Cal shook his head. ‘And I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think one of you should know. I kept telling Sam to tell her, and he did eventually tell her they had had a relationship. Don’t ask me why he left out the whole marriage thing.’
Seb shook his head angrily. ‘This isn’t fair. Isa married him. How the hell did he manage to arrange the wedding without mentioning it?’
Cal held up his hands. ‘Don’t ask me.’
Seb swore under his breath. ‘I don’t like this.’
‘Me either but look, it wasn’t my secret to tell. I only told you because…well.’
Seb was still pissed. ‘Do you know what it took for Isa to trust someone again after what her parents did to her? It took me and Mom years to gain that trust. For Sam to walk into her life and gain her trust so easily… That was a fucking miracle, you understand?’
Cal nodded. ‘I do. I really do, I can tell you.’ He sighed, shaking his head. ‘Should I not have told you?’
Seb shook his head. ‘I’m glad you did. At least one of us is in the know.’
‘You won’t say anything?’
‘No.’ But he would take Sam aside when they got back from their honeymoon, make him promise to come clean. ‘Fuck. Why has every happy thing got to be tarnished? And now this shit.’ He nodded at the paper. He’d had enough of picturing his beloved sister dead for one lifetime.
‘You’ll reach out to Karl?’
Seb nodded grimly. ‘No problem.’ If there was one thing Seb knew, it was that he wanted to protect his sister from anything and anyone who could hurt her.
Even her new husband.
Sam walked into the bedroom and laughed. Isa was sitting in his open, half-packed suitcase, a mournful look on her face.
‘Do we have to go home?’ She looked so woebegone that he had to chuckle again.
‘We don’t have to…I told you, we can stay here for as long as you want. Forever, if you’d like?’
The two weeks had flown by in a whirl of sex, and fun, and laughter and carefree living. But now they were packing for the trip back to Seattle.
Too soon. ‘We’re right back here again, aren’t we?’ On the way back to face the same problems. Dammit.
His face clouded over, and he sighed. ‘Yeah.’
She pulled herself onto her knees and smoothed out his brow. ‘Hey, no frowning. Not allowed here.’
She pressed her lips against his, then press her chest against his, grinning as she slid her hand down to cup his cock through his pants. She felt it jerk and stiffen, the hot length of it hard against her hand.
‘In that case’ he grinned, scooping her out of his bag and dumping her on the bed. She immediately crawled back towards the bag, and he grabbed her foot. They wrestled around for a bit playfully until Sam managed to pin her under him. He kissed her slowly, enjoying the taste of her, her spearmint toothpaste, the faint hint of her green tea from breakfast, which now sat abandoned on the night stand. The scent of jasmine blew in from the window. Isa’s hair was clouded around her head, her skin, bare of make-up, was flushed and glowing. She looked so vital, so alive. He slid his hands under her gray marl t-shirt and drew it up over her head. She was naked beneath it, hadn’t bothered with a bra and her breasts were soft and warm in his hands. He sucked at both nipples until they were hard and puckered. Isa sighed softly, her hand rubbing slowly up and down his clothed groin. He reached down and unzipped, eager for her to touch him and she took the length of his cock in her hands and began to stroke, caress and gently pull at him. She tickled the sensitive spot behind his balls, and he groaned, burying his head in her neck. His hand slipped between her legs, finding her already moistening at his touch. He moved down so he could taste her. Her sex was blooming, swelling under his touch, a beautiful pink, and he smiled up at her.
‘You’re so pretty, baby.’
His cock was heavy, engorged and she motioned for him to hurry, to enter her. He hooked her legs over his shoulders, pressing her firmly down into the bed as he fucked her slowly, intensely. His hands cupped the soft skin of her face, his eyes gentle and full of love. She moaned with utter, delicious pleasure and it only made his thrusts more brutal, becoming frantic now as she clamped her legs around his neck.
It felt as if he would never stop coming, his cum shooting into her, filling her sex as he called her name and kissed her frenziedly. His orgasm exploded through his body, making his being vibrate.
