I could see Carlton’s jaw tense, but he said nothing. It wasn’t because of any fucking check, either. Carlton, like me, just wanted Ralph out of here so we could talk. As soon as Ralph was out of earshot, I asked, “Has the planted data been…located yet?”
“That is also being confirmed as we speak,” Carlton stated. “Until we know, I suggest someone stay with Shannon at all times. Since the two of you are not speaking, that leaves Ralph. Unless you want me to see if one of my men can accidentally bump into her and ask her to dinner?”
No fucking way. The thought of another man with her, even just pretending to flirt, enraged me. Taking a closer look at Carlton, I caught the look in his eye. He was intentionally pushing my buttons. Not a fucking smart thing to do. But I had no problem doing the same. “Are you saying you and your men can’t handle watching her?” I asked.
Carlton’s nostrils flared with anger. “I’m saying that things are uncertain at the moment and it would be wise to keep a closer eye on her. My team will be watching as we have been. But Shannon is also unpredictable now, thanks to you. So, no, I don’t mind someone on the inside.”
It obviously couldn’t be me. But Shannon would go crazy with Ralph around all the time, too. That left only one person: Betsy.
“She has a friend I should be able to convince to go and spend time with her.”
“Without telling her about what is going on?” Carlton asked.
I nodded. “Yes. I’ll tell her I fucked up and hurt Shannon. Like a good friend, she’ll rush over there and lend a shoulder for her to cry on.”
“You know you’re putting the nail in your own coffin,” he said.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about Shannon,” I grunted.
“From what I saw while you two were in the mountains, I think if you came clean now, before things got any worse, you guys might have a chance.”
I chuckled. “If she was your sister, would you want her with me?” Carlton shook his head. “Me neither. So right now, let’s stay focused on making sure she doesn’t end up with that asshole Babboo.”
Carlton pulled out his phone and called Gabe, putting him on speakerphone. “Any update?”
Gabe responded, “We obtained an image from the satellite. Prince Babboo boarded the jet, but he was being escorted by the King’s private guards. My guess is he didn’t leave the country. We have not yet been able to determine where the prince was being taken. My sources on the inside do not believe it was the palace.”
“We need to find him so we know he’s no longer a threat,” I snapped.
Gabe replied, “There are a few scenarios that could play out. The King could announce what his son has done and strip him of his title, but that would also require a legal process, which the King may not want to involve in his…personal matters. The Prince could also renounce his rights to the throne voluntarily. Or Babboo might suddenly suffer a tragic accident.”
I knew which my preference was. As long as Babboo was free, Shannon wouldn’t be. “How long before we know which course of action the King will take?”
Gabe said, “That’s tricky to calculate. This is his son we’re talking about. If it was anyone else, I’d say we’d know within twenty-four hours.”
“What about the men Prince Babboo used to track Shannon? Will their actions cease?” I asked.
I could tell even Carlton wasn’t positive on that answer. “Each member of the royal family has their own personal security force. Not enough to overthrow a government or cause a war, but definitely enough to be concerned about.”
“That’s not an answer,” I snarled.
Gabe said, “If Babboo was given the opportunity to speak to his personal guards before he was detained, he might make one last move.”
“You mean, to snatch Shannon?” I asked.
“To retaliate for what he knows is a false accusation,” Gabe stated. “He might take one last shot at Shannon by making sure no one has her. He could also believe you’re the culprit behind this. After all you are a well-known software genius. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he set out to…harm you both. Right now we have to hope he’s been cut off from his security force and doesn’t gain access to them again.”
Fuck. “I’m not worried about myself.”
“You should be,” Gabe said. “Carlton, my brother Renzo and his team will take over watching Jace. Josh will still be working with your team to ensure Shannon’s safety.”
“Don’t waste your men on me,” I said firmly.
“Babboo will use you to get to Shannon. Keep that in mind before you send them away,” Gabe said.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! The only thing I could do to help was sit tight and stay out of the way. “I don’t like this one bit.” Relinquishing control wasn’t something I’d done since the first time Ralph Hamel wrecked my life. “You guys had better not let anything happen to her.”
“Trust us. This is what we do,” Carlton stated.
Great. Trust is the other issue I have.
Once I was back in my office, I was greeted by a very unhappy secretary. “Can I have a word with you?” She didn’t wait for me to say yes before she walked in and shut the door. Betsy didn’t even bother to take a seat. “What the hell did you do to her?”
Guess word gets around quick when you break someone’s heart.
“Betsy, I don’t want to discuss this with you. But you’re more than welcome to take the afternoon off and go see her.”
“You’re giving me time off? With pay?” she asked. I nodded. “Oh, God, you really must’ve screwed up to do that. She called me crying this morning and I knew it had to be about you. But she wouldn’t say. By the way, thanks for confirming that for me. I’m always right, you know. Well, I guess not. I thought you two would actually work out this time. I know she never stopped loving you, and I figured that if given the chance, you’d fall in love with her again, too. Damn, what a thing for me to be wrong about.”
