I grab the photo from his hand and study the image. A younger Lauren with a big, carefree smile on her face. Turning the photo over, the year 2012 is written on the back with the word Canada. “What did your contact have to say earlier?”
“They’re piecing together his assets and background. He’s done a good job covering his tracks. Based on the lack of information, I’d say he was planning this for a while. Dealing with foreign governments can be tricky too. But have no doubt, Mr. Forte, I’ll find her.”
“Fuck,” I growl. “I don’t care who we have to pay off, make it happen, Maverick.”
“What do you want to do about the apartment?”
I look around, taking in the damage Trent caused. I would hate for Lauren to come back to such a mess, especially after everything she’ll have been through.
“Get it cleaned up and replace everything that’s damaged.”
“It’ll be done today.”
“I’m going to take Cassie home. Call me as soon as you get more information.”
“Yes, sir.” Maverick reaches for his phone and heads for the elevator with me on his heels. “Leave everything to me.” He glances at Cassie, who hasn’t moved since I left her on the couch. “Ma’am.” He smiles in her direction.
Her eyes wander up his body, but she doesn’t return the smile. “Sir.”
I motion for Cassie after the elevator doors close with Maverick inside. “Let’s go. My team will handle the apartment.”
She stands and stalks in my direction, crunching the broken pieces of debris on the floor with every step. “We should call the police.”
“Not now.”
She pokes my chest, and her eyes narrow as she stares up at me. “No. Now, Mr. Forte. The police will find her.” She pokes me again, but a little harder. “You may have spent some time with Lauren, but how do I know you have her best interest at heart?”
“Cassie.” I back away from her slender finger and daggerlike nail. “Come on. Don’t be crazy.”
Her eyes widen, and redness creeps up her neck as she steps forward and pokes me harder. “Crazy? You’re the man trying to steal her company. I find it hard to believe that you have her best interest at heart.”
I can’t blame her. From the outside, I appear to be the enemy. No one really knows what happened on the island or the way Lauren has completely captivated me. She’s like a drug that I crave and can’t get out of my system. One taste and I was hooked.
No one has ever had that effect on me before. I’ve been with many women, more than I really care to admit, but I’ve never chased someone before her.
I wrap my hands around Cassie’s arms, but I grip her gently. “Listen. If we call the police, the media will find out. It would be disastrous for Lauren and Interstellar if word about her abduction got out. No matter what you think, I’m doing what’s best for Lauren.”
She tenses and bares her teeth. “You better find her fast, or you won’t be able to control what happens inside Interstellar.”
Truer words have never been spoken. We only have a few hours to come up with a way to buy some time to keep the brass at Interstellar content with her absence.
“I’ll handle it.”
She pulls away and takes a deep breath as she tugs down her dress shirt that’s come untucked from her knee-length skirt. “I’m sorry, Mr. Forte. I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch, but I love Lauren like a sister. I like control, and I have none right now. I don’t know what to say to anyone tomorrow morning.”
“Let me take you home, and by the time you walk through the doors of Interstellar tomorrow, I’ll either have Lauren back or I’ll have a cover story for you to use to keep people from asking too many questions.”
“You better make it good, Mr. Forte. Lauren never misses work, so it’ll be a hard sell.”
“Believe me, Cassie. I’ll make it bulletproof.”
She twists her lips, staring me in the eyes like she’s reading my thoughts. With an assistant like Cassie, it’s not hard to understand how Lauren has begun to conquer the world.
Chapter Two
ANTONIO
“We have to move on this,” Carlino, my second-in-command at Cozza, says before I even have a chance to step two feet into our Chicago office.
I didn’t sleep at all last night. I couldn’t get Lauren off my mind. Was she okay? Was Trent treating her right? Was she still alive? Was she was thinking of me? It’s a selfish thought to have, but I couldn’t help myself. She had to know I’d move heaven and earth to find her.
No matter what’s happening between our companies, our relationship is entirely separate and means more to me than anything else. Her safety is my top priority and the only thing that weighs on my mind. I could not care less about the takeover or the merger. When I told her there are more important things in life than work, I meant it.
Maverick and I spoke on the phone no less than ten times after I dropped Cassie off at her apartment. He still had trouble finding information on Trent, but he had tracked down a few clues. So far, there hadn’t been a single ping off any cellular towers from his phone number or a charge on any of his credit cards. The bastard was too smart for a rookie mistake like that. He knew he’d be easily traceable with technology.
I stalk toward the elevator with Carlino following close behind. “Move on what?”
“Interstellar and the merger. The board doesn’t want to wait. We’d like to push them harder and make the deal a reality sooner rather than later.”
I narrow my eyes and stab at the elevator button before I glare at him. “Can I at least make it to my office before you start barking in