by C. M. Steele
“Hey, Princess.”
“Roman, you’ve landed?”
“Yes, I’m about to meet my driver. How are you feeling? I hope I didn’t hurt you last night.”
“No. I’m okay. A little tender, but I suppose that’s a given considering your size and my inexperience.”
“Thanks for the compliment. I have to go, but I’ll call you when I can.”
“Take care. I hope everything turns out well.”
“Me too.” I end the call and answer the other line. “What’s the damage?”
“One whole floor was damaged from the sprinklers and the firefighters.”
“I’m on my way now. I’ve just gotten in the car. I’m about an hour out, given traffic.”
“Okay. I’ll let them know you’re coming.”
“No. Don’t say anything. I want to see if we catch anyone by surprise. If they believe it’s arson, that means I have a traitor among my employees.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“I don’t know if you care, but you’ve received your annual invitation to your favorite charity. Are you interested in attending?”
“Yes, and I’ll have a date,” I state proudly. I wonder if Amelia will be happy to attend with me or if it’ll bring up bad memories of the orphanage, if she has any.
“Yay. That’s very good news,” Inga cheers.
“Good. I’ll be there soon.” I end the call and then shoot a text to my guard on Amelia, asking for an update. If this is arson, I can’t risk something happening to her. Stay close, but you don’t speak to her or touch her.
I feel no relief in my request. She doesn’t have me there to be her personal bodyguard. There are too many dangers worse than the guy trying to steal her from me. Although I don’t trust he’ll try to get close to Amelia, I have to trust that she won’t let him in.
The second I pull up to the building, I say to my driver, “Leave my suitcase in the trunk. I don’t know how bad the damage is.”
As soon as I enter the building, the press and the police are on me.
“Mr. Edwards, Mr. Edwards! Can we get a comment on where you’ve been? How did you learn about the fire? Do you know how it started?”
“Holy shit, why are you all still here? I’m tired and not happy, so I have no comment because I have no idea what happened. The only thing I have to say is to the police. Excuse me.”
“Hello, I’m Detective Walters. This is Fire Chief Randall Miller. Can we have a word with you?”
“Of course.” We move to the security office. “First, how bad is the damage? Are we still structurally sound?”
“Completely. The firewalls are well insulated and the fire was contained.”
“Thank you for that. My assistant said someone was hurt—do you know who or how?”
“Yes. It was one of the guards, but he’s under police observation.”
“Shouldn’t that be medical observation?”
“Yes, and no. He suffered from the blast because he’s the one who started it.”
“What the hell? I knew it had to be someone who worked for me, but I’m not sure why?”
“We don’t know either. Do you have enemies?”
“Who doesn’t have enemies when you buy failing companies? But, I can’t think of anyone who would do this. Where was the fire?”
“In your penthouse and on the fifth floor.”
“What the fuck? I was told it was only on the fifth floor.”
“Most of the damage was on the fifth floor.”
“Son of a bitch. Please tell me my housekeeper wasn’t in there.”
“No. She called the police when she got a notification that the alarm had been set off. She said that since you were out of town, there should have been no one there.”
“Thank goodness. What the hell.” I spear my fingers through my hair. “This is unbelievable.” A sickening feeling hits me. Anna. But why?
Chapter Ten
Amelia
“Mom, I promise I’ll be okay,” I say, pulling her into a hug. I’m leaving tomorrow, and we’re going through my things that I need to take. The plane arrives tonight for rest and refueling. Roman demanded that his pilot get a good night’s rest because he’d be carrying precious cargo in the morning.
“I’m going to miss you,” my mother sobs. It gets me emotional too, but there’s not much I can do about it. We knew this day would come, and in the last week, we made the most of it. I’m going to New York to study Art History. There are plenty of places closer, but this one has everything and a large scholarship.
“We can talk or video chat once a day.”
My phone rings with my favorite ringtone because I know it’s my guy calling. “Good afternoon, Roman.”
“Hello, Princess. I miss you.” I love how sweet he can be. It shows a side of him that I crave.
“I miss you too. How’s your day?”
“I’m busy, but time has never gone by so slowly before.”
“Are you booked with meetings?”
“Yes. Unfortunately. I’ll be in New Jersey tomorrow, but I promise to be ready for us to go to lunch on Thursday.”
A sigh escapes my lips. I want more than lunch. I want him to sweep me off my feet in the middle of the night when he gets back into town. “Amelia, is something wrong?”
“No. Why?”
“You sighed.” Shit, he heard me.
“I just hoped you wanted to see me sooner. Never mind. I sound needy as hell.”
“I want to hold you in my arms right now. I’m just as needy. There’s just so much bullshit from the fire and I’m doing my best to get everything together. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want you to worry, but they didn’t just start a fire in one of my company office spaces, but also in my apartment. It’s being repaired as we speak, but I want to make it safe before I take you there.”
“Oh my goodness. You should have told me. I can’t believe someone’s after you. No wonder you have a guard.”