How the hell does it keep getting better with her? The errant thought crossed his mind as he came but it was true. Sex with Isa was always exhilarating, and every time they found something new, some new connection to make.
Later, on the plane, when she was asleep in his arms, he brooded over what they would do next. He felt powerless when it came to her stalker. The police had no leads, and it felt to Sam they were retreading the same old ground over and over – with a building body count.
He turned onto his side, trying not to wake Isa. She looked so young, so vulnerable asleep in his arms. He wishes he could wrap them around her and protect her from everything but the world, he’d found, didn’t work like that.
He thought back to what he had told Isa. His father killing the man who murdered his mom. Sam didn’t want to think he himself was capable but he knew, without hesitation, he wouldn’t think twice if Isa was taken from him.
I finally get it, Dad. Sam felt the immense change that had come over him since all of this started. He had someone to protect, someone to fight for.
Someone to kill for.
‘Thanks for coming.’
Karl Dudek nodded once at Seb before sitting down. His expression was tight, his eyes darting across Seb’s face, searching the other’s man expression. Seb tried to smile.
‘Karl. Dude, relax. I just wanted to talk to you.’
Another nod and Seb sighed. Awkward.
‘I hear she got married.’
It was Seb’s turn to nod. He didn’t want to talk about that with Karl, didn’t want to sully the happiness it had brought his family.
Seb took a deep breath in and leaned forward.
‘Look, there’s no way to dress this up, and I can see you’re not up for small talk so here it is. Karl, are you trying to kill my sister?’
Karl made a disgusted noise and sat back, a sneer on his face. ‘Is that what she’s telling you?’
Seb shook his head. ‘Actually, Isa’s the one person who’s defended you from the beginning of this mess.’
Karl’s face fell, and his eyes grew soft. ‘She did?’
At that moment, Seb knew. He knew that Karl would never hurt Isa – not intentionally. The love in his eyes told Seb everything. He let out a huge breath.
‘For what it’s worth, I believe you. Jesus…. Look, I’m sorry, I had to ask. We have no idea who’s doing this. None. Sorry.’
Karl sighed and held up his hand. ‘Look, no harm, no foul. Police have already questioned me. Exhaustively,’ he added with a grin. ‘Tell me everything.’
Seb did so, feeling a weight being lifted. It was nice to talk to someone outside of his family and the police, someone who may offer a fresh perspective. Karl listened.
‘So her new husband. No way it could be him? Seems coincidental all this happened when he showed up. What about his brother?’
Seb smiled. ‘If you knew either of them, you’d see it differently.’
Karl ordered a coffee, was silent till the waitress brought it to the table. He stirred sugar into it slowly. ‘How is she? Really?’
Seb nodded. ‘Apart from living under a death threat, she’s well. Really good. They’re perfect for each other.’
He wishes he hadn’t added that when he saw the pain twist in Karl’s face. ‘You still love her.’
Karl hesitated, then nodded once, not meeting his eye. ‘She’s hard to forget. Seb, please understand, and please tell Isa for me, that day, it wasn’t me and wasn’t who I am. I am not a violent person. I’ll never forgive myself for what happened betwee
n us.’
Seb leaned over, clapped him on the shoulder. ‘You should. Isa has.’
Karl tried to smile. ‘She was always too good for me. I hope to hell this new husband deserves her.’
Karl left soon after, his whole being, his body, slumped with heartbreak. Jesus, what a fucking mess. Seb shook his head. He didn’t have a clue what to do next. He pulled out his cellphone and called Cal.
Isa grabbed her bag, waited for Sam at the door. He smiled down at her. ‘Ready for your first construction job?’
She grinned. He was taking her out to the old hospital, leaving her in Seb’s custody for the day. She intended to start work, clearing the apartment. They had discussed moving in while renovations were still going on, eager to get out of the hotel but she wanted to make sure the contractors had made it livable – even if it would be basic for a few months. She didn’t care – it would be their place. It didn’t need things to make it a home.
