A Collateral Attraction: A Romantic Suspense Novel (Fire and Ice Book 1)

by Liz Durano

  “She needs your help."

  "Why the hell would she need my help? You saw it yourself on her Instagram. She's having breakfast with a full view of the Pitons. Some of us should be so lucky."

  “Well, her luck's running out, because as of this morning, all company assets under her name have been canceled."

  I stare at him. ”Like her Gold card? Cancelled?”

  “Yes, and access to this penthouse. And since this is property is owned by Kheiron Industries and not Ethan personally, you’re basically trespassing—well, given that you look like Blythe."

  "But why? She and Ethan live here, and while I get that it belongs to the company, it's not like she's an employee-"

  “Because she is, at least according to company documents,” Heath says. “Ethan added her in as a salaried employee four months ago. And since there are no time card sheets or anything else to prove that she's doing any work for the company yet is drawing thousands of dollars in expenses and using business assets like this penthouse, we call her something else."

  "What’s that?”

  “A thief. Or more appropriately, an embezzler,” he says, pausing as he watches me carefully. "A fraud."

  ”Wait just one minute! My sister may be selfish, but she isn't that devious to plan a whole embezzlement scheme or whatever it is you’re accusing her of. She's never even stolen so much as a dollar from the cash register when she worked at our parents’ shop! Blythe can be many things, but she is not a thief."

  Heath shrugs. “Unfortunately, paper trails tell a different story, Not-Blythe. According to company records, for the last four months, she and Ethan have been drawing company funds for personal use — from the use of private jets to the Caribbean, even disbursements to non-existent companies by the millions. My brother has his own funds to pay for all that yet ever since he met your sister, he’s been using Kheiron Industries’ funds to finance all their expenses and vacations. Your sister even has Swiss bank accounts under her name, all with funds that can be traced to Kheiron Industries.”

  When I don't answer him, my mind swirling with all the worst-case scenarios that could befall my sister, Heath takes a step forward, closing the distance between us, so he's standing right in front of me.

  "So now ask me again, Not-Blythe, why you shouldn't be worried about your sister."

  5

  Small Fish, Big Pond

  The moment a member of the staff brings the retro-yellow suitcase that Blythe banished out of the penthouse, I can tell that Heath isn't too keen on my wardrobe choices either. He frowns the moment he sees the black Crocs stored inside a plastic bag marked Carly’s Co-Op, next to neatly folded hand-painted batik dresses by a local artist, cargo shorts, and tank tops.

  "Not bad—if we happened to be in Woodstock in 1967," he mutters.

  "They're California cool. I mean, Nevada City's between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe. It's an old mining town and just outside my window, you can hear the deer eating apples straight from my tree at night," I tell him, the words tumbling so fast in my discomfort.

  And I keep going, suddenly feeling self-conscious. ”It's not like high heels are the norm over there. Sure I use them when I need to, but then, I don't go anywhere but downstairs to the shop, and then to yoga and sometimes, the river."

  "Get dressed. I don’t care if you have to pick something of Blythe’s,” he says, tipping the lid of my suitcase closed with his foot.

  "Why? Where are we going?"

  “We, my dear, are going shopping."

  Twenty minutes later, I'm sitting across from him in the limo, sitting as ladylike as I possibly can and self-conscious that my dress is so short that it rides up my thighs. But Heath doesn't seem to notice my discomfort for he's on the phone, talking to someone.

  "Yes, get her everything she'll possibly need. A full wardrobe," he says to whoever he’s talking to on the phone. "Itinerary so far is Saint Lucia, Santa Barbara, and possibly Geneva, though I hope we don’t have to go there. Oh, and don't forget make-up and hair. She needs to look like she belongs.” He smiles, but not at me. "You're a doll, Alicia. And I apologize again for my behavior yesterday."

  "I don't need you to dress me up like I'm some doll. I can dress myself. I can even put my makeup on by myself."

  "You're a natural beauty, Not-Blythe, but your wardrobe just might need some updating.”

