House of Cards (Tech Billionaires)

by Ainsley St Claire

  “I would’ve thought he was crazy until this all started.”

  I sit in silence so she can concentrate on the blackness. A few times we brush up against branches or hit a big bump, but she always rights the car. I’m holding the car door so tightly that the muscles in my hands begin to cramp, and my jaw hurts from clenching so tight.

  I sit back in my seat, I close my eyes, and do a few Ujjayi breaths. Taking a deep breath, my lower belly fills. I imagine my yogi saying, “Breathe and feel your lower chakras, one and two, fill. Let it fill your stomach up to your throat. Breathe in, holding a moment, and then breathe out slowly through your nose.” I do this a few times, and my anxiousness dissipates. I’m more relaxed and able to let go of the door.

  We seem to drive forever, though, and after a while, my nerves return. We haven’t been on any paved roads, and our time is running out. Then all of a sudden, we pull into the airport parking lot.

  “Holy cow! We drove all the way here without getting on the highway.”

  “Our only risk was if we ran into someone else on the road, but this way keeps us difficult to follow in the dark.”

  I look across the parking lot and notice Murphy arriving from the highway.

  I put the SIM card in my burner phone, and it almost immediately rings. “We’re in final approach. Are you at the airport?” Jim asks.

  “Yes.”

  “And how about your half-brother and his wife?”

  “They’re here with me, too,” I tell him. “I guess Nancy has filled you in on a few things.”

  “She has,” he confirms. “We’ll land, pick you all up, and move elsewhere. Meet us as the private plane entrance.”

  “What’s going on?” I ask.

  “After talking to Nancy, I’m changing where we’re headed.”

  “That sounds ominous.” The hair on the back of my neck stands on end.

  “Be ready.” He disconnects just as I see a plane hit the runway.

  I look at Murphy and Anna. “Your mom said something to the security team, and they’re changing our destination. They’re stopping to pick us up. I think we’re going somewhere other than Vail.”

  I can tell Murphy’s having second thoughts. He looks at his car and at Anna, then back at me.

  “Talk to your mom if you’re unsure,” I tell him. “This change has something to do with what she said. And if you decide not to go, you can at least tell your mom your news.”

  The plane taxis up, and the side door opens. Jim unwraps himself enough to walk out of the small plane door and heads our way.

  “Jim, this is my half-brother, Murphy Newcastle Reinhardt, and his wife Anna,” I tell him as he approaches.

  “Nice to meet you both.” Jim extends his hand. “Your mom tells me she thinks they’re closing in on you here in Colorado.”

  Murphy looks at Anna, and I can see panic in their eyes.

  “We’d like you to join us, but we’re changing our destination.”

  I can see the conflict in their faces, and Jim must, too. “Why don’t you talk to your mom, and then you can make a decision.”

  “I’m sorry I put you in danger,” I tell them. “This is my fault.”

  “You didn’t. Things are just moving fast,” Jim assures me.

  Murphy and Anna climb the ladder to the plane, and I walk in behind them. Nancy wraps them a long embrace, and there are a lot of tears.

  “They know you’re alive,” she cries. “You’re not safe right now in your home. I’m so glad we’re here together.”

  When Nancy sees me, she breaks away from them, and I brace for the verbal lashing I know I deserve for putting them in this danger.

  “You saved them,” she says, rushing to hug me. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to get your call this afternoon. Thank you for going to Murphy.”

  I’m not sure what she’s talking about, but she seems to have convinced Murphy and Anna to keep moving—and me as well. We all take our seats on the plane, and we’re quickly speeding down the runway again.

  “We’re going to Montana,” Jim announces.

  Chapter 31

  Jonathan

  The sun has set on Sunday, and I know I should be preparing for tonight’s final round in the private poker tournament, but I can’t motivate myself to leave the apartment. It’s as if I think Maggie’s suddenly going to come back if I just stay here.

  There’s a knock at the door, which I choose to ignore. But a few seconds later it comes again. Who is knocking on my door and why won’t they go away?

