by Kahlen Aymes
Her call ended and a three-minute commercial break started. “Stop it,” Angel said softly.
Alex’s brows shot up. “What am I doing?” He mocked innocence for four whole seconds before he grinned devilishly.
“You know. Quit it. I’m working.” Angel tried to put a stern look on her face, but she really wanted to go over and crawl onto his lap, and Alex could see right through her and huffed in amusement.
“Hey, you invited me. I can’t help it if you want to jump my bones.”
“Correction,” she murmured wryly before a small chuckle escaped her chest, “bone. Jump your bone.”
Alex laughed, amusement radiating through him like the sun on a summer day. Fuck, she was gorgeous and funny as hell. “Yeah. Well, it wants jumping.” His tone was teasing. “Since we can’t give Christina a show, it will have to wait. I’m glad I came. I like listening to you work. It’s interesting. I never miss your show,” he admitted. She knew he listened the few weeks after they met, but not that he continued to do so.
She took off her headphones and got up from the chair to sit on the edge of the desk closer to Alex. He reached out and ran a hand up her thigh, toying with the clip of the garter on her silk stocking. “Hmmm. I didn’t know you listened every week.”
“I like hearing your voice. And, it might give me insight into how you’re mind works; how you process relationships. I don’t want to fuck this up.”
“Please. You’re going to do what you’re going to do. Period.”
“I said, I don’t want to fuck it up,” he said seriously, meeting her eyes. “I meant it.”
His hand was working its magic; his slightest touch sent shivers and love washing through her entire body. “I know you do.” She reached down and grabbed his hand, stopping the gentle caresses and holding it. “I trust you.”
“Good. Because I don’t want to hurt you, and I care about how you feel.” Alex tugged on her hand until she was leaning down, close enough for his open mouth to take hers gently. The kiss was soft, teasing, and it did all sorts of delicious things to her. Her hand rested lightly on the soft cotton of his shirt, exploring the hard muscles underneath.
“Is that a first for you?” Angel asked when the kiss ended.
“You are all kinds of firsts for me, and you don’t need me to tell you that.”
She was being seduced by the intensity in his deep green eyes, the love in his expression, and the steady caress of his rubbing fingers. Her breath left her in a huff. “Mmm… I’m glad.”
Christina cleared her throat over the speaker. “Sorry to interrupt, um, Angel, but twenty seconds. The call is on line one.”
Angel pulled from Alex, moved around the desk, and carefully replaced her headphones, adjusting the mouthpiece, while he groaned aloud in annoyance. “Fuck.” Angel sent him an apologetic look that said she was just as sorry as he was that their contact was cut short.
Christina counted down from five with her fingers, mouthing the words: five, four, three, two, one…
“We’re back. I’m Dr. Angeline Hemming and this is After Dark. Who am I speaking with, please?”
“Hi, I’m Lizzie.” The caller’s voice was tentative and timid.
“What can I help you with, Lizzie?”
“My marriage is in shambles, and I don’t know how to save it.”
“How long have you been married?”
“Ten years.”
“Did something traumatic happen, or has it just been gradual distancing from your husband?”
“Both, I guess. He works long hours, and I’ve been lonely for a long time. When I’m home, he goes to see his family, and other stuff, usually without me. His mother hates me. I feel lost.” The callers’ voice was soft, but she wasn’t crying.
“Wow, that’s tough. He needs to grow some balls and stand up to his mother. Have you told him how you feel?”
“Yes. It only made it worse. We have two kids, so I tried to make it work, but I don’t feel that he loves me at all.”
Alex listened to Angel and watched her features, wanting to see her reaction. Shit like this was sure to color her view of marriage. That and the fact her mother split when she was a baby. She got a little crinkle above her nose that he found adorable, but she was looking down at the desk and messing with a pen lying next to the stack of paper in front of her.
“Are you sure it’s work keeping him away? Is there a chance he could be cheating?”
