The Billionaire Bad Boy Plan

by Michelle Love

  ‘Well, when you put it like that…’

  Isa chuckled. ‘You’re so easily pleased. I need to take a shower before I do anything, though.’

  Sam smiled and bent his head to kiss her deeply. ‘You sure?’

  Isa moaned softly as his hands slid under her top. ‘Well, maybe a little prelude…’

  He pulled her t-shirt gently over her head and kissed her breasts, flicking open the catch of her bra in one easy move. Isa sighed happily as his mouth found her nipples, teasing each one in turn.

  She tugged his shirt from him, fevered now, and unzipped his pants. His cock lay hot and hard against her hand, and she sank to her knees to take him into her mouth, forming her lips over the wide crest of it, her tongue flicking around the tip. Her hand fisted the root of him, urging his cock to thicken and swell. Sam groaned as she worked on him, her tongue making him crazy with desire until he could stand it no longer and he took her there, on the floor of the living room. They fucked hard, eyes locked on the others as if casting off everything else at that moment but each other. Isa’s long, shuddering moan as she came made Sam’s skin tingle.

  Later, sated, showered and relaxed for what felt the first time in months, they strolled to a local restaurant that Jakob had recommended and lingered over a meal that Isa deemed ‘heavenly’; lobster ravioli followed by a suckling pig so tender that Isa ate far too much of it, much to Sam’s amusement.

  ‘Thank God I married a woman who knows how to eat,’ he said fondly, and Isa laughed.

  ‘Right back at cha.’

  Sam was quiet for a moment watching her with a soft, amused smile. Right here and now, he allowed himself to forget the horrors of the past few months, the fact that Isa’s would-be murderer was still out there, waiting for them to slip up and leave her exposed. For just now, he could believe she was safe. Without Isa’s knowledge, a few security guards were staying in around Venice – just in case, Sam told himself. Isa need never know.

  She looked so beautiful in the soft light of the restaurants; the fire from the tea-lights on the table reflecting in her dark eyes. Her dark hair fell softly over her bare shoulders, the soft pink of her dress complimenting her dark skin. Sam reached over and ran a finger down her cheek, and she smiled at him.

  ‘You have the mushy eyes,’ she teased him, and he laughed.

  ‘Yes, I do. For you, always.’

  She held his hand against her face and closed her eyes and for a second, he could see all the fear, all the grief pass over her lovely face. ‘It’s so nice to have this time,’ she said quietly, and he nodded.

  ‘Isn’t it?’

  ‘Thank you for bringing me here, Sammy.’

  He grinned. ‘Well, now you’re welcome, gorgeous. I know how you can thank me later.’

  Isa laughed. ‘You are just the dirtiest boy.’

  After they got back to the apartment and made love long into the night, Isa couldn’t sleep. For a while, she lay curled against Sam’s big, warm body but then got up and padded out onto the small balcony. She had a view out onto the Lagoon and watched the lights of the city at night. What a glorious place, she thought and wondered if they could stay here forever. Her beloved Seattle had been tainted by everything lately; it broke her heart, but she dreaded going back. No, she told herself, you will not be driven out of your home by that fucker.

  She thought about the interview with Paul Carter they had coming up. He had asked them to do a live television spot, and although Sam had protested vehemently, Isa had thought it was a good idea. Sam had chaffed against Carter anyway as the journalist had made no secret of his attraction to Isa. Isa thought the guy was a creep but good at his job so she tried to convince Sam.

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ was the only reply she got. I’ll try to persuade him, she thought now, try to make him see I need to say to the fucker who killed Seb that I’m not afraid of him. Draw him out.

  Satisfied, she went back inside and snuggled back into bed with her lover. Sam stirred and wrapped his arms around her, falling back to sleep almost immediately.

  Isa closed her eyes and prayed that she wouldn’t dream of Seb or the man who wanted to kill her.

  Louisa left her office at five o’clock. Rain misted the streets, and she ducked into a bar near her workplace. She was exhausted and sad and irked. Everyone she worked with had been very kind after Seb’s murder, but also, she was sick of the scrutiny, of the unasked questions on their lips. She wanted to scream Just ask me! But she kept quiet, knowing if she started to talk about him, she would lose her grip on her fragile composure.

