Ori laughed, embarrassed at the compliment but not about her nakedness. She could not feel shy with this man; he made her feel like a goddess. ‘Your eyesight may be failing you, old man,’ she joked, and Maceo grinned.
‘If anything, it’s improved. Come here to me.’ He held his arms out, and she slid onto his lap, curling up in his arms, totally vulnerable. ‘How is it no-one has snapped you up; taken you to their castle and hidden you away?’
Ori felt a jolt. An image of her step-father flashed across her vision, binding her, holding her down, imprisoning her, and she suddenly felt exposed and ridiculous. She extracted herself from Maceo’s arms and slipped her dress back on.
‘Caro, did I say something to upset you?’ His eyes were curious, concerned. She shook her head.
‘It’s not you, Maceo.’ She tried to smile at him, but he leaned forward.
‘What is it?’
She shook her head. ‘Please, Maceo, let’s not spoil our evening by talking about…my past.’
Another long pause. ‘As you wish.’
After they had changed for dinner, mostly in thoughtful silence, Maceo took her hand. ‘I hope you will get to know Benoit better,’ he said, ‘he is one of my oldest friends.’
Ori asked him about his and Ben’s friendship. ‘We met in college – he and I, and our other friends, Lisander, Seth, and Alex. All five of us were driven, knew what we wanted – and by and large, twenty-odd years later, we all have it. The press calls us The Midnight Club because we all share a birthday – same time of day as well as date and year.’
Ori’s eyes opened wide. ‘That’s an incredible coincidence.’
‘Isn’t it? We were obviously meant to be friends. When is your birthday, mio caro?’
‘November thirteenth.’
‘I shall remember. Start thinking about where you would like to go.’
Ori stopped him. ‘Maceo…I know how the game is played. You don’t have to say such things. I’m not looking for a commitment here…and I know you’re not.’
There was an expression she couldn’t read in his eyes. ‘I’m not?’
She kissed him. ‘It’s okay, Maceo, it really is. I’m not naïve to the world; especially the world of a drop dead gorgeous, extremely eligible billionaire like you. Why would you commit when you could have anyone? All I ask is that you’re honest with me.’
The elevator door opened as she finished speaking and Maceo, all humor gone from his face, was silent as they walked to their waiting cab. In the car on the way to the restaurant, they didn’t speak, but Maceo held her hand, his fingers knotted between hers. Ori glanced over at him as he stared out of the window. Maybe he’d never had a woman say that to him, and that’s what was throwing him. Ori knew she had made the right decision to say what she had; it was a way of protecting her heart because, god knows, Maceo had been battering down the walls that she’d spent years building around it. She could not risk falling in love with him. She would not risk that.
At the restaurant, Benoit and his date were already waiting and Maceo, his mood seeming to lighten, introduced her. Ori was touched by the note of pride she heard in his voice as he introduced her.
Benoit Vaux was in the same league as Maceo, she decided; charming, ruthless and devastatingly handsome. The two men shared the same brooding quality but Benoit seemed more serious than Maceo. His date, Marcella, was an Audrey Hepburn look-a-like, all grace and elegance but a very sweet nature. Ori chatted happily with her as the two men talked about business.
‘You have certainly made an impression on Maceo,’ Marcella told her, smiling, ‘I can’t remember the last time he introduced us to a date.’
Ori was surprised but kept her counsel. ‘How long have you and Benoit been together?’
Marcella smiled. ‘Oh, we’re not together in that sense. I mean, we do spend time together, shall we say, but we’re not a couple. Just very good friends. Benoit does not have the time to commit to a full relationship.’
Ori frowned. ‘Like Maceo.’
Marcella looked taken aback. ‘No, I don’t think so. Anyway, my dear, to answer your question, Benoit pays very well for my company. Not that I wouldn’t do it for free, you understand, but he insists.’
An escort? This glamourous, elegant, intelligent woman? Marcella chuckled. ‘The expression on your face is why I love to tell Americans the truth about Benoit and me, about what I do. He’s quite open about it, you see? We’re consenting adults.’
Ori grinned. ‘Hey, no judgment here as long as it’s consensual, have at it.’
‘Being an escort is my choice, Ori, but it is not my occupation. I do it because I enjoy it, I enjoy sex with handsome men. At the same time, I prefer to live alone.’
