Three and a Half Weeks

by Lulu Astor

  So it all comes out in a torrent; she tells him everything, trying to avoid seeing the muscles in his face pull taut with every sordid detail. “But when Daniel woke me up, I was fully dressed and in a different room. I asked Daniel about the black room but he looked confused.”

  “Okay. I’m going to go have a talk with Monsieur Phillips and get to the bottom of this fiasco. In the mean—”

  “Please don’t, Ian. If it did happen then he’s crazy... and if it didn’t, then maybe I am. Either way, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “You’re not crazy, Ella. He did something to you, even if it was simply slipping you some drugs. You didn’t just fall into Alice’s rabbit hole.”

  “Don’t leave me,” she clutches at him. “Ian, there’s something I have to tell you. I promised myself if I ever saw you again, I’d say it.”

  “I have something to tell you, too. Ella. But I need to go talk to Daniel first. He’s been up all night because of us and I don’t want to keep him waiting any longer. Can our conversation hold for just five more minutes, baby?”

  “Yes, of course. Five more minutes,” she repeats like a mantra and then kisses him sweetly. Ian nearly begins to weep—with relief, with passion for her, with love. He loves Ella so fucking much.

  Entering the large state-of-the-art kitchen, Ian finds Daniel sitting at the table, two steaming espressos waiting. “Espresso?”

  Daniel laughs. “I figured neither of us is going to sleep anytime soon so what the hell. I have to go into the office in a couple of hours.”

  “I’m sorry about this huge imposition. If you would bring me up to speed on Phillips, I’ll take Ella and get out of your hair. I’m not in the habit of asking so much of people I’ve just met.”

  “Ah, but you do of people you know a while? I’ll bear that in mind before I get to know you any better, Ian.”

  Ian manages to muster a chuckle. “So what happened when you got back to his apartment?”

  Daniel sips his espresso and then shakes his head. “Not much. The man denied any wrongdoing. Said Ella started feeling ill so he put her in his guestroom to rest. What we found didn’t contradict anything he said.”

  “Ella’s story was wildly at odds with that innocent account,” Ian says, raking his hands through his hair. “But she admits she’s not sure if what she remembers is real or dream. It could be that she was drugged and hallucinated as a result. But why would he drug her and then do nothing?”

  “Didn’t you say he checked her out of her hotel?”

  Ian shakes his head. “Turns out she herself did it. But, honestly, I’ve always felt this guy was a sleaze; there was something about him… Didn’t you say you felt he was dangerous?”

  Daniel nods tiredly. “Yes. I definitely sensed something amiss there… but honestly it could be danger in the predatory-male sense, and not anything too much worse, Ian. I haven’t been around him enough to get a clear bead on the guy.”

  “So what became of Monsieur Phillips?”

  “After we interrogated him… and trust me, we ensured that it was not a pleasant experience for him… we released him and left him alone in his apartment. I could have kept him there but I rightly assumed you’d want to attend to Ella and I had to pull my guys out of there or send in reinforcements. We could easily catch up with him again if you require it.”

  “No, I’ll take it from here. Right now I’ll take Ella and check into a hotel to sleep for a while. When my pilot is ready to leave, we’ll head back to Portland and the mess I left there.”

  “Forget the hotel. Stay here. Olivia was going to skip her classes to stay with Ella in the morning but since you’re here, she’ll go to school. I’m leaving soon, too. You’ll have the house to yourselves for most of the day. It’s ridiculous for you to get Ella up only to go to a hotel. Seriously.”

  “I am exhausted. Okay, thank you, Daniel. I regret you have to go to work without getting any sleep.”

  “No problem. I have an early-morning meeting I can’t miss and then I’ll sack out for a few hours in my office. There’s a very comfortable couch in there.”

  Ian rises to his feet. “I’ll leave you to start your day, in that case. I’m crashing from the adrenaline surge of the past few hours so I’ll accept your gracious offer and get some sleep. If anything more comes out of this situation, I’ll be sure to let you know. Thank you and in the event that I don’t have the pleasure of meeting your fiancée, please tell her of our gratitude, both mine and Ella’s.”

