Playing For Keeps (Emerald Lake Billionaires 2)

by Leeanna Morgan

  Ryan filled a mug with hot coffee and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Dorothy is used to unusual situations. She’s bailed me out of more than one tricky situation, but it’s never been as difficult as this one.”

  “Are you going to let her know what’s happened?”

  “I already have. I called her last night before I saw you. She’s changed her flight to get here earlier.”

  “I thought she wouldn’t want to come.”

  Ryan smiled. “Dorothy might seem a little self-serving at times, but she has a good heart. She wants the concert to be a success and she wants you to be safe. The sooner she gets here, the sooner you can go to Tess’ home.”

  This time, Sophie didn’t argue. She knew she couldn’t stay on his property when there were too many opportunities for someone to hurt her.

  Ryan’s toast popped. “Have you had breakfast?”

  “I made myself a cup of hot chocolate when I woke up.”

  He handed Sophie a piece of toast with a thick slice of butter on top. “You need to eat something. We don’t know what the rest of the day is going to bring.”

  “I hope it’s good news. I’ve already put the supplement I made yesterday into plastic containers. When you speak to John, can you tell him it’s ready to be collected?”

  “Is there anything else you need to do today?”

  “I’m going to call Maggie Stevenson. I’m worried that someone will contact her to find out what plants and herbs I’ve been buying. Until we find out who’s behind what’s been happening, I want to make sure everyone is safe.”

  “If you think of anyone else who knows what’s in the formula, write down their names and I’ll give it to John.”

  Sophie opened another document on her laptop. “The company that’s building the stage for the concert will be here today. John has already done a security check on each of the construction crew.”

  “How long will it take to get the stage ready?”

  “Two days. Another team arrives on Thursday to install the outdoor sound system. Dorothy won’t need to do much to help them.”

  Sophie looked at the list. “The project plan is pretty detailed. After I’ve gone over it with Dorothy, I’ll pack my bags. Is it okay if one of the security guards follow me into town? Tess starts work early, but I’m sure she’d give me a key to her house.”

  “You don’t need to worry about a key. John has already organized two security guards to go with you. There’ll be other guards at Tees’ home waiting for you. Let me know when you’re ready to leave.”

  Sophie closed the lid of her laptop and sent him a tired smile. “I’m going to have a shower and get ready for the day. Thanks for the toast.”

  “It will be okay, Sophie. John and his team know what they’re doing. All we have to do is wait.”

  Sophie nodded and stood up. “I’ll tidy the house while I’m waiting for Dorothy. Let me know if John calls.”

  Ryan put another couple of pieces of bread into the toaster. He sipped his coffee and thought about what he needed to do today. All of it seemed insignificant compared to what was happening in Sophie’s life.

  He glanced at his watch and thought about Dorothy. Her flight would arrive in an hour. He had a lot to do before then, but the most important thing was to call John.

  Sophie wasn’t the only person who needed an update. He’d never met her mom or sister, but after last night they were as real to him as his own family. And if anything happened to his family, he’d fight with everything inside of him to keep them safe.

  ***

  Sophie was cleaning the windows in one of the upstairs bedrooms when Dorothy arrived. She leaned against the windowsill, watching the convoy of vehicles lumber up the drive.

  Ryan had left over two hours ago to collect Dorothy from the airport. During that time Sophie had managed to mop all of the wooden floors and dust every surface she could see. She’d put a load of washing on the clothesline and followed one of John’s security guards around the property until she realized she wasn’t helping him.

  Instead of worrying about something she couldn’t change, she’d filled a bucket with hot, soapy water and started on the windows.

  As the vehicles got closer, she felt a cold dread creep up her spine. Her life was out of control. She was standing on the edge of a canyon, waiting for a strong gust of wind to tip her forward and send her over the edge.

  She took a deep breath and thought of her mom and sister. She knew they couldn’t hear her, but that didn’t stop her from telling them how much she loved them, how much she hoped they were okay.

  A loud bang echoed across the property. Sophie turned toward the stage that Steelfort were constructing. The team of builders and engineers had arrived not long after Ryan had left. The two trucks they’d brought with them had contained all of the steel frames and flooring they would need. A third truck had arrived half an hour later. It was a workshop on wheels, not unlike the shipping container that Jamie had used when he’d built Ryan’s home. Every tool and replacement part they needed was there.

  She picked up her bucket and went downstairs. Before too long, she’d be in Bozeman. The time she’d spent in Ryan’s home would be a distant memory.

  Dorothy and her entourage were walking through the front door when they saw her.

  “You look terrible,” Dorothy said without hesitation. She waited until Sophie was at the bottom of the stairs before wrapping her arms around her. “Ryan told me what’s happened. I hope everything works out for the best.”

  Sophie held onto the handle of the bucket while Dorothy hugged her close. She appreciated what Dorothy had said, but she was more worried about spilling soapy water on Dorothy’s expensive shoes.

  “Thanks, Dorothy. I appreciate you coming here to make sure the concert happens. I didn’t realize you were bringing your team?”

