by Bowles, Jan
“Careful, Mr. Rivers, or you may find yourself looking at an indictment for sexual harassment.” Maddie held her breath. She knew she’d said too much, but the moment had just caught her off guard. Keaton Rivers had wanted her, and she’d just thrown it all back at him. Why? Just because she didn’t get the job? Was she crazy? He was an incredibly attractive man, and, truth be known, she wanted him, too. It was just how her life always worked out. One step forward, two steps back. Everything was unraveling around her. She still needed to sell her house before the bank foreclosed on her.
If she could just hold out for a month or two while the house sale went through, then this financial burden would finally be lifted. And if her sister asked for any more money, she would just have to be firm and say no.
Keaton’s gaze hardened as he stared at her. “Be assured that I won’t be bothering you again, Ms. James.”
Chapter Two
When Maddie arrived at work on Monday morning, she went through her daily rituals: checking the stock markets around the world and taking phone calls from worried clients.
An hour later, her secretary brought her coffee. Kim also handed her an envelope. “This is addressed to you personally, Maddie.”
When she was left alone once more, she turned the padded envelope in her hands and looked for the postmark. She couldn’t find one. Inside she found a DVD with the words play me written on the back.
Not giving it too much importance, she walked over to the combination TV in the corner of the room and inserted the disc. The screen burst into life, and she stared in horror at the scene.
Her sister Simone sat in the middle of a dimly lit room, her hands tied behind her back. Her mascara smeared where it had run down her face. Her lips trembled as she looked at the camera. Then she spoke. “Maddie, you have to help me. They said they’d kill me if you don’t wire them the money.”
With shaking hands, she held up a newspaper showing yesterday’s date. “Maddie, I’m scared. Please do as they ask.”
The image widened, and a man with a mask covering his face came into view. Bugs Bunny had never looked so menacing.
Maddie gripped the table for support as his chilling words slammed into her.
“We know you have access to a lot of money. Follow our demands exactly if you want your sister to live. Cross us, and she dies.” To emphasize his threat, he moved closer to Simone and held a knife against her throat. Simone struggled, and Maddie could just see a trace of blood ooze from beneath the blade.
A scream left her lips at the same time as Simone’s.
“Call the cops, she’s dead. Fail to deliver the money on time, she’s dead.” He walked closer to the screen. “Wire five hundred thousand dollars to this account.” He held up a number. “Do it by midnight.”
Then the screen went black, and Maddie, unable to catch her breath, literally fell to the floor.
How could she pull this off? Surely she had to call the cops. Her hands shook as she crawled over to the easy chair and collapsed into it, her heart pounding.
Her secretary knocked on the door and walked in. When she saw her trembling demeanor, she rushed to her side. “I thought I heard a noise. Are you all right, Maddie?”
She fought for composure. “Yes, Kim, I’m okay. I just went a little dizzy, that’s all.” The kidnappers’ words filled her head. Tell no one. “I’ll be fine in a minute or two.”
“I’ll get you some water.” Kim went to the cooler, filled a Styrofoam cup, then handed it to her.
Fear and anxiety crippled her thoughts, leaving her in a mindless stupor. This couldn’t be happening. What if they killed Simone? No, she wouldn’t even go there.
Her sister must have mentioned her line of work to some undesirable people. She’d been mixing with the wrong crowd for some time now.
An icy hand gripped her once more, constricting her breathing. Simone had looked so scared. What was happening to her right now? Were they abusing her? Or worse still—no, she wouldn’t even contemplate that. Surely, she had to do as they asked. If she did as they wanted, would they release her, or would they come back asking for more money?
If only the sale of her house had gone through, she might have been able to cobble the money together. This was the biggest dilemma of her life. Would Goldstein Rivers lend her the money? She guessed not. Would they notice if she wired them the money? If they found out, her career would be lost, but at least her sister would still be alive.
She picked up the phone then replaced it. Tell no one.
* * * *
With no word from her sister, and one long sleepless night, Maddie arrived early at the office of Goldstein Rivers. Thankfully the doors opened at six in the morning.
Once inside the foyer, she walked quickly across the marble tiled floor to the bank of elevators waiting to whisk her to the thirtieth floor.
All night she had repeatedly dialed her sister’s cell phone and home phone numbers. There had been no answer.
Maybe there would be a message waiting on her desk—something to give her hope.
When she reached her office, she unlocked the door and stopped dead in her tracks. Her computer was missing.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood to attention as the most gut-wrenching, sinking feeling invaded her thoughts, paralyzing her with fear and anxiety. Did Goldstein Rivers know about the transfer of money? Almost immediately, her stomach churned, and she rushed headlong into the corridor, desperate to reach the restroom. She only just made it in time.
After clinging to the toilet bowl and retching uncontrollably, she washed her face, splashing herself with cold water. She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she cleaned herself up with a dry towel.
Thief.
Her face appeared pasty, and she hadn’t even bothered putting makeup on that morning. She was too busy worrying about her sister to bother with that. Her eyelids looked puffy from the lack of sleep and the constant tears she’d shed.
