It's William.
I'm wrestled into the service elevator. I try to see the man who's got me, just to confirm, but I'm positioned with my back towards him.
My heart beats furiously in my chest, blood pounding through my veins so loudly that I can hear the rush of it in my ears. Am I going to get out of this alive?
We arrive at the twentieth floor. He pushes me out of the elevator and down the hall. He's looking to see that we're clear.
Oh my God, please let someone see us. But fuck! No one's around.
I'm still trying to scream but it's no use. He pushes me against a wall and tapes my mouth shut, and it's hard to even breathe, much less scream my way out of this.
He smuggles me into a room, and as the door closes, I realize these might be my last few moments on earth. I panic. My ears are ringing and my vision is blurry as adrenaline courses through me.
It's crazy because even at this moment, all I can think of is how this will devastate Leo. We planned for everything tonight...except for this.
If I die, he’ll blame himself forever. What should be just the beginning of our amazing love story may end before we even have time to enjoy it.
And that's what I most regret.
He ties me to a chair and only when I'm well secured does he remove his mask and I see that I was right. Through my tears, I see him.
William, the guy from last night.
I was supposed to trap him in an escort agreement and now he's kidnapped me. How the hell did this happen?
Fear freezes up my heart and I think of anything I can say that will buy me a little more time, just until Leo realizes something's wrong. Surely he'll come. I have to hang on to that shred of hope.
William tells me, "Hush, or I'll put this tape back on."
At last, he removes it and I take in deep, heaving breaths, filling my deprived lungs as if I’ve been held underwater.
"Why are you doing this to me?" I’m thinking just clearly enough to realize I should try to get some answers from the man who might kill me.
"Well, first, I tried to blackmail your brother. But then you came into the picture and I realized not only could I completely ruin your family, but I could make some money while I was at it. I'll get a hefty ransom for you." He leans in and runs a finger over my cheek as he says it, and I can’t hide the shudder.
"My brother will never pay you." I spit out the words.
"Not him," he sneers. "The other one. Your boyfriend. He'll pay a pretty penny for you."
"No, he won't! We're not even dating."
"Don’t act like I’m stupid, girl,” he snarls.
“Do you even know who I am? I’m the person whose family you're father left destitute. The minute he shut down that mine was when I started planning. You think you can just bankrupt people without any consequences?"
I try to reason with the irrational man just to prolong my time.
"I wasn't part of any of that. None of us were. You know our family went bankrupt too? You think my father would do that to hurt people? You have it all wrong."
It's dawning on me that William is the man with the plan. He's the ringleader to all the informants. He's the one with a grudge to bear against my family.
I have the leader right here in the palm of my hand and yet there's nothing I can do.
And then things get really twisted...
"You know, I’ve had my eye on you for years. My family worked in your mine for generations. I grew up hearing about the beautiful Sienna, the senator's daughter, and now I finally have you."
The way he looks at me, half crazed, makes me more afraid than I’ve been yet.
My skin crawls. At this point, I'm hoping I make it out of here without this man getting his hands on me. What’s with his sick obsession? I don’t even know him.
"You were always too good for me. You acted like I was beneath you."
What the fuck is he talking about? I've never even laid eyes on him until last night. This is not happening. My life is not about to end at the hands of this psycho.
Please come, Leo. Please find me.
"Now it's all coming together." William laughs maniacally. "I'm going to destroy your family and your boyfriend. You will all die for what you did to me. This is almost over. Just as soon as I've had a taste of Sienna Reid's precious little cunt. Let's see if your reputation as a whore does you justice."
Leo
Thinking about having to watch Sienna have another evening with that asshole is making me feel crazy. This charade this has got to end.
After last night, I don't feel like pretending anything ever again with her. We've lost ten years and have to make up for a lot of time. I'm ready to make a life together and to never have another man touch her besides myself.
I'm at a bar/lounge called Unique within the casino. It's the designated meeting spot for Sienna and the guy William, who we're going to trap.
I've only just arrived, and I make myself scarce, shrouded in secrecy at a table in the back. I make sure to have a nice vantage point of the whole scene.
She just needs to get his signature on the escort contract and then we can ditch him and actually enjoy our evening.
Maybe I'll set up a private dinner for just the two of us. Or I could take her to someplace nice where she's never been.
The evening is up in the air and it'll be ours for the taking just as soon as we get this fucking business out of the way.
The only problem is neither of them have shown up yet.
Where is she?
I look around and don't see her on the dance floor or anywhere else.
A waitress approaches and asks what I’m drinking.
"I'll have a Sidecar."
I wait impatiently, drumming my fingers on the table. My eyes are searching the room looking for any sign of her. She still has a half hour of our allotted window to show up.
The minutes fly by in the heat of my adrenaline. I'm ready to get this over with and to never let Sienna out of my sight again.
We've barely had a chance to celebrate our renewed love affair. And having her set up on another date as an escort is not the romance I have in mind. I want to take her somewhere far away, a trip to celebrate.
