by India Kells
Before she could ask what the sound was, Blackwood was on his feet, dashing for the door. Just as she was about to follow suit, he turned and hissed between his teeth, “This is an alarm. Something’s wrong, stay here and lock the door.”
And he was gone. Stunned by the order, Zoe realized that others may be in danger. Like hell would she stay behind and lock herself in like a coward. She was ready to face the fires of hell, and in defying Archer Blackwood, she might do exactly that.
Chapter 6
As Blackwood disappeared around the corner, Zoe realized he had left his phone on his desk. It buzzed again. It was locked, but by pushing the button, she could see part of it on the screen. It was from Lance saying that two unidentified men had taken Cynthia as she stepped out of the building.
Taken? As in kidnapped? Zoe ditched the heels, took the phone and decided to go see for herself. As she passed a few offices with closed doors, there were whispered voices behind them. Ellen’s door was also closed. She was tempted to take a detour to her own office, grab her phone and call Gabrielle, but she suspected Lance would have already informed her of the situation. Reaching the empty reception area, she saw from the lit floor numbers above the door that the elevator was in the lobby.
Something beeped behind the reception desk and she walked around the desk to see that the phone lines were blinking away, but there were also several small screens flashing different parts of the offices. There was also one showing the inside of the elevator and the staircase. Sitting down, Zoe tapped the mouse and the computer screen came on. It didn’t take a lot of time to find the feed she was looking for, in which Cynthia appeared in the elevator.
The girl was rummaging through her bag before closing it. She was fidgety and kept looking at her cell phone. Just as the door opened, she dropped her phone back into her bag and walked out. That was the end of the video.
Zoe was about to search for the feed from the lobby when Blackwood’s phone buzzed.
Possible incoming through the staircase door.
Incoming? Zoe jumped to her feet, barely thinking of bringing the phone with her. Shoving it into her bra, she grabbed the only possible thing that looked remotely like a weapon; a horrible and awfully heavy crystal sculpture.
Hardly having the time to realize how silly she looked, noise came from the staircase. Heart pumping, she crouched behind the door. Noises became louder, then shouts and some muffled gunshots.
Biting her lip, she welcomed the pain that distracted her from the stress. How she wished for any kind of professional training or any serious looking weapon, but again, her usual bad luck struck.
Bracing, she heard scratching, then a loud thumping sound and the door burst open.
Zoe swung the crystal ugliness, but it was heavier than she expected and the brunt of it threw her off balance, which had mixed results. On the upside, she did strike the intruder on the head, and she was relieved that he was a stranger and had a gun in his hand. On the downside, despite her strength and weight, she fell with the man on the floor. The crystal sculpture exploded, pieces flying everywhere like ice shards.
It took a few breaths to get her bearings and realize that she wasn’t alone anymore. Blackwood, Kai, Lance, and two other men wearing uniforms were running through the door, stopping short as they realized what had happened. All the men had their guns out and Zoe blinked. Archer Blackwood had a gun?
The moment froze only for a second when she locked gazes with him. His eyes were on fire, blazing through her. He reminded her of a caged animal trying to restrain his fury. It was then she realized that under the sophistication and ruthless business brain was much more than the eye could see. The core of him was obviously raw and violent.
Blackwood turned, dispatching the men to search and secure the office, breaking the unexpected connection. Zoe looked at Lance, who nodded, and Kai, who sported a worried look this time, searching her eyes before jogging off with Lance. The two guards tied the hands of the still unconscious intruder.
Zoe pushed herself up, realizing that she bled from numerous little cuts on her hands, arms, and calves. Nothing bad, more like an annoyance.
“Don’t move.”
Blackwood all but barked the order, making her jump. Slightly more shaken than she realized, Zoe winced when the crystal pieces crunched under his shoes. When he spoke again, his voice was much calmer, but still rough around the edges.
“Don’t move, Zoe. You don’t have shoes on, you’ll cut yourself even more.”
