by Sherri Hayes
“Of course he is. You still love him, right?”
I glanced up, meeting her gaze. “Always.”
She smiled. “That’s what I thought.”
The sound of a car pulling up outside caused us both to look toward the door.
“Cal’s back with the pizza. You gonna come join us in the living room? We can put in a movie.”
The mention of pizza and a movie instantly reminded me of Stephan. My hand went to my neck, and I pressed back more firmly against the headboard. “I’m not hungry.”
“You sure? I can bring some pizza in here for you if you want?”
“I’m sure.”
Jade stared at me for a long minute before getting up and going to the door. She stopped and turned, her hand on the doorknob. “We’ll be out here if you change your mind.”
I didn’t respond. Instead, I rolled over on my side and stared out into the darkness, allowing the pain in my chest to grow until tears welled up in my eyes. Just as every other night since I’d left Stephan’s home, I cried myself to sleep.
Chapter 3
Stephan
I unlocked the bottom right-hand drawer of my desk and retrieved the picture I had hidden away under a stack of financial reports. It was the one of Brianna I used to keep on my desk. That first week after Brianna left was one of the hardest of my life. Every reminder I found of her around my house caused me some level of pain. It was hard to believe so much time had already gone by. August was drawing to a close. She’d been gone for sixty-five days. It felt like years, and since neither the press nor Agent Marco appeared to be letting up, it was hard to tell how long we would have to be apart.
To be safe, and completely without Oscar’s prompting or knowledge, I’d enlisted Logan’s, Lily’s, and even Daren’s help in dismantling my playroom and removing all my toys. If a warrant was issued to search my home, discovering my kinky side would only work against me. Logan arranged to store everything with a fellow Dom he trusted, someone I had no connection with. It was better that way.
When I’d sat down at my desk on my first day back to work after Brianna left, my gaze had fallen on the picture of her in her beautiful gown. I’d known I would have to remove it, had known I should give it to Lily to put with the rest of my things, but I couldn’t do it. I needed to have something of her, so I kept it tucked out of sight. It was the only way I had hope of getting any work done. At least I knew it was nearby if I needed it, like I did today.
No one but me had a key to my desk, and it would be harder for the authorities to get a warrant to go through my office than it would be my home. Brianna had only been inside this building twice, and both of those times had been brief. I was hoping that was enough to keep Agent Marco and his minions away from the foundation—and my desk. Besides, it wasn’t as if I could deny I knew her. She’d accompanied me to a charity event and had been photographed with me by her side.
I leaned back in my chair, holding her picture. She was beautiful in the purple dress Lily had picked out for her to wear. Her hair was pulled back away from her face, showcasing my collar around her neck.
A lot had changed that night. Karl Walker had shown his true colors and given me a reason to fire him. Ross had reentered her life, something I had never viewed as a positive thing—however, I was glad with everything that had happened in the last two months that she’d had somewhere she felt safe enough to go. I’d also learned the details of what had happened between her and Daren that night he’d first met her—details that still haunted my relationship with Daren. Although, since everything started hitting the fan, he’d proved himself a true friend and stuck by my side.
It hadn’t taken long for my name to be leaked to the media. Jamie had called my cell phone a little after nine on Tuesday morning to say the phone lines were being flooded with calls from various news outlets. There were also reporters in the lobby, wanting to interview anyone who had something to say about me.
Tom had called from downstairs a few hours later saying he’d had to kick a few reporters out of the building, but that they were camped out on the sidewalk with cameras. I’d called Oscar and let him know what was going on. He wasn’t all that surprised. Apparently John hadn’t stopped talking since he’d been arrested, and people, at least the local police and media, were listening. They’d already subpoenaed my bank records along with some preliminaries for the foundation. They knew I had paid Ian a large sum of money. At this point, that was all they knew for certain.
With only one more week left in August, not much had changed since that first week. John was still in custody and not likely to see freedom for a very long time, if ever. In his eagerness to point the finger at me, he’d also said enough about his own involvement to seal his fate. The state of Minnesota didn’t look kindly on men who sold their daughters into slavery to pay for their gambling debts. As soon as the story broke, his hometown of Two Harbors had organized a special election to remove him as sheriff. He was now rotting in a jail cell while he awaited trail, and I hoped he stayed there for the rest of his miserable life.
Ian Pierce was also in custody. Oscar had turned over the information Michael had found regarding the missing girl. With the money trail we’d provided, and the timing, they’d had enough to hold him. He was a flight risk, and they weren’t taking the chance on him leaving the country.
The intercom on my phone buzzed, and I reluctantly put away the picture of Brianna before answering Jamie. “Yes, Jamie?”
“There’s a woman here to see you. She says she’s a friend of yours. Sarah Evans.” Jamie’s voice came through the phone with a cold professionalism. She’d never said anything to me directly, but I knew her view of me had changed. She wasn’t alone. Most of the people I worked with now looked at me with uncertainty. They didn’t know what to believe, and I couldn’t exactly blame them.
