Shattered: A Billionaire Romance Series (Contemporary Romance Novels)

by Love, Michelle

  “Wallflower? That’ll be different,” Danny commented with a sly grin.

  As we pulled out to the main street, several police cars flew past us with their lights flashing. “Just because you have to go home to the same woman every night doesn’t give you the right to judge my own love life,” I muttered as I watched the police cars. They were pulling into the club parking lot. What had happened?

  “I get to go home to the same woman ever night,” Danny corrected. “And it’s not really a love life unless you actually cultivate more than a one-night stand.”

  “Turn around.” I wanted to see what all the commotion was all about.

  Danny obeyed without comment and within minutes, he parked close to the police cars. “What happened here?”

  “That’s what I intend to find out. Stay here and keep the engine running. I won’t be long.” Exiting the car, I walked slowly to the closest officer as I took in the scene. A small crowd had gathered, and the police were still taping off a small section of the parking lot. In the middle of everything, one officer was draping a blanket across the shoulders of a woman.

  My wallflower. As I took in the tangled mess of curls and green dress, I felt an invisible fist punch me in the stomach. “Excuse me. What’s going on?”

  “No questions,” the officer said gruffly as he tried to wave me away.

  “I’m Lucas Montgomery,” I said quietly. “I was just inside a few minutes ago.” It was rare for me to drop my name like that. Normally people knew who I was, and if they didn’t know, I didn’t care to tell them.

  The officer’s eyes widened. “Did you just say Montgomery? Hold on just a minute. Don’t move.” He ran over to someone else and, after a few seconds of conversation, waved me in. I ducked under the tape.

  “Mr. Montgomery, I’m Detective Allen. Are you familiar with a Sloan Whitlow?”

  I noted that the detective had flipped open a notepad. “I’m not,” I said slowly.

  The detective pointed to the woman behind him. Paramedics were still checking Sloan out. “That’s her. You have no idea who she is?”

  “I saw her in the club, but I’ve never seen her before tonight, and I didn’t know her name. If you’re asking if I witnessed anything, the answer is no. I’m just here out of curiosity.”

  “Curiosity, huh? Are you the Montgomery from Montgomery Industries?” Allen asked. His eyes gazed at me shrewdly.

  I knew when I was being interrogated. Peeved, I shook my head. “I’m not answering any more questions until you tell me what happened. Otherwise, you can talk to my lawyer.”

  “I apologize for the third degree, Mr. Montgomery. You’re not a suspect, but it took me by surprise when you showed up at the crime scene. Ms. Whitlow contends that while she was at her car, two men tried to abduct her. They said that Lucas Montgomery would pay for her return. She says that she has no idea who you are or what you do. She must have fought like hell to get away.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “A few scrapes from the pavement. Nothing severe. She’s a very lucky woman. Do you think she knows who you are?”

  Immediately, I clenched my teeth. “She’s probably telling the truth. I did see her at the club, and I may have exhibited some signs of interest. Anyone watching me may have misconstrued that.”

  “Did you walk to her? Dance with her? Buy her a drink?”

  “No,” I said softly. “She was by the bar on the first floor, and I was on the second floor by the stairs leading up to the VIP room. I just watched her.”

  “It must have been some look that you gave her,” the detective said softly. “Leave a number where we can contact you if we need to. There are cameras in the parking lot, but apparently the men were masked. We may have some further questions for you.”

  I rattled off my cellphone number as I stared at Sloan. As if she knew that I was watching her, she turned her head and locked eyes with me. Her mouth parted in surprise, and I knew that she recognized me from the bar.

  Rather than go talk to her, I thanked the officer and headed back to my car. I wasn’t quite ready to speak to her yet, but I did need to get more information about her. If she had been harmed because of me, I wanted to keep an eye on her. And if she were running some kind of game, I wanted to know.

  There was just something about her that I wasn’t quite ready to let go of yet.

