Burning Obsession

by Rice, Rachel E.

  “I don’t believe either of you.” Then Sydney turned to Danny. “Nicholas, what have you heard? You’ve been in LA longer, what are people saying?”

  Danny took a long pause. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing. He needed to fashion his words. His eyes danced around the room then settled on Sydney.

  “He’s alive,” Danny murmured.

  Alan standing silent watched Sydney become hysterical. “It’s not true and you of all people. Nicholas if you love me you should not be so cruel.”

  Alan’s body stiffened when he heard Sydney. He turned to Danny instead of Sydney. “What does she mean, in love with her?”

  “I told her today that I loved her,” Danny said expressionless with his hands tucked into his jeans.

  Sydney’s face begged Nicholas not to reveal to Alan that they were having an affair. Danny decided in a second not to tell her now. He could only hope that he could prevent her from marrying Alan until he could break it to Sydney.

  “I’m leaving with Alan, I can’t take this anymore.” Sydney never unpacked her suitcase. She never put them in the bedroom. She hadn’t been in her bed. She spent the night of lust and hunger for Nicholas’s body. She couched her body in his and lay with him as she prepared to marry Alan. She was still wearing her skirt and top from the day before. “Wait for me in the car, Alan.” Sydney hurried to retrieve her own suitcase after Alan looked around and stated with a smirk on his face, “Gentlemen you are invited to the wedding in Las Vegas tomorrow.”

  “I’m staying here tonight, Alan. Go without me,” Jeremy said with his lips twitching through a half smile.

  Alan departed from the house and sat in his limo after asking his driver to get Sydney’s luggage.

  “I’m going to marry Alan and no one can stop me.” Sydney walked to Steven and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Then she gave Jeremy a quick soft kiss, and for a moment she stared into his eyes. She saw Danny’s eyes. The hurt in his eyes caused her to hug him goodbye. He knew what that meant. He would never again get close to her as long as she was married to Alan.

  The pain and pleasure of being with Nicholas made her task hard for even her to accept. She put her arms around him and kissed him on the lips, the kiss had the heat of youth, with its lust and fire. His arms held her tight and she couldn’t find the room to leave him. She couldn’t bring her body to leave him, but she did leave his embrace, she did leave his kiss lingering on her lips and she did leave the naked obsession she felt for him and he for her.

  Sydney walked out of the door and out of Danny’s life once more.

  “Are you going to let her go Danny?” Jeremy said frantically.

  “She’s my wife and if I can see her leave why are you so upset?”

  “Because you are a fool and I’m not. If she loved me the way she loves you, I would never let her go.” Danny stared trying to understand why Jeremy reacted as he did. “When you were thought to be dead, I comforted her at night. I took care of your children, and I would have married her if she had said the word, but she couldn’t let go of you. I don’t know why she loves you? You don’t have the courage to be with her,” Jeremy said with trembling voice.

  He had finally cleared his conscience.

  It took all of Danny’s courage not to hit his brother. He knew that his mother wouldn’t have wanted anything to come between the two, so he took Jeremy’s verbal abuse. Steven stood looking on. Danny quietly stated, “Sydney doesn’t know that it’s me. If I surprise her by telling her the truth now, she might hate me and I couldn’t live with that.”

  “But you are willing to live with her marrying Alan?”

  “She will never marry Alan. She told me that she doesn’t love him.”

  “Think!” Sydney acts out of emotions. She is angry with you. Think” Jeremy tried to get Danny to understand that whether she loved him or not she was going to marry Alan.

  Danny finally got it. Sydney was angry with him for not declaring love for her. She told him to his face. She knew him only as Nicholas and he was hoping he had time for her to realize that it was he—Danny, the love of her life. He didn’t want to deceive her, he felt compelled to do so. All his dreams were broke. He was broken. He had nothing to give her. Nothing! But himself.

  When he finally put the pieces of the puzzle together in which Jeremy handed him, it came to him that Sydney would marry Alan if only to spite him. She begged Nicholas to stop her, but he never did.

