Jake kept his cool. He’d dated Daniel’s sister for a while and confided in her about the map just after he’d found out about it himself. “She told you about that? Surely you didn’t believe it – it was just a joke.”
Daniel eyed him up suspiciously. “My sister said you seemed pretty serious about it at the time. You used to go on about how you were gonna find your destiny.”
The nylon-suit journalist called over, “Mr. Quinlan… about your adoption?”
“And what about the disappearance of Emma Lawrence?” Another journalist asked.
Jake ignored them and glared at Daniel. “Don’t you have some work to do? Like keeping the press out of my face?”
Daniel boisterously slapped Jake on the shoulder. “I bet you’ve got that map about your person, huh? What if I got a warrant to search you – I’d find it, right?”
“Fuck off.”
“Jake,” Astrid said. “Don’t lose it in front of the journalists…”
He composed himself, not taking his eyes off Daniel. “So how is your sister?”
Daniel rankled. “Just fine. Surely you don’t think she’d still be upset that you broke her heart after all this time?”
Jake glanced at Astrid. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. We just weren’t that compatible after all.”
Daniel scowled. “You left town.”
“I was too young to get married. So was she.”
Daniel folded his arms across his chest. “There’s no chance I would’ve ever let you marry my sister. Not after you killed my –”
Jake’s irritation snapped and he launched himself at Daniel, grabbing the front of his uniform. “Shut your fucking mouth. He was my best friend.”
Daniel shoved Jake – freeing himself from his grip. “He was my little brother.”
The photographers behind started flashing their cameras excitedly at the scuffle, so Astrid quickly intervened. “Excuse me, but if my sister’s gone missing, don’t you think we should be trying to find her. Not standing around fighting each other and reminiscing about what might’ve been?”
Daniel turned to face her, straightening his tie. “You’re right Astrid.” He pulled out his notebook. “So, Jake, apparently you were the last to see Emma – according to Morag. Is that right?”
Jake glanced at Astrid’s mother. “Emma came here last night and tried to… talk to me. It was around midnight. I told her to go home.”
Daniel smirked at Astrid. “Yeah, apparently you were already entertaining her sister.”
“Now look here,” Martin said. “Your job is to find Emma, not to judge Astrid.”
Daniel laughed. “I’m not judging Astrid – she can do whatever she likes with whoever she wants. But I am judging you, Jake. You’re prime suspect number one and I need to ask you some questions. You wanna do this the hard way, or the easy way?”
Jake leaned toward him. “You know I didn’t do anything to Emma. Astrid will confirm I was with her all last night. So I suggest you either arrest me or back the fuck off.”
Daniel took a step away. “I can’t arrest you yet. But I’m sure it’s just a matter of time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a job to do.”
Daniel turned and strode off down the street.
“Yeah,” Jake said, watching him. “What a pity it won’t involve doing any actual police work.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jake and Astrid walked back with her parents to their house, and they all gathered in the kitchen. Sally had been in the middle of making breakfast before they’d left, so they all sat at the table and enjoyed some coffee and pancakes.
Astrid was confused and worried about her sister. It was true they didn’t get on, but it sounded as if she’d genuinely gone missing. How the hell were they going to get her back? Astrid understood why her parents had alerted Daniel to this situation, but he was such a sleaze – she wondered whether he’d be much help at all. Really, they needed the national law enforcement involved… the CIA or the FBI. But how did you even go about contacting those types of people?
“So you don’t think she’s run away?” Astrid asked, sipping her coffee. “Not that you can actually run away when you’re nineteen.”
Martin sliced his pancakes. “Look, we didn’t want to say anything in front of Daniel or those journalists, but we had a call from a man saying Emma was with him, and if we wanted to see her again, we should wait for him to call back and follow his instructions. We hoped Jake might be able to help.”
