Seized by Seduction--A Compelling Tale of Romance, Love and Intrigue

by Brenda Jackson

  At the surprised look in Riviera’s eyes, Wally smiled. “See, there are some things that do get past the Bureau. Levan made sure no one knew. And because we were related, I felt a loyalty to him.”

  Riviera tried to hold back his fury. “You knew what he was doing. Killing innocent people. Selling women and children into slavery. Trying to cause a gang war. Damn, you knew what he paid Constantine and Griffin to do to Esther Emiliano. As far as I’m concerned, you’re as repulsive as he was to have gone along with it.”

  Wally stewed on that for a moment before saying, “I was greedy. Tired of fighting damn criminals who got away and often lived a hell of a lot better than we did. No, I can’t justify all those horrendous acts Levan did. I won’t justify them.”

  “Yet you harbored him as a fugitive. Fed him information so he could stay one step ahead of us. Men like you sicken me.”

  “I know, and believe it or not, for the past few months I have sickened myself. But maybe I can make it up by doing the right thing for once. I don’t want anyone else’s blood on my hands because of Levan.”

  Riviera straightened in his chair. “What do you mean?”

  Wally drew in a deep breath. “Levan was a man who didn’t believe in leaving behind unfinished business.”

  An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Riviera’s stomach. “And?”

  Wally leaned back in the chair. “Order me a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and I will tell you everything I know.”

  * * *

  RANDI STUDIED HER FACE in the bathroom mirror and winced at the puffiness around her eyes. She refused to shed any more tears for a man who’d made it clear that he didn’t want her. Things would be okay. She was prepared to live a life without him, but it wouldn’t be lonely. She had her family, a few friends, her work and of course Glendale Shores. She could always escape there. She’d been to the island for long periods by herself and the seclusion never bothered her.

  But how would she manage to put out of her mind the feeling of being with Quasar? Of being held in his arms? Of being made love to all through the night? Of sharing intimate, oftentimes hot and steamy conversations in Spanish? Just being with him? Seeing him sitting across a table and looking at her in a way that made her wet?

  She clenched her legs tightly together at the memories she hoped would sustain her through the lonely days ahead. She couldn’t get over how in just a short time Quasar had come to mean so much to her. Granted, she’d known he was her intended, yet from the first there had been something about him that had gone beyond just sexual. Like his easy acceptance of her gift. Not once had he ever made her feel as if she was some type of freak. More than once he’d complimented her on it and told her how special she must feel to have it. Knowing that was his attitude had made her gift special.

  She left the bedroom and was headed for the kitchen to see what she could scrounge up for breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Her heart began racing and then she slowly calmed it down. There was no way it was Quasar returning since he had a key.

  Crossing the room to the door, she looked out the peephole and frowned. It was Kendra. What on earth could the woman possibly want? Of course like the first time Randi saw her, Kendra didn’t have a hair out of place and was wearing a cute shorts set, while Randi thought she herself looked like crud in a pair of well-worn cutoffs and an old T-shirt.

  When Kendra knocked again, Randi decided to open the door. “Kendra? May I help you?”

  Kendra smiled brightly, looking behind Randi to see inside the house. “No, you can’t help me. I was looking for Quasar.”

  Randi crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed with the audacity of the woman. “He’s not here.” There was no way she would tell the woman he’d left her and returned to Virginia.

  “Phooey. I needed his help with something.”

  Randi could just imagine what. “Is there anything I can help you with?” she asked sweetly, knowing there wasn’t.

  “Um, not unless you know how anything about motorboats. I can’t get it to move. It was fine when I took it out yesterday.”

  Randi nodded. “Well, this is your lucky day, because I do know something about motorboats. I own one myself.” Randi thought of her beautiful motorboat docked at Glendale Shores. It had been a graduation gift from her parents when she got her PhD.

  Not surprisingly, Kendra didn’t seem impressed. “Ah, that’s okay. I’d rather have Quasar look at it. Please tell him to mosey on down to my place when he returns.”

  Without waiting for Randi to respond, Kendra walked away, deliberately swaying her hips as she did so.

  Randi knew she should have told Kendra that Quasar wouldn’t be returning, but eventually the woman would find out on her own when Quasar didn’t mosey on down to her place. Too bad. Too glad.

  * * *

  “YOU’RE A CELEBRITY, SENOR?”

  Quasar switched his gaze off the beautiful scenery they passed to the driver of the private car. “No, I’m not a celebrity. I’m nobody.”

  “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, senor. Everyone is someone, even if they don’t know it yet. Take my Anita, for instance.”

  Quasar would rather not take his Anita. He was not in a talkative mood. Just his luck to get a driver who was chatty.

  “My Anita was always a quiet child and got bullied a lot while growing up. We had no idea until we found a note she’d written when she’d planned to commit suicide by hanging herself. She’d gone so far as to purchase the rope and everything.”

  That got Quasar’s attention. “What did you do?”

  “We talked to her, told her that she should have told us what was going on. We had no idea what she’d been going through. She was only fourteen. And some of the things those mean-spirited kids did to her were heartbreaking. I admired her strength for persevering as long as she had. But I assured her that now that her mother and I knew what was going on, we would carry the load from here on out. She should not worry.”

