by C. A. Mason
“Go on, look at it,” my father said, grinning. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”
Stunned was more like it. Two million, eight hundred, seventy-three thousand dollars and twenty-three cents. Yeah, definitely enough to start a new life. It was like the Universe was giving me the means to execute my plan. I’d never been the lucky one. Years in prison had proved that, but was the tide finally turning?
“I can’t believe this.”
“What are your plans now, honey?” my mother asked, beaming. “You can do anything you want with that money. Start a business maybe? How about a martial arts school? You could train young people.”
When I didn’t respond to her idea with enthusiasm, she and my father shared a look. I could tell they were concerned I might blow the fortune my grandparents had spent their lifetimes amassing. I knew exactly what I intended to do, but I couldn’t tell them.
“I’m not sure yet,” I said hesitantly. “I was just telling Dad I need to get away, put a little distance between me and this town.”
“Oh, you’re not leaving right away, are you?” my mother asked, looking disappointed. “I was hoping you’d stay with us for a while. I’d love nothing more than to take care of you, you know, until you figure things out.”
My mother was a good woman, which was why I couldn’t drag her or my father into my problems. The court may have acknowledged I wasn’t guilty of raping or murdering those other girls, but they still believed I’d hurt Maura. More importantly, she still believed I’d hurt her. I had to prove to her and the rest of the world I hadn’t.
“I appreciate that.” I reached for her hand and squeezed it. “But I’ll be moving on tomorrow. I just wanted you guys to know that I’m gonna be okay now. You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”
My mother frowned. “Why does it sound like you’re saying good-bye, Matthew? You’re not, are you? You’ll still come to visit, call, email—”
I held my hand up to silence her. “Mama, I love you both. You know that. But I have a lot of lost time to make up for. I need to make a new life for myself, and I don’t know yet where that’s going to take me.” I did know exactly where it would take me, but I’d have to get good at lying if my plan was going to work.
“Just know that we’re always here for you, son,” my father said. “And we’re so glad to see you out of that place.” He pointed at the envelope. “I know you’ll do good things with that money. Your nana always said you were one of the smartest people she knew. Prove it. Make her proud.”
“I will, Dad.” I had to. Failure wasn’t an option.
Chapter Four
February 2014
I stared into the mirror, startled by the face looking back at me. It shouldn’t catch me off guard after six years, but sometimes it did. The cosmetic surgeon had been a magician, gifted in the art of transformation.
I pried my eyes open and slid the colored contact lenses into place. My real eye color was light blue, just like my old man’s, but now my eyes were brown. I had a few slightly chipped teeth—a fighter’s teeth—but they were hiding behind veneers. I thought they looked a little too perfect, a little too white. But they suited the new me.
I had a new name. A new face. A new career. There was no trace of the man I used to be.
In six years, I’d built an empire that would take others a lifetime to build, and I’d done it on my terms. I brought my brand of fighting, mixed martial arts, into the mainstream. I made my fighters celebrities who had their faces plastered all over TVs nationwide. More importantly, I made myself a billionaire in the process. Now it was time to face my past.
Walking into the crowded ballroom, I looked for familiar faces. It was my company’s anniversary party, a celebration. But for me, it was so much more. Everything I’d been working for revolved around my plan to clear my name, and tonight, I would take the first step.
My partner, the man who’d financed my dream, walked up and clapped me on the back. He was in his seventies and didn’t know a thing about fighting, but he’d recognized the hunger in my eyes the first time we met. Malcolm claimed he didn’t get rich by ignoring his gut, so whatever I was pitching, he was buying. The rest was history.
“I still can’t believe we managed to pull this off, Blaise. It’s one hell of a coup, wouldn’t you say?”
Blaise. Hearing that name often gave me pause. Blaise Walsh, the man behind the fighting dynasty. That’s who I was. Matthew Cooper Jr. didn’t exist anymore. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, he’d gone into hiding. He was a fugitive, on the run, and he’d keep running for as long as he had to.
