It was a little after eight o'clock and Emmanuelle had already showered and dressed herself simply in a pair of low slung jet black skinny jeans that fit her to perfection along with a silver and black corset courtesy of Marciano. Normally she wouldn't have worn such a garment, she would never be allowed to leave the house in it, but she was going out and the bustier was doing wonderful things for her breasts at the moment. No one could ever claim that she was top heavy but the push-up design (along with practiced use of double sided tape) gave her cleavage that would leave any woman envious. She was in the bathroom preparing to buff her mineral foundation over her well primed skin when her phone began to ring the custom jingle that alerted her to the fact that her father was checking up on her. She placed her kabuki brush on the sink's counter before making her way into the bedroom portion of her suite and answering the phone.

      "What's up dad?" she questioned as she leaned against the dresser.

      "Nothing much. I just got home and decided to see what my princess was up to," he answered.

      "Nothing really. I'm just going out with a girl from class and her friends," Emmanuelle answered. She knew it was better to have him in the know than for him to bust her on the infraction later.

      "Where are you going? You know that isn't Miami. Here people know you and, most importantly, know me. You're protected at home but California's a whole new-"

      "Dad, relax," she ordered. "It's just Sasha and a few of her girlfriends. They were having a girl's night and invited me. No biggie."

      "If something goes wrong call Nickolas," Manuello demanded.

      "Nickolas?" she asked curiously. "Why would I call him?"

      "Because he's in LA right now," Manuello answered.

      "You sent him to check up on me? Dad, how could you?"

      "First of all, as your father I have every right to do whatever is in my means to ensure your safety. Second of all, Nickolas being in California has nothing to do with you. His trip was planned long before yours," Manuello answered. "Besides he's in LA and, like you told me, you'll be in Carlsbad."

      "That was the plan," Emmanuelle replied quickly.

      "Well, don't deviate," Manuello ordered before asking her to hold on.

      Emmanuelle began to worry her bottom lip as a feeling of foreboding took over her. She'd worded her statement in such a way that her father couldn't come at her later and say she'd done something she had explicitly told him she wouldn't do but the fact remained that she was doing just that. All her life, she'd been on the straight and narrow path her father laid out for her. He felt that everything he did was in her best interest...that he was only protecting her and she couldn't lie and say he wasn't, it was just stifling. Emmanuelle understood that, with her being an heiress of a multi-billion dollar fortune, there were going to be people out there who wouldn't look at her like a person but as their meal ticket. Whether they wanted to befriend her for perks, find out "secrets" about her family, or abduct her for ransom was up in the air but she couldn't live her life in fear of what others might do. If she did she'd end up wasting all her good years away with nothing to show for it.  

      While she was on hold, Emmanuelle headed back into the bathroom and proceeded to apply her foundation. She'd actually had her foundation on and finished the dramatic smokey eye she was going for when her father finally returned to the line.

      "Princess?" Manuello questioned drawing her attention.

      "Yes?" she asked slightly louder than normal so that he could hear her through the speaker.

      "I have to go handle some last minute stuff so you're on your own. Don't loose your mind," he warned.

      "Trust the child you raised," Emmanuelle thew back at him as she brushed on a coat of mascara.

      "You're in California without security aren't you?" he asked rhetorically.

      She shook her head before saying, "Go handle your business daddy."

      "I love you Princess."

      "Love you too daddy," she added before picking her phone up from the counter and pressing the end button.

      In a quick well practiced motion she applied a coat of her nude lipstick and left the bathroom to add a few accessories to her look. All it took was a few pieces from her de Grisogono collection to add that extra bit of glamour to her, somewhat casual, outfit. The pair of black and white diamond drops that hung from her delicate ears were just enough to make a statement without being gaudy as were the black stingray cuff and sizable diamond right hand ring. Emmanuelle had just zipped up her black studded Giuseppe Zanotti boots when there was a knock at her room door. A quick glance at the clock affirmed her assumption that it was Sasha on the other side.

      Sure enough, Sasha greeted her behind the door looking adorable in a black and white babydoll designed dress with black crystal embellished platform sandals encasing her French pedicured feet. Sasha gave her a quick once over before saying, "Well don't you look cute. I love the earrings. They look like a de Grisogono piece."

      "Thank you," Emmanuelle replied as she moved back to allow Sasha to enter the hotel room, "and they should since that's exactly what they are."

      "Get out of here!" Sasha exclaimed as she moved a little further into Emmanuelle's personal space to get a better view of the precious stones that made up her earrings.

      "Let me get my jacket and we can go," Emmanuelle spoke as she walked deeper into her suite to grab the black Vivienne Westwood blazer she'd draped over one of the side chairs in the bedroom.

      The two hour ride into LA had been done quickly, and comfortably, in Sasha's black Volkswagen Rabbit. Sasha maneuvered her way around the city only to have hell finding a parking spot in the small lot attached to the club. Obviously the place was a hot spot because there was a line around the corner looking like the crème de la crème of hot young singles in the area. Sasha made a quick call to her friend Tanya who told her to head to the door where she'd be waiting by the bouncer and sure enough, when they got to the front of the line Tanya was waiting.

