Drop Dead Beautiful

by Jackie Collins

  This was not the way he had planned things at all. His original plan was very clear. They would come to the cabin together, spend a pleasant time talking about all the things they’d e-mailed to each other, and he would have found out plenty about her mother. Only then would he have decided what his next move would be. The way things were turning out was a completely different scenario.

  He wasn’t happy, and yet he wasn’t exactly sad. The girl was his. They were alone together. She was in his power, and Henry had never had anyone in his power before. It felt quite invigorating.

  Then he remembered her cousin locked in the outhouse. What was he supposed to do about him? He couldn’t let him starve to death.

  Perhaps he should drug him, but he hadn’t brought any drugs. Who’d have thought it would come to this?

  Kill him, a little voice whispered in his head. It’s the only way.

  Desperately trying not to panic, Max checked out the bathroom. There was a rusty old tub, a shallow sink, and a wooden toilet. That was it. High up was one tiny window, too small to wriggle through.

  This was a crazy situation, completely insane. She’d actually been abducted! Was she dreaming? Was this some kind of out-of-control nightmare? If it was, she hoped she’d wake up soon.

  Once again she wondered if Cookie and Harry had anything to do with this. Then she thought no, it was impossible.

  Gingerly she climbed on top of the wooden toilet making a vain attempt to pry open the tiny window.

  It wouldn’t shift, the window was totally jammed.

  “Crap,” she muttered, jumping down, running the tap, and quickly peeing.

  He knocked on the door. “Are you coming out?” he asked.

  “I’m never coming out, you pervert,” she yelled back, pulling up her jeans.

  “Then I shall have to come in,” he said, opening the door and walking in. “I should look at your ankle,” he said. “Is it sore?”

  “You’re only going to manacle me again, so why bother?” she said, tossing back her long dark hair.

  “Not if you make me a promise that you won’t go anywhere,” he replied, marveling at her beauty.

  “You put a fucking leg iron on me,” she said accusingly. “How could you do that?”

  “Kindly control your language, young lady,” he said, thinking how pleasant it would be if she would only stop swearing.

  “I ain’t no lady, mister,” she answered, staring at him defiantly. “And you ain’t no gentleman.”

  Taking her arm he led her back into the bedroom.

  “Do you realize what you’re doing?” she said, her voice rising. “You’ve kidnapped me, forced me to come here with you at gunpoint. That’s a federal offense, mister, and when they catch you they’ll lock you up and throw away the key.”

  “They’ll never catch me,” Henry said confidently, quite enjoying this exchange of words.

  “Where’s Ace?” she demanded, changing tactics. “What have you done with my cousin?”

  “He’s perfectly safe,” Henry said, once more shackling her ankle to the leg of the bed.

  “How do I know that?”

  “Because I’m telling you.”

  “Ha! Big deal. I bet my family is looking for me and him, so you’d better let us go, otherwise you’re gonna be in major fucking trouble.”

  “You’re a very pretty girl with a very dirty mouth,” Henry remarked, pursing his thin lips. “Your mother should wash it out with soap.”

  “What’re you, from another century?” she said scornfully. He didn’t like the fact that she was so aggressively verbal. Surely she could sense that he wasn’t about to hurt her? Surely she knew they were destined to be together?

  Chapter 35

  After an hour of sitting at the roulette table Brigette was up several thousand dollars. There was nothing like a winning streak to make a girl smile. Bobby kept running off to the crap table, then coming back to check on how she was doing.

  “Roulette’s an idiot’s game—how come you’re winning?” he asked, hovering over her shoulder.

  “I know,” she said, blue eyes gleaming. “I keep on putting a stack of chips on eleven, and can you believe it’s come up three times!”

  “Way to go, Brig.”

  “Oh, yes.”

  “Didn’t realize you were such a gambler.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You could’ve fooled me.”

  “Do you mind?” she said, placing more chips across the table. “You’re disturbing my concentration.”

  “Don’t go losing it all.”

  “No intention of doing that.”

  “And don’t pick up any guys,” he added, observing that quite a few men lurking around the table had their eyes on her. It was a given. She was undeniably hot.

  “Why not, Bobby?” she asked innocently, as if she were totally unaware of the kind of attention she was attracting.

  “ ’Cause I’m the one who’s watching out for you today— after all, I am your big, bad uncle.”

  “Surely you mean my little uncle,” she contradicted, grinning at him. “Let’s not forget you’re nine years younger than me, Bobby.”

  “Okay, so I’m your little uncle who’s keeping a close eye on his smokin’ niece.”