“It is,” I said, when I realized Malcolm was expecting a response. I snagged two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter’s tray and offered Malcolm one. “To success.”
“To success.” Malcom smiled, looking wistful. “You’ve brought something to my life, something I didn’t even know was missing.”
Malcolm had brought something to my life too. He was like a father to me, a confidant, and the only person who’d believed in me, but even he didn’t know the man behind the mask.
“Really? I can’t imagine you were missing anything. You were already wildly successful by the time we met.” I was trying to give Malcolm the attention he deserved, but I was subtly scanning the room for her.
She was around somewhere; she had to be. Her company had organized the event for us, and she’d promised to attend to ensure the event went off without a hitch. One of my senior managers had hired her. I’d wanted to wait until tonight to meet her. Of course, we wouldn’t be meeting for the first time, but I was the only one who would know that.
“You reignited a passion in me. It had been a long time since I’d built a business from the ground up, especially one that I knew nothing about. You taught me as much as I taught you. We’re good together,” Malcom said. “A hell of a team.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
It’s her. My heart was in my throat, and the composure I prided myself on was completely lost. I felt as though I couldn’t breathe. The walls were closing in on me. Would she recognize me? Would she scream or slip outside to call the police? As tempting as it was to think about abandoning my plan, I knew that wasn’t an option. I’d come too far to quit.
“Excuse me, Malcolm. I see someone I need to talk to.” I approached her slowly, afraid to spook her.
She was on the phone, having what appeared to be a heated conversation. At first I assumed it was with a supplier, but it didn’t take me long to realize it was personal.
“I don’t care. You don’t have the right to decide for me, Jeff. Of course I love you, but that doesn’t mean I’m ready to commit to a wedding date right this second.”
I felt as if the room was spinning, but I couldn’t blame it on the champagne. My world had just bottomed out. Of course I knew she had a boyfriend, but the wedding bit had thrown me for a loop.
I knew her engagement may make it more difficult to put the next phase of my plan into action, but since failure wasn’t an option, I was determined to find a way. Every woman had an Achilles’ heel and no one knew her weaknesses better than I did. That gave me a distinct advantage, and while the old me may have felt a twinge of guilt about ruining her relationship, I knew there was no place for guilt or remorse if I wanted retribution.
“I have to go,” she hissed, spotting me. “No, I’ll call you later. I’m working. Don’t call me again.” She plastered on a fake smile as she disconnected the call and extended her hand. “You’re Blaise Walsh, aren’t you? It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. My name’s Maura Lancaster. I’m the event planner. I trust everything is to your satisfaction?”
I grasped her hand, moving into her personal space. My eyes roamed her body, taking in her shimmery silver dress that grazed the floor and was cut low in both the front and back. It was elegant, like the woman wearing it, but I knew she too was wearing a mask. Unless she’d cha
nged. Maybe the attack had changed her. Maybe she didn’t enjoy sex anymore. Perhaps she was even afraid of intimacy.
“Mr. Walsh?” She frowned as she withdrew her hand from my firm grasp. “Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem.” I narrowed my eyes, searching for some trace of recognition. One of the few things I hadn’t been able to change was my voice, but it didn’t seem to faze her. She hadn’t recognized me. “Everything looks great.”
“I’m so relieved,” she said, flattening her palm against her chest. “I was surprised when one of your staff members called me. We normally do local events, weddings and such. We’ve never managed an event this large or so far from home.”
“I trust you were fairly compensated for your trouble.” I knew she was. I’d read her contract and made sure my people made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.
“Oh yes, the offer was very generous.” She gripped her phone tighter. “I’m a little embarrassed to ask this, but did you happen to overhear my conversation?”
“Bits and pieces.” I wanted her to open up to me, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.
