“No!” Desperation leached the jovial expression from Michael’s face, draining it a pasty white. “Not yet. I need to talk to you first.”
“Michael, I’m not going to change my mind. I’m not divorcing Grayson.”
“I don’t understand you. You know what kind of shit Grayson is. You travel half a world to get away from him and yet you won’t take the legal action necessary to sever that relationship? I just don’t get it.”
“You don’t have to, Michael. I’m not your responsibility. Never have been. Never will be.”
“No, I may not be responsible for you, but you owe me. I stuck by you for a whole year while you waited for your brilliant Grayson to show up. I held your hand. I talked you through some pretty rough times.”
“Yes, and that’s what friends do. I don’t owe you.”
He squinted at her, his eyes hard and flat. “Yes, you do.”
“Michael, what do you really want?”
“What I’ve always wanted. You.”
Cate shivered. He wouldn’t like her response and she didn’t know how he’d react. She stood and walked to the bank of windows looking out over the forest and hugged herself. She dipped her finger below her waistband at her hip and retrieved an ornate ladies penknife in a silver filigree scabbard. The knife rested in the palm of her hand. Just in case. It might not do much damage, but every little bit would help.
She turned from the windows to address him. “Michael, I don’t know how long you’ve been fantasizing about me, but it’s not going to happen. I will never be yours. Whether I like it or not, as long as I live, I will always be Grayson Cooper’s and he will be mine.”
“We can change that today.” A wicked smile stretched Michael’s face tight. He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. “I’ve drafted divorce papers for you. You could sign them right now.”
Cate stood there shocked. “Why? I’ve never even hinted I wanted to divorce Grayson.”
“I know your heart, Cate. Just like a year ago. I knew you wanted to give me control of the practice, take care of you. The night Grayson disappeared.”
“What are you talking about? You weren’t even there. I never--”
“Yes, I was. Poor Cate, can’t remember? You signed papers giving me total control over the practice in Grayson’s absence. A little over a year ago. That night Grayson disappeared and you were so distraught. And the business was the last thing you wanted to think about in those weeks and months after he disappeared.”
Cate searched her mind. Was Michael insane? She’d remember signing papers that gave him power over any of her or Grayson’s money. Her memories from that night were a little muddy. But she hadn’t called him until the next day to say there’d been an accident and Cooper was missing. It had been a few days earlier than she’d planned to trap Grayson herself, but the situation presented itself and she took it. He’d spent every night after that one safe in the attic alone, battling the dragon for supremacy. Too bad it hadn’t worked. It had all been for nothing. Sadness weighed on her heart, like a stone sinking to the bottom of a clear pool.
Cate shook her head as if coming awake from a dream. “Michael, I don’t remember . . . “
His laugh bounced off the walls of the bedroom.
“Of course you don’t. See, the champagne is taking hold again. You need to watch out for that vintage shit, Cate. It packs an unexpected wallop. Steals your right mind. Robs your power. Makes you my willing slave. Just like last time. Doesn’t matter what I say today, you won’t remember anything incriminating afterwards. It’s the perfect chemical mind eraser.”
She might look a little dazed, and certainly she felt confused, but it had nothing to do with the champagne she hadn’t touched. Everything she’d thought about Michael over the past year had been a lie. Nothing had been true.
“I’ve had signing authority over the company for the past year. You never even noticed. A little here, a little there, paying off consultants for this, buying equipment that never appeared in the office. None of it real of course. All of the money lining my pockets. You’ve made me a very rich man. A happy man.”
“You?” Awareness dawned for Cate, a little too late for her comfort. Anger at herself, as well as at Michael, sharpened her tone. “You embezzled the money from Cooper & James? It wasn’t Grayson.”
“Smart girl. But I waited a year. A God damned long year for Grayson to show up. I got tired of that game. I wanted a bigger playing field. I decided I wanted your money. I planned to marry you after Grayson disappeared. He was supposed to die that night. I wanted control of everything. And I wanted you. In my bed. Only you wouldn’t cooperate. And then I found out your grandfather had built in certain codicils that prohibited even your husband from controlling your money. So I came up with another brilliant idea--a medical power of attorney, with you as my wife and incapacitated, nothing could stand in my way. Until now. Now that Grayson’s back, we need to get rid of him first.” He waved the envelope.