They chatted a little while longer then Ori remembered something. ‘Do you know anything about someone called Viola? I believe she was one of Maceo’s friends?’
The smile faded from Marcella’s face, and she sighed. ‘Poor girl. She was murdered – horribly too, shot with a crossbow.’
Ori felt sick. ‘God, who would do that?’
‘They haven’t found anyone responsible yet,’ Benoit broke into their conversation, and Ori realized the two men had been listening to them. ‘Alex is a mess; until he knows why, he can’t move past it.’
The rest of the dinner was a more somber affair after that and Ori regretted asking. As she and Maceo were being driven back to the George V, she looked over at him. ‘Maceo?’
He smiled at her. ‘What is it, Bella?’
‘I’m sorry for asking about Alex’s girlfriend.’
‘It’s okay. It’s playing on all of our minds.’
‘Did you know her well?’
He nodded but said nothing more. He took her hand and kissed the back of her fingers. ‘Caro, there’s something we need to talk about when we get to the hotel.’
Ori’s heart started to pound uncomfortably. No, not yet, I’m not ready for you to dump me, here now, please… but she just smiled and said ‘Okay.’
In the hotel room, he led her out to the balcony and pulled her onto his lap. ‘Ori, something has been bothering me this evening – I hope I didn’t ruin our evening.’
‘Of course not, Maceo, but what’s wrong?’
Maceo sighed. ‘I know how people see me, and a lot of it is to do with my past behavior. With the opposite sex, I mean. I’m sure Lucia warned you away from me.’
Ori grinned, hoping to lighten the atmosphere by teasing him. ‘Warned doesn’t really cover it.’
Maceo gave a small chuckle. ‘You see? What chance do I stand? But, Ori, these last few days with you…I feel so differently I’m having trouble reconciling it. You make me want to see if I could do it, could commit.’
Ori stared at him, shocked. ‘What?’
He rolled his eyes. ‘I’m telling you I’m crazy about you, Orianthi Roy.’
Every emotion that flooded her body left her speechless. No. No, this was a line…surely? This is what men like him did - make you fall for them and dump you. It’s a game. Maceo is a world-class player.
‘I don’t believe you,’ she said flatly and slid from his arms, pacing the room.
Maceo watched her, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘Why is so hard to believe that someone might love you, Ori?’
She didn’t answer him, just turned hurt eyes on him. ‘Don’t. Please, Maceo…’
‘It’s your step-father, isn’t it?’
Ori felt all the air being pushed out of her lungs. Maceo saw her, saw through her, saw the frightened little girl that she was. She stared at him but saw no malice in his looks. He stood and came to her, but she backed away. Don’t touch me or I’ll break.
Her back hit the wall, but Maceo wouldn’t let her run, trapping her in the cage of his arms. ‘Bella, mio amata,’ his voice was soft, tender, ‘what the hell did he do to you?’
Ori stared back at him, her eyes filling with tears. ‘Maceo…please don’t do this. I can’t.’
He stroke
d her face. ‘I can see it in your eyes, my love. Whatever that man has done to you, I’ll make him pay for it.’
She pushed her way out of his arms. ‘Don’t promise things you can’t deliver.’
Maceo sighed. ‘Why are you so afraid of sharing your life with me?’
‘I’m not ready!’ She exclaimed, pain shooting through her. ‘If I tell you, it’ll make it real and…’ Tears came now, and she choked on her words. Her cell phone beeped and, grateful for the distraction, she picked up the phone. Voicemail. She listened to it, her face pale.
Maceo watched her carefully, different emotions running across her face and waited until she ended the call. ‘It’s A.J.,’ she said in a dull voice, ‘He’s in a rehab facility in New York. That was his physician – he’s had a relapse in his depression. He needs me - Maceo, I’m sorry. I have to go to him.’
Maceo nodded. ‘Of course, we will fly out immediately.’
We? Ori closed her eyes. ‘No, Maceo, I can’t let you get involved. It’s too much to ask.’
But Maceo would not be shut out and a couple of hours later, they were on a plane to the States.