  The knocking persists. Good grief!

  I’m in my boxers, and without looking through the peephole, I swing the door open wide. “What?”

  Immediately I regret my choice of wardrobe and demeanor. I’m pretty much naked in front of Mason Sullivan and his girlfriend, Caroline Arnault—America’s favorite lady. Her father snubbed his personal inheritance to start one of Silicon Valley’s first technology companies with her mother. She and her twin brother were billionaires by eleven, and they’ve been tabloid fodder ever since.

  “I’m sorry,” I tell them. I know I’m blushing. “Come in. Let me get dressed.”

  “Christopher just called me,” Mason says. “He told me what’s going on.”

  I’m confused until I remember Mason is one of Christopher’s business partners. I point them to the living room, trying to cover my junk. “Please have a seat.” I point them to my bar. “Have a drink. There’s some Mitchner’s or other liquor there. You can help yourself, and I’ll go throw some clothes on.”

  “Don’t get dressed on my account,” Caroline teases. She winks at Mason when he scowls at her, then leans in and kisses him on the cheek. My stomach tightens. They have what I want with Maggie—a great relationship.

  I scurry off and search my bedroom for something to wear. For some reason, that seems hard. I’m not finding anything. “What did Christopher tell you?” I yell.

  “Maggie was with me and the girls in Cecelia’s room when she saw the press conference announcing that she and her brothers were missing. They’re really pulling out all the stops,” Caroline calls.

  “It’s all made up to force her to take over the company business, or work with the Albanian mob—or something like that,” I respond.

  “She was quite shaken,” Caroline adds.

  “You know the accusations are crap, right?” I ask.

  “Of course. Christopher brought us up to speed,” Mason informs me.

  I’ve been so consumed by Maggie, I didn’t think to ask. “Are Christopher and Bella okay?”

  “They’re probably much like Maggie was—feeling a little trapped. Christopher also asked me to share with you that Jim has been in contact with her.”

  A huge wave of relief covers me. “Thank goodness. Where is she?”

  “He didn’t get an exact location, but he’s trying to convince her to go back into hiding—or at the very least have a detail with her.”

  “Do we know where she’s going?” I ask.

  “Jim is talking to her on the phone and making arrangements to meet,” Mason adds. “He’s trying to get to the bottom of it all.”

  I finally pull on my jeans and throw a T-shirt over my head.

  When I return to the living room, Mason hands me a tumbler of bourbon.

  “We thought you might want to join us to watch the final night of the tournament,” Caroline suggests.

  “I don’t know. I feel like I should stay here, close to my phone—where it’s quiet, and I can hear her if she calls.”

  “Jim has her in his sights. He’ll talk to her and help her get this figured out. There isn’t much we can do. Why don’t you join us and see who loses a small company and maybe a ranch or a plane today?”

  “I have a plane. I can fly to her,” I protest.

  Caroline puts her hand on my arm. “Honey, she’s worried about your safety if you’re involved. That’s why she left in the first place. Jim is a miracle worker. Let him do his job. You’ve
got a lot going on right now. Let’s focus on that.”

  I know they’re right, but I hate feeling helpless. My plan was to ignore everything here at the hotel, wear a hole in the carpet from pacing, and wait for my phone to ring, but it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen.

  I nod and agree. “Let me change into something more appropriate to go downstairs.”

  “That’s fine, but you only have a few minutes because Gillian tells me Queen Diva is due to stop by at seven, and I don’t want to miss her,” Caroline says.

  I return to the bedroom and look through my dark suits. There’s the one I want—my lucky suit, a dark gray Valentino made specifically for me. I wore it when I got the money to build the hotel.

  I yell from the closet, “You do realize I can make that happen whenever you want.”

  “Sure, but this is her coming to a private group. It’s small and intimate. Backstage there are dozens of people.”

  I roll my eyes. Caroline doesn’t seem to realize who she is. I suppose that’s part of what’s charming about her. When things become halfway normal again, I should arrange dinner for them with Queen as an appreciation for their support.