  Chapter 10

  A Woman Scorned

  “Jeremy, fly with me to Las Vegas, I have to stop this marriage,” Danny said with strength and conviction in his voice. Jeremy’s face lit up realizing that if he couldn’t have Sydney, then she could be in his life again. He knew that if she married Alan, she and his son would be under Alan’s control. He never trusted Alan anyway.

  A predator can always recognize another predator, the way a lion and leopard can recognize each other during a hunt. And one knew to defer to the strongest. Yet the two alpha males didn’t consider that their existed another alpha male although silent he was just as deadly, especially since he had lived a lifetime in a short time.

  Danny had experiences that Alan and Jeremy have yet to encounter. The life and death struggle in the Brazilian jungle. He stumbled out of the jungle after a plan wreck, which killed everyone but him. He buried all the bodies on the plane, including the beautiful young star in his movie. Losing his face to scars and having the very man that his wife chose to marry look at him as if he were a freak. He could never become that young innocent man from Scotland that met Sydney in New York and loved her through tortuous affairs with two men.

  He had finally come into his own and not even Jeremy would recognize the complexity of his mind and soul.

  Danny eyed Steven, then pointing, “Well, I guess he knows about me. I can tell by that clown’s grin on your face.”

  “You know I know everything that’s going on. I’m the one that figured you out. I knew right off that you weren’t who you said. I pay attention to details.”

  “Yes, I know, don’t start bragging on yourself Steven. You know you are a loathsome human being.”

  “I have thick skin Danny. You have more trouble than wasting your time with me. I’m small fish. You have to deal with a shark,” Steven said heading for his room then turning around. “Am I going with you? That’s all you have to tell me.” Steven put his finger to his aviators and flipped them down. “You know you might need me,” Steven said trying to convince Danny to let him enjoy the dramas that always accompany Danny and Sydney. His thoughts were about the story he could sell to the tabloids.

  Steven knew he could get millions and he needed every bit of the money. The influence in certain circles would be priceless.

  “You can go Steven, but I don’t want you to interfere. I have to do this my way.” Danny’s eyes bore into Steven. “I don’t want you to give Sydney any hints about me. None. Do you hear me Steven?” Steven had begun walking away to retrieve his bags.

  “You don’t have to worry about me. You forgot about Jeremy. He has a stake in this too,” Steven mumbled.

  Danny didn’t hear what Steven said. His mind was full of how to solve the latest problem. Danny’s car arrived and the trio headed for the airport. Every notion ran rampant through his head. What if the plane crashed? Then Sydney would feel that he never loved her or trusted her enough to tell her the truth. If Jeremy died, then who would care for his children? What if Steven survived? Danny didn’t want to think about the possibilities of Steven surviving, because he carried in his mind all the secrets of his family and he was eager to let loose.

  The three took a late flight and settled down in first class. Steven sat next to Danny and Jeremy in the seat behind them. “We’re going to be late Danny. I don’t know how you can sit there so quietly when your life is falling apart?” Jeremy said, tapping nervously on the seat.

  “I’ve learned to stay calm. You can’t do anything about the future. And I’ve never been able to do
anything with Sydney. She has her own mind, and she operates on emotions. I don’t operate like that anymore. It’s a waste of time and energy to worry about it now. All I can do is hope that things will work out and if they don’t, I’ll see that they do.” And Danny closed his eyes and put the seat to recline.

  * * *

  Steven pushed Danny on the shoulder to wake him when the flight landed in Las Vegas. Danny thought that he would never want to go back to this place again. It was full of memories, not the best kind. Not the kind that one wants to revisit again and again. His heart had been broken in Las Vegas, his spirit had been broken in Las Vegas, and his life had been broken there. Danny wondered what next.

  Thanks to Max he had a car to ferry them to Alan’s hotel. Max was always there to help him. He would never disappoint Max again, he thought. After getting into the limo the driver scurried through the traffic at Jeremy’s insistence. The Towers at Las Vegas sat across from the Wynn Hotel and Casino.