  "Oh please, what's so hard about—“

  "If we’re going after Blythe, that means you need to fit in. It means you need to look the part, even act the role,” he says. "Where we're going, there are strict unwritten rules."

  "Rules? Who the hell imposes stupid rules on how a woman is supposed to look?"

  "Other women,” he replies. "I don't think most men care either way, not when we get to see how you look the morning after."

  “And I bet you’ve seen a lot of them,” I mutter as I cross my arms across my chest. He’s so arrogant I can’t stand it.

  “I meant no offense about your makeup. Personally, I prefer a woman’s natural beauty.”

  “Whatever. But I’ll pay you back. I’ll keep track of all expenses.”

  "You'll do no such thing," Heath says just as his phone rings and he answers it. The moment he starts talking to Tyler, his tone changes. He's all business now and though his gaze occasionally lingers on me as he discusses financial figures, percentages, gains, and losses, at the same time looking over financial data on an iPad. By the time the driver parks the car along Madison Avenue, I've long tuned him out.

  I could still stick to my original plan of calling the shop and have Mick or Norah wire me money so I can take the first flight home. But if what Heath tells me is true, I can't possibly fly home knowing that Blythe is in a lot of trouble. Whether or not she's involved in an embezzlement scheme, I can't possibly return to my old life and sell souvenirs without knowing that I've intentionally turned my back on my sister.

  The door opens, and Conrad helps me out. In my high heels, I have to concentrate walking like I own the place, my hips swinging from side to side like I know what I'm doing—that in this dress, I'm as hot as Blythe even on her bad day.

  Alicia greets us at the door, and there's no trace of her anger towards Heath from yesterday. Today, he's back to being one of the shop's most-valued customers as he tells her to take care of me.

  "I'll be back in a few hours," he says before turning to face me.

  "Few hours?" I ask. “I just need a few clothes. I won't be here that long."

  "Oh, yes, you will," he says, glancing at his watch. "Alicia will take excellent care of you, and I'll be back at three. I’ve got a lot to take care of at the office before we fly out at five."

  “Fly out? Where are we going?”

  "Just worry about the basics, and we'll catch up with your sister in no time," he says, drawing closer and his voice lowering as we speak.

  "I believe you mean to say that we'll catch up with your brother in no time, right?” I whisper. He's standing off to my side, and I can see that my words have annoyed him, his jaw tensing.

  "My brother, your sister—does it matter? Do you think this is all a game to me so that I can waste precious time shopping?" he asks, lowering his head towards me as his voice turns cold. "Or would you rather have the Board of Directors learn about Blythe embezzling millions of dollars from a company that just so recently was under threat of a hostile takeover, all because its founder almost lost control of his company when he had to sell his shares to cover a few personal bad investments? How quickly do you think they will expect me to do something about it if they knew? Send her to jail maybe?”

  When I don't say anything, he continues. "And because of such possibility, Not-Blythe, I'd very much rather drive you to the airport right now and send you home. That way, instead of wasting the day shopping so you won't stick out like a sore thumb in social circles that aren't going to take kindly to amateurs in Crocs and batik wear, I could be on my way to Saint Lucia right now. And when I find them, I promise you I
won't be kind—not to my brother for he’s taken something that does not belong to him, and certainly not to your sister."

  "Then why are you kind to me?"

  “Because a part of me would like to believe that Blythe is not guilty, not when you're willing to do whatever it takes to prove that she’s innocent—even if it means being primped like my personal wind-up doll."

  He steps away from me before I can retort, and smiles to the older woman standing a few feet behind us. If she heard a word of our exchange, there's no sign of it on her face.

  "We're ready for her, Mr. Kheiron."

  "Good. Give her whatever you feel she needs, Alicia. I'll leave it up to you," he says, handing her a black credit card, which Alicia accepts with a nod of her head before slipping it into the pocket of her tailored suit. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

  "I'll take care of her, Mr. Kheiron. Don't worry."

