Stolen Wife

by Carina Blake

  “Thanks.”

  She walks to a nearby cooler and brings me a bottle. “Thank you.”

  I burst through the doors, hoping to catch them talking while I leave Joey outside of the conference room to watch the comings and goings of those in the office. My sudden release and arrival has probably taken them all by surprise. Most of them don’t know if they’ll have a job tomorrow. That’s not my intention at all. I want my company to operate as it always has.

  “Hello, I’m back,” I cheer as all heads turn to me. Suddenly everyone stands up but one.

  “Just in time,” Glen Denton says, barely disguising his disappointment as he sits on his ass. I’ve always hated this fucker, but he’d been on the board before I took over this company. It takes a lot to get one of them kicked off, but I have an ace up my sleeve and I’m about to play it.

  “Yes, I’m sure that you’re glad I’m back, Denton. Now, everyone, sit. I don’t have a lot of time. My life has gotten remarkably busy.” I wait for everyone to take their seat before making my way over to my seat at the head of the table. Undoing my jacket button, I sit comfortably as if nothing has changed in two years. “I’m still the controlling owner, and I plan to implement some ground rules. My assistant, Martin Giuseppe, has created a draft handbook. I have to go over the details with the company lawyer, who will be meeting me tomorrow to do all of this. Please read these over. As the board, I’m giving you some options. I have appreciated that some of you have believed in my innocence.”

  “Some of us think you belong in prison.”

  “Well, then, you can resign from the board because you’re a liability to my company. It was proven that I was not only wrongly convicted, but the real killer had been caught.” Is he stupid enough to continue talking shit?

  “Yeah, but that’s just one of the many bodies you could be tied to.” He’s stupider than he looks.

  “Really, Denton, please inform everyone of the information you have that I don’t have.” I’m going to bury this bastard one way or another. Financially seems like the best way for this sick fuck.

  “Everyone knows who you’re related to.” I roll my eyes and check my watch. I don’t have time for this, so I’m going to just toss him a little parting gift.

  “Yes, but not everyone knows you’re related to a child molester, do they?” Denton turns white as a ghost. “Yes, I know about him. I also know that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. You learn a lot of things in prison that you didn’t have access to as a free man. I expect your resignation by the end of the day.” The authorities have already been given the information and are keeping tabs on him right now. I’ve made a charitable contribution to an agency that deals with the victims of sick fucks like Denton. That’s the extent of my involvement, though. I’m just trying to get my life back.

  Denton stands up without looking at anyone but me. “You’ll pay for this, Marchetti.”

  “I already have. Two long years. Trust me when I say that I’m done playing fair. Get out of my building before I have you arrested.”

  He storms out. Then I address the rest of the five members of the board and the two that are listening in. “Anyone else have a problem with me?”

  A cacophony of “nos” go around the room. “That’s what I thought. Now, let’s get down to business.”

  I got a lot of reading done while in prison. Since I still owned the company and it couldn’t be taken from me without giving me millions, I received all the materials for the meetings, copies of the contracts. I may not have had my freedom, but I had access to everything to make shit happen. Thankfully, I was smart enough to put a clause in there regarding imprisonment. With everything my family is involved in, I couldn’t be too careful. My company staying afloat was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind in that small cell.

  “Okay, so I see that the cost of timber has gone up with the brush fires that swept California this year. I suppose it was expected. What are your thoughts? Price increase or decrease in manufacturing.” I own a multibillion-dollar legal timber mills and iron ore mining company. One of my professors in college hooked me up with a friend of his in Africa who helped me get started. When he died, he left everything to me with the hopes that I would expand and donate as well. I kept my promises on both ends, and now it’s time to assess the company’s direction and make the necessary changes to keep us relevant and competitive while maintaining best business practices.

  The meeting lasts two hours. As that’s happening, I check on my brother’s location. He’s in the Bronx with his mistress, or at least that’s what I believe. I don’t want to go home and find him in bed with Giada or I might slit his throat on the spot and forget my plot for revenge.