  I miss you every day, she thought now. She sighed and ordered a martini. She wasn’t a big drinker, but she felt the need to relax, to unwind. She took her drink and settled into a couch in the back. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, trying to ease the headache that beat incessantly at her brain.

  ‘Lou?’

  Ah hell. She opened her eyes. ‘Cal?’ She was surprised; she didn’t know he came to this bar. It was not a high-end place, not for rich men like Cal.

  Cal smiled at her. ‘May I join you?’ He had a full glass of beer in his hand, and she nodded, sighing inwardly. Then she felt bad; Cal had been very kind to her since Seb’s death.

  ‘Of course, it’s good to see you.’

  Cal dropped onto the couch next to her and smiled at her. ‘This is a great place,’ he said, looking around and Lou looked at him askance.

  ‘Are you kidding? It’s a dive – admittedly my favorite dive – but I would have thought it would be a bit low rent for you.’

  Cal laughed. ‘Lou, I didn’t grow up rich. It was only when my mom married Sam’s dad that we suddenly found ourselves in that sphere.’

  Louisa looked at him curiously. ‘I’ve never heard you talk about your mom before.’

  He shrugged. ‘She died a few years ago.’

  ‘From?’

  ‘Cancer. Or a broken heart. Sam’s dad wasn’t the warmest of men.’ He sounded bitter.

  Louisa was shocked. ‘Really? That surprises me; Sam is such a stand-up guy.’

  Cal was silent for a beat too long then he nodded briskly. ‘Yes. I just hope… never mind.’

  Louisa was curious now as she studied him. Cal looked away from her gaze.

  ‘What, Cal? What were you going to say?’

  Cal sighed, rubbing his hand over his eyes. ‘I hope he doesn’t do to Isa what his dad did to my mom. Withdraw when it gets too complicated, ignore her. Isa’s too special for that.’

  Too special for Sam. Louisa was sure that’s what he meant to say. She frowned.

  ‘Cal, are you in love with Isa?’

  Cal laughed, but it sounded fake. ‘Don’t be ridiculous; Isa’s like a sister to me.’

  Louisa flushed at the rebuke and Cal’s expression softened. ‘I’m sorry, Lou, I didn’t mean to snap.’

  She nodded, gave him a half-smile. Cal left shortly afterward, extracting a promise from her to join him for dinner and drinks later in the week. She watched him leave, go out into the rain, without once looking back. She had always been a little wary of the guy, but since Seb’s death, he had seemed mellower or rather her attitude to him had softened, but at the moment, tonight, he had seemed lost. Maybe it’s because Sam and Isa had taken off and not told anyone where they were going, not even Cal. Maybe he was irked that his elder half-brother hadn’t trusted him. Louisa couldn’t blame him for that; she’d be pissed too.

  She finished her drink and hailed a cab. At home, she took a hot shower and curled up on her couch to watch television, her pet cat Fred tucked onto her lap. Like every night, she missed Seb’s warm presence, his laughing at a dumb show, his teasing of her crying over a stupid romcom. God, what she wouldn’t give to turn back time? She let the tears come then and sobbed until she fell into a restless sleep filled with nightmares and horror…

  She was locked inside the other woman’s body. There was a pain, a terrible searing pain in her head, and wherever she was it was a cold, d
amp place. She was lying on concrete.

  ‘Isa? Baby?’

  Not Sam’s voice but still familiar.

  ‘Cal?’ She opened her eyes. Cal had blood on his face, a streak from his forehead down his temple.

  ‘Ssh,’ he said, glancing around, panicked, ‘We have to get out of here.’ He helped her to her feet. ‘Where’s your coat?’ She was shivering in just her blood-stained gray t-shirt, but it wasn’t from the cold. She just shook her head. Louisa/Isa looked around. An old abandoned hospital, a building site, open to the elements. She felt sick, hurt, her limbs ached. Memories came back to her. A man. A man on top of her…oh God, no…

  She moaned softly, and Cal hugged her to him.

  ‘Come on, beauty, let’s go home.’

  She couldn’t walk. ‘Cal…’ Her voice was a whisper. ‘He… who is he? He made me… he forced himself… oh God….’

  ‘Christ.’ He pulled her tight to him. ‘Look, I know, baby, I know, but we can’t think about that now. We have to get out of here before he comes back.’

