by Annie Seaton
‘I own the company he works for, Drusilla. And he is very fortunate to still have his position there. As you well know.’
Dru’s mind was racing. If he tried anything, she’d scream blue murder.
Or faint.
Or vomit on the floor.
Anything to make a scene and get someone’s attention. She looked past Zayed to the door.
‘You look stunning tonight, my dear.’ His breath caressed her cheek.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she fought desperately for calm and steeled her voice. ‘I wasn’t aware you had been invited to the wedding, Zayed.’ Finally she found the courage to look up. His dark eyes bored into hers.
She’d been wrong. All that thinking she’d done under the moonlit sky in the Bungle Bungles, all that time she’d spent convincing herself she was imagining the danger and seeing shadows where there were none. All that time spent looking over her shoulder, even in the wilds of the Kimberley; deep down she had known Zayed would never give up.
How bloody stupid she’d been to come back.
‘Sadly, I wasn’t invited.’ His voice was smooth.
‘So,’ she said, injecting a lightness into her voice that was far removed from the heaviness that was settling into her limbs. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I heard about the wedding, so I took the opportunity to come and give them my sincere congratulations personally,’ he said. As usual, his speech showed his British public school upbringing. ‘A friend of yours told me you were in Dubai. I’ve missed you so much, Drusilla.’
What friend?
‘I know you came all this way to celebrate so I gave you some time to enjoy yourself at your friends’ nuptials.’ The lilt in his accent made his words sound even more formal. ‘Although you did look miserable in there. You were missing my company perhaps?’
Her voice came out in a croak. ‘It was quite hot inside.’
‘I am very pleased you decided to come back to me.’ Zayed ran his fingers across her cheek and a stray lock of hair fell onto her forehead. Dru’s hand was shaking as she reached up to brush the hair from her eyes. Zayed shook his head and reached for her again but she edged back before he could touch her.
‘Oh, no, no, no, my fearsome Amazon.’ The hard railing at the edge of the terrace cut into Dru’s bare skin as she took another step back. She clenched her teeth together, biting back on the fear that coursed through her veins. Meg had neglected to mention that the pantsuit had a plunging backline that was barely decent. Luckily the Dubai hotel catered for Western guests and turned a blind eye to inappropriate dress. Zayed leaned over her and held her shoulders, gradually pushing her further against the railing. His body pressed against hers and the railing cut into her lower back until the pain was unbearable. Dru looked down; the gardens were two levels down and her head spun.
‘You thought you were very clever leaving me that day.’ His voice was low and caressing but the threat was there. ‘And you have been very hard to find. But I knew you would come back to me. I just had to wait for the right time, didn’t I, my little dove?’
He was crazy.
How had she ever fallen for Zayed’s charm? The handsome, charismatic man who had introduced her to the social scene in Dubai had been a fine actor. And stupidly she had fallen for his flattery. Thank goodness he had never succeeded in getting her into his bed.
‘You are a woman. A woman from the West, and it appears you have their greedy ways. Have you spent all of the money I gave you so soon?’ This time his voice was harsh, and any hint of gentleness had gone. ‘Do you want more? I kept our apartment. If you want more of that money, you will come back to me.’
‘I don’t want any more money. What you paid me was only what I was entitled to under the terms of my contract.’ She shook her head. ‘I have only come back for Megan and Sam’s wedding. That’s all.’ Dru knew her voice was getting desperate and she looked across at the door.
‘Pfft. You wanted to see me. I know.’ He gripped her shoulders and pulled her closer to him, his voice soft.
Fear held Dru rigid as Zayed dropped one hand from her shoulder and caressed her neck, and then trailed his fingers down to the V of her silk suit. She drew in a sharp breath as his fingers squeezed her breast and tears filled her eyes from the pain.
‘I knew you would come back to me if I was patient.’ He lowered his head and his lips pressed against her shoulder. ‘I told you, you are mine. No one else will have you.’
‘No!’ Dru looked around wildly and tried to pull away. They were still alone on the terrace and the music coming from the restaurant was loud; no one would hear her if she screamed for help. ‘I have to go back inside. Megan will be throwing the bouquet soon and I have to be there. I’m the bridesmaid.’
