“Oh please, Jacob. Don’t insult my intelligence. I don’t blame you for wanting to win. I appreciate a man who enjoys competition. That’s why I need you in my organization. You have the money, the means, and the brain for it. Unlike Carolina. She’s pathetic as a business mind. I can’t leave her to take over my legacy. I need an heir.”
“Find someone else,” I said.
“It’s too late for that now. Carolina wants you, and she will have you, and I will have my drones.” Pritchard lifted the gun and aimed it at me. “There is nothing left to stop me from doing what I want. You can either agree with me now, pledge the drones, or I’ll bring both the women back in here, Addison and Chloe, and kill them in front of you.”
What choice did I have?
I opened my mouth to respond, but a scream rang out from deeper in the villa.
Twenty-Five
Chloe
Carolina shrieked a second time, gripping at her hair.
I had her by it. I’d already forced her to her knees. She’d made the seriously ill-advised decision to try and bully me into a bedroom.
She’d gotten me inside, shut the door, and locked it, but she had no weapon and no means of restraining me, and the goons were outside with no way in, save banging the door down.
Let them come.
“You bitch! I’ll kill you for this. Let go of my hair!” Carolina struck backward, jerked her head, but it led to nothing. She had the muscle-tone of a two-year-old, and I had some meat on my bones at least.
This is why I did Pilates. All those cramps are about to pay off.
“Shut up,” I said and clapped a hand across her mouth.
She struggled against my grip, kicking and spitting like a wildcat, but I didn’t care. The minute she’d forced me into this room and I’d spotted its other occupant, the world had gone red.
Addy was tied up in the corner, on the bed. Her eyes were wide, and her cheeks streaked with tears and spoiled mascara. Her wedding dress was ruined, ripped at the breast, so that some of her skin peeked through. If they’d hurt my friend, I’d do something drastic.
I slung an arm around Carolina’s neck and tightened it into a chokehold. It was a move I’d learned in a self-defense class years ago. Charlie had insisted I take one if I wanted to stay in my own apartment.
I choked her out, tightening my grip.
She let out rough squeals, and a thud hit the door behind me.
Addy whined from behind a gag.
Finally, Carolina’s struggling stopped, and she slumped in my arms. I dropped her like she was a snake—technically, she was—and rushed over to Addy on the bed. “It’s OK,” I said, but there was panic in my voice.
“Open up! Carolina!” A voice thundered through the door, followed by another bang. Someone grabbed hold of the doorknob and rattled it furiously.
“I’ll be quick. Turn around, Addy.”
My friend scooched onto her side and showed me the cable tie cutting into her wrists. I searched the room for anything sharp, my heart sitting in my throat.
Addy moaned again, jiggling on the mattress.
I leaped off the bed and rushed to the decorative desk in the corner. I jerked open the drawers three at a time and rifled through them for a pair of scissors. There was nothing. Nothing. “Come on,” I muttered. “Come on, come on.”
If I could get Addy free, we could escape out of the window. Nothing about today had gone according to plan.
The door thudded open just as my hands closed around a pair of scissors. I rotated, holding out my weapon.
A massive dude in a suit entered. He had a head the size of a fucking bowling ball and eyes that sat too close together, thin lips, no visible chin. Sweat coated his forehead. “Put that down, little lady,” he said, sparing a glance for Carolina.
“No,” I said. “Get back.” I swished the scissors at him. It was ridiculous, of course. I stood no chance against this mountain of a man. He’d definitely eaten his Cheerios that morning, and every other morning since the beginning of time.
“Now, now, there’s no need for that. You give me those scissors, and we’ll sort this all out.”
It amazed me he could string a sentence together. How did his muscles not consume the nutrients in his body? I didn’t have words to sling at him. I kept the scissors out and backed into the desk. If I didn’t make a move soon, he’d capture me. Perhaps if I dove toward him?
I had the agility advantage, at least. No way a man that size could move fast enough to stop me.
Go. Go. Go!