“You shot Grayson that night on the boat? It was you.” She stumbled. If he thought she was drugged, all the better. She didn’t care. She needed to know what he was planning before Grayson arrived.
“Yes. He was never supposed to live.” Michael stood. “Come, Cate.” He watched her. “Sign your divorce papers. Once they’re signed, sealed, and delivered, Grayson will have absolutely no power over you. We’ll marry. You’ll sign the durable power of attorney. And I’ll have unfettered control of your money.”
Like hell. She bit back the anger that suddenly raged, clawing to get out. She guessed he expected the drug would make her obey him. She took one step closer. God, she didn’t want to. She searched her mind for a spell that would stop him in his tracks. Panic shoved every thought but survival from her brain. Anger cinched it tight.
“We don’t have much time, Cate.” He looked at his watch. “Your guards will only sleep for another fifteen minutes. Your nursemaid, however, will be out for another hour.”
She shook her head again. Took another step closer. “What have you done, Michael?”
“Nothing I haven’t done before. A little creative pharmacology. Erased some memories. I’m in and out and no one is the wiser. A little magic at my fingertips gets me past the most difficult barriers.” He chuckled.
“How is that even possible?”
“As I mentioned, I have my ways.” His smile looked almost orgasmic. “Don’t worry your pretty head.”
“You won’t get away with this. Not this time.” Cate rubbed her upper arms, trying to dispel the chill that had taken up residence.
“Who will stop me? You?” Sarcasm dripped off the last word.
Cate shook her head and raised her hands. “Not me. Grayson won’t let you get away with this. He’ll stop you.” She had supreme confidence in her husband’s sense of fair play and justice.
“He’s coming for you, isn’t he? You’re too calm.” Michael lunged for her, fisted her hair in his hand and yanked her to him. “Time is of the essence then, isn’t it?”
“What are you going to do to me? Kill me?” Tears stung her eyes and her scalp throbbed. “What about Grayson? If he figures this out, he’ll kill you.”
He laughed again. “No, you’re no good to me dead. I can’t play with your money if you die. But I can keep you under my control for the rest of your life. And you will live a very long time, my darling Cate. I’ll make sure of it. A host of miracle drugs exist out there. The right cocktail will keep you cognizant, yet malleable forever. And if I get tired of you, I’ll become the adoptive parent of your baby. And have access to an even greater fortune. Your granpappy planned well for the future of your children.”
He pulled a gun from a holster under his jacket.
A shiver of apprehension and fear seized her. Not for herself. But for her husband who would charge onto the scene totally unprepared, yet again, for the likes of Michael wielding a gun.
“A gun? I thought you said you didn’t want to hurt me?” At least G
rayson had a chance if he knew Michael had a gun.
I hear you, but it takes a huge amount of concentration and focus and right now I’m trying like hell to get to you. Hang in there, babe.
“A change in plans. Instead of you signing the divorce papers, Grayson will die today. The man has run out of lives.” He laid the 9mm Luger semi-automatic on the nightstand.
Cate recognized it. “That’s my gun.”
Michael smiled. And cocked his head as if to indicate, so what?
Oh, my God. What twisted plan had he come up with now? Working a new angle, that had always been Michael. Yet he’d never been dangerous. He’d been harmless, hadn’t he? All along. Just a friend supporting her in her time of need. Yes, his response to Coop when he thought he was a mangy mutt did indicate a mean streak, but murder? Coercion? Embezzlement? No.
Pieces dropped into place like tumblers in a lock. Grayson had never owned a gun. So how did he get one that night on the Celtic Sea? The champagne. Michael had been the one to deliver the order to her from London. He’d insisted. Her response to those two glasses that night hadn’t been normal. He’d never planned to kill her. But why?
How could he know Grayson might be on the way? He couldn’t. Not for sure. “You know Grayson lives in London. He’s nowhere near here.”
