Wicked Dirty Games (Dirty Billionaire Series Book 1)

by Gemma Berlanti

  She nodded.

  “Say it,” he ordered, cupping her jaw.

  “I understand.”

  ***

  Killean brushed her hair back, and as he gazed down at her, he felt at peace, as though he had found home at last. In such a short time, she had managed to take his heart.

  He’d always wanted to have the kind of love he heard people talking of, the kind where it consumed you. The kind that his parents had. He had found that love, but it was filled with so much darkness and he felt like he was holding Lila by a thread. All that would change soon, he hoped. It seemed his past was just lurking in the dark, patiently waiting for something good to happen in his life before smashing it to pieces.

  Lila had told him she loved him and there were no doubt in his mind that she meant it. She didn’t strike him as the type of woman who would lie about her feelings. Sure, he was scared—it was the most natural thing to him to choose fear first—but Lila’s words had been spoken with so much conviction, he’d felt his heart react to them.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” she whispered.

  “Everything,” he whispered.

  Her brows puckered as she pondered over his cryptic answer. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to the tip of her nose.

  “Will you stay here with me?” he asked.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Killean.”

  The corners of his mouth curved as he knew she wasn’t speaking only of the present, but of the future, and he couldn’t have been anymore happier.

  ***

  The phone vibrated on the top of the table in the study. Killean recognized the caller ID.

  “Tell me, Doctor,” he said.

  “Mr. Knight, I just called to tell you that Miss Cane has awakened. She’s much stronger now and she’s asking for you, sir.”

  She sighed. “I will be there in half an hour. Thank you.”

  He hung up and moved to the door. He felt guilty. As in this case. He owed it to Marisa to be there. It was his fault that she had gotten caught in the crossfire. He should have taken Russell’s threats seriously. He needed to make it right. Even to the one who had hurt him. He had been honest when he told Lila he wouldn’t resort to criminal measures to take down Russell. If Russell wanted, all they had to do was meet, have a chat, and forgive and move on, but that ship had already sailed when he decided he wanted to take a life.

  He took his jacket and made his way out of the empty apartment. The place always felt empty and cold when Lila wasn’t around to fill it with her warmth and laughter. He ran his hand through his overgrown hair as he contemplated what to do where she was concerned. At least she didn’t refuse to have Michael accompany her to campus this morning.

  Ron was waiting outside the lobby with the car.

  “Good news?” he asked as he opened the car door.

  Killean nodded. “She’s asking for me.”

  They pulled out into the line of cars.

  “Mr. Knight, if you don’t mind me asking, is everything okay with you and Miss Montgomery?”

  “Yes, so far. Why?”

  He cleared his throat. “Miss Montgomery is a good woman, Killean. She’s very genuine and kind. You’ve never found a genuine woman like that. Don’t do anything rash. She’s one of those ride or die…babes.”

  Killean laughed. Ron glanced at him through the mirror with a serious expression. Ron only addressed him by first name when he was concerned about his wellbeing or when he was trying to show him the errors of his way.

  “I know. She’s still a puzzle to me, though, like a good one, very addictive. I can’t put the pieces together.”

  “Ah, you never figure out the good ones. That’s what makes them special.”

  Killean smiled in agreement. Lila understood him in a way no one else had.

  Half an hour later, he arrived at the private hospital. He’d moved Marisa here to ensure her security and better treatment. The nurse at the desk greeted him with a warm smile.

  “Mr. Knight, Dr. Burke is waiting. Let me escort you,” she said politely.

  She rose up from her chair, eager to impress, and led him down the white corridor to an office and pushed the door opened.

  “Doctor, Mr. Knight is here to see you now,” she announced. “You may go in, sir.”

  “Thank you,” he said just for politeness’ sake.

  She gave him another of her smiles and then turned to leave. The doctor rose from his chair and reached out to shake hands.

  “Mr. Knight, good to see you again. Come.” He picked up a chart from his table, then he led Killean to Marisa’s room. She was awake and in bed eating, though her movements were feeble she looked good. She glanced at the men, and her mouth went slack.

  “Marisa, how are you?” Killean said.

  She contained her surprise and continued to eat.

  “Hi, Killean.”

  He took a seat on the stool next to her bed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “A lot better. You?”

  He raised an eyebrow at the question. “I’m fine.”

  She stopped eating and turned to him. There were dark circles under her eyes, and they had lost some of that brightness he remembered seeing in them. The bandage had been removed from her head, but her wrists were still covered. Killean watched the way they just hung as though they would fall off her arm and he could kick himself in the gut. The sickening images of her on the bed bleeding out, hanging on for life haunted him. His stomach felt sick, and he glanced away from her, closing his eyes.

  “You look pale,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Are you still thinking about Russell?”

  Killean clenched his teeth. “Let’s not talk about him, shall we?”

  “Better sooner than later, because I have to.”

  He brought his gaze back to her. “I know.”

  She smiled suddenly. “I’m glad you did this for me, Killean. I’m scared, you know, of him. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”

  On impulse, he reached for her hand. “I do.”