  Dorothy stepped away from Sophie and straightened her jacket. “Neither did I until last night. Another client needs some intensive help over the next few days. It was easier bringing the office here, than working from another city.”

  While they’d been talking, Dorothy’s team had been busy unpacking their SUVs. Within minutes they’d filled the entranceway with suitcases and boxes. Sophie glanced at Ryan and saw the look of horror on his face. It had been bad enough when Dorothy’s team had taken promotional photos of him. But right now, she guessed he thought all of these people sharing his home was too much.

  “How long were you intending to stay?” Ryan asked.

  “We’ll leave on Sunday. Don’t worry about finding somewhere for everyone to sleep. We’ve booked into a lodge not far from here. All we need is somewhere to work during the day.”

  Ryan took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  Dorothy sent him a rare smile. “I know you like your privacy. I still want a client at the end of this, so it’s in my best interest to make this work.”

  “I appreciate what you’re doing for us, Dorothy.” Ryan walked through to the living room. “This is probably the best room to work from. If you need more desk space we can carry the formal dining table in here.”

  Looking at the number of cases and staff, Sophie was pleased they’d left the small round table in the kitchen area. Dorothy’s team would need every available surface to turn Ryan’s living area into their office.

  “This will do nicely.” Dorothy looked at Sophie. “Ryan said you had a project plan for everything that needs to happen before the concert. When you’re ready we could go over the plans together.”

  Sophie looked at the bucket in her hands. “I’ll just put this away and then I’ll be right with you.”

  Dorothy took one of the bags a staff member handed to her. “Whatever works for you is fine with me.” She put the bag on the counter and turned to Sophie. “It’s going to be okay. If I can salvage a musician’s reputation, I can run a concert.”

  Sophie knew Dorothy could do anything she set her mind to. It was everything else that worried her.
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br />   She walked around the boxes in the entranceway and opened the laundry door. As she emptied the bucket of dirty water into the sink, she realized she’d never looked more like Cinderella.

  All she needed was a fairy godmother to make everything end happily ever after.

  ***

  Tess cut a tomato into quarters and put the pieces onto a plate. They were getting ready for dinner, preparing everything as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

  Sophie had moved into Tess’ home a few hours ago. She hadn’t seen Logan, but Tess assured her he was okay with her staying with them. For someone who had always been independent, the last few months had been some of the hardest in Sophie’s life.

  She’d had to rely on the kindness of strangers to survive. It hadn’t been easy, especially when she felt as though she was taking more from them than she was giving.

  “Have you thought about visiting Montana State University?” asked Tess. “They have some great programs. I’m not sure what their science department is like, but it could give you other options.”

  They’d been talking about what Sophie would do after everything settled down. With her mom and sister still missing she wasn’t in the right frame of mind to consider anything.

  What she did know was that she couldn’t go back to Chicago. While her professor still worked in the science faculty, there would be no place for her. The company her lawyer had been negotiating with was based in Dallas. She’d need to visit them regularly, but that didn’t mean she needed to live there.

  “I don’t know Tess. I need to get through the next few days before I make any decisions. What I do will depend on Hayley and mom.”

  Tess squeezed Sophie’s arm on her way to the fridge. “I thought you might say that. Whatever you do, don’t assume that Bozeman isn’t the place for you. I know we’re not as big as some of the cities you’ve lived in, but there are lots of good reasons why living here could work.”

  “I’m not sure Ryan would agree with you. I’ve turned his life upside down.”

  “I’m sure he’ll survive. Sometimes you need to have your boundaries pushed to make you remember you’re alive.” Tess glanced at her watch. “Logan should be home soon. If he asks you any questions you’re not comfortable answering, tell him. He’s a reporter. Sometimes he forgets that there’s a difference between being at work and being at home.”

  Sophie had met Logan a few weeks ago. She could see why Tess and Logan had gotten married. They both had strong personalities and wanted to make a difference in the world. There were enough similarities to make them well matched and enough differences to make life interesting.

  Sophie washed some lettuce leaves under the faucet. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure.”

  “When did you know that what you felt for Logan was more than friendship?”

  “When he made me blueberry pancakes.” Tess grinned at the surprised look on Sophie’s face. “It’s true. He always enjoyed coming to the café and annoying me. One morning I’d run out of buttermilk. I had about twenty grandmothers on motorcycles arriving for breakfast. He went to Safeway and bought more buttermilk, then helped me make pancakes. He didn’t annoy me so much after that.”

  Sophie shook most of the water off the lettuce and put it in a bowl. “I didn’t know Ryan was a musician straight away. When I found out, I was going to leave. Working with him was the complete opposite of what I needed to be doing. I was trying to hide from everyone, not draw attention to myself.”

  “But you stayed.”

  “I did. I needed money to buy food and more ingredients for the supplement. I enjoyed helping Danny and Jamie. I thought it might work, and it did. But I’m not so sure that Bozeman’s the right place for me.”

  “What would be the right place for you?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve stayed close to my family for most of my life. Now that my job in Chicago is over I could live anywhere, but only if mom and Hayley are safe and happy. I don’t know what I’m going to do if something has happened to them.”

