by Julia Sykes
He radioed the control tower, requesting immediate departure. One mention of his name and they were granted permission.
I guess this is when being a powerful billionaire comes in handy, she thought a bit wildly.
But her thoughts were whirring in overtime as they took off. Why would someone want to kill Lucas? Sure, he was one of the most powerful men in the world, but to resort to murder? Was it a rival company, wanting to corner the market?
No, she thought, her mind coming to the realization that she had been desperately avoiding. There is one person who would want him dead: Jonathan.
Her blood ran cold.
“Do you think…” She began shakily. “Do you think it was… him?” She found that she was unable to say his name, as though doing so would somehow alert him to their location.
Lucas’ knuckles turned white as his hands curled to fists around the controls. “Almost certainly,” he said, a hint of a growl in his voice.
A white hot streak of fear shot through her as disturbing memories flashed through her mind: Jonathan strangling her, ripping open her nightgown, his hardness against her leg as he bore down on her. Her hands trembled, and her breathing turned fast and shallow.
Lucas’ warm hand covered hers, calling her back to the present, grounding her.
“Don’t worry,” he murmured reassuringly. “We’ll find him. I’ll keep you safe. I promise.” He turned his green gaze on her, and she was suddenly struck by the depth of her feelings for him.
“I love you, Lucas,” she said without thinking.
His eyes widened in surprise, a mixture of emotions running through them in quick succession: amazement, reverence, confusion, and.... coldness. His face was suddenly a hard, closed mask. And he said nothing, his lips thinning to a hard line.
Shay’s heart sank. The weight of everything that had happened pressed on her mind, and she couldn’t bear the pressure of it. Tears began to flow silently down her cheeks as the realization crashed down on her, hard and merciless: Lucas didn’t love her back. She had been sure that he felt the same way about her as she did about him, but now… Now he seemed almost angry that she had spoken, like she was ruining everything.
And she was. What they had was good. Why did she have to go and ruin it? She pulled her hand from his, and he let her.
After a while, Lucas spoke into the radio, ordering a plane to be ready to take them back to America when they arrived at Heathrow in an hour. But that was the only break in the silence that stretched between them like some horrible, insidious thing.
When they were finally back in London, a car picked them up to drive them across the tarmac from the small jet to Lucas’ larger transatlantic plane. There was a dress waiting for Shay in the car, and she pulled it on gratefully, relieved to be clothed by something more than just her coat. It was only after she was dressed that Lucas finally spoke. “This was a mistake, Shay,” he said quietly, not looking at her.
A horrible idea was flitting at the corners of her mind, but she forced it away. “You mean going to Prague?” She asked, praying that that was what he meant.
As though with some great effort, he turned to her, locking her in place with his intense gaze. Only all of the warmth, the lust, that she had seen there earlier was gone, replaced by nothing but cold disapproval.
“I mean asking you to be my submissive. You clearly misunderstood.”
“What?” She asked faintly, uselessly delaying the moment when he would tell her…
“I don’t love you, Shay,” he said starkly.
His words were like a slap in the face. The tears that she thought had run dry suddenly welled back up, stinging her eyes. But it was nothing compared to the wrenching pain in her heart.
“Oh,” she said simply. What more could she say?
Lucas turned from her, releasing her from his cold stare.
Don’t break down, don’t break down, she ordered herself, forcing her shoulders to straighten. It was all she could do to hold back the sobs that were threatening to wrench themselves from her, to keep herself from making the high, keening cries that were echoing around her head.
The car stopped and the door was opened for them. “Get out,” Lucas said, his voice detached. Shay complied, trying not to stumble as she struggled to find her footing. But Lucas’ strong arm didn’t steady her. In fact, he hadn’t even gotten out of the car. She turned toward him, puzzled.
“Aren’t you coming?” She asked, hating herself for the desperation that was clear in her tone.
“No,” he said simply. And he closed the car door sharply.
Shay watched it pull away in shock. He was leaving her? After what had just happened? He had promised to keep her safe, but clearly he didn’t want her anymore after her shameful admission.
A hand gripped her elbow, and she mutely allowed a flight attendant to usher her onto the plane.
She fumbled with her seatbelt, her fingers shaking so badly that she could hardly grip it. The attendant came over to her.
“Would you like a drink?” She asked kindly.
Yes. Yes, she did want a drink. A fucking strong one.
“Vodka cranberry, please,” she requested. “Make it a triple.”
She winced as the vodka burned its way down her throat, the splash of cranberry juice doing little to mask its harsh bite. But she forced herself to gulp it down quickly, throwing it back like she was taking a shot.
After a few minutes, a pleasant numbness started spreading throughout her, starting in her mind and then flowing through her body. Soon, she was light, weightless. She gloried in the oblivion, the release from her painful thoughts. Darkness pulled her under, and she embraced it gratefully.
Jonathan smiled to himself. Well, that was easy.
Lucas had reacted just as he had hoped. When Shay’s life was threated, he had believed that it was because of her proximity to him, so he had sent her away. God, he was a predictable sop.