  Daniel nods. “I certainly will. Pleasant dreams.”

  By the time he returns to Ella, she’s in a deep sleep once again and Ian doesn’t have the heart to wake her. They could have their talk in the morning… or afternoon or whatever time they finally wake up. Quickly brushing his teeth in the en-suite bath, he strips off his clothes and gets into the bed behind Ella, spooning her from behind and saying a silent prayer of thanks that all ended well. When he’s finished, he lies in the quiet room, listening to Ella breathing, his hand on her chest as it ebbs and flows with her respiration, and whispers into her ear. “I love you, Ella.”

  Chapter 30

  It’s nearly one o’clock in the afternoon when I open my eyes. Physically I feel bizarrely well but my mind is swimming with anxious thoughts. The night with Lucien and all his sinister words seems far away now and based on how Daniel found me, might not have happened the way I remember it. And now I am left wondering if it happened at all.

  Next to me lay a sleeping Ian, his face so boyish and serene in slumber it’s almost irresistible. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of watching him sleep unless he begins to snore or drool—though sex gods like him don’t generally have icky tendencies like those, do they?

  Last night I wanted to tell him I love him but he had to speak to Daniel and I fell asleep while he was gone. I intend to remedy that negligence as soon as he opens his pretty eyes. I refuse to waste any more time playing games. If I learned anything from my experience with Lucien, it was that.

  Lucien fucking Phillips: the new demon around my neck. It would be far easier if my memories were real and I could just cast him off as a sicko fuck whom I will never see again. But what if they were hallucinations? For my whole life, I’ve always reacted badly to drugs—even cold medicine makes me hallucinate. Not like yesterday, but still. If someone did slip me a drug, it’s not impossible that everything that followed was in my mind only.

  But the fact remains that he would have still been evil enough to drug me. Why? As far as I could tell, he didn’t rape me. In my memories slash hallucinations, he did take liberties, even violated me through unwanted touching. Still, is that reason enough to drug someone? I need to know what really happened. Leaning back on the bed, I close my eyes to think about what I should do next when I feel the bed shift.

  “Good afternoon, beautiful.”

  “Ian.”

  Concern shades his eyes. “How are you feeling?”

  I smile. “I feel quite good, considering. How do you feel?”

  “I’ve been better. But I am overwhelmed with relief that you’re okay. Ella…”

  “Yes?”

  “Scott will be flying us back to Portland later today. But before I go, I need to deal with Phillips. I don’t want any argument from you; I promise I’ll be careful. I want you to stay here in Daniel’s house and wait for me. Will you do that?”

  “Please let it go for now, Ian. It’s not like we can have him arrested if there’s no proof. I suppose I can go to the hospital and have my blood tested for drugs but even so, it’s still just a matter of his word against mine. And there’s no evidence of any crime. Why prolong the misery?” Before he can even answer, I plunge on. I don’t want to be sidetracked from saying what I want to say to him. Nor do I want to have time to chicken out.

  “Before we get involved in another argument, there’s something I have to say to you, Ian.”

  Worry flits across his face but he manages to compose his face quickly into a b
lank expression as only he can do so quickly and so well. “You have my complete attention.”

  I slide down so my face is level with his, as he is still lying down. Cradling his face in both hands, I peer into his eyes. “I need to tell you something I should have told you a while ago, as soon as I realized it was true.” My heart is smashing against my ribcage, terrified he might reject me when I say the words aloud. Only when I remember how I felt when I thought I might not ever see him again do I also remember my courage.

  “Ian, I love you.” As soon as I say the words I look away; I can’t bring myself to look into his eyes after seeing the initial shock that flashed through them. But I bravely forge ahead, my eyes trained on my hand that’s currently twisting and torturing the bedsheet. “What I mean to say… is that I’ve fallen in love with you. I want to be clear.”

  Silence. I’m still looking down so I have no idea what’s happening with him but I just can’t look up. Suddenly he takes my hand and brings it to his lips. Does that mean he’s not freaking out, or he is and kissing my hand is better than having to say something? The room is so silent but for the rustling of the sheet I’m crumpling with my fist.