  “Shh … you’re messing with my luck,” she said, busily placing even more chips around the table.

  The wheel started spinning. Once again her number came up. She let out a whoop of delight.

  “Wow!” Bobby whispered in her ear. “A few thousand dollars certainly turns you on.”

  “You’re right,” she said, excitedly scooping in her winning stack of chips. “ ’Cause this is my money, Bobby. I didn’t inherit it from anybody. Made it all myself.”

  “How about cashing in and we go get a drink?”

  “I’d sooner have something to eat.”

  “We can do that too,” he said. “Go on, Brig, make a move before you lose it all back.”

  “If you insist,” she sighed, reluctantly pushing her stacks of chips back toward the croupier.

  “I was thinking I could take you for a pizza at Spago,” Alex suggested, willing her to say yes, because how often did he get a chance to be alone with Lucky?

  “Is that what you were thinking?” Lucky said, shuffling through a pile of change orders from various contractors.

  “You’re finished signing, aren’t you?”

  “I guess, but there’s other things I should go over,” she answered vaguely.

  “Now?”

  “Well …” she said, hesitating for a moment. “I suppose I could do everything on Monday when I come back.”

  “Go eat,” Mooney encouraged, letting out a discreet burp. “Have fun while you’re here. Go toss a few coins in a slot machine.”

  “Do I look like a slot machine kind of girl?” Lucky said dryly.

  Mooney roared with laughter.

  “Okay, Alex,” Lucky said. “I can always find time for a pizza.” She turned to Mooney. “Why don’t you take a break and come with us?”

  “Gonna pass,” Mooney said. “Too much to do, but I’ll drive you over.”

  Ten minutes later Mooney dropped them off at Caesars, where they made their way to the outside patio at Spago.

  “This is a quite a coincidence,” Lucky said after they were seated. “Both of us in Vegas at the same time.” She took a long beat before adding, “You wouldn’t be stalking me, would you, Alex?”

  “Sure,” he answered, quite amused. “I’m stalking you, Lucky. Got nothing better to do with my time.”

  “Sending me notes too?”

  “Notes?”

  “ ‘Drop Dead Beautiful.’”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’ve been getting a series of notes delivered to my house. Could be an invitation to something, but Bobby thinks I should have someone look into it.”

  “Wanna tell me about it?”

  “I just did.”

  A young wait
er came over, handed them both menus, and took their drink orders.

  “What exactly do the notes say?” Alex asked, after ordering a Bloody Mary.

  “That’s it,” Lucky said. “Short and simple—’Drop Dead Beautiful.’”

  “Sounds like a movie. In fact, I think there was a movie with that title.”

  “The thing that’s a bit odd is that the notes are hand-delivered to my house,” Lucky said, picking up a glass of water and taking a sip.

  “What does your security guard say?”

  “I gave up guards a couple of years ago. Didn’t want to live like that, nor do I want my children thinking they have to be protected.”

  “No?”

  “Definitely no. I’ve hired security for Gino’s party, but other than that I want to be able to get in my car and go places without being followed and watched.”

  “Y’know, Lucky,” Alex said thoughtfully, “you have a big reputation and a ton of money. You should have security.”

  “Don’t need it, Alex.”

  “Okay,” he said, picking up the menu. “Let’s talk pizza. What you got in mind?”

  “I’m thinking smoked salmon,” she said, relieved he was dropping it.

  “I’m thinking I’ll join you,” he said, snapping his fingers for their waiter.

  After they’d ordered, Lucky sat back and took a long look at Alex. He was aging well—in fact, he looked better now in his late fifties than ever. He was super smart, very attractive, and extraordinarily talented. She wondered why no woman had been able to lure him into marriage.

  “Where’s Ling?” she asked casually.

  “Ling doesn’t fly well,” he responded.

  “You know, Alex,” she said, fingering the rim of her water glass, “you should get married. You need a woman to look after you.”

  “Yeah,” he answered, giving her a look. “And who do you think that woman should be?”

  “Haven’t given it any thought,” she said offhandedly.

  “Apparently you have.”

  “No.”

  “No?” he said disbelievingly.

  “I do have a few things on my mind other than your marital status,” she said, fishing her sunglasses out of her purse and putting them on.

  “Yeah,” Alex drawled sarcastically. “It’s bright in here, isn’t it?”

  “Fuck you,” Lucky responded, trying not to smile, because she had to admit that Alex knew her so well. He even knew that whenever she felt uncomfortable she hid behind her shades.

  “Anytime,” he said, half smiling. “All you have to do is name a time and a place.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she said, finally laughing.