Now Shay was on her way to him, and the trap for Lucas was almost set. It never would have done to have his snipers kill them so publically. There would have been an investigation, and he would have been the prime suspect. But now he would be able to get the company back, and Lucas and Shay would be eliminated.
A warm glow filled him at the thought of achieving that potent release again, the high he could only get from killing. He had almost forgotten how sweet it could be.
And the joy he had attained through killing animals as a child was nothing compared to taking a human life.
It had started with wringing the chickens’ necks for dinner. Living on a farm gave him plenty of excuses to slaughter animals, even as a young boy.
But he had made the mistake of taking too much delight in his chores, and his mother had soon taken away his killing privileges. Then the dog had disappeared, and Momma had sent her little monster to the shrink, scraping together what little money they had to get him “help.”
Jonathan had been forced to mask that part of himself for so long. He quickly learned that he would be an outcast if he continued down his path of violence. And that wasn’t at all what he wanted for himself.
He wanted wealth, power. And he would never achieve that if people saw him as a monster. So he had learned how to play the game, to charm his way into people’s hearts while masking his true desires.
His only outlet had been BDSM; that was the only time he could let his true nature trickle out. And even then, he had had to keep the floodgates firmly closed, never taking the scenes as far as he would have liked.
That restraint had gone out the window when he had killed Jessie, when he had almost choked the life from Shay. The monster was definitely out of its cage, and there was no putting it back.
Monster. A part of his mind flinched at the word, remembering how his own mother had looked at him in horror, in disgust. But he shook it off.
This was who he was, and there was nothing he could do about it. He might as well embrace it, enjoy it while he could. For after he finished with Shay
and Lucas, he would have to return to his life of restraint, would have to go back to hiding his true nature. He grimaced at the thought, but a part of him was secretly relieved.
Monster.
“Jonathan?” Cecelia’s voice pulled him from his irritatingly tangled thoughts.
He didn’t like contemplating the niggling doubts within him. He was going to enjoy his revenge. He was determined to do so. He plastered a genial smile on his face.
“Cecelia,” he beamed. “She’s on her way.”
The beautiful brunette’s face fell slightly. “Oh,” she said quietly.
Jonathan could sense her distress, her jealousy. She still thought he cared for Shay. He was going to have to rectify that if she was going to stay on his side. He couldn’t risk her backing out now.
“Sweetheart,” he said the endearment softly, sweetly, as he cupped her cheek. He lifted her face so that she was forced to meet his sincere gaze. “Please don’t think that I care for her any longer. You see…” He allowed himself a moment’s hesitation. “I’ve come to care for someone else: you.”
She gave a small, delighted gasp and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh, Jonathan!” She cried happily. “I love you, too.”
That wasn’t what I said, he thought.
But if that was what she wanted to believe, all the better.
“So we don’t have to do this,” she continued. “You can just let her go.”
“No,” he said quickly. He couldn’t allow Cecelia to go down that path. “I still need to get to Lucas, to convince him to retract the lies that he’s told about me. Then we can be together. We won’t have to hide anymore.”
“Oh,” she said softly, a bit hesitantly. “Okay.”
He stroked a gentle hand down her back, and he was pleased to feel her tremble under his touch. “Everything will be all right soon,” he promised.
So long as you keep your stupid mouth shut.
A sharp, stinging pain exploded across Shay’s cheek, jolting her awake. Her eyes snapped open to a nightmare.
Her vision was filled with Jonathan’s beautiful and terrible face. His long-lashed, ice-blue eyes were accentuated by the smooth, masculine planes of his face.
She gasped and tried to reel back from him, but her back was pressed against something hard and unyielding. She was seated in a metal chair. She jerked at her wrists, but they were bound tightly behind her back. The smell of hemp rope that she had grown to love so much suddenly filled her with dread. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to wake up.
The pain of another slap across her face told her that this was all too real.
She screamed, the sound echoing around the dim, dank room. But she soon stopped when she saw Jonathan’s pleased smile. He obviously relished her terror. She forced her fear down, struggling to take deep, even breaths.
“Done with our little tantrum, are we?” He asked condescendingly. She couldn’t answer, couldn’t speak past the lump of panic in her throat. “Good,” he continued. “Then we can call Lucas. Now, you’re going to stay quiet like a good girl while we talk.”
His hand fisted in her hair and pulled her head back sharply. He wrapped his other hand around her throat gently, a silent threat.
Shay nodded her head as much as she could, fighting back tears. If he was calling Lucas, then maybe she was going to be ransomed. But would he meet Jonathan’s demands?
I don’t love you, Shay, he had said. How much would he be willing to give up to save her? She was just a submissive, after all, nothing special to him. She felt hollow, dead inside.
She watched as Jonathan tinkered with a laptop that rested on a table in front of her, but it was angled slightly away from her so that she couldn’t see the screen. After a few moments, Lucas’ voice came through the speakers. “This is Lucas Cross,” he greeted formally.
Jonathan smiled and waved at the computer screen. “Hi, partner.”