“Now!” I yelled, and ducked toward him thrusting the scissors outward.
The meatball man’s hand swished out and caught my wrist easily. He squeezed hard, and my fingers popped open. The scissors clattered to the floor. Addy let out a muffled sob behind me.
“Shit.”
“There, there,” the man said and dragged me toward the exit. “You’re going to come back in the living room now. I think Pritchard would want to talk to you about your behavior.”
“Let go of me!” I yelled. “Let go of me right now.”
“Quiet down, little lady.”
His grip was incredibly tight, and the bones in my wrist grated. “You’re hurting me.”
“Well, you shoulda thought about that before you tried to gut me with scissors.”
He had a fair point. The move had been idiocy made flesh, but god, what else could I have done in the situation. Bent over? There’s a horrible thought.
“In here,” the thug said and dragged me into the living room again.
I caught a brief glimpse of Pritchard, seated in an armchair with a gun, and Jacob, half out of his seat, alarm all over his face, before the thug moved in front of me. “Mr. Young,” he said. “The little lady wouldn’t behave. She knocked out Carolina, and she tried to stab me with scissors.”
A grand sigh rang out. “Leave her here with me. I’ll sort this out.”
“Yes, sir.” The thug dragged me front of him, meaty hands pressing down on my shoulders. “Do you want me to tie her up?”
“Yes, Joel.”
The thug had a name. “Hands behind your back, little lady,” he said and jerked my arms into place without waiting. Plastic slipped against my skin and tightened. “She’s secure, Mr. Young. Where do you want her?”
“Sit her down here. Next to me.” Pritchard had moved to the chaise lounge, and he patted the empty spot next to himself. Jacob shifted, but Pritchard directed the gun at him, almost lazily. “I wouldn’t do anything stupid if I were you, Jacob.”
The thug rammed me down on the seat next to Pritchard then retreated. The polished door shut with a click a moment later.
“There,” Pritchard said. “Since you can’t behave yourself without my supervision, you’ll have to sit in here with the big men.”
“Big men?” I asked. “I highly doubt that.”
Jacob’s lips twitched upward at the corners for a millisecond, then settled back down again. He was pained, the lines on his forehead pronounced.
“You’re feisty.” Pritchard placed his arm around my shoulders. “I hate that in a woman. I hate women who don’t know their place, and it seems you are one. See, this is why Jacob is better suited to Carolina. She is a woman who knows how to please her man.”
“That’s fucking disgusting, dude,” I said, leaning away from him. “You talk about your daughter like that?”
“I’m going to staple your tongue to your bottom lip if you don’t watch your mouth,” he said and searched me for fear.
It was there, in the pit of my stomach, but I refused to let it show on my face for this asshole’s pleasure. I’d been so scared last night, scared for my brother and for Addy, and even for myself and Jacob, but I was past that now.
It was fight or flight.
“You disgust me,” I said. “Go get your stapler if you think it will make a difference.”
“Chloe.” That was from Jacob. “Don’t.”
“I’m not going to si
t here and listen to this guy.” Why hadn’t the FBI arrested his ass already? “You’re a piece of shit.”
“Chloe, stop it,” Jacob snapped.
“Ah, I see.” Pritchard chuckled and drew me closer. “Sassy and sexy, but stupid.” He plastered a slobbery kiss on my cheek, his whiskers scraping against it. “You see, no one’s coming to save you. The mic you’re wearing isn’t picking up any sound. There’s a jammer in this room.”
A jammer. But I wasn’t just in this room. I was out of it. And Carolina’s screaming.
And no sooner had the thought occurred than a crash rang out.
The windows exploded inward, and men in uniform tumbled into the room. They screamed commands, charged across it. The events drew out, longer than they should have. Pritchard raised his gun, the muzzle flashed, and there was a pop, but no one fell.
Pritchard was tackled to the ground, his hands restrained behind his back. The same was done to Jacob, and then to me. We were all forced to the ground. Time passed, and finally, Smith came through. We were brought up from our positions.