“Sounds like a kidnapping,” Jake said. “Sure, I’ll do all I can. I’d better get rid of those journalists first somehow. Maybe I’ll call Joseph and ask him if there’s anything he wants me to say to them. Hopefully the headlines tomorrow won’t link me with Emma’s disappearance. Joseph doesn’t need that kind of negative publicity.”
Astrid smiled. It was so sweet it was that Jake was more concerned with Joseph’s public image than his own reputation.
“Jake, we know you didn’t do anything to Emma,” Martin said. “I just want you to know that.”
“Thanks, Martin.”
Sally rested down her knife and fork. “And we certainly don’t trust Daniel – never have. The way you figured out what Emma had done yesterday was impressive. We hoped perhaps you could help get to the bottom of this too.”
“Well, okay, let’s start right here... Do you have any idea who could’ve kidnaped her?”
“We can’t think straight,” Sally said. “We don’t have any money, so it doesn’t make sense why anyone would do this.”
Astrid’s phone rang in her purse. She grabbed it. “It’s probably my supervisor. I need to send my report on Graves today… Hello?”
The voice was croaky and deep, sending shivers down her spine. “Astrid Lawrence?”
“Yes?”
“Your sister’s with me…”
Astrid’s heart lurched with terror. She quickly put the call on speakerphone. “Where is she? Don’t you hurt her!”
The voice remained level and calm. “If you ever want to see your sister again, meet me in the parking lot of The Marquee Club in NYC at nine o’clock tonight. Come alone. No cops, just you. Understand.”
She gazed at Jake, who nodded. “I understand,” she said. “But who are you? What do you want?”
“Come at nine tonight and you’ll find out.”
Astrid opened her mouth to ask for more information, but the line went dead. She stared at the phone, then into the faces of her worried parents.
“Can we trace the call, Jake?” Sally asked.
Jake was as super-cool as ever. “Possibly. I’ve got a few friends in the telecoms industry who might be able to help. But if that guy’s got any sense, he would’ve called from a phone booth – which won’t tell us much other than his general location.”
Astrid gazed at her phone. “I guess I’ll have to go meet him. Give him whatever it is he wants in exchange for my sister.”
“No,” Jake said. “That was a bait call, Astrid. He’s trying to goad you into meeting him – then who knows what he might be planning. I’ll go instead.”
Astrid suddenly felt useless, out of control. “I’m coming with you.”
“No you’re not – there’s no way.”
“Don’t tell me what to do. This is my little sister we’re talking about. I’m coming.”
Martin tried to placate her. “Astrid, I really don’t think –”
“I don’t care what you think. The caller specifically said he wants me to come. If he wants me to be the bait, I will. But if you go there, Jake, guns blazing without me, it might actually put my sister in danger.”
Jake watched her with his big brown eyes. “I’ve dealt with this sort of thing many times before, Astrid. I don’t want you getting hurt. I might not be able to protect you.”
A stab of dread spiraled through her, but a wave of inner-strength crashed through her fear, giving her a renewed confidence, driven by sisterly love. “Well… I’m going to The Marquee Club
this evening whether you like it or not. My mind’s made up. I’ll be there to make contact with the kidnapper as per his instructions, and you can be there for back-up. I’ll do all the initial talking, then you can charge in and save the day.”
Jake gazed at her in silence. Astrid held his eye contact, unable to believe she’d spoken to him like that. So assertively. He’d helped to awaken a new Astrid, and now it was time to find out what she was capable of.
“I’m really not interested in saving the day,” Jake said. “Just in getting your sister back.” He glanced at Sally, then back at Astrid. “Look, sweetheart, it might be dangerous. And it’ll be crowded at the venue. You hate crowds.”
Astrid sat up tall. “Well, then, perhaps it’s time I learned to like them. You tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it.”
He pushed back his chair and stood up. “All right, you win. Come with me.”
She stood too. “Where are we going?”
“Out back.” He glanced at Sally. “Is it okay if use your backyard, ma’am?”