  "You always do an excellent job, Alicia. It’s the last thing I worry about,” he says before turning away from us and heading towards the door, his phone ringing again. When he answers, I hear him say Tyler's name.

  Alicia turns to face me, a practiced smile on her lips.

  "Hello again, Miss Delphine. It's so nice to see you. You look-“ she pauses, looking me over, her eyes narrowing as she studies my face, “good. My associate, Tamara, will be giving you makeup tips after lunch, along with a full kit that I believe your sister is familiar with."

  "Is he always like that? All work and no play?" I ask as Alicia guides me towards a plush couch. There's a bottle of chilled champagne and a single glass sitting on a side table, next to cheese and crackers, and something that looks like caviar though I'm wondering what would merit such a thing. Employees are rushing about, some wheeling clothing racks in front of us, and others are laying shoes in rows along the side.

  "Not always," Alicia replies as I see someone lock the front doors, placing a sign that says, Closed for a Private Event, at the window. "Only since before their father died and he was appointed control of the company over his older brother."

  "I thought he took away the company from his brother," I mutter as other women appear in front of her holding hangers of dresses, tops, and bottoms. She picks a few, and they hang them on one of the recently wheeled clothing racks parked before us.

  "If he did, it's not by choice. But then what do I know? I'm just a personal assistant. But what I do know is that not everything is what they seem.”

  She's not looking at me as she talks, her attention on the clothes in front of her. She picks a dusky pink sleeveless dress with a deep-V neckline and hands it to me.

  "Why don't we start with this one? It will make your eyes stand out. Oh, and just so you know, he’s never done this before."

  “Done what?"

  "Close a store down for five hours so you can shop in private."

  While I have the next five hours to be transformed into Heath's personal doll, it's also time that I can use to face my current predicament. As far as I can see, with the option of going back home completely off the table, I have two choices.

  There's Heath's way, where he's supposedly helping me find Blythe first before having to inform the rest of the board about her embezzlement. And then there's my way, whereas much as I will allow him to transform me just to blend into his social circles, I'm doing it so I can get to Blythe before he or anyone else can.

  So Blythe embezzled money from his company — but, in four months? And not only that, but she was able to steal millions of dollars? Just how crazy was that?

  Could someone be setting her up?

  Suddenly I don't care that Blythe is angry at me. I'm now so worried about her that just as Heath said, I’m willing to do anything I can to prove her innocence; only my plan is to find her before Heath does. I’m not about to let Blythe get herself involved deeper into this feud between brothers over money or whatever it is Heath has accused Ethan of stealing, with her love for Ethan preventing her from seeing what's happening. I don't have to be a genius to know that when Heath does catch up with them, with or without me, he'll throw her to the wolves with no second thoughts—while undoubtedly, his brother will emerge unscathed.

  My thoughts are interrupted by a shrill voice coming from the front door, and everyone turns to look at a blonde woman striding into the shop, her hands on her hips.

  “What is going on here, Alicia? Are you honestly telling me that I can’t even stop by to pick up that purse I ordered from Paris all because some idiot closed the store down?”

  She looks about thirty or so, and she looks fabulous in a loose sleeveless white top and lavender skirt, complete with diamond earrings, a platinum necklace and bracelets along her slim wrists. Behind her, the assistants stand by the door, mute and their eyes wide.

  The blonde woman stops in her tracks, surprised, and peers at me. “Blythe, are you buying out the whole collection already? God, why am I not surprised?”

  “I’m not Blythe. I'm Billie, her sister,” I say, guessing that she must be Jessica unless there’s another Kheiron I don’t know.

  She looks at me incredulously before her gaze settles on all the clothes and shoes arranged around me. “Since when did your family get enough money to buy all this stuff you’re trying on? Assuming you are paying for all this, and not Ethan?”

  Alicia speaks before I can retort, and in a manner that’s a lot calmer than I would have been able to manage. “Miss Kheiron, Miss Delphine is a guest of your brother.”

