Her Tycoon Hero

by Narelle Atkins

  “I accept.” She leaned over and hugged her dad. “Thanks for believing in me.”

  “You do realize you’ll be working long hours and it won’t be a walk in the park.”

  She nodded. “When do you want me to start?”

  “After Laura’s wedding. The purchase will be finalized over the next few weeks.”

  “Sounds wonderful. I’m so excited. Thanks so much for giving me this incredible opportunity.”

  “My pleasure. I know you’ll do a great job.”

  His approval warmed her heart. One more question lingered in her mind. “I met Debbie yesterday. Is she your girlfriend?”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry you two had to meet under these circumstances. I was going to introduce you to Debbie this weekend.”

  “Is your relationship serious?”

  “Not yet. We’ve been seeing each other for a while. I’d like to bring her to Laura’s wedding, but I’m not sure how your mother will react.”

  “She’ll cope. She’ll be more upset at the thought of me moving to Queensland than you bringing a date.”

  “You need to tell her sooner rather than later.”

  She nibbled her lower lip. “I’ll tell Mom and Laura tomorrow at dinner.”

  “They’ll be happy for you.”

  “Once they’ve calmed down and recovered from the shock. Laura’s not going to be happy with you.”

  “She’ll get over it soon enough. When are you going to tell Ryan?”

  She shrugged. “I guess he’ll hear through Laura. I won’t be seeing him until the wedding.”

  “You can’t call him?”

  “What’s the point? I’ll be leaving Sydney soon for a new life in Queensland.”

  * * *

  Cassie closed the door to her apartment, flung her keys on the side table and collapsed on the sofa.

  Julia wandered into the living room. “How did your hospital visit go?”

  “Really well. You’ll never believe what happened. I feel so blessed.”

  Julia smiled. “You patched things up with Ryan. I’m so happy for you, and I’d hoped you two would end up together—”

  “No, I haven’t seen Ryan today.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought only Ryan could put a smile that big on your face.”

  “It’s my dad. He bought a hotel on the Sunshine Coast to renovate into a luxury resort and he wants me to run it.”

  “Wow, that’s incredible.” Julia grinned. “Did you have any idea he was planning this?”

  Cassie shook her head. “He took me completely by surprise. We talked about a whole lot of other stuff and our relationship is in a much better place.”

  “I’m so excited for you. Did you accept his job offer?”

  “I sure did.” The reality of her new life started to sink in.

  “When will you start?”

  “After the wedding.”

  Julia sat beside her on the sofa. “I’m going to miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too, but we can still catch up by phone and email.”

  “And I’ll be expecting an invitation to the grand opening of your resort. I quite like the idea of a weekend away at a luxury resort.”

  “Absolutely. You’ll have to stay for a week.”

  “What about Ryan? Does he know about your new job?”

  She shook her head. “I’ll tell Mom and Laura tomorrow night at dinner, and I guess he’ll find out through Laura and Greg.”

  “You could always call him.”

  “He made his feelings very clear during the weekend away. Yesterday didn’t change anything.”

  “Did he mention Sean?”

  She shook her head. “Ryan was a great help and he prayed with me while we waited for the ambulance.”

  “A good sign.”

  “I think he has rediscovered his faith, but it’s too late for us.”

  “Why? Has he told you he doesn’t want to see you again?”

  “No, but too much has happened and I can’t erase or change my past.” If Ryan couldn’t accept her history and trust her, their relationship was doomed. “I do have good news. I met Dad’s girlfriend yesterday.”

  “Really? What’s she like?”

  “She seems nice. Dad’s planning to bring her to the wedding.”

  “You really did have a big, deep and meaningful with your father.”

  “His health scare has mellowed him a bit. I don’t know—maybe he’ll be back to his old self in a few days’ time and driving me crazy again.”

  “I hope not. I’m looking forward to meeting your new and improved father.”

  Cassie laughed. “I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’m about to start a new and exciting life.”

  “I think you’ll miss Ryan.”

  Tears pricked her eyes. “I miss him every day, but what can I do? I haven’t heard from Sean, either.”

  “Do you think Ryan has contacted Sean?”

  “Who knows? With Sean I often think no news is good news.”

  “Are you going to contact Sean?”

  She nodded. “After Laura’s wedding I’ll let him know that I’m moving and make sure he has Ryan’s phone number.”

  “Would Sean contact Ryan if he’s in trouble?”

  “I hope so, and I want to believe Ryan would help him because he’s that type of guy—loyal and dependable.”

  If only Ryan was her guy. She shifted her foot up onto a stool. The pain from the sprain had receded. In contrast, her pain over Ryan’s decision to leave her during their weekend away grew stronger every day.

  Her upcoming move to Queensland should help her get over him. A new environment with no reminders of Ryan and what could have been if circumstances had been different.

  * * *

  A week later Ryan sat at his desk, analyzing six-figure amounts on a spreadsheet. Something didn’t add up. The project was way over the estimated budget, and he needed to wade back through the figures to locate the problem.

