Billion Dollar Hearts (Inconguity Series Book 3)

by Thandiwe Mpofu

  As I move to get the lamp that sits atop a little table along the corridor, I catch another figure, this one much taller and more built. As I move closer, as quietly as I can, I look straight ahead and there is something very familiar about the taller figure. I feel like I know that person and as I move closer, I watch as the taller figure, a man by the looks of it, hovers over the other smaller, more demure figure, it’s a woman.

  The two are lip locked in a heated frenzy of passion. In my house? What the fuck. As I am about to say something, they move and I realize that it’s fucking Max and he is busy ravaging the good doctor who, in all intents and purposes, I had forgotten was here. Max has her pinned to a wall, and the low moans and groans have me clearing my throat.

  They quickly pull apart, a guilty expression falling over Samantha’s face while Max just gives me a wink. He knew I was there. I wonder if Chloe knows about this. I must say, I’m not in the least bit surprised, Max is a smooth talker and can get any woman in his bed but I wasn’t expecting him to lose his focus at such a crucial point and with none other than Chloe’s best friend.

  “Well, good evening.” I say after an awkward pause. I watch as Chloe’s best friend looks up at me and then immediately look away.

  “You must be Doctor Samantha, Chloe’s best friend.” I say extending my hand towards her. It’s interesting how I have known about her but haven’t officially met her until now.

  “Yes, yes and you are The Gideon Black huh?” She questions, she looks flustered but I catch the sharp assessing perusal of her gaze. She isn’t a pushover, I can see that.

  “It’s nice to finally meet you.” I say after a while, watching her study me.

  “I can’t say the same.” She bites out and that’s when I see the anger in her eyes. She is worried. Worried for her friend and she definitely doesn’t approve of me but I can’t help it. I don’t need anyone’s approval when it comes to Charlotte.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way.” I say, shooting Max a glance. “But I wanted to thank you for what you did for my men and Chloe.” I say quietly.

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t do it for you.” She says but the fight has left her voice now. “I really tried you know, but there was nothing I could. . .”

  “It’s okay, baby” Max cuts in, sliding his hand around her waist and kissing her temple, “We all know you did your best.” He says.

  I’m shocked at the tenderness in Max’s face and the worry lines etched around his face. Max is a love em and leave em type of guy. He has never been serious about any girl. Not since Hayley. This is not going to end well, but I hold my tongue, watching them for a few seconds.

  “Max is right, I saw him for myself. There wasn’t much that could be done.” I say, offering whatever comfort that I can at this moment.

  “Yeah well, if you would excuse me, I’m going off to bed. It’s been a long thirty-two hours.” She says, shooting me one last look, she turns into the right hallway and disappears into one of the guest bedrooms.

  “Well then.” I say and then begin walking towards the security bunker in the east wing.

  “It’s not what you think, it was a dare.” He explains with a chuckle. I shoot him a look and watch as a remembered memory plays behind his eyes. Inside joke I guess.

  “Don’t hurt her.” I warn.

  “Relax, she hates my guts.” He says, now with a scowl on his face as if it’s hard to believe that his charms don’t work on all girls.

  “Don’t you dare say a word.” He warns as I let a low chuckle, lifting my hands in surrender. “I’m surprised to see you though. Thought you would still be with Chloe.” Max says as he keeps stride with me.

  “Believe me, this is the last thing I want to be doing but I don’t have any choice.” I respond, choosing to ask about the good doctor another time.

  “Yeah, it’s pretty darn bad.” Max says, his voice now serious, not a single note of humor in sight.

  “What have you got?” I question as he punches in the various codes of the security bunker, pressing his hand for scanning and then the door opens.

  “A little less than you’d like but I believe it’s more than we need to go on with.”

  “What happened?” I demand as soon as we are in the bunker and I notice Tom and Peter standing around the middle of the room, each tense and ready, with impassive expressions on both their faces.

  As soon as I utter my question, Max who was just now scowling transforms into the lethal machine that he is, instantly becoming the high alert killer that I know him to be.

  “It was a setup.”

  “That’s an understatement.” I grumble.

  Something like this didn’t take days to plan, it took a good while and whoever is behind this has more pull over a lot of people to organize it the way they did.

  “I managed to get footage from around the area where the incident happened.” Tom comes forward and I prepare myself for the worst but as I look up at him, I notice the grave expression on his face.

  “I thought footage the was erased?” I question.

  “I erased it, but before I could, I made copies.” He informs.

  “How many cameras were around that area?” I question, something I should have known way before but again, I wasn’t paying attention.

  “Four. And before you ask, they were installed eight months ago.” Max informs, typing in something at his station.

  “Any street cameras? CCTV footage, ATMs?” I question.

  “Just one, and I also wiped it clean.” Tom responds.

  “Did you check for license plates?” Max questions Tom.

  “Yes. Stolen plates.” Tom answers, annoyed now at the situation no doubt.

  “All of this is gone right?” I question Tom as I accept the tablet.

  “Yes, it was all erased. All of the hotel’s CCTV cameras facing outside the building were wiped clean.” He explains what I already thought.