  Her fingers curled around his hand and squeezed, though her grip was weak because she was using her injured hand.

  “I wanted to come see you when I arrived in Manhattan, but I knew you wouldn’t believe me. So I had to get hurt first.”

  Killean’s frown deepened. Her admission left him bewildered. It was the most sickening thing he’d ever heard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Exactly what I said. If I hadn’t been hurt, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation right now.”

  Killean released her hand and weaved his fingers together.

  “I’m sorry for everything, Marisa.”

  She sucked in a deep breath and cursed. “No! You don’t get to say that to me.”

  “This is my fault. If we hadn’t been—”

  “Wesley is just jealous because you were my best fuck. That’s pathetic.”

  “It’s not just about what we did, which was wrong, Marisa.”

  “Well, I’d do it again.”

  “It was a mistake. I was only—”

  “Using me? Yeah, I figured that the next morning when I woke up and found you gone.”

  Killean closed his eyes and sighed. How many times would he screw up his life and the people in it? He felt like a jackass. No one ever fought for him the way Lila did. No one had ever fought for him, period. The feeling was new, and it made him feel unworthy of her love.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  “My girlfriend.”

  “Oh, I spoke to her one morning, the night I came to the penthouse. Your receptionist wouldn’t let me up, though. Such a bitch, that one.”

  Killean stopped breathing. “Victoria was only following my orders. And it’s my fault. I should have listened to you.”

  “I came to warn you—but I didn’t tell her anything that would jeopardize anything. I take it from your expression that she did tell yo
u. I supposed she was looking out for you.”

  Killean recalled the evening when Ron came into his office with the newspaper and told him that Russell had been to Columbia, and he must have found out that Lila was linked to him by the photo. That was why he had gone to the campus. He had taken it lightly then. But now it began to make sense. Lila would do anything for him. Just as she had spoken out to the detectives on his behalf and risked her life to get Russell’s confession on record. He was still mad at her for putting herself in danger.

  She felt she was the only one who had something to be mad about. She’d lied to him about Jasmine shoving her down the stairs, and she hadn’t told him she was going to the party to taunt Russell, who was a reckless criminal, but despite everything he smiled at her bravery.

  “Oh, my. Are you smiling?”

  He glanced up to see Marisa smiling, surprised. His smile faltered.

  “I’ve never seen you smile before, Killean! Do it again!”

  He had to laugh at how adorable she looked, wide eyed and fears forgotten.

  “Ah! Haven’t they told you look much better when you laugh?”

  “Someone special told me once.”

  She picked up her spoon to eat her Jell-O.

  “The food here isn’t bad at all. Though I miss the occasional steak once every month, but it’s good so far. And the fact that no one can get me here.”

  He contemplated telling her about Russell’s plan to finish her off in the hospital, but he didn’t want to spoil her mood. He glanced down at his watch.

  “Are you leaving so soon? Please stay a little while. There’s no one here to talk to other than that extremely handsome doctor who works with Dr. Burke.”

  It was good that at least one woman who had got caught in his web wasn’t still hung up and blinded by her undying love for him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

  “That’s the third time you’ve sighed since you got here, Killean.”

  “Can’t I sigh?”

  She shrugged. “So when will the detectives come? I would like you to be here when they arrive. You should phone them, in fact.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded. “Yes. I can handle them as long as you’re here.”

  “I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  “Thank you.”

  ***

  Killean couldn’t help but scowl as the two impatient detectives walked in. Williams and Spade, if he remembered correctly.

  “Mr. Knight, thank you for calling,” Spade said, always tenacious.

  “Miss Cane informed me that she was ready to tell you what really happened.”

  “Miss Cane, you look well,” Spade said.

  “Not entirely,” she clarified. “I feel better, so if I could just clear the air?”

  “By all means, Miss Cane.”

  “I arrived in Manhattan a few weeks ago, Detectives. I was in the city shopping, actually, and that’s when I spotted Russell Wesley. I started to follow him.”

  “Why would you do that?” Williams asked.

  “Because the last time I saw him, he promised that he would destroy Mr. Knight and me, and I do take threats very seriously. I hired a private detective to follow him, and I found out he was here snooping because Killean had recently become interested in a company in the area. The one that his current girlfriend’s father owns, Ian Montgomery.

  “I just knew the man was up to something, but it was only when he caught me and took me to Killean’s hotel by gunpoint that I realized his intention. He made me call the police to file a report that Killean was holding me hostage and preparing to kill me. I had no choice in the matter, and I did what I was told. After I made the report, he took me away to an apartment that I thought was his and then he…he tried to kill me. He knocked me out cold, and when I came back to consciousness, I was in so much pain and I guess I passed out again. I woke up here.”

  “Miss Cane, are you aware that an unknown assailant was caught sneaking into your hospital room in the middle of the night with a sharp object? I assume that he was coming back to finish you off. That was the same night you were transported here by helicopter.”

  Marisa frowned. “What?” She glanced at Killean questioningly. “Why didn’t you tell me this?”

  Killean pursed his lips. “Do you have any more questions, Detectives?”

