Natasha pushed her long, strawberry blond tresses from her face with shaky hands. “I feel horrible about Slinky. I’m worried it could have been connected to Tony, the guy I’ve been dating.”
“Why on earth would you think that?” Veronique asked, mystified.
She swallowed a shuddering breath. “When I told him that Slinky had been killed, he got agitated and acted weird.”
“Why do you think he was acting that way?”
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me, but he was freaked out.”
“What does he do for a living?”
“He owns a nightclub.”
“Want me to check him out? I can do some investigating.”
“No, thanks. I’m planning to break up with him. I’ve been trying to, but he’s got a quick temper and–”
“Don’t let him intimidate you, Tash. If you want, I’ll go with you.”
“Thanks, Ronnie, but don’t worry. I can handle him,” she said, her normally porcelain complexion glowing pink. “You don’t have to fight everyone’s battle, you know.” She paused and touched Veronique’s hand gently. “I saw what happened on the news this morning…about Nick. What’s going on?”
By the time Veronique finished telling her everything, Natasha’s eyes were huge and her mouth was hanging open. “Oh. My. God,” she finally said. “I knew you had a huge crush on him at camp, but I had no idea it would carry into your adult life.”
“Yeah, and I fell hard this time. I’ve never been in love. You know that. But from the moment I saw him again, I knew I had to have him. The passion between us was stronger than Hurricane Abby.”
“Wait a minute. You two slept together?” Natasha said breathlessly.
“Yes. I even told him I loved him after the first time.” Veronique flinched at the memory.
“You did?” Natasha’s jaw dropped.
“You know me and my big mouth. No filter,” Veronique said, rolling her eyes.
“Aw, don’t be hard on yourself. That’s what makes you loveable,” Natasha said, hugging her.
“To you maybe, but I might have freaked Nick out. He was very sweet about it, but he never said he loved me back, even though he sure acted like it when we made love,” she said shivering at the erotic memory. “I don’t think I’ll ever love like that again.”
“I know the feeling.” Natasha’s eyes clouded with empathy.
“I’m sorry, Tash. I know what you went through with Ian.”
“It’s okay. I’m over him,” Natasha said, but Veronique knew better, especially when Tash looked away and avoided her gaze. “Ian was a long time ago, and I had to move on.” Their break up had been bad and years had passed since, yet the mere mention of Ian made Natasha miserable and regretful. Actress or not, she couldn’t hide it.
Veronique’s phone rang, but she didn’t answer. “It’s Nick. He’s been leaving me messages.”
“What does he say in them?”
“He wants me to call him back, but I don’t want to talk to him,” she muttered.
“Ronnie, you have to call him back. What if it’s something about the case?”
She listened to his message and said, “Holy cow. He’s downstairs.”
Natasha’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I’ll tell the doorman to let him come up.”
“No, I don’t want to see him or talk to him. I’m texting him instead.”
Veronique texted: What do you want?
Nick: To come upstairs and talk to you.
Veronique: You can’t. I’m visiting with Natasha.
Nick: Come downstairs then.
She willed strength into her backbone and blinked back hot tears as she texted back furiously: Go away. I’m spending the night here at Natasha’s.
He texted back immediately: I’ll come by at ten tomorrow to take you to the board meeting. Make sure you have the flash drive with the evidence.
Insulted, she wrote: I know what to bring. This was my investigation, remember?
He texted back: Do not move until I get there tomorrow.
“Look what he just wrote. He is so bossy!” Veronique snapped, showing his text to Natasha.
* * *
Nick looked out of the living room window facing the New York Stock Exchange and his stomach churned. It was the last thing he felt like looking at. The sordid memories of the past year returned and he knew without a doubt he’d be putting his apartment on the market soon. He had no intention of living—or working—in the financial district again. He’d spent most of the evening pacing and trying to make sense of things.
He wanted to return to Turquoise Bay and let the ocean wash away the day’s events, but he knew the minute he stepped into his house, the absence of Ronnie would haunt every breath he took.
In spite of the convoluted mess her video had caused, he loved her.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized Fred was right. He owed Ronnie the benefit of the doubt. She wasn’t devious; she was genuine and caring. Why would she betray him when she had been so loving with him? It didn’t make sense. Ronnie was an excellent investigative reporter. She would dig for the truth and solve the puzzle of how the pictures and tape had been released. Then they could move on.
But how would she explain filming him in the first place?
He dozed off and slept fitfully. At six-thirty in the morning, his phone rang, jarring him awake. He answered right away when he saw it was Felipe’s number.
“Felipe, why are you calling so early?” Nick said.
“Daisy has been injured,” Felipe said in an agitated voice.
“Injured? What do you mean?” Nick’s hand tightened on the phone.
“She’s in the hospital,” Felipe said. “I couldn’t call you last night to tell you—”
“What happened?” Nick demanded.
“She was almost killed. A man shot at her, but the bullet meant for her heart, went through her shoulder instead,” he said, his voice cracking.
Nick’s blood ran cold. “When did this happen?”