“You’re lying. He plans to show up here today. And I will kill him. A bullet to the head should do it. No risk of missing his heart this time around. Although I doubt the man has a heart. The way he’s responded to you leaving him. Cold fish, I’d say.”
That hurt more than anything. The thought of Grayson not even caring she’d left and resuming his life like nothing had happened. As if she didn’t matter to him. But, no. Michael was a sociopath. A practiced liar. He’d manipulated her. And he was doing it again.
Coop, as the dragon, would eat Michael. No qualms. He’d give in to instinct. The dragon would make him disappear. Forever. She couldn’t allow that to happen. Michael had no clue. Didn’t know what he was up against. Consuming someone so evil couldn’t be good for a dragon and surely it would taint Grayson, the man. “Why would you want to kill Grayson? He’s never hurt you. Always treated you as a brother.”
“Because he has what’s mine. You.”
“I’ve never been yours, Michael. Ever.”
“Grayson will be dead and you’ll be blamed for his murder. When you plead self-defense, you’ll be released into my custody. After the way he’s abused you, no jury or judge will blame you. You’ll thank me when he’s dead. All those times he hurt you and I just had to stand by and see the bruises and hear the excuses. No more. And he’s always thought he’s so smart. Who’s the clever one now?”
“Why would I ever choose to be with someone who killed the man I’ve always loved? It doesn’t work that way, Michael. I love Grayson. Always have. Always will.”
I love you, too, babe. Forever. The husky words stroked her.
“Four months ago you were ready to give me a chance.” Michael slammed Cate against his chest. “You will again, even if I have to drug you to get what I want.” He sealed his mouth to hers, shoving his tongue inside.
The assault took her breath away. She wrenched her head back and gulped air. “Stop. You don’t want to do this.”
“I’ve wanted to do this for years. Now is my chance.”
She struggled to push Michael away.
He picked her up and threw her on the bed, pinning her with his hip and thigh over her legs as he ripped her cotton shirt to expose her lace bra.
She fought, nails biting into his cheek. He slapped her hard. The force of the blow left her stunned. Her face burned and her jaw hurt. Tears stung her eyes. She gripped the penknife in her closed fist.
Michael pushed her jean skirt up to her waist. “If you won’t give me what I want, I’ll take it. You will be mine, one way or another.” He yanked on the thin silky fabric of her panties, ripping them at the side seam.
He retrieved something from his trousers pocket and threw it beside Cate’s head while he unfastened his trousers. His engorged erection sprang free.
“You can’t do this. It won’t make me love you.”
“I know. And I don’t care. I don’t need your love. I need money and power. I will fuck my fill of you and then I will drug you.” His gaze flickered to the object near her head, then he stared straight into her eyes, his face cold and calculated. “Then I’ll kill your husband when he arrives, and blame you. You’ll never remember anything.”
Cate turned her cheek against the counterpane to see a syringe filled with a clear liquid, the cap securely over the needle. She had no doubt he’d incapacitate her and keep her that way forever if he could.
“But, why?”
“I love you. And if I can’t have you the way I want you, I’ll take you any way I can get you. No one else will ever possess you again but me. I’ll take whatever I want. I’ll use your body and your money. The perfect relationship, really. No nagging. No shit. Just pure pleasure and a Stepford Wife I can control. And best of all? I prove I’m smarter than Grayson Cooper. I will own everything he’s ever cared about.”
“That’s not love, it’s obsession.” She struggled against him. “But Michael, they’ll find you. Arrest you. Your life will be over.”
“No, they won’t. I’m smarter. They can’t touch me. And I’ll have money. Loads of it. Millions. Your millions.” He smiled a slow, sickly smile as he pinched her breast and trailed his fingers down her abdomen to trace the gold chain of the chatelaine. “Pretty.”
The gold chain became hot against her skin. Power tingled along her waist. The baby fluttered in her uterus. God. The baby. What would the drugs do to the baby? She couldn’t let him stick her with that syringe. It could kill her child. And nothing mattered to her more than keeping her baby safe. Nothing.
