by Tia Siren
“Stay down,” I ordered when Kendall started to climb to the front, a seething lecture on her tongue.
The van pulled out and we took a left turn. Traffic had us stopped right in front of Vanessa’s building. I heard Kendall’s sharp intake of breath and immediately turned in my seat to order her to hide.
“He did it,” she said, barely above a whisper. She was staring out the window.
I followed her gaze and saw two men sitting in a parked car having what appeared to be a heated discussion. I looked closer and recognized one of the men as Scott Adams.
Vanessa scrambled up beside Kendall. “Your dad is talking to Meathead. Hmm, doesn’t that seem peculiar?” she said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
“That’s the guy who hit you?” Kendall asked, her voice strangled.
“He hit you?” I asked, my voice sharp with anger.
Vanessa shrugged. “It was a sissy hit. I’m fine. That’s him all right.”
“Get back. Both of you,” I ordered, not wanting to risk either of the men looking up and seeing their two faces through the window.
“Where to?” Sergio asked.
I looked at the women and then made a decision to do something I’d always said I wouldn’t do. I gave him the address of my townhouse. It was likely Adams was staking out my penthouse as well. If Kendall had tried to talk to him and told him she was with me over the weekend, it wasn’t a big stretch for him to have tracked down my penthouse. The townhouse was a different story since it was in my mother’s name. It was my secret retreat, and I was about to expose it to a woman who hated my guts.
Sergio stopped the van in front of my home. “You good?” he asked.
“I am. Thank you. I’ll send you a check later today.”
He held up a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I owe you.”
“Thanks, Sergio.”
“Where are we?” Kendall asked.
“My house.”
“What? I’ve been to your place. This isn’t it.”
I shook my head. “No, you’ve been to my penthouse. This is my real home.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Ha! I knew you had a secret lair.”
“What?” I asked, completely confused.
“Nothing,” she mumbled.
I jumped out of the front seat, ran around the back, and opened the doors. I rushed the two women up the front walk and opened the door to my home. They both stopped in the entrance, making it impossible for me to walk in behind them.
“Uh, can you go in? I need to close the door,” I said.
“Wow,” Vanessa said, her voice full of awe. “This is stunning.”
I looked around the sterile foyer, still thinking about having the interior redone, and shrugged a shoulder. “Thanks. I’d like to take credit for it, but it was all my designer’s idea. Look, I need to change and get ready for work. I’ll show you to the kitchen and the living room. They’re on the second floor.”
“How many floors is this place?” Vanessa asked.
“Six,” I answered, leading the way up the wide, ornate staircase at the end of the foyer that led up to the second floor.
With them settled in the living room, I quickly headed up to the third floor and changed for work. I had to keep up appearances. I couldn’t afford to have Kendall’s father suspecting I had anything to do with his daughter’s disappearance.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kendall
Wednesday
“Well, girl, as much as I love living in the lap of luxury with you, it’s time I blew this joint,” Vanessa said, a big grin on her face as she walked into my current bedroom in Dylan’s massive townhouse.
“Don’t leave me alone here. I’m going to get lost and no one will find me in this place.”
She laughed. “He should have handed us a map upon arrival. Seriously, he seems like a good guy, Kendall. He didn’t kill us. We’re still alive and, quite frankly, shacking up with a hot guy like him isn’t exactly a chore. I feel like I’ve been at a spa retreat.”
I laughed. “Because you’ve spent most of your time in the basement.”
“It’s not a basement. It’s a joke to even call that little slice of heaven a basement. I am going to get one of those spas in my home as soon as my designs are featured in the hottest fashion shows. Now that I’ve tasted true luxury, I’m spoiled. I thought your dad was rich. This is a whole new level of wealth and opulence.”
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” I asked her.
“What’s weird? That he’s rich? I think that was a given.”
I shook my head. “No. Weird that he lives like this yet is so humble and down-to-earth. This place doesn’t reflect who he is.”
Vanessa shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe he likes the idea of what his money can buy him, like this big fancy house is a necessary part of being wealthy.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “I almost feel sorry for him. This place is gorgeous, but it is a bit—I don’t know—cold?”
Vanessa smiled. “Look at you with your big warm heart. You’re right. It is rather mausoleum-like. Maybe you should apply your woman’s touch and warm it up a bit.”
I laughed. “I’m not going to be here that long. I’ll miss you,” I said, giving her a quick hug.
“You getting yourself on the top ten target list for mobsters is working out rather well for me. First I had my little spa vacation and now I’m headed off to the Hamptons for a little rest and relaxation courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa.”
“You deserve it after what you went through for me. I’m so sorry about your apartment. I’ll make it right as soon as all this is over. I promise.”
She smiled and waved good-bye. I knew she was leaving because she wanted to give me and Dylan a chance to be alone. It really wasn’t necessary, though. I didn’t want to be alone with him. I did believe him now, but things were still a little tense between us. I owed him an apology, and yet I still hadn’t been able to do it. Eating crow was not my thing.
