped in a towel assessing my wardrobe, and things did not look good. I was Mrs. Valentino now, wife of Manhattan's most talked about entrepreneur and former playboy, yet my closet still said Reese Kentwell living on a freelancer's budget.

I was due to start my new job at Mega Manhattan Magazine on Monday, which meant I had two days to buy proper work clothes. I blamed that week-long honeymoon in Sydney for my procrastination, and all I had to show for it was a fading sunburn and a new bikini. Not helpful in the New York arctic.

My cellphone rang from the bed, and I glanced at the screen. When I saw Mom's name, my heart skipped a beat. She never called on Fridays.

"Hi, Mom. What's up?"

"Hi, Reese. Your dad and I are fine. I know you weren't expecting my call."

"Can you blame me? You strayed from the pattern."

She chuckled. A good sign, and I exhaled as I walked back to stare at my closet. "I called to see if you and Vincent would like to attend the auction I'm organizing tomorrow night. Two tickets just came available. Frankly, I was surprised not to see Vincent's name on the guest list."

"I don't think auctions are his thing. You've seen his apartment. He takes minimalist to a new level."

"But the rest of his family isn't. I saw some lovely pieces in Wren's home when your father and I were there for the wedding. I think it would be worth the trip. There are a lot of exceptional items to be auctioned. Original artwork and photographs. An Egyptian puzzle cube that's said to date back to the pharaohs. Of course, I understand if you two can't attend. The weather has been beastly, but we should get a reprieve by tomorrow."

I pulled a black blouse from a hanger, scowled at it, then tossed it on the bed. "Actually, I've been itching for a reason to get out of the apartment. Maybe we can get Scooby to fly us down. I'll talk to Vincent tonight."

"Let me know soon. These tickets are highly coveted."

"No problem."

Mom hesitated, which put me on alert. She must have had a million things to do before the auction, but she let the silence drag on. That could only mean one thing. She was preparing to bring up a topic I'd been trying to avoid.

"So, no word about...you know? Grandchildren?"

I rolled my eyes dramatically, which, of course, she couldn't see. Then I glanced through the open bathroom door. That's where I had stashed the pregnancy test Amelia picked up for me right after the wedding. "No, Mom. I'll let you know if your suspicions are confirmed."