Think, Maddie, think, Maddie, for God’s sake, think.
Her mind whirled with all sorts of useless information. Then a thought surfaced from the darkest depths, bringing light and warmth.
She’d been onto maintenance for days now about her computer, which kept crashing. That must be it. They always performed maintenance during the night. She’d just arrived too early in the morning. That was all. Any minute now and her computer would be brought back, fully functioning once more.
Patting the dry towel over her face, she breathed in and began to relax. Everything would be fine. She’d covered her tracks well. No one would find out. When she sold her house, she’d replace the money and no one would be any the wiser.
Holding her head high, she emerged from the restroom.
Two burly security guards were waiting outside, and her heart sank.
“Maddie James?”
Swallowing, she nodded. “Yes.” It was amazing that her voice worked at all, knowing her career must be at an end.
“Please come with us.”
Standing on either side of her, they escorted her to the elevator.
This had turned into a nightmare. Her sister was still missing, and she had secretly wired five hundred thousand dollars to a bank account who knew where.
Throughout her training and early career, they had been warned about moments like these. Their line of work opened them up to unscrupulous individuals. Blackmail was a distinct possibility. It was drilled into all investment bankers that they must involve security from the beginning, yet she hadn’t followed that advice. Why? Because, when it came to her family, simple rules didn’t apply. How could she jeopardize Simone’s chances of staying alive? Instinct had just taken over.
Now she would have no choice but to own up to her actions and take her punishment. If that was the only way to keep her sister alive, then she was glad she had done it.
* * * *
Keaton Rivers paced his office one more time, anger surging through his veins. How dare anyone steal from his co
mpany. But Maddie James? It seemed almost impossible that she would do such a thing. He wondered why? Was it revenge because he hadn’t given her the promotion she so obviously wanted? Surely the woman wouldn’t be so dishonest? Or maybe she just wanted to punish him for stepping out of line, by assuming she’d sleep with him. He still seethed on that count. The woman had made a fool of him.
Well, security was bringing her straight to his office right now. So he guessed he’d find out. He dragged a hand through his hair. Even though he’d been awake all night following the trail of money, he didn’t feel remotely tired. A primal need to regain what was his pulsed inside him. He had to remind himself that whatever Maddie James had done he couldn’t lash out. He had to keep a firm grip on his emotions. There would be time enough to have his revenge in court.
A knock at the door brought him face to face with the culprit. Maddie walked in, her head lowered. He nodded to the security guards, and he was left alone with her.
He walked purposefully behind his desk and sank into his leather chair. The disappointment in her actions made him put a barrier between them.
He waited a while. The silence continued uninterrupted as she stood in the center of his office and occasionally shuffled her feet.
He shook his head and spoke in a dismissive tone, “And I had such high hopes for you, Maddie.”
Her head immediately snapped back, and she looked straight at him. He saw the worry on her face—the burden of something more. Maybe she had been blackmailed. A softer tone reached his voice.
“If you have a reason for doing what you did, then please divulge it now.”
She shook her head. “I’ve nothing to say.”
Feeling exasperated, he leaned on his desk and stared at her. “Then it was all for personal gain?”
Keaton rubbed his hand across his face, and then into his hair. He let out a deep breath. Shouting wouldn’t help. “This is so disappointing. I’ve been up all night following this money trail.” He looked at his watch. “I need to have this sorted before I go on vacation later today. You should know that as soon as someone authorizes a large transaction it’s automatically flagged by the system. You were naïve to think you could hide your tracks. We’ve followed the trail all the way to a bank account in Switzerland.”
Maddie looked surprised. “You have?”
“Goddamn it, Maddie. You’re not dealing with the girl guides here. We’re professionals. Did you really think you could steal half a million dollars and just walk away with it? So, let’s make this easy for everyone. Tell us where it is now and then we can wrap this up.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“I just can’t.”
He flipped open her personnel file. “We know all about the foreclosure notice on your house. The area where you live has some very expensive real estate, even for someone in your position. It seems you’ve been living a lifestyle beyond your means, Maddie. And you thought you’d help yourself to my money.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then what is it? You can’t have it both ways.”
“I can’t say. As soon as my house sale goes through, I’ll pay everything back. I promise.”
The first sign of contrition made him round on her. “Is that an apology? So you just thought you’d borrow the money for a few months? Is that it?”
“What are you going to do?”
“What would you do?”
She hung her head in shame. “Call the cops.”
He picked up the phone. “Good idea. Now we’re thinking in tandem.” His anger, now exasperated by her lack of an explanation, spurred him into action, and he began dialing.
“Please don’t.”
“Pardon?”
“Please don’t, Keaton. I’ll do anything.”
Her pleading made him disconnect the call. Her submissive tone brought something in him to the surface. Something he had kept locked and hidden away for years.
He stared at her. “Anything? Do you have any idea what anything means?”