Before she could recover from the shock of him saying her name, he crouched and scooped her in his arms. The movement was so sudden, she yelped and grabbed his shoulders fearing he would drop her an instant later.
As he turned, Lance appeared, his gun lowered. “The office is secure sir. The building security guards are locking the exterior doors and Jones is making sure everybody still on this floor is safe. The police are on their way. I’ll see to the intruder.”
Blackwood nodded. “Good, Sorenson.”
“Sir. Does Ms. Somersby require first aid?”
Before she could reassure him, Blackwood passed by him, saying he would take care of it.
Zoe tapped him on the shoulder, trying to get his attention as he walked away. “Reminder, I’m just here, not deaf. And I can walk now, no need to strain your back carrying me like this.”
Not answering her, Blackwood walked back into his office before lowering her on the leather sofa in the sitting area. He must have sensed her intention, because he cut her off when she opened her mouth.
“Don’t move.”
Unable to resist, she rolled her eyes at him. “Can I at least breathe? That requires moving, sir.”
Without replying, Blackwood turned and closed his door. Her heart skipped a beat. Still silent, he went to an armoire in the opposite corner and retrieved a small first-aid kit and returned to kneel before her. He didn’t speak a word and started inspecting the cuts on her legs. They were superficial and had stopped bleeding, but he nonetheless swiped the antiseptic solution on each of them. Then he checked her arms before finally reaching her hands, where his touch became less clinical, more caressing.
His face turned sad, and she suspected he had forgotten where he was, lost in memories. Zoe pulled away to better take his hands in hers. “I’m fine, I assure you, Mr. Blackwood.”
The sound of her voice brought him back to reality and instantly the ice mask was back on, only the swirl of his gray eyes gave away his turmoil.
“You shouldn’t have interfered. Don’t you ever obey orders?”
Zoe flinched and started to pull away, but his hands grabbed hers once more. “I’m not a lap dog.” She remembered his phone tucked in her bra and freed one hand to pull it out. “I had training in crisis situations and how to keep a cool head. It was a vital skill when I worked in the Middle East. And your phone buzzed. That’s why I knew what was going on. At the second text saying that an intruder was probably on his way, I thought about the possibility of another person being abducted or worse. You can’t ask me to lock myself up in an office when there is something I can do to protect the people on the floor. Tell me you wouldn’t have done the same.”
Zoe handed him the phone, but he didn’t take it, so she put it beside her.
“You took too much of a risk for people you don’t know.”
That made her smile. “They are human beings, so they deserve to live.”
“You could have died, if your aim...”
Once more she covered his hand. “I’m fine, Mr. Blackwood.”
He blinked again, thrown off by her statement, but about to do the same to her. “Please, call me Archer.”
Zoe pinched her lips. “No.”
Once more he blinked, off balance. “No?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“You are my boss, and for the duration of this contract, it will be Mr. Blackwood or Sir.”
She expected him to be annoyed, but he smiled. “Bad idea to is
sue a challenge to a man like me... Zoe.”
Shaking her head, she leaned forward a little. To invade his private space was to indulge in his scent a little. “Don’t take everything as a challenge, Mr. Blackwood, or you’ll lose.”
He leaned a little more, so close that she could feel his breath whispering on her lips. That close, Zoe could see flecks of blue in the silver of his irises. “I never lose, Zoe.”
Would he kiss her? Would she allow him to kiss her? She was losing brain cells just being in the same room, so anything more would be the worst idea ever. Or the best mistake.
Someone knocking on the door ended the moment, and even as Blackwood leaned away, the last look he gave her told her it was far from over. She had to think quickly to defuse the situation. In any other circumstances, she would be a fool to refuse a man like him, but now wasn’t the time for falling into a fantasy.
Knowing she was probably red as a beet, Zoe nonetheless lifted her chin and saw Kai standing at the door. Blackwood stood, turning to Kai and she saw the gun in the small of his back. He was so close, she could see his ink peeking from his shirt. A playing card? Unfortunately, he moved before she could see more of it.