“Late yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, the gunman got away.” He drew in a trembling breath and released it. “Daisy has done very bad things. I am very ashamed of my daughter.”
An insidious chill crawled under Nick’s skin. “What do you mean?”
“She sold your information to the press. Then she contacted your ex-wife and pretended she was Veronique. She bribed her to pay out a lot of cash.”
“What!” Shockwaves snaked down his spine as he listened to Felipe’s distraught voice.
“Daisy was so terrified, she confessed everything to me before the police questioned her last night.”
Nick’s stomach turned with self-loathing as he thought about how quickly he’d condemned Ronnie. He should have trusted her in spite of the damning evidence.
“It’s my fault. I should have been a better father.”
“It’s not your fault. Daisy knew what she was doing.”
“Yes, but she’s so young and she has Manolito to care for. Please have mercy on her. She’s my only child,” Felipe pleaded.
“Don’t worry too much. We’ll talk about it tomorrow. I have to go now,” Nick said and hung up, his mind roiling over the dire circumstances. Ronnie was in danger. A hit man was on the loose and Elizabeth was out for blood. Daisy was in the hospital after taking a bullet meant for Ronnie. He had to keep Ronnie safe and then find a way to make her forgive him. She was rightfully angry and hurt. Love involved forgiveness and trust. If he gained her trust again, she’d forgive him. He could only hope because he couldn’t live without her.
He called Ronnie immediately and when it went to voice mail, he said, “Call me ASAP. It’s urgent.” Cursing with exasperation, he hung up and called Fred and arranged for him to go to the police and have them arrest Elizabeth at the board meeting.
Adrenaline pumped through his veins like turbo fuel as he rushed through his shower, got dressed like a madman and ran outside to hail a cab.
&nb
sp; On his way to Natasha’s apartment, he called Ronnie again and this time she answered. “I just heard your message. Why are you calling this early?” she asked. “You said you’d come by at ten.”
“I’m on my way now. Don’t go anywhere until I get there,” Nick said firmly.
“It’s too late. I’m across the street from Natasha’s buying bagels.”
“Stay there. I’ll be right over.”
He hung up and told the cab driver, “Step on it.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Veronique glanced at her watch. Eight o’clock. When she saw Nick pull up in a cab, she walked out of the restaurant to meet him. She watched as he told the driver to wait for them and got out of the car.
“Thank God, you’re safe!” he said, his face drawn as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so frantic?” She stiffened and disengaged herself from his arms.
“Your life is in danger. Daisy is in the hospital after taking a bullet meant for you.”
Perplexed, she took a step backward and stared at him. “What are you talking about?”
“Elizabeth hired a hit man to kill you, but he shot Daisy thinking it was you,” he said grimly, his eyes blazing.
Veronique’s eyes bulged with shock. “Oh my God! When did this happen? Was she killed?”
“No, she survived and she’s so freaked out, she confessed everything to Felipe.”
“What did she confess?”
“She stole your camera and released your film to the news station. Then she pretended to be you and blackmailed Elizabeth about the foundation. Yesterday, the contract killer that Elizabeth hired shot Daisy thinking it was you.”
“Oh my God. I’m shocked. Horrified,” she said, forcing the words through her parched throat. Her hands felt clammy and cold chills racked her body as she stared at him in disbelief.
“Fred is going to alert the police so they can arrest Elizabeth after the board meeting.” Nick walked to the cab and opened the door. “Get in.”
“I can’t, I have to go back and get my purse. The flash drive is in there. I only came here with change in my pocket. Go on ahead. I’ll catch a cab later.”
“No, I’ll wait for you.”
“Okay.” Veronique began to walk away from him on unsteady legs.
“Wait. I want to apologize. For everything,” he said earnestly.
“It’s too late for that,” she said, feeling sick and utterly demoralized at the reason for his change of heart. He was only apologizing because he had solid proof that she hadn’t sold him out.
“It’s never too late,” he said vehemently.
She faced him with her fists braced on her hips. “In this case it is. I had blind faith in you. I never needed evidence to believe you were innocent,” she said, her voice faltering.
“You’re right. I acted like an ass,” Nick said, his voice heavy with regret and self-loathing.
She nodded. “From the first day I came to your house, you only believed the worst about me. And when my video hit the airwaves, you questioned my integrity and condemned me before we could even figure out what had happened,” she said, a tear sliding down her cheek.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry. Don’t cry.” He gently cradled the side of her face and wiped the tear away.
“Don’t touch me,” she said, her words barely able to escape her tear clogged throat.
His hand dropped to his side. “Give me a chance to make it up to you.”
She wanted to, but he hadn’t said he loved her. She loved him too much to continue if he didn’t feel the same way, especially if he didn’t trust her. “I can’t. You’ll just break my heart again and it hurts too much,” she said, running away from him.
“Ronnie, come back,” he called.
She hurried across the street to Natasha’s building.
“I love you!” he shouted for all the onlookers to hear.
Her heart soaring, Veronique turned around. Out of nowhere, a black sedan came careening toward her. She tried to step out of the way, but it sideswiped her, knocking her to the ground.
