The Merger

by Loni Ree

  “No, my wife and I don’t need any help. Now, get the fuck away from us and let us shop in peace." He tells her off harshly. She slinks away, and we spend the rest of the afternoon having fun while shopping.

  We decide not to tell anyone about the babies until things are a little more settled with everything going on around us.

  I find myself almost slipping up and telling Annie about the babies all the time.

  Lucy and Blake's daughter, Lillian Margaret David, was born last week, and she is absolutely adorable. My sister is adjusting to life as a mother and wife slowly, and I think Blake is a little frustrated with her. When Lukas and I went to visit Lily, Lucy and Blake argued non-stop until Blake decided to go into the office to work. When he left, Lucy cried because she said he abandoned her with a new baby. I felt awful and didn’t know what to do to help my sister. Lukas and I talked about it and decided we would stay out of Lucy and Blake's problems. They obviously need time to adjust to parenthood and marriage.

  I started worrying about our situation and asked Lukas if he thought we would face the same problems. He was quick to point out that we have entirely different circumstances than Lucy and Blake. We were married before we got pregnant, and we already had strong feelings for each other. Lucy and Blake were casual bedmates who accidentally got pregnant and then did what was expected. Now, they are trying to blend their different viewpoints and force feelings. He put my worries about our situation to rest but made me worry about my sister.

  I'm so disappointed when Lukas texts saying he has to work late, yet again. Oh well, maybe I'll run by a couple of baby shops on the way home. Lily could use some new outfits, and I want to look at what's new. I'll have to ask Roger if he has any plans tonight since Lukas insists I take my poor bodyguard to go shopping. Usually, Roger has evenings off, since I'm at home, but maybe he'll be free to go out some tonight.

  As I'm packing up to leave La Femme for the day, I get another text from Lukas saying he is actually getting out of work early and wants to meet for dinner. I'm so excited; I do my little happy dance as I'm walking out the door. I have Roger run me home to change clothes really quick before he drops me off at Sterling–Ryan to meet Lukas.

  When we get to Sterling-Ryan, I have Roger drop me off in the basement garage because, for some reason, the guard who is usually stationed at the front desk gives me the creeps. I can use Lukas' private code to go straight to his executive floor once I get in the elevator. I walk around the corner and push the elevator button, and everything goes black.

  12

  Lukas

  Where the fuck is Marta? How did she disappear so quickly, and how did she do such an excellent job of hiding her misdeeds while still working for me? Those questions have become my sole focus lately.

  I no longer think of Bradley as Useless; he has really stepped up to the plate and is doing a bang-up job. Even though Annie and his uncle have really fucked him over, he has kept his head in the game and is almost ready to take over the helm of Steele Co., all on his own.

  Later, I'm meeting with Max, Drew, Thomas, and the rest of the security team, and we’re going to try to figure out how to get the whole situation resolved as quickly as possible. Whatever it takes, I'm ready to be done with it. I want Marta found, prosecuted, and out of my fucking life. I want to enjoy the rest of my wife's pregnancy and the birth of my children. I knew I was in love with Madison before the pregnancy, but now that she’s carrying my children, my feelings for her are overwhelming.

  After sending Madison a text to let her know I'm not going to be home for dinner again tonight, I prepare myself for the night ahead. In the back of my mind, I swear to myself I'm going to make everything up to her.

  I come out of my private bathroom to find Max waiting for me in my office. "I didn’t realize you had gotten here already."

  "I came in and saw the bathroom door shut and figured you were in there, so I waited for you. Drew texted me and said he's on his way up, and the rest of the team should be here any minute. Do you want to meet with them in here, or should we go to the conference room?" he asks as he leans on the arm of the sofa.

  "Please, have José set up the conference room, and I'll be over in a minute." I grab my cell phone off my desk, run to grab myself a coffee, and head for the conference room.

  We gather in the conference room and are about to start the meeting when Max gets a call from security about an issue with his car. He goes down to the parking garage and deals with the problem. When he returns, he apologizes for his absence, and we bring him up to speed quickly.