Hearing Sarah was here, though, brightened my day considerably. “Thank you, Jamie. You can send her in.” Sarah had sent me an e-mail a few days ago saying she was coming to town. I’d expected her tomorrow or maybe Saturday. Her showing up in the middle of the week piqued my curiosity. She hadn’t said why she was coming, just that she was.
Three light taps sounded against my door before it opened. Sarah smiled when she saw me and stepped inside my office, closing the door behind her. Her long brown hair was swept up in some sort of high ponytail. She was pretty, but then again, she always had been.
She took two long strides toward me before stopping and placing her hands on her hips. “You’ve gotten yourself in quite a mess, haven’t you?”
I gave a half laugh. It was just like Sarah not to beat around the bush. Most people who met her would never guess she was a submissive. Outside the bedroom, Sarah tended to radiate confidence and control.
I stood and walked around my desk to stand in front of her. “Did you come all this way to tell me how stupid I am?”
Sarah placed her hands on my shoulders. “Hardly. I know you, Stephan, and I figured you could use all the friends you could get right now.”
Taking a deep breath, I sighed and pulled her in for a hug. “How long are you in town?”
She pulled back and looked me in the eye. “As long as you need me.”
“You don’t—”
“You’d do it for me.”
She was right. I would.
“See. That wasn’t so hard.”
This time, I did laugh.
Sarah glanced over at the couch and then pulled me over to sit down. “So tell me. How are you doing? Really.”
I sighed. “As well as can be expected, considering.”
She looked toward the door, then back at me. “Your assistant didn’t seem too crazy about my being here.”
“It’s not you. This whole thing with the media has been trying on her. She’s the one who has to field all those calls and say ‘no comment’ all day long. I’m sure you passed through the maze of reporters on your way into the building.”
Sarah sat back on
the couch and folded her arms. “They’re vultures. As soon as I stepped inside, they were surrounding me, wanting to know who I was.” She glanced down at her designer clothing, then back up at me, smirking. “I guess maybe I shouldn’t have dressed so nice to come see you today. Perhaps a burlap sack would have been better.”
“I’m not sure even that would have been enough.”
Neither one of us said anything for several minutes. “You look tired.”
I leaned my head against the back of the couch and closed my eyes. “I haven’t been sleeping very well lately. I’m fine, though.”
“How long has it been since you slept through an entire night?”
I opened one eye to look at her. What was this, an inquisition?
“Don’t give me that look. You’re not my Dom anymore.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Apparently you do. How long?”
Leveling my gaze at her, I took in her posture. She held her shoulders back and had that look on her face as if she were about to go to battle. Maybe she was.
I sat forward, running a hand quickly through my hair. What difference did it make if she knew or not? “A couple months.”
“Is it because of that girl? The one they say you kidnapped?”
I didn’t respond, and apparently, that was answer enough for Sarah. She cocked her head to the side and watched me for what felt like a very long time. “You care about her.”
It wasn’t a question, so again I didn’t bother with an answer. Sarah knew me well. She’d been my submissive for a little more than a year. We’d shared a lot of things together, but one thing we’d never shared was love. Our arrangement had been one of friendship and mutual gratification. Neither of us had been under any illusion that it was more than that. When she’d graduated and moved away, there had been no hard feelings. We’d known the relationship was temporary, and that had suited us both at the time.
“Do you love her?”
I opened my mouth to reply, but no sound came out. The answer was simple. Yes, I loved Brianna. I always would. Things were complicated now, however. And even though my feelings for Brianna weren’t in question—at least for me—I didn’t know if I should share them with anyone. It didn’t have anything to do with trust. I trusted Sarah. The reality, however, was that if worst came to worst and I was charged, Sarah and anyone else who knew me could be called to testify. For their own safety, I had to keep things to myself.
Luckily, my cell phone started ringing, giving me an excuse not to answer her. I looked at the caller ID. It was Oscar. “Hello?”
“Are you able to come by my office today?”
I glanced over at Sarah, who was waiting not so patiently beside me. “Sure. When do you need me there?”
“As soon as possible. Emma called. She wants to talk to the two of us.”
Before I knew it, I was on my feet. Sarah followed after me, a look of concern on her face.
I ignored her as my sole focus was on Oscar. “Is something wrong? Is Brianna all right?”
“Calm down, Stephan. As far as I know, Brianna’s fine. Still living with Cal Ross. I didn’t get the impression something was awry, more that she wants a discussion. “
I took a deep breath, feeling the tension ease. “I’ll be there within the hour. Will that work?”
“That should be perfect. I’ll call Emma and let her know.”
Pocketing my cell, I walked behind my desk and began closing everything down. I would go see Oscar and then work from home for the rest of the day. There wasn’t anything here that needed my immediate attention.
Once I had powered down my computer and had the papers I was taking with me in my briefcase, I looked up to find Sarah staring at me with a smug look on her face. “What?” I asked, not understanding her expression.
“Well I guess that answers one of my questions, at least.”
“What question is that?”
“Stephan Coleman has finally fallen in love.”
Sarah rode down with me in the elevator to the parking garage. It was secured, which meant it was safe from reporters. They’d be waiting at the entrance, however. I wasn’t sure exactly what they were waiting for considering most days all I did was come to work and then go home. My life wasn’t that exciting, especially since Brianna was not currently a part of it.