  Chapter Three

  Sloan

  The blue lights flashed around me, and I wrapped the blanket tighter around my body. The officer took my statement, and the paramedic kept urging me to go to the hospital. The attack kept flashing in my mind.

  “Damn. Lucas Montgomery is going to pay handsomely for your safe return.”

  It couldn’t have lasted more than a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity. My skin still burned from where I’d scraped it on the pavement, and loose gravel still bit into the palms of my hand.

  The paramedic interrupted my thoughts, and I blinked. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you.”

  “That’s okay. There isn’t a whole lot more we can do, but if you feel any type of unusual pain, you need to get to a hospital. Do you understand?”

  I nodded my head and tried to smile at him. As he packed his bag, I felt the heat of someone staring at me. Turning my head, I felt shock jolt through me. The gorgeous stranger from the club was speaking to the detective and watching me. Dropping the blanket from my shoulders, I took a couple steps towards him, but he had already turned and disappeared into the crowd.

  “Excuse me, Detective? Who was that man that you were just speaking with?”

  Detective Allen gazed at me steadily. “Why? Do you recognize him?”

  Immediately, I flushed. After everything that had happened, I felt strange telling the detective that I needed the name of the man that made me wet with just one look. “He was watching me at the club,” I said lamely.

  “I didn’t realize a man could cause so much trouble with just one look,” the detective muttered. “That’s Lucas Montgomery.”

  “What?” I gasped. “I don’t understand. Is he someone important?”

  The detective snorted. “He owns Montgomery Industries. He’s one of the richest men in the city.”

  “I don’t pay much attention to business,” I said softly. “What did he say to you? Does he know who attacked me?”

  “He wanted to know what happened and if you were okay. Says he doesn’t know you and doesn’t know why someone would think that he’d pay ransom for you.”

  Rubbing my arms, I nodded. An angry shout drew my attention past him to the crowd where Randi was screaming at an officer.

  “She’s my roommate,” I said as I rushed over. “It’s okay.”

  “Sloan!” Randi wailed. “What the hell happened? These assholes wouldn’t let me talk to you. Are you okay? Do I need to kill someone?”

  “It’s her birthday. She’s a little drunk,” I apologized to the officer as I grabbed her arm. “Randi, maybe don’t offer to kill a police officer. I’m okay. I’ll explain everything later.”

  “Ms. Whitlow, do you want an officer to escort you home?”

  A shiver of fear slid down my spine. Was there any chance that the men knew where I lived? “It might be nice if someone followed us.” I swallowed hard and squeezed Randi’s arm.

  “Officer Jackson will follow you,” the detective said with a nod. “Go home and try to get some sleep. I’ll let you know if I have any further questions.”

  Nodding, I pulled Randi through the small taped off area. Before I could get in the car, she threw her arms around me.

  “I was so scared when I saw all the police lights and couldn’t find you in the club,” she whispered in my ear.

  Holding her tightly, my eyes scanned the parking lot for any sign of the would-be kidnappers or for Lucas Montgomery. “Come on,” I murmured. “Let’s go home.”

  I desperately needed a shot of tequila and a long hot shower. Anything to help keep the nightmares that would surely haunt me tonig
ht at bay.

  By Monday, I had pushed Friday night’s horrific events to the back of my mind. Determined to focus on school, I’d spent most of the weekend in the library, and now the only thing that split my focus was the image of Lucas Montgomery.

  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn´t stop thinking of him. He’d looked at me like I was a main course.

  I kind of wanted to be his main course.

  “Hi, Sloan.”

  Locking the front door to my apartment behind me, I turned to the sound of the soft spoken voice. Matthew was our next-door neighbor, but we didn’t know much about him. He looked to be somewhere in his thirties, and he was attractive in a dark and brooding way, but he rarely said more than just hello and goodbye. I had no idea what he did for a living, and I never saw anyone go in or out of the apartment with him. He kept strange hours, and we never heard a peep from his apartment. No television or music blaring. Trish felt sure that he was a serial killer.

  “Hi, Matthew. How was your weekend?”