  We spend the next four hours rehashing the facts we already know. Somehow, Marta has been tipped off, and before the authorities could find her, she withdrew all of her stolen money and went underground. Everyone agrees, Marta is not smart enough to plan and carry out all of these illegal activities alone. She has had help. We desperately need to figure out who is helping her. Once we find the person, they will lead us straight back to Marta. Another four hours wasted, and all we have managed to do is go over what we already know.

  I get home eager to spend some time with my wife. As I'm walking through the front hall, I run into Brayden, and he looks a little perplexed. "Hey, man, what did you do with your wife?"

  My heart stops in my chest. “What in the hell do you mean, what did I do with my wife?"

  He looks at me like I lost my mind. “I mean, Madison left here several hours ago, saying she was meeting you for dinner."

  After pulling my phone out of my pocket, I frantically dial Madison's number. After two rings, the person who answers the phone makes my heart stop. "Well, hello, lover boy. How nice of you to call. I've wanted to talk to you for quite a while."

  "Fuck you, Marta. Where's my wife?" I grasp the phone so tightly, the metal threatens to bend.

  "Now, do you think I went through all the trouble of kidnapping and tying up your wife to tell you where she is? Where would the fun be in that? No, Lukas, I'm going to fuck with you. Then, maybe, if you give me everything I want, maybe, I'll send your little wife back to you in one piece. But from here on out, I'm in charge, and you need to remember that," the fucking cunt replies before laughing in my ear.

  I stand there shaking, about to crush the fucking cellphone in my hand. Brayden is looking at me, shrugging his shoulders, as if to say, "What the fuck?"

  I cover the mouthpiece and mouth to him, "Get Drew on your phone."

  When Brayden signals to me that Drew is on the phone, I put my finger over my lips and signal him to tell Drew to be quiet while he's on speaker. He takes the phone out of the room briefly and then returns with it on speaker. I also place my phone on speaker. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Wyatt walk up from the front hallway to see what is happening, and he listens in as well.

  "Okay, Marta, you claim to have kidnapped my wife, but I have no proof until you let me talk to her." Wyatt closes his eyes briefly and shakes his head when the gravity of the situation hits him.

  "I'll do even better, Lukas. Give me a few minutes, and I'll send you a video of your precious sweetheart. You know my love of videos. It should prove to you, I do in fact have possession of your darling, little wife. I’ll get back to you when I have my demands ready. Trace her cell phone all you want. I have a friend who's very tech savvy. He transferred the SIM information from her phone to another phone. I’ll save you the trouble; it’s in a trashcan two blocks from Sterling–Ryan. Don’t fucking doubt how serious I am. The video I'm sending is not a fake like my last gift. Look for your video and wait for my call. Bye-bye, sweetie pie.” She makes disgusting kissing sounds, and I want to vomit. I hang up the phone, and Brayden has to stop me from flinging it against the wall.

  "Fuck, Lukas, does the bitch really have Madison? Where was Madison's fucking bodyguard?" Drew demands from Brayden's phone.

  While I sit on the stairs in the entryway and try to rein in my thoughts, Brayden answers Drew. "When she came home, she ran upstairs, changed clothes, and came down to leave. S
he told me Roger was going to drop her off at Sterling–Ryan to meet Lukas for dinner."

  When I have calmed down enough, I grab the phone. “I’m waiting for the video to come through. I have no idea why she would think we were meeting for dinner. I sent her a text earlier telling her I would be home late tonight. Marta must've somehow convinced her that I wanted to meet with her, but I can't figure out for the life of me how she did it. I'm going to watch the video when I get it and see if it looks authentic. You call Max, Bradley, Thomas, and the security team, and let's get to Sterling-Ryan. I'm freaking the fuck out, Drew. We haven't told anyone yet, but Madison's pregnant with twins. The fucking lunatic claims to have my pregnant wife. I'm going to lose my goddamn mind."