  I look at myself in the mirror and know this is as good as it’s going to get tonight. If I can’t be put together on the inside, at least I’ll be put together on the outside.

  I walk out. “Are we ready to go?”

  “I’m going to be the envy of every woman in this hotel,” Caroline singsongs. “I’m with two of the most handsome men around.”

  When we step out of the apartment, Caden and Kian are waiting with two people from Mason and Caroline’s detail. I’m embarrassed to have so much muscle with us—until I witness the way Caroline is mobbed downstairs.

  Women scream when they see her and rush up for autographs and photos. She’s a trooper and signs them all and poses for some pictures. I chuckle as Mason takes the photos. Most people don’t know he’s a rock star in his own right. Because of him, they have social media pages to post their pictures on. He’s the guy that financed the original social media companies, and he has the bank accounts to prove it.

  When we finally walk into the private poker room, the crowd is larger than it was late last night. “So much for an intimate gathering,” I tell Caroline. “But I promise I will arrange an audience for you and Queen Diva.”

  Caroline nods. “Only if she wants to. Don’t make her do anything she isn’t interested in.”

  Gillian has set up spectator seating around the single remaining table. I smile, press the flesh, and make small talk. I miss Maggie like there’s a hole in my soul, but I tell myself she’ll be able to join me doing these kinds of events one day.

  I progress into a little trash talking with the players still left, and Landon Walsh invites me to play—with the Shangri-la as a buy-in.

  “I promise, you’d pay me to take it back,” I tell him, shaking my head.

  The room chuckles.

  Travis arrives and whispers in my ear that Queen Diva is on her way.

  I nod. That’s my hint to start. “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming out this evening. This group of players is unlike anything Gillian and I have ever witnessed. Last time we saw a chalet in Aspen, a ranch in Montana, and a small start-up all change hands. What tonight brings, no one knows. But here are the chip counts…”

  I read through the list, which ranges from two million to twenty-five million. Everybody has plenty of money. “We’ll play down to the last hand, and the winner takes all,” I remind them. “Now, before we start, we have a special guest stopping by before she needs to be on stage tonight.”

  Travis opens the exterior door, and in steps Queen Diva.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present you the premiere act here at the Shangri-la, Queen Diva.”

  The room erupts in applause.

  She waves to everyone, eating up the attention. “I wanted to stop by and say hello. I understand this is the game on the Strip.”

  “You’re welcome to join us.” Walker Clifton offers the seat next to him and grins like a Cheshire cat.

  Queen Diva laughs. “I have a feeling all of you at this table far exceed my poker talents.”

  That gets a chuckle from the crowd. People approach her, and she signs autographs and takes photos. All the time she’s smiling and seems incredibly happy. No one knows all the crap going on in her personal life. I definitely take note and know this is how I should also be behaving.

  When she’s done and ready to return to her dressing room, she gets a standing ovation. She wipes a tear. “You all are so wonderful. Thank you!”

  I follow her out the door. “Thank you for doing that.”

  “I don’t mind one bit. Those people keep our doors open, and it’s the least I can do after all you’ve done for me.” She gives me a hug.

  “How are you doing?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “Right now it’s an hour-by-hour thing.”

  “I understand.”

  “Frankie was released on bond,” she tells me. “Paid for by a friend of his—another woman.”

  That has to sting. I sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  She looks up and away, making sure the tears don’t ruin her makeup.

  “I’m happy to make sure he can’t step foot in the hotel again.”

  She nods. “I like that idea, but not yet. His gravy train is over with me. I met with the lawyer today, and I’ll serve him with divorce papers later this week. If he becomes a pain in my ass, I’ll let you know. But once he gets the papers, the press will go crazy.”

  “Keep us posted. We’ll make sure Travis’s team is there to protect you. Should we set a detail for the kids?”

  A cloud of anger crosses her face. “I swear to God, if the press goes after my kids, I’ll go crazy.”

  “Travis and I will work on a plan and let you know. Now go break a leg with your show tonight.”