“The office is secured sir, nobody is harmed. Police are in the lobby taking care of the suspect who will have to go to the hospital, and they requested access for an interview. Security guards will be at each entrance point until further arrangements are made to increase security. May I suggest...”
“No. I’ll make my own security arrangements and keep you informed.”
More unknown people surrounding Blackwood would be problematic for his protection and Zoe knew she had to act fast. Standing up, she touched his arm. Gray eyes instantly focused on her.
“I have connections with a security firm from my time working for the Department of State. They’re a private firm, highly recommended. Expensive I guess, but reliable.” She hesitated a second before offering more information. “Their boss saved my life. And I’m still on good terms with them.”
His gaze remained frozen on her. Without a word, he turned back to Kai. “I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, please advise Sorenson to bring the car around for Ms. Somersby.”
At his words, her hold on his arm tightened, trying to make him look at her. “Why do I need a car?”
“I’m giving you the rest of the day off.”
She crossed her arms and planted her feet on the floor. “I don’t think so, Mr. Blackwood.”
Archer Blackwood turned and this time, he wasn’t happy with her. It was like a shock wave of disapproval hitting her. Zoe quickly understood that her refusing to obey him in front of a subordinate was a big no-no, so she tried to back pedal a little.
“I thank you for your concern, but I have several files to go through before the sale and I still need to go over the planning with Ellen. There is no way I can get everything done and still offer you a professional service if I take a day off. I may not appear presentable right now, but I can work. I’ll stay in my office if my appearance is a problem...”
“Stop it, would you?” And for the first time, he raked his hair, clenching his teeth in suppressed annoyance. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Kai shuffling, still awaiting his orders.
“I was hired to do a job. And that’s what I intend to do.” Zoe stopped at his desk, ripped a piece of paper and scribbled a name and phone number on it before giving it to her boss. “This is the information for the firm I mentioned. Now, I’m going to dig myself out of those piles of papers and requests. If you need me, I’ll be in my office.”
Kai moved swiftly out of her path as she grabbed her shoes and walked out. It was obvious she was playing with fire, but it was out of the question to bow down and hide. And if Archer Blackwood thought he could treat her like a china doll, he was in for a nasty surprise.
Chapter 7
Zoe was running on fumes after endless interview sessions with the police. Then, Ellen found her and tried to make her go home, but it was out of the question. The older woman finally gave in and agreed to carry on with the work at hand. It was extraordinary how Ellen bounced back from the morning’s ordeal, but she was seriously worried about Cynthia.
“Poor thing, I hope she’s alright and that they get those awful men. Why would they grab her?”
Zoe’s mind whirled but reminded her to be cautious. “And here I thought that working in the corporate world would be safer than following soldiers in Iraq.”
Ellen shook her head, very serious. “I wouldn’t let your guard down, my dear. The corporate world is cutthroat. It takes a strong person to survive, let alone succeed. I’ve heard horrid stories of murder, kidnapping, extortion back in the day and I foolishly thought they were exaggerated, or that time was long gone.”
“Could this be related to the sale? Would someone be greedy enough to use Cynthia? For leverage against Mr. Blackwood?”
Ellen seemed to ponder that. “I suppose that people would go to great lengths to acquire Archer’s company. But why kidnap poor Cynthia?”
And that was the question. Something still nagged at her though, but she needed to speak to Gabrielle about it. It may be a faulty radar, but there was a detail she couldn’t put her finger on.
“How long has Cynthia been working for the Blackwood Corporation?”
“I hired her when we moved to Chicago for the sale. Five months if I remember right. This office was leased six months ago, but it took two weeks to remodel everything and there were two weeks of interviews for all the clerical positions. All the necessary upper management positions relocated from our London office for the duration of the sale.”
“And she’s only the receptionist.” It didn’t make sense. And her head hurt.
“You should head home, dear. We’ve made strides this afternoon and you need a clear head. There’s less than one week left. It has been a trying day. I can’t believe you smashed that madman’s head. You know you saved us all. Imagine if he’d made his way in. With a gun!” Ellen shook her head.