Left alone in the luxurious guest bedroom, done in shades of white and gray, I took stock of my situation. Dylan had promised to stay home today. He was going to be working out of his office on the ground floor. So, it was now or never. I at least had to thank the man for going to such great lengths to keep me safe.
I made my way down from my fourth-floor bedroom suite, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. It still blew my mind that he had an elevator in his house, but six floors would be a lot of stair-climbing in a day. I chuckled thinking about the workout my butt was getting.
I took a deep breath and gently knocked on the closed door of his home office.
“Come in,” he call out.
I opened the door and stepped inside the office that was outfitted with mahogany wood furnishings and light blue tones to lighten the look. It was tastefully done, and unlike the rest of the home, subdued and warm.
“Hi,” I said, speaking to him directly for the first time since Monday morning when he had rescued me.
He closed his laptop, looked up at me, and smiled. “Hi,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling.
I missed those warm blue eyes that had a way of making me feel safe and protected, at least when he wasn’t shooting glares my way.
“I know this is a little late, but I wanted to apologize—for everything,” I blurted out, hoping I didn’t have to list off the litany of grievances I had committed against him.
“It’s okay, Kendall. Really. I know you had a lot being thrown at you. I won’t hold it against you,” he said with a friendly smile.
I walked to one of the leather chairs in front of his desk and sat down. “I’m still struggling to piece it all together. I mean, I had an idea my dad wasn’t the man he said he was, but he was never unkind to me. Looking back, I see some things that were probably warning signs. I chose to ignore them, wanting to believe the best of my dad.”
“It’s understandable. No one wants to believe someone they love could ever hurt them, especially in this crazy, over-
the-top situation. It’s unfathomable, and I’m truly sorry you have to go through this.”
“Thank you.”
“Kendall, I know this is probably something you don’t want to do, but if you could give the police some information, it could help bring this to a close and ensure your own safety.” He said the words in a soft tone, as if that would lessen the blow.
“The police?” I squeaked.
He nodded. “I called in a tip last week. My PI finally got some information that led detectives to the head of the crime syndicate your dad was working with. That man has been arrested, but your dad is on the run. They’re staking out his home and office, but he hasn’t shown up. Do you know where else he might be?”
I grimaced, hating that I had to betray my father. But I knew it was the right thing to do. After all, as long as he was free, I never could be. I would always be looking over my shoulder, wondering if he had hired someone else to hurt me. It was a horrible position to be in.
“He has a couple homes. They aren’t in his name. He has dummy corporations set up and the homes are under those names. There is a house in the Bahamas in my name as well,” I admitted.
Dylan’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “He didn’t want to pay the taxes on the properties or have them traced back to him in case he ever got sued or had to file bankruptcy. The house in the Bahamas was a gift for my twenty-fifth birthday. I’ve only been there once. I never really felt as if it were really mine. He just didn’t want it traced back to him.”
“Does he have offshore accounts?”
I looked down at my hands, unable to look him in the eye. I knew about the accounts, having stumbled across them years ago. I had never admitted to my father that I knew. It was then I had started to realize what kind of man my father was. Greed and money laundering was nothing compared to what I knew about him now.
“Wow. I really underestimated the man. I think I’ve been far too naïve,” he mumbled.
“Got a pen and paper?” I asked, ready to tell him what he needed to pass on to the authorities.
I wrote a list of the three vacation homes I knew about. I had a feeling there were others I wasn’t aware, but I hoped they could find him at one of the addresses I provided. My dad was a sneaky man and knew how to manipulate people. Hell, he’d been manipulating me most of my life and I was just now realizing it.
“Thank you. I know that wasn’t easy,” he said in a gentle voice. “This is for the best. I only want you to be safe,” he reiterated.
“He has to be stopped. I understand you’re doing what you have to. I won’t hold it against you.”
Dylan nodded his head. “Yes, he does, and I understand if you want to be mad at me. I hope you won’t be, but I won’t take it personally if you are,” he said with a smile.
There was a buzzing sound, and it nearly had me jumping out of my seat.
“It’s the front door,” he said. “The housekeeper will get it. I’m sure it’s just Aaron. We had a meeting scheduled. He’s coming here so I don’t have to leave.”
“I’m sorry to have messed up your schedule. I’ll be okay. You don’t have to guard me,” I assured him.
“I want to be here. I will be here, and I will make sure you’re safe,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Thirty seconds later, Aaron walked into the office. I immediately cringed, waiting for the man to give me more dirty looks and make his dislike for me clear.
“Thanks for coming by,” Dylan said, standing and walking around the desk to greet his friend.
I got up from my chair, prepared to make a hasty exit, but Aaron stopped me.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said. “I know we didn’t get off on the best foot, but I’m so glad you’re safe.”