Sally nodded slowly. “Sure…”
****
Astrid quickly showered and dressed – finding some clothes in her old bedroom – then she joined Jake in the backyard. She’d always loved it out here. The backyard was actually a huge field surrounded by a dilapidated fence, which backed on to a sprawling woodland. Astrid and Emma had grown up running around freely and enjoying the wide open space here. Perhaps that’s why she so hated confined places now…
It was sunny today, and Jake halted in front of her – pulling her close, kissing her gently on the lips. “I’ve got something long and hard for you, which I’m going to put in your hand, all right?”
Lust rushed through her. She knew her parents couldn’t see them from the house, but she was still nervous about doing anything sexual with him out here. She stepped away. “Don’t you think we should focus on getting my sister back?”
“Absolutely,” he said, grinning. “You ever used a gun before?”
“Of course not, I’m an office clerk.”
“Well, if you insist on coming with me tonight, let me show you, okay.”
He pulled out his gun. Nerves rippled through her chest at the thought of firing it. “I’m not carrying a gun.”
“No. But I want to show you how to use it. Just in case.” He wandered over to the far end of the field, then picked up a discarded paint pot and propped it up on the fence.
She followed, feeling quite excited about the prospect of shooting the target. She’d never done anything like it, and it seemed subversive and empowering.
“We’ll just try to hit the paint pot, okay,” he said.
“All right.”
He stepped behind her and wrapped her in his arms. Arousal pounded hard between her thighs, and she tried to get a grip, but he was so dominating and commanding.
“You hold it like this.”
He placed the gun in her hands and wrapped his own hands around hers. Then he kissed her on the cheek.
She chuckled nervously. “Don’t distract me.”
“Well, you never know what distractions you might face in a conflict situation – I’m just preparing you.”
“I doubt the enemy will try and kiss me.”
“I dunno, you’re pretty kissable.”
She smirked. “Just show me what to do.”
“Okay… wrap this hand around here – that’s it. And now the other hand here, so you can rest your index finger on the trigger. And then you need to take aim at the target….” He pressed his strong thighs tightly against hers from behind. “Jesus you’re hot…”
She laughed, relaxing a little. “I’m definitely getting warmer.”
“Okay, now press both feet firmly on the ground – a lot of this is about your posture. Lean your weight back into your heels.”
She leaned back and felt his glorious cock rubbing against her ass. A wave of lust took her breath away, but she forced herself to remain calm.
“Okay?” he asked.
“Absolutely fine.”
He let go of her hands and stepped back slightly. “Fire whenever you’re ready.”
She focused all her attention on the paint pot, pretending it was the bastard who’d kidnapped her sister. Then, drawing on all her anger and passion, she squeezed the trigger. The gun fired loudly and the paint pot flew off the fence – as Astrid flew backwards and landed in Jake’s arms. She burst into laughter.
He helped her stand straight and she glanced at the paint pot – which was now on the grass. “Oh my god, I hit it!”
He took the gun out of her hand. “Good shot…”
“Thanks, not bad for a first attempt, huh?”
“You did good. We can have another couple of practice shots, then…” He grinned devilishly. “There was something in your room I noticed yesterday that I wanted to take a closer look at – okay if we go up?”
She gazed into his gorgeous eyes. “Just what is it you want to inspect more closely in my room?”
He pulled her close and kissed her hard. “You, sweetheart. And your bed…”
Chapter Sixteen
It was strange being back in her childhood bedroom. Astrid had checked that her parents had gone out before bringing Jake up – making her feel like a naughty teenager. The room was still in a mess after Emma’s ransack two nights ago, and – to try to distract herself from what she was actually here to do with Jake – Astrid picked up a wooden chair off the floor and positioned it in front of her vanity table, then she started to pick up the clothes from the floor that Emma had tipped out of the drawers. She could feel Jake behind her, watching.
“We’ll clear up later, sweetheart,” he said. “Let’s make a mess of the bedcovers first.”