‘No. You will come with me now.’ He held her firmly with one hand and jerked his head to the left. A tall man in Arab dress appeared out of the shadows at the end of the wall. Dru’s heart almost stopped beating. There was a door recessed in the brickwork that she hadn’t noticed before. They wouldn’t be going back through the restaurant. She had no chance of escaping him.
‘No one else will have what is mine. No one.’
Dru tried to pull away. ‘You’re hurting me.’ He was holding her so tightly she would bruise.
‘Najeeb, take her down to the car. I’ll meet you there.’ Zayed looked away from her to the swarthy man who was approaching them.
Her leg muscles tightened as the flight reflex took over. It was now or never. With a fierce effort Dru pulled away from his grip and rushed across the terrace towards the doorway. But before she got there, another tall figure stepped out and a firm hand snaked around her waist. Images of what would happen if she crossed Zayed flashed through her mind. He was ruthless. All she could see was her father hanging in the shed.
Her ears buzzed and her head spun as fear spiralled through her. Dark spots clouded her vision and her heart thundered in her chest. She looked back at Zayed and saw his dark eyes gleaming malevolently in the low light shed by the fairy lights.
He stepped towards her.
*
‘Hello, sweetheart. I’ve been waiting for you in the foyer for ages. You did say to pick you up at ten o’clock?’ Connor held Dru firmly and stepped back towards the door, pulling her along with him. He held his body tense and kept his attention firmly fixed on the two men on the other side of the terrace. The taller one, who he had recognised as Zayed Al Tayer, gave a brief hand signal and the short man slunk away into the shadows. It looked like they meant business.
Dru was letting out short distressed sounds. Eyes wide and with no colour in her cheeks, her breath was coming in rasps. Her body was rigid but her chin was trembling. She was trying to speak but could only manage a shaking sob. The abject terror in her eyes slammed into him. No matter what he thought she was guilty of, he’d seen the nasty side of Al Tayer.
He gathered her closer into his side; an unfamiliar protective instinct kicking in. He dropped his head and brushed his lips against her forehead as he stared at Al Tayer. ‘Play along with me,’ he whispered.
Finally, she managed to speak and her voice trembled. ‘I’m sorry. I lost track of the time . . . darling.’
The confident Dru Porter who he knew from Matsu had disappeared and been replaced by a woman who was scared senseless.
Connor had been watching her through the window of the bar since the wedding began. He had been biding his time, waiting for Dru to hand over a package to Al Tayer. But their interaction on the terrace had been nothing like what he expected. Something had obviously interrupted their deal. When Al Tayer had pushed her against the railing, he had seen Dru’s distress escalate and had moved closer to the door. He’d been about to intervene when Dru had made a run for it.
‘You owe me a dance,’ he said in a loud voice as he steered her inside. Her body was shaking and he could smell the fear coming from her. ‘Do you want your friend to have a drink with us?’ He looked over his shoulder. Al Tayer had followed
them to the door and he stared at Connor, his lip curled in a sneer.
Dru shook her head. ‘No. We’ve caught up. Goodbye, Zayed. It was . . . good to see you again.’
‘Remember what I said, Drusilla. No one else.’ His voice was vicious and he called after them as they went back inside. ‘And Mr Kirk, remember what I said to you earlier.’
As they stepped into the restaurant, music and voices surrounded them as the guests moved as one towards the dance floor.
‘It’s time to farewell our lovely couple.’ The MC’s voice boomed over the microphone.
Connor pushed Dru in front of him, his hand gentle on her back. ‘Straight to the door. Quickly.’
‘I need to tell Megan where I’m going.’
‘No.’ Connor guided her along to the door as she looked back over her shoulder. ‘We need to get out of here quick smart. There were more than the two of them on the terrace. You can tell me what went wrong when we get upstairs.’
