Nick stops in front of a closed door and swipes his key card. The panel beeps and flashes green as the door clicks open. He pushes the door open and walks down the corridor.
Tony waves me through the door. “After you.”
“Where are we going? This is not the way to Grant’s floor.”
“Oh, he will meet you in the conference room when he’s done with his personal business.” Nick stops again in front of another set of doors and passes the key card over the panel. Click. Once the lock releases, he pushes the door open and waits for Tony and me to enter the room. He then closes the door and faces me.
“Please. Have a seat. Would you like a drink?” Nick is playing the gracious host in Grant’s absence.
“No.” I ran my hand over the oak wood conference table as I move towards what I know to be Grant’s seat. “Is your master aware that I am here and waiting?”
“Oh. Yeah. He knows.” Nick leans against the wall and crosses his legs, cracking one knuckle at a time. “Like I said. He’ll be down when his done.”
“Oh yes. His personal business.”
Nick pushes himself off the wall and walks toward the conference room doors. He opens the door as Grant is turning the corner and invites him to step in the room with a wave of his hand.
“Thank you, Nick.”
I watch as Grant silently communicates to Nick as he makes his way into the room. Nick’s brows crease, not happy with Grant’s message. But without hesitation, Nick tilts his head with a small bow of respect to his master and leaves the room. Telepathic communication is a gift between sire and progeny. I share the same ability with my progeny.
“What is it you want, Finn?” Grant stands at the other end of the table, closest to the door with his arms crossed. “I don’t have time for you today.”
“Is that anyway to greet a friend?”
“What is it you want that can’t be taken care of by phone?”
I tap the tabletop, mimicking a pianist. “I believe you have something of mine. And… I want it back.”
Grant paces his words, fighting the brogue inflections of his voice. “And what do you believe I have that belongs to ya?”
I glance at Tony and back at Grant, lifting an eyebrow.
“You can speak freely.”
“Well. I suppose we should get down to business then. I want the girl back.”
“What girl would that be?”
“The payment promised by Joe Kennedy.” I flex my fingers.
“Joe Kennedy?” Grant pulls a chair out and sits down. “You mean the gambler from the other night’s poker game? Maybe you should take this up with him if he owes you money.”
“I know you have her. Nick and another vampire ambushed my men.”
“Finn I am not aware of my men ambushing anyone. Maybe we should bring Joe here and straighten this thing out between the two of you.” Grant is still.
“I do not believe Joseph will be available for questioning. He is… indisposed.” I couldn’t help but smile.
Grant steadies himself with both hands against the conference room table and eases himself into a relaxed stance. “What have you done to him?”
I remain sitting, tapping my fingers against the table again. “Let’s just say, he should not have betrayed me. I have ensured it will not happen again.” I stand at the head of the table, crossing my arms meeting Grant’s silent stare.
I can see Grant deliberating his options. He won’t attempt to kill me without provocation. It would bring the council down on him. I’m sure he would find some gratification for my demise, but he won’t today. We have had a long disagreement, differing opinions on how vampires should interact with humankind. King Alexander, his sire, apposes our “coming out” and Grant supports the king in his decision to leave well enough alone.
“Kelly is with me. And she will stay with me, Finn. She is mine. End of discussion.”
The air in the room thickens. I clutch my fists and then lunge across the room toward Grant. Grant takes a step back to brace himself, but Tony jumps in front of Grant and forces me down on my knees in submission.
“You okay, boss?” Tony looks at Grant.
Tony is deceptively stronger than most vampires. It is a special gift he gained when he was turned. Not everyone receives a gift, but Nick and Tony both received a little extra something by the fates.
“Yes, thank you, Tony. Please see our guest out of the building, hmm?”
Tony forces my arm behind my back and pushes me. “Sure thing, boss.”
Tony pulls me up, and I stand toe to toe with Grant.
“If you ever come near her,” his emerald eyes glow, “I will end you myself.”
His phone notifies him of an incoming text. I watch him pull his cell out of his jacket pocket and tap the message open as Tony pushes me toward the door.
A slow smile rolls over my face as I watch Grant Cooper clench his hands around his phone and then release a guttural roar.
“Problem?”
He yells at Tony, ignoring me. “Get him out of here!”
His anger rejuvenates me with a rush of adrenaline. “I guess our meeting has concluded.”
Tony pushes me through the hallway and back outside to the main entrance of the Contessa Hotel where Mason waits for me.
Chapter 11
Kelly
I have been wearing my jeans and shirt for almost two days now and decide it is time to take advantage of the luxury bathroom and shower. The bag I packed when I thought I was going on vacation with Joe is missing. I have a handful of t-shirts and three pairs of blue jeans in it. I look in every corner of the enormous room and can’t find it. Maybe someone dropped it in the closet to get it out of the way.
As I approach the walk-in closet, the lights flicker on in the room. This closet is twice the size of my bedroom at home. I examine the floor for my bag, but I don’t find it. I am not looking forward to putting on my dirty clothes again and decide it wouldn’t hurt to see if there is something here for me to wear.
