The Developer and the Diva (Vintage Love Book 4)

by Alexia Adams

  The van came to a screeching halt, the back end sliding from side to side. She braced for impact and sent up a quick prayer that they didn’t go over the edge of a mountain cliff. The loud whump-whump of a helicopter sounded nearby, and the vehicle rocked slightly from side to side with the downforce.

  “See, I told you help was on the way,” Paul said, way too calmly for the situation. “Lie flat. I’ll cover you if there’s gunfire.”

  She complied. Her breathing was erratic, and her heartbeat was too loud in her ears to hear anything. Was there shooting? Oddly, the silence was worse. At least in movies you had scary music to warn you.

  The quiet went on too long. Even Paul, who lay almost on top of her, seemed tense.

  Suddenly, the rear doors of the van were flung open. The blackness became slightly less oppressive. Was she being rescued? Or transferred to another vehicle?

  Paul shifted off her. “Salut, Capitaine. I kept the subject safe, as promised.”

  “You were to prevent her from being taken, not go along for the ride.” She recognized the voice of Pierre, Vivi’s father. He’d come up to the house soon after Vivi had returned from France. “But good job activating your tracker device. We were able to follow you with ease.”

  Gentle hands helped her into a sitting position and carefully removed the fabric bag from her head. A large body dressed all in black blocked the bright light now flooding the back of the van. Was it daytime already?

  “Is she okay?” Eduardo’s worried question came from somewhere behind the man.

  “Looks fine to me,” Vivi’s father called out, although he never turned from examining her. “There’s no other way to do this. Sorry, it’s going to hurt,” he said. He peeled away one edge of the tape covering her mouth, then pulled it off quickly.

  She could probably cancel her facial waxing appointments for the next ten years.

  “Let me in.” It was Eduardo again.

  “Hold.” The command in Pierre’s voice halted even her breathing. “I need to make sure she’s not wired with an explosive.”

  A nervous giggle escaped her. “Please do. I prefer dramatic entrances over exits.”

  Her body began to shake as adrenaline eked out of her system. For a day that had started with such promise in Eduardo’s arms, it certainly had ended on a bum note.

  Pierre patted her down. “Feel anything odd?” he asked.

  She shook her head. Speech was impossible.

  “Then I think you’re good to go.” He helped her to her feet, and she awkwardly made her way to the back of the van. The brightness she’d assumed was sunshine was a huge spotlight on the back of the Jeep parked across the mountain path. There was a pink tinge in the eastern sky, however, so dawn wasn’t far away.

  Six men in full Kevlar, with assault weapons at the ready, stood guard. Two other men dressed in black, their hands and ankles bound, sat on the ground with guns pointed at them. Her kidnappers, she assumed. But she didn’t recognize them. At least it wasn’t her mother and stepfather.

  Before she’d crossed the bumper, Eduardo had her in his arms, striding towards the helicopter blocking the road ahead. His grip was hard on her thighs, the muscles against her body tense.

  She opened her mouth, but the fierce look on his face froze the words on her tongue. If he blamed her for this, she was going to beg a ride back to Mendoza with Pierre.

  The helicopter rotors were whirling again before the door was even closed behind them, and they lifted off the second her seat belt was latched. A set of headphones was placed over her ears and a bottle of water put in her hands. She turned towards her benefactor. “Wow, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

  Vivi had a huge smile on her face. “I insisted on coming,” she said. “I figured you’d want to see a friendly face, since all Eduardo has done the past twelve hours is scowl and bark at everyone.” She leaned forward to check out the man who sat rigidly on Anna’s other side. He did indeed still have a scowl on his face, his fists clenched either side of his thighs. Vivi’s light laugh only tightened his lips. “Tiago is back at the villa having his own personal meltdown. I had to promise to stay in the helicopter or he threatened to lock me in my room until I’m sixty. Maya wanted to come as well. Jacques almost passed out when she suggested it. But she figured that her baby belly would get in the way of a good takedown.”