Dru didn’t answer and he stepped in front of her and pulled her along behind him, holding her hand firmly in his. The long marble corridor that led to the main entrance of the function room was deserted but Connor turned to the left and headed towards the other restaurants. He’d sussed the building out earlier in case he needed to disappear quickly and his gut feeling had been spot-on. There was a lift at the back of the Ossiano bar that led up to the hotel rooms.
The corridor was roped off at the end and the security guard put his hand out to stop them. ‘Please to go around to the main entrance and use the main elevators.’ His voice was heavily accented.
Connor pulled his room key from his pocket with a worried smile. ‘My wife is feeling ill and we need to get back to our room quickly.’ He held the key up. ‘We’re in this wing. May we use that elevator?’ He gestured over to the bank of elevators behind the guard, nodding at Dru as she put her hand over her mouth.
‘Ergh, I’m going to be sick.’
‘Quickly then, please. Follow me.’ The guard dropped the tasselled rope and led them to the elevator. ‘Fifth floor?’ He looked at the key.
‘Yes, please. Come on darling, you’ll be fine.’ Connor smiled at the guard. ‘Appreciate it. Thank you.’
The elevator pinged and he led Dru into it. The security guard pushed the button for the fifth floor.
‘Thank you,’ Connor said as the man stepped back and the doors slid closed silently. He let go of Dru and to his surprise, she leaned against the mirrored wall before sliding down to a sitting position.
Her hand was over her mouth. ‘I really am going to be sick.’
‘Hold it in. We’re almost there.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Her whisper was harsh. She shuddered as great heaving gasps shook her body, and she lifted wide eyes to Connor. She stared at him without speaking again as her hand trembled. The doors opened with a soft ping at the fifth floor and he helped her to her feet, taking her arm and leading her to his room. He held her firmly beside him with his left arm as he put the key on the door.
‘I’m not going in there.’ Her voice was low and she tried to tug away from his hold. ‘My room is up the corridor.’ She tried to pull away.
‘Your room is on the next floor.’
She stared at him mutely.
‘And from what I observed on the terrace, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was someone knocking at your door very shortly. Or they might be in there already.’ Connor pushed the door open. ‘Come on. You’ll be safer in here.’
Dru took a deep shuddering breath and stepped inside ahead of Connor. He followed her and the door closed behind him quietly. By the time he had lifted the security bar and slid it across, she’d disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
He strode over to the window and drew the drapes closed, then he crossed to the sofa and sat checking his messages, waiting for Dru to come out.
After a while, he heard the sound of water running. A few minutes later, the double doors to the bathroom opened slowly and she stepped out. Some colour had come back into her cheeks and she seemed more composed.
‘Sit down,’ he said.
She shook her head and looked at the phone in his hand. ‘Did you call Zayed and tell him I was up here?’
‘Now why would I do that?’ Connor put his phone on the table and stood. He crossed to the glossy black cupboard and opened the door to the mini-bar. ‘Do you want a drink?’ He lifted up a small bottle of brandy.’ You look like you could do with one.’
‘I don’t drink spirits.’
‘Okay. A hot drink?’
Dru pushed away from the wall and edged around him towards the door. Her face was white and her eyes were wide. Connor stepped out and stood in front of her. ‘Oh no. Not so fast, Dru. I’ve got some questions for you. You’re not going anywhere.’
‘Leave me alone.’ Her voice was shrill. She shoved at him with both her hands.
Connor reached up and grabbed her wrists firmly. He was surprised by her strength as she twisted from his hold. Her right shoulder dropped as she lifted her knee but he saw it coming and stepped back.
‘Oh no you don’t. We’re not going to play rough.’ He lifted his hands to her shoulders and steered her firmly to the chair in the corner near the window. ‘That’s not the way I operate, unlike your boyfriend.’ He pushed her down into the chair gently.
‘My boyfriend? The way you operate?’ She spat the words at him as she grabbed the sides of the chair. ‘I’m not interested in how you operate. This whole safety officer thing? Why did Zayed set up such an elaborate cover? And why did you follow me all the way here? It would have been easier to grab me in Kununurra.’ She dropped her head into her hands and her voice was muffled. ‘Although I suppose it’s easier if I’m already here. So, are you taking me to the apartment?’