“Yes.” Her hands clasped tightly together. “I have a buyer for the house. In just over a month, the sale will go through. I can pay you back then.”
“So, in the meantime, you’ll do anything to keep me from turning you in?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know what that makes you, Maddie?”
“Yes.”
He stood and walked around his desk. At six foot three, he towered over her small petite figure. She couldn’t be more than five-four. Standing in front of her, he looked down into her trembling features. With a finger under her chin, he angled her face.
“Look at me.”
Her gaze rose to his, and he saw the frightened girl in her eyes. Physical desire spun its way into his body as her pale green irises connected with his. He wanted to dominate and make her compliant to his will. He wanted to seek some sort of satisfaction for her abuse of his trust. He wanted to bury his hands in her hair and love her the way he’d wanted to since the first time he’d seen her.
“I thought you had principles?” He mocked.
“They won’t do me any good now.”
“No, they won’t.”
“I can make up for last week when I was so despicable. I can be whatever you want, whatever you desire.”
“Is that so? Careful, Maddie, because my desires might not be the same as yours.”
“Oh, I think we’re on the same level when it comes to sex.”
He shook his head, and laughed out loud. “You have no idea, do you? Vanilla sex is okay for the right occasion, but I prefer something a little more exciting.”
Digesting what he’d just said, she stared directly at him. A faint blush tinged her pale cheeks. “You wanted me once. You can still have me.” She paused briefly. “However you desire.”
“You put a high price on…” he let his eyes sweep over her before continuing, “your services. Do you really think you’re worth half a million dollars?”
He saw her wince. She was fighting for her survival, and he knew it, yet he couldn’t—wouldn’t—back down. He wanted his pound of flesh. Maddie had broken his trust.
“Until my house sale goes through, I haven’t anything else to offer.”
He stared at her. At that moment, he felt it was possible to crave and despise in equal measure. She aroused a primitive need in him. He thought of the money she’d stolen, and his heart hardened. Either way, she would pay back everything she owed him.
“Depending on how you view things, you may have just made a deal with the devil, Maddie.”
Chapter Three
Maddie felt as though a whirlwind had taken over her life. Like a dervish, Keaton Rivers had seized control. Even now, as she sat on his private jet, the events of the past twenty-four hours were nothing but a blur.
How had she ended up selling herself, her soul, to him? How could she divulge the truth and risk losing her sister to the kidnappers? She had done what she had to do.
Self-preservation had also kicked in. In order to save her deep humiliation at the hands of the law, and indeed the press, she had offered herself to him on a plate.
There had been an attraction between them when they’d lunched together just over a week ago and again in her office. Otherwise, she’d very much doubt he’d have gone for it.
The relief she’d first felt when he’d changed his mind had now turned to trepidation. Did he really expect her to come willingly to his bed? Would he force himself upon her? Keaton Rivers was a man used to getting his own way. He was certainly assertive and arrogant, but she doubted he had to look far for lovers. He was an attractive man. So why had he agreed? Revenge seemed the only possible answer. Anger showed in his eyes as he’d stalked around her in the office—anger and intense disappointment.
Maddie felt it, too—anger at her predicament and anger at the kidnappers who held her sister. Where was Simone? Why had there still been no word from her? Fear kept her from telling anyone.
Frantic for any news of her sister, Maddie refused the meal the hostess served her. Instead, she spent her time staring out the aircraft window.
Occasionally, she would cast a glance at Keaton sitting across from her. He’d either be on the telephone or looking at papers. She never once saw him look at her. It was as though she didn’t exist.
Well, that suited her fine. All she had to do was get through this crisis, and then move on with her life. No one, absolutely no one, would know, except the two of them. Maybe she had sold herself to the devil, but it was better the devil she knew than the long jail sentence awaiting her if she didn’t.
The thought of sex with Keaton Rivers sent shivers down her spine. He’d also said he preferred unconventional sex. Her mind boggled. What had she gotten herself into? Yes, there seemed to be a mutual attraction between them, but was that enough? Surely, it would be a cold, clinical affair, with neither of them gaining anything from the experience. Perhaps he would lose interest in her proposal very quickly. It was her only hope. Or her worst nightmare.
* * * *
By the time they arrived at his ranch in Tennessee, Maddie felt exhausted. Lack of sleep, lack of news, and lack of food had all given way to a severe migraine. Keaton must have noticed her obvious distress, although he was silent during the whole of the car journey from the airport, he arranged for his housekeeper to take her immediately to her room.
The pale blue bedroom with its Shaker-style furniture was a much needed respite. Sinking into the white lace bedspread, she curled into a tight fetal ball and cried herself to sleep. Whatever the future held, she would face it tomorrow.
* * * *
Keaton had just finished his second glass of orange juice when Maddie finally joined him for breakfast. She wore a white blouse and jeans. He noticed she didn’t look at him as she sat down, although, she did appear a lot more refreshed than he’d last seen her. Maddie had been practically out on her feet last night, so he’d arranged for Helena, his housekeeper, to escort her straight to her room.