Zoe pushed herself up and winced at her bruised muscles. “I need to start working out more, if I have to defend the entire Blackwood Corporation.”
Ellen giggled and started gathering the files scattered over her desk. “I doubt Archer will allow that. And personally, I would rather have one of our fine new bodyguards guarding my body. No offense intended, but when Mr. Jones ordered me to unlock my door and barged into my office, I was near having a fainting spell. And maybe I should have so he could catch me in his big arms.”
“I think you read too many romance novels, Ellen. But when I next talk to Mr. Jones, I’ll see what I can do for you.”
Ellen’s eyes lit up. “Instead, if you can arrange for me, Mr. Sorenson or Mr. Jones and some whipped cream, I would be your eternal slave.”
Zoe winked and closed her door. Because she was beginning to really like Ellen, and interested in annoying Kai, she might very well be telling him he was the main star in Ellen’s little creamy fantasy.
Back in her office, she noted that night had fallen over the city. When she let herself fall on her chair, Zoe again noticed the state of her dress. What a mess. Looking at her hands, there were thin red lines marring her white skin. Removing her eyeglasses, she pressed the heel of her hands to her eyes, trying to calm her pulsing temples and straighten out the facts.
Less than a week before the sale event, unidentified strangers kidnapped the receptionist. Why? There were at least five executives in-house who would have made more sense to kidnap. And the grand prize, Archer Blackwood, was there too. Why not try to get him? He would be the ultimate button to push, but Zoe suspected that he wouldn’t break easily. It would take leverage. The receptionist was leverage? Was there something between the two of them she hadn’t seen?
She remembered how he’d treated her, especially after the coffee incident, and he’d almost ignored her. Or was it a front? Maybe they were together but keeping it hidden from everybody else.
U
neasy about that idea, and not sure why, Zoe removed her shoes and stretched her legs. Her mind reverted back to how he’d carried her in his arms, and took care of her in his office, almost moving to kiss her. Had it been real or a figment of her overzealous imagination?
Zoe pushed herself away from the desk, making her chair twirl on itself. It had been too long since she had been with a man, and she’d always been fascinated with puzzles. And Archer Blackwood was exactly that. A mouth-watering, orgasm-promising puzzle.
Deciding to push that thought out of her mind, and focus on work again, she saw something by the door. Garment covers hanging on wall hooks.
Curious, she wondered if someone had delivered Blackwood’s suits to her office by mistake. When she unzipped the first one, a gasp escaped her lips. It was her cream dress. The exact same size she was wearing right now. How on earth... And it wasn’t the sole dress inside. There was the same design but in forest green and a lovely purple color.
Stunned, she checked out the other bags and saw a skirt and pantsuit, a few colorful blouses, two cocktail dresses and two evening gowns, all in her size, in a cut she knew fit her well and in beautiful hues. Looking at them all, she was torn between gratitude and kicking his butt for being so controlling and ignoring her request. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, one she wasn’t used to. Normally, her instincts were spot on, but with Blackwood, she couldn’t figure out his intentions. He appeared so cold, detached, and a megalomaniac that she couldn’t work out if he was sincere deep down or just domineering by nature.
Shoeless, she walked through the office. At this hour, most employees were long gone, and she suspected it was also the case for her boss, but with the light coming from his partly open door, it seemed she would have to add workaholic to his string of qualities. About to knock, she saw him at his desk.
He was poring over a file. Gone were the jacket, the vest, and the tie. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up again over his arms. With the vest gone, Zoe could see how the fabric stretched over his body, defining more of his muscles. His hair was now a mess of dark strands, as if he had raked them relentlessly. He played with a pen in his right hand, a fidgety motion that made her smile. His face was so serious, and from her vantage point, his eyes now appeared almost black. How strange. His face was fascinating, rugged, hard, handsome with a sophisticated air, all wrapped up in one. A paradox.