“Do you want to get dinner later?”
I opened the door to my car and tossed my briefcase onto the passenger seat. “Thanks, but I think I’ll just throw something together at home. Maybe some other time.”
“Stephan Coleman. Don’t you dare try and give me the brush off. If you want to stay in, I understand, but the last thing you need is to be cooped up in your condo all alone moping.” Sarah adjusted the strap of her purse as she headed back toward the elevator. “I’ll pick up some Chinese on the way. Six good for you?”
I shook my head and smiled. Ever the brat. “Sure. Six is fine.”
The elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside. “Good. And make sure your doorman knows I’m coming. I’d hate to be mistaken for a reporter.”
Sighing, I climbed behind the wheel of my car and drove to Oscar’s office. I noticed a few cars following me, but that was the norm. It seemed I couldn’t go anywhere anymore without being followed by at least one reporter trying to catch me doing something newsworthy. Last week, Richard and Diane had stopped by my condo to see how I was doing—they’d been amazingly supportive, all things considered—and the next day a picture of them leaving was on the front page of almost every newspaper in the Twin Cities area saying our family was being ripped apart by the scandal. The entire experience gave me a new perspective on what celebrities went through on a regular basis.
I pulled into the parking garage adjacent to Oscar’s building, which, unfortunately, wasn’t private. As soon as I stepped out of the vehicle, cameras started flashing, and one reporter yelled, “Why are you going to see your lawyer today, Mr. Coleman? Are there charges pending against you? Do you have any information on Brianna Reeves’s current whereabouts?”
Because Brianna was living with Ross, where she was staying was not public knowledge. That was good. I had no doubt that if the press knew where she was, they’d be staking out Ross’s house as well, and that was the last thing she needed. This had to be difficult enough for her. I knew how hard being separated was for me.
The reporters faded into the background as I walked past the reception desk, and security, which I’m sure Oscar called in advance to warn of my arrival, prevented the vultures from following me any farther. I slipped inside the elevator and went to the fifth floor where Oscar’s office was. Before that night two months ago in my condo, I’d only been to Oscar’s office a handful of times. Most of those were shortly after my parents’ death, and then once to finalize the transfer of my trust after I’d graduated college and took over control of The Coleman Foundation.
In the last two months, though, I’d been making regular appearances. It was usually easier for me to come to Oscar’s office than for him to come to me. Plus, if we needed to meet with Emma, Brianna’s legal counsel, it had to be at Oscar’s office. We were trying to keep her out of the public eye as much as we were Brianna. Once the media connected her to the situation, they would start digging to find out who she was and how she was involved. After that, it would be only a matter of time before they found Brianna.
Oscar’s receptionist greeted me the moment I left the elevator. “You can go on in, Mr. Coleman. Mr. Davis is expecting you.”
“Thanks, Phyllis.”
When I walked into Oscar’s office, Emma was already sitting in one of the large wing-backed chairs across from his desk. Beside her was a man I didn’t recognize, but by the suit he was wearing, he was probably another lawyer. “Stephan. Perfect timing.”
I spared Oscar a brief smile before turning my focus on Emma. “Is something wrong with Brianna?”
Oscar sighed. He sounded slightly irritated. “I told you Br
ianna was fine over the phone.”
“I understand that, but I’d like to hear that from Emma.”
She looked up, meeting my gaze. “Nothing major has happened to change Ms. Reeves’s well-being.”
For the first time since receiving Oscar’s phone call, I felt I could breathe a little easier. “Thank you.”
Oscar motioned to the empty chair in front of him. “Stephan, if you’ll have a seat we can get started.”
I took my seat, eager to find out what had prompted this impromptu meeting.
They didn’t make me wait long. To my surprise, however, it was Emma who began speaking. “Ms. Reeves wants me to offer a deal to the FBI.”
That got my attention. “What do you mean? What kind of a deal?”
“In exchange for giving you immunity from any and all charges surrounding your involvement with Ian Pierce and the purchase of Ms. Reeves from him, she would agree to testify against him.”
“What! Absolutely not,” I shouted, surging out of my chair.
“Stephan, sit down. She’s not finished.”
I looked down at Emma, panic causing every muscle in my body to tense. Brianna couldn’t do this. I wouldn’t let her. She was to worry about herself. Take care of herself. Not me. That was Oscar’s job.
Emma raised one eyebrow, clearly waiting for me to sit back down before she continued with whatever other nonsense she had to share. Taking a deep breath, I eased myself back into my chair.
“Apparently you’re not the only one who feels the way you do about her suggestion. Cal Ross had a similar reaction.”
For once, Ross and I seemed to be on the same page. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“He’s offered a countersuggestion. I ran it by Vince here.” She motioned to the man I didn’t know. “He’s a criminal attorney in my firm and knows a lot more about that side of the law than I, or even Oscar. I’m also going to run it by Ms. Reeves, because ultimately it’s her decision. She’s my client, not you and not Mr. Ross.”