Lizzie hesitated for a beat. “No, but I—met someone online and we… well, we… I had an affair, and now my husband doesn’t trust me.”
Alex could see Angel visibly deflate as the caller continued. Her expression told it all.
“I did it because I was lonely, and the other man made me feel like I mattered when my husband has forgotten about me. It was last year, and he’s still holding it over my head.”
“I see. Well, two wrongs don’t make a right, obviously. Unfortunately, I see this quite often. It sounds like no one in that situation is happy. I’m not condoning cheating, Lizzie. You should have left him before it got to that point, but I can understand your motivation. Please don’t compound the situation. There is no excuse for cheating or abandoning a spouse. It sounds like you should both go to marriage counseling, if you love him and you’re willing to work very hard to rebuild the trust. If the feelings are gone, it’s probably best for everyone involved to move on. No sense in prolonging the inevitable.”
Lizzie sighed, the sound heavy, even through the phone lines. “I know. I’ve been telling myself that. I just wanted to talk to someone about it. Thank you, Angel.”
“You’re welcome. Do your best to help the children maintain a relationship with their dad.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“I wish you the best, Lizzie. I hope you’ll find happiness.”
Alex wanted to talk to her, to ask her about her feelings on marriage, but as the call ended and Angel moved on to the next one, his phone buzzed in his pocket. It wasn’t a number programed into his phone, nor was it one he recognized or called before. He stood and walked through the glass door and into the hallway before answering so his conversation wouldn’t disturb Angel’s show. It was one in the goddamned morning, so who in the hell had the audacity to call at that hour? It wasn’t a family emergency. It wasn’t Bancroft or Cole’s number. So, who in the hell was it?
“Alexander Avery,” he said into the phone.
“Come outside.” The hair at the back of his neck stood on end as he recognized the raspy voice.
“You must have me confused with the idiot you thought you called. You can go straight to hell.” Alex glanced through the window at Angel, who was watching him and taking in his expression. He didn’t want to scare her, so he shot her a small smile, but it was forced and didn’t reach his eyes. She could probably see right through him. He turned his back to her to finish the call. “What the fuck? Angel has a restraining order, so what are you doing here? I should call the cops and have your moronic ass arrested.” Alex’s mind raced as his words grated out. Where in the fuck was Bancroft or his guys? They should be trailing Swanson and letting him know if that bastard was anywhere near either them or his family.
“I’m not here to hurt her. I just want to talk, to make a deal. With you.”
Alex debated whether to go or not. There were cameras, but Swanson might have a weapon, and he was not an idiot. Alex’s voice lowered but it was harsh. “You’re either deaf or ignorant. I’ve already told you I don’t negotiate with slimy fuckers like you. It’s my advice that you get out of here and stay the hell away from Angel.”
“Or, what?” Swanson snarled sarcastically.
“Or, you’ll be sorry.”
“We’ll see which one of us will be sorry. I want my money back. Give me the five million I lost, and you’ll never hear from me again.”
“I’m not giving you shit. You don’t need money where you’re going. Those boys will fuck you up the ass for free,” Alex growled into h
is phone, his knuckles turning white as he clenched it tighter.
He could almost hear Swanson’s fury through the line, and it pleased him more than it should have. Pricks like Swanson were a waste of oxygen. Logic demanded Alex keep his composure, but his fury told a different story.
“I plan to leave the country. Disappear. Just give me my goddamned money!”
“You pathetic fuck. You’re in no position to make demands of me.”
“If that’s the way you want to play it, fine. But remember, I’m losing my patience, and desperate men do desperate things.”
The phone went dead, and Alex realized how much the skin of his face was burning. His whole body felt on fire; his heart pounded like a bass drum as his fingers closed over the phone and squeezed with all the force he could muster. He was furious, frustrated, and he wanted to throw the phone against the wall with all his strength. He was going to explode, but he needed to call Bancroft and Cole immediately.
What the fuck?