  “Fine.” Without offering any more information, he opened his door and left me standing in the open courtyard.

  I don’t even know why he bothered to say hi at all. Grumbling, I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and started walking towards my car. Our apartment building stood three stories high and surrounded the courtyard. The company did a good job of maintaining a small garden in the middle, so it was always pretty to look at. The top two levels had railed walk-ways that overlooked everything, but those of us on the first floor had a small patio where we could put out chairs. Because we were so close to the university, most of my neighbors were students, so we were all friendly with each other.

  Matthew was an exception.

  When I reached my car, I saw a dark car in the overflow parking spot near my apartment. It wouldn’t have caught my attention except that it had been there all weekend. Every time I saw it, it looked like there was a person inside.

  Like surveillance. Detective Allen had offered me security detail if I felt like I was in danger, but it seemed unlikely that the kidnappers would know where I lived, so I had turned it down. Maybe he was having me followed anyway.

  They stayed parked as I pulled out of the complex, so I pushed that out of my mind as well. I had three classes today, and I hoped to squeeze in some time to work on my thesis.

  Campus was in full swing by the time I pulled in to one of the student parking lots. Since it was early, most of the students rushed to class with cups of coffee in their hands. I had already had two cups this morning, and while I loved to stop at the campus coffee shop, I probably needed to cool it with the caffeine.

  It wasn’t until my last class that I realized that I was being followed. When I passed the Business Center building, I could see their reflections in the tinted glass. When I stood in line at the dining hall, I saw them lounging by the entrance. And when I headed back to the library, I just had a feeling that if I turned around, they’d be no more than a few feet behind me.

  Turning the corner, I bumped into a hard body. Books and papers spilled on the floor. “Watch where you’re going,” a younger woman snapped.

  “I’m sorry,” I muttered. Bending down, I tried to help pick up her things, but I kept looking over my shoulder. “Did you see two guys in suits following me?”

  “Paranoid much? Lay off the rooms.” She grabbed the book out of my hand and stalked off in a huff.

  “Rude,” I muttered, but she was right. I did sound paranoid. Maybe I hadn’t shaken off the attack like I’d thought. Feeling like a crazy person, I gripped the strap of my bag and quickly climbed the steps to the library. Only people with student or faculty passes were allowed inside, so if anyone was following me, I’d lose them inside.

  But the hairs on the back of my neck never went down.

  Chapter Four

  Lucas

  “Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Hamburg is here to see you.” Cecilia poked her head in my door and gave me a friendly smile in an effort to soften the blow.

  I grunted my displeasure and wrinkled my nose. “Did he say what he wanted?”

  Hamburg was a member of the board, and he was always a thorn in my side. Still, it was unusual for him to stop by for an unscheduled meeting. Cecilia gave me a pained look. “I’m afraid not.” She was a pretty woman a few years older than myself. Single, but I’d never been tempted. Not only did she had three kids, but I didn’t mix business with pleasure. She’d come to me as a temp, and we’d worked well together, so I had hired her full time.

  “I have a conference call in Tokyo in ten minutes, but it shouldn’t keep me too long. See if he wants a cup of coffee. If he wants to see a specific department, get Walsh to take him.”

  Gordon Walsh was my personal assistant. He’d started as an eager intern, and a year later he still hadn’t lost his irritating cheerfulness. But he was organized and energetic, so I kept him on as well.

  “Yes, sir. Would you like me to bring you a coffee as well?”

  “No. That’s Walsh’s job,” I grumbled.

  I knew she was about to argue, so I look pointedly at the clock to usher her out. She closed the door quietly behind her, and I pulled my notebook from my briefcase. My production line in Tokyo was still in its early stages, and they had to check in every week with updates. Normally someone else would take the calls, but the last time I had tried to expand to Tokyo, the deal went disastrously South. I didn’t need any more black marks against me in Japan.