  “Why does Mr. Wesley have a vendetta against you, Mr. Knight?”

  “We were business partners once, years ago, and I found out that he was laundering money from the company, so I broke all ties with him, pressed no charges. I wanted both of us to have a clean slate despite what he had done.”

  Spade raised his eyebrow, further irritating Killean. “That’s it?”

  “I was Wesley’s girlfriend at the time when this happened,” Marissa interjected, “and we got close one night. You know what I’m saying, don’t you, Detective?”

  Spade nodded. “I see.”

  “Russell found out, and he was very angry.”

  Spade’s eyes flicked to Killean with distaste. “I imagine he would.”

  “Is that it?” Killean snapped.

  “Miss Cane?” he asked, ignoring Killean’s outburst.

  “There’s nothing else to tell, except that until you find him, I won’t feel safe. He’s a sly man; he knows how to outrun even a cop.”

  Spade grinned condescendingly. “We’ll see about that. He’s an attempted murderer, Miss Cane. He won’t get far, trust me. Thank you for your time. Get well soon.”

  “Thank you, Detective.”

  “Mr. Knight,” he said, his voice crisp.

  “He doesn’t like you very much,” Marisa said after the men left. “You’re intimidating.”

  “I know, though it didn’t seem to have any effect on him. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine now.”

  ***

  Lila met her mom and India at a café in the East Village. She looked ten years younger with her hair in a ponytail and a black maxi dress, shades tucked in her hair.

  India regarded me through narrowed eyes.

  “Lila, you look radiant,” Mom said.

  “Things are going in the right direction between Killean and me.”

  “I’m happy for you. You two make a beautiful couple.”

  Lila could think of a lot of women who would look good on Killean’s arm.

  “I guess. How’s Dad?”

  “Your father wanted to do lunch with us, but he was busy. And today is my day off so I wanted to see you girls. See what’s going on in your lives, romantically too.” She turned to Lila. “Next time I’ll invite Killean. Is he okay?”

  “He’s fine, Mom. No worries.”

  She nodded, but she still wasn’t convinced.

  “Hey, sorry I’m late.”

  Aiden approached with Bianca on his arm. The blue-eyed girl smiled warmly at them.

  “Hey. You never told me he was coming.” Lila shot an accusatory look at both women. “Hey, Bee.”

  She leaned down and hugged Lila.

  “So what are we going to order?” Aiden asked.

  “Oh, God! Aiden, all you ever think about is food.”

  She shoved at his shoulder, and he laughed.

  “So, I hear the margaritas here are good.” Aiden rubbed his palms together, and they laughed.

  After Bianca departed with Lila’s mom and sister, she and Aiden walked around in the East Village with Ron tailing them a few feet behind.

  “Is this what your life has gone to now?” Aiden asked, glancing over his shoulder at Ron.

  “Killean insisted, since there is a madman out on the loose.”

  “A madman who can attack you,” he added.

  Lila glanced nervously over her shoulder, but Ron seemed too pre-occupied observing his surroundings.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “He’s loyal to Killean.”

  “He must be paying him well too.”

  Aiden ran his hand through his slightly messy
hair and sighed. Something was up and she’d missed it earlier when he’d arrived with Bianca. She grabbed his arm and looked up at him.

  “Tell me what’s bugging you just now.”

  He let out a harsh breath through clenched teeth. “It’s Bianca’s dad. You know it’s hard when you’re dating an heiress. Anyone she hooks up with is a potential gold-digger. I don’t care about her money or whatever. I just want the girl. But her dad, the man is a prejudiced, classist ass. I’ve reached my limit about this. I’m one step away from disrespecting him.”

  “Have you spoken to Bianca?”

  “The thing is I don’t want to be the one who breaks up her relationship with her father. I have to think about her feelings.”

  “I understand, but I think you should tell her about it before it gets worse.”

  “I don’t know.”

  “He doesn’t know you, and that doesn’t give him the right to judge. You’re the best thing that could have happened to his daughter and she knows it. Show it to him, make him see it your way.”

  “He wants her with some guy from another wealthy family. Like he doesn’t realize it’s the twenty-first century.”

  “Does Bianca know this?”

  “She does, but she shakes it off as a joke. Her dad puts on a good show for her.”

  “You’re a good guy, A. He’ll soon figure it out.”

  “So I hear your father and Killean are throwing a masquerade ball. What’s the catch?”

  Lila frowned at Aiden. “Catch? What do you mean?”

  “Come on, it’s a party. It attracts the wrong kind of crowds sometimes.”

  Lila nodded as she understood. “You mean Russell. It’s obviously a trap.”

  The ringing of her phone inside her pocket paused their conversation. It was Killean’s mom.

  “Mrs. Knight, how are you?”

  “Enough with the formality. I know things are hectic now, but what do you have planned for Killean’s birthday?”

  Lila came to a halt. “His birthday’s today?”

  “Hmm-mm. He never celebrates it, though. I had to force him every year. I’m not surprised he wouldn’t tell you. My son is hardly sentimental.”