Arrogant

by Drea Blackery

  “Get her out of here,” I snapped. “And make sure her reference mentions this stunt she just tried to pull. In. Detail.”

  I gave Aurelia a disgusted look. “And if you even consider turning this into a harassment suit, you can kiss this city goodbye. I’ll make sure you never step foot in here again.”

  Langdon took Aurelia’s arm, but she shook him off and spun to me with a wild look on her face.

  “What do you see in her?” she demanded. “She's a skinny, uneducated nobody! You wanted me first—”

  “The fuck did you just say?” I stared incredulously. “Did you just insult my woman to my face?”

  “She's not your woman! She doesn't deserve you!”

  “Aurelia, I suggest you stop talking before things really get ugly,” Langdon said shortly.

  I was stunned. I’d never been so pissed-off in my life. By some miracle, I just barely stopped myself from shaking the silly bitch.

  “You're fucking delusional,” I growled. Turning to Langdon, I jerked my chin. “Ban her from all our properties. I don't have time for this shit.”

  I strode past them impatiently.

  “She's not there,” Aurelia suddenly said behind me. “She's gone by now, and you won't—”

  I barely heard her next words.

  I spun around and reached her in two strides, and she gasped when I grabbed her arm in a tight grip.

  “The fuck are you talking about?” I snapped. “What do you mean, gone?”

  Aurelia twisted her face, staring sullenly back at me.

  “Talk!”

  “I don't know!” she burst. “This older woman and a guy just came to me and asked me to stall you for an hour. They said they wanted a chat with her.”

  No.

  Agony exploded in my chest, nearly sending me to my knees.

  “Where is she?” I said hoarsely. Then I roared, “Where is she?”

  Whatever Aurelia saw in my face made her go pale. “T-they didn't say where—”

  “Call Cam and Gabriel,” I stabbed a finger at Langdon, rage and fear making my voice unsteady. “Tell them the Valentine’s have Allie, and to get all the men they have. I want eyes covering every inch of this fucking city.”

  “On it,” Langdon replied, his phone out even before I finished speaking.

  “And you,” I said in a dangerous tone as I turned to Aurelia, who was now practically shaking in her shoes. “You better start praying that she's safe. If they hurt even one goddamn hair on her head, your life is over.”

  I turned and got the hell of there. The longest twenty seconds of my life passed as I took the elevator down to the first floor lobby.

  Then I sprinted down to the driveway, the tightness in my chest making it impossible to breathe.

  She had to be waiting for me, she fucking had to—

  The driveway was empty.

  Fuck, fuck!

  White hot fear gripped me as I stumbled over to my car. For the first time ever, I was praying to a god I didn’t believe in as if for my own life.

  It might as well have been the same thing.

  Because if I lost Allie, I wouldn't be able to live either.

  Everything was dark.

  I tried to remain calm and count the seconds that passed, but it was difficult with Theo's presence right beside me. I felt vulnerable and exposed, and the loss of sight made it all the more nerve-wracking.

  I didn't know how long had passed when the car finally pulled to a stop. The door opened on Theo's side, and I heard him exit.

  Then the door on my side opened, and a firm hand took me by my arm. I resisted, shrinking further into the car, but Theo's iron-grip made it impossible.

  “Don't make me drag you out by your hair,” he warned.

  “Go to hell,” I spat, struggling harder.

  His hand let go of my arm abruptly, only to grab my ankles instead.

  I screamed and kicked as I was dragged across the leather of the car seat. I heard a muffled curse when my feet collided with a hard torso, and a second later, my entire body was lifted up and tossed over a shoulder in a fireman's carry. Blood rushed to my head in my upside-down position, but fear made me continue my thrashing in Theo's grip.

  Smack!

  A slap cracked across my ass.

  My cheeks heated with humiliation and fury. “Fuck you!”

  “Like I said, ask nicely, and I might let you.”