  She gives me one more hug. “You know the rumor mill is going crazy about you and that woman holed up in your apartment.”

  “There’s no woman in my apartment.” I can say that truthfully, unfortunately.

  “Well, I hope she returns soon. You’re a good man, and she’s missing out if she doesn’t see it.”

  “Thank you.” I smile and squeeze her hand.

  She disappears down the hall, and while I’m out of the poker room, I take the opportunity to call Jim. I’m not sure if anyone’s tracing his calls, but as careful as both Maggie and Christopher have been, I don’t want to assume Jim isn’t on anybody’s radar and his phone isn’t being bugged. Still, I want to know what’s going on.

  After four rings, his voice mail picks up.

  “Jim, it’s Jonathan Best. We may have some needs regarding Queen Diva, and I’d love to catch up with you. Please call.”

  Chapter 32

  Maggie

  The push of the small jet speeding down the runway presses me into my seat. The darkness is punctuated by sprinkles of light, which grow smaller as we jettison into the clouds.

  “Where in Montana are we headed?” Murphy asks as we become level.

  “A client of ours has a ranch with a private landing strip, though our flight plan says we’re heading to Canada. This will give us some time to formulate our plan.”

  Murphy reaches across the aisle for his mom’s hand. “Are you okay?”

  Nancy smiles. “I am now.”

  Seeing the love between Murphy, Anna, and Nancy is surprising to me—not because they have such a strong bond, but because Nancy was so close to my dad, and that was not how we grew up in my house.

  I sit back in my chair and wonder what it would have been like if my family had never had to take over Reinhardt Corporation. Maybe everyone would be happier.

  “So, this is the plan,” Jim begins. “We’re arriving at a private airstrip, and we’ll touch down only briefly. We’ll need to exit the plane quickly as we want the flight to complete its flight plan to Banff, Canada, without interruption. T
hen it will remain there until we’re ready to go.”

  My stomach clenches. I don’t like how many people are involved with this. But Jim does seem perfectly in control, and he always has just the resources we need. As much as I hate this, I really do need him.

  “We have a few cars picking us up, and they’ll move us to the main house. Once we’re there, I know it’s late, but I’d like us to meet in the living room and start our discussions. Everyone will have their own room.” Jim turns to stare at me. “No one will leave without a member of my team.”

  “What can you tell us now?” Murphy asks.

  “When Maggie went on her trip to San Francisco, there was movement. People in New York began aligning things that appeared to put pressure on Maggie’s mother and Herbert Walker in Minneapolis. When Maggie went dark, things escalated in Minneapolis, and we saw several people dispatched to San Francisco. With the first news conference, they were hoping to get the three of you kids to pop your heads out and assure everyone you were okay. If you had, we believe they were going to grab you.”

  “But that didn’t happen,” I say.

  “No, it didn’t. I don’t think they expected you to be quite so resourceful.” Jim smiles.

  “I would agree with that,” Nancy adds.

  “They heard some rumors that Maggie might be in Las Vegas with an old friend, but they couldn’t confirm it until you were caught on video buying a burner phone.”

  I sit back and close my eyes. “I outed myself.”

  “You did. But they didn’t know where you were going. They dispatched teams to Salt Lake City, San Diego, and Denver,” Jim says.

  “How did they figure out Murphy?” I ask.

  “Before I answer, Murphy, can you tell me why they thought you were dead?”

  “I can tell you that,” Nancy interjects. “But it’s a rather long story. I worked for William Reinhardt, Maggie’s father, for many years. I started as his legal secretary after my husband was killed, and I went with him to be his assistant when he took over at Reinhardt Corporation. After that transition, William went from being a kind and loving man to stressed all the time. His marriage to Catherine had led to the merger of two successful department stores, but William saw the writing on the wall and created Bullseye when he realized there was more room for competition at the lower end of the retail market. No one expected it to be such a big success, and that success created a significant rift between him and Catherine. She didn’t want her family’s department store legacy to be eroded by a discount chain.”