014

The interior of the C5 Restaurant Lounge in downtown Toronto was brightly lit with the mid-afternoon sun, busy as usual. Thankfully the Stryfe name still carried enough weight in certain circles to have afforded the lovely Kaitlynn a last-minute reservation for a table near the window where she could look out over Bloor Street, watching the pedestrian traffic even though it was bitterly cold today. She was dressed casually, although with a very amped up sex appeal in a clinging red turtleneck sweater that she'd paired with a pair of black leather pants that hugged her slender legs like a second skin. A pair of red and black Christian Louboutins were on her feet, tying the stylish outfit together. Her mess of dark hair was tamed, twisted into a braid that hung over her left shoulder, revealing the pair of exquisite emerald and diamond earrings— a present that she'd received from her husband for her birthday a few years ago.

Checking the time on her BlackBerry that rested on the table, she wondered idly if he would actually show up. A small sigh issued from between her lips as she listlessly speared one of the minuscule shrimp in her salad and brought it up to her mouth. It was ever rare to see a member of the Stryfe family appear publicly in anything but a suit. And today would be no exception as Jacob pushed his way into the building. A waitress stopped him before he pointed to the table, and walked past her. Adjusting the cuff-links on the Oscar de la Renta suit he wore, he pulled a chair out and took a seat across from her.

"Before we even start, I owe you an apology, Kaitlynn." That was also something one rarely ever heard from a Stryfe. An apology.

Her greenish eyes blinked as she stared at him, "I'm sorry, I must have misheard what you just said." She reached out and fiddled with the stem of her wineglass for a moment before lifting it to her lips and taking a dainty sip, biding her time. "You're apologizing... for what, pray tell?"

"It's not easy for me to do, but I have made a grave miscalculation recently." He took a deep breath, about to speak when another waitress approached, where he placed his own order before she walked away. "My brother explained to me what has been going on, and after a long discussion, I am of the mindset that I have been working for the wrong side in all of this. I have been in constant contact with Jennifer, but recently, I am of the mind there are more players in this than we realize. And that you....have been set up."

"He..." she blushed, looking down at her plate as though the spinach and basil drenched in balsamic vinaigrette were suddenly the most interesting thing in the universe, "he explained everything, did he? Even..." she trailed off, unable to bring herself to say the words. It was quite easy to assume that Jacob knew everything, despite her husband's promise that he wouldn't tell anyone else about what she'd done. They were brothers, after all.

"It took a great deal of discussion, but he did explain what happened. It's very difficult to deal with something like that on your own." He could tell the news that he was informed had surprised her a bit, likely disappointed her too. "And while I am sure it is something you would have preferred he kept to himself, I assure you it would have come out sooner or later anyway. Especially given the individual whom had those pictures taken, whom I am now very much in belief was hired by a man you both know well. Anthony Gambini."

Her eyes narrowed at that name, head snapping up so that she was once again looking at him. "That snake! Alex," she faltered on his name, a pained look crossing her features that she was unaware of, "told me that those photographs were sent to him by Gambini but from the way you're saying this, I get the feeling you mean something more. What, Jacob? What's really going on?"

"I have no proof of anything, Kaitlynn. This is all conjecture at this point. But recently, a visit from Jennifer caused me a bit of curiosity. I informed her of the pictures that were taken, told her I had seen them. And I have not, he refused to show them to me and I had no desire to see them. But when I mentioned the pictures to her, it was almost as if I had lit up her eyes." A white wine was brought to the table, which he partook for a moment. "She really wants to see them. She really wants to use them to embarrass you. And these....these are not the actions of a woman whom actually cares about your husband. I believe these are the actions of a woman playing a part in a much bigger game."

"That conniving little bitch!" Kitty hissed the words, knowing that shrieking in outrage in a place like this was not quite appropriate behavior for a sane woman, let alone one that was still married to one of the most successful businessmen in the world. "I bet she'd love that, too. Flashing my picture around, showing me at my lowest point when she's the one who caused all this heartache in the first place. Is she seriously insane? Does she have any idea what a stunt like that would do to..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "You're right. She has to know that something like that would destroy Alex. Public scandal and humiliation? It would be a thousand times worse than when the world thought I was trying to make a baby with Larry."