  Anna smiled, imagining the scene. “Weren’t you afraid of triggering your PTSD?” Vivi had risked so much to come to her rescue.

  “I’ve discovered that if children aren’t involved, I’m fine.” She inclined her head towards Eduardo. “I can’t say the same about him. It was my job to secure him if things went sideways when we found you.” There was a look in her eye that said the woman had skills beyond a few self-defense classes. And considering her father had been an elite army commando, she probably could keep Eduardo from doing something stupid. Gracias a Dios, it hadn’t come to that.

  He still sat like a statue beside her, his hands curled into fists. The only words he’d spoken were the six asking to see her in the van. He stared straight ahead, although the muscle pulsing in his jaw proved he still breathed.

  “Any idea who took me?” Anna asked Vivi.

  “Not yet. But my father will get the info out of the two back there. He’s very good at that sort of thing. Even though he wasn’t around much when I was a teen, I still never got anything past him.”

  Anna did not need details of how Pierre intended to extract the information. Her tremors became earthquakes, and Vivi pulled a blanket off the seat opposite and placed it around Anna’s shoulders.

  Eduardo snapped out of his trance at the movement and wrapped an arm around her, cradling her against his chest. The rhythmic beat of his heart beneath her ear, and whatever drugs were still circulating in her system, put her asleep before five minutes passed.

  ***

  Eduardo struggled to pull in a deep breath. Tension still held him in its merciless grip. Dios. He’d come so close to losing her today. But what about tomorrow? Even if they’d finally caught the bastards who were targeting Anna, she still wouldn’t stay. He’d heard her end of the telephone conversation with her assistant. Anna’s life was back in LA. And it wouldn’t wait much longer.

  Meanwhile, he had three projects under construction, the community center demolition to get back on track, and a pitch to prepare for a new development in Montevideo. He’d be lucky to find five minutes to eat. There’d be no time to fly to LA for a booty call.

  Anna stirred in his arms as the helicopter touched down in front of the mansion. As soon as the rotors slowed a little, the front door of the house flew open. Tiago raced to the chopper, wrenched open the door, and pulled his wife into his arms.

  “I’ve decided. I am going to tie you to the bed,” he said.

  “Sounds like fun,” Vivi replied with a laugh. She stopped whatever else Tiago was about to say with a lingering kiss on his lips.

  Eduardo looked away. He’d seen his friend teeter on the edge of sanity when Vivi had been kidnapped. But at least he’d known that when he got his wife back, they’d be together. Anna may have been found safe, but there wasn’t a happily-ever-after on their horizon. He ground his molars together to stop the shout that threatened to escape.

  He sat Anna upright, slipped from the helicopter, and lifted her into his arms to carry her into the house. She was so tiny, delicate. This could have had an entirely different ending.

  “I can walk,” she mumbled half-heartedly into his neck.

  “Probably. But I don’t seem to be able to let you go.”

  “Fair enough. Take me to your bed, Eduardo. I want to wake one more day in your arms.” His heart thudded heavily in his chest. He wanted more than a day.

  Jacques waited inside the foyer, his normally immaculate hair tousled. “Everything go okay?” he asked, concern in his voice.

  Eduardo nodded, still not able to speak of the abduction without wanting to smash his fist through a wall. “As well
as expected. Pierre is handling the cleanup.”

  “Perfect. I’m glad to see you’re safe, Anna. The doctor is in the sitting room, ready to check you out. I’ll go tell Maya. She wanted to wait here as well, but her ankles are swollen…” Jacques took the stairs two at a time.

  “I don’t need the doctor,” Anna said as Eduardo headed towards the sitting room.

  “Humor me, okay?”

  The doctor was efficient in his examination. He drew a vial of blood so he could verify what she’d been drugged with. But as she was responsive and knew the date, her location, and Eduardo’s middle name—Andres—the doctor figured she’d be fine following a good rest.

  “Will you stay?” she asked after Eduardo laid her gently on his bed and began removing her shoes. His hands shook as he slid the dress from her body. Was this the last time he’d do that?