  “And she finds me an object of amusement,” he said dryly.

  The waiter delivered their drinks to the table—a Bloody Mary for Alex, Perrier for Lucky.

  “This is nice,” Alex said, picking up his drink.

  “What’s nice?”

  “You and me sitting here enjoying some time together, just the two of us.”

  “This is hardly a date,” Lucky pointed out. “So don’t try making it into one. We’re good friends who happened to run into each other.”

  “Good friends who are never alone anymore.”

  “Anymore, Alex?” Lucky said, raising an eyebrow.

  “When we were making Seduction we had plenty of alone time,” Alex reminded her. “I remember it well.”

  “Sure,” Lucky said lightly. “Us and a crew of hundreds.”

  “I guess you’re choosing to forget all the time we spent in the editing rooms?”

  “Why do you think I wasn’t prepared to make another movie with you?” she said flippantly.

  “Don’t be like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you don’t feel that there’s anything between us.”

  “Alex,” Lucky said impatiently. “I’ve told you this before, there can’t be anything between us.”

  “Because of Lennie?”

  “I love Lennie, you know that. How many times do I have to tell you?”

  He sighed. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to say to you.”

  “Please don’t,” she said, drumming her fingers on the table. “I don’t want to hear it.”

  “I’m going to.”

  “No, Alex, you’re not,” she said firmly.

  Before he could reply, Bobby and Brigette strolled into view.

  Lucky immediately waved them over to the table, delighted to create a distraction.

  “Alex,” Brigette exclaimed, flushed from her recent win. “Haven’t seen you in ages.”

  “It’s been a long time,” Alex agreed, standing up. “And look at you, Bobby, I hear you’re running the hottest club in New York.”

  “Tell my mom,” Bobby said wryly. “I’m not sure she believes me.”

  “Sit down, join us,” Lucky said quickly. “We’re about to have smoked salmon pizza.”

  “Delicious!” Brigette exclaimed. “I’m starving!”

  “Then we shall order two more,” Lucky said, signaling their waiter.

  Alex threw her a look. “Of all the joints in Vegas they had to pick this one,” he murmured ruefully. “Timing’s everything, huh?”

  Lucky nodded. “It sure is.”

  And once again they exchanged an oh-so-intimate smile.

  Chapter 36

  When Internet Freak returned later that day with a tray of food and a bottle of water, Max was ready for him. She’d had all afternoon to think about what she was going to say.

  “You should know that I’m only sixteen,” she announced, making a desperate attempt to let the creep know how young she was. Maybe, just maybe, it might convince him to release her. “When I told you I was eighteen,” she continued, “I was lying. And another thing, I never mentioned to my mom that I was meeting some strange guy, and when she finds out I’m missing, she’ll major freak!”

  “But you’re not missing,” Henry said patiently. “You’re here with me. You’re perfectly safe.”

  Unexpected tears filled her eyes. This dude was a looney and she couldn’t take much more of this insane situation. “I’m not safe,” she shouted, forcing her tears to go away. “I’m your fucking prisoner. You’ve kept me locked up here since last night. YOU’VE GOT TO LET ME GO!”

  “Eventually,” Henry said, quite composed.

  Eventually. What did that mean?

  Gotta stay strong, she told herself. It’s not smart to show weakness. Ever since she was a little girl, Lucky had drilled into her that girls can do anything. Lucky’s mantras: Be strong. Kick ass when necessary. Never give in.

  Well, there was no way she was giving in to this creepo loser with his weaselly face and psycho lifeless eyes.

  Taking a deep breath, she glared angrily at her captor. “Where’s Ace?” she demanded. “Why are you keeping us apart?”

  “That is not your concern,” he said.

  “Yes it is,” she argued, still glaring at him. “Where is he?”

  “I sent him away.”

  “No you didn’t.”

  “Yes I did.”

  It suddenly occurred to her that Ace and Internet Freak might be in cahoots. It was very possible that Ace was part of the plan and that’s why he wasn’t around. Of course. It was all so obvious. He’d sent Ace to soften her up and then pounced. How stupid was she to fall for it?

  She shivered uncontrollably.

  “Are you cold?” Henry asked, sounding concerned.

  “I’m uncomfortable,” she complained. “You’d better undo this thing on my ankle ’cause it really hurts.”

  “If I do, you’ll try to run. But I should warn you that there is nowhere to run to. We are in an isolated spot surrounded by woods, and you would be very foolish to attempt to leave.”

  “I won’t run,” she lied.

  “Can I trust you?”

  “Do I look like an idiot?”

  He produced the key and undid the shackle.

&nb
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