  The Towers, a glitzy hotel that hadn’t had a grand opening, was as grand as anything on the strip. Alan was the sole owner and Jeremy, although he knew some of Alan’s business from Nadia, felt that Alan couldn’t have had the kind of money to finance it alone. It suddenly hit Jeremy that maybe Sydney’s money had been used to finance the opening of the hotel.

  The limo stopped and the trio walked into the lobby and to the desk. Each got his own room. Danny saw that there was a penthouse suite and he requested the floor under it.

  “Is the suite available under the penthouse?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Grant. I hear that Mr. Brule is getting married. He left word that Mrs. Brule will be arriving without him.”

  “You recognize me?”

  “Yes sir, Mr. Grant. I just came from seeing your picture. You make a handsome vampire. I just love you and you are better looking in person.”

  “I’m a friend of Mr. and Mrs. Brule I would like to surprise Mrs. Brule with a bottle of her favorite wine and caviar.”

  “You can order it and have it brought to their penthouse apartment.”

  “I would like to surprise them. Is that possible?

  “I have to check with my supervisor. That will be five thousand a night.” Danny handed the young woman his American Express card with an intriguing smile, showing his greatest asset, a wonderful set of blinding white teeth compliments of his plastic surgeon.

  After signing the papers he stated, “It will be worth every cent.”

  Steven and Jeremy wasn’t about to pay that kind of money. They took a more conservative approach. Danny left them at the counter and headed for his room. He wanted to question the concierge. He had to figure out how to get access to the penthouse.

  “Look, I’m a friend of Mr. Brule; can you open the apartment so I can surprise them?”

  “Mister Grant, we are not allowed to do that. Only the maids and butlers have access to the penthouse.”

  “Thank you. You can go now.” Danny gave him a tip and walked into the room. How was he going to see Sydney before Alan returned? He had to think. What was it the girl at the desk said? Alan was going to be away. On his honeymoon night he would not be there. This was a man that put business first, he thought.

  Danny felt that would not sit well with Sydney. She was the type of woman who needed care and nurturing, which he failed to do by chasing money. Chasing money and things separated him from his family. His mistakes may cause him to lose his family.

  Danny decided to use his celebrity status and charm. He called the front desk and the same lovely girl answered the phone. She had been full of information so he asked for their number and she provided it without him prodding her. The phone rang twice and on the third ring Sydney answered.

  “Alan, when are you coming? This is our honeymoon or have you forgotten?”

  “I’m not Alan, Sydney.”

  “Nicky, what do you want? I’m married now.”

  “You can’t have two husbands. You wouldn’t believe me when I told you and married that man out of spite.”

  “Don’t start that again, Nicky.”

  “Can I bring you a wedding gift?”

  “I don’t know... I don’t know how long we are going to be here. I’m expecting Alan at any moment.”

  “I mean now. Can I bring you a gift to your apartment now?”

  “Where are you Nicky?”

  “I’m in the suite below Alan’s penthouse.”

  Silence griped Sydney. Nervousness surrounded her and she didn’t say a word.

  “I’m coming up there now.”

  Sydney didn’t say stop. Sydney didn’t say anything, because she wanted him more than air. She wanted him more than she had wanted any man alive. The silence broke.

  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

  “No, don’t come. You can’t come.”

  “If I can’t come then you come to me.”

  “I can’t do that.”

  “Yes you can…I’m your…You know that you want me as much as I want you. I made a mistake. I should have begged you not to marry Alan. I should have stopped you in the house. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I love you more than life and I can’t stand to let another man have you. I want you so badly that I don’t know what I’m capable of doing.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before I married Alan?”

  “I didn’t think you would do it.”

  “You can get an annulment.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Sydney, just come to my room and let’s talk about it. I promise you that I will not attempt to stop you if you want to go. Come see me and if you want to stay married to Alan I won’t do anything to stop you.”

  “I’m afraid of you.”

  “Not you, you’re a big girl. You can handle anything that comes your way now. Trust me this once and you will never regret your decision.” Danny put the phone in its place and paced. Suddenly the phone rang.