  He practically carried her limping through the old building. As they reached the main staircase, he stopped. Louisa/Isa heard it too – a car. Was it him? She whimpered and pulled back for a second then gasped.

  ‘Isa!’ Sam. It was Sam. He was here. He was here to save her. Oh, thank God… His voice was still away, and she opened her mouth to scream his name – and Cal clamped his hand over her mouth.

  Cal dragged her back away from the staircase, away from the sound of Sam’s voice. Louisa/Isa tried to wriggle from his grasp, confused, wondering if Cal hadn’t realized it was his brother. He pulled her into one of the rooms along the corridor, locking it behind him. Locking it.

  What the hell was going on? Cal was facing away from her, his forehead leaning on the door.

  ‘Cal…that was Sam. Sam’s here.’ Louisa/Isa felt dizzy, her head whirling, concussed, breathless.

  Cal’s voice was calm. ‘I know.’

  Then he turned around and smiled at her. ‘I know it’s Sam, Isa. I just thought I’d have more time to do this.’

  She frowned. ‘Do what? Cal, let’s get out of here.’

  Cal was silent for a moment, and Isa started to get scared. ‘Do what, Cal?’

  He walked toward her, and she backed up until her back hit the far wall. Cal leaned in to smell her hair, kiss her cheek, her lips. ‘To kill you, my darling Isabel.’

  The breath caught in her throat, just a second then it was forced from her lungs as Cal stabbed her, driving the knife deep into her, twisting it in her belly.

  ‘No…No…’ But he kept stabbing her, tearing into the soft, vulnerable flesh of her abdomen, the knife slicing through the fabric of her shirt as he drove the blade into her again and again. Her legs gave way and Cal caught her, lowering her to the floor gently, continuing to plunge his knife into her. ‘Why?’ Her voice was a whisper.

  ‘Because you’re beautiful,’ his blows were becoming frenzied now, and Isa felt herself slipping away, ‘because you love him…’, he stabbed her deeply, plunging the knife into her stomach and she choked on her own blood, ‘because he loves you. You were dead the minute he touched you, Isabel…’

  The darkness was coming. Louisa/Isa could smell her blood, feel it pouring from her wounds. He had stopped stabbing her now and was watching her die – and she was dying, she knew that. No-one could survive what Cal had done to her. Please let me live longer enough…. ‘Please let me say goodbye…’ She pleaded with him …’Please….’

  Cal smiled, bending to kiss her one last time. He stared into her eyes. ‘No…’ he whispered, and he slid the blade into her heart.

  Louisa awoke, screaming a terrible raw terror, sending her cat screeching away from her. She stumbled from the couch in a panic, tripping over the throw she had pulled over herself, crashing to the floor. Her head made contact with the sharp edge of the table just as she heard shouting from outside her apartment door, someone banging loudly, calling for her, coming to help.

  By the time her neighbor broke down the door, she was already unconscious.

  Isa closed her eyes as they were driven back from the airport. Their vacation in Venice had flown by, and now they had to face the reality of their existence back here in Seattle. Sam’s arm was around her shoulder, and she leaned into him, wanting to feel his big body next to hers.

  Tomorrow they would meet with Paul Carter to tell him they had agreed to do the live interview. She had worn Sam down finally, telling him she wanted to shock her stalker into making a mistake and revealing himself. They had argued long into most of the nights of their vacation, but finally, Sam had given in.

  ‘Fine! But I’m doubling your protection.’

  She agreed – after all if she was already being baby-sat, what difference did it make? They were being driven back to yet another hotel; Sam wanted to make sure that they weren’t being followed.

  The hotel was, of course, luxurious but impersonal and Isa thought back wistfully to her old apartment, the one above the garage at Zoe’s house. Messy, basic but she had loved it, loved that she had first made love with Sam there. Now, she knew, it had been pulled down, demolished after the dead girl had been found there and a fire had ravaged Zoe’s home and gallery. So much has changed, she considered, in such a short time. She looked over at her husband, his finely angled features stern and brooding. I love you so much, she thought, but I can’t help wondering where I would be if we’d never met. Would Seb still be alive? Would the man who wanted her dead still be stalking her? She gave a deep sigh and Sam looked around at her, his green eyes soft.

  ‘You okay?’

  She nodded, trying to smile. I could never give up any part of you, Samuel Levy. I would gladly die for you. She leaned over and kissed him. ‘Let’s go to bed, darling.’

