“Where did they end up?”
“Scotland. In a hunting box my family owns. Far away from any roads or towns.”
He fiddles with his mobile, one of the best satellite phones in the market and a twin to my own. “Sarah blocked my calls, but I assume you’re in communication with her.”
“She sends me a status report every evening.”
He jams the phone back in his jacket. “I can’t imagine your mother went willingly once she landed in Scotland.”
“There was some sedation involved.”
“Christ, Storm. Kidnapping, drugging her? What you’ve done is immoral, never mind illegal.”
“She did worse than that to me.”
“That doesn’t justify your actions.” He glances out the window where cars whizz along the busy motorway. “How long are you planning to keep up this farce?” He doesn’t bother to look back at me.
“Until I marry Liz and our son is born. Then the Countess can go to blazes for all I care.”
He turns back to me. “And how are you going to keep your mother quiet afterward? Have you thought about that?”
“Of course I have. Did you really think I wouldn’t?” I choke out a laugh. “There’s no love lost between her and the castle staff. Everyone hates her. They’ll swear to a man and woman she’s been at Winterleagh the whole time. If I have to, I’ll get a physician to certify her insane. She’s not that far off, so it won’t be much of a stretch.”
Jake’s steel gaze drills into me. “There’s a lot of your mother in you, Storm. Much more than you realize.”
I gnash my teeth. I learned from the best, didn’t I?
“And you planned all this behind my back.”
“You wouldn’t have approved my scheme.”
“Damn right, I wouldn’t.”
I expected his anger, so his reaction is not a surprise. I’d hoped, no prayed I could talk him around to my point of view. But things are not looking good. I may need to recalibrate my plans. Until then there’s something else I need to know. “What’s the latest on the security in D.C.?”
“Samuel’s arranged for a company to wire the apartment—cameras, motion sensors. And of course Marisol and Jorge are fully capable of handling anything that comes up.”
“The Cuban couple was quite a find.” Trained as operatives by the American government, they’d retired two years ago. Having worked as servants to the elite for many years while spying for the CIA, they made the perfect cover. “Anything else?”
“A couple of your mother’s acquaintances have called. How do you want to deal with them?”
“Our official line will be she suffered a nervous breakdown caused by the stress of dealing with my father’s illness. Her doctor thought it best if she were in total isolation to get the rest she needs.”
Another tick of his jaw.
“If you’re worried about being connected, don’t be. You can rightfully claim you had no prior knowledge.”
“I have knowledge now. Do you think I won’t be implicated as an accomplice? And what about Sarah, have you thought about the repercussions if things don’t go your way?”
My conscience lies clear. Given a chance to do it all again, I would do the same. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t suffer any consequences, Jake. And you must do as your scruples dictate. Are you in or are you out? Because if you’re not, I’ll have to make other plans.” I have no idea what those plans would be.
His jaw juts. That body part is getting quite a workout today. For a couple of minutes he doesn’t say anything. But then there’s a subtle shift to him, a relaxation of sorts. “You did the right thing, even if your methods are illegal. Your mother would have gone after Ms. Watson. Of that I have no doubt. I may not like what you’ve done, but I understand why you did it.” His gaze cuts to me. “So I’m in. I would feel better if I knew the security measures being taken to ensure she does not escape. Maybe I should travel to this hunting box. Where is it by the way?”
I trust him implicitly, but I don’t want him directly involved. In case things head south, he still could claim ignorance. Doubt he would. His honor would demand an admission of his knowledge. “No need. I will visit her this week to find that out for myself.”
“Very well. One more thing we need to deal with. Photos of you and Elizabeth appeared in the British papers. It will take them only a day or two to figure out who she is.”
The same thing happened in D.C. “It was foolish to believe no one would find out about us.”
“Did you arrange for those photos to make their way to the media?”
So, he suspects me of complicity. That’s the problem with committing one transgression. You’re suspect in everything else that goes wrong. I turn away from him to stare out the window. We should be in London proper soon. “You give me too much credit, Jake. Not hard to see how it happened with the Cathedral of the Nativity right next door. My guess? Some tourist recognized me and took our picture. And a couple in the cafe where we ate lunch took a keen interest in us.”
“How would anyone know who you are?”
“Probably from the pictures that surfaced from the closing. They made the business section of The Washington Post. And The Wall Street Journal wrote a full article about the deal and me.” I brush nonexistent lint from my trousers. “I imagine things will get sticky at her job. It can’t be avoided, I’m afraid. They won’t fire her. I’ll withdraw my business if they do. But they may take measures she won’t like.”
“They’ll have rules in place to deal with that kind of thing.”
“Yes, they probably do. I just hope they don’t go overboard with their ‘rules.’”
Chapter 17
______________
Elizabeth
“SEE YOU AT 5:30, MS. WATSON?” Rick Blaine, my new guard, asks. Of average height and build, he’s not much to look at. But there’s a look in his eye that tells me he’s no one to mess with. The three members of the team will take turns watching over me. I’ll meet the third guard tonight. Martha Rawlings, hired because they need a woman to accompany me places men can’t go. Apparently, I need a bodyguard while I pee. Lovely.