  Despite the stress that my company put on my shoulders, my office was my place of peace. Large and sparsely decorated, it had a wall of glass that overlooked the city below. I despised clutter, so my desk was neat and organized. I had a couch for when I wanted to relax, Bluetooth speakers for when I needed music, and a television for when I needed to watch the news. It connected to my own private bathroom and shower, so when I needed to take a break and go for a run or do some push-ups, I would wash up afterward. The door locked automatically behind me. My retina scan got me in, and several members of the company had key cards that could override the system. Here, I felt in control.

  My phone vibrated, distracting me. The text message was quick and simple. I think she’s made us.

  Damn it. I had four men tailing Sloan Whitlow. They rotated throughout the day, and they were supposed to keep her safe, but they were also supposed to keep their distance. She was never supposed to know that they were there.

  Annoyed, I texted them back. Not okay. Keep me updated.

  Logically, it was not my fault that someone had tried to kidnap her, but I couldn’t help but feel guilty. It would have been obvious to anyone at the club that I was interested in her.

  More than interested. She’d been on the forefront of my mind all weekend, and even now, the image of her haunted me. My inner voice taunted me. Maybe I wanted her to realize that I was having men follow her. Maybe I wanted a reason to talk to her again.

  “Konnichiwa, Mr. Montgomery.” The video feed popped up on the computer, and the representative bowed to me. “How are you this evening?”

  “It’s still morning here,” I grunted and held up my coffee. “I appreciate you staying up late.”

  “We are used to it. Progress is good. We have filled almost all the employment slots. We have a mountain of applications.”

  I paid my employees well, so I expected nothing less. I demanded a lot from the people who worked for me, but I compensated them accordingly. “Good. How is the construction going?”

  The man cringed. “I’m afraid it still looks a week behind schedule.”

  “My contract for the builder only gives a four-week margin of error. If they push it behind anymore, they’ll be breeching the contract, and I’ll find someone else who can finish the job. And I won’t hesitate to do that. I’d rather waste time finding a new builder than work with someone who can’t meet my demands,” I said harshly.

  “Of course. I’ll make sure they know that.”

  “See that you do. Email me their res
ponse.” The small red light on my phone indicating that my secretary wanted to speak to me started to blink, and I ended the conversation with Japan and pushed it. “Yes?”

  “I’m sorry to bother you again, Mr. Montgomery. Mr. Hamburg is insistent that he needs to see you right away.”

  The damn man was pushy. I sighed and shook my head. “That’s fine, Cecilia. I’ve wrapped up my conference call. Send him in.” I pushed the button under my desk that unlocked my door.

  The door clicked, and Cecilia swung it open and led Hamburg in. He was a tall, portly man with thinning gray hair and shrewd dark eyes. Of all the board members, he was the least irritating, but he was also the most involved. Most of the members only showed up during meetings, but Hamburg liked to call frequently with new ideas. He’d recently retired from his own company, and I think he missed the action. I usually welcomed his ideas. He had a mind for business.

  “Hamburg,” I said as I rose from my desk. Grabbing his hand, I shook it firmly and gestured to the empty seat. “What brings you in today?”

  He sank into the seat and took a few deep breaths. Years of drinking, smoking, and poor eating were taking a toll on him. “Montgomery. I’m sorry for barging into your office, but there is something that I thought you should see.” He reached into his inner jacket pocket and slid a newspaper across the table. The Boston Times. Narrowing my eyes, I unfolded the paper and scanned over the headline.

  “Montgomery Industries to buy up prime Boston real estate.” I read. “What the fuck is this shit? We just voted on the expansion last month. I haven’t even set up an appointment with real estate, and we sure as hell haven’t bought any property yet.”

  “I doubt anyone would have even noticed had I not had some connections in Boston,” Hamburg said. “Someone thought they could leak information without it reaching you.”

  I quickly read through the article. “My public relations department doesn’t even take phone calls from the press unless we’re unveiling a project or dealing with a public issue. Any reporter calling for more details would have been ignored,” I murmured. “Hamburg, that was a closed door meeting, and all the information in this article is correct.”