Jacob and I were released. Addison was brought into the room. And it was over.
Twenty-Six
Jacob
“You shouldn’t be here, Jake.” Addy held the door by the handle and winced at me, like it would make me go away. “He doesn’t want to talk.”
“So, what,” I said, “I’m supposed to let things be the way they are? I’m not going to do that, Addison. I need to see him.” I stood in the hallway of the hotel, the lights glaring out here, competing with a headache I’d developed from lack of sleep. And having to give incessant statements to the feds and Interpol and whoever the fuck else had wanted them.
A day had passed since the showdown at Pritchard’s villa near Dieppe. Charlie had refused to speak to me since it had happened. He’d been released from the hospital shortly after Addison had arrived back at the hotel, and he’d been ignoring my calls and attempts to talk to him ever since then. Chloe had too, but her reasons were different.
I’d gone to her room first, but she hadn’t been there. I needed to make things right. With everyone.
“I’ve got to speak to him,” I said.
“I’m sorry, Jake, I just don’t think it would be a good idea—”
“Who’s there?” Charlie’s voice sounded from inside the room. “Who’s at the door, Addy?”
His fiancée, still not wife, gave a sigh. “It’s Jacob.”
A silence followed. “Let him in.”
“What? But, Charlie—”
“It’s OK. I can handle it. Let him in,” Charlie said.
Addison shrugged and stepped back from the door, opening it wide. Addy waited until I was inside then wormed passed me.
“I’ll be back soon,” Addy called over her shoulder. “I’m going to get coffee.”
“Addy,” Charlie said, in a warning tone.
“I’ll be fine, Charles. I’m pretty sure no one’s going to jump out of the coffee machine and kidnap me again.” But she shuddered.
I shut the hotel room door then crossed the carpeting and halted in front of the bed. Charlie lay on it, resting his back against the wood and glaring at the TV on the wall. His arm was wrapped in gauze at the shoulder.
“How bad is it?”
“It’s a flesh wound. Didn’t hit any major veins or arteries. I’m fine,” Charlie said and turned cool eyes in my direction. “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be dead.”
“Charlie, I—”
“What the fuck happened, Jacob? And why did it happen at my wedding?”
I took a breath. “Pritchard Young—”
“I know the details,” Charlie said, waving a hand. “I want to understand why you would allow this shit to follow you here. To the wedding. To my wedding.” He shook with anger, flushing.
I didn’t allow people to interrupt me, except for Charlie, apparently. And Chloe. And men with guns.
Fuck, this had been a nightmare of a month. “Charlie, I didn’t do any of this on purpose.”
“Addison…is everything to me. And Chloe was involved? Chloe?”
“That was on her. She made the choice.”
“But you still let her.”
“There was nothing I could do to stop your sister. I tried, but she’s her own person.”
“You were supposed to protect her. When I can’t be there, you’re supposed to—” He swiped a hand across his forehead. “I can’t deal with this right now. It’s making me shake. I’m just so fucking angry, man. This was my wedding. And now, I’m not married, and I’m about to fly home with a bullet wound instead.”
“I’m sorry,” I grunted.
It bit at me to have to apologize when I was angry, but Charlie deserved that much. We’d been friends for years, and I’d endangered him.
“I don’t understand why you didn’t tell me,” Charlie continued, his breathing more even now. “I thought we were tight, bro. We’ve been through a lot of shit together.”
I leaned against the side of the sofa. “We have.”
“I bailed you out when you were in shit. I never bring that up, but I was there for you when you needed me. I was the one who gave you a capital injection because your dumbass father wouldn’t.”
“I know, Charlie,” I said, grinding it out. “I fucked up.”
“It’s not about the fuck-up, dude. It’s not even about the fact that you endangered all our lives, it’s that you lied to me.”
“How did I lie?” I asked.
“Omitted. You didn’t tell me what was coming. You didn’t even tell me what was going on with you and Carolina. What was the deal with that? I thought we were brothers, man?”