  I tap on the little triangle, the footage starts playing and I watch as John comes through a door, walking fast to the direction of the car that I can see in the footage but he isn’t aware of the two large men that follow behind him, putting silencers on their guns.

  The room is silent as we all watch the footage, watching as John enters the car but before he can close the door, they gun him down.

  “I want face recognition of these assholes.” I demand.

  “It’s running.” Tom answers while we keep watching.

  I watch as Fred comes through the same door a few minutes later and comes to a dead stop. I can see Chloe’s head as she crushes into Fred’s back and there is obviously someone behind her. Sam.

  I watch woodenly as all the events play out like a damn accident that I know is happening but I can’t keep my eyes away from it. After it ends, I replay the footage again, growing tenser and angrier. At the scene when Chloe is being injected by something, I pause.

  “That was when they gave her the drug.” Tom says.

  I nod my head, my jaw achingly tight and then zoom in to the face of the goons around the alleyway. One of the men holding Fred is directly into the light.

  “Zoom into that and enhance the image.” I point out to Max who types away and we all turn to the large screen.

  “There, right there. What’s that marking on his left wrist?” I question.

  “It looks like a tattoo of some kind.” Max points out.

  “It’s a snake.” Pater interjects and I look at him, watching as his gaze hardens looking at the man holding Fred.

  “Alice?”

  “It was some kind of rattlesnake.” Tom informs.

  “Not just any snake. That was an eastern diamondback rattlesnake.” Peter says.

  “The same drawing that was tattooed on that guy.” Max says, connecting the dots now.

  “And that guy we captured at Chloe’s apartment.” Tom says as he starts typing away on his own tablet.

  “You are a genius, silent and brooding British god.” Max exclaims to Peter as he furi
ously types away at the computer. “I bet all my money that this is. . .”

  “The syndicate.” I say. Fuck.

  “So why send a snake to Alice’s house?” Max questions.

  “To serve as a warning. I’ve seen this before, while I worked for the MI6. This symbol of the snake is used by the syndicate as a warning to anyone who crosses them. To let them know that they are coming.”

  “Oh, shit fuck.” Max swears. “Now they have dragged families into this too!”

  “As far as I understand, this whole thing is also about families. There is a cobweb there. Why do you think Caleb hates his father so much?” Tom points out.

  “Shit.” Max replies. My sentiments exactly.

  “We have our marching orders then, gentleman.” I say to each of them and then proceed to hash out the plan.

  “One more thing.” Max says after I’m done.

  “Yes?”

  “It turns out Lorenzo was already in NYC way before the gala and it looks like he was he looking for something—and whatever it is, it is either a direct threat or an ally or else he wouldn’t be here.” Tom informs as he begins tapping away on his own monitor.

  “Giovanni Lorenzo, I presume?” I say.

  “Yes, apparently, his presence here was not known by his son obviously or by Demetri himself. I did some digging and found something that will confuse this plot even further.” He solemnly says as he passes on his tablet to me.

  I look down at the grainy image that stares at me, screaming at me.

  “This doesn’t make any sense.” I mumble but Tom might have heard me because he nods his agreement. On the tablet is an image of who I think is Giovanni Lorenzo shaking hands with none other than Lawrence Harvey.

  “When was this taken?” I demand.

  “A few days before the gala. If I was to guess, I think this was the night of your birthday.” Max points out.

  I look at the image closer. Why would Lawrence Harvey be shaking hands with a slime like Giovanni unless he is already in his back pockets?

  “Take a look at his accounts. I want to know how much he is making, where he is spending it and who funds it. Get me eyes on him.”

  “Already in place. He’s been indoors since the gala.”

  “Looks like he is hiding.” Max suggests.

  “Or was told to lay low...” I say, mulling over the facts.

  “Well shit, that means we are in the eye of a damn shit storm.” Max points out while simultaneously types away.

  Whatever is going on, this is just the beginning. I can feel it in my bones, my instincts are screaming at me to keep Chloe as far away from all of this as I can. There is an incessant need in me to keep this away from her as much as possible but that isn’t an option anymore.

  “What happened to Lorenzo, both of them?” I question.

  “With you being carted away by the damn FBI and the whole Fred, John and Chloe situation, they managed to slip away through the cracks. Somehow, I think they knew they are being watched, and thus they organized all of those events to keep us occupied.” Max explains.

  “That then means they are watching us.”

  Oh hell.

  “I want a clean sweep through of this entire house, send another crew to the apartment as well as Chloe’s place. And the good doctor’s apartment. There is a rat somewhere.”

  “Oh, we know all about dealing with rats.” Max smiles sardonically.

  Chapter 10

  Chloe

  I wake up feeling every inch of me deliciously sore and really used. Gideon took me hard last night, pushing me way further than I knew how to deal with but somehow, I craved every moment of his cruel touch and the pleasure-pain of his mind fuckery.

  I really don’t know what that says about me nor do I want to analyze it too deeply.

  I know he is already gone before I even open my eyes to confirm that. He isn’t even in the room, judging by the absence of forceful, potent energy that I have come to associate as belonging to the man who fucked me so good, I’m getting wet just thinking of the look on his face when he came in me.