She turned and smiled shyly at him. He threw her a cocky grin and beckoned her with his finger. She slunk over to join him and they kissed. There was something contagious about Jake and his powerful confidence that infected Astrid as he eased his tongue into her mouth and kissed her passionately. She’d been strangely empowered by the gun lesson. Obviously she hoped she’d never need to use a weapon like that, but just firing it had been fun and thrilling.
Just being near Jake – and enjoying the attention he bestowed upon her – was boosting her confidence and self-belief. Jake was showing her how much fun life could be. Sex was fun too, she realized now. He was brave and cool, and she wanted not only to be with him, but to be like him too.
As the kiss grew in intensity, Jake leaned heavily into her, making her feel dominated. But she suddenly wanted to take the lead.
She pulled away and gazed at him with a straight face. “Sit down on the bed. I’ve got something for you.”
He frowned inquisitively. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“Sit down and I’ll show you.”
“All right.” He sat on the edge of the bed, not taking his eyes off her. “I hope it’s your tight smooth little body. I can’t wait to be fucking you into a frenzy once again.”
“Oh really? Well, this time I get to say when that happens…”
He smiled, impressed. “Sounds good.”
He watched her, waiting to be entertained. She hesitated for a moment, suddenly unsure of herself, but then she remembered what her therapist had once told her. Fake it ‘til you make it. Obviously the context had been different, but the phrase was apt here. Astrid closed her eyes and pictured the sexiest stripper she could think of, then she allowed the image to possess her – to be her. Suddenly she wasn’t Astrid Lawrence – health-and-safety officer. She was Mistress Astrid – striptease artist and lap-dancer extraordinaire. She grinned with the thrill of it. This was like being a child again, remembering how to play. But in a much more adult situation.
She opened her eyes and realized Jake was still watching and waiting. She turned and grabbed her phone to find a song with a slow sensuous beat – inciting her inner-vixen. Then she stood tall and stepped close to where he was sitting – staying far enough away
so he could look but not touch.
Feeling his gaze sink into her body, she reached up and brushed her fingertips over her neck and collarbone, dropping her head back slightly and setting her face into a sultry expression. She glanced at him and tugged the hem of her shirt, lifting it to reveal her stomach as she ground and swayed her hips from side-to-side, then she moved her hands smoothly and lightly – touching herself in a way that felt good, and hopefully looked hot.
Moving in time with the alluring music, she undid the buttons of her shirt, slowly teasing each one open – making Jake stare, captivated – then she pulled her shirt back over her shoulders and reached up to run her fingers through her long hair. She posed like that for a moment, still swaying her hips. Pride soared through her sexually-charged body as she watched Jake frozen with his mouth open – clearly enjoying this visual foreplay.
She had him in the palm of her hand, and it felt fantastic.
“Jesus…” he whispered.
She gazed powerfully into his eyes as a wave of lust pulsed through her. He grinned as she removed her shirt completely and threw it at him. He caught it, then wrung the cotton material in his hands, clearly frustrated at not being able to join in.
“For your eyes only…” she purred.
Astrid pulled her skirt up to her ass, then turned around and swayed it temptingly in front of him. She glanced over her shoulder and winked, which made him chuckle with an impressed smile. Bending at the waist, she stuck her ass in the air, and ran her fingers down her leg to grab her ankle. Thankfully, her daily yoga routine had made her flexible, and she was very grateful for it now. This pose made her feel strong and in control. She knew she possessed his complete and utter attention…
She stood straight again and turned to face him, slowly removing her bra, and arching her back, emphasizing her feminine curves.
“Like it?” she asked, reaching up to fondle her breasts – making him desperate to touch her.
“Hell yeah.”
She strutted toward him – topless in her skirt and panties – and bent at the waist, leaning over him. He reached out for her and tried to kiss her on the lips, but she pulled away at the last second and chuckled. He laughed too, groaning with frustration.
The Billionaire's Secret: Billionaire Obsession (Tycoon Billionaires Book 5) Page 11