  “Ella? Look at me.”

  Finally I drag my eyes up to his: he doesn’t look upset but I can’t be sure. I wait as he gathers his thoughts to speak, my heart continuing the mad beating.

  “I love you, too, Ella. I’m very much in love with you. And I want to take care of you so you never come into harm’s way again. I couldn’t bear anything happening to you. You mean the world to me; you’re the light and the music.” He kisses my hand again and then leans in to kiss my lips. When he deepens the kiss, I whisper against his beautiful, sensuous lips, “I didn’t brush my teeth yet” and he tosses his head back and laughs. What a beautiful sound is Ian Blackmon’s spontaneous laughter and my heart is light again after the darkness of the night.

  I hear a knock at the front door and then Daniel enters the hall. Ian and I are in the kitchen doorway, just off the foyer. For a moment, I’m taken aback for I’d forgotten just how handsome Daniel is. I promptly collect myself for I need to express my gratitude to him but I feel so strange: the man went so far out of his way for me and I don’t know him at all.

  “Daniel,” I begin to say, “I can’t thank you enough for your help last night. I feel ridiculous that it came to that… and frankly I’m still confused as to how it did. Regardless, what you did was extraordinary.”

  The beautiful man smiles at me, his eyes warm for the first time since I met him. “I’m just glad I was able to help. I trust you’re feeling well?”

  I nod. “Very well. Would it be alright if I take a shower?”

  “Of course, please make yourself at home. Everything you need is in the closet in the bathroom.”

  “Okay. Thank you.”

  As I exit the room, I hear Daniel ask Ian if he might speak to him for a moment. I’m conflicted: I want to stay and eavesdrop, but I need to shower and dress and I don’t want to be caught listening. Maybe I can just stay for a few words…

  Daniel begins the conversation. “I have a bit more news, Ian.”

  “Oh?”

  “I sent more men over to Phillips’ apartment today to see what’s up.”

  There’s a silent pause. Then Ian responds. “Really? Daniel, may I ask why you’re going out of your way for us, to such an extent? Forgive me, but you didn’t initially strike me as the selfless type. I hope that doesn’t sound ungrateful for that’s not my intent—I’m just curious.”

  Another pause ensues. They must be sizing each other up. Two enormously powerful alpha males together in the same room makes for fascinating theatre and I wholeheartedly wish I could sidle back in there, unnoticed, to watch the show.

  A throat clears. “No, I suppose selfless is not among the words I’d use to describe myself. Still, I try to live up to the ideal my Olivia sets for me. She’s such a pure soul and I know I don’t deserve her. Before I met her, I lived a sort of bacchanalian existence and I wasn’t a very kind person to others—too absorbed with self-gratification to take stock of those around me. I have much atoning to do to be worthy of my beautiful girl. Consider this a stop on the road.”

  There’s no immediate response from Ian and I really can’t loiter any longer, not safely, so I make my way upstairs, back to the room where we slept to take a shower. I’ll have to put on the same clothes I wore yesterday because my luggage is still at the hotel.

  Chapter 31

  Ian stares at Daniel. “So exactly what did they discover?”

  Rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands, Daniel leans back in his chair, his sleepless night catching up with him. “He’s not acting like an innocent man. For one thing, he’s used the day to pack up much of the apartment. Further, he had a pack of painters in there. Sean Blackwell, one of the two guys with me last night, claims he did see a black room but it looked to be an ordinary bedroom, nothing strange on the walls or anything. Still, it appears that Phillips is planning an extended leave so it might behoove you to pay him a visit before he goes. I can have a security team accompany you. Right now they’re on standby waiting to hear from me.”

  Ian didn’t need any convincing. “Have them meet me in front of the building. I want my hands on that piece of shit.”

  Daniel nods and punches in a number on his phone. “Morell? Is Luna still there with you? Good. Ian Blackmon will be on his way shortly. He’ll meet you outside the building in about twenty.” He looks up at Ian but says nothing. “Very good. Yes, check in with me before you leave the premises.”

