Her Alpha Avengers [The Hot Millionaires #7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Zara Chase

  Gabe worked fervently on the painting, which he told his agent was the best thing he’d ever done. When Sabine finally saw the finished product, she had to agree.

  “I can’t believe that’s me,” she said in a tone of reverent awe. “That look on my face—”

  “Is exactly how you look after we’ve fucked you,” the three of them said together.

  “I’m gonna do a series,” Gabe said enthusiastically. “Your body painted in lots of different guises.”

  Sabine wanted to ask him how that would be possible. It could only be a matter of a few days before they confronted Pearson and then she’d have no further reason to stay in America. But she didn’t ask because she didn’t want to break the mood by thinking about the time when she’d have to give them up. When once her every waking moment was given over to thoughts of demanding an explanation from Pearson, she now had three very compelling reasons to delay that moment for as long as possible.

  Fin and Otto came and went during the day because they had clients to see, but all three of them were always there to share the evenings with her. Sabine, free to do as she pleased, did absolutely nothing that required any effort. She read endless books, walked Mulligan for miles, swam in the pool, and lay in the sun until her skin turned golden brown. She’d never had the time to do absolutely nothing before. She enjoyed her lazy existence, and told herself she’d earned it. The phones rang all the time, both the landline and the guys’ cells. She assumed it must be the women they usually dated, ringing because they weren’t getting to see so much of them, in the evenings at any rate. Sabine refused to torture herself by wondering if Otto and Fin really did only go out to see clients during the day.

  Several days after her first visit to the playroom, Sabine wandered downstairs late one morning, making no noise as she crossed the tiled floor on bare feet. Mulligan wasn’t about. One of the guys must have taken him out, but she heard Fin talking on his phone inside his office.

  “No, sweetheart,” he said. “I promise it won’t be much longer.” He listened and then spoke again. “You know I will. Don’t I always?” He listened some more. “Okay, I’ll try to stop by this afternoon, Mimi.”

  Sabine’s heart went cold. Knowing he had other women was one thing. Hearing him whisper endearments to one was entirely another. She slipped back upstairs, unwilling to face him until she’d gotten her jealousy under control. She sat on the edge of her bed, thinking things through. She’d fallen into a kind of routine that she’d always known couldn’t go on. It wasn’t fair. She was cramping their style. All she needed to do was confront Pearson. It was her only reason for being in America, and she’d always intended to do it alone.

  “Time to stop leaning on them,” she said aloud.

  Fin kept shooting her strange looks over lunch. She obviously wasn’t keeping her hurt feelings as well concealed as she’d hoped. That was probably because every time she looked at him or Otto, the thought of leaving them forever caused an acute pain to rip her heart to shreds. Thank God Gabe was closeted in his studio. With the agony of separation looming so close, the three of them together would be too much for her right now. It wouldn’t take much for her to lose her fragile grip on her self-control and make a right fool of herself.

  “You okay, babe?” Otto asked.

  “Oh, yes, fine.” She made a conscious effort to perk up. “What are you guys up to this afternoon?”

  “I have to see a client,” Fin said.

  Yes, I know you do.

  “I’m working here on a website for a new client.”

  “You wouldn’t take Mulligan out for me, would you, Otto?” she asked as soon as Fin left. “I’ve got a headache. I need to lie down for a while.”

  “Oh, babe, you should have said. Let me get you some pills for it.”

  His concern stoked her guilty conscience. “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “You’ve had too much sun,” he said, kissing her. “Go and rest for the afternoon. I’ll take care of the mutt.”

  “Thanks, I might just do that.”

  Sabine swung into action the moment she heard Otto and Mulligan leave the house. The keys to her Jeep were in the bowl in the kitchen, along with the keys to all the other cars in their enormous garage. She grabbed them along with a gizmo to open the garage door and slipped down the internal stairs before her courage failed her.

  “This is what you came here for,” she reminded herself as she slid behind the wheel and drove out of the garage.

  She refused to think about the guys. It had been fun, but it was time to stand on her own two feet again. They’d talked about getting her money back from Pearson, but she knew that wouldn’t happen. Besides, that wasn’t what this was all about. She needed to confront the man and try to understand why he’d done what he did. Then she’d go back to England, put the whole thing with the guys down to experience, and get on with her life.

  How hard could that be?

  Im-fucking-possible!

  But what choice did she realistically have?

  She tried not to think about them as the GPS in her car took her right to the condo building where Pearson lived.

  “Blimey,” she said, parking up and staring at the building’s prime location. “Crime obviously pays.”

  Now for the tricky bit. She knew which apartment Pearson lived in but had no idea if he would be at home at six in the evening. The investigator who worked for the guys had made a buddy of the doorman. Apparently, he didn’t think much of the guy he knew as Pearce. He tended to make all sorts of demands but was a lousy tipper. That sounded right. Okay, Sabine would just have to spin him a yarn and see if she could get him to help her.

