by Ilsa Ames
She sighed, rolling her eyes to herself as she looked away. “Yeah none taken,” she muttered dryly.
She turned back, staring wistfully at her phone in my hand. I was guessing she probably wanted to check her precious social media shit–Facebook, or Instagram or whatever. Well, she’d have to wait. There were more important things to get done.
I looked down at the phone, relieved to see it had a few bars of signal. My cabin was on a prominent rise on the mountain, and the woodland had thinned somewhat around the cabin over the last few years, allowing for a decent cell signal, given its remoteness.
I scrolled through her call log until I spotted what I was looking for: “dad”. I took a deep breath, trying to sharpen up and clear my mind before I tapped the name quickly with a finger, and brought the phone to my ear.
The phone rang for a few, long moments before it was quickly answered. The voice on the other end sounded stressed and irritated.
“Yes? What is it? Make it quick, I’m in a meeting.”
Preston sounded irate and like someone who was used to giving orders, and having them followed without question.
That’s a shitty way to greet your daughter.
Either he was even more of an asshole than I thought, or he didn’t check who was calling.
“Preston. I need to talk to you about something serious, so you might want to go somewhere private. It’s about your daughter.”
He seemed to pause for one second when he realized it wasn’t Lia on the phone, but then he bulldozed right on.
“Yes, what about her? I saw her last night at the new cocktail bar downtown. I’m sure she’s feeling sorry for herself somewhere. Stop wasting my time.”
Preston’s voice rose with further irritation as he spoke. I got the impression he had a very short fuse.
“Listen to me,” I growled, frowning. “I’ve taken her. She’s safe with me, but I need to talk to about the terms of her release. You should listen very fucking carefully to what I have to say. It’s important.”
I waited smugly for a response, almost feeling Preston seething from the other end of the phone.
“How the fuck did you get this number?” he finally hissed into the phone. “Listen shithead, this is obviously some sort of bullshit. What are you, a journalist? You fucking cockroach. Don’t call me again.”
The line went dead.
I blinked, holding the phone away from my face and staring at it with a scowl on my face.
Yeah, that hadn’t exactly gone as planned.
Douchebag.
“What did he say? Is he going somewhere private so he can listen to your demands?” Lia was looking from the phone back to my face, eyes wide and imploring, hopeful.
I paused for a second, chewing on my words and I put the phone down.
“I’m guessing your father, in his great wisdom, neglected to look at who was actually calling him.”
She looked at me curiously, and I shrugged.
“He didn’t believe me.” I put her phone into the pocket of my pants, bringing my hand up to tap my fingertips across the tabletop.
“He said he was busy, in a meeting or something. I guess we’ll just have to wait until he’s a little less distracted before I call him again.”
Lia looked down, her face unreadable. I frowned, rising quickly as I cleared my throat. My stomach growled.
“Look, in the meantime, let’s eat. Don’t worry, I’ll speak to him again soon. There’s no point in calling him again now just to piss him off more. He might have even put his cell on silent.”
Lia’s shoulders slumped, and she looked slightly defeated. Then she sighed, before nodding, staring down at the table in front of her.
Fuck, this guy was a dick.
I went to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a cold beer. I cracked the can, turning to offer a second one to Lia, who shook her head, frowning.
I guess she’s still recovering. Plus, she still doesn’t trust me. Who knows what I might have put in it.
Instead I offered her a bottle of water, and she looked up at me as I approached, towering over her.
“It’s bottled in California. Don’t worry. Not from anywhere near here,” I assured her, a half smile on my face. She smiled up at me, her face lighting up, and she took the bottle as she brushed a loose lock of blonde hair absently over an ear.
I clenched my jaw, turning away at the sudden swelling in my jeans—my cock throbbing from just being near her, I growled to myself, taking a huge gulp of beer as I glanced away from her. I could feel her eyes on me though, and my biceps flexed tight against the material of the flannel shirt I was wearing.