His fingers were frantic as he dialed Bancroft and stormed off down the hall to the lobby. Bancroft’s phone rang five times then went to voice mail. “Where are you guys? Swanson came to the radio station, and you guys should be all over him. Call me back. Immediately.”
It occurred to Alex something might have happened to his security team. They knew he accepted no excuses, nothing less than perfect performance, and should have been at their post. Alex became even more disturbed at the thought.
Cole’s phone rang in his ear. “Come on. Pick up, goddamn it!”
When his brother answered there was loud music pounding in the background. “Yeah?” he practically yelled into the phone.
“Cole, have you heard from Jason?”
“What?” Cole yelled again.
“Has Bancroft been in touch with you?” Alex’s voice was louder in response, and he glanced down the hall in the direction of the studio hoping his voice didn’t carry that far. He didn’t know how long it would be until Angel had another break, but he didn’t want her coming out and overhearing any of this.
“No? Should he be?”
“Was he on Swanson tonight or was it one of the others?”
“He was.”
“Goddamn it!” Alex exploded as a creepy coldness slithered through him. It did not sit well. Bancroft had been with Avery for several years longer than Alex had been at the helm, and he didn’t make mistakes.
“Jesus, Alex! What happened?” The din behind his brother died down as he apparently left the club.
“Swanson showed up at the station making threats. He asked me to come outside, but I refused. He wants money, and it can’t be good if Bancroft hasn’t been in touch to let you or me know Swanson was here.”
“Shit! You’re right. He would have called for backup. I’ll call Wayne and the rest of the team. We’ll find him. Is Angel okay?”
“Yes. She’s here with me. Start with Jason’s last known location and keep me posted.”
“I’m on it.”
“If something bad happened to him, text me. Text me either way. I can’t take a phone call Angel might overhear.”
“She’s going to find out, Alex. You can’t keep anything from her.” The sound of a car door slamming and an engine starting came through the phone.
“I know. I just—she’s working, and she’s already scared. She doesn’t need to be even more terrified.”
“Right. That’s smart.”
“Send Wayne over. Angel’s assistant is here with us, and I don’t want to walk out into an ambush. Tell him to check the lot out to make sure it’s clear and hang back. I don’t want Angel privy to anything. I’ll tell her after I have her safely home.”
“Okay, later, man. I’m out.”
When Alex walked back down the hall toward the studio, trying to calm the frantic thudding of his heart and get his demeanor under control, he could feel a bead of sweat rolling down from his temple over the side of his cheek to his jaw. Reaching up, he brushed it away. He took a deep calming breath and shoved his phone back into the clip on his belt. Glancing at his watch, it glowed 1:15 in the low light in the hallway. It was getting close to the end of the show, and he wanted nothing more than the light of day. He was getting sicker by the minute of Mark Swanson and the bullshit hanging over their heads. He had plans for Angel and the beginning of their lives together, but it would all have to wait until they put this son of a bitch away. Until he could be sure they were safe from further threats.
*****
Later, lying in the big bed in his room at his estate, his mind worked overtime. Angel was asleep in his arms as the sun came up with Max lying on the other side of her. She sighed and snuggled closer to his side, her naked thigh sliding between his, the curves of her breasts and hips against his harder contours like two perfect puzzle pieces. Alex closed his eyes, tenderness flowing through him, and his arms tightened around her of their own volition.
The phone on the bedside table was eerily silent and dread began to creep over him. Something was horribly wrong, and he knew it. Cole should have been in touch by now, and Alex would be damned if he’d sit around waiting for the phone ring. He eased away from Angel, carefully un-entangling her body from his and moving out of bed. She sighed and rolled over, pulling the covers up around her shoulder to bunch it up in front of her. She looked so small in the middle of the king-sized bed with its high headboard.