“More than one, Princess. I can’t let anything happen to you. I’m not going to be back in town until late, and there’s a strict rule for the dorms. I know because I looked it up, but I promise to call often. I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you tonight.”
“So what’s going on?” my mother asks, folding my clothes to keep herself busy.
“Someone’s after him.”
“I know. Your father told me that there’s security outside the house and will also be meeting you at the airport for protection.”
“I wish it wasn’t that way. I don’t know who’s after him, but I get it. He’s rich, and he’s a jerk for the most part.”
“I know Roman will make sure you’re safe, but please don’t talk to strangers.”
“I’m not. Really. I am moving into my dorm and then meeting with Roman the next morning.”
“Why not sooner?”
“He has a meeting in New Jersey and from his conversation, his apartment needs work, so he’s probably at a hotel.” A sick feeling in me is making me wonder if he’s staying with his former mistress. He told me that there’s only me. Maybe he got rid of her after things got serious.
I know that if Roman’s a changed man, then he wouldn’t do that to her. My phone rings as soon as I’m finished packing. It’s Roman again. “Hey, handsome.”
“Amelia, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Yes. Why?”
“You were upset before.”
“I’m fine, Roman. My mom and I are packing, so it’s been a little busy around here.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, I better get back into the meeting. I really can’t wait to see you.”
“Me either.” I end the call and smile. Yep, he’s not keeping his mistress. I go back to getting ready to leave, feeling great.
Chapter Eleven
Roman
I’m in the middle of the New Jersey Turnpike itching to get back to New York so I can see Amelia.
After their constant flipping and flopping on the asking price, I left the table. My life isn’t only about making money. It’s about that pretty woman who lives in my head and heart.
My phone rings, and it’s the woman herself. I answer it as my driver pulls up the partition.
“How’s it going, beautiful?”
“It’s going good. I’ve just unpacked everything in my dorm room.”
“Well, you shouldn’t have done that. It’s a lot of work.” I haven’t asked her to move in with me just yet. As soon as the place is cleared to go into and completely repaired, we will be living together. She can keep the stupid dorm because that’s what the school requires, but she’ll be living with me.
“I know, but I need something to do to keep busy.”
“What are you doing for dinner? I don’t want you to be hungry.”
“I’m going out for some New York pizza to see if it lives up to the hype.”
“I still prefer Chicago pizza.”
“What are you doing about dinner?”
“I don’t know. I’m still in New Jersey and won’t be back until midnight, so I’ll just have my driver stop through a drive-thru or something.”
“Okay. Well, my mom’s calling me.”
“Okay. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“Me too.” She ends the call, and I’m fucking curious what that is all about. Does she have second thoughts about us?
The drive and the lousy food I picked up put me in a sour mood for the rest of the night. I didn’t hear from Amelia again, which worried me, but her security said she went into her dorm and has stayed there.
****
I wake up early, having slept on my sofa. The fucker who set fire to my place chose my bedroom. If I had any exes, I’d know who was involved, but since I don’t have any, I’m not sure what his motives were. Unfortunately, he’s still in intensive care so we can’t even ask the bastard.
Getting dressed, I send Amelia a text because I know she’s probably still sleeping. On my way to the office. I’ll be there to pick you up at noon.
She doesn’t respond, so I go into my office and get my day started as soon as humanly possible. I’ve already told Inga that I’ll be leaving early. It’s nine in the morning and I haven’t received a text back from Amelia, which concerns me so I call her, and it goes to voicemail. I leave a message and wonder if she’s mad at me.
Checking in with her security next, he says, “She’s in the bookstore, picking up her textbooks and stuff. She’s talking to some guy inside there, but I can’t see his face.”
“Okay,” I reply, even though inside I’m seething. It could be nothing. A stranger talking to her while in line. He could be a worker helping her find what she’s looking for. Nothing to be alarmed about. Still, that doesn’t mean she can’t answer her fucking phone or at least text back.
“Keep an eye on her.”
“Yes, Mr. Edwards.”
Suddenly, Inga knocks on my office door. “There’s a woman here looking for you.”
I jump up and rush to the lobby, thinking it’s Amelia to surprise me, but then I see it’s Anna.
“What the hell are you doing on my property?”
“I came here to meet with another client, but you’ve made a serious mistake. I’ve met that woman Theodore married and her slutty daughter. I thought you might want this before you fall into a trap.” I take the image, and it’s the three of them at a party. There’s no mistaking each woman, my woman, smiling at my mother. I stare at it, a tiny doubt starting to form, but then I remember that this woman spent her life lying to me, trying to manipulate me, and could be evil.
“I’m supposed to believe this is real?”
“Yes. It’s a real picture.” I look it over and I notice a slight difference in the flooring. “Inga, call security. I want this woman escorted off my property.”
I turned back to my mother. “Next time you try to Photoshop yourself into a picture, make sure the floor matches the rest.” She grabs the picture and scans it, looking for the error.
“I paid good…” She stops herself. “I mean…who do you think told them where Theodore would be?”
“So you set them up?”