  My head bobbed as Theo walked, and I vaguely registered that we were in an open space, with a cold wind blowing across the area. There were only a few voices in the distance, and none who came to my aid.

  A couple minutes later I felt us ascending three short steps, then the biting wind was cut off as we entered a room. There was a strange humming in the background, and my mind raced as I tried to place the unfamiliar sound.

  Theo finally deposited me in a soft seat, and my head throbbed as the blood rushed back in.

  “Where are we?” I strained against the cable ties, but they held firm, cutting into the skin of my wrists.

  “Not to be a downer, but telling you would defeat the purpose of the blindfold, wouldn't it?”

  “You bastard,” I growled in the direction of his voice. “Ryland will find me.”

  “I won't be so sure if I were you. He's likely balls-deep in Aurelia right now.”

  A sharp pang twisted my chest, but I knew Theo was just goading me. It was exactly the kind of sick game he liked to play.

  I shook my head sharply, clearing the painful thoughts. If I wanted to kidnap Ryland Wyatt's girlfriend, where would I hide?

  The answer came to me immediately.

  Somewhere far away from New York City.

  I quickly pieced together the scant information I'd gathered. The open space outside could be an airfield, and the soft hum in the background was the sound of an engine. The plush chair I was in could be a leather seat.

  “We're on a plane,” I said dazedly. “You're taking me away from him.”

  A pause.

  Then my blindfold was yanked off.

  Light flooded my eyes immediately, and I blinked against the sudden assault on my corneas.

  “Not bad,” Theo murmured in approval. “You're smarter than I gave you credit for.”

  Squinting at my surroundings, I saw that we were in the cabin of a private plane outfitted with luxurious leather seats and wood paneling.

  And then I realized that Theo and I weren't alone.

  He wasn't seated across me—he was adjacent, and the person facing me was…

  “Estelle,” I whispered.

  “Hello, darling.”

  My father's murderer reclined in the seat across me, looking like a faded version of her younger self, but no less evil. Her green eyes watched me like a cat's, her blood-red lips curving with satisfaction. She twirled a blonde curl about her red-tipped finger.

  Fury and hate roiled in my stomach.

  “You bitch,” I breathed. “How dare you show your face in front of me.”

  Estelle merely looked amused. “Watch your mouth,” she said lightly. “You don't want to test my patience.”

  She gestured at Theo, who withdrew his gun from his jacket and handed it to her.

  I paled as Estelle examined it idly, turning it over and over in her hands in a careless manner, her finger coming too close to the trigger every time.

  “Please,” I turned to Theo. “You don't have to do this. Ryland trusted you—”

  “Save your breath,” Estelle smiled. “Did you honestly think you can persuade my own son from me? He came to me the moment Ryland contacted him, and I had my eyes on you both for the past two months. It all worked out perfectly, don’t you think so?” She smiled fondly at Theo, who was still watching me with an unreadable expression.

  “Perfectly?” I whispered. “My father is dead. You took him from us. You took everything.” To my horror, hot fury began stinging at my eyes. “And now you're trying to pin this on Ryland and the guys with the gun you planted
! You're pure evil, don't even think of denying it—”

  “Deny? Why would I deny, I have the upper hand here. But since you want to hear it so badly…” Estelle cocked her head, smiled slowly, cruelly. “Fine, I admit it. I shot Horace. In his face. Then I made it look like an accident.”

  “You bitch!” I struggled against my bonds, choking on my furious tears.

  Estelle flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I even had a backup plan in case it went wrong. The boys were perfect. It sounds simple, but don’t be fooled. It took me years and years of planning, and even the great Ryland Wyatt can't figure a way out.” She looked thoughtful. “I feel a little proud, to be honest. Too bad I can't share it with anyone else.”

  “You're crazy,” I whispered, tears streaming down my cheeks. “You're completely crazy.”

  Estelle pouted at my words. “I thought you'd understand me. We both know what it's like to have nothing. What it's like to have everything taken from you. You lived like a princess your whole life, at least, until I came along. I think it's fair, don't you?”