She blushed. “I’m sorry. Normally I’m completely focused when I’m at work, but I got into it with my fiancé before I flew out, and well…” She pressed her ear piece closer to her ear. “Sorry, there’s an issue in the kitchen. I just need to make sure my assistant has it under control.”
I didn’t care if they’d set the damn kitchen on fire. I wanted to hear more about her argument with her fiancé. “You said you and your fiancé argued before you left town? I hope he wasn’t upset about you taking this job.” Actually, I’d be thrilled to learn I’d caused a rift between them, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Oh no, nothing like that,” she said quickly. “It was nothing. He’s just being silly.”
I could tell she wanted to talk, but she was uncomfortable opening up to a stranger about her personal problems. “Why don’t we grab a table? Let me get you a drink.”
“Thank for you for the offer, but I couldn’t. I’m on duty until the last person leaves.”
“And if I’m the last person to leave, will you have a drink with me then?”
She laughed, obviously taken aback. She had to know I was flirting with her. Subtlety wasn’t my strong suit. Never had been. Especially with her.
“I really shouldn’t.”
I smiled and appreciated that she seemed a little breathless when I did so. “Of course you should. I’m footing the bill for this event, after all. I like what I see. I’d like to discuss the possibility of working with your company again in the future.”
“You would?” She seemed shocked. “Oh, well, okay. I mean, that’s great. Sure, let’s have that drink now.” She pointed at her earpiece. “But if there are any emergencies, I’m afraid I’ll have to bail on you.”
“I understand.” I led her to a table near the kitchen, away from the crowd and where I assumed she would have easy access to her crew. I wanted her to feel comfortable. It was the first step in gaining her trust and building an easy rapport.
“Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll see about getting us that drink?” I could have snapped my fingers and had waiters hovering, but I needed a few minutes to catch my breath. I wasn’t expecting to have such a strong visceral connection to her after so many years, and it threw me. I needed to get my head back in the game, to remind myself of the ultimate goal.
“Um, Blaise,” she said, reaching for my arm. “God, I’m sorry, Mr. Walsh.”
“Blaise is fine,” I said, smiling at her. “What can I get you to drink?”
“That’s what I was going to say. I don’t drink on the job. Just water would be great.”
“Coming right up.” I knew I could have convinced her to have a drink with me, and later I would, but I had to go slowly.
She was obviously on edge, and the last thing she needed was me putting pressure on her. If I had my way, I’d be relieving her stress tonight, not adding to it. I had a room upstairs, and I intended to make very good use of it… with Miss Lancaster.
I got water for her and a scotch for me and made my way back to the table. “Here you go.” I set the drink in front of her.
“Thank you.” She took a long drink before setting it down. “I’m a little parched. I’ve been running around all day. I haven’t even had time to eat.”
I frowned. “We’ll have to rectify that.” I beckoned to a waiter.
“Oh no,” she said, reaching for my arm. “It’s fine, really. I only have a few minutes now. I’ll grab a salad later, when the party wraps up.”
“That’ll be hours from now. You need to eat.” When the waiter appeared, I whispered in his ear, asking him to bring her a generous plate from the antipasto table. Once we were alone, I released the button on my tux and sat beside her.
“Are you always so… determined?”
I raised an eyebrow at her description of me. She had no idea how determined I was, but she was about to find out. “Tell me what your boyfriend did to upset you.”
Shifting uncomfortably, she said, “He’s my fiancé.”
“Right, your fiancé.” I brought the scotch to my lips, waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, I prompted her. “It looks like you could use someone to talk to. I know what that’s like.” I didn’t really. If I shared the truth with anyone, I’d be back in that jail cell before I knew what hit me.
“He’s just been putting a lot of pressure on me.” She sighed. “He wants me to set a wedding date, but I can’t. I have a full schedule, and I haven’t been able to find the time.”
I smirked. This was going to be easier than I’d thought. “You haven’t been able to find a single day in your calendar to marry the man of your dreams? Perhaps there’s a reason for that.”
