#thegroupethos

thegroup-ethos

"Wh——" Harrison tilted his head at Cat, not sure if she was serious or just pulling his leg. She had to be joking——right? "What do you mean exiled?”

They had been talking about their pasts a little.  Themselves.  It was a topic that was foreign to Catriona in a way, because she had always had a rocky relationship with her father.  Always.  She didn't agree with her father's principles, even to the point of rebelling against them.

She had made her bargain with the devil.  The very man that had once been her best friend.  It was her last ditch effort to get herself safely out of Paris and away from an organization that had fallen into things that she could no longer support.  On paper, Lilianne was still tied to the Patron Minette, but she could safely travel to the States to work there.  She would still have to report into Montparnasse, and in reality, she was still second in command.  This got her a bit of freedom, loosening the noose that she had put around her own neck when she was a teenager.

Setting up in New York was easy, and the city reminded her of all the things she had once loved about Paris.  It took her a few years to get herself settled – to get her foot into the game.  As she did in Paris, her cover was still that of a painting restoration artist.  It put her in touch with clients when it came to shipping paintings in and out of the country, as well as many other expensive secrets.  To that world, she was Lilianne Joubert.  To the other side of her life, she maintained the nickname LJ – a name that very few ever learned truly belonged to a woman.

There had been a man from Detroit wanting to move things through New York.  He had contacted LJ’s assistant for a meeting.  LJ was curious, because usually, she did not have out of town clients request a meeting with her.  This wasn’t just a client, thought.  She did her research, which only fueled her curiosity.  Arranging the meeting at one of her secure lofts within the city limits, LJ waited and wondered just what the man might want.

The night of the meeting, she slipped into one of her tailored business suits.  This one had a pencil skirt, instead of her typical pants.  Stockings, heels, and all of the trimmings of a well put together woman adorned her.  LJ’s blonde hair was twisted into a bun, with tendrils of curls hanging from it – all secured with a ornate silver hair stick.  Dinner had been ordered, and it was already sitting on the table.  She believed in never just discussing business.  It was too cold and impersonal.

Hearing the knock on the door, she opened it with a smile.  “May I have your name?”  Her voice was sweet and calm, fully knowing the man’s name already.  “LJ will be right with you.  Would you please have a seat at the table?”  She stepped back, motioning him towards the dining room.  Soon, she would get the fun of letting him know just who she was.