by Chelle Bliss
The offer may be the only way I get to keep some form of the company I’ve worked my ass off to propel to greatness, without turning into the fall guy and sacrificial lamb.
Chapter Nineteen
LAUREN
“It’s a go, Lauren. The offer is really solid.” Josh tosses the folder onto my desk and stares down at me. “It’s the only way I can see that we can save everything we’ve worked so hard for over the last few years.”
I rub the back of my neck because I never wanted to be in this situation in the first place. “I’ll set a board meeting before we open it up for shareholder voting. The final decision will have to be approved by a majority.”
“They’ll approve it because they’re ruled by money. Not everyone has given their life to this company like we have. Some people just care about the bottom line.”
I smile weakly and know he’s right. “I’ll have Cassie schedule it after I speak with Mr. Forte and his team this afternoon.”
“Do you want me there as backup?”
I laugh softly at his kind gesture, but I’ve never needed backup before. “I’ll handle the people at Cozza. If you can start preparing a report to present to the board, that would be a huge help.”
“I’m on it,” he says as he walks toward the door. “Maybe I’ll finally be able to get some sleep tonight.”
“I think we all will, Josh.”
He smiles back at me before leaving, and guilt floods me. My entire team spent the weekend stressing out and trying to find a way to save the company, while I lay on the beach and fell in love with the enemy.
Trent: Can you come to the test hangar? There’s an issue.
The text message from Trent has me out of my office, clutching my phone, and headed toward the parking garage within seconds.
Any issue with the engine could not only end the terms of the new deal, but it could bring down the value of Interstellar so dramatically that we’d be prime pickings for a takeover and not a merger.
My hands are shaking as I weave through city traffic and the knot in my gut tightens as the hangar comes into view. I can’t believe there’s an issue with the engine this many days out from the successful and very public unveiling.
My heels click against the painted cement floor as I walk through the empty hangar toward Trent’s office. The wind blows, causing goose bumps to break out across my skin, and I long for the warm ocean breezes of the Caribbean and the ease of life on a remote and desolate island.
“What’s the issue?” I ask as soon as the door swings open.
Trent’s sitting behind his desk with his face hidden by the computer screen. “One second,” he says casually.
I squeeze my phone so tightly, I’m surprised the screen doesn’t shatter into a million pieces. “I rush over here, and now you think I’m going to wait?”
“Calm down, Lulu. I just need a second.” His tongue darts out and sweeps across his lip as he presses a few more buttons on the keyboard. “Sit down for a minute and relax.”
“Relax?” I hover over his desk and glare down at him. “You said there’s an issue, and you expect me to relax?”
If I wouldn’t get fired and be arrested, I’d launch myself over the desk and wrap my hands around his wide neck and choke the life right out of him.
He pushes back from his desk, switching off the monitor before standing. “Let me show you the problem,” he says, motioning toward the hangar with his head.
“I don’t have time for bullshit. Let’s get to it because I have a company to run.” I’m seething with anger, and his carefree attitude is pushing me over the edge as I follow him.
“It’s around back,” he says, motioning for me to follow as I keep a safe distance from him so I don’t wind up in handcuffs. “You look good, Lulu. Different.”
I growl as his eyes flicker up and down my body, ogling me in a way that makes my skin crawl. I give him a shitty smile and stop walking. “Where are you taking me?”
He stops and turns to face me, his eyes still raking over me. “I forgot the papers in my car. We’re going to grab them.”
I grit my teeth together so hard they squeak. “Why didn’t you bring them in here while I drove over here?”
“I was busy getting work done. I have to keep the boss happy.”
I ball my fists at my sides and walk past him, heading toward the same spot he’s parked his car for the last half a dozen years. “Let’s make this quick, and it better be good.”
He jogs to catch up to me as I take long strides across the parking lot. “It’ll be good. I promise.” He smiles smugly.
I stand to the side, leaning against his Tahoe as he opens the back. He reaches inside and pulls out a folder of paperwork and spreads it across the inside. “Look at this,” he says and points to the sheet right in the middle.
I can’t make out the words from where I’m standing, and he backs away, knowing I’m angry. I walk in front of him and pick up the piece of paper, studying it.
It’s nonsense. There’s nothing of value on the paper in my hands. A jumble of emails sent between me and office staff. When I flip it over, I freeze. It’s a word for word transcript of text messages between me and Forte.
“You’ve been a busy girl, Lulu.” He clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth, and his shadow covers me, sending a chill down my spine.
I spin on my heel and wave the piece of paper between us. “How did you get this?”
“I have my ways. I did so much for you,” he says and places his hands on my arms, squeezing tighter than usual. “I did all of this for you, and this is how you repay me?”
I take a step back, trying to put space between us and free myself from his hold, but my ass knocks into the bumper, and I know I have nowhere else to go. “Get your hands off me, Trent.”
“I told you you’d always be mine, Lulu.”
I’m just about to scream when his hand covers my mouth.
“Shh, no one can hear you out here, and no one’s coming to save you.” His eyes are cold and distant as he peers down at me.