“Yes. I’ll call if there’s a delay.”
When Rick climbs out and opens the door for me, a couple of co-workers witness it. I wish them good morning as I breeze into the building along with them. They don’t comment upon my new mode of transportation, but then they don’t have to. Their raised brows speak for them.
My message light’s lit up on my work phone. One call from Carrey, four from CeCe. HR requests a meeting as soon as I’m available. Wonder what they want to talk about, as if I don’t know.
Carrey’s tied up in a meeting, his secretary tells me, but she’ll let him know I called. By the time I hang up, CeCe’s standing at my door, excitement clear on her face.
“Girl, you’ve gone and done it now. The place’s buzzing with the news.”
Even though I expected that reaction, my stomach flip flops. “So everyone knows about Gabriel and me?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Well, at least I won’t have to worry about it anymore.” I rub my baby belly. I just have to worry about the fall out sure to occur.
“A lot of people are disappointed. Nobody won the pool.”
Serves them right.
My phone rings. Carmen, Mr. Carrey’s secretary. “He can see you now if you’re available.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“What time you want to do lunch?” CeCe asks.
“One?”
“You got it.” I’ll need to call Samuel and arrange for security. I grit my teeth before I grab my netbook and head for Mr. Carrey’s office. Maybe he just wants to give me a substantial assignment.
The foolish hope’s dashed when I arrive at his office and he greets me with a frown. “Good morning, Liz. Please take a seat.”
I do, fearful of what he’s going to say.
“I understand you and Gabriel Storm . . .” He leaves th
e rest of the words hanging in the air.
Not much I can say but, “Yes.”
He heaves a heavy sigh, drops into his office chair. “This puts us in a bit of a sticky spot, Liz.”
“Yes, Sir. I understand.” Even though I know what’s coming, I wait, hoping the damage won’t be too great.
“As you know, Storm Industries has hired us as their outside counsel. Unfortunately, that means we will need to take some cautions.” He fiddles with the pens in his pencil cup, always a bad sign.
“What kind of cautions?”
He leans back into his seat and fixes his gaze on me. “We’ll need to build a Chinese wall between you and any transactions involving Storm Industries.”
A Chinese Wall is a barrier implemented within a firm to prevent exchanges of information that could cause conflicts of interest. Because of my involvement with Gabriel, I won’t have access to any data having to do with Storm Industries.
“Which means you’re off the Storm Industries team. I’m sorry, Liz.”
Yeah, it’s just as bad as I thought. At least I still have a job. “I understand, Mr. Carrey.”
“I’ll ask the other partners in the group to provide you with meaningful work.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” They hadn’t in the last several months, and I don’t expect that to change. Not now, after I’d slept with the COO of a company on the other side of a business deal. Even though SouthWind had sold the wind farm assets for more money than originally sought, someone or a group of someones will be assigned to analyze the transaction to make sure I had done no wrong. I had put the firm in a really bad spot. And, as I’d always feared, I was about to pay the price. Can’t say I didn’t expect it. I just didn’t expect it to hurt so much.
I can just see my future. Because they don’t want Gabriel to pull his business. I’ll be treated with kid gloves, given a light workload. And be bored silly.
I think things can’t get any worse. But that’s before I return to my office to find Brian waiting for me.
“So you and Storm, huh?” The smirk on his face tells me exactly what he thinks.
My hackles rise. How is my relationship with Gabriel any of his business? I can’t afford to alienate him, though. Not if I hope to get work from him. “Excuse me.” Rather than snap out a pithy comment, I put the breadth of my substantial desk between us and glare at him. “Do you have an assignment for me, Brian?”
He chokes out a derisive laugh. “No, I don’t. And in the future, you won’t get much from me. Nor from the other partners in the office.”
Other partners? “Wait. You made partner?”
A nasty grin pops up on his face. “Yes. I got the news this morning. Funny it came through as soon as the news broke about you and Gabriel Storm. Guess they were holding it up because they thought I was the father.”
As if. I’ve never found Brian attractive. “You’re not. Gabriel is.” There is a note of pride in my voice. Gabriel’s ten times the man Brian is.
His face falls at my confirmation of Gabriel’s paternity. The intimidation leaches out of him, but then an ugly look comes over his face. “I would have married you. You would have wanted for nothing. And I wanted you, not that bastard you carry.”
I suck in air. Such an ugly word and one that would be aimed at my child every day of his life. In England, he would be known as the Earl’s bastard. When Gabriel married, as he was bound to do to provide an heir to his title, my baby would be shunned, never to be held in the same regard as his legitimate siblings. Am I willing to submit my child to such insults?
His words are taking a toll on me. I need time to think about what he said, solitude to deal with the turmoil roiling within me. “I’m done with this conversation. Shut the door on your way out.”
“It won’t last, you know. Sooner or later, he’ll kick you to the curb. And then where will you be? Everyone here knows you slept with him while we were negotiating against his company. You think any other firm in town will hire you with your reputation?” He barks out a harsh laugh. “Not bloody likely.” He mimics the way Gabriel speaks.
“Since when do you have a British accent?”