  Fuck, this wasn’t in my plans. I wasn’t supposed to be here, in this bed, craving the touch of a man who lights up my fuse as easily as if he knows just how to get me going. Then again, he knows how to control the fire, is well versed in the art of it even.

  I get up and use the bathroom, then hop in the large shower stall in the bathroom. I discovered yesterday that this is the master bedroom of the entire house and it belongs to Gideon, of course. It seems like everyone thinks I belong to him and therefore I need to stay in my place.

  Not sure if I should be irritated or thrilled about that fact. A man like Gideon can’t be had and he isn’t exactly a safe option and that’s what I know I need. I need something—someone—safe. But even as I think that, I know Gideon has already ruined me for any other option that I once thought possible. I want him, even when I don’t want to be near him. I love him, even when I know I’m not ready for a man like him.

  I shower quickly, using Gideon’s shower gels that smell a little like him but I know that tantalizing scent on him cannot be made by chemicals, that’s his body chemistry. As if he was designed to lure in women, to make them want him so desperately.

  I dry up and walk out of the large bathroom—ignoring the bruises I notice in the mirror as I go—in search of something comfortable to wear. I walk into his walk-in closet that’s well stocked and select one of his black thick and soft cotton t-shirts that falls to my mid thighs. I don’t have underwear, a fact that Sam smirked at me about. I guess that slit in my sexy evening dress from two nights ago was not such a magical idea after all. I open a lot of drawers looking for Gideon’s boxer briefs, finding them on my third try. And just like everything Gideon, these boxer briefs are also high quality, made with the finest silk no doubt.

  As soon as I’m done, I make sure my hair is brushed and then I’m on my way to hunt for Gideon. I need answers and we damn well need to talk.

  As I walk, I hear a low murmuring of voices that grows louder with each step I take, so I follow the direction of which the voices are coming from. I go down the stairs coming to a stop when I notice the dining room table is laid out with all types of breakfast foods. There are bagels, cold meats, fruit, scrambled eggs on a platter and all sorts of foods.

  “Well good morning sunshine.” Sam calls out when she spots me first. I look up from the table and notice her coming towards me with a huge smile on her face.

  “Morning.” I say to her, watching as Tom, Max and I think Peter, place more dishes on the large table. What’s going on?

  “It’s breakfast time silly.” Sam replies. I guess I said that out loud. “Come on, you need to eat because you haven’t eaten a thing since. . . you know, when you got drugged, so come on.” Sam grabs my hand pulling me towards the table.

  “There she is!” It’s then that I notice another figure in the room, as she saunters over to me with a huge, bright smile on her face.

  “Alice! I didn’t know you were here.” I say as she engulfs me in a bear hug. It’s so good to see her and in the short time I’ve known her, I’ve grown to like her. It’s a wonder that someone like her went through the whole Craig incident, I know if it was me, I wouldn’t have such a bright personality. Sometimes the ordeals we face in love are too tragic to get past, yet here she is, dressed to the nines in office attire with an apron on top?

  “What’s with the apron?” I enquire, with a raised eyebrow.

  “Oh this, somebody had to make breakfast for this lot. Your best friend can’t cook for shit.” Alice says with a laugh, shooting Sam a look who is already chowing down a piece of toast.

  “I never said I knew how to, I just said I could keep you company.” She says after swallowing, making both Alice and I roll our eyes.

  “No really, what are you doing here?” I question Gideon’s sister once more. I didn’t think she knew about all this. . . war things going on.

  “Somebody
had to bail my brother out.” She says looking over my shoulder but I already knew he was there. The forceful energy that embodies him embracing me with his proximity. “And also, I seem to have been dragged into this as well.”

  “What?” I question. Can this get any worse?

  “I got a lovely surprise yesterday morning, something I couldn’t ignore if I tried. Which is why I’m hoping that whatever the hell is going on will be sorted out soon.” She says

  “It will. Soon.” I know there is nothing I can say to her to ease the fear I see in her eyes, but she is one hell of a brave woman for keeping her head high in the face of all this.

  Gideon comes in through the double doors, his beautiful eyes already on me. It’s the way he looks at me that makes me tingle inside and for some reason, I blush and can’t keep his stare. I look away but I can still feel his gaze on me, as if he is undressing me right there with our friends present.

  “You were already charged?” I demand, looking at him as his gaze begins to heat me up in places that I don’t want to think about at the moment.

  “Hardly. I was handling it just fine?” Gideon rumbles out, giving his sister a look to which she just smirks and winks at him.

  “No, no dear brother. Check your ego, Chloe also needs space to breathe in this room.” And with that everyone bursts out laughing but Gideon isn’t amused. I can’t help but let out a small chuckle until he shoots me a look of displeasure and then I really let loose on my laugh. It’s oddly fulfilling to ruffle Gideon’s feathers.

  “You know, I think that Law degree went to your head.” Gideon mutters under his breath but we all heard him.

  “Oh please, without me, you would still be in that dingy interrogation room. I would say my law degree is the best thing to happen, considering the circumstances.” She says as she pours a cup of coffee, adds half and half with three sugars, and then passes it on to me with another wink my way.