“Jonathan,” Lucas’ voice was tight with controlled rage. “You do realize that after sending assassins after me, I am going to have to return the favor.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” he replied, grinning broadly. “You’re going to make a public statement rescinding the charges you’ve brought against me. Then you’re going to restore my position in the company. I’m giving you twenty-four hours.”
Lucas laughed hollowly. “And why would I do that?”
Jonathan turned the laptop so that Shay could see Lucas’ face filling the screen. Her heart leapt at the sight of him, and a small sob escaped her. Jonathan’s hand was back in her hair, and she winced as he wrenched her head back sharply.
“I can give you one good reason,” Jonathan replied jovially, cutting over her tangled thoughts.
Lucas’ face twisted in shock and dread. “Shay,” he breathed her name, and little tingles shot up her spine.
“You’re going to do as I ask,” Jonathan continued. “And then you have twenty-four hours to come here and trade yourself for her. If I even get the slightest hint that you’re not alone, I’ll kill her.”
Terror shot through Shay at his words.
No! Lucas couldn’t come here. Jonathan would kill him.
“Lucas,” she said frantically. “Lucas, don’t-”
“Shhh,” Jonathan cut her off. His long fingers gently traced their way down her vulnerable throat. She swallowed, but she couldn’t hold back the small whimper of fear that escaped her.
“Don’t touch her!” Lucas growled.
“Well,” Jonathan said softly, “that depends on how quickly you get here, doesn’t it?”
Still holding her in place by his grip on her hair, he lowered his mouth, crushing his lips against hers. She tried to recoil, but he held her firmly. To her horror, a hint of familiar heat sparked in her belly at his domineering touch.
She could hear Lucas’s angry shouts coming through the speakers. But it was her disgust with herself more than anything that moved her to action. Sighing into Jonathan, she opened for him. She could feel his lips curl upward, smiling as she surrendered to him. But then she sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit down hard. She could taste his blood before he wrenched away from her, cursing.
He dealt her a vicious backhand, leaving her head spinning. She felt sick as the world wavered around her.
“I’ll give you her location when you’ve met my demands,” she heard Jonathan’s voice cutting across Lucas’ furious cursing.
Then his voice was gone, and she was left alone in the cold room with Jonathan.
Chapter 5
Lucas roared in fury when his laptop screen went black. He slammed his fists down on his desk, and the wood dented beneath his knuckles. Jonathan had been touching her, hurting her…
This was all his fault. He had sent her away. He had thought she would be safer if she wasn’t with him, had thought that those shots in Prague had been meant for him. But he had only left her vulnerable. Jonathan must have bought his pilot. He must have taken Shay as soon as he had left her.
Lucas’ heart squeezed as he recalled the look of utter devastation on her face as he told her he didn’t love her. It had mirrored what he felt inside; he had felt like he was ripping out a part of his heart when he told her the lie.
But he had thought that he was protecting her. He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. All he had done was throw her directly into Jonathan’s reach. After breaking her heart.
And now he had her. Sickening images flashed through his mind as he imagined what was happening to her even now. Jonathan wouldn’t kill her, not until Lucas came to him. But that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t hurt her, touch her…
Lucas felt ill at the thought. He had to meet Jonathan’s demands. Immediately. It was nearing dawn in London, so he could schedule a press conference in a few hours. But first he would have to call the Charlotte police department and retract his statement against Jonathan. It would be the middle of the night in America, but he didn’t care.
He turned his atten
tion to his laptop. After a few minutes of hacking, he hastily dialed the personal cell number of the Charlotte police captain. He had to call three times before the woman answered. She barely had time to get out a greeting before Lucas cut over her.
“This is Lucas Cross. I need to rescind the charges I’ve made against Jonathan Manning.”
“What?” Captain O’Grady asked sleepily. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Yes,” he said, his tone clipped with the effort of restraining himself from shouting. “But this can’t wait. I’ve discovered that I misinterpreted what I saw. Manning and Greene were simply engaging in rough sex. I misunderstood and took out my anger on him.”
There was a stunned pause. “But… Mr. Cross, you do realize I’ll have to charge you with assault and battery if Mr. Manning wants to press charges.”
“Yes, I know,” he said quickly. He had to get this over with. It wouldn’t matter if they charged him with anything; he would be dead in twenty-four hours. He knew what he was going to walk into when he went to Jonathan. But he didn’t care. Not if that was what he had to do to get Shay freed. “So you’ll drop the charges?” He asked, trying to keep anxiety from his voice
“Y-yes,” the captain said hesitantly. “If that’s what you want, Mr. Cross.”
“Good,” he said, ending the call.
Now he had to call the board together, to convince them that everything he had said about Jonathan was a lie. They might insist that he step down as CEO, but again, it didn’t matter now.
Once he had done that, he would finish utterly destroying his reputation by giving a press conference publically announcing that he had made up all of the charges against Jonathan out of jealousy over a woman.
He hated Jonathan for that more than anything, for forcing him to ruin himself before he died. And that smug bastard would be able to step right back into his old life as though nothing had happened.
No. He hated Jonathan more for using Shay in his power-play against him. If only he had never let Jonathan see that he cared for her, had never let their rivalry escalate to this point…