Alarm bells that were ringing faintly are now blaring so loudly I can’t hear anything else except my own heartbeat as it thumps wildly in my chest.
“Are you going to play nice, or do I have to take you against your will?”
Take me? Where the fuck is he going to take me? “I’ll play nice,” I say against his hand, almost gagging on the taste of his skin against my tongue.
As soon as his hand eases up, I try to run, but he pulls me back until I collide with his chest. I claw at his arms, trying to break free, but he’s too strong. A hand wraps around my neck, squeezing so tightly that my face starts to prickle. “There’s no getting away from me. You’re mine always and forever.”
I don’t stop struggling. Not as the blackness starts to come and my eyes go blurry. I fight with everything I have because I refuse to go out like this. The man I once thought I loved is trying to kill me, and I’m powerless to stop him. He’s too strong for me to fight off.
In my final moments of consciousness, there’s only one person I think about… Antonio.
***
ANTONIO
“Where is she?” Tara, Lauren’s friend from the restaurant, asks as soon as I walk inside Lauren’s office for our scheduled meeting.
“I don’t know. I was supposed to meet her right now.” I glance down at my watch. I’m not late. One thing I know about Lauren is she’s always on time.
“Something’s not right,” she says, chewing on her fingernail as she paces the carpet in front of Lauren’s desk. “We were meeting for dinner. Cassie hasn’t seen her in hours, but she went looking for her.”
“Wait, what?” Panic seeps into my veins as her words set in. “How long has she been missing?”
“Three hours.” Tara yanks at her hair with the most frightful look. “I thought maybe she was with you, pulling another disappearing act like this weekend.”
Oh God. Dread seizes me. “She wasn�
�t with me, and I haven’t talked to her in hours.”
Tara walks over to Lauren’s desk and pulls out her purse. “She hasn’t gone far. Her things are here, but no phone. I already called, but she didn’t answer.”
Cassie comes storming into the office. “Trent’s gone too,” she says, hunching over like she’s been running.
“Who’s Trent?”
“Her ex-boyfriend and the head of research and development.”
I stumble back a step.
“He’s been harassing her for months, but Lauren couldn’t bring herself to fire him with the progress he’d made on Mercury.”
All the pieces click together. Lauren’s missing. Trent’s MIA, and they have a checkered past.
“He never quite got over her,” Cassie tells us.
“I’ll shatter him into a million pieces,” I say, trying to control the anger that’s bubbling inside me. “If he hurts her, I’ll end his life with my bare hands.”
“Oh, fuck,” Tara hisses, grasping at her chest as she eases herself into Lauren’s chair.
“I’ll find her. Don’t tell anyone else she’s missing until I can figure out where Trent is. If you tell the cops, I’ll have to follow the law. I can work faster without the constraints of the legal system.”
“I want to help,” Tara says as she pops up from the chair.
“Tara.” I grasp her by the shoulders as she comes to a stop in front of me. “I need you to go to her place and let me know if she shows up.” Tara nods, but her eyes are filling with tears. “I promise I’ll find her.”
“What about me?” Cassie asks with an ashen face.
“Go home at your usual time and stow Lauren’s purse. Lock her office, and if anyone asks, she’s gone to Cozza for a last-minute meeting.”
“Yes, sir.” Cassie covers her face with her hands.
“I will bring her back, ladies. I’ll move heaven and earth to bring Lauren back.”
I don’t care if I have to kill a thousand men, I will find her. Lord help the man who has her. He won’t come out unscathed or die a quick, painless death.
Chapter Twenty
LAUREN
I lurch awake to the distant sound of metal striking metal. I jolt upright, curling my fingers around the base of my neck.
Trent was choking me.
I suck in a breath and cough when the air hits the back of my throat. The burning sensation is so intense, I hold my breath, trying to calm the ache.
He attacked me. Trent attacked me.
I blink a few times, trying to see through the darkness, but it’s no use. There’s not even a pinprick of light where I sit. I wave my hand in front of me, but I see nothing as my fingers pass by my face.
Where am I?
“Trent!” I yell, but it comes out garbled and hoarse.
There’s no reply, and for a moment, I’m thankful.
Maybe I shouldn’t have called for him. I thought I knew the man, but clearly, I don’t understand the first thing about him. If he’s willing to choke me until I black out and then kidnap me, God only knows what else he’ll do.
He kidnapped me.
The realization settles in my bones, and I’m momentarily panicked.
Breathe, Lauren. You’re a survivor.
At the moment, I am alive, and I plan to do everything in my power to keep it that way too.
Earlier, when I started to black out, I thought I’d never wake up again.
Fear had gripped me as he tightened his fingers around my throat, and I tried to fight him off. I scratched his skin, marking him as evidence in case.
In case of what?
I waited to see the light people seem to claim calls a soul as we die, but I saw nothing. I waited to see my father, almost welcoming him because I haven’t felt whole since he died, but he never came. I was only greeted by the darkest black I’d ever known.
Pulling my knees under my chin, I wrap my arms around my legs and begin to rock back and forth. I swallow a few times, trying to calm the sting each time I breathe, but my mouth’s too dry for it to work.