Ori was in turmoil. On the one hand, she was grateful to Maceo for his kindness. On the other, she didn’t want to drag him into this part of her life, the part where she was unhappy, into her family drama. If Tyson knew about Maceo, who knew what he would do? Tyson Janek was violently jealous and possessive over Ori – had paid past boyfriends off, or blackmailed them into leaving her alone. She knew Maceo would not be so easily gotten rid of and it frightened her to think what depths Tyson would sink to. The thought of anything happening to Maceo… Ori knew then, at that moment, that the worst thing had happened. She was in love with Maceo Bartoli.
She closed her eyes, willing the tears not to come but then felt his lips on her forehead. ‘Tell me,’ he said softly, and wrapped his arms around her and so, in the confines of his private jet, Ori told him the horrors of her family, of how broken she was, and how her step-father had tormented her, her whole life.
‘What do you mean he’s not here?’ Ori’s voice was growing shriller by the minute as she stood in the very well-appointed reception of the Pinegap Rehabilitation Facility. The director looked at her with sympathy.
‘I’m sorry, Ms. Roy. Mr. Janek removed his son from the facility yesterday; as he has power of attorney, there was nothing we could do. I do have some of Adam’s possessions that he forgot in a rush. Would you like to take them to him?’
Ori nodded, feeling bleak. Tyson had done this on purpose, to show her he was still in control. She guessed he would not easily give up where A.J. was. Maceo stood beside her, silent, his hand on the small of her back protectively. She looked at him and shook her head, and he nodded. She wanted to scream, to rant but she was damned if she would do it here.
The director came back with a plastic bag. ‘Just a few items but he may want them in the future.’
Ori thanked the director, and she and Maceo returned to Maceo’s town car. Ori opened the bag and took out an empty money clip, a copy of The Sun Also Rises (A.J.’s favorite book) and the burner phone she had gotten him.
‘Fuck that bastard,’ she hissed and showed Maceo the phone. ‘He knew A.J. and I would talk. He’s cutting us off from each other.’
Maceo looked angry. ‘Bella, I will help you find him. I have a fleet of private investigators here in New York I can put on the case right now, if you’d like. Janek won’t be able to hide A.J. forever.’
Ori smiled at him gratefully. ‘That would be wonderful, Maceo. I can’t thank you enough; I’m sorry you had to get involved in this bullshit.’
‘Don’t be sorry, just be ready to fight,’ Maceo nodded grimly, ‘because one way or another Janek is going down.’
A.J. Janek sat on the bunk of his new ‘cell’. It was luxurious, he had to give his dad that, but cold, sterile. The reason he had chosen Pinegap was because it had outside space, places he could spend time sketching or watching the birds in the trees. Tyson had arrived yesterday and barely given A.J. the time to acknowledge his presence before he was whisked away in Tyson’s bulletproof car to this place. Jesus… A.J. put his head in his hands. He didn’t even have his phone to call Ori now. Tyson had forbidden calls, and the staff here were obviously under strict instructions not to help A.J. at all. A.J. wondered if this was even a hospital or just one of Janek’s ‘businesses’ that he used to launder cash.
Yeah, Dad, I know all about the illegal activities. And you know that too, don’t you? It’s why you destroyed my peace of mind, undermined my confidence so much so I couldn’t function. And what you did to me, to Ori? What would the good people of the United States think of the congressman if they knew the real truth?
Despair flooded through him, and he slumped back on his bed. What the hell am I going to do now? He hoped that when Ori discovered he was gone from Pinegap, that she would come for him but he knew, without a doubt, that Tyson would try to stop her – and A.J. was under no illusions of the grotesque ways in which his father would try to stop her.
Ori had insisted on going to see Tyson, demanding to know where her brother was. ‘I don’t want him to even think for a moment he has won,’ she raged to Maceo, ‘I’m going to go in there, to his office, in front of his staff and demand he tells me.’
Maceo wasn’t enamored of the idea but knew he wouldn’t be able to stop her. ‘At least let me come with you.’
Ori shook her head. ‘No, not this time, Maceo. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful that you’re helping me, but I want to keep you as my secret weapon. So far, no-one knows we are together. Tyson will threaten me, tell me I’m powerless, that I have no-one. I want to see his face when I drop you on him.’
Maceo nodded slowly. ‘Okay, I can get on board with that. Just…I worry about your safety.’
‘Which is why I’ll make sure I confront him in front of people.’ She kissed Maceo gently. ‘I will be fine.’
