Bidder - An Auctioned to the Billionaire Romance (Criminal Passions Book 2)

by Layla Valentine

“No,” she said to Charlie, dropping her head down so that Logan couldn’t see her face. “He’s not here. I’ll… Let me call you back later.”

  She hung up right away. He probably didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye.

  Even though the call was over, Terri stayed with her face down, fingers curled around her phone.

  “Tell me something…”

  “Of course,” he croaked.

  She lifted her head and searched his face in the street light. “When were you going to tell me that you own stocks in Bryce’s real estate company?”

  His sharp inhale burned his nose. “I was going to tell you tonight.”

  “That’s convenient.”

  “I know how it looks.”

  “Why should I believe you?” She folded her arms tight across her chest. “I mean, it’s just a bit much, Logan, don’t you think?”

  “I didn’t sell the shares yet because it would look suspicious. Bryce would think something was up. You get that, right?”

  He had to force his words out through clenched teeth. He was angry, but not at Terri. At himself for screwing everything up. If he’d been honest with her a little earlier, this mess could have been avoided.

  “I understand.” She closed her eyes, a brief moment passing. When she opened them again, tears shone there. “What I don’t get is why you didn’t tell me. That’s the thing that looks suspicious to me.”

  “I was—”

  “Stop.” She took a couple steps back, her heels kissing the top of the curb. “What’s up with you and Bryce? Hm? Are you even planning on helping me and Charlie, or are you here to keep us distracted while you and Bryce brush your shit under the rug?”

  “No, I…” He paused and sighed. What could he say to show her how much he cared for her?

  To show her how much he loved her?

  “Please,” he whispered. “Believe me when I say I’m putting everything out in the open.”

  Her lips trembled. “I can’t. There’s nothing there for me to go on, Logan. For all I know, you knew I had been kidnapped because you own that trafficking ring alongside Bryce.”

  The words made his blood run cold. “Terri, do you even hear yourself? It’s me.”

  “I don’t know you,” she hissed. “We established that in Vietnam, remember? And for some stupid reason I forgot it, but now you’ve knocked some reality into me. So thank you for that.”

  With that, she spun around and took off down the street at a fast walk.

  “Terri!” He jogged after her for a few steps, but then stopped. If he went after her it might just look aggressive.

  She had every right to draw the conclusions she had and think the things she did. The truth had come out with the most ironic and unfortunate timing possible, and it had cost him dearly.

  Maybe he deserved it. Terri was kind and pure. Hold her up next to him and he looked like evil incarnate. He wanted to be better for her, but so far, he was failing terribly.

  Would he ever be able to show her he meant everything he’d said? She was the reason he wanted to be better. For the first time in his whole life, he woke up wanting to make another person smile. At one in a million, he couldn’t let her slip away.

  And he wouldn’t. He’d find a way to show her he could be the man she deserved.

  No matter what it took.

  Chapter 21

  Terri

  With one hand on the steering wheel, Terri reached for her coffee cup and took a sip. It was the second cup of the morning, and she still didn’t feel anywhere near awake.

  After leaving Logan in the middle of the street last night, she’d gone to her parents’ house. A small part of her had hoped that he would show up there, which was crazy. He couldn’t be trusted.

  Seeing as he’d kept one thing hidden from her, who knew what other skeletons were in his closet? She had tried to tell herself there was no way he had anything to do with the trafficking ring, but she was probably being optimistic.

  Logan was a master manipulator, doing whatever he needed to in order to get what he wanted. He was good, too. He’d certainly had her fooled.

  Hot tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away. It hurt like hell, but Logan’s “feelings” for her had probably been faked, an act put on so that she would trust him while he and Bryce made plans to silence her.

  The idea sent a shiver through her. Logan wouldn’t… kill her and Charlie.

  Right?

  No. She couldn’t believe that.

  But he certainly wouldn’t be above distracting her while he and Bryce covered their tracks.

  After yet another restless night, the one beacon of light in the dark world had been the news that her dad could go home. She’d gone to the hospital with her mom, dodging questions the whole way there about what had happened with Logan, picked up her dad, made sure her parents were settled at home, and then taken off.

  Luckily, they’d understood she was eager to get home and get busy after so much time away. And since they had a neighbor checking in on them, she wouldn’t worry too much.

  She’d picked up a rental car from the place downtown. Luckily, it was a chain that would allow her to drop the car back in Chicago. It wasn’t money she really had to spend at this point, but it was the best option. Otherwise, she would have had to choose between being stranded in Girard or enduring a three-hour car ride with either her mother or Logan. No thanks.

  Logan’s betrayal hurt like hell, but taking him and Bryce down would be the balm to soothe the sting. She almost couldn’t wait to get back to Chicago.

  Her phone rang, and she glanced at the dash’s screen, surprised to see it was her friend Emily. It had been weeks since they’d texted last.

  “Hey,” Terri answered through the car’s hands-free system. Much fancier than her own car, she’d set up her phone to the Bluetooth to play her music and appreciate the fleeting luxury.

  “Hey! I’m so glad I caught you. I just remembered that you were coming home this week.”