I distracted myself with clearing the table, putting my notes away, before starting to get dinner ready. I was about to get a frying pan ready for the steaks when I felt a tingling in my pants pocket, followed by a ringtone.
Lia’s phone.
Let’s hope it’s who I’m guessing it probably is.
I took her cell from my pocket, glad to see that it was indeed Preston who was calling. I waited a second before flicking the green answer button across the screen and bringing the cell to my ear.
“Glad you finally saw sense,” I muttered, waiting for his response.
“You called from her cell phone, you fucking scumbag. What have you done with her? I want to speak to Lia,” he said tersely, trying to cover the fear in his voice.
I played with the settings on the screen for a second and put the phone on speaker, before heading to place it on the table, taking a seat opposite Lia.
“Your dad wants to know that you’re safe, Lia. And that I haven’t hurt you.”
She looked up at me, mixed emotions crossing her face. I could tell she was still pissed off at her father. But also a little with me as well. Okay, probably a bit more than “a little,” seeing as I’d abducted her off the street and bound her in the back of my truck. But in any case, here she was, stuck in the middle—being used as leverage. I felt a twinge of guilt as I waited for her to speak.
“I’m here, daddy. And I’m safe, he hasn’t touched me. Please listen to what he has to say. It’s important,” she said softly, leaning forward to speak into the phone. I caught a glimpse of her cleavage—soft, pert breasts pushed together by her bra like they were begging to me held. And suddenly, I realized I wasn’t think about what the fuck she and Preston were saying, I was thinking about what color pink her nipples might be.
I was thinking and wondering if she’d gasp sweetly if I wrapped my lips around them.
I growled to myself, forcing my eyes away. Fuck, what the hell was wrong with me?
“I’m listening, asshole,” Preston spat through the phone. “Tell me what you want. Money?”
I leaned forward to speak into the phone, looking off into one corner of the room to focus.
“What I want, Preston, is for you to make things right. For all the people and animals you’ve been poisoning. Any money will be for medical costs, my expenses, and of course for cleaning up the waterways you’ve been knowingly dumping untreated chemical waste into.”
You. Piece. Of. Shit.
“You can’t possibly be serious,” the man grumbled. “I have no goddamn idea what you’re talking about. Look, I’ll pay you some money, then you tell me where to come and get Lia. Let’s make a deal, you prick.”
Lia was shaking her head at her father’s words, and her brown eyes were fixed on the phone, expression cold.
“I have evidence, Preston. Eyewitness accounts. Water quality samples from across the region downstream from where you’ve been dumping. Medical reports from people who’ve suddenly gotten sick across the town fed by the very reservoir you have been dumping chemicals into. And everything points to the effluent chemicals from your textile treatment process.”
I paused for a second to take a breath, and to let that sink in.
“It’s true, dad!” Lia blurted out angrily, “he’s showed me all the information. How could you?”
I sh
ook my head at her, gestured for her to calm down. She was upset, but now was not the time for her to rant at her father. She’d have plenty of time for that when he’d made things right.
“I’m listening. Tell me what it is exactly that you want,” Preston finally said, voice icy and businesslike.
I explained my demands in a matter-of-fact fashion. He would, obviously, immediately cease the dumping of chemicals into the reservoir. He would, at the same time, downsize his textile treatment and processing operation such that chemical effluent could be treated at a safe and legal manner.
Secondly, he would cover the medical expenses to treat everyone who had been affected by his careless activities. And he would also provide an extra amount of cash, to be held by me, to cover my expenses, and any future medical expenses that would arise. Should the cash not be needed or any of it remain after a certain time duration, decided by me, it would be distributed to local good causes at my discretion.
Thirdly, he would provide cash compensation to anyone who had been unable to work during the time they had been sick. This would be dealt with on a case by case basis, managed by me, with discrete communication between myself and Preston, or a trusted delegate of his choice.