  I didn’t even understand half of what she’d said.

  I looked around the cabin desperately, but there was nobody else aside from the three of us. No one who could help me.

  I turned back to Theo.

  The early afternoon sunrays streamed in from the oblong windows in the plane cabin, bouncing off his dark hair and gold eyes. He had his cheek propped on his knuckles, watching me with a sharp gaze, but otherwise he made no indication that this was anything more than a show to him.

  Help me, I begged silently.

  His indifferent expression did not change.

  “In fifteen minutes, we'll be on our way to Theo's property in Switzerland,” Estelle said casually as though we were chatting about her next shopping destination. “The flight will take about eight hours, but don't worry, you’ll find that this jet is very comfortable.”

  My mind raced.

  It would be hard to escape with both Estelle and Theo watching me. My best bet would be to wait for an opportune time to slip by them. Maybe when we got to Switzerland, I could find a way to signal for help—

  “I guess that's it,” Theo suddenly murmured.

  Estelle glanced at him in question. “What is, dear?”

  Theo didn't answer immediately, instead reaching into his pocket to withdraw a slim black device.

  A red LED blinked in slow beats at one corner of it.

  My heart seized.

  Could that be…?

  “I think you know what this is,” Theo remarked, turning the device over in his hand leisurely.

  He still had his cheek propped on the other hand, but even with the casual position, he still managed to look strangely intimidating.

  Estelle’s blonde brows drew together warily. “What are you doing?”

  Theo pressed a button.

  “My father is dead. You took him from us. You took everything.”

  Estelle's face went completely white as the recording went on.

  “Deny? Why would I deny, I have the upper hand here.”

  Her voice.

  Theo thumbed the button on the device again, cutting off the playback.

  Estelle was now frozen in shock.

  “Stop this, Theo,” she said unsteadily. “This isn't funny.”

  “Isn't it?” Theo tossed the recording device in the air and caught it again in his hand. “I think you can guess where I'm going with this.”

  My eyes widened at that.

  Ryland had been right. Theo was on our side after all.

  By why the elaborate act to kidnap me? Was it all for the benefit of fooling Estelle?

  Estelle shook her head several times. “You can't do this to me. I'm your mother, I'm the only person who cares—”

  Theo gave an incredulous laugh. “Don't give me that bullshit. You never gave a damn about anyone but yourself.”

  He withdrew a pocket knife and reached over to me, slicing through my bonds.

  “No hard feelings,” he said casually. “I had to put on a convincing show for her to let her guard down, and I couldn't bank on your acting skills.”

  “No problem,” I said dumbly.

  I rubbed my wrists, still shocked at the sudden turn of events. Out of the three of us, Theo was the only one who looked composed.

  But if he had captured everything—and I knew he had...

  That meant Estelle's entire confession was on record.

  After all these years, Ryland was free.

  “No,” Estelle suddenly snapped. “I won't let you ruin it. I worked for this!”

  I gasped as she brandished the gun at Theo, her eyes darting wildly.

  “Give that thing to me,” she cried. “Give it to me!”

  Without taking his eyes off her, Theo reached his arm towards me. I took his hand, and he quickly shoved me behind him.

  “Or what?” he taunted, once I was at his back. “You're gonna shoot me?”

  Estelle paled. “I…”

  To my horror, Theo took one step forward, and another, bending down until his forehead was right against the barrel of the gun in Estelle's hands.

  “Then do it,” he said softly. “The only way you're getting this is over my dead body, so do it. Shoot.”

  Estelle's hands were shaking violently by now.

  “I don’t want to do this,” she pleaded, mascara tears trailing down her face.

  “Did I mention that this thing has Wi-Fi?” Theo continued conversationally, as if she hadn’t spoken. “If I press this button right here,” he tapped it with his thumb, “the entire recording will be sent to my secretary, who will proceed to forward it to every media outlet in the country. Do you want that to happen, Mum?”