  “Sydney?”

  “No it’s Jeremy, big brother. Did you call her? Did you convince her not to marry that Alan?”

  “Whoa wait a minute. I don’t know what she’s planning to do. I tried to reason with her.”

  “Fuck reasoning. Tell her who you are.”

  “I can’t do that now. I have my own time line.”

  “Your fucking timeline got her involved with another man. I don’t want to see her with that man.”

  “That man is your brother-in-law. You didn’t do a good job of protecting her from him.”

  “Do you hear yourself? Who knew that you were alive? I certainly didn’t.”

  “I’m sorry Jeremy, but I made a hell of a lot of mistakes.”

  “That is a fucking understatement. Danny I’m coming up there.”

  “Don’t…”

  Jeremy didn’t wait for Danny to tell him no. He never knew how to take no for an answer anyway. He wanted to be involved in Danny’s life and get Sydney back to their family and to her children. She had to realize that she should not have anything to do with Alan. If that meant concocting a lie, he was willing to do what ever it took to get what he wanted.

  Before Danny could relax, Jeremy rang. Danny’s sullen feet carried him to the door. His shaking hands opened the door, and his determined mind didn’t shut Jeremy out and stop him from interfering in his business.

  Why would Jeremy insist on being there? Danny knew he was obligated to his brother, after all when he wasn’t around; Jeremy had to hold his family intact. He did that up to a point, but Danny also realized that there was nothing any man could do with Sydney once she set her mind on something.

  He didn’t want to hurt Jeremy’s feelings so he opened the door. He stepped in with a smile. Seconds later a knock came and Jeremy looked around. “Who’s that?”

  “Sydney.”

  “You didn’t tell me that she was coming.”

  “You didn’t give me a chance,” Danny stated with clenched teeth and a raised eyebrow. He opened the door wide and Sydney’s wide smile vanis
hed.

  “You didn’t tell me that Jeremy was going to be here.” Sydney said, her voice dripping with anger.

  “What’s wrong Sydney?” Danny knew the answer, yet he continued. “I asked Jeremy to accompany me to Las Vegas.”

  “I thought you came because of me.” Sydney turned and walked out of the door, after sneering at Jeremy.

  “Jeremy please leave. I can handle this.” Jeremy wore a questionable look and Danny read it. “I can handle my wife,” Danny insisted.

  “She’s someone else’s wife as you well know. You allowed that to happen. You messed that up as you have done every thing else.” Jeremy stated as he peered at Danny. “Look at you I wouldn’t have recognized you if Steven hadn’t said something. If you were waiting for Sydney to see you through that face then you are going to wait a lifetime. You had better do something and do it quick.”

  Danny stood seething, “Jeremy leave!”

  Jeremy understood when he had overstepped his bounds. He passed in front of Danny, gazed at him a minute, “Don’t fuck this up big brother.”

  * * *

  Two hours earlier in Las Vegas Alan and Sydney married in a little chapel on Las Vegas blvd. Her life had gone full circle. The very idea of marrying some one, anyone in Las Vegas had once been distasteful, when Danny proposed the very idea. Now she dashed to be one of the millions of people to marry there.

  His limousine rushed to his hotel after the ceremony. Everything and everyone was on call to celebrate the marriage of the most eligible bachelor on three continents. Sydney and Alan were whisked to the penthouse where orders were that he would not be disturbed once he walked into his apartment with his wife. Alan waited for this moment. He wanted it to be the most special time in his life. He had never been married and he was intrigued at the possibilities.

  Alan opened the door with one hand and whisked Sydney into his arms with the other as he looked into her eyes. She saw in his eyes the hunger that he harbored for her. She saw in his eyes what she harbored for Nicholas—lust, heat, unbridled desire. The feeling was so overwhelming that it cancelled out her feelings at that moment for Alan. Her mind, body, and soul were null and void. She had felt this way once before a long time in the past, and now again she began to feel the empty feelings again. She couldn’t think about that, she might go crazy she thought.