I looked at him, completely shocked he had spoken to me and had actually been nice. “Thank you. I appreciate that, and I am very grateful to Dylan for making such a huge sacrifice for me.”
“It’s not a huge sacrifice. I want to do this,” Dylan quickly interjected.
“Thank you. I was just leaving. I know you two have business to discuss.”
“I’ll check on you in a bit and let you know if any of these places result in his capture,” Dylan said as I walked out of the room.
It hurt my heart a little to know I had given up my father. I had to keep reminding myself it was for his own good. He was a fugitive. If he truly had been involved with that crime syndicate, he deserved to be held accountable. Not to mention what he had done to me or was still trying to do. If it weren’t for Dylan, I could have been killed. I didn’t want to imagine what kind of miserable death I would have suffered if those men had gotten a hold of me.
I made my way back upstairs, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and it was all catching up with me. I needed to close my eyes and rest, just for a little while. I hoped to wake up and discover everything had all been a nightmare. Today had been the first day I’d opened my eyes and immediately known it was not. This was the real thing, and I was living it out with no way to escape.
I climbed onto the sleigh bed and closed my eyes. I had never realized stress could be so physically exhausting.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Dylan
Friday
Kendall insisted I go to work today. I was adamant I wouldn’t leave her, not with her father still out there somewhere. We had come up with a compromise that, surprisingly, had been Aaron’s idea. I knew he hadn’t been fond of Kendall in the beginning, but he had softened toward her. I had a feeling it had a little something to do with the damsel-in-distress syndrome. Aaron wanted to protect her as well, especially once he heard the truth about her father. Now he realized she’d never been the threat he had thought her to be.
“Are you ready?” I asked when she came down the stairs, meeting me in the foyer.
She shrugged. “I suppose. I still don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Your dad is holed up somewhere by now. I don’t think he’s in the city. There’s too much heat. He knows the police are after him,” I said.
She released a long breath. “What about the guys he hired? They could still be waiting for their chance.”
“They don’t work for free. Your father’s assets have been frozen.”
“Not all of them,” she quipped.
I nodded. “True, but I don’t think they’re going to try anything when they know the police are aware of the plot.”
“I don’t think these are the kind of guys who play by any rules.”
“I have security. They’ll follow us into the office and stick around all day. No one is getting to you.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about,” she reminded me for what had to be the hundredth time.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I think you need to accept that I’m not the kind of guy who takes no for an answer. It would save us both a lot of time and frustration if you would just accept that.”
“I am not your paid assistant anymore. You are not my boss, and therefore I don’t take orders from you.” She glared at me as she spoke.
There it was! That spark of fire I’d been missing. I knew I could touch a nerve if I used my dominant side. Her normally warm brown eyes were angry and full of fire. That was what I liked.
I shrugged a shoulder. “Well, we could always talk about hiring you as my assistant again.”
Her mouth dropped open. “As if!”
I laughed, loving the way she was rising to the bait. I watched her walk across the hard marble floor and pick up her giant purse before swinging it over her shoulder. I took a few seconds to appreciate her fine ass, which was beautifully cupped by the tight black skirt she was wearing. I already knew she wouldn’t have on panties. The woman was a real fan of the commando look. I would confess I didn’t mind a bit.
She paused to look over her shoulder, raising one beautifully sculpted e
yebrow when she caught me looking.
I grinned. “I’m never not going to look.”
She shook her head and walked to the door, waiting for me to open it. It was an established rule just in case someone was outside, watching and waiting.
A security guard was waiting on the front stoop and escorted us to the waiting limo. I tried to make small talk with her on the ride to the office, but she wasn’t in the mood. I could see the pain on her face and wished like hell I could make it all go away. I hated that she was suffering and was desperate to make her feel better. Unfortunately, I had no idea how to do that.
When we arrived at the office, she walked with me to my floor but headed to the tiny office that had been hers up until a week ago. I hadn’t replaced her, which meant the office was vacant. She insisted she not go into my office, as she would feel out of place.
Aaron came by about fifteen minutes after we arrived. “How’s it going?” he asked.
I shrugged. “She’s here but miserable. How do I make it better?”
He gave me a knowing smile. “I’m surprised you want to make it better.”
“You’re the one who suggested we return to our normal routine,” I shot back.
He was still smiling. “I know. I wanted you to find that groove the two of you were sharing before everything went to hell.”
“I don’t know if that will ever happen. She can’t be my assistant.”
“Why not?”
“Because she is far more suited to run her own company than to fetch me coffee every morning.”
Aaron shrugged a shoulder. “Give her something to do to keep her busy and her mind off things.”
“Technically, she is set to inherit Adams Enterprises if her dad is locked up.”
“There isn’t going to be an Adams Enterprises,” he pointed out.
I leaned back in my chair. “True. I want to find a way to make her understand I will protect her.”