  Drew takes charge and gives orders over the speaker. “Brayden, you, Wyatt, and Lukas look at the video and send me a copy of it. I'm going to start making these calls. I'm going to make sure Annie is protected, and I’ll tell Blake to stay home with Lucy and the baby, just in case. Then, let's get to Sterling–Ryan as soon as possible. Lukas, make sure to have Brayden's phone ready on record, in case she calls back before you get to Sterling–Ryan so you have a record of all of her demands. Be sure to get as much information as you can. Hopefully, we can get to Sterling–Ryan before she calls.

  I hear a garage door go up in the background as he is talking. “Call Roger and have him meet us so we can find out exactly what he saw when he dropped her off. Lukas, I know how emotional you are right now, but you have to pull yourself together and stay as calm as possible. We will figure out a way to get her back." He hangs up, and we are about to rush out the door when my phone beeps, indicating a new message is coming through.

  After we hear the ding from the text message, Brayden takes the phone out of my hand, holds it up so we can all see the screen, and hits play on the video. My stomach drops when it starts playing. Madison is sitting on the floor in a windowless room. There are no signs of trauma, but she is sitting on the filthy floor with her back against the wall, hugging her arms around her knees. I swear to myself right then and there, I'm going to get her back tonight. Brayden quickly forwards the video as we’re leaving.

  Madison

  When I wake up, I'm lying on the backseat of a van with my hands behind my back. There is tape securing my wrists and ankles and across my mouth. I'm scared to death, but I only feel moderate pain at the back of my head, so I hope they haven't caused much damage. Every bump the van hits, my stomach rebels. I lie on the gross carpet, trying to figure out who would possibly kidnap me and what they could want.

  Soon, we come to a stop, and darkness surrounds the vehicle. We stay parked for what seems like forever, and I know it must be hours because my bladder is going to explode. As I lie there, I hear someone sitting in the front seat, and I listen to their quiet breathing, and every now and then, I hear movement and can see the dim light from what looks like a phone screen. The person must be doing something on their cell phone, but we just wait, and I get more anxious as the time drags on. Eventually, the person gets out of the van and closes the door, and I hear their footsteps get farther and farther away from the van. After a few seconds, all I hear around me is silence.

  Finally, I hear movement outside of the vehicle, and I wonder if I'm going to find out who has kidnapped me and what the hell is going on. I pray I am not about to die. I think about my babies and how happy we have been lately. It will kill Lukas if he never gets to see his children. When the door opens, I am briefly blinded by a bright light from a flashlight shining in my eyes, then when my vision clears, I have the answer to my questions. On the one hand, I'm absolutely shocked, and on the other, it all makes perfect sense now.

  "Grab the princess and let's go show her where she will reside until either her husband coughs up some money or we kill her." He picks me up at her demand and carries me through an old warehouse into a windowless room and sits me on the floor.

  I flinch a little when he pulls a knife out of his pocket and flips it open, but then he cuts the tape off my ankles and wrists. After that, he roughly rips the tape from my mouth. Asshole.

  I can't help myself, and I ask, "You do know, Lukas is going to have your ass for taking me, right? I am shocked you would betray him with Marta."

  I'm looking at him in total disbelief. I've never really spent much time in his company, but I know Lukas thinks of him as a brother. He was the freaking best man at my wedding.

  "Lukas isn't going to figure anything out until Marta and I are well out of his reach. He made me take these actions against him and his precious family. I could bore you with all the reasons for my betrayal, but to be honest, all the reasons are really none of your fucking business. Needless to say, Lukas will figure it out, and by then, it will be way too late. We will be gone and so will a ton his money."

  I look at him like he's lost his mind. "So, what you're saying is, you are fucking your best friend over because of money. Friendship and loyalty mean absolutely nothing to you."

  "Princess, I refuse to justify myself to you. I've spent my life working for the spoiled fucker and never do I get the recognition I deserve. Since college, I've always been second-best. Half of the ideas he used to make Sterling–Ryan what it is today have come from me, and yet he receives all the recognition, and the women always choose him over me.”