‘Yeah, my old bones will need a bed,’ he said now as she told him that. She chuckled.
‘Old man.’
‘Yip.’
It was early December. The day was cold but bright. Traffic for, for once, was light as Sam maneuvered the car along Alaskan Way. Isa stroked the hair over his ears, and he grinned around at her.
‘You getting mushy on me?’
She smiled. ‘Always.’
Seb greeted them at the front entrance and, happy she was being cared for, Sam took off to his meeting.
Isa followed Seb right to the other end of the hospital where the apartment was.
‘We cleared it out as much as we could, but I know you – you’ll try and make something out of the junk, so I’ve left some salvageable stuff for you to play around with.’ Seb grinned at his sister.
Isa hugged him. ‘What a cool bro you are.’ They turned the corner into the corridor outside the apartment. Seb nudged her with his shoulder.
‘So, come on…how does it feel to be an old married lady?’
Isa gave him her biggest cheesiest grin. ‘Fucking awesome.’
Seb feigned shock. ‘Is that any sort of language for the rich man’s wife?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘Yeah, gotta love that.’
‘I was joking, sis. You’re not freaking out about him having money, are you?’
She shrugged. ‘Some. I can bring so little to this marriage, Seb. What does Sam get out of it?’
Seb peered over his glasses at her. ‘You, you idiot.’
She snickered. ‘God, you look like your mom when you do that.’
‘You’re getting on my nerves now, sis. Where in the name of all that’s holy is the key?’ He dug around in his pockets. ‘Got it.’
‘Getting bored now.’
‘Piss off, sis.’
She laughed and followed him into the apartment.
‘Wow, you have been busy.’ From what she remembered, the place was airy, light but now the dirt and filth had been erased, it was a beautiful open space. Isa could instantly see her and Sam in here – maybe a dog as well, she thought hopefully – a corner for Sam to work in, another for her studio area. There was a small kitchenette – plenty for their pizza-loving selves.
Seb watched her with a proud look on his face, and she hugged him. ‘Gosh, Seb, thank you. It looks wonderful. I can see it, I really can.’
He ruffled her hair. ‘I’m glad. ‘Gosh’?’
‘Fuck you.’
Seb laughed. ‘That’s better. There’s the master bedroom through there, and we found another one – did Sam tell you? It’s well hidden, down a little hallway off the master.’
He disappeared into the bedroom. Isa, distracted by the newly re-glazed windows, went to look at the view. It looked out over to the Olympic Mountain Range in the distance. The back of the hospital was a maze of outbuildings and parking lots. But it was the peace she noticed. Apart from the faint, faraway sound of the contractors working at the other end of the hospital, it was serenely quiet. She closed her eyes, breathed in a lungful of fresh air.
Turning away from the window, she followed Seb’s path into the master bedroom.
‘Seb?’
No answer. She saw a door at the other end, a faint light from it and followed the small hallway down to the other bedroom.
It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dimly lit room then she gasped. Seb was prone on the floor, a vicious welt on the back of his head.
Isa barely had time to open her mouth to cry out before a heavy, wet cloth was clamped over her face, strong, unrelenting arms locked around her petite body. She breathed in chemicals, her brain fogged and whirled, and she was falling…
Sam heaved a sigh as the meeting between him, an established artist looking to offload some of his back catalog and the potential buyer. The haggling over the prices had gone on until the early evening now, without a break and now Sam not only needed to pee really, really badly, he missed hearing Isa’s voice. He took care of the most physically urgent business first then found a quiet corner to call her.
The phone rang for a long time then, finally, his call was accepted. When she didn’t speak, Sam frowned. ‘Sweetheart? Isa?’
A man laughed at the other end of the line and Sam’s heart froze. He opened his mouth to speak and found himself dumb with terror.
‘I have her, Sam. I have your beloved Isabel. Let’s see what happens next.’
The line went dead.