  “Thank you all for taking the time to meet with me. I’m glad to be back and I’m ready to continue to make the company a success.” While I stuff everything back into my case, I put a monitoring device underneath the table. My plan is clear. I want to hear everything going on in and around my business. At this point, I trust no one. I go into my office and slip on a pair of gloves to avoid leaving my own trace as I set up three hidden cameras in the office with both voice and audio. It takes me twenty minutes to go through my things and organize them the way I like. My office has recently been cleaned and aired out, but when I was first arrested, my office was ransacked and my personal belongings seized. Fucking Feds. I leave after grabbing a few things I need. After the weekend, I’ll know a lot about who I can trust and who I can’t.

  As I open the door, I pull off the gloves and tuck them into my pocket. Joey’s waiting on the other side, leaning against the wall facing my door.

  “Ready?” he asks, tilting his head toward the elevator.

  “Yes. Let’s go,” I say before addressing Karen again. “I’ll be back on Monday.” I don’t have to do anything else in the office until then, especially because I’m betting someone sneaks into my office by the end of the day.

  “Did you monitor the car?”

  “Yes. No one has gone near it.” We have cameras all around the building, and I made sure to watch for a slick play by anyone. I’ve never felt so damn paranoid before, but things have changed and they’re going to get a lot worse before they get better.

  “Great.” As soon as we’re in the car, I reveal our plans. “I’ve already gathered the team you want. We don’t kill anyone. I want to be in and out with her. The cameras need to be down and the men out cold. The rest I can handle on my own.

  IT’S WELL INTO THE night when we put the plan into motion. My cell phone puts me in my home and my surveillance cameras are on a loop cycle using last night’s footage. Now, we drive off to my father’s estate with my best tech guy, Rogers, who hacks into my father’s security system effortlessly. It’s not the latest in tech because my father feared that his system could easily be hacked with all the cloud software and modern cyber techniques. My guy still managed to breach the system and keep the cameras facing away from my path to Giada.

  “Are we ready?”

  “Yes. We have a ten-minute window to get her out of there. That’s about how long it will take for them to notice something’s wrong with the system if they’re smart. Twenty if they’re stupid. Let’s hedge our bets,” my tech guy says.

  The physician, who’s a former mercenary, hands me a capped syringe. “Shoot her with this. It’ll sedate her. The ass cheek is the best spot for this.”

  “She’ll pass out in twenty seconds or less.” I nod and take the syringe, setting it inside of my flak jacket.

  “Got it.” We bump fists and then two guys and I sneak in just in case we need to drop anyone. He’s temporarily disarmed the sensors above the gate, so we easily jump down. There are no ground sensors. That’s what my father said his men were for. It works and we’re on the property. My men remain in the shadows out of the camera’s view while I run across the lawn to the front of the house.

  From my position, I don’t pass by the front door and now I’m just under her
balcony. Quickly and quietly, I scale the wall. I prepare the ropes for our descent back down. Then I pop the lock. I could use the key I have for it, but I don’t want them to know it’s me.

  I creep inside the darkened room. On the bed is just one body and as I get closer, I see her sexy silhouette. God, my dick hardens instantly, not what I need at the moment, but I ignore the fucker because our lives depend on it. Slipping out the syringe, I uncap it and then climb onto the bed and brush my hand over her face as my other hand goes to her ass. She feels fantastic in that silky nightgown, but I’m immediately reminded that time is of the essence.

  Still, I can’t resist stealing a kiss. She moans into my mouth, joining me, and then says, “Rafael.” My hard-on is gone and in its place is jealous rage.

  “Don’t ever say his name in my arms,” I growl out, hating that I’m already fouling up my own plan. With her, I truly have no control.

  “I don’t want you,” she pronounces before the drug takes effect.

  “Too bad.” I kiss her forehead and scoop her off the bed. When I do, I spot something that sets me off. She’s got a bruise almost the size of one side of her face. The anger in me drives me to move quicker to get us both to safety.