  Sam’s phone bleeped and he gave her an apologetic smile as he answered it. ‘Yeah? Hey, Cal.’

  Isa watched his face change and felt her heart sink. Whatever Cal was calling about, it wasn’t good news. Sam finished the call then looked at her. ‘It’s Louisa. She had a fall at home, hit her head.’

  ‘Oh no. Is she okay?’

  Sam shook his head. ‘She’s in the hospital, unconscious. They don’t know if there’s been permanent damage.’

  Zoe Marshall flew back to Seattle the day of the interview with Paul Carter. Isa had objected over the phone when Zoe told her her plans, but Zoe had insisted.

  ‘There’s no way I’m going to be away from you at a time like this,’ she had said, and Isa had given in graciously.

  ‘It would be lovely to see you,’ she told her de-facto mother, and that had settled the matter. As Zoe grabbed her luggage and walked into the Arrivals area. She saw Isa, flanked by two enormous bodyguards waiting for her. Isa nodded imperceptibly at the men and rolled her eyes, and Zoe grinned. She hugged Isa tightly.

  ‘Welcome back, Mom,’ Isa said, and Zoe felt tears spring into her eyes. Dashing them away impatiently, she hurried them all to the waiting town car.

  ‘We’re to go straight to the hospital,’ she ordered the driver and Isa nodded.

  ‘Lou’s awake,’ she told Zoe, ‘but still a little out of it. Bad concussion but they’re hopeful she’ll be okay in the long run.’

  Zoe frowned. ‘What about her family?’

  Isa looked sad. ‘She doesn’t have any, to speak of. Not in Washington.’

  ‘Like you.’

  Isa smiled. ‘I have you.’

  Zoe squeezed her hand. ‘And Sam and Cal now.’

  Isa nodded, and Zoe wondered if all was okay. ‘What’s going on? Are you having second thoughts about the interview?’

  Isa shook her head. ‘No, it’s just…God, it sounds so ridiculous but Paul Carter was very, um, flirtatious yesterday and it really got under Sam’s skin. Like he has anything to worry about; Paul Carter’s a good journalist, but he makes my skin crawl. But I’m concerned that Sam will forget why we’re doing this in the first place.’ She looked apo
logetically at Zoe. ‘Told you it was ridiculous.’

  Zoe smiled at her. ‘If the world had less male ego in it, it would be a better place, Isa. Sam knows the priority here, don’t worry.’

  At the hospital, they found Louisa awake and happy to see them. Zoe was shocked at the dark circles under her eyes, and when Isa had gone to get them some coffee, she took the younger woman’s hand.

  ‘What is it, honey?’

  Louisa sighed. ‘It’s the nightmares, Zoe; I can’t shake them. Images of Seb being killed, over and over. Of Isa being murdered in the vilest, horrific ways. And in all of them, the killer is the same person, and I can’t get it out of my head.’

  ‘Who?’

  Louisa hesitated then met her gaze. ‘Cal.’

  Zoe’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Lou, why on Earth?’

  ‘I know, I know, it’s crazy, and I have no earthly reason for even suspecting the poor guy.’

  There was a silence, and Zoe waited for a beat before asking. ‘So why?’

  ‘He’s in love with Isa,’ Lou blurted out, wanting to get it out of her system. ‘It’s obvious to me, and I just was wondering if he would be capable of such violent jealousy that…’

  ‘No,’ Zoe said abruptly. ‘There’s no way. For one thing, he would never hurt Seb; they were as thick as thieves. For another, he’d never hurt Sam. And yes, he does have a crush on Isa, but they all know that. It’s harmless. Cal is harmless.’

  Lou looked ashamed of herself. ‘I’m sorry. I guess I’m not dealing with things as well as I thought.’ Her eyes filled with tears. ‘God, I miss him, Zoe, Seb, I miss him all of the time.’

  Zoe nodded, her dark eyes glistening. ‘I know, sweetheart, I know.’ She moved and held onto Louisa as she sobbed.

  Outside the hospital room, he listened to the girl crying. That was my doing. Their pain made him smile. He moved away, fingering the knife in his pocket. He’d followed Isa to the hospital, knowing that there, she felt safe, that she sent her protection to wait in the relatives’ room.