“I didn’t know we were brothers who talked about everything.”
“When that everything might jeopardize our lives, then yeah we are.” Charlie balled up a fist and slammed it down onto the mattress. “I thought we were closer than this.”
“I didn’t want to worry you. It was your wedding.”
“So, that was your way of protecting my emotions or some shit? I can handle my fucking emotions. It’s being shot and having my fiancée kidnapped in front of the altar that I can’t fucking handle.” He yelled the last part.
“Fine,” I said. “I should have told you.” He was right too, but it had been classified. Smith had given me instructions not to go blabbing to anyone, let alone Charlie. He had contacts too. “I did the wrong thing, and we all paid the price for it. I really am sorry, Charlie.”
My best bud sighed after a minute. His hand relaxed. “OK, dude. I mean, it’s shit, but what can I do about it?” Charlie stared at me, hard. “But we got to get real here, man. You can’t do this thing again. No more secrets, especially not if they’ll affect our lives, for fuck’s sake.”
I met his eye. Guilt thudded through my veins. “No more secrets,” I said and pushed off from the wall. I sat down on the sofa, got myself more comfortable, even though nothing would help. I still had one major secret to keep. What had happened with Chloe.
“So what are your plans now?” I asked. “The wedding?”
“We’ve postponed it. Naturally the day was ruined, so we’re not going to be able to go through with what we wanted, but it will be fine. We’ll do it back in LA.”
“Am I going to get an invite to this one?”
Charlie sniggered. “I’ll think about it.”
“So, you’re all going to be heading home now. Business as usual.”
“Yeah. Everyone’s flying out as soon as possible. I’ve already helped Chloe organize her flight and said goodbye. She should be at the airport now, actually.”
I bobbed my head, though my stomach had dipped. Fuck. Chloe was gone. She was out of Paris, and she hadn’t bothered to tell me goodbye. Because she’d understood the unspoken rule here, that we couldn’t let whatever had happened continue. It was over.
Then I won’t have to keep secrets anymore.
I wasn’t about to chase after he
r. I’d push thoughts of her off and continue as I had before. Simple.
But already, I was emptier for it. The thought of her flying off alone and me sitting here…
“You OK there, man?” Charlie asked. “You’ve gone vacant. Like a bobblehead.”
I quit nodding. “Yeah, I’m good.”
The door opened and Addy entered, saving me from further scrutiny. “I come bearing coffees,” she said and handed one to me then took the other to Charlie. She kissed him on the forehead. Her gaze was soft and warm, and fuck it, why was my throat closing?
I cleared it and rose, holding the takeaway cup. “Thanks for this, Addison. I’d better get back to my room, pack and all that crap.”
“Oh, you’re not going to stay and chat?” she asked.
Charlie made cutting signals behind her, dragging his hand through the air.
I barely kept from laughing. “Nah, I get the feeling you two need some alone time.”
Addy turned toward Charlie, pursing her lips. He dropped his hand a millisecond too late. “Huh,” she said. “I wonder where you got that idea.”
I let myself out of the room, the coffee warming my palm, but the rest of my body and soul cold.
Twenty-Seven
Chloe
“I am so happy to see you!” Kathy squealed and threw her arms around my neck. It was the fifth time she’d done it since I’d walked back into my apartment. She’d set up an entire welcome-home surprise party of two.
Her, with her bouncy golden locks and her bright smile, and her cat Tabitha, who was unconcerned that I was home and lay on the sofa licking the underside of her hind leg.
“It’s good to be home,” I said.
The inside of my apartment was the same as I’d left it, but everything was different. Like I’d swapped out my old eyes for new ones. The colors weren’t changed, but it was like…a memory of a person I no longer was.
The last time I’d stood in my living room, I’d been in emotional pain. I’d been hurt over the fact that I’d lost my song, that I’d been betrayed again, and now…god, I didn’t know what to feel. Confused, alone, missing Jacob even though I’d sworn I wouldn’t talk to him again.
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