Page 26 of Born Reckless
There are what seems a hundred buttons for a hundred floors inside, though they actually only go up to sixty-one. But Elana doesn’t press any of them. She nods her head for me to swipe my badge again. I do. Nothing lights up, but the elevator rises anyway.
“There are only the two penthouses on the top floor,” Elena explains. “Mine and Mason’s. So, I hope you enjoy privacy.”
The elevator slows and dings as it opens.
And my jaw nearly drops.
A hallway opens before us. The ceilings on this floor are just as tall as in the lobby. It’s painted black, and complicated gold chandeliers hang from it. Concrete floors stretch out before us, and dead-end in floor-to-ceiling glass.
“What do you think?” Elena asks as we walk to the glass, and I take in the view.
It feels like I can see all of Chicago here. There are so many skyscrapers, so many lights. And I can see the water of Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.
It’s… breathtaking.
“It’s nice,” I say, keeping my tone even, all while suppressing a smile.
“Jerk,” Elena laughs as she shoves my shoulder. “Come on. All your new stuff should have already been delivered.”
There are only two doors visible from here, one on either side of the hallway. Elena aims for the one on the left side.
“Alright, I’ll see you at my office tomorrow,” Mason says and finally hangs up his phone. There’s a coy smile on his lips as he walks up, one hand still in his pocket. His eyes slide from me, to Elena, and back to me. “Welcome home.”
He doesn’t take out any keys. He doesn’t swipe any security cards. He places his hand on the door lever and pushes it open.
Decadent. That’s the only word I have to describe this place.
Everything is black and gold and white.
An incredible view lies straight on from the door. I can see for miles, over the city, out over the massive lake. Windows stretch from the floor to the ceiling throughout the entire penthouse.
I step forward, hesitantly following Mason as he walks into his home.
The floors are black marble. There’s a living room with black couches, and the space is large enough it could entertain dozens of people. I find a kitchen to the side of it, with black cabinets and gold fixtures. Any chef would kill to cook in that kitchen. Beyond that is a dining room with a massive table with seats for fourteen people.
Just the living area of this penthouse could fit sixteen versions of my last apartment in it.
“I had the place renovated two years ago,” Elena says as she walks forward, and from the look on her face, I can tell she’s proud of herself. “What do you think?”
I blink as I look around. It’s overload. I literally can’t comprehend this much wealth.
The mirrors, the paintings on the walls, the rugs, the furniture. It’s all just so… gawdy.
I guess when your name is Godfrey, you have to live up to the name.
“It’s…” I shake my head. For once, I don’t have anything to say. I’m too shocked.
“It’s ridiculous,” Mason says as he walks in and goes to the kitchen. He opens the massive fridge and takes out a bottle of some kind of juice that looks stupidly healthy. “But, it’s been in the family since our grandfather created the company.”
“Which was…?” I ask.
“Just after the Chicago fire,” Elena answers. “He saw an opportunity in cheap real estate. Made a fortune before he got stabbed at a poker game. Resurrected four days later, and became a legend, the boogeyman, because there were dozens of witnesses who saw him die. Things just skyrocketed after he found out his father wasn’t actually his father.”
I shake my head and barely resist rolling my eyes.
This is starting to sound like a pattern. Vampire men.
“Your room’s this way,” Mason says, nodding his head down the hall.