  Quasar couldn’t imagine someone so young having to deal with people so cruel. At least while growing up he’d had a lot of friends. But his bully was living right under his roof. Doyle. He recalled the number of ways his older brother made his life a living hell. When he’d complained to the old man, he hadn’t done a damn thing about it. His mother, on the other hand, would scold Doyle and put him under punishment, which didn’t last once Louis found out. “How is she doing now?” Quasar asked, sincerely wanting to know.

  “My Anita is fine and is now twenty-seven and a medical doctor,” the man said proudly. “She’s married and has a wonderful husband and a little baby. She is happy. Her mom and I are happy. Happy ending for all.”

  “I’m glad,” Quasar said, thinking it truly was a happy ending.

  “My Anita is living proof that everybody is somebody. You should never let anyone define who you are. You have to love yourself, even if no one else loves you. It’s their loss and not yours,” the driver was saying. “We had to convince Anita of that to help her move on. We also stressed to her that a person has to be willing to accept love from others. That there are those who will come in your life who love you in spite of anything. In the end, they become your everything.”

  Quasar didn’t speak as he thought deeply about what the man had said. He wondered if he’d allowed his father to define him even when he thought he hadn’t. He’d stayed away for ten years. Three involuntarily and seven voluntarily. Yet the minute he returned and saw his father again, those feelings of inadequacy had returned twofold. Although he’d convinced himself what Louis thought didn’t matter, in the end he’d proven that was a lie. And for his father to look him in the eye and tell him that he could never love him—that had broken him down when he should have been strong enough to deflect the pain. At least he should have been able to walk away and not give a damn about how the old man felt one
way or the other. He should have been more like Anita and moved on. And he should have been willing to accept love. From Randi.

  Randi.

  Quasar leaned back in the seat and thought about the woman he’d left behind. In running away from the pain and humiliation caused by his father, he was also running away from her. And her love. He clearly recalled their last conversation and everything he’d said. His words had been spoken more to convince himself that what they’d shared had been nothing more than a fling.

  Deep down he’d wanted it to be more than that, but he’d backed away as soon as things got real. What he’d said this morning had hurt her, and she hadn’t deserved the pain. But he had wanted to convince her that she meant nothing to him...when he knew she truly meant everything.

  Quasar had no right to leave the way he had, not when she had been there for him, given herself to him and supported him last night. When he had thought he hadn’t needed anyone, she had been there to prove he’d needed her.

  He would admit he still needed her. He would also admit something else. He loved her. What they’d shared over the past few days had nothing to do with sex...although he would admit it was the best he’d ever had. It was about building a relationship based on respect and love. Randi was everything a man could want in a woman. Tough. Resilient. Sexy. He chuckled. Definitely sexy. And last night she had stood by him while facing his family in a way no one else had.

  He thought about Lilly and how she still expected him to love her. And the fact that he hadn’t indulged in serious relationships because of what she had done only proved she still had a hold on him and his life. A hold Lilly didn’t deserve to have on him. Instead of moving on, he was stuck in the past. It was time he got over it and, like Anita, moved on.

  He needed to talk to Randi. Tell her how he felt. Convince her that he loved her. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said.

  The driver met his gaze in the rearview mirror with a puzzled look in his eyes. “About what, senor?”

  “Take me back.”

  “Sí señor.”

  They had ridden for twenty minutes, and Quasar had leaned against the backseat of the car with his eyes closed while thinking about what he would say to Randi when he saw her. He would do whatever it took, even grovel if he had to.

  Suddenly he opened his eyes as a feeling of unease swept through him. He wasn’t sure why, but he knew it had something to do with Randi. Why did he get the feeling that she was in danger? Just like he had before. He could call Agent Riviera. But what if he was wrong and nothing was amiss? Besides, the agent would have to come all the way from LA. That was nearly an hour’s drive even on Sunday.

  Quasar sat up straight in the seat and looked out the window, recognizing the area. He was closer, less than a half hour from his home in Malibu. But still...

  “Could you speed it up a little?” he asked the driver. “I need to get home as soon as possible.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  DECIDING THAT THIS would be a do-nothing day, Randi planned to kick-start it with a swim. Since there was no reason to remain here another two days, she had contacted the airlines to see if she could get an earlier flight out. Preferably in the morning.

  She would return to Richmond and reschedule that class she was to instruct at Quantico. According to messages from her personal assistant, a ton of magazines had called for interviews about the LA case that was making headlines everywhere. That would keep her busy.

  Although she didn’t want to think about Quasar, she was doing it anyway. She hadn’t realized how attached they’d been. Very seldom had he let her out of his sight. While he was her bodyguard, they had eaten all their meals together, gone everywhere together and slept under the same roof and most nights in the same bed.

  But Quasar had made his decision about them and she had to accept it. And she would.

  Deciding to spend time on the beach, she had packed her beach bag with a good book, a towel, her wrap, a couple of bottles of water and a few snacks. When she got halfway to the shoreline, she noticed the small motorboat and wondered if it was the same boat Kendra alleged she’d been having trouble with. That made Randi wonder if the woman’s claim was a ploy just to get Quasar alone. She wouldn’t put anything past the woman.