“You knew she and I had been together before?” She nodded, and I knew I’d been played. Had Shannon been in on it from the start as well? Maybe she wasn’t as sweet and innocent as I thought. Or maybe I’m just looking for a flaw so I don’t feel so fucking guilty. “I’d have thought after all this time working for me, you’d have known what an asshole I am.”
“I do. But that’s business. When she talked about you, you seemed so…different. Heck, I almost thought she was talking about someone else. But one day she showed me a picture. Your hair was short and you weren’t as filled out, but I knew you were the same guy.”
“It’s not just my looks that changed. I’m not that guy anymore.”
“So I see. And unfortunately, so does Shannon. I guess I’ll take you up on your offer and go console my friend. Mind you, if your ears are burning, it’s because I’m trash-talking the hell out of you,” Betsy said, opening the door of my office. “And if what you did was really bad, I might need the entire week off.”
She shut the door behind her before I could answer. Whatever Shannon needs. A day, a week, a month. Just be there for her, since I can’t.
Chapter 17
Shannon
“I…think I’m dehydrated,” I said.
“Damn Jace for making you cry so much,” Betsy said, handing me a bottle of water. “I swear I’m going to send every annoying sales call directly to his office phone. Heck, I might even give them his personal number, too.”
Even though I felt like crap, Betsy had a way of making me laugh. “I would say that’s mean, but….”
Betsy said, “Trust me, I could do worse. Remember, I bring him his morning coffee.”
“God, don’t even say you’d poison him,” I blurted.
She looked shocked. “Never! But I might slip a bit of a laxative in there once in a while,” she giggled. “Treat my friend like shit, now you can enjoy having the shits.”
I was laughing so hard that I rolled over on my bed holding my stomach. “Oh, Betsy, you’re evil. I love it.”
“Som
eone has to look out for you.” Betsy’s tone got serious and she added, “I should’ve done that before. When I sent him to have dinner with you, I really thought magic was going to happen. And when I knew you were running off together for two weeks, well, I was already doing the victory dance. I just never saw this coming. Jace is a lot of things, but he’s usually so straightforward and says what he means, you know? He doesn’t normally play these types of games.”
When I learned that Jace owned his own business, I did some research on him. I just didn’t want to believe what I read. “Guess once you’re an uncontrollable bachelor, there’s no coming back.”
“Uncontrollable? Sadly, I have to agree with you now. He’s not the man I hoped he would be for you.”
Not even close.
“Who needs a man when I have friends like you?” I said.
“You need a man so we can double date. Did you know I wanted to have you and Jace over for dinner? I thought maybe we could eat, have some wine, play some games.”
“You do have other friends, Betsy. Why don’t you invite them over?” I asked.
She shrugged. “You’re my best friend.”
“Then as my friend, can you do me a favor?”
Betsy nodded. “Anything you need.”
“Can we please stop talking about Jace? I’m pretty much done with him.”
“Pretty much? That sounds like you haven’t totally decided. Is there a chance that the two of you will get back together?” she asked, failing at restraining her excitement.
I rolled my eyes. “In the medical field, we’re told never to say never. It leaves room for the unexplainable and miracles.” And it’s going to take a miracle for us to even speak again.
“I know you don’t want me to talk about him, but I saw what he looked like this morning. Damn, he looked like hell. So he isn’t happy, either. Maybe you’re not meant to be together, but I don’t think he wanted to hurt you.”
I knew that. Jace wasn’t a malicious person. But there was something going on and he didn’t trust me enough to talk to me about it. “Hurt comes in different forms, Betsy. He’s…a closed book. And a relationship takes two.”
“And sometimes a rocky road leads to a more beautiful spot.”
Although I didn’t enjoy my father lingering around, at least he wasn’t talking about Jace. My heart would never start to heal if I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Betsy was trying to cheer me up, but what she had accidentally done was plant a seed of hope. I had hope, but I wasn’t about to admit that to Betsy. She would just take that information and make it her personal mission to bring Jace and me back together. And if I know anything about the lengths Betsy goes to for friendship, she’d probably blackmail Jace into it.
“Don’t you have to be at work?” I said, trying to give her the hint I was done with this conversation.
She smiled. “Well, Jace was so worried about you he gave me the day off with pay. Actually told me I should come here and make sure you’re okay. I’m telling you, that man cares a lot about you.”
“I know,” I said feeling defeated. “Maybe he and I can try this again in another twelve years.”
“That might be a bit much. I hate to tell you, but your clock is ticking,” Betsy smiled. “And I’d love it if you and I could raise our families together.”
“Whoa. Who said anything about children?” Did I want them? Once upon a time, yes. But with my life as it is now? No way. I travel all the time and I’m…alone.
“You’re amazing with children. I know you’d be a wonderful mother. And I would need someone to show me the ropes. My husband said the only thing I’m good at is talking till someone falls asleep.”
I chuckled. “You know, he has a point. I’m tired already. Why don’t you let me rest and we can talk again tomorrow?”
“Or you can come over for dinner tonight,” Betsy said.
I glared at her. “No. Not going to happen. So don’t bother trying.”