“Of course. I’ll never be satisfied until he pays for ruining my life with my one true love.”
“Thank you, Inga.” Anna turns around to see my security coming toward her.
“I’m leaving, but this isn’t over.” She huffs, pulling her arms from the guards as she stomps toward the elevator.
“I’m leaving now. I have to find Amelia. I don’t trust that woman.”
“Okay, sir.”
I call her guard, but he doesn’t answer. I try her phone, but it goes to voicemail again. Fucking hell, I’m starting to panic when he calls me back. “Sorry. I have tabs on her—she’s walking back to her dorm right now.”
“She hasn’t answered her phone.”
“According to the tracker on it, she must have left it in her room.”
“Oh that makes sense. A little careless, but it makes sense.”
“Well, I’m keeping an eye on her.”
“Yes. She knows she has protection around her at all times even if she doesn’t see you. Keep me updated.” I hang up and my mind goes to Anna, who just enjoys making my life hell, but I didn’t fall for her ruse. I lied about the mismatched flooring. I can’t tell the difference between shades of light colors. This is a breakthrough. Immediately, I call my therapist.
“Hello, Roman. Do you need a special session today?”
“No, but what I wanted to say is… I had a breakthrough.”
“Yes? Tell me about it.”
“Anna showed up at my office today. Tried to insinuate that she sent Amelia and her mother into our lives with the intent of getting back at my father. I still don’t understand her motives. She’s bat-shit crazy for sure, but I digress. I told her that she’s a liar and I don’t believe her lies.”
“That’s good. Do you truly believe she’s lying to you?” he questions.
That’s one thing I’m sure of. “Oh, hell, yeah. After I tricked her into slipping up.”
“Very good. You’re making great progress. I still expect to see you at our regularly scheduled time, understand? This is progress, but it’s not over with yet.” I feel that gentle scolding. I’ve got a long way to go to make myself the best man for Amelia. She’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I refuse to find myself jumping back into the bad habit of mistrust, so I’ll do whatever I have to do.
“Yes. Of course.” I end the call feeling a lot lighter. My phone rings, and it’s my security team. Suddenly the world just crumbles around me.
Chapter Twelve
Amelia
This morning has been total shit. All I want to do is go see Roman, but first I messed up and read on my phone until I passed out. I remembered to plug it in at two in the morning when I woke up to pee, but my sleepy self didn’t check to see that it was actually charging. No, instead I wake up to a dead battery and a cord that’s not even plugged into the wall.
Making a mad dash out of the dorm, I head out to get my textbooks, forgetting that I left my phone on the charger. By the time I realize it, I'm about five blocks away and I'm not turning back. I only have this one stop and then I can go back and shower to see Roman. God, I miss him like a silly teenage girl. I wonder if he's already called today. I suppose I'll have to make it up to him later.
I enter the bookstore and it's slightly busy. Since I don't have my phone, I have to use their system to get a list of my textbooks. Twenty minutes later, with the help of the guy who works there, I have all my books. The shit is heavy. My back is going to be killing me by the end of the semester for sure. I groan as I plop them on the counter to pay. I'm almost out of the place when I see a familiar face—one I have no interest in seeing again.
"Amelia, I forgot you'd be here. I thought you'd be locked up in your stepbrother's ivory tower."
"Jake,
I'm sorry that he offends you, but I know there's nothing between you and me. There never was. I'm sorry. I wish you the best." I go to leave, and he grips my wrist. "Jake. Let go."
"Just remember that when he tosses you to the curb for the next flavor of the month, I won't be there."
"Okay. Now let go of my arm before I bite you."
"Feisty," he growls, letting go at the same time. I take my purchases and head out of the store. I get this sleazy feeling. Damn it, what is with Jake? He seemed like a pretty good guy when we first met, and then Roman showed up and Jake gives me a dangerous vibe like I should walk on the other side of the street armed to the gills.
I trudge my things in my bags and I wonder where my shadow is. That guy usually follows me everywhere. He needs to get better at his job because I’ve known he’s been with me since before Roman left Madison. It’s funny because I thought he was there to guard Roman, but he’s been there for me. Roman told me it’s for my safety, given the current climate surrounding his life, but there’s a tiny bit of curiosity that maybe he’s there because Roman doesn’t trust me.
I should find that shit and make him carry my heavy books, but I don’t. Now, I’m really regretting Roman’s offer to give me a personal driver. The books are in these reusable college bookstore logo bags with wide enough straps to fit my arms through, so I keep one on each side and march on toward my campus housing.
I’m almost to the last stretch before the entrance when a woman approaches, stopping directly in my path. I freeze because her face is familiar to me. Her smile is similar to Roman’s, but there’s something scary about it. How did she find me? Why is she looking for me? I think back immediately to the fire at Roman’s office. This all can’t be a coincidence.
"What do you want?"
"So you know who I am?"
"Yes, I was shown your picture as a precaution. Like I said—what do you want?"
"I wanted to let you know that my son believes you and I have met before."