      The people waiting in line spat slick shit and gave the three women nasty looks, bypassing the bouncer (who was who they should have been mad at) as to not gain his ire and never get in the club. Tanya gave the people at the front of the line a look that told them exactly how menial they were to her life before turning her attention back towards Sasha and Emmanuelle.  

      "Come on y'all," she spoke in her raspy voice that more than a few would categorize as a sexy bedroom tone. To compare it to anyone, it would be very similar to Mariah Carey's normal speaking voice...just smoother in quality.

      Emmanuelle followed the two women through the club and, as all women do, she took in her new acquaintance. Quite frankly Tanya wasn't exactly a conventional beauty but she was striking to look at. She had the smoothest chocolate brown skin whose natural glow spoke of impeccable upkeep with defined features that made you look at her. Unlike most of the women in the club whose hair flowed with synthetic or natural hair they didn't grow themselves, Tanya had her hair cropped short and natural. Not too many women could pull it off and she did so regally.

      Emmanuelle was a firm believer in the saying that you could tell a lot about a person by studying them and Tanya, unknowingly, was telling her many things. Her posture and over all body language spoke of someone who was confident while her hairstyle and cosmetic choices said she was very much an individual. She was someone who started trends, not follower of the pack. Her outfit choice wasn't totally out there; a pair of fitted low cut white linen shorts complimented her long legs while a brown backless tank the exact same shade of her skin rested beneath a sheer asymmetrical cut multicolored tunic giving you the impression that she had nothing on beneath the slip of a garment. It was simple and she wore it well even though there were women with slightly more clothes on than she who looked like they were giving their goodies away to anyone who'd buy them a drink.

      Tanya led the pair to the bar where an attractive blonde sat nursing a drink. Her eyes lit up with recognition when she saw the group approach. She stood steadily on her high heeled platforms and gave Sasha a welcoming hug before glancing at Emmanuelle curiously. Sasha noticed the glance and began speaking.

      "Emmanuelle these are my girls Tanya and Rachel. Ladies this is Emmanuelle," Sasha spoke easily as she made the introductions.

      The women exchanged pleasantries and bobbed their heads to the music as they ordered a drink. After getting Tanya and Sasha's order, the bartender glanced at Emmanuelle's hands before asking her if she wanted a drink. Emmanuelle was about to say no when Sasha shook her head lightly. Emmanuelle was never one for peer pressure but who actually goes to a club without having at least one drink? Against her better judgement she nodded and leaned in closer to the cute male across the island and said, "Let me get an Adios Motherfucker."

      "So are you down?" Nickolas question his friend across from him.

      He and Jonathan had met in undergrad and had immediately hit it off. Jonathan was a rare type of dude who was about his business and meant what he said whenever he said it. Biting his tongue was something he didn't do often and he wasn't easily impressed. It seemed as if everyone had their sites on Nickolas when, during welcome week, they saw him drive onto campus in a custom Ferrari that cost more than their high priced education ever would. Truthfully his name had been on most people's tongue since the moment CNN revealed to the world that he'd chosen the University of Pennsylvania over several Ivy League schools he'd been accepted to.

      Out of all the people Nickolas had met during his four years in undergrad, hell his years at Wharton included, Jonathan was the only person who couldn't give a fuck about his name or how much money he was worth. Jonathan was a hustler by nature and, at that time, his hustle had been his education and internship. He didn't have the time (or desire) to be on some dude's tip. Nickolas respected that and, after a couple of conversations, the two realized that they were more alike than they thought.

      If there was anyone Nickolas would trust to have his back in the situation he'd been thrust into, it was Jon. He was even tempered, contemplative, and (most importantly) able to handle himself. The last thing he needed was a shaky scary ass dude involved in the negotiations he was going to be making.

      "Four million a year just for that and no one will ever be able to finger me?" Jonathan asked in disbelief.

      "And a job in the finance department of my family's corporation or any company we're affiliated with," Nickolas emphasized the other half of the deal.

      Jonathan realized that he could be making a deal with the devil. Truthfully everything was too good to be true and while he counted Nickolas as a friend he had to think of his freedom. As he went over the pro's and cons of his decision he decided to jump off the ledge and agree. What did he have to loose? A couple years of his freedom for conspiracy if he got caught but on the up side, in two to four years the Suarez family would sever the ties they had and their earnings would be legal as far as anyone was concerned. Mr. Suarez had been knee deep in the black market for a minute now and not even a whisper of his affiliation had leaked and so he'd decided to take his chances. As a young cat he'd worked on the block for less. Eight to sixteen million tax free dollars was worth a lot more than what he'd risked making enough for his tuition.

      "I'm in," he said with resolution while hoping he wouldn't come to regret his decision.