My eyes almost pop out of their sockets. “A cop? You?”
“Why? Not macho enough, am I?” A high-pitched laugh escapes her mouth.
“No, no, I’m just surprised, that’s all.” I extend my hand to her, and she shakes it. “Thank you for saving our lives. I’m eternally grateful.”
With a swish of her hand, she shakes her head. “You’re welcome, but it’s nothing, really. All part of the job. Hey, I’ve got some good news. We’ve apprehended the gang.”
I sit up straight. “All of them? You got Michael?”
“Michael?” Ying looks up in thought. “I’m not sure, I only know their Chinese names. But when you’re well, I’ll get you to come into the station and identify them.”
“Did you find anyone else? Other hostages?”
I wonder if that bitch Meifen survived the inferno. If she has, I’ll get hold of her somehow and make her explain the whole situation to Elle. Because I can sense she’ll have a hard time accepting it, considering how badly affected she is already. I need to give her some time before I break it to her.
“We found a group of men ready to have transplant surgery. Most of them were poor farmers who were there to sell their organs to make a bit of cash.”
“Any women, girls, children?”
From the corner of my eye, I see Elle’s face fall and cloud over. What’s wrong with her? I know she’s shaken up, but it looks like something else is bothering her. She wouldn’t—?
“We found a few girls. There was one who had a bit of cash in her purse. She must’ve been an escort.”
I arch my brow. “Really? What does she look like?”
“Young, pretty, expensive clothes. Nice diamond earrings, too.”
It is Meifen. So they caught her—good. I’ll get hold of her and make her tell Elle the truth.
Ying shakes her head. “That girl caused quite a fuss when we’re doing arrest, biting and scratching an officer. It will take us a while to process them all and get to the bottom of this.” She sighs. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Have a good rest and make sure you recover.”
Nodding, I raise my hand. “I will. Thanks again.”
Ying pushes away from the bed and heads to the door. “I’ll give you a ring soon. You’ll have to come into the station for identification.”
As she leaves, Elle closes the door behind her and returns to the chair beside my bed.
I heave a sigh of relief. Thank God we’re alone again. Because I’ve made my decision: I’m going to tell her, clear the air between us.
“Beautiful, I have to tell you something.”
But instead of meeting my gaze, Elle turns away from me, putting up an invisible shield.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
She shrugs, and I feel the shield around her radiate a red-hot energy.
A horrible realization claws into my chest. “No.”
I lean back against my pillow. “You—you’ve seen it, haven’t you?”
Her back visibly stiffening, she nods.
Damn. How the hell did those assholes manage to show her that video?
“Elle, let me explain. It’s not what you think. This—this girl, she was a hostage there, too. She was used as some sort of slave, cleaning, cooking, who knows what else. And she told me the gangsters had been threatening her and her baby. I felt sorry for her, so I decided to help her.”
“Help her?” Scoffing, she spins around to face me.
“Yeah, that’s all it was. I know it must have looked bad. But you’ve got to believe me, nothing happened.”
Her dark pools spew fire. “It didn’t look that way to me.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.” I imbue my tone with a heartfelt sincerity—she has to believe me. “I was only trying to help her because I seriously thought she was in danger.”
“Yeah, that’s you. Helpful through and through.” Her sharp voice, laced with sarcasm, slashes through my heart, and I ball my fists out of frustration.
“No, you’re wrong, you have to understand—”
Elle’s cell rings on the bedside table, and she immediately gets on her feet to grab it. Moving away from the bed—from me—, she bends her head down, nodding into the receiver repeatedly. “Yeah, he’s okay. You want to speak to him?”
She holds the cell out to me. “For you.”
Arching my brow, I take it from her. “Hello?”
“Ryder? That you?”
The familiar voice instantly uplifts my spirits. “Alex, hey. It’s so good to hear from you, man.”
“Shit, I can’t believe what happened to you. You hanging in there?”
“I’m all right. It hasn’t been much of a holiday, though.”
“You can say that again. You should’ve stayed home, man.”
I grin. “Yeah, that way you didn’t have to hold the fort, huh?”
Silence.
Removing the phone from my ear for an instant, I furrow my brow. “Alex? You there?”
“Uh, yeah. Hey, listen, I don’t want to burden you with this, especially now, but you gotta know. We’ve had a serious glitch—maybe some virus—that almost wiped out our entire IT system. I’ve been able to hold it off for now, but we’ve lost some five mil in a couple days. A few clients have already walked.”
“Uh-huh.” My chest constricts. Since I’ve started my business, I’ve never lost any money. I’ve been ultra careful in protecting what I’ve earned—a result of the poverty and despair I had to endure as a young child.
But I have to play this down—I don’t want upset Elle even further, especially now. Once I get back to the office, I’ll fix the problem, without having to put her through unnecessary worry.
“Do you have any idea who could be behind this?” Alex says.
The hate in Michael’s eyes flashes through my mind.
“I have an idea. But I expect he won’t be a problem much longer.”
Alex clears his throat. “I think it may already be too late. Bro, I really hate to ask you this, but you may have to reset the system. If we don’t use the backups right now and start over again, we’re going to lose even more. And more clients will walk.”