  He glanced at the time on his computer screen. Twenty minutes past two and he hadn’t stopped for a lunch break. The coffee his personal assistant had brewed up a few hours ago was cold and half drunk on his desk.

  John had been in the hospital for a few days and was now resting at home. Ryan had put in long hours to keep on top of everything at the office.

  He highlighted a costing figure that looked inflated in the spreadsheet. The phone rang and he picked up the handset. “Ryan Mitchell.”

  “Ryan, it’s...umm, Sean.”

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “I need you to—ouch—come get me.”

  His grip tightened on the handset. “Where are you? What happened?” Sean sounded terrible.

  “Some guys beat me up.” He paused. “I’m at the end of your street near the Italian café on the corner.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Ryan shut down his computer and scrawled a note for his personal assistant.

  Adrenaline rushed through him as he waited for the elevator to take him to the ground floor. He was tempted to take the stairs, but eighteen flights would take longer than waiting for the elevator.

  Was Sean okay? Why had those guys beaten him up? A random attack or something more sinister?

  He suspected his brother knew his assailants and owed them money. Would this nightmare ever end?

  Sean probably needed medical attention. Had an ambulance been called? He’d contact his parents after he knew what was going on. No need to worry them unnecessarily.

  The elevator door opened and he stepped into the empty space. The downward journey seemed to take forever.

  The door slid open. He rushed out of the building and heade
d down the street, spotting a crowd near the café on the corner.

  He approached the group and found his brother sprawled out on the ground. “Sean.”

  An older lady turned to face him. “Are you Ryan, his brother?”

  He nodded. “What happened?” Blood covered Sean’s face and his arm rested at an awkward angle.

  “It all happened so fast.” The woman’s voice shook. “A car stopped at the light and three men jumped out. Two of them grabbed him and the other one punched him in the face and stomach. Then they threw him aside, got back in the car and sped off.”

  Ryan kneeled next to his brother. “Are you okay? Can you move?”

  Sean nodded. “My head and arm hurt.”

  “Did someone call an ambulance?”

  The lady shook her head. “He insisted we wait for you. The men were driving a black sedan, but no one remembers the car plates.”

  Ryan turned to Sean. “Do you want to go to hospital by ambulance or with me?”

  “With you,” Sean said. “No ambulance.”

  Ryan frowned. “My car is in the parking garage. I’ll be back here in a few minutes to take you to the ER.” He looked up at the lady. “Can you stay with him until then?”

  She nodded. “He hit his head hard when they threw him to the ground and his shoulder might be dislocated.”

  “Okay. I won’t be long.”

  “Thanks,” Sean whispered.

  Ryan ran back to his office building. He checked his suit pocket, thankful his keys and wallet were tucked inside. No time to grab his phone. He opened the parking garage door and raced down the ramp to his SUV.

  He revved the engine and drove out of the car park, stopping at the corner. He flicked on the hazard lights before racing over to Sean.

  His brother sat up, holding his injured arm. The bleeding from his nose had eased.

  “I’ll help you up,” Ryan said. “We’ll take it slow.”

  Another man stood on the other side of Sean and together they eased him to his feet. Car horns blared and traffic backed up behind Ryan’s SUV.

  Ryan ignored the traffic as he helped Sean limp over to the car and crawl into the reclined passenger seat.

  He thanked the onlookers and jumped into the driver’s seat, waiting for the lights to change to green.

  He glanced at his brother. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Sort of.” Sean held a handkerchief up near his face.

  “You know we should have called an ambulance.”

  Sean frowned. “I don’t have ambulance insurance.”

  “I could have paid for it.”

  “You’ve paid out too much for me already. The ER is covered by Medicare and I’m not hurt too bad.”

  He nodded. “We’ll be there soon.” Since when had Sean been concerned about spending his money?

  His brother’s attitude seemed different, somehow. More thankful instead of demanding and rude—a positive sign.

  He pulled up outside the ER and helped his brother walk inside. The hospital staff took down Sean’s details while Ryan went out to move his car. When Ryan came back in, Sean was in a curtained-off exam area.

  Before long a doctor came to examine Sean. He prescribed pain meds and ordered X-rays for Sean’s arm.

  Ryan stood back and the medical team took over. At last they all left the curtained cubicle and he was alone with his brother.

  He dropped into a seat beside Sean’s bed. “How are you doing?”

  Sean groaned. “My arm hurts real bad, my head hurts and my stomach’s queasy.”

  “Mild concussion and a suspected broken arm would do that to you. At least your nose isn’t broken.”

  “It feels like it’s broken. How long have we been here?”

  Ryan glanced at his watch. “About two hours. I’ll call Mom and Dad soon. They’ll want to come down and see you—”

  “No, I don’t want them to see me like this. Please don’t tell them.”

  “I can’t keep this from them.” Ryan drew in a deep breath. “You’re their son and despite everything they love you.”

  Tears filled Sean’s eyes. “I’m a mess and I don’t want to face them.”

  “Tell them you’re sorry, that is if you are sorry for all the pain you’ve caused them.”