  He nods to Ian. “It’s a go.”

  Ian stands in front of the apartment door listening. He hears someone moving about within and nods to Butler’s people: an African-American man named Peter Morell and a woman, small but built like a tank, Luna Stephens. Daniel assured him they were both among the best he had. “Ready?” he asks the two.

  The tall man nods. “Step aside, Mr. Blackmon.”

  Blackmon complies and Morell kicks the door in, Medeco lock and all. The man is a martial arts phenom; it takes only three kicks before the door flies open.

  Ian gapes at the man and smirks. “Why, thanks. Glad you’re on my side.” With that comment, he strides right through the door, coming up on one very startled Lucien Phillips.

  Phillips is dressed all in black: silk shirt, tailored pants, and boots. His blond hair slicked back, he looks every inch the European artiste. Apart from his initial surprise, he appears calm and expectant of the visit. Ian takes a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to put his fist through the man’s face. Keeping his voice light he says, “Going somewhere?” as his eyes take in the suitcases near the door.

  “Yes, as a matter of fact. I’m returning to Paris. I suppose you’re the follow-up act to last night?”

  “Yes, that’s right.” Ian gestures to the two people standing just to his right and a step behind him. “Meet punch and kick.” He leans closer to Lucien’s smug face. “And I’m smear,” he whispers, enunciating the word clearly. “We’re all here to pay you a visit, Monsieur Phillips.”

  Crossing his arms, Lucien sighs dramatically. “Fine. My attorney will be arriving shortly, just for your information. I would very much like to inquire as to Ella’s health but I’m quite sure you won’t oblige me. So in the interests of everyone’s time, get to the point. What do you want?”

  “Apart from a pound of your flesh, you mean? I want answers, fuckhead. Right now. I want to know exactly what happened, minute by minute, after Ella walked through your door. She went to your other place, as I understand it. How did she end up here?”

  “We had our meeting at the loft. I was planning on coming back here afterward—alone—but she started complaining that her head hurt and she felt dizzy and ill. I didn’t want to just leave her so I put her in a cab and took her here. When we got here, I told her to lie down and rest. She did and fell asleep. She was still sleeping when your friends broke in late last night, as
was I.”

  “Mmmhmm. Who sent me the text message from her phone?”

  “I did. Rather than have to explain the long and somewhat convoluted story, I just thought it would be easier for all concerned.”

  “Where’s Ella’s phone?”

  He shrugs casually. “I suppose it’s still at the loft. I really don’t know. I took her shoulder bag with us but if the phone wasn’t in there, I don’t know.”

  “When I tracked the phone, it showed a midtown location, not uptown. Why?”

  “I haven’t the slightest idea. Sorry.”

  “Do you have a black bedroom in this apartment?”

  “Why?”

  “I’ll ask the questions. You’ll answer them. Do you?”

  “Yes, one of the bedrooms was painted black. I had two of the rooms painted white today so it’s not black anymore.”

  “And why would you have them painted today?”

  “Because I’m subletting the place and the tenant asked me to do so before I vacated. She didn’t care for the vibrant colors.”

  “Was Ella in the black room at all?”

  “No.”

  “Was she undressed at any time during her stay here?”

  “No.”

  “Why did you drug her?”

  “I did not.”

  “Was anyone else near her drink?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “What were you planning on doing with her?”

  “Nothing. I was waiting for her to wake up to see how she felt. I checked on her periodically before I went to sleep. She was breathing normally and her temperature felt fine. I saw no reason to call a doctor.”

  Ian steps closer to Phillips, uncomfortably close until the two are nearly nose to nose. “Allow me to make one thing perfectly clear: I don’t believe a word you say, Phillips. You’re a slimy liar. If you ever come near Ella again, I will kill you and throw your body to the alligators, even if it means I have to fly it to the Everglades. You are going to cut a check to Ella for all monies you owe her and you will send it to me. And then Ella and I are going to live the rest of our long, happy lives without ever having to waste another nanosecond on the likes of you. Do you understand?”