“Sure. Whatever you think is best.”
“I gotta tell ya, man.” His deep, solemn tone betrays his gloomy thoughts. “It’s bad. Real bad. We’re gonna lose a tonload.”
I should feel miserable on hearing this, but a strange, unexpected feeling of detachment comes over me.
“Alex. Relax. It’s only money.”
“Whoa. What have they done to you out there? That’s not the Ryder I know. I don’t think I’ve ever heard those words come out of your mouth.”
I laugh. “When you’ve gone through what I have gone through, money is the last thing on your mind, I can assure you. Anyway, we’ll discuss it later. Do the system reset if you need to. I’ll give you the codes.”
I end the call, eager to talk to Elle again and clear this mess once and for all. I quickly message Alex the computer codes before I turn my attention back to Elle.
Her back facing me, she is staring out the window that looks out on a concrete high-rise only a few feet away.
I swing my legs to the side of the bed, and soundlessly make my way toward her. Sliding my hand around her waist, I pull her against my chest. “Elle, I meant what I said. I would never do anything to hurt you. I don’t know how much you’ve seen of that damn video, but I promise you, nothing happened. Please, will you forgive me?”
She spins around in my arms, fiery sparks bursting from her eyes. “What is there to forgive? Didn’t you just say nothing happened?”
I hold her tight, despite feeling her struggle to break free. “I told you the truth. I just hope you can forgive me for putting you through all this. The kidnapping was bad enough. And then all the—”
“Mr De Luca?” A male voice echoes around the room, and I shut my eyes.
No. Not again. An angry flame erupts in my chest. It’s almost like I’m not supposed to expla
in, to make it up to her. But nothing is going to stop me, goddammit.
Swiftly, I spin around. In the doorway stands a tall, thin Indian doctor complete with white coat and a stethoscope around his neck.
He smiles at me. “Let’s have you checked out.”
I shake my head. “No. Not now.”
My gaze falls on Elle, whose widened eyes reflect the hurt and insecurity I put there.
“Ask me. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
Chapter 16
Elle
There is only one thing I need to know.
I know I can’t postpone it any longer—I have to ask. But all this time, I’ve avoided looking at Ryder. I am afraid to look into his eyes and discover the proof of his guilt. And I don’t want him to see the hurt in mine.
Bracing myself for the worst, I lift my gaze and lock it with his. But I’ve forgotten the effect he has on me. A spark flies from the depths of his eyes, and my pulse takes a crazy leap. I am only just able to ask my burning question: “Was—was the video real?”
He looks down for a split second, and my chest tightens.
“Yeah, it was, but—”
“So, you admit it.” I shrink back, my back hitting the footboard of the bed.
Ryder leans forward, shaking his head. “No. What happened in it was fake. I mean, she did come into my room. And she did get into my bed. But nothing happened.”
“It sure looked like it did.”
“You have to believe me. I know it must look bad, but I faked it.”
I point at him. “You’re telling me that you and this—this girl are both naked in bed, you’ve got a massive hard-on, and you didn’t fuck her?” A snicker escapes my mouth. “Anyone would find that hard to believe. Especially me.”
Ryder’s nostrils flare with fury. “Do you really believe that I’d do that to you? Really? A day after I’d told you I loved you and only you? And while I was being kidnapped?”
I glower back at him. “I don’t know about anything anymore. But I sure as hell know what I saw. Two naked bodies on top of each other, fucking.”
A chill runs down my spine as the sick image enters my brain. How can anything he says ever justify that?
“Elle, I thought you’d know me better than that. I threw a sheet around us so they wouldn’t see what was really happening—nothing. But I had to make it look believable, otherwise she would’ve been in serious trouble. Anyway, haven’t we been through this before, you and your lack of trust in me? I thought we were past that a long time ago.” His hand reaches for mine, but before it touches me, I leap from the bed.
“This is a little different, don’t you think? I saw it, with my own eyes. What if it was me; if you caught me in bed with a guy, and I told you it wasn’t real? How much would you trust me then, huh?”
He dips his head slightly. “Yeah, I’d be mad, too.” His voice is gruff. “But you know what? I’d listen to what you had to say for yourself. And if I’d think you were sincere, I’d believe you.”
“Sure you would.”
No way. More likely he would beat him up within an inch of his life.
“I’m serious. I would believe you.”
An angry flame invades my veins. What a righteous prick. Does he think he’s better than me?
“Well, I’m not you.”
I turn around, and a few long strides take me to the door. As I open it, Ryder raises his voice. “Elle, hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. I just wish you’d hear me out. Aren’t you the least bit curious to know how I could possibly talk my way out of this?”
His challenging tone causes me to spin my head around and shoot a glower at him. “Go on then, surprise me.”
I slam the door shut and press my back against it.
Ryder shakes his head. “No.” He points at the bed. “Sit with me.”
“I can hear just fine from here.”
He stretches out his hand, his voice softening. “Come on, beautiful. Don’t tell me you’re scared of me now.”
I narrow my eyes. It’s too bad the bastard knows that I’m unable to back down from a challenge.