Someone has filled every inch of wall space with everything from jeans and pullovers to evening wear. I won’t need any of these dresses. I finger my way down the row of satin gowns and stop at a royal blue gown. It is elegant but understated. The simplicity of it is what I like about the dress. Too bad I won’t ever have a need for something so beautiful.
Placing the dress back on the rack, I head for the dresser against the far wall, looking for a bra and panties, and found myself surprised to find what I need in my size. How did he know what size to buy? That’s a little creepy. A chill moves down my spine as I think about it. I continue to open drawers until I find yoga pants. I pull a gray pair out of the drawer and then find a white t-shirt. This will do for now.
I stand in front of the shower. There isn’t a lever in the shower to turn the water on. It takes a few minutes to figure out how to control the shower with the electronic panel. There are four different ON settings. Each one turns on a single shower head. The fourth setting switches on all three shower heads. Next, I need to adjust the temperature settings. This wasn’t too difficult to figure out. As I adjust the number settings, the numbers glow blue to orange to red, and set the temperature between orange and red.
Raising my foot into the water flow, I test the temperature and step in, groaning as the water rains over my hair and down my body. I take my time washing my hair with honey-scented shampoo. The body wash is creamy and smells like cocoa butter. I stand under the rainwater until my fingers and toes pucker. A girl can get used to this.
Stepping out once I finish, I wrap myself in a soft bath towel and walk across the bathroom floor, hoping I won’t slip and fall. Dropping the towel and letting it fall to the ground, I dress in the clothes I set aside earlier.
Feeling more like myself now that I have showered and found some comfortable clothing, I need one last thing. Stepping back into the closet toward the shoe shelves, I find what I am looking for, Skechers.
After shifting my
feet into the brand-new shoes, I hear metal scraping against something. Maybe the wall?
“Hello? Miss Kelly?” A young woman stands in front of me.
“Oh. Hi.” Realizing the metal racket is from the cleaning cart the housekeeper is using to prop the door open. I take a step closer to the entrance, hoping I can sneak a look into the hallway.
“Miss, my name is Marie. I am here to straighten up your suite. Have you finished freshening up?” Marie eyes the bathroom.
“Yes. Thank you. Please don’t let me stop you.” I wave Marie toward the bathroom. Watching Marie enter the bath area, I listen to the housekeeper hum to herself and then make my way out the door.
Peeking out the doorway, I look up the hallway and then again in the opposite direction where I see the red glowing EXIT sign over the stairway entrance. Not wasting another second to think through my plan; I run down the hallway and jump through the stairway door, hitting the steps and leaping down the stairs. I approach the next landing, reading the posted sign for the 22nd floor above the exit door. Damn, I really am at the top of the hotel. I can do this. I keep running down the stairs, hoping to find freedom.
20th Floor. 17th Floor. 11th Floor. By the time I make it to the 10th floor, I have to rest just for a minute so I can catch my breath. My lungs are burning as I gasp for air. The strain I put my legs through cause my body to tremble. Unable to take another step, I lean my butt against the wall and then place my hands on my knees as I pant.
Okay. I can do this. I’m more than halfway there. Pushing myself back up, I plod down the next flight of stairs. Approaching the next emergency exit, I scream. “NO. NO, NO, NO!”
“Yeah, I’ve got her… I’m bringing her back up… no boss. Yeah, I’ve got this.” Nick’s jaw ticks as he glares at me. “I’ll tell her.” Nick shakes his head as he pushes his cell phone back in his back pants pocket. “Kitten, you pissed the boss off. You shouldn’t have done that, you know?”
I stand as still as a statue. Should I try to outrun him? I look up the stairs in the direction I came from, but before I can take a step, Nick has my left arm pushed up behind my back.
“Stop! That hurts!” Nick pushes my face into the wall.
“Honey, I don’t want to hurt you so you’re gonna do what I tell you, yeah?” Keeping his grip firmly around my arm. “Answer me, Kitten. Don’t make me force you.”
I rest my forehead against the wall and close my eyes. I lost this battle. “Yeah, I hear you.”
Nick still has my arm bent behind my back as he guides me into the 9th floor hallway.
“You know, the boss is pretty ticked right now.”
He moves us down the hallway toward the bank of elevators and presses the up button.
“Yeah, well, I don’t care if he’s ticked or not.”
I risk a side glance up at Nick as we wait for the elevator.
Closing his eyes, Nick shakes his head. “I got to tell you Kitten, he’s pissed off.”
The elevator doors open, and Tony stands against the back of the elevator wall holding a gun down at his side.
“You shouldn’t of done that, Doll.” Tony tsks.
“So, I’ve been told.” I roll my eyes at Tony.
Nick guides me into the elevator car, placing me in-between the two men. He pushes the button labeled penthouse and then leans his face into a green light on the panel, scanning his eyes, allowing them to exit onto the penthouse floor.
“I’ve got this, Tony.” Tony looks at me and then nods to Nick and disappears behind the closing elevator doors.
“Where are we?” I follow Nick down two steps into a living area.
Nick looks down at me, stopping short. “Kitten, this is where you live now. I took you through the front entrance. You don’t remember?”
My eyes narrow at him. “Well, when you brought me here, I believe I was unconscious. So, no, I don’t remember.” I cross my arms over the middle of my body. “I haven’t been out of my room in two days.”