  Sliding a harness around us, I wrap her legs at my waist and then lower us to the ground. Once that’s all done, Joey’s at my side, taking all the gear. He sees the bruise in the moonlight, and the realization that we may have been just in time strikes us both. I carry my treasure as I run past the cameras and over the wall. Jail sure as fuck paid off when it came to getting fit. I trained day and night to get fuller, stronger, faster, and more cunning each and every day inside.

  The vehicle’s waiting down the road and we all climb inside. I cradle Giada to my chest, wrapping her up with a blanket I have in the car so they can’t see her dressed like that. “A minute to spare. Let’s get out of here.” After we’re ten miles away, they drop the hack and allow the cameras to return to position and all sensors to resume normal operation.

  “Damn, she’s been roughed up,” the doctor says.

  “I wonder if your brother came back before we knew it and then left again. It’s only a half-hour drive.”

  “I don’t know, but I do know he’s going to pay for this.” I brush her hair away from her face while the doc takes a look at it. He touches it, and she moves slightly with a painful moan.

  “Sorry. I’m looking for any broken bones, but it’s just a really good wallop. Give her some ibuprofen for the pain. I’ll come over to get blood work for her in two days.”

  “Good. I hope to hell she’s not pregnant with that bastard’s baby.”

  “She’s beautiful, but she looks frail and a little malnourished, so there’s a good chance she’s not, especially if she’s receiving beatings. Then again, you never know.”

  “We got your back either way.”

  “Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”

  “Take care of her. What about your mother? Are you going to try to get her out as well?”

  “That’s going to be a little harder. I don’t know if she wants to leave. You know how it is. You stick with your husband no matter what. She came from Sicily engaged and married my father as soon as she landed.”

  “Oh, well. You should find out. Your mother’s this girl’s only ally.”

  “Until now,” Joey adds.

  “I second that. If she means something to you, she means something to all of us. I’ve got a little sister and if any fucker did that to her, he’d be missing all his fingers and his dick.”

  “Thanks.” She moves a little in my arms, so I adjust and cradle her closer.

  Once we’re through the garage of the house, each guy watches for anyone lurking before I carry her up to bed. I can’t have her lying in that shitty gown. She’s mine, so I slide it over her head and slip on one of my tee shirts. I freeze and stare. She looks so damn sexy in my shirt and in my bed, but then I see the rings on her finger. Growling, I gingerly pull them off and slip them into my drawer. I might need them later. Then I tuck her in and then step back out to address the guys before I go to bed.

  Doc and my tech leave together with plans to stop at a liquor store to give themselves an alibi. Joey goes down to his room, and Martin looks on. “Sir, I made arrangements for Rita to pick up some new clothes this afternoon. She claims she needed a new wardrobe. Nothing much, of course, but you know some women can shop,” he says with a smirk, giving me three shopping bags full. “Oh, and it’s all on her husband’s account, so I’ll give them cash in the morning.”

  “Fucking wonderful. Thanks. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to be in bed just in case they come looking for her in the morning. I can’t appear to have gotten no sleep.”

  “Perfect. I’ll bring in breakfast around nine.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “She’s got to be special, Santino.”

  “She is to me.” I close the door and strip down to my boxers. All of my clothes will be dealt with in the morning, but for now, I need to hold her close to me. The bed dips as I slide under the covers with her, pulling her close.

  It’s going to be a rough couple of weeks before I even begin to seduce her. Shit, I don’t even know if I still got it in me. It’s been a long time, and I was a young man who didn’t have to try to get a woman to fall for me. They fell at my feet just because of my name and looks.

  For Giada, I’m sure that’s going to be the opposite. She probably sees me as an extension to the life she has had to this point. I’m going to change that no matter how long it takes because she’s mine, even if I have no real idea where to start. This abduction had been a last-minute priority and nothing else had been planned. I’m grateful for Martin’s quick thinking and actions because I hadn’t considered the clothes aspect and I sure as hell can’t let her out until I get Rafael out of the picture.