His gaze traveled to the apex of her thighs. “A natural redhead. You can never be sure these days, until you see what’s underneath.” His voice sounded heavy with desire. “I can go anywhere. Do anything I want. And no one will touch me. I am a god. But I want you by my side. Only you.”
She eyed him, waiting for her chance to use the little knife. The gun lay mere inches from her head on the nightstand. He’d only have to grab it to subdue her. How could she stab him? The knife wouldn’t do much to stop him. She’d be dead and he’d have a two-inch blade stuck in his chest. What good would that do? How would she save Grayson then? Or her dragon baby. She had to keep him talking, at all cost. “You set Grayson up to take the fall for you?”
Michael’s hard laugh sounded more like a grunt.
Anger burned in Cate’s chest. She’d been totally bamboozled by this twisted bastard. From day one. “You’d planned to kill Grayson on The Dragon’s Wing that night. And then what? You’d move in on me and take his place? Is that what you thought?”
His lips twitched. “Yeah, something like that.” He took his penis in hand and stroked, the length getting harder and the tip more purple, if that were possible. “None of that will matter now. Allegations have been made about Grayson’s character. Today, the world will see a domestic dispute--an abusive husband killed by his wife.”
He rubbed his penis along her vaginal folds. In a moment, he’d penetrate and she couldn’t do a thing about it. She squeezed her thighs, trying to push him away. God, hurry. Please.
Distract him. We’re here.
She shifted her hips, moving off center so he couldn’t ram her. He dragged her back. “Don’t get feisty now, Cate. It’ll be good. I promise.”
“You can’t do this, Michael. You don’t want to do this.”
“Yes, by God, I do.” Spit foamed at the corner of his mouth. He’d gone a little limp, so he sat back on his haunches, closed his eyes, fisted his hand around his dick and stroked himself hard for the second time. A moment later, he took his position again between her legs.
This was it.
Her only chance.
He supported his weight on his right forearm,
his fingers inches away from the syringe next to her head. She had to get the gun out of his reach before Grayson appeared in the room. Cate held the penknife in her right hand, shoved under her hip. She flexed her palm flat against the bed, the blade of the knife pressed between her thumb and her index finger.
She couldn’t wait a moment longer. If she did, Michael would rape her, inject her with the drug, and then grab the gun to shoot Grayson when he charged into the room. Better to take her chances to disarm him now.
An incantation burbled from her lips. Let the mark be true. The whispered words sparkled in the air, their energy tangible in the now sweat-stale air of the bedroom. She spoke as she gripped the handle of the small blade and thrust it in an arc seeking the soft tissue of his face--his eye. He jerked his head back. The small blade sliced his face from the corner of his eye, across his nose to the opposite jaw. Blood sprayed. She squeezed her eyes shut against the spatter. The warm spray caught her face and throat. She pushed with all her strength and rolled under him, batting the syringe off the bed and kicking the nightstand. The gun hit the floor with a thud and skittered.
Cate scooted to the headboard. Her breath heaved and she sucked in rasping gulps of air as adrenalin and fear throbbed through her and made her teeth chatter. Chills wracked her body and her hands tingled, icy cold. She hugged herself, appalled at what had almost happened and even more repulsed that she’d actually knifed another human being--Michael, someone who’d once been her friend.
Michael howled in pain. He clutched his face with two hands. When he raised his head, the bloody scene sickened her.
“Bitch. You’ll pay for your treachery.” He grabbed her ankle, yanked her beneath him again, and slapped her.
The force of the blow made her head spin. Pain lanced through her jaw and mouth. Her bottom lip swelled, a warm trickle flowed down her chin.
She’d depleted all her options. Once she’d thought a dragon could be the biggest monster alive. A big scary, scaly dragon who couldn’t control himself when he shifted. Now she knew better. Grayson had never hurt her on purpose. Yes, he’d been a fool to think he could control his new powers without the proper training. But there were scarier things than a pissed-off dragon mage--a sociopathic human without a conscience for one. Someone who didn’t care about anyone or anything.
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