Finally, he would cover the cost of cleaning up the reservoir and any affected waterways, as much as was possible, and pay for the installation of chemical scrubbing facilities at every affected water treatment plant fed by the natural reservoir. Time would do the rest.
I knew there was little that could be done for the wildlife and vegetation that had been affected. I couldn’t exactly take a damn tree or a deer into the hospital. Some animals and plants would die, others would recover. But without the chemical dumping, and with the waterways cleaned as much as possible, nature would eventually recover. It would just take time.
The list of demands had taken a few minutes to run through. But it was all fairly straightforward, and Preston was a clever and shrewd man. I was pretty sure he already knew exactly the implication of what he was doing, and what he would have to do to make it right.
After a long moment of silence, Preston spoke again, slowly. His voice cold, distant and calculating.
“You’re out of your fucking mind, you prick. I can’t possibly do all of that. I’m sure that all sounds simple to someone with limited intelligence, but you have no idea what you are asking. Do you understand the legal implications if I so brazenly admit what you’re accusing me of? What would happen to my company? All the hundreds of employees?”
Preston swore into the phone.
“No. Fuck you. Your requests are absurd, and I refuse.”
The phone line went dead with a beep, and Lia and I looked at each other, dumbfounded.
Well, fuck. Now what.
“What… what a fucking asshole!” she spat, shaking with anger. She wiped at a tear that had ran down her cheek, eyes red with emotion as he father’s callousness began to sink in.
I had to admit, I was also pretty blown away by how much of a piece of shit Preston was turning out to be. I guessed this was some sort of Japanese business-bushido negotiation tactic he’d been taught by some coach, but I was amazed at how cold he had sounded. I mean for fuck’s sake, I had his daughter. What if I was actually the psychopath I wanted him to think I was? What if I was actually capable of hurting her if he didn’t give in to my demands? How could he be so… dismissive?
I felt for Lia then. Hell, I wanted to pick her up and comfort her. Well, I wanted to pick her up and do a whole lot more than comfort her, but I bit that back. She was trying to hold back the tears, but she was obviously struggling.
“Listen to me, Lia. He’s probably in shock. He’ll come around. We just need to be patient.”
I rose. Shit, I wanted to hug her, or even just put a comforting hand on her shoulder. But I knew if I crossed that line, I might not come back from it. Not with her. Not with the barely contained need for her I was keeping locked up.
She stood as well, nodding, eyes red rimmed, lips quivering. But suddenly, she threw herself into my arms, burying her face into my chest.
I stood stunned for a second, before wrapping my arms around her in a protective embrace. She cried for a while, and I rubbed her gently on the back, swallowing back the animal inside of me.
I mean believe me, I wanted to. I wanted to let it just break free, and to put my hands all over her. But taking her—as gorgeous as she was—had never been about that. And besides, I wasn’t that guy. Not with a girl I’d fucking kidnapped who was now an emotional wreck after that shit with her dad.
I felt her arms wrap around my waist, and she stared up at me. She’d stopped crying, her eyes slightly red and puffy from the tears. But God she still looked so beautiful. I brushed a hand gently over her cheek, wiping the tears away.
Her eyes were on mine, and her anger and hurt had turned to something else, something determined and powerful. I groaned inside, biting it back and doing everything in my power to hold back from just taking her right there. She swallowed, pressed her hips into mine, closing her eyes and standing on tiptoes, her lips inching closer to mine.
Fuck. Well so much for that idea.
I almost lost control of myself as her full lips brushed against mine, her smell and warmth filling my senses. Then I pulled back, shaking myself from the desire I had to kiss her—to tear her clothes off and run my hands over every inch of her body.
No.
That couldn’t happen. Letting go like that could blow this whole thing up. And what I was fighting for meant too much.
Lia’s eyes flew open, and then narrowed slightly at shock and a little indignation.
“I…shit, I…” she trailed off, pulling away from me and turning. “Fuck,” she hissed to herself.