Betsy tried playing all innocent. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I love you, Betsy, but you need to stop this. You’re not a matchmaker. Just be my…friend. That’s who I need right now,” I said softly.
As though the light finally went on, Betsy sat closer to me and put her arm around my shoulder. “You’re right. And I’m sorry.” After a minute she suggested, “Want to watch a movie and eat cake and ice cream all night like we used to before we started counting calories?”
I really just wanted to be alone. My father didn’t understand that and neither did Betsy. But if I was stuck with company tonight, Betsy was by far the better option. Forcing a smile, I said, “Make it a night of classic horror flicks and double fudge lava cake and you’re on.”
Hopefully a few scares and some laughter would be just enough of a distraction to give me a few hours off from being utterly miserable. Heck, I’ll be happy if I can go five minutes without missing what I thought we had.
Chapter 18
Shannon
I know I haven’t slept well, but I know what I saw. The same car had driven by my house four times in the last hour. Calling the police wouldn’t do any good, not if it was Prince Babboo. And what charges would they bring on him? Driving on the street wasn’t illegal.
No way could I just sit in the house and let Babboo torment me like this. My father was working in his study. He’d told me if I needed anything to just knock. But he didn’t know anything about Babboo. Did I really want to have the conversation, knowing it would likely end in an argument? In the meantime, Babboo was probably out there laughing at me, hoping I was scared.
I am scared. But these feelings of fear were just as likely to be the result of last night’s junk food and horror movie marathon with Betsy. Either way, there was a lot to be unsettled about. I know what I saw in the woods with Jace. I know what I see now. How to put a stop to it was a different story.
Betsy would be no help. She’d tell me to call the FBI, for goodness sake. I needed someone who could think under pressure without a long explanation on my part. There was only one person I could ask for help. But would he take my call? Guess I’m about to find out.
I dialed Jace’s number. It went directly to voicemail. That’s odd. Even if he was on another call, I should at least get four rings before his message. He could’ve blocked my number, but Jace wouldn’t do that. We’re fighting, but we don’t hate each other.
Holding my phone, I debated whether I should try again. He’d see my missed call, and if he wanted to talk to me, he could call back. That was simple enough. But I wasn’t calling just to say hi. I needed his advice, his guidance. I need him to tell me it’s going to be okay and Babboo can’t hurt me.
Sucking it up and swallowing my pride, I dialed his number a second time. He answered.
“Hey, Shannon, everything okay?”
Should I stick to casual conversation for a few minutes? What if, in those few minutes, Babboo made his move and showed up at the door? I didn’t have to answer it. But what if my father did? He might let him in not knowing who he was dealing with.
“Shannon, are you there?” he asked.
“Oh. Yes. Sorry. I’m… I…I need your help.”
“What’s wrong?”
“This is going to sound crazy, but…do you remember me telling you about Prince Babboo?”
“Of course. Why?”
“I think he’s here.”
“In your house?” his tone elevated. His concern was real. He believes me.
“Not in my house, but I’ve seen this car that keeps driving by. I…I don’t recall seeing it before and it’s going…slow. The driver is looking for something.” Or someone.
“I’ll be right there. Do not open that door for anyone but me, understood?” he said forcefully.
“I won’t. Please, Jace, hurry.” I didn’t want to panic him but something was about to go down. I could feel it deep in my gut. It was a horrible feeling.
With traffic in the city, I knew
it’d take him at least thirty minutes to get here. Until then, I wasn’t going anywhere near a door or window. The more I paced, the more anxious I became. Eventually, I went into the kitchen and pulled out a large knife. If anyone did come in to attack me, at least I would have something to defend myself.
The doorbell rang and I rushed to the door. Before opening it, I peeked out the window and saw Jace’s car parked directly out front. Thank God. I unlocked the door and opened it. He was barely inside when I let the knife fall to the floor and wrapped my arms tightly around him.
“Thank you for coming. I was so….scared,” I said.
My father must’ve wondered who was at the door, because for the first time today, he left his study. “What are you doing here? I told you I’d watch her,” he said.
I looked at my father quizzically. It seemed like he knew exactly who Jace was. It sounded like they had even talked. About me. That couldn’t be. Those two didn’t get along. Why would they be talking?
“I asked you a question, Jace, why are you here?” he demanded.
“He’s here because I asked him to come,” I interjected. “What did you mean, you’d watch me?” I asked.
“Don’t worry about that,” he said.
I turned to Jace and the scowl on his face said he was pissed at my father. “Tell me, Jace, what’s going on?” Would he be honest with me this time? Or would it be more secrets? For all I knew, it was my father he’d been talking to that day in the woods. But why?
“Maybe we should go and sit down.”
“Only if you’re going to tell me what’s going on. Otherwise, there’s the door,” I said firmly. I didn’t care how scared I was of Babboo, I needed to find out who I could trust.
“Jace, I’m warning you,” my father snapped.
Jace didn’t flinch. “Let’s go sit.”
Uncontrollable Bachelor (Bachelor Tower Series) Page 12