“Do I look scared to you?” My head high, I saunter to the bed, lips pursed to keep my mouth from spilling the expletives captured inside.
He winks. “No, you look just perfect. As always.”
Scowling at him, I seat myself at the very foot of the bed, careful not to make any contact.
“A little closer.”
His lopsided grin is irresistible as ever so I let out a sigh and scoot up a little. “Just to let you know, I’m out of here the moment you talk yourself into a corner. Pretty soon, I’d guess.”
Ryder brushes his leg against mine, and despite my resolve not to be affected by him, his heat seeps into my skin, spreading all the way to my extremities.
“Fair enough,” he says. “I just want you to know I’ve been nothing but honest with you, and I always will. If you still don’t believe me after this, I’ll do anything in my power to prove to you that I’ve been telling the truth. Please, just give me a chance.”
I sit motionless, my face a mask of stone. “I’m listening.”
Clearing his throat, Ryder straightens his shoulders. “The girl, Meifen, she was held captive there, just like me. She told me she had a baby. And when she came into my room, I tried to push her away. I told her I wasn’t interested. But she said I had to play along. If I didn’t, they’d punish her.” He pauses. “They’d take her baby.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Yeah, right.”
Of course—a baby to pull on my heartstrings. What kind of idiot does he think I am? An idiot who is desperately hoping that his side of the story checks out, despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary—that’s who.
“I know, it sounds far-fetched. But I’d seen the baby in the courtyard outside my room. One of those bastards was holding it—he was doing it to threaten her. I knew it’d destroy her if they took her baby away.”
“Ah. So that’s why you—you went along with it—with her?”
“I pretended all along, I swear to you.”
I’m almost inclined to believe him, judging from the sincere expression on his face. But a memory pops up that makes my heart constrict painfully, and I whisper, “I saw how turned on you were.”
Ryder’s mouth twists wryly. “It was Viagra. They put it in my drink. It gave me a real bad headache, too. But I never, ever felt anything for her. And I definitely didn’t follow through—I couldn’t. You have to trust me on that.”
Scenes from the video flash through my mind. His face, clearly in pain; his hands flying to his head, as if he was trying to alleviate a headache. Was it real or was it all an act? I may never find out; all I can do is ask him more questions in the hope of uncovering the truth.
“Did you promise to take her to the States?”
Ryder’s brows draw into a frown. “How did you know that?”
“It doesn’t matter. So it’s true?”
He nods. “I felt sorry for her. And the baby.” Sighing, he drops his head between his knees. “God, I can’t tell you how much I regret it all now. But at the time, I felt I didn’t have a choice.”
“You always have a choice.” My mouth curves into a wry smile. “Someone once told me that.”
“Yeah. I made my choice. But it turned out to be the wrong one.” He draws in a sharp breath. “The girl—she wasn’t who I thought she was. She didn’t even have a baby. All this time she pretended she wanted to help me; she even offered to call you.”
I arch my brow. “I didn’t receive any calls from her.”
“That’s what I’m saying. I discovered she worked together with the kidnappers. The whole thing was a set-up to shoot that video. They threatened me to show it to you and release it to the media.”
His jaw clenches. “Elle, they were out to destroy me.” With a sigh, he buries his face in his hands. “And I haven’t a damn clue why. What the hell have I done to them?”
/> Something melts inside me, causing a surge of warmth to envelop my heart. I feel a sudden need to protect him, to comfort him, to make it all go away. Because he doesn’t deserve this—especially not the Ryder I used to know. I have to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Hey.” Leaning over, I run my hand through his thick, silky hair. “I know you. And there couldn’t be anything you’d ever done that would justify this—what you’ve gone through. You’re a good man, Ryder. The best I’ll ever know.” My fingers brush his rough, square jaw.
“Thank you. To hear that from you—you have no idea how much that means to me.”
He lifts his gaze, and the shimmer in his eyes reflects his sincerity. It is then that I realize that I do know him. I don’t need to ask him endless questions. I feel the truth inside my heart.
Gently, I take his hand in both of mine. “You know what? I believe you.”
“You do?” He briefly squeezes his eyes shut, as if he’d never expected me to say it.
I nod. “You’re right, without trust we have nothing between us. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that I love you. And that means, I trust you.”
Closing his eyes, Ryder draws my hands towards him and kisses my knuckles. “I love you, too—so much. You’ve just made me the happiest man alive. And I swear, I’m going to make it up to you. I’ll do anything in my power to make you forget this.”
The sincerity with which he says this causes a mixture of emotions to well up inside of me—relief, regret, love, fear. I bite my lip. “I want to forget it, I do. But sometimes I just—I can’t get it out of my mind. Those images, they keep on haunting me. It will take a while for me to get over it.”
But what if I can’t? My brain knows he was faking it in the video, but thinking about it makes my heart squeeze painfully. I feel a tear escaping the corner of my eye, trickling down my cheek. Ryder wipes it away with his thumb, his big, warm hand cupping my cheek.
“God, I’m so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. Not just because of what I did. But to put you through this. You deserve so much better. It’s all because of me. If it weren’t for me, you would have been spared from all this.”
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