  She walked through the swing doors straight up to the doorman’s desk and smiled at the guy. Perhaps it was her tan, or her newfound confidence, but she appeared to make an impression upon him, which gave her the courage to go through with this. He jumped up, threw aside the paper he was reading, and took a good look at her cleavage. She folded her arms beneath her breasts and pushed them together as she leaned on his desk. No point in making him work too hard.

  “Hi,” she said, “I wonder if you can help me, er…” She peered at his nametag. “Wayne.”

  “If I can, ma’am,” he said with enthusiasm.

  “I’m here to surprise my uncle Robert Pearce in 308. Do you know if he’s home?”

  “No, he went out a few hours back.”

  “Damn, just my luck. I wonder when he’ll be back.”

  “Well, he doesn’t usually keep late hours.”

  “He doesn’t know I’m coming.” Sabine reached in her bag and withdrew a folded twenty bill, which she slipped across the desk. “I don’t suppose you could let me in—”

  “Sure.” The bill disappeared, and Wayne came round to her side of the desk. “Seeing as how you’re related, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

  “You’re so sweet,” she said, following him into the elevator.

  Wayne opened the door to Pearson’s apartment and stood back to let Sabine enter first.

  “Thanks, I…oh, this is fantastic!”

  “Glad you like it,” Wayne said, hovering in the doorway.

  Sabine walked to the full-length windows with a view over the ocean and forced herself to smile. The furniture was sparse but good quality and obviously came with the lease. She knew from Otto’s research that Pearson had gotten it as a three-month let, tenants being hard to find in the current financial climate, and had negotiated very favourable terms. Well, he would.

  “Er, I’d stay with you, but I’m not supposed to leave my desk.”

  “No problem, Wayne, you’ve already done more than enough. Thanks again, and remember, not a word to my uncle when he returns.”

  He winked at her. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  As soon as Wayne left, Sabine’s nerves kicked in. The moment she’d been working up to for two years had finally arrived. She had the element of surprise on her side and a pepper spray in her pocket.r />
  Nothing could possibly go wrong.

  The guys’ investigator had established that he never invited his less salubrious contacts to his home, always meeting them in public places. She had to believe that was true and take control of her own life again. Sabine was more than capable of confronting him on her own. He wasn’t violent, but left that sort of stuff to the people he paid to do his dirty work. This was her fight, it had taken two years of her life, and she needed to see it through on her own terms.

  Having reminded herself of her reasons for being here, she checked the place out. One large bedroom and bath, the room she was in, and a kitchen nook. Pearson plied his trade in style, thanks to the women he ripped off.

  Her anger refuelled, Sabine settled herself into a swivelling recliner, long legs stretched in front of her and crossed elegantly at the ankles. The first thing Pearson saw when he walked through the door would be her legs.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Fin got home from a meeting that had dragged on longer than he’d intended. His meetings with Mimi usually did, but he didn’t have it in his heart to disappoint her. He was greeted enthusiastically by Mulligan.

  “Where’s your mistress?” he asked, scratching the big guy’s ears.

  “She’s lying down,” Otto said, poking his head round his office door. “She’s got a headache.”

  “That doesn’t sound like her,” Fin said, concerned. “I’ll go and check on her.”

  He tapped on her door but received no answer. Presumably she was asleep. He was about to walk away, but some sixth sense made him return and enter the room.

  “Shit!” he said when he saw the bed was empty. “She’s not there,” he said, running back down the stairs. “Where the hell is she?”

  Otto looked stunned. “I have no idea.”

  Gabe came down from his studio, alerted by the noise. “What’s happening?”

  “Sabine’s gone missing.”

  Fin ran down to the garage, his worst fears realized.

  “Her car’s gone,” he said. “I didn’t notice it wasn’t there when I got back. Come on.”

  Both guys followed him down to the garage. They had an array of expensive cars to choose from, but Fin had grabbed the keys to their truck, and he threw them to Otto. They piled into it, and Otto gunned the engine.

  “You think she’s gone to Bradenton?” Gabe asked.

  “I’m sure of it,” Fin said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and dialling their investigator. “Shit, he’s not picking up.” Fin left an urgent message for Amos to call him and hung up.

  “Must be taking an hour for himself,” Otto said, hitting the highway.

  “His timing sucks,” Gabe said, scowling. “Why would she go off on her own like that? She knew we had it covered.”

  “You know what she’s like about waiting for things,” Fin said, grinding his teeth. “Hell, Pearson’s dangerous. If he knows she’s found him there’s no telling what he’ll do. Put your foot down, Otto.”

  The truck surged forward whilst Fin thumped the seat in frustration. In spite of Sabine’s dumb move, he loved her fiery determination. Hell, he loved everything about her, which surprised him. Fin hadn’t thought he would ever be capable of loving again, not after Debbie’s death had ripped him apart. It had taken a crazy Brit with courage, principles, determination, and a soft heart to set him straight.

  “She’s gotten to us all, hasn’t she?” Otto asked quietly.

  “She’s the one as far as I’m concerned,” Fin said, only mildly surprised that commitment no longer scared the shit out of him.

  “Yeah, me, too,” Gabe said. “Thanks to her, I told my brothers to go fuck themselves the other day. I never would have done it if it hadn’t been for Sabine making me understand that I didn’t owe them a living.”