I finish my drink and check the time. A sinking feeling hits my stomach.
She should have been here by now, and he certainly wouldn't be late to meet a woman like her. Something's wrong. I feel it.
Come on Sienna this is not the day to be late.
I hate to leave the designated spot in case she does arrive late, but I have to figure this out. I have to find her. I call her boss on my way out.
"Roger? You there, man? Yeah, it's Leo. Listen, I'm looking for Sienna and that William guy. Did they change their meeting location?"
"No, Leo. Actually, William called and canceled the whole agreement. He said he found a better offer."
Somebody better than Sienna? I don’t believe it.
"What? He canceled?" The dread in my stomach grows.
"Yes, this afternoon, and I haven't heard from Sienna since."
"Okay, thanks."
I slam down the phone and go into a total panic. This can't be happening. I should never have let her walk down alone. Where the fuck is she?
Now I know the bad feeling I’ve had isn’t for nothing. Something is very wrong about this situation.
I do another check of the lounge. Maybe she arrived late? I peek inside and see there's still no Sienna. Even though I knew that’s what I’d find.
I go all over the casino's main floor, checking restaurants and gambling tables. I know in my gut that she’s not going to be here, but I have to explore every possibility.
I go out to the front and ask all the doormen if they've seen her. No one has. She's not anywhere.
I'm in such a crazed frenzy to find her that I call the last person I would ever think to ask for help.
"Jax? It's me. You gotta get over here quick."
"I don't know why you're calling me, Leo
. You know how I feel about you. I don't want to see or talk to you again as long as you're dating my sister."
Goddammit, this motherfucker and his outrageous ideas about Sienna and me.
"Wait! Don't hang up."
He's angry as he says, "You're the reason I'm in this mess of being blackmailed in the first place. Why should I talk to you?"
"Listen to me, Jax. I'm worried about Sienna."
This makes him pause. "Why, what's going on?"
I'm frantically searching the main floor as I speak to him. "Sienna's not here. We had things ready to take down whoever is blackmailing you. She was supposed to meet a client here tonight, only he never showed up, and neither did she."
"What? You mean you put her directly in the line of danger and now you can't find her? What the fuck, Leo? Can you not comprehend how dangerous this is? You should never have set her up like that."
I fucking know this. The last thing I need is a lecture.
All I need from Jax is a little backup. His words don't faze me, though, because a thousand more terrifying thoughts are rushing through my mind.
I'm trying not to picture the worst, but as I see no sign of her throughout the whole casino, it's kind of hard to do otherwise.
"I don't need this, Jax. Either get over here to help me or not, but stop being such an ass."
"Fine. I'll be there in ten minutes."
I know it’s bad if I have to call that asshole for help. I'm getting more and more frantic, grabbing every woman that even vaguely looks like her to see if it is in fact Sienna.
None of them are.
There are tourists milling about everywhere, and I can't get through them all fast enough. How am I supposed to find her in this sea of people? Especially as they enter and exit the building in such vast numbers.
I search frantically for a while longer. People look at me like I'm crazy, and who knows, maybe I am. I will literally go fucking crazy if I don't find her soon.
I finally head back to my office to meet Jax, checking all the faces as I go. I'm asking people if they've seen her. I'm running into all the shops and bars and exhibits.
There are too many people. She could be anywhere.
I'll need a team to help me find her at this rate. Hell, I'll close down the entire casino if I have to. I'll go through every single hotel room in the place if need be. I won’t let anyone leave the premises, seal of the building. I’ll do whatever it fucking takes.
At the back of the building, all is quiet in my office. I sink into my chair and impatiently wait for Jax to show up.
Leo
I'm going out of my fucking mind. I call Sienna's phone over and over again but it goes straight to voicemail.
I feel powerless and yet I know I'm all she has. I'm the only one that knows she's gone missing. I need to come up with a plan of action. I have to mobilize all the security forces that I can.
"I'm here." Jax walks into my office.
"Fucking finally."
"Don't give me shit when you're the one who lost my sister."
He's right. I hate to admit it but he's fucking right. I lost her. I didn't take care of her. This is all my fault.
"Hey," I say. "Are you here to help me or hurt me?"
He pushes an envelope across my desk.
"What's this?"
"It's another blackmail letter," he says. "Except it's not only that. He's asking for a ransom this time."
I read over the letter and it appears to be from one man. He's absolutely fucking insane talking about the Reid family and his obsession with Sienna. He says he was merely out for blackmail money but has changed his mind and now he wants a ransom.
It only cements my gravest thoughts. She's been taken. It's not a mistake.
All my searching and efforts to find her were done in vain because all the while she's been in the hands of this delusional captor. I imagine how scared she must be and what's being done to her.
It's my worst nightmare being played out in real life.
"This can't be happening. It just can't," I mutter to no one.
And then my cynicism and despair melt away as I realize this is a call to action. I have to save her.
She's probably waiting for me to show up and I won't abandon her now. I will never do that again.