  Randi removed her sunglasses when she noticed how close Kendra’s boat was to shore. She had to admit it was a beautiful black-and-gold motorboat, and the design was sleek with a smooth, shiny finish. It was the perfect size for a couple to sit comfortably without squatting.

  Kendra’s back was to her, and like Randi, she was wearing a huge floppy straw hat to protect against the sun. Randi removed her wrap, took off her hat and placed everything in her beach bag. She then raced toward the water.

  Like she’d told Quasar, she loved to swim. She hoped one day he would triumph over his phobia and they would swim together. She scolded herself for even thinking such a thing when Quasar had made it clear that they wouldn’t be seeing each other again.

  Randi had swum back and forth in the water for a good fifteen minutes when she heard a cry for help. She glanced around and saw a few puffs of smoke coming from Kendra’s motorboat. “What in the world?”

  When Kendra’s screams got louder, Randi began swimming toward the boat to offer her assistance. There wasn’t a lot of smoke, which was good. Oftentimes boaters didn’t double-check to make sure the gasket was on tightly to prevent water from seeping inside the fuel. The smoke could certainly be caused by that, which was a relatively easy thing to fix.

  When Randi reached the boat, she pulled herself out the water and swung her legs over the side to get in. Before she could steady herself on her feet, she felt a sharp sting prick her right shoulder. She glanced over at the woman holding a tranquilizer gun and wearing a huge grin on her face.

  That was the last thing Randi saw before everything went black.

  * * *

  QUASAR QUICKLY PAID the driver and rushed to the door. “Randi! Randi!” he called out at the top of his lungs.

  When he didn’t get an answer, he unlocked the door and checked the bedroom where they’d spent the night before. When he found it empty with the bed already made, he left the room and took the stairs two at a time to check the rooms there. They were also empty. Frustrated, he rubbed a hand down his face as he went back downstairs. Where was she? The rental car was still parked outside, so she couldn’t have gone far. Relief filled him when he guessed she must be on the beach.

  He moved toward the French doors that led outside. Standing on the patio, he looked along the water’s edge. All he saw were two teens readying a pair of Jet Skis.

  Quasar was about to go back inside the house to call Agent Riviera when, as if with a mind of their own, his eyes moved across the ocean to the small motorboat traveling farther and farther away from shore. Why that boat interested him, he wasn’t sure. Stepping back inside the house, he grabbed the pair of binoculars off the table by the French doors. They were the ones Randi had purchased to use that day at the noontime concert they’d attended. He held them up to his eyes.

  “What the hell!” He blinked rapidly to make sure he was seeing straight, and when he was certain he was, his heart began pounding. He kicked off his shoes and tore off his clothes as he raced toward the beach. The two teens were about to take their Jet Skis into the water when he reached out and grabbed one. “I need this.”

  The teen resisted. “No! You can’t take my Jet Ski from me.”

  Ignoring the teen, he took it anyway. The other teen exclaimed, “That man is wearing only his underwear.”

  The observation that he’d stripped down to his boxer shorts made the teen stop resisting and all but shove the Jet Ski at him. Both boys took off, running away from him as fast as they could. He hoped they would tell their parents about the half-naked man who took one of their Jet Skis, and the police wou
ld be summoned.

  Quasar got on the Jet Ski and headed out toward the boat. Dread filled him to the core at the same time an angry snarl curled his lips. His body began shaking, and he tried to remain calm and keep the Jet Ski steady as it sliced through the waters.

  * * *

  RANDI JOLTED INTO consciousness when a pail of water was thrown in her face. “Wake up, bitch. I don’t have all day. I need to take care of you, then go back and take care of—”

  “Why are you doing this, Lilly?” she asked, barely able to get the words out. Her tongue was thick in her mouth, and parts of her body felt as if they were not her own. She was very much aware that her hands were tied tightly behind her back with a rope and that her feet were bound, as well.

  “I will tell you why. You killed Levan.”

  Randi’s eyes lit in surprise. “You knew Levan Shaw?”

  The woman’s face filled with rage. “Of course I knew him. He and I were lovers for years. He set me up in business and taught me everything I know. He was my confidant and I was his. I promised him that I would kill you if he failed in his plans to do so.”

  “But that doesn’t make sense, Lilly. You’re married to Doyle and—”

  “So? Doyle has several mistresses he thinks I don’t know about. Or he doesn’t give a damn if I know. One was at the party last night. I saw them disappear. Not the first time I’ve noticed such a thing, and it never bothered me before because I had Levan. But you ruined that. You should never have come to LA.”

  “I had to come.”

  “No, you didn’t. And then I find out that you, of all people, are involved with Quasar. Last night he rejected me for you, which gives me another reason to kill you. I want you to know how it feels to be helpless. I’m going to push you overboard, and with your hands and feet tied up, you’ll drown. You will know how it feels to have life slowly leave your body. By the time Quasar notices you’re gone, what’s left of you will have washed up onshore.”