  “Glad to hear it, buddy,” Fin said, momentarily distracted from his concerns for Sabine. Amos called back just as they approached Bradenton. Fin quickly explained the situation.

  “I’m outside the building again now. There is a green Jeep parked up there that I haven’t seen before.”

  “That’ll be her.”

  “You want me to see if I can find her?”

  “Is Pearson home?”

  “No, not yet. Hang on, he’s just pulled up.”

  “We’ll be there in five,” Fin said curtly. “Wait for us.”

  * * * *

  Sabine had been in the condo for almost two hours, and it was now getting dark. She ought to be have been hyped up for this long-awaited confrontation. Instead she felt desolate at the thought of parting from the guys who’d done so much for her in every sense of the words.

  The sound of the lock turning snapped her out of her self-induced misery, and her pulse rate increased. Pearson stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, and threw his jacket across a chair. With a long-suffering sigh, like the evening had been a real trial, he headed for the drinks cabinet, saw Sabine’s legs, and stopped dead in his tracks.

  “What the fuck—”

  “Hello, Robert.” Sabine uncoiled her body and slowly stood up. “Long time no see.”

  Pearson recovered quickly. “How did you get in here?”

  “Aren’t you pleased to see me, Robert? If that’s what your name actually is.” Sabine smiled acidly, enjoying his discomposure. “You look a bit pale.”

  “What do you want?”

  “My, my, what happened to all those fastidious manners that so wowed the ladies?”

  His expression was calculating, like he couldn’t quite believe that Sabine would be stupid enough to come here alone. She suddenly wished that she hadn’t been. His malevolent attitude sent shivers down her spine, but she knew better than to let her fear show. She was here to make sense out of a senseless situation and then get the hell out of there, which is precisely what she would do.

  “I think you should leave,” he said curtly.

  “I’m sure you do.”

  “You’re trespassing.”

  Sabine cocked a brow. “So call the police.”

  He expelled an exasperated sigh. “What will it take to get you out of here? You’ve been an irritation to me these past months.”

  “What do I want? Oh, just the return of the money you stole from my mother, not to mention all the cash you’ve taken from other susceptible women.”

  His laugh was ugly. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

  “Sorry that your goon didn’t get to kill me.”

  Pearson shrugged. “The man was an idiot. Should have seen to it myself.”

  “Ah, so you’re a murderer now as well as a con man and a thief.”

  “Little girl, you don’t know what you’ve got yourself mixed up with.”

  “Oh, I think I do. A greasy embezzler who thinks he’s God’s gift to vulnerable women.”

  “Those women adored me, and I earned every damned penny that they gave me.” He blew air through his lips. “Flattering them, making them feel special, and pretending to be interested in their boring little lives. It gets harder by the day.”

  “Except they didn’t know they’d been so generous.”

  He glowered at her. “Now get out of here, or I’ll throw you out myself. I’ve done nothing you can prove, so leave me the hell alone.”

  “Apart from taking a mortgage out on my mother’s house and pocketing the cash, which, as you know, the English police would very much like to talk to you about.”

  “Just go,” he said wearily. “This is your last chance. And don’t think to set anyone on my trail. I’ll be gone from here long before you can do that. Pity,” he added, almost to himself. “This was a sweet one. Still, there are plenty more desperately needy women out there.”

  “Why did you do it to Mum?” she asked. “She adored you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Don’t they all, dear, don’t they all.”

  “You arrogant bastard!” Sabine felt ready to explode and had to quell the impulse to slap the smirk right off h
is face. Her anger only appeared to amuse him, and so she forced herself to calm down. “If you’d just milked her bank account I might have been able to let it go, but the house—”

  He shrugged. “Everyone has to make a living. Your mother enjoyed my company. I made her happy and deserved something for my trouble.”

  “That’s all it was to you, wasn’t it? You screwed with her emotions, told outrageous lies that she believed, and gained her trust so that you could fleece her.”

  “Actually, I was quite fond of her,” he said, frowning like that wasn’t part of the plan. “I was considering marrying her, then she got ill, and well—” He shrugged. “It seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up.”

  “You took away everything my father worked to achieve and left me broke,” Sabine said, furious when tears sprang to her eyes.

  “Ah, so that’s what your irritating campaign to get back at me is really all about. Your mother died unaware of what I actually was. She was happy to have me in her life, and I believe I brought some comfort to her in her final hours.” Damn it, he did, too. “I could have left her long before then but stayed out of a sense of duty.”

  His hypocrisy caused Sabine’s temper to flare, driving away her tears. “You might be able to charm the older generation, but don’t pretend to know what makes me tick.”

  “I hate to disappoint you, my dear, but I don’t particularly care. You see, you’re mistaking me for someone who actually has a conscience.”

  “Believe me, that’s the last mistake I’d ever make.”

  He grabbed her upper arm in a firm grasp, his fingers sinking painfully into her flesh. “It’s been lovely catching up, Sabine,” he said, dragging her toward the door, “but it’s time for you to leave now.”