  Sean nodded, tears rolling down his swollen cheeks. “I’ve screwed up big-time. I got in so deep I couldn’t find a way out.”

  “Do you know the people who beat you up?”

  He shook his head. “But I know who ordered the beating because I ran out of time to pay the five grand.”

  Ryan frowned. Cassie had been right all along.

  Pangs of guilt shot through him. If he’d tried harder to help his brother a few weeks ago, maybe he wouldn’t be in a hospital bed right now.

  It was pointless to second-guess what might have been. Had this happened to Sean so he’d realize he needed help?

  “Are you filing a police report?” Ryan asked.

  Sean shook his head. “I’d rather forget this ever happened.”

  “What about the money? Will these people attack you again?”

  “I guess so. I need to disappear, go someplace where they can’t find me.”

  “You’re not going anywhere until you’ve seen Mom and Dad. They’re beside themselves with worry.”

  “Do you want them to see me looking like this?”

  “You need to face Mom and Dad, and you need to honor all your debts.”

  “My head hurts. Can we talk about this later?”

  “No.” Frustration coursed through him. “We should have talked about this long before now.”

  “I want to see Cassie. Can you call her and get her to come here?”

  Ryan cleared his throat, quelling the raw emotion that threatened to enter his voice. “Why? You’ll see Cassie, but you won’t see your own parents?”

  Sean sighed. “If we have to talk about this now, then I want Cassie here. I’ll see Mom and Dad after.”

  It would take his parents at least three or four hours to get here. Of all the people Sean wanted to see, why did it have to be Cassie?

  Greg had told him a few days ago that Cassie was moving to Queensland to run John’s new hotel redevelopment. Within weeks she’d be leaving Sydney and leaving him for good.

  He couldn’t keep Cassie out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried. He should have contacted her last week. Instead, he kept putting off calling her, using the excuse that he had too much work on at the office. The possibility of a future with Cassie looked bleak.

  “Okay, I’ll call Cassie, then I’ll contact Mom and Dad. I left my phone at the office and I’ll need to find a pay phone.”

  “Can you warn them that I’m not looking too good?”

  He nodded. “You’ve outdone yourself with two black eyes.”

  “Those guys were professional thugs. One hit to my face has smashed it to pieces.”

  “It could have been worse.” What if the street hadn’t been busy with the lunchtime crowd? Would they have stayed longer and beaten him to death?

  Ryan stood. “I’ll be back soon.” He turned to walk out of the room.

  “Ryan.”

  He spun around. “Yeah.”

  “Thanks, bro.”

  “Sure.” Wow. Sean had thanked him! Had he heard right?

  “I know you’re angry with me and you didn’t have to help me.”

  Ryan rubbed his hand through his hair. “You’re my brother. How can I turn my back on you?”

  “I’ve been a rotten brother and I don’t deserve your help.”

  “I’ve been talking a lot to Cassie’s pastor over the last month.”

  “Have you gone religious like Cassie?”

/>   He nodded. “I’ve discovered that no one deserves to be forgiven, and we can’t earn God’s love. We all make mistakes and I need to learn how to forgive and move on.”

  Sean paused. “I’m sorry about everything, and I’m not just saying that because you helped me earlier.”

  “I get that now. Please let Mom and Dad back into your life. They love you so much.”

  Sean blinked away his tears. “I know. I’ve failed them and I hate the fact I keep disappointing them.”

  “You can’t avoid Mom and Dad forever. The longer you stay away, the worse it will be.”

  “I’ll see them tonight.” He wiped his eyes. “How long will I be here?”

  “Your arm should be x-rayed soon. I’ll stay until Cassie and our parents arrive.”

  Sean nodded and closed his eyes.

  Ryan walked outside into the busy corridor. He located a pay phone in the waiting room. An elderly lady sat in a chair beside the phone, deep in conversation.

  He leaned back against the wall and waited his turn. Cassie’s cell phone number was stuck in his memory. He loved her and missed her.

  During the past few hours he’d received a revelation. Cassie’s perspective on Sean and his potential road to recovery made sense. The doctor had spoken to him privately about Sean’s gambling problem. The hospital had a ward that his brother could be transferred to tonight, if Sean was willing to cooperate.

  Ryan hoped Cassie could come to the hospital straightaway. He looked forward to seeing her and prayed she’d give him a second chance.

  Chapter 16

  The pedestrian traffic light turned red and Cassie stopped at the curb opposite Circular Quay. Cars and buses streamed past her as the city bustled with late-afternoon traffic. Her ferry departed for Manly Wharf in fifteen minutes.

  Her cell phone chimed in her purse. Private number. She answered the call. “Hello.”

  “Hi, Cassie, it’s Ryan.” Tension echoed in his voice.

  “Oh, hi. What’s up?”

  “Sean’s in the hospital and he wants to see you.”

  “Is he okay? What happened?”

  “Some thugs beat him up. He’s got a concussion and probably a broken arm.”

  She gasped. “Does he know who did it?”