‘Take a recording device, or keep your phone on. Record every word he says. It might come in useful.’
So, when Ori walked into Tyson Janek’s office the next day, she was wearing a wire. Downstairs, Maceo and one of his private detectives sat in his car, listening. Ori marched straight to Maceo’s secretary, a thin-lipped blonde who had never liked her.
‘Janine, please tell my step-father I would like to see him.’
‘Do you have an appointment?’ Janine shot back spitefully. Ori gave her a wintry smile and fixed her with a stare.
‘Now, Janine.’ Ori’s voice was low but full of threat and Janine sighed, pushing back her chair and getting up.
‘Wait here please.’
Oh, I will. Ori gritted her teeth. Janine disappeared into Janek’s office for a moment and Ori could hear her nasal whine through the open door.
‘Orianthi, come in please.’
Oh, no. ‘I’d like to speak to you out here, Congressman.’
‘I’m very busy, Orianthi, please come in and stop wasting time.’
Fuck. Sighing, Ori pushed past a smirking Janine, who closed the door behind her. Ori was alone with Tyson – he didn’t look up for a second, scrawling on a pad in front of him. ‘Sit down, Ori.’
She stayed standing, and when he finally looked up, he smirked. ‘Still playing childish games, I see.’
‘Where’s A.J.?’ Ori was clenching her fists into balls, trying not to lose her temper. Tyson leaned back in his chair.
‘He’s safe. In a much better place than that two-bit facility he chose. Or did you choose it for him?’
Ori gritted her teeth. ‘He’s an adult, Tyson. A legal adult and even if he weren’t…’
‘…even if he weren’t, he would still be my son, Orianthi. My son, my blood. Do you think you have rights over my son?’
‘He’s my brother.’
‘Half-brother.’
‘Go fuck yourself, Tyson. I’ll find him on my own.’
Tyson laughed. ‘Such a potty mouth in such a pre
tty girl. And my, you do look ravishing…perhaps you have been away? Italy, perhaps?’
Ori stopped. ‘What?’
Tyson’s smiled dropped, and he suddenly stood and darted toward her. He gripped her hands and yanked her toward him. Ori gave a small cry of alarm. Tyson smiled.
‘I know where you’ve been, Orianthi. I know who you’ve been fucking.’ He buried his face in her neck and breathed deeply. ‘You stink of your Italian billionaire; do you know that? Where was your concern for my son when you were spreading your legs for Maceo Bartoli?’
Tyson slipped his hand between her legs, grabbing at her crotch. His other hand snaked around her waist tightly. Ori struggled to free herself.
‘Get off me, you bastard.’
Tyson laughed, running his hands up and down her body. ‘This was mine well before he touched it,’ he growled, ‘it belongs to me.’ He stopped suddenly and ripped open her blouse. The wire she was wearing was pinned to her bra and snarling, he grabbed it and yanked it free. Ori felt pure terror.
Tyson grabbed his paper knife and held it to her skin. ‘Fucking little bitch. Think you can win against me? Let me tell you something, little girl, I can end you whenever I want, and they wouldn’t even find your body. No-one would care. What would happen if I drove this into you, right now? Would your bastard Italian come for me? Let him try.’
Ori rammed her knee hard into Tyson’s groin, and he buckled. Furious instead of scared now, Ori pulled her blouse together, fingers fumbling at the buttons. ‘That’s the last time you will ever touch me,’ she said, her voice shaking. ‘Now, where is my brother?’
She knew Maceo had heard Tyson attack her, her wire being destroyed and was on his way even now. It gave her strength she never knew she had. Tyson was recovering now, and he gazed at her with absolute malevolence. ‘I’ll tell you, Ori. I’ll tell you at the exact same time my knife sinks into your gut, you little bitch. When your blood is on my hands, that’s when you’ll know you will never be able to escape me. You’ll never see A.J. again.’
At that moment, the door burst open and Maceo, all terrible beauty and rage, flew into the room and knocked Tyson Janek across the room. Ori grabbed Maceo before he could launch another attack on her step-father. ‘Maceo, stop. I’m okay. Let’s go. This pathetic piece of shit isn’t worth it; we’ll find A.J. on our own.’
The Billionaire Bad Boy Plan Page 122