  She rolls in my arms so her face is nestled against my chest. The soft sigh coming from Giada’s lips reassures me that I did the right thing.

  Chapter Six

  Giada

  I’ve been in my bedroom since Signor Marchetti sent me away after he slapped me. It may sound terrible, but I want to slice the old bastard up as soon as I can. I dread Rafael coming home to his father’s proclamations and then he beats me again. So far he hasn’t come back, and I wonder if he will. God, I wish I had a way to escape before he returns. My nerves are on edge.

  Damn Santino Marchetti. He had to be insanely gorgeous and staring at me like he could eat me up. My body heats up thinking about the way he licked his lips at lunch, and it wasn’t because of the food.

  I picked up one of the how-to-be-a-mother books, but it doesn’t help me fall asleep because my mind hasn’t stopped running on overdrive. I read it for the first time, and I picture myself holding a beautiful baby boy in my arms as my husband slides his arms around me from behind. “Ugh,” I grumble, slamming the book on the bed. I can’t read this because it’s not Rafael—it’s Santino as my husband. Daydreaming is stupid and pointless.

  Jumping off the bed, I change into a silky nightgown and pop my birth control. I stare at the remaining packets, wondering what would happen if I took them all at once. Can you OD on them? There’s no way I would know. I have access to nothing but a few books in my room that are beyond depressing. My prison is an iron cage dusted with gold leaf.

  If I weren’t already on the pill, I’m sure he would have beaten a child out of me. I’m on the last active pill for the month. The next week is my placebo week and then my period will come, which means my ass better find a way out of this house before I get it because they will probably kill me if I’m not pregnant.

  I listen at the door, hoping that I don’t hear anything. My guard usually leaves the floor around nine. It makes no sense why they bother because I can’t leave on my own. The entire compound is surrounded by guards, and I can’t climb. It’s probably a skill I should learn. I pick up The Grapes of Wrath and dig in. Every page I struggle to make it t
hrough causes my eyelids to dip lower and lower until I’ve fallen asleep.

  It’s dark when I’m startled awake by a noise, but I don’t move. I hear the footsteps creeping closer to the bed, and I pretend to still be asleep. I don’t want to consider the plan Rafael has for me. The bed shifts with his weight and I feel his hand come up to my face, I brace for it, but he doesn’t move to my throat. Instead, he slides his mouth over mine as he lightly pinches my ass. I can’t believe the way I’m moaning into his kiss, loving his mouth on me. What the hell? He’s my bastard husband. Rafael?

  “Don’t ever say his name in my arms.” I swear I hear Santino’s voice as my world darkens.

  “I don’t want you,” I utter as I pass out.

  I WAKE UP GROGGILY with my head fuzzy, but from the looks of it unharmed. Maybe last night had all been a dream. Did I really dream about Santino kissing me? I’m glad Rafael didn’t come in and hear me if I did. I roll over onto my back when I hit a large frame. A frame much larger than Rafael’s. I reach out and feel a muscular chest. I open my eyes and see Santino with his elbow propping him up as he looks at me.

  “Good morning.” The smile on his face almost makes me forget the danger we’re in.

  “Good morning? Are you nuts? What are you doing in my bed? Rafael will kill you. Oh my goodness. I wasn’t dreaming.” My heart’s racing as fast as my mind is. I can already picture Rafael and his goons busting down the doors and shooting up the place on principle alone. Or maybe they’ll just torture us to death. I look into his eyes and all I see is mirth, which pisses me off as much as it turns me on.

  “You thought you dreamed of me, baby?” He slides his hand over my hip and under my nightgown. My skin tingles from the gentle grip he exerts. God, how am I getting turned on?

  It makes me mad how hot he is, and I become flustered with his touch. I shove his hand away and glare at him. “That’s not what I meant.”