  Estelle choked in fear. “No, don't—”

  “Then shoot,” Theo said simply. “Three…”

  My eyes widened. “Wait, don’t—”

  “Two…”

  My eyes squeezed shut, but not before I caught the sudden flash of determination in Estelle's eyes, as if in slow motion.

  I saw the jerk of her hand as her finger moved, and then...

  Click.

  I snapped my eyes open.

  Estelle had pulled the trigger.

  But nothing had happened.

  “You didn't think I was stupid enough give you a loaded gun, did you?” Theo straightened again, his lips twisting coldly.

  “You…” Estelle whispered, her face red with shock. “You bastard…”

  The useless gun slipped from her fingers, clattering to the floor.

  Theo took my arm and led me toward the exit of the plane, keeping himself between Estelle and me.

  “Where are you going?” Estelle screeched behind us.

  “I think the better question would be, where are you going,” Theo threw back as we stepped out of the plane and onto the tarmac.

  He kicked the retractable steps back into the plane and slammed the door shut just as Estelle launched herself in our direction.

  A flurry of desperate screams and kicks sounded on the other side of the door.

  Then he snapped his fingers at the team of medical personnel I hadn't realized were waiting around us.

  “Sedate her, then make your way to Switzerland as planned,” he ordered. “I want her confined to my property within the next twelve hours.”

  My mouth fell open in shock at his words.

  Theo ignored me, stepping aside as the doctors and nurses rushed past us into the plane like a SWAT team.

  Estelle's screams grew louder, there was the sound of breaking glass, and then suddenly, it was silent.

  Satisfied, Theo turned and strolled off towards a couple of cars a short distance away.

  “That’s it?” I demanded, hurrying behind him. “You’re letting her go just like that?”

  Theo didn’t break his stride—or bother to look at me. “Are you deaf? I explicitly used the word “confine.” Either you know what that means, or you're not as smart as I t
hought.”

  I gaped, nearly tripping at his words. “She killed my father! And she tried to hurt us—”

  “That's your problem, not mine. And one last thing. I'll be holding on to the recording.”

  “What?”

  Theo gestured to one of his men standing nearby and handed the recording device to him.

  “Per my instructions,” he told him.

  I stared dumbfounded as the man got into his car and drove off, taking the precious recording with him.

  I rounded on Theo in disbelief. “You have no right—”

  “I have every right,” Theo said, rolling his eyes impatiently. “The gun Estelle has won't mean jack now that I have her confession. I planned this shit for two months, and now Ryland and I are even. You're fucking welcome.”

  “You are not even,” I retorted hotly. “She could hurt someone again in the future. She just tried to kill you—”

  I froze when the meaning of that sank in. “I…I'm so sorry.”

  Theo didn’t look like he even cared. “Whatever. I predicted it.”

  A man in a pilot’s uniform came up to him then, and they exchanged a few words.

  “Stay put,” Theo told me. “I'll get someone to send you back after I've settled shit here.”

  Then he headed back towards the plane with the pilot, leaving me on the tarmac with a serious case of whiplash.

  In the past minutes, I’d raced through fear, fury, hopelessness, shock, and fury again… All I wanted at that moment was to be back in Ryland's arms.

  Crap, he must be worried sick.

  I reached for my phone in my pocket to call him, belatedly realizing that I had left it in my bag in the car that Theo hijacked.

  Suddenly, the deafening roar of car engines and screeching tires echoed within the airfield.

  Seconds later, three sports cars pulled up in front of me, one black, one red, and one blue, followed closely by an entire fleet of black sedans moments later.

  My eyes widened when I recognized the black Maserati as Ryland’s, and I nearly collapsed in relief.

  Ryland got out of his car, sprinting towards me and crushing me in an embrace that forced the air from my lungs.

  “Fuck,” he said hoarsely into my hair. “Bloody fuck.”

  Then he pulled back and coasted his hands over my body. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”