One hand went to her forehead as if warding off a headache. "So, she knows they're out there now. Why did you have to tell her, Jacob? You know she won't rest until she's gotten her way."

"I told her to see if I was right. Until that point, I was unsure if my brother was right. He told me to reveal it to her, and to watch her reactions. I am nothing if not keenly observant, Kaitlynn. And judging by what I saw, I believe he was right. He won't give them to her. I cannot say the same for Gambini. But if they are trying to hide this collusion, she'd have to get them from somewhere else. Because if she produced them without Alex showing them to her, it would prove the suspicions right. And as we speak, she is en route to Fort Lauderdale to see Christian Kincaid." Jacob's hand had curled into a bit of a fist as he spoke, none of this setting well with him. It was hard to tell if the deception was bothering him, or the fact that he had been fooled. His ego was nearly as healthy as his brother's. If not moreso.

"No..." she sighed, "she's going to Florida? What the hell? What's she going to do... beat the truth out of Christian?" She fell silent, wondering if Kincaid would stab her in the back like that. Would he tell Jenny everything? Would he show her the text messages they'd exchanged, making plans for clandestine meetings? The man had been like her best friend for more than a few months, but now she wasn't sure if he could be trusted. "I should call him. I should warn him or something..." halting her rambling, she put a hand over her mouth, "but then that would just make me look guiltier, wouldn't it? Phone records can be traced, hacked..."

"That is very true. You know this man better than I do. If you feel that he would admit or have any evidence that he would use against you, then there are options we can pursue of a bit more....secretive nature to stop him. The fact is, Kaitlynn, I have been on the wrong side of this issue, I see that now. I do not condone what took place, but I'll be damned if Anthony Gambini embarrasses this family. Not again." His tone was very adamant, the anger clear in his voice as he spoke. "I can arrange for some very....impressive gentlemen to visit Mr. Kincaid, and give him reason not to share anything if you feel that is possible."

Her eyes widened, "Jacob, I don't know, I honestly have no idea if Christian would do something like that. We ended things right around the time that he got all hot and heavy with Kelly... I assume he's in love with her, and I can't see this sort of bullshit being too good for that relationship." Her eyes shone with tears that she was too proud to let fall. "I don't know what to do. The more this spirals out of my control, the more I just want to run away from it all. We both know I can't do that. I won't do that... but I can't help but feel it."

"Then I suggest you go pay Mr. Kincaid a visit as well, Kaitlynn. Only you can read his reactions and see how genuine he is. If he looks to be so, then we have nothing to worry about. If not, then we can and will take a bit more drastic action." The tone hung on the last two words, and it was clearly obvious what he meant by that.

She nodded, "Jacob, can I ask you something... more personal?" Her voice dropped to a lower register as she leaned forward slightly, "when you talked to Alex about this... what did he say about me? Is he still hurting? Does he still hate me?"

"I'm not entirely sure. He didn't respond in detail when we came to discussions of you. He was far too disappointed to feel he had been misled by Jennifer on top of what has happened. To be fair, right now I'm not entirely sure he trusts either of you to any great extent." He glanced up to see his order being brought, and placed before him before the waiter excused himself. "I guess if there is a silver lining in all of this, Kaitlynn, it's that he is most certainly not going back to her. Though I can not say with any certainty he will with you either. That is up to you and him."

She tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling in an effort to not break down crying in front of this man that until a few minutes ago, she'd hated nearly as much as she'd loathed Jennifer. "When he confronted me with the pictures, he said he still loved me... I guess I just wanted to know if that still held true." She said the words in a small voice before forcing a smile and a brighter tone. "I suppose I owe you an apology as well, for hating you simply because I believed you and Jennifer were in collusion on this little scheme. You did keep popping up at the most inopportune times."

"In all fairness, we were in collusion until the point it began to become suspicious for me as to her true motives. I assure you we are not working together any longer, though she is not aware of that particular aspect just yet." He responded before taking his fork, and poking a piece of the veal off the plate and into his mouth.

"I appreciate your candor more than anything else, Jacob. I'll forgive you on one condition," her lips quirked in a smile that bordered on sadistic. "Help me bring that evil bitch to her knees."

"Oh, Kaitlynn..." Jacob smiled to his sister-in-law. "Believe me when I tell you… nothing would give me greater pleasure."