  “Of course, she’s a guest of my brother. Ethan always has her come here.”

  “I meant your other brother—Heath,” Alicia continues without missing a beat just as an assistant arrives with a large shopping bag that she hands to Jessica.

  Jessica takes it with barely a word of thanks, her gaze directed at me. Behind her, the door opens, and a short, stocky man with a weak chin concealed by his dark beard hurries towards her.

  “Jess, the limo is double-parked, and the recital starts in less than an hour. Abbie was supposed to be there ten minutes ago.” He stops when he sees me. “Blythe? What are you doing here? I thought you were in Saint Lucia.”

  “I’m Billie, her sister."

  “She did say she had a sister, Daniel,” she says before turning to face Alicia. “Heath has never closed the shop for anyone but Mother. Not even Natasha—”

  “Well, this time, he did,” Alicia says, glancing at her watch, “and it’s hers for four more hours. So, please, if you’ll excuse us, Miss Delphine has a lot more shopping to do.”

  As they make their exit, I see Jessica glancing back at me, her gaze almost curious. This time, I remember what Blythe said about my breasts and bring my shoulders back, pushing my breasts forward. I don’t know why, but it oddly makes me feel so much better.

  “Are they all that rude? Between Heath and Jessica, is Ethan this bad, too? Where the hell did they learn to be such prima donnas? I’m sure their mother—”

  “Before you say anything about their mother, don’t ever assume the children’s bad behavior is entirely their mother’s fault, dear. As if we women didn’t already have it bad enough with other women thinking the worst of us without knowing anything about the lives we lead behind closed doors.”

  “And what kind of life does she lead behind closed doors?”

  She shrugs as her assistants bustle around us with more clothes and shoes for us to go through. “One that’s none of our business. Anyway, let’s get you ready to fit into Heath’s world.”

  “If it's the same world I'm supposed to fit into, what should I know about it?”

  “Enough to stay out of it,” she replies tersely though her brow furrows into a frown as she eyes me. “Surely you know since you’re with him, Miss Delphine, especially not if rumors going around about the family are true.”

  “What rumors? What have you heard — besides my conversation with Heath earlier? Because I know you heard everything.”

  Her eyes narrow as she gazes at me, but I
hold my ground, pushing back any of the panic that’s rising from the pit of my belly.

  “C’mon, Alicia, I’m sure you hear more than you let on from every person who comes in here to spend thousands of dollars on a purse or a wardrobe. I’m a small fish in this big pond, and I need to know more,” I say, keeping my gaze on her face, reminding myself not to look away. “You already know what I am to Heath—his personal wind-up doll—ready to be dressed and molded the way he thinks I should look in his world. Would a fellow woman just stand there and watch that happen? As if we women don’t have it bad enough for other women to—”

  “I know what I said so you don’t have to repeat it,” Alicia says, glancing around the empty shop as her voice lowers. “All I know is that the brothers are fighting for control of the company. But then, that’s old news after Heath took over Ethan’s position as president of the company almost a year ago. But that’s all I’m going to say. Right now, Mr. Kheiron is paying for my time, and I am not about to say anything negative about him."

  “Why not? Would you say negative things about him if you weren’t?”

  “Of course not,” she replies angrily. “But then, we’re not here to gossip, are we? We’re here to get you ready so you can travel the world and fit into his world. Do you know how many women would be willing to give anything to be in your shoes right now?”

  “No, and I don’t want to know. But I’m not just any woman,” I say. "Please, Alicia, I’m not Blythe, and I need to know what kind of world I’m entering. I know that you know I’m not exactly here willingly.”

  Alicia takes a deep breath and exhales, her countenance relaxing. “Like I told you earlier, rumors are going around about how the current battle for control of the company is shaking investor confidence. So much so that no one would be surprised if someone else—a third party—did show up to take over control of the company from both of them. I personally doubt Heath wanted to take over the company from his brother, but I also don’t doubt that there were other people gunning for the same position.”