“My father’s a Brit. I spent the first ten years of my life in London. You didn’t know that, did you? I can speak like the bloody lot, pass off as one of them too. Does he call you love when he’s fucking you?”
I’ve had enough of this. “Get out. And don’t ever come into my office again or I’ll file a harassment suit against you.”
He leans into the desk and for the first time I fear what he’ll do. “Who will they believe? The slut who spread her legs and allowed an opposing party to fuck her or the partner who’s never put a toe out of place? You’re damaged goods, love. Might as well fold your tent and go home for your work here is finished. No one will give you a meaningful assignment. I’ll make sure of that.”
“If you don’t get out right now, I’ll scream the place down.”
I don’t know if it’s my raised voice or the threat in my words, but he does an about face and stomps out. I lock the door but don’t stop shaking for a good twenty minutes. I’d been happy with my private office in a deserted hall, with no neighbors near by. But now I fear the remote location will work against me if Brian turns physical.
I could tell HR. But with no proof of his threatening behavior, doubt they would believe me given the recent turn of events. I will need to be careful. Make sure my office is empty before I enter it. Lock it when I’m inside and when I step away. Wish I could tell Gabriel. But I can’t. God only knows what he would do if he found out.
When calm eventually returns, a thought pops into my head. Someone stole Gabriel’s confidential documents which included his notes on the margins. Notes he’d written in front of me at the London hotel. Those same comments appeared on the documents Carrey presented to him as proof that the SouthWind deal was worth a great deal more. So it stands to reason the documents had been obtained at the hotel.
Could Brian have arranged for someone to copy Gabriel’s documents? He said he had London contacts. And the morning I returned from Gabriel’s penthouse, I saw him giving money to a concierge, and the concierge giving him something in return. At the time, I thought it was theater tickets, but it could have just as easily been a flash drive.
How could I not have seen this before? Too much on my mind, I guess, what with the baby, Gabriel, his mother’s disappearance, the move.
I need to get my hands on the documents Gabriel handed to Carrey. They should be in our files. But how am I going to do that when the firm cut me me off from anything related to Storm Industries? I drop my head into my hands. Think, Elizabeth, think. After a few minutes I take a deep breath, hitch up my chin. I’ll be damned if I let that snake Brian get away with it. One way or another, I’ll find out.
Chapter 18
______________
Elizabeth
THURSDAY MORNING, MY CELL PHONE RINGS. An unknown number pops up. I think about letting it roll over to voice mail, but it might be something important so I pick it up.
“You’re a very clever girl, Ms. Watson. I underestimated you.” Gabriel’s mother. What the hell?
A million questions pop up, but I go with the most important one. “Where are you?”
“You don’t know?” She laughs that nasty laugh of hers. “Well, well, well. Let’s just say, somewhere remote.”
I clutch my cell tight in my hand. “Gabriel’s looking for you. He’ll find you.”
“Ahh, but will he find me in time?”
My stomach lurches. “In time for what?”
“Before I rid the world of you and that brat you’re carrying.”
Oh, God. Bile rises in my throat. I’d made myself believe Gabriel had exaggerated the threat from his mother to get me to do what he wanted. But now? I choke back the bitter taste in my mouth. “You’re evil.”
“You can stop it, you know.” Her insidious voice sounds almost normal. If it weren’t for the fact,
she’s insane.
I want to hang up, but I need to get as much information as I can to pass on to Gabriel. “How would I do that?”
“My preference would have been you get rid of the baby. But it’s too late for that. Not too late for you to disappear, though. I offered you twenty million dollars before. I see that wasn’t enough. Clearly, you were holding out for more. How does forty million sound? I’ll get you a new identity. All you need do is walk away.”
Forty million dollars would pay for a life of luxury. All I would need do is leave behind everyone and everything I care about—my job, law school, Casey. Gabriel. It would devastate him were I to disappear, taking his child along with me.
“Gabriel wants his son. He’ll find me.”
“No, he won’t. He hasn’t found me, has he?” She cackles. Good lord, she really does sound insane.
I don’t understand her vitriolic hate or her reasoning. Not now when marriage to the duke’s daughter is no longer an option. “Why are you doing this? Surely you understand he’ll never marry Lady Melissande.”
“He took my son from me.” Lady Winterleagh spits out. “He was the one supposed to die that day, not Edward. If my son’s dead, why should his live?”
This goes way beyond her wish to have a grandson with royal blood in his veins. “Gabriel’s your son, too.”
“No, he’s not. He’s his father’s son. You never met my husband, but Gabriel looks exactly like him, acts like him, has the same devil’s own charm about him just like his father did. And he, he besmirched the vows we made by bedding a slut on our wedding day. And now Gabriel’s doing the same, sleeping with a whore.”
“I’m not a whore!”
“No? What do you call what you’re doing, Ms. Watson? Living in the lap of luxury in an apartment owned by my son, with servants, bodyguards. No doubt all in exchange for your sexual favors. Isn’t that the very definition of a whore?”
The churning in my stomach intensifies. I’m going to be sick. By sheer force of will, I fight it down. “How do you know this?”
Storm Ravaged (Storm Damages 2) (Storm Legacy) Page 10