  “Yeah. I’m home.” As if on cue, the first Chicago high-rise pierced the skyline up ahead.

  “How was your trip?”

  “It was…”

  She and Emily were close. Best friends, really. Their time working together at the law firm had forged a camaraderie that would likely be lifelong. But Terri wasn’t ready to talk about her kidnapping. Hell, she might never be. Not unless it was in court or with a therapist, which she most likely needed.

  One day, she’d tell Emily. Just not that day.

  “It was good,” she said.

  “What’s it like being home?”

  “Weird.” Terri chewed on her bottom lip. That much was true.

  What was even weirder was carrying on a normal conversation with someone, like she hadn’t been kidnapped and was about to attempt to bring two high-profile billionaires down. Terri squirmed in her seat. She wanted to talk to her friend, but it felt like such an off thing to do.

  “Are you okay?” Emily asked. “I can tell—there’s something in your voice.”

  Terri sighed. Her friend had always been super empathetic.

  “A lot is changing right now. I can’t go into details at the moment, but I’ll tell you everything soon.”

  “O-kay. I’d beg you to not to keep me in suspense, but this sounds serious.”

  “It’s nothing to worry about,” Terri said, even as sweat collected on her palms.

  “Then I won’t worry, but please tell me one thing. Does it have to do with work?”

  Terri hesitated, thinking that if she said yes her friend might change the subject. But she didn’t get the chance to answer, though, because Emily barreled on.

  “I remember you saying right before you left that you didn’t know what you wanted to do when you came back, and that you were nervous about coming home and not having something to focus on.”

  “That’s true.”

  The traffic became more congested as Terri got closer to the city, and she tapped gently o
n the brakes.

  “Have you thought any about returning to the firm? Everyone misses you there. We talk about you a lot.”

  “Really?” Terri’s heart squeezed. “That’s sweet. I miss you guys, too, but I dunno…”

  “Or what about that big dive you used to talk about? You know, law school?”

  “Law school,” Terri murmured. She vaguely remembered a time when she’d entertained the idea of becoming a lawyer.

  “Something to think about. I don’t know if it has anything to do with what’s on your mind, but there you have it. Anyway, I gotta run. I just wanted to call and check in. Drinks, soon?”

  “Definitely.”

  As soon as everything goes back to normal. Or as close to normal as possible.

  They said goodbye and hung up, leaving Terri feeling even more anxious for action than she had before the phone call. Realizing that she hadn’t even told Charlie what time she would be back in Chicago, she called him next.

  “Hey,” he said, answering after one ring.

  “Hey. I’m getting into the city limits now. Where are you?”

  “In my office.” He sighed, which made Terri’s heart constrict.

  “What’s wrong?” she croaked.

  “Don’t worry… it’s just… it’s okay.”

  “You can’t say something like that and tell me not to worry. What’s going on?”

  “Digging up dirt on Shillings is proving to be a little harder than I expected. He’s good at covering his tracks.”

  “Oh.” Even though Charlie couldn’t see her, she shrugged. “Does that even matter? We have me as a witness, and I know he co-owns the trafficking ring.”

  Even as she said the words, she realized how dumb she’d been. There was no evidence connecting Bryce to the ring. She’d only heard about it through word of mouth, and it wasn’t like they could trust Logan anymore.

  “Shit,” Terri hissed.

  “It’s okay. We’ve only just begun.”

  “With no evidence, Charlie, we have nothing.” Hot tears filled her eyes.

  “We don’t have evidence now. We will find it. Big difference.”

  She blinked back the tears. Everything was falling apart. Unless she found some way to fix it all.

  “Where are you headed now?” he asked.

  “Uh, home. I guess. But I can come to your office.”

  “Go to my apartment. Don’t go to your place at all. It’s not safe.”

  Terri sighed. This was the same deal as the one with Logan. Except her brother actually cared for her.

  “If someone wanted to kill me, they could do it at your apartment as easily as mine,” she pointed out.

  “No they couldn’t. My apartment has a doorman, and he verifies identities before he lets anyone in.”

  “Ugh. True.”

  “No arguing. Go there.”

  “Okay. I will.”

  Spotting a gas station up ahead, she put on her blinker. The tank was on a quarter, and she might as well fill up while the opportunity was there.

  “When will you be home?” she asked.

  For an answer, he sucked in a sharp breath.

  “I want to help.” She maneuvered the car next to a pump but didn’t kill the engine. “I can’t sit around the rest of the day doing nothing.”

  “You are helping by staying safe. Hey… You and Logan.”

  She closed her eyes. “You were right. Anyway, I haven’t talked to him since… since last night.”

  “I’m sorry, Ter.”

  “He could be in cohorts with Bryce.” She opened her eyes and winced. “I mean, I don’t know.”

  “Anything is possible. We don’t need to jump to any conclusions.”

  “Right. Well.” She squirmed in her seat. “Still.”

  “Text me when you get to my place. You know the code, right?”

  “Yep. Talk soon.”

  They hung up, and she started to put her phone in the passenger seat, but stopped at spotting a text notification.

  The sight of Logan’s name made her weak. The worst part, far worse than seeing he’d texted, was feeling desperate to know what he’d said.