“It’s all the preparation that goes into planning a wedding,” she said defensively. “Why do you think brides hire people like me to tend to the details?”
“Couldn’t you hire a wedding planner?” I asked, draining my glass.
“A wedding planner hiring a wedding planner?” She stared at me as though I’d sprouted a third head. “Don’t be ridiculous. I have to tend to the details of my wedding myself. It’s what I do. It’s my passion.”
“You’re a romantic, Maura.” It had been years since I’d felt her name on my lips. I still loved the way it sounded, but I couldn’t afford to get distracted by pointless sentimentality. Maura was simply a means to an end. “You must have been planning your wedding in your mind for years.”
The waiter rushed over with the plate and two forks. I tapped the edge of my glass, indicating I’d like another drink.
“Right away, sir,” he said, scooping up the empty glass.
Maura watched the young man race to the bar. “It must be nice to have people at your beck and call all the time. I guess that’s one of the many advantages of extreme wealth?”
When I’d been dating Maura, I thought her parents were extremely wealthy. Now I would describe them as comfortable. Amazing the difference fourteen years and a couple billion dollars made. I leaned back, setting one hand on the table. “I guess. But money doesn’t mean all that much to me.”
She smiled when she caught sight of my diamond Rolex and four-carat diamond ring. “Is that so?”
My lips twitched. She was teasing me. Most people cow-towed to me, afraid to challenge me, and I liked that she wasn’t one of those people. Damn it. I couldn’t afford to like her. “I’m not saying I don’t appreciate the finer things. Obviously I do. But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t live without them.”
She tried, unsuccessfully, to keep a straight face as she said, “Nice Bugatti, by the way. You were pulling into the parking lot when the florists arrived with the table centerpieces.”
“Maybe I’ll take you for a spin later.”
“I don’t think so, but thanks for the offer.”
“Because you don’t think your boyfriend would approve?” I purposefully
refrained from using the word fiancé. I didn’t like it. It sounded more permanent than boyfriend, and whether the pretty boy realized it or not, he was just a temporary fixture in Maura’s life.
“Because I’ve seen you with a glass in your hand all night.”
I grinned, watching her pupils dilate as they fixed on my mouth. She was attracted to me. It was time to lay my cards on the table. “You’re right. Let’s save that spin until tomorrow. Tonight I have a room upstairs, which means I can drink as much as I want. So can you.”
Her breath escaped her lips in a slight gasp. “Are you propositioning me?”
“You’re a stunning woman. I’m willing to bet everything I own you haven’t been with a real man in a long time.”
She leaned back, putting some distance between us. “You’re so used to getting what you want, aren’t you? You think I’ll fall into bed with you just because you’re wealthy and handsome and powerful—”
“You think I’m handsome?” I picked up one of the forks before spearing a square of cheese. I hadn’t expected her to make this easy for me. In fact, I would have been disappointed if she had. There was nothing I liked more than a challenge, and nothing I wanted more than Maura Lancaster back in my bed. “Come here.”
She moved in hesitantly, opening her mouth as I brought the cheese to her lips. Her eyes locked with mine as she chewed slowly.
“Your drink, sir,” the waiter said, setting it beside me.
I wanted to mutter a curse instead of a thank you. He must have sensed my annoyance because he rushed off to tend to another table without awaiting my response.
“You didn’t answer my question,” I said, watching her stack a slice of prosciutto on a cracker. “Do you think I’m handsome?”
She chewed carefully as she looked me over from head to toe. She touched the corners of her mouth with a linen napkin before she spoke. “Too handsome.”
That’s my Maura. Sassy, sexy, and brutally honest. She was right, of course. The cosmetic surgeon had gone over the top. I’d told him I wanted my face to look different, but I’d never said I was going for perfection. I was almost tempted to step into the ring with one of my fighters because I thought a broken nose may make my face a little more… real.