  As he talks, his cheeks get redder, and his eyes get wilder. “For the first time, someone chose me over Mr. Perfect. Marta chose me, and I will get the recognition I deserve. I’ll be recognized as the man who cost the great Lukas Ryan millions of dollars and made him look like a fool at the same time."

  He stands there with a smug look on his face, and I notice for the first time what cold eyes he has. When I first met him, I thought he was a somewhat handsome man with his thick, black hair and bright, green eyes. If you go for the rugged, square jaw, a dimple in the chin look, you would definitely go for him. But now, all I see is pure evil.

  "So, basically, you're stabbing him in the back because you're jealous, and instead of asking for a promotion or asking for more recognition, you're throwing a little boy tantrum and betraying your best friend." I should have kept my mouth shut because my words enrage him. I see the rage in his eyes right before he grabs me by the throat.

  Marta comes running into the room and takes hold of his shoulder. "You shouldn't damage her. We have to send a video to Lukas to prove we have her and she’s alive. I've set up the equipment outside of the viewing window. You need to leave now before you are missed. As soon as Lukas realizes she's gone, he should be calling you about her disappearance. Hurry up, we can’t afford for our plan to fall apart now."

  She turns to me and waves her hand around the room. "Princess, you do everything you're told, and you may survive to go home. Sit there and look at the small window up on the wall across from you and try to look as pathetic as possible, which shouldn't be too hard for you. The bucket over in the corner is your fancy facilities. Sorry if our accommodations aren't up to your standards. And remember, if you try to escape, I have no problem killing you."

  After they walk out the door, I hear the lock engage and sit there too scared to move. Right now, I have to trust Lukas to rescue our babies and me.

  13

  Lukas

  As we pull into the underground garage, my phone rings, indicating Marta is finally calling. I put the phone on speaker and start recording the conversation. "Listen closely, I'm only going to give my instructions once. Open your email. There's going to be an email marked private. Open it up and follow the instructions exactly. I know I may sound trite, but if you call the police, I'm going to kill your little princess and disappear forever. Oh, by the way, you'll need to know, FUCK YOU, in capital letters." The phone goes dead, and I want to pull my hair out right then and there.

  I swore to Madison I would protect her from the bitch, and look how spectacularly I have failed. The urge to rage and scream at the world is strong. There is no way to describe the fear, the fury, the intense hatred I
feel right now.

  We head up to my office and grab my laptop since we will meet in the conference room. I pull up my email and look for the private email from Marta. When Drew interviews Roger, he states Madison received a text from me earlier, and after stopping by the house and changing, she had him drop her off in the underground garage at Sterling-Ryan. I never sent the text, and I have no clue how someone could fool her into believing the text message came from me. Drew says he will get someone to pull cellphone records, but in the meantime, we look for the email.

  I go to pull up the email, and I see the email is password-protected. What the fuck? She never gave me a goddamn password. We pull up the recording of her call and listen to it again, and it comes to me. The password is FUCK YOU. The stupid fucking bitch is trying to be a smart ass. I'm not in the mood for it. Finally, the email comes up, and I'm baffled by the demands. She wants five million dollars transferred into a foreign account, which does not surprise me. The greedy cunt. What is confusing is the trade for Max?

  She wants me to come alone and to meet at an out of the way airfield, and she wants to trade Max for Madison. She states in the email, once she secures her money and is cleared to disappear, she will release Max. Her exact words are, "I have no ill will toward Max. I give my word; once my money is secured, I will release him unharmed at an undisclosed location." She also states all of these instructions are non-negotiable. The whole situation is confusing. Why would I trade one hostage for another? It's unexplainable. I look at Max and Drew to see if they have any idea.

  "What could the crazy bitch be up to? Why would she want Max, who is going to be much harder to control than Madison, with her while she tries to get away?" I look to Drew for an answer, and he shakes his head and sits on the edge of my desk before answering me.