So no matter what it takes, I will find and save her and prove to her that she never has to worry about being hurt by me again. We just have to get there in time.
"This guy is fucking crazy," I say to Jax.
"Yeah, he's hell bent on destroying my family because we closed down that mine. He's off his rocker for sure."
I’m enraged. All I see is red, and I imagine tearing through every inch of this building until I find her.
"We have to go. We can’t waste any more time. We have to save her now."
I'm already up and pulling on my jacket. Though where I'm going, I don't really know. I plan to go somewhere, though, and to do something. Jax calls me on this.
"You can't be rash about it, Leo. You need to sit here and devise an actual plan, otherwise you're just wasting time. You can't go into this blindly."
His calm composure pisses me off. Doesn't he care about his sister? Isn't he angry enough to run out that door and to find her?
"The fuck I can't. I’ll do whatever I want. I love her."
There's a pause as he digests this.
"What did you just say?" He's pissed. I can tell.
My mind is racing, and I don't have time for this bullshit with Jax.
"I said I love her. Now get that through your thick fucking skull and come help me find her."
He gets up and starts pacing the office.
"I told you, Leo, to stay away from her forever. How dare you think you love her. It will never happen under my watch."
If he really believes he can threaten me and keep me away from her again, he's gravely mistaken. I listened to him once before and it's my biggest regret in life. I will never make that mistake again.
He's got to be crazy to think I'd stay away from her now. And I tell him as much.
"You think I care what you want? This isn't about you. It's about Sienna and me, and we're in love and there's not a goddamn thing you can do to change that."
Jax gets right up in my face. "If you think you can touch her then you have it all wrong. I will use all of my resources to take her away from you. You'll never set eyes on her again. I warned you once, and that was it. You know that I don't approve."
How is he even thinking of this total fucking nonsense when we should be out finding her together?
I see Leo for who he is now. His true colors are coming out more than ever before.
He's just an overly protective asshole brother, and whatever he says, I shouldn't listen.
This is Sienna's life, and if she wants me to go away I will. But until then, I'm going to worship the fucking ground she walks on despite what Jax says.
I should never have listened to him in the first place. His threats are tainted with some really fucking twisted sense of brotherly responsibility, and even if he hid her at the ends of the earth, I’d find her.
Just like I’ll find her now.
"I left her once because I trusted you, Jax. You wrecked me and you destroyed her. Neither of us ever got over loving each other, and why you'd want to stand in the way of that I don't know. But one thing's for damn sure. I will never leave her again, got that?"
He seems surprised that I'm standing up to him now. When we were younger he got me away from Sienna by making me think that I wasn't good enough for her. I've spent years building myself up trying to prove otherwise.
And now I'm a man of ridiculous wealth and power.
It took me this long but I finally believe in myself. And I believe in Sienna enough to know we'll make it through. He won’t stop us again. Not this time.
"I'll tear you down," he says, but his confidence isn’t there this time.
"No, you won't, Jax. Because you love Sienna and you wa
nt her to be happy. I make her happy. You need to see that now."
He looks at me, all macho anger and posturing.
"We're just wasting time," I say. "Every fucking second that slips by is one closer to Sienna getting hurt. Don't you want to formulate a plan to find her? Don't you care about her enough to put all this drama aside and make sure she's safe?"
At long last, he agrees. "Fine. Let's figure something out."
Finally. Shit. The dude has taken this to limit of reason.
We sit down at my desk. He's talked me out of making rash decisions and I've talked him out of standing in the way of Sienna's happiness. We may yet work as a team. Maybe
Together we combine our collective assets to make a plan. With our connections, the security footage, and our own personal protection officers, we make headway in determining exactly where Sienna is and how to free her.
Sienna
I'm feeling more worried with each passing moment. It's obvious that William is totally unhinged.
Being in the hands of an insane person is terrifying because I have no idea what he'll do with each passing moment. He's simultaneously ranting and raving about how he's in love with me and how much he hates my family.
It's hard to get the story straight and I'm starting to worry that I'll be killed in the crossfire of his tormented mind.
If he were a sane, sober person, at least I might have a better idea of if I'll live or die, but as it is there's no telling.
His greasy black hair flops over his face and his suit is crinkled. He looks like a very deranged version of the person I met last night. I had no idea then that he was so crazy, and I wonder how he kept his wits about him for even one evening.
My instinct says to pacify him. I have no idea if anyone realizes I'm gone or how long I’ll have to placate him. I think if I pretend to return his affections, maybe I can gain some influence and convince him to untie me.
"William," I say. "Why am I tied up? I thought tonight you were going to meet me at Unique and we could finally be together."
He looks at me warily. "You did not. You would never have gone home with me."
"Yes, baby." I nearly choke on the word, but I'll say and do anything to save my own life. "I just needed you to get that contract out of the way with my boss and then I thought we were going to go somewhere, you know, together."
The Marriage Mistake_A Billionaire Hangover Romance Page 104