‘Hello, beautiful.’ A man in a ski mask and sunglasses pinched her chin hard as she came around. She looked around wildly, desperate to see Seb was okay. Her brother was now cuffed to a chair, conscious but out of it. His head lolling around as he moaned. She herself had been stripped her down to her shirt and jeans, her hands bound behind her back, laid down on the cold concrete of a huge empty warehouse. Her captor was squatted down next to her. She could only see his mouth, squinted, trying to make out any features.
‘Recognize me, gorgeous?’ His voice was muffled, disguised.
Fuck. She didn’t recognize anything about him, and he sensed her distress, laughed softly. He pressed the gun against her belly. She could feel the cold steel of the muzzle through her t-shirt.
‘After all we’ve shared, beautiful, I should be insulted.’
He flicked the safety off, tensed his finger on the trigger. Isa couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. She stared into the darkness of his sunglasses, waiting for the bullet.
‘No! Leave her alone.’ Seb struggled frantically against the cuffs. The gunman laughed and let the gun fall to his side. Isa could only stare at Seb, her eyes filled with pain.
‘Please,’ she whispered. ‘Let him go. Please don’t hurt him. You have me. You don’t need him.’
‘You mean I should just kill you?’
Seb stopped struggling, his face filled with panic and desperation. ‘No, please, stop. You don’t have to kill her, please. Please.’ His voice cracked.
Ski-mask looked up. ‘What the hell do you think I’m doing here then? To take you both for an ice cream, maybe read you a bedtime story?’ He moved over to Seb and hit him with the butt of the gun. Isa screamed. Seb’s head snapped to the side; blood began to pour from a wound above his eye. Ski-mask bent his mouth to Seb’s ear. ‘I do have to kill her, my friend. It’s the whole reason for my existence. A little taster.’
He aimed the gun at Isa and fired. The bullet slammed into her shoulder, and she screamed in agony. The pain was bewildering. Blood spattered across her t-shirt, her chest, her face.
‘No!’
Seb tried to stand, frantic. Isa rolled onto her back sucking in deep breaths, trying to keep the dark spots gathering in her eyes from spreading.
‘It might hurt like hell, but it’s just a flesh wound, beautiful.’ He crouched by the stricken woman and smiled over to Seb. ‘Where next, my friend? Five bullets left.’
He pressed the gun against her stomach. ‘Bang, bang.’ Moved it lower. ‘Bang, bang. Two in her belly.’ He grinned at a horror-struck Seb. He moved t
he gun under her left breast. ‘One in the heart for good measure. Bang. Maybe not. Too quick. Too final. Hmm.’
Seb was struggling against his bindings, desperate to get to his sister, help her, save her. Isa stared up at the monster above her. He ran the muzzle down her face. ‘Maybe I’ll just keep the last bullet for your little brother’ He pointed the weapon at Seb and Isa moaned, terrified. He looked down at the woman under his gun and smiled at her.
‘I’m just playing with you. It would be my pleasure to shoot you, beautiful Isa, but you know what I have planned for you. My knife…’ His voice was sing-song now, and he pressed a finger into her navel, jabbing at it in a stabbing motion. ‘My knife will go in here over and over and over… Christ, I cannot wait…’ He bent down and pushed his mouth against hers. She jerked her face free, spat in his face. He jammed the pistol into her throat. She choked as the metal pressed into her windpipe.
‘Don’t fucking do that again.’ He released her, and she dragged a breath deep down into her lungs. Seb was still struggling against his bindings, his eyes glued to his sister. Isa was feeling strangely light-headed; blood loss, she figured. What did it matter now? He was going to kill them both. What if Seb didn’t need to die?
‘Please…. please….’ Her voice was weak. Ski-mask crouched down and ran a finger down her sweat-slicked face.
‘What is it, beautiful?’
She swallowed. ‘Shoot me... stab me… kill me, do what you want but please, let him go.’
The hand on her face stopped. ‘You’re telling me if I let him go, you’ll let me stab you? You won’t fight me? You’ll just take my knife over and over like a good girl?’
Sick fucking bastard… but she nodded. Anything, anything. ‘Please just let him go.’
The Billionaire Bad Boy Plan Page 49