Alex quickly put on a pair of white lounge pants he pulled from a drawer in his large dresser. It was huge, as was all the furniture in his room—a dark mahogany, it blended with the darkness in the room. He grabbed his phone and waited for Max to follow out of the room before he closed the door behind him. Alex’s fingers were already dialing Cole’s phone by the time he’d made it three feet down the hall. The ringing seemed obnoxiously loud in the silence of the big house, and he turned the volume down and went downstairs. He’d barely turned on a lamp when Cole answered.
“Hi, Alex.” His tone was grim. “We’re still looking, but we haven’t found Bancroft. His car was where we thought it would be.” Cole hesitated a beat, and Alex’s blood turned to ice. “Alex, it was torched. Completely gutted.”
Alex sucked in his breath until his chest expanded to full capacity then let it out in a rush. “Any sign of him?”
“No body inside. Wayne’s team went to his apartment to double check, but we didn’t expect him to be there. It doesn’t look good.”
“Son of a bitch! Did you call the police?”
Cole sighed. “Yes. They have a forensic team going over the car, but that shit can take days. I do know that they found his phone in the car.”
Alex’s heart began to pound the minute Cole answered his phone, and his voice was louder than it should have been. Max whined from his spot on the floor next to the couch as his master paced back and forth. The animal had no trouble sensing Alex’s agitation. “Can you trace the call that came in on my phone? Find out where that bastard is!”
“Already thought of that. It’s one of those disposable, pay-as-you-go phones. Impossible to trace those things.”
“Arrrghhhhhh!” Frustration burst from Alex’s chest. “The timing couldn’t be worse, Cole! I have to go to Sydney on Monday!”
“I’ll take care of her, Alex. I won’t leave her side.”
“I appreciate that Cole, but you aren’t licensed to have a firearm yet. The way this is going, muscle may not be enough. I don’t want either one of you at risk.”
“I know I’m not licensed for Christ’s sake!” Cole’s voice was laced with impatience. “But, so what? I don’t give a shit; I can still carry one to be safe.”
Alex was torn. As much as he wanted Angel safe, if something happened and Cole used a gun on Swanson, his career could be over, or worse. He could be charged with a crime. “You know that’s not smart.” He ran an impatient hand through his hair and sighed heavily. “Just double up with Wayne or one of the others. The house is big enough, so you stay with her 24/7, and the othe
rs can rotate and just be here on their shift.”
“What about her work? You’ll have to tell her about Jason if you want her to stay home the entire time you’re gone. Besides, when you get back in town, if he isn’t caught, nothing will have changed. Will you expect her to stay on lockdown?”
“Hell, I don’t know what I expect. Let’s just deal with what is in front of us.”
He walked to the bar and pulled out the scotch and a glass, splashing two fingers into it and quickly lifted it to his lips. The earliness of the hour hadn’t occurred to him, but its pungent odor assaulted his nostrils, and his hand paused mid-air. He couldn’t afford to have his senses dulled in any way. The glass clinked on the marble surface, and the liquid swished on the sides as he set the tumbler down hard, resisting the urge to fling it across the room.
“I just know I’m going to be going out of my fucking mind. There is no way I can reschedule the trip because this deal is on the chopping block, and we may lose it.”
If it wasn’t a billion dollar deal, he might have been able to blow it off, but it had been in the works a long time and was just about done. The hotel chain was family owned, a high-end conglomerate that had been built from the ground up by the retiring patriarch. The man was worried about keeping the legacy alive, refusing to close the deal without meeting Alex in person. He was dying, and Avery was taking control, allowing 49 percent to stay in the hands of his only daughter, who was young and without a head for business. It was a way to ensure he didn’t need to worry about the child after he was gone. Alex had been approached by the man, personally, and was the one to proffer the deal; it would be impossible to send someone in his stead. It was an honor to be trusted that much, and he couldn’t screw it up.
“Maybe it’s best to just go and get it over with. Then you can get back as soon as you can,” Cole suggested. “Besides, we don’t want Swanson to think he’s rattled us, and we’re off our game. This thing with Bancroft is bad enough.”