The last thing she heard was Nick’s anguished shout.
“Ronnie!” he yelled, catapulting forward.
* * *
Hours later, Nick sat in the emergency room anxiously waiting for the nurse to bring Ronnie back from tests to check for a concussion and broken bones. Sick at heart, he kept replaying the horrible moment in his mind when Ronnie got hit by the car. He had never felt so powerless in his life…or so in love. When he saw her lying limply on the floor, he felt as if his heart had been wrenched from his body and decimated. He had ridden to the hospital beside her in the ambulance, watching over her as the paramedics checked her vital signs and put an oxygen mask over her face.
His phone buzzed, drawing him back to the present. He answered when he saw it was Fred calling. “Hey Fred. I don’t have an update on Ronnie yet. I finally convinced Helene to go downstairs and get something to eat. She looked like she was going to pass out.”
“Good thinking. I’m heading over as soon as I can. I wanted to fill you in on the board meeting.”
Nick listened intently as Fred relayed to the details of the board meeting that had just ended.
“Good thing you sent Ronnie’s flash drive by courier. It arrived just in time for the meeting. Elizabeth showed up late, and when we confronted her with the evidence, she tried to put the blame on her assistant,” Fred said.
Nick snorted. “I’m not surprised.”
“She started off acting aloof and superior, but by the time I finished with her, she was livid, especially when the board fired her. That’s when the police arrived and arrested her for attempted murder and fraud.”
“Good,” Nick grunted.
“You should have seen her. She shrieked at them, asking if they knew who she was and threatening to have them fired.”
“She’s delusional.”
“They had to forcefully restrain her just to handcuff her and she was still ranting when they led her away.”
“She and Zack can rot in jail where they belong. I hope she gets the maximum sentence.”
“Me too,” Fred said. “Ronnie’s accident wasn’t a random hit and run. The police put out an APB for the driver’s arrest. Everything was caught on camera.”
“I didn’t think it was an accident.”
“Call me when you have news on Ronnie. I’m worried sick about her.”
“Will do. Thanks, Fred. For everything,” Nick said, hanging up.
When Ronnie was wheeled in on the gurney soon afterward, Nick’s heart clenched when he saw her. Her complexion was eerily white, so different from her usual healthy glow. The right side of her face was bruised with a purple eyelid swollen shut and the top of her head was bandaged. He could only imagine how bruised—or broken—the rest of her beautiful body was.
“Is she going to be okay?” he whispered to the nurse, his heart aching over seeing Ronnie injured and helpless. And all because of him.
The nurse opened the chart and read it, the seconds ticking by like hours until she looked up and met his eyes. “The CAT scan showed she suffered a mild concussion. She was banged up pretty badly, it’s amazing she didn’t break any bones. We’ll have the rest of the results in a few hours,” she said cautiously. “Dr. Draver wants to keep her overnight for observation.
“Okay,” Nick said quietly.
“I’m taking her to a room now.”
“I’ll follow you.” Nick wished with all his heart he could pick Ronnie up and take her back to Starfish Island. He hated that his Ronnie, a free spirit who loved nature so much, was stuck in a sterile hospital like a wounded butterfly.
“Are you related to her?”
“No, but I’m responsible for her. I brought her to the hospital and signed her in.”
When they arrived at the designated room, the nurse said, “There’s a painkiller and sedative in her IV. If she needs any
thing or wakes up in pain, press this button.” She indicated a remote control button on the monitor beside the hospital bed and left.
Nick stood beside the bed, willing Veronique to open her eyes. When she didn’t, he dropped to his knees on the floor and bowed his head. He hadn’t prayed since he was a little boy, when he would beg God to help them escape his monstrous father. Now he prayed for Ronnie to be well enough for him to take her home and nurse her with tender loving care.
“Please God. Make her be well,” he repeated over and over again.
* * *
Ronnie’s eyelids fluttered as she struggled to center her vision. Her head felt fuzzy and her throat was parched. She slowly began to make out shapes in the room. It was dimly lit and a man was kneeling floor beside her bed. Disoriented, she stared at him.
“Nick?” she said groggily when his features finally came into focus. “What are you doing?”
“I was praying,” he said quietly.
“Why?”
“For you to be okay. You had an accident, honey.”
He was praying for her? “Am I in the hospital?” she said after processing what he’d just said.
“Yes, the doctor wants to monitor you. How do you feel?”
“Like I was hit by a car. Now I remember how I got here,” she said after a weighted pause.
Nick flinched. “Want me to ask the nurse for more pain killer?”
“No, I don’t want to be doped up.” She stared at him as flashbacks of the accident invaded her mind. “You saved my life,” she marveled. “Thank you. If I hadn’t turned when you called out, the car would have killed me.”
Nick heaved a tormented sigh. “Don’t say that. You almost got killed because of me! I don’t ever want to lose you. I’ll never forgive myself for lashing out at you. I’m sorry I hurt you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?”
“Yes, but you need to hear me out first.” She sighed. “First get up. You look positively tragic. No one is getting rid of me that easily.”
Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Page 34