  “I need to speak with Pierre when he returns.” Even more important, he had to keep his focus on reality. Find who did this, crush them beyond recognition, and then let the woman he loved leave again.

  Good times.

  “Please.” The plea he could never resist.

  “I’ll stay until you fall asleep. I have things to do.”

  “I’d like to be one of them.” Her hands slid under his shirt as he lay next to her. Although her fingers were cold, they sent sparks racing across his skin.

  “Anna—”

  Whatever protest his brain was formulating died a sudden, swift death as her lips settled on his. She straddled him, her thighs spread wide as she lowered herself to rub against his growing erection. He’d left her underwear on in a vain attempt to either preserve her modesty or prevent himself having an aneurysm—his actual motivation was a vague thing. Now it just seemed stupid.

  As if reading his thoughts, she reached behind her, unclipped her bra, and tossed it across the room. The hell of the past twelve hours was put aside as he glimpsed heaven.

  He let her take the lead and set the pace, although it nearly killed him. She continued to grind her pelvis against his as she unbuttoned his shirt and kissed his chest as each inch of skin was revealed. He held onto her breasts, massaging them and plucking at her nipples, but she stayed too far away to allow him to feast on them with his mouth. By the time she had his shirt undone, he was panting beneath her.

  His jeans were her next target. He tried desperately to recall rugby rules as she slid the zipper down with torturous slowness. For a woman who’d been a virgin thirty-six hours ago, she’d quickly learned how to drive him wild. He dutifully lifted his hips so she could shimmy off his pants and boxers. However, when he tried to flip her onto her back, she was having none of it.

  Time ceased to exist as she explored his body with her hands and lips. There was something urgent he needed to do, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what.

  When eventually she slid down onto his rigid length, encasing him in her wet heat, he pulled her head down to his. “Dios, Anna. When I thought I’d never see you alive again…”

  She put a finger over his lips. “I’m here. I’m safe.”

  He was going to have to learn to take what he could and be content with that. It went against his very nature. He’d always worked hard to get more. With Anna, that didn’t seem to be an option.

  She moved on him, and he relegated worries about tomorrow until then. Her gaze locked on his, their fingers entwined, and in a rare occurrence of synchronicity, they climaxed together. As they drifted back to earth, she flopped onto his chest and within a minute was fast asleep.

  Eduardo joined Tiago in his home office twenty minutes later.

  “I didn’t expect to see you until at least late afternoon,” Tiago said.

  “Anna’s sleeping,” he replied, knowing that would be enough of an explanation for his friend. “Has Pierre returned yet?”

  “No, but he called. The thugs apprehended were hired by Theo Carsdale. That name mean anything to you?” As he asked, he poured Eduardo a mug of steaming coffee from a carafe on the sideboard.

  Eduardo accepted the hot beverage with thanks. Having been awake all night worrying about Anna and then the 5:00 a.m. rescue mission, he was running on fumes of adrenaline.

  “No. But according to Jacques’s source, Anna’s mother is involved in some shady business. It could be someone connected with that.”

  “Does that mean her mother is behind this?” Tiago refreshed his own coffee and sat back behind the desk.

  “I hope not. Anna may not have the best relationship with her parent, but she’s the only family she has.”

  “She has you.”

  He sipped the coffee, trying to get his brain and his heart to work in tandem. “I’m just a temporary stopover on her world tour. If her security issues are resolved, she’ll be returning to LA by the end of the week.”

  “Is that what you want?”

  “No, dammit. But you saw the way Vivi reacted when Anna sang. The world needs her songs.”

  “And you need her.”

  “Probably. But I’ve lived without her before. I’ll do so again.”

  Tiago opened his mouth then shut it again.

  Change of subject required. “Did you have the Skype meeting with the woman from the community center protest group?” Eduardo asked.

  “Yes, and it went very well. She’s excited for the opportunities for the area’s youth and has a lead on a suitable location. If we can get something to her in writing stating our commitment to sponsor the programs, she’ll present it to the other members of her group. Providing all goes well, they’ll endorse our planning application and we could be breaking ground as soon as next month.”