“Lia,” I groaned. My entire body trembled, my cock straining painfully at my jeans, longing for more from her.
But that’s not why I’d brought her there. It couldn’t be.
“Forget it,” she spat out quickly, her back still to me as she started towards her room.
So many things I wanted to say, and none that I could. None that wouldn’t end up in me kissing her fiercely and claiming every bit of her. But doing that what destroy what I’d worked for.
So instead, I just groaned, my thickness still throbbing in my pants, and my eyes glued to the sway of her hips and ass as she stepped into her room and shut the door behind her.
Goddamnit.
I turned away suddenly and distracted myself with getting the food ready.
Fuck, this was getting out of hand. And if we kept this up, I didn’t know how long I’d last without crumbling and giving in. Or just taking her right here on the fucking kitchen table like I’d wanted to just then.
The job. The plan. That’s what mattered. As much as I wanted to hear Lia moaning beneath me and feel her gorgeous, tempting curves writhe against me, I had to be strong.
I had to be, for both of us.
Chapter Six
Lia
There had to be something wrong with me. I mean there had to be. Normal people didn’t try and kiss the big dangerous strangers who’d kidnapped them off the street. I mean, Jesus, the man had shown me things that had cut deep into what I thought I knew, and my response had been to kiss him?
Someone call the shrink.
Logan didn’t put the ties back on me after that and seemed satisfied that I wouldn’t try anything stupid like escape or go for revenge or something. After our little “encounter” in the living room, I went to lay down in bed. I tried my best to hold it together, but as I lay there in the encroaching gloom of dusk, silent sobs wracked my body and tears streamed down my face.
My father had always been my hero—he’d always been there for me, always been ready to listen whenever I had a problem and had always done his best to fix it for me. When I was having trouble in school with other girls bullying me, he’d come in and had a word with the teacher, and it had stopped immediately. From then on, the girls had kept their d
istance, looking at me with something like fear. When your dad is someone as powerful and influential as Preston Cagliari... well, it’s good to have him in your corner.
But how could I reconcile that kind, caring father with a man who knowingly and willingly dumped toxic chemicals into public water? He must have known. He hadn’t even tried to deny it on the phone with Logan. And how could I trust my dad now, after the way he had reacted to the knowledge that I, his only daughter, had been kidnapped? He had seemed so... cold, and dismissive. Like he didn’t even care what happened to me, as long as his precious business interests weren’t interfered with.
After a little while, there was a knock on the door. But Logan didn’t wait for an answer before he pushed it open, a steaming plate of delicious-smelling food in his hands. I was ashamed of my tears. That and having just tried to freaking kiss him. So I just stayed facing the wall until he left. I heard him standing there, silently behind me, the air hanging thickly. But he eventually left, and once he did I hungrily devoured the food.
And damn it was good; more than good, actually, after almost a whole day without eating. I sat and stared out of the window, wondering just how much damage had been done to this serene and remote place. Could the damage be fixed? Just how much wildlife had died? It was all so overwhelming, and here I was stuck right in the middle of it all. I never asked for this, but I knew that I had to do something about it. If my dad wouldn’t, then I resolved that I would. It couldn’t be allowed to continue, no matter what.
And all the while, thoughts of Logan kept on intruding. I didn’t want to think about him, and definitely not in the way my mind kept bringing him up. I was still mad as hell at him. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if I trusted him yet either. There were better ways to get what he wanted than to kidnap me and make me fear for my life. Hell, he could’ve just come to talk to me, and I would’ve helped him.
And yet, he was obviously a thoughtful and resourceful man—that binder that he’d collected showed as much. I guessed he’d just been pushed to the edge in desperation, watching as the land he loved, and his people gradually withered and died. I couldn’t blame him for that. What was happening here was utterly horrific. It was just… I didn’t really like being a prisoner. And despite the fact that my captor had turned out to be far more than the insane yokel hillbilly I’d initially pegged him as, I was still a prisoner, technically.