I rock forward, propelling myself to my feet and reach into the darkness.
I have to get out of here.
Wherever here may be.
My fingers press against a smooth, metal wall, and I flatten my palms as I feel my way up and down the surface in front of me. When I reach the corner, I step carefully and continue.
After making my way around the room, I start to panic when I realize there’s no door or anything except the four walls surrounding me. I back away slowly, moving toward what I assume is the center of the room.
I don’t want to die. Not like this. I figured I’d live to be old and feeble, forgetting who I was and dribbling my mashed potatoes down the front of my frilly shirt the nurses at the old-age home would dress me in.
I never thought Trent had the ability to do this to me, but if he could choke me until I blacked out, how far is he from wrapping his fingers around my neck until I take my final breath?
I curl into a ball on the floor and let the sob hovering at the back of my throat break free. The echo inside the room is loud, and I cover my mouth with my hand to muffle the sound of my cries.
The sound of a latch opening, scraping against the metal as the bolt passes, makes me freeze. I hold my breath, not wanting the darkness to end.
I’m not ready to face the man who’s trying to take everything from me. I hold my breath and lie perfectly still, pretending to still be unconscious.
The door opens with a loud creak, but I still don’t dare look. Heavy footsteps move closer and grow louder as he approaches.
I will not die.
I won’t give in.
I have to fight.
COMING NOVEMBER 28TH -
MERGER, BOOK 2, IN THE TAKEOVER DUET.
ORDER IT NOW!
Afterword
Dear Reader and Friend,
I hope you enjoyed the first half of Antonio and Lauren’s story. I know you’re ready to throw your eReader or crawl through the screen and grab me by the neck. I understand. I swear I do. First and foremost, I’m a reader too and know the agony of having to wait, but don’t fear…Merger releases on November 28th so you won’t have to wait for long.
I know some people are going to rip me apart in reviews. They’ll call me a greedy asshole or something along that line, but maybe a little more creative and colorful. No one complains when their favorite television show ends on a cliffhanger. Why do you think soap operas were so popular for so long?
I hope you’ll take a moment and leave a review and share your thoughts with others. Please don’t spoil the book by giving away the entire storyline. That’s all I ask.
I promise you won’t be disappointed in the conclusion to the Takeover Duet. Want to preorder for November 28th? CLICK HERE and grab it now so you don’t forget.
Thanks for sticking by my side and being a loyal reader. If you’re new, welcome aboard. I have a **FREE** eBook that everyone can download today to fill the wait for Merger. Just click the photo below and download your FREE copy!
Also, don’t forget to join my newsletter to keep up to date on new releases, sneak peeks, and exclusive giveaways.
Sincerely,
Chelle Bliss
Turn the page for a SNEAK PEEK into Merger, Takeover Duet #2!
MERGER SNEAK PEEK
COMING NOVEMBER 28TH -
MERGER, BOOK 2, IN THE TAKEOVER DUET.
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ANTONIO
Settling between Lauren’s legs, I twist my hips and grind my cock against her softness. “I’m not ready to say goodbye.”
Her fingers tangle in my hair as she wraps her arms around my neck. “We still have a few hours.” She gazes up at me with a sinful smile.
The sun streams through the windows, illuminating the bed and bathing us in warmth. The distant claps of thunder mingle with the waves crashing near the shore as if serenading us to stay. I’m not ready to face reality or the p
eople we are once we step foot off the island.
The hardness I’d seen in Lauren inside the walls of Interstellar has vanished in the last two days, replaced by the beautiful, delicate creature underneath me. “Let’s stay another day.” Burying my face in her neck, I breathe in the saltiness of her skin before pressing my lips against her.
She turns her head, giving me free rein to feast on her flesh, but she doesn’t speak.
I slide my hand down her side before gripping her hip in my palm and repeating the words. “Let’s stay another day.”
“We can’t,” she whispers, peering up at me, and I know she’s right although I don’t want to hear it. “We have to go back.”
Leaving the island will put the wall back between that has been eroding. Slowly, brick by brick, the real Lauren has emerged, showing me parts of her I never knew existed. The woman underneath is tough as I expected, but her dreams aren’t her own. She’s driven by the memories of her father, and she’s burying herself in her work instead of living life.
My lips skim her neck before finding her mouth. “Promise me things won’t go back to the way they were,” I say, staring into her eyes, searching for affirmation that the entire weekend wasn’t just a ruse.
“Antonio, I…”
I crush my mouth to hers, sealing whatever she was going to say inside. They’re words I’m not ready to hear because I know the wall will return as soon as we step foot off the beach. The only thing I can do is remind her of what it’s like to be one. How truly compatible we are and how together we can make magic happen.
She moans as my fingers slide underneath her ass, tipping her hips upward for better access. Every moment she’s been in my presence I’ve had to fight the urge to bury myself inside her because it is the only time I feel at peace and truly fulfilled.
When I push my cock inside, she wraps her legs around me, holding me close. I open my eyes, gazing down at her as our bodies are one. I wish I could freeze time. This moment is pure perfection, but just like everything, it’s fleeting and impossible to capture for eternity.