  “Fletcher Security is one of the best security companies in America. Your mom and sister are in safe hands with Tank. I’ve met him a few times and from what I’ve heard, he’s very good at his job.”

  The doorbell rang and Tess and Sophie looked at each other.

  “It’s not Logan,” Tess said with a frown. “Maybe Ryan’s stopped by to see how you are?”

  Sophie picked up her cell phone. “The security guards wouldn’t have let anyone they didn’t know onto your property. It’s either John or Ryan, but I’m taking my phone just in case.”

  “What are you going to do if it isn’t them?”

  “Call 9-1-1. I’ve got the emergency services on speed dial.”

  Tess pulled the curtain aside that overlooked her front yard. “I can do better than that. There’s a police car parked outside.”

  Sophie opened the door and stared at the police officer.

  It didn’t look as though the news was good.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  When they left Tess’ house, the police officer wouldn’t tell them what had happened. All they knew was that they needed to go with him straight away. It didn’t matter what they said, he refused to answer their questions.

  His silence made Sophie’s imagination work overtime. She had visions of her mom and sister lying in a ditch, left for dead by a psychopath who valued money over life.

  When the police car stopped in front of the station she felt so sick she thought she was going to vomit. Tess put her arm around her and squeezed her tight. They walked in together, Tess’ presence giving her the strength to put one foot in front of the other.

  Sophie saw Ryan first. He walked out of a room carrying a cup of coffee.

  He stopped when he saw her. “Drink this. You’re as pale as a ghost.”

  Sophie shook her head. “I’m going to be sick if I drink that. Are mom and Hayley dead?”

  Ryan’s eyes widened. “No, they’re okay. John’s team found them an hour ago.”

  The room tilted at an odd angle and Sophie reached for Ryan. He held onto her as she slipped toward the floor. He yelled something above her head and the sound of footsteps echoed along the corridor.

  She heard Tess’s voice, felt something cold across her face.

  “Breathe,” Ryan said. “That’s it. Take another deep breath and let it out slowly.”

  Sophie concentrated on the sound of his voice. When the room stopped spinning, she looked at the people around them.

  Tess and John were standing in the corridor with at least four police officers she’d never seen before. She looked at Ryan, embarrassment heating her cheeks. “I’m okay now,” she said quietly.

  “Are you sure?”

  Sophie nodded. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  “I’ll take her,” Tess offered.

  Ryan helped her to her feet. When she stepped away to go with Tess, Ryan stayed beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist. If it had been any other time, Sophie would have made a joke about being able to go to the bathroom on her own. But right now, she was glad of his support.

  “Will you be all right with Tess?”

  “Of course she will,” Tess said with a smile. “If you want to stay outside the door, you’re more than welcome.”

  Sophie took another deep breath. “You still haven’t told me how mom and Hayley are? Did they get hurt?”

  “They’re fine. Tank said they’re a little shaken, but happy to be coming to Bozeman. John will tell us more when you’ve finished in the bathroom.”

  “Come on,” Tess said. “Ryan will be here if you need him.”

  Sophie didn’t argue. She really needed to use the bathroom. Her mom and sister were safe. Another few minutes wasn’t going to make any difference to what she would hear.

  Before she closed the bathroom door, she looked at Ryan. She knew without needing to say anything that Tess was right.

  Ryan would always be ther
e for her.

  ***

  Ryan watched Sophie the whole time they were in Dan Carter’s office. The Deputy Chief of Police had spoken with the officers who had worked with John’s team. They were moving Tank, Hayley and Sophie’s mom back to Bozeman.

  Dan looked down at his notes. “We’ve arrested a man in Fort Wayne. He was employed by Alberta Pharmaceuticals to find your mom and sister. He had a female accomplice who’s still missing.”

  “Is he the person who tried to kidnap Hayley?”

  Dan nodded. “The local police reviewed the security footage from the shopping mall where the attempted kidnapping took place. He was already known to the police.”

  “Where is he now?” Sophie asked.

  “He’ll stay in Fort Wayne until his trial.” Dan’s cell phone beeped and he read the text. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s something I need to do. John can answer any questions you might have.”

  When the door closed, Sophie turned to John. “So Dr. Bernard contacted the pharmaceutical company and offered to sell them the formula?”

  John nodded.

  “But no company would have purchased the formula without proof that it worked. Even if Dr. Bernard made the supplement from the formula on my computer, it wouldn’t have done anything. The data he stole was false.”

  “The pharmaceutical company had proof that it worked. They had copies of the research notes from the students who first trialed the supplement.”

  Sophie looked confused. “But I never showed those notes to anyone. I deleted them off my computer at the lab and saved them on my external hard drive.”

  John opened a folder and passed it to Sophie. “Do you recognize this woman?”

  Sophie looked at the photograph and frowned. “That’s Carrie, one of the students in my first trial. Are you telling me that she stole my research notes?”

  “She did more than that,” John said. “She didn’t drink all of your supplement. When the formula started showing positive results, she spoke with your professor. Between the two of them, they changed your notes and sent a sample of the real formula to Alberta Pharmaceuticals.”