‘What apartment?’ Connor looked at her curiously. ‘And why would Al Tayer hire me?’
‘To bring me back here, of course.’ Her voice hitched on a sob. ‘I should have known better. I’ll scream blue murder the instant you take me out of this room. Someone will hear. Just open the door and let me go.’ Her eyes were wet with tears and her head was moving from side to side as she looked around his suite. ‘Please?’
Connor shook his head. ‘You’re learning the hard way that crime never pays, aren’t you, sweetheart? You play in the big league and you’ll always get caught out . . . or worse.’
‘Crime? What the hell are you talking about?’ Her eyes welled and she bit her lip and Connor tried to ignore that blasted flash of sympathy that kept surfacing. He stood and crossed to the cupboard, keeping an eye on her in case she tried to make a break for it.
‘And don’t call me sweetheart!’ she hissed.
‘Where are the diamonds?’ he asked casually as he plugged in the electric kettle.
‘Diamonds?’ Her voice was high-pitched. ‘What diamonds?’
Connor ignored her and held up a coffee bag. ‘Coffee or tea?’
‘Nothing.’
‘Whatever.’ He shrugged. ‘It’s going to be a long night. We’re going to have a chat and then we’re going to go to the airport. After I call Australia. John Robinson can decide when he wants the police involved.’
‘What? What the bloody hell are you on about?’ The blood had come back into her face and two spots of colour sat high on her cheeks. ‘You’re crazy.’ She leaned back in the chair and tipped her head forward with one hand over her eyes.
All remained quiet as Connor made two coffees, and stirred two sugars into hers. He flicked a curious glance at Dru as he crossed to the chair beside hers and put the mug on the small coffee table. ‘So, we can do this one of two ways. You can tell me the truth straight up, or we can sit here all night. I won’t give up.’
Her eyes narrowed and her lips were set in a straight line. ‘I have no idea what you are talking about.’
‘There’s no point denying it, Dru. The evidence is stacked up against you.’ He lifted his mug and stared at
her over the rim of the cup. ‘Where are the diamonds?’
She sat up straight in the chair. ‘What diamonds? What evidence? What the fuck are you talking about?’
Chapter 27
Dru swallowed. She had to get out of Connor’s room. Her muscles were screaming with tension and her pulse was racing. Why on earth had she ever come back to Dubai? She’d been kidding herself that she’d been overreacting. As soon as Zayed had appeared on the terrace she’d known she was in trouble. Big trouble.
What she couldn’t get her head around was Connor being here and that he kept asking her about diamonds. She stared at him and he held her gaze without blinking. The light was behind him and the angles of his jaw were shadowed. Her stomach clenched as her thoughts kept circling back to Zayed. He wouldn’t give up. If she got out of this room, where would she go? She couldn’t get Sam and Megan to help; it was their wedding night for Christ’s sake.
‘Well, are you going to do it the easy way? Or are we going to be here all night?’ Connor put his hand up to his face and rubbed it across his chin.
She’d humour him while she figured out what to do.
‘Okay. But please tell me honestly. I need to know what’s going on here. I don’t understand.’
‘You and me both.’ Connor’s voice was deep and steady.
Dru looked around the room as her mind raced. ‘Why are you here? What were you doing at the wedding?’
‘I’ve already told you. I’m looking for the diamonds.’
‘What bloody diamonds? I have no idea what you’re talking about.’ Dru’s thoughts were going round and round in her head and the confusion was making her head spin. She took another deep, gulping breath.
‘If you keep breathing like that you’ll hyperventilate. Calm down.’ Connor put his coffee cup on the table and dropped his hands between his knees. Dru watched him carefully, ready to jump up if he made a move towards her.
‘The only thing I haven’t figured out is how you’re getting them off site,’ he said in a slow drawl. ‘You’ve got me beaten there. I’ve watched you go through the body scanner and I know your bags were X-rayed. And your car was searched each time. Tell me. Is Rocky Cardella taking them out the back way for you?’