  Holding her breath, she read the message.

  I hated how we left things. I’m sorry. Please consider staying in Girard longer. You will be safer there.

  Terri’s thumbs hovered over the screen. How should she even respond to that? Was he even being genuine in his concern for her safety? Or was this part of some larger, secret plan?

  In the end, she said nothing, only put the phone down and went to fill up the gas tank.

  Charlie’s apartment building was downtown, only a few blocks from his office. Perfect for a man who most days only went home to sleep. The elderly doorman who’d worked there for years knew Terri, and so she went right up into the sparse and quiet apartment.

  Predictably, Charlie’s fridge was empty, save for an onion, some ketchup, and eggs—which could have been there for months.

  “Might as well be productive,” she mumbled. Grabbing the pen and notepad magnetized to the fridge’s door, she sat at the table and started making a grocery list.

  It was hard to focus, though. Even the simplest thing like figuring out what could be made for dinner seemed impossible. Everything that had happened replayed in her head.

  The kidnapping. Logan buying her. Falling for him. Coming to feel she could trust him. Realizing she really couldn’t. It ran like a mental movie, like her subconscious mind figured if she only saw it enough, she would be able to make sense of it all.

  Giving up after ‘pasta,’ ‘wine,’ and ‘more wine,’ she opened her phone and did a search on Bryce Shillings. It was highly improbable that she’d find something new on him, but flipping through the web articles helped distract her. Right then, distraction was imperative.

  One site led to another, and she was about to give up and head to the grocery store when a job posting caught her eye. Shillings Realty was hiring for several interns, and the interviews were the next morning.

  Terri sat up straighter, adrenaline already racing through her. Charlie couldn’t get any dirt on Bryce because he was looking in the wrong places. He needed to get on the inside.

  If Terri went to those interviews, maybe she’d find something. A lead or a bit of info that could open more doors and eventually help bust the trafficking scheme.

  Nothing was for sure, but the plan was certainly worth a try.

  Of course, not only might Bryce know about her, he could know what she looked like. So she’d need to finagle him there.

  Excitement buoying her spirits, she stood and grabbed her purse. A grocery run was still in order, but she’d stop by a costume store on the way there. Grab a wig and maybe some glasses.

  With a new spring in her step, she left the apartment. Nothing big had changed yet, but things were getting there. She wasn’t standing by watching while Logan broke her heart and Bryce Shillings took over the world.

  She was taking action.

  Chapter 22

  Terri

  “Alicia Mason?” the woman who had opened the double doors to the waiting room called.

  Terri stood and smoothed her pencil skirt. “That’s me.”

  The woman gave her a quick nod. “Right this way.”

  With her hands wrapped around her portfolio so that they couldn’t shake, Terri followed the woman away from the mass of waiting applicants and down a hallway lined with windows on one side and doors on the other. Everything in the portfolio, including her resume and work samples, were fake, just like the Alicia Mason alias.

  Oh, and her hair. The long blond wig styled into a braid was fake, too. Add a pair of tortoiseshell glasses and she almost hadn’t recognized herself in the mirror.

  She’d stayed up till two in the morning, writing the resume and trying not to talk herself out of this whole crazy plan. Come seven, though, when Charlie left for the office, not even the worst possible case of nerves could stop her.

  This was
n’t only about her. She’d gotten out of being sold, but other women hadn’t. If she didn’t do everything in the world possible to help them, she’d never forgive herself.

  “Right in here.” The woman orchestrating the interviews stopped in front of a frosted glass door. After a quick rap, she opened it up without waiting for an answer.

  Inside, a man and woman sat at the far end of a board table. When Terri entered, the woman lifted her chin, looking down her nose to study Terri. The man didn’t so much as glance up, choosing instead to stay preoccupied with his tablet.

  “Alicia Mason.” Terri stepped forward. “Pleased to meet you.”

  The interview was standard in every way, containing questions about her career goals and what her expectations as an intern at Shillings Realty would be. Terri answered everything as promptly as she could, worried the whole time that she would slip up and reveal her facade.

  “A lot of people want this job,” the woman said. “Why should we pick you?”

  Terri opened her mouth to give a standard spiel about being creative and thinking well under pressure, but the door behind her abruptly opened and in strode Bryce Shillings himself.

  Terri’s breath froze in her throat, and ice filled her veins. She’d seen pictures of Bryce online, but being a mere yardstick away from him had a paralyzing effect. This was a man who had played a part in attempting to ruin Terri’s life with no qualms whatsoever.

  “Where are yesterday’s reports?” Bryce barked, looking right over her head and addressing the two other people.

  The man nearly dropped his tablet, both him and the woman going pale.

  “I—I sent them,” the man squeaked out.

  “Well I didn’t get them,” Bryce snarled. “Send them again.”

  He started to turn back toward the door, but his gaze landed on Terri and he paused. She saw the faint recognition enter his eyes and understood right then that he knew about Terri Lane’s existence.

  But did he know it was her sitting in front of him?

  His eyes narrowed the slightest bit as Terri’s hands curled in her lap. What would he do if he recognized her? Say something right then and there? Have her kicked out? Followed home and murdered?