" They were accompanied by the Kincaids sir." The tall bald man stood before Daniel relaying his findings at the Deges' home.

     " Both you say? " Daniel teetered back in his chair as he watched one of his most trusted workers stand strong with both hands drawn behind his back.

    " Joseph and Blaise entered the building with the daughter sir. I'm sure her mother caught sight of me as she peeked out of the door."

  "Lorainne...Lorainne....Tell me, does she still glow? I could tell she has good genes, I bet she looks no different than twenty years ago." Daniel rhetorically asked. A smile came to his face as he thought back to the day of his conquest of her.

       Daniel Saslow's company had hosted a gala in honor of its anniversary. He sat in his limo that was parked in front of the main hall. The event stretched far into the morning and the wear of time was present on everyone's face. Across from him sat his wife Roanne in her extravagant dark green gown. Their daughter Darla laid in her arms fast asleep as her mother's head nodded succumbing to the same fatigue.

     A feeling of boredom ran through Daniel as he watched his family. Roanne and Daniel had been betrothed since birth, yet didn't meet each other until a month before their marriage. They had worked quickly, wanting to fulfill the desires of The Family in adequate time. Roanne was a blonde woman, petite in size and personality. Daniel had always craved a little pizzazz when it came to his women. Taking a swig of his liquor, he sighed at the start of the car as the driver climbed in. At the sound of the engine, Roanne's head popped up wide awake for the moment.

     " Oh Daniel, when did you get in the car?" She asked holding back a yawn.

    His response was delayed as he swallowed the contents of his drink." Some time now dear." Reaching for a refill, Roanne reached out to his hand stopping him.

    " I don't want your liver to waste away honey. Surely after the night we've had you've had your fill." She suggested as any wife conscious of their husband's intake would. Shooing her hand away, Daniel continued on undisturbed as he poured himself some more.

     Darla began to move restlessly in her mother's lap springing to life as she stared off disgruntled into the car. Climbing from her mother's hold, she crawled towards her father and got into his lap. Careful not to get his drink too close to her, he wrapped an arm around her small body and brought her into his side. Her head rested against his chest as he rocked her back to sleep.

      If there was anything to thank Roanne for, it would have to be his first child. He adored her deeply and would do anything in the world to keep her satisfied. She latched on to him more than her mother and he was proud of that fact.

    " I'm so happy her and Blaise were born so close. Don't you think they like each other?"

     " She's barely learning to stand and you are already thinking of that?" He asked detached.

    " I'm just saying, they could be good playmates. You and Joseph are so close, our kids can be too."

  " Yes, Roanne. Of course." Daniel's mind drifted to his friend Joseph. Joseph had not been born into their organization, and instead Daniel had pulled many strings for him to be accepted in. He had even arranged his marriage to the sought after Carol. Sure it was a way to help him get an in to The Family, but Daniel also benefitted from it also. Joseph's longtime love had grabbed his attention, and he was now ready to pursue her.

     When Joseph had suggested offering another outsider a job with him, Daniel had immediately said no. With weeks of suggesting from Joseph, he had finally agreed to meet the person he spoke so fondly of. When he first saw Lorraine Deges, his interest was sparked and he quickly hired her into his home wing, hoping to make strides with her.

      He soon found out how sickly in love she and Joseph were, and became irritated at the thought. He didn't appreciate his interest having her attentions elsewhere. Daniel thought back to the hell of the birth of Joseph's second son by Lorraine a few months after his first with Carol. He could recall the shouting match she had with him numerous nights in the unoccupied halls of his home. The child was now a couple of months old, and Daniel saw it as an appropriate time to make his advance.

     Lorraine should have had enough time to get over Joseph.

    If she didn't....oh well.

   Rolling the divider down, Daniel called to the driver.

   "Can we make this time shorter? My ladies are absolutely fatigued back here."

    The driver tilted his head in the rearview mirror where Daniel could see.

    " Oh Dan, there really isn't any rush. I'm sure he is just as tired as anyone of us." Roanne kissed her daughter's hand as she spoke. Daniel stroked the delicate hair at her nape as he watched the sight of their summer home appear. Though they were out of season, they couldn't pass up the chance to take their break in the beautiful home.

    When the vehicle came to a complete stop, Daniel waited for Roanne to climb out the door held open for her by the driver. When she stood to her full height ridding herself of a yawn, he placed Darla into her arms and remained in the car.

     " Are you not coming in?" Roanne's eyes passed over him skeptically. She particularly hated participating in the events for pleasure that The Family prepared for them. Daniel was one whom she knew took them up on their full offer of peace and pleasure on these trips, and she never trusted him out of her sight. Though no one ever actually outright told her of the women he laid with, she just knew.

    "Daniel..." She insisted when he simply stared at her. Reaching out to her hand, he grasped it in his in a false show of care.

    " I'll be there when you wake."

    " Can't you be there when I sleep?"

   "Roanne, I have something I must do before daylight breaks. Understand that."

   "With who? I'm sure whatever it is cannot be that big of an emergency. Rest Daniel....with me and your daughter tonight."

   "There will always be tomorrow. Show these two to the door." He directed his latter speech to the driver. Closing his door, he sat back into the leather seat and stretched both arms across the backs. He intentionally diverted his eyes from what was going on outside, the driver trying to coerce the distressed wife into the home.

    Daniel leaned his head back on the seat and closed his eyes as he warmed himself up for his game plan. He imagined the smell of Lorraine's hair, the slight grip her dress had on her body during the night...He was so enraptured by his thoughts that he hadn't heard nor felt the moving of the car.

      "Gehee Hotel sir?" The driver questioned as routine. It was a question he need not ask, but knew that his boss would answer nonetheless.

    "Mmhm. This is a pretty urgent issue so if you don't mind, get me there in five minutes."

   "Of course Mr. Saslow."

Ooooooooooooooo

   Lorraine toweled off her hair in the hotel bathroom as the steam from her quick late night, early morning shower dispersed. She wiped her face slowly, allowing relaxation to loll through her muscles.Putting on her large nightshirt, she grabbed the collar and inhaled the scent of the man in her life.

   Niall.

   It smelled of his baby lotion and spit up and was the best smell in the world to her. No matter how many times she washed it, hints of the scent still lingered whether that be an actual thing or just a thought in her mind. She had no one else to give her love to in the world, and she had become okay with that. Everything she felt for Joseph had been paralyzed and rendered useless for the time being. What energy she put on hold that was for him was put to use for her child.

 No one else.

    Turning out the lights to the bathroom, she trudged out to the hall before the bedroom. She couldn't bring her son with her on the trip. One reason was because of his young age, and another was from the advice of Mr. Saslow. She had cringed at the thought of him being left to the hands women she barely saw, but knew worked for Mr. Saslow.

     Hell, she barely saw Mr. Saslow at that. There couldn't have been more than ten people whom Lorraine actually communicated with while on the job. The home was so large and extensive that it was easy to be confined to one area of the house and still have a workload to complete. She had a vague memory of the first time she had met him, for the impromptu interview for the job.

    Ever since then, he had seemed like a man in incognito; he showed up at the queerest times. Turning on the bedside lamp, Lorraine saw that she had spoken of the devil.

    Daniel sat under the covers of her bed void of clothes from the parts of his body she could see. A hand struck out to capture Lorraine and pin her underneath his body in her state of confusion. A knee sat on her navel as Daniel put pressure on her diaphragm, making it difficult to breathe.

   "I do not believe I have ever said good morning to you Ms. Deges." He traced her jaw with his fingers. Leaning toward her mouth, he puffed out alcohol laced air across her face.

    "Good. Morning." He whispered against the shell of her ear.