“Sorry, sweetheart. I forgot about that.”
Nick ushers me through the living room and down a long corridor.
“Okay, this looks familiar now.” I count only three doors in the hallway. “This one is mine.” I point to the door up ahead on the left. “The one down there is the stairway.” I can’t make eye contact with Nick. It is embarrassing they caught me trying to escape.
“What is this door?” It is next to my bedroom door.
“That’s the boss’s private area. We don’t go in there.”
Nick takes out a key card from his inside coat pocket and swipes it across the electronic lock. The door clicks and Nick pushes it open. “All right, Kitten. Let’s go.”
I hesitate for a moment and think better of pushing my luck with Nick. Despite everything that has happened, Nick treats me well. Maybe he will end up as an ally at some point. I twist my body so I can walk past Nick as he holds the door open.
Marie, the girl from housekeeping, has cleaned the room. I can see the crisscross vacuum marks across the carpeting. My bed is turned down and readied for a good night sleep.
Looking at my surroundings, I realize I am trapped in a gilded cage. Luxury accommodations, with no freedom. Mind numbing reality takes over my thoughts. My head drops with disappointment.
“Hey now. What’s eaten’ you?” Nick still guarding the bedroom door.
“It’s nothing.” I don’t want to talk about it.
“It’s not nothin’, Kitten. You can talk to me. What’s going on?”
He still stands in front of the only exit to the room but tries giving a more relaxed posture. There is no way I am getting out of this room again, tonight.
“What’s going on? You’re serious?” I plop myself on the edge of the bed. “Where should I start, Nick?” I tap my bottom lip as if to think of the best place to begin. “Oh, yes. Let’s start with the fact my asshole father gave me away! Wait. He did not give me away. He used me to pay off his debt and now I’m being held hostage!” I feel the redness blossom in my checks. Angry didn’t describe how I feel. I close my eyes and try counting to ten.
With my eyes still closed, I continue. “I am locked in this room for two days. Your boss must think I’m supposed to be okay with this because I have a closet full of clothes and people waiting on me, feeding me and cleaning up after me.” My shoulders fall in defeat. “I don’t know what will happen to me, and I am scared.” There, I said it. I am scared out of my mind.
The bedroom door clicks shut. Did Nick just leave me and not say anything? My eyes snap open.
“Oh.” I exhale. “I’m, I’m sorry.” Standing in front of me is the man holding me prisoner.
Grant steps toward me. His eyes are black with anger, but his body seems relaxed and non-threatening. Our eyes connect and there is something dark behind his gaze. His jaw tightens as he takes another step closer to me. The air between us charges with electricity, raising the fine hairs at the nape of my neck. I feel the need to put distance between me and Grant and push myself backwards across the bed until my shoulders hit the headboard.
“I’m sorry.” Repeating myself, but this time it comes out more like a croak.
Another step closer. “Sorry? What are ya sorry for mo chroi? Hmm? Tell me that. Tell me why ya would apologize to me?”
I won’t let him intimidate me, so I square my shoulders and lift my chin. “Where are you from? Are you Irish?” Maybe if I change the focus of this conversation, he will forget why he is here.
Grant raises his hand and drags it across his face, blowing out a sigh. “I asked you a question. Answer me.” His accent disappears.
“How long do you plan to keep me in this room?”
He continues stepping closer until he stands next to the bed. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.
Grant bent forward and whispers to me. “Don’t try my patience, mo chroi.” He pulls himself away and stands to his full six foot two inches. We continue to stare at one another.
“What does that mean?” I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around my legs until I feel like a tight little ball of nerves.
Grant’s face softens as the anger fades from his eyes. “I will answer your question, if you answer mine.”
“What if I have more than one question?” This could shed some light on my predicament.
His head pitches to the side as he considers his answer. “I’ll make a deal with you. For every question you ask, you must allow me to ask one in return. Do you agree?”
Fatigue is setting in. I flew down 13 floors' worth of stairway steps and I am tired. But I will not lose this opportunity for information.
I loosen my arms from around my legs. “Deal.”
He smiles. “Good. May I?” He nods to the edge of my bed.
“I suppose so.”
“Thank you.” Grant sits down and turns to face me. “Why are you sorry, Kelly?”
“Why do you get to go first?”
“My rules. Answer me.” He smirks.
“Fine. Have it your way.” Picking at a non-existent hang nail on my index finger, I break eye contact with Grant. “I’m sorry I got caught, and I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to get away from here.” Looking back up at him I say, “My turn.”
Grant’s lips tighten in a hard line and nods. “Ask away.”
“Why are you keeping me here?”
He blinks once, then opens his mouth to say something but stops. Grant is weighing his words.
“I’m keeping you here to protect you.”
“Protect me from what?”
“No. It’s my turn to ask a question.”
I roll my eyes at him. “Fine. Ask your question.”
“Where would you have gone if you had made it out of the hotel?” He folds his hands in his lap.
I hadn’t a clue. I focused on getting away, and I hadn’t considered where I would have gone once I escaped.
Paid in Full: Kelly Kennedy Series (Book One) Page 8