  “Excellent,” Eduardo said.

  That would coincide nicely with his upcoming personal breakdown.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Anna woke alone. The sheets next to her were cold. The curtains were drawn over the day. A couple of towels and a change of clothes lay waiting on the chair by the dresser. But there was no sign of the man who’d taken her heart. There’d be no rescue from that captivity.

  Her holiday from regret was over.

  Her head was still a little fuzzy, but the heaviness had gone from her muscles. A shower helped, although she spent most of the time under the water reliving her time there with Eduardo. Was this how it would be from now on—every little thing a reminder of him?

  Not ready to face anyone just yet, she went to her bedroom. The myriad emotions clogging her brain function needed an outlet. She picked up her guitar and hit record on her phone in case she produced anything worth saving.

  After an hour and a mishmash of melodies, she paused. Her legs were numb from sitting cross-legged, and she needed to stretch. A soft rap on the door halted her sun salutation.

  “Yes?” she called out.

  Vivi’s head popped around the door. “Sorry to disturb, but we heard you singing, so I knew you were awake. Are you finished, or would you like more time alone?” Maya waved to Anna from behind Vivi.

  She wasn’t feeling up to the children’s rambunctiousness just yet, but a few minutes with the two women who had so readily befriended her would be welcome.

  “Come in.” She gestured Maya towards the chair she’d just vacated. The woman waddled even more than she had the day before, and she was as barefoot as Vivi.

  “The babies have shifted,” Maya said. “Everything is fine, but we’re going home this evening. I wanted to say goodbye before we left.”

  “I’m going to miss you all, but especially little Max.”

  Maya smiled. “He’s one of a kind. Will you visit us in France? You’re always welcome.”

  “When I’m next in Europe, I’ll be sure to call.” Anna attempted a smile; it appeared to work.

  “You’re going to keep touring, then?” Vivi asked, perched on the end of the bed. Now dressed in a bright yellow sundress, she seemed the antithesis of the black-clad, kickass ninja who had flown in on a helicopter to support Anna’s rescue.

  “What
else can I do? I’m Angel.”

  Maya’s eyes narrowed. “Angel should be part of who you are, not your whole existence.”

  A short laugh escaped. “You sound like Eduardo.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment. I know we’ve just met,” Maya continued, “but I speak from experience when I say that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself. If Angel isn’t making you happy anymore, then become someone else. Anna seems pretty cool.”

  Anna’s smile wavered. “I can’t just walk away.”

  “No, I guess you can’t. But remember to choose happiness. And sometimes that comes from saying no.”

  “Or saying yes to the right man,” Vivi added.

  Anna slumped onto the bed next to Vivi. “And if the right man hasn’t asked the right question?”

  Maya reached over and took Anna’s hand in hers. “He won’t ask you to give up your world for him. That decision has to come from you. Besides, the ‘men have to ask’ rule got overturned years ago. If you want him in your life, make the first move. Ask him where he’d feel comfortable.”

  “Oh, come on, Maya,” Vivi said. “You ask any man that question and the answer is going to be ‘balls deep inside you.’”

  All three of them laughed. She was going to miss this girl time almost as much as she’d miss Eduardo. “He hasn’t told me he loves me,” Anna said.

  “He does,” Vivi replied. “You should have seen him yesterday when you disappeared. He was frantic.”

  “But I told him I loved him. He never said it back.”

  Maya gave her hand a squeeze. “Jacques didn’t tell me he loved me until it became part of a revised relationship agreement.”

  Vivi’s face twisted with a wry smile. “Tiago told me when he proposed that he would probably never love me.”

  “And you married him anyway?” Anna asked.

  “It was a gamble, but it paid out magnificently,” she said with a look only a well-loved woman could achieve.

  As if by unspoken mutual consent, the topic of her future and Eduardo’s place in it was dropped. They chatted for a few more minutes about clothes and shoes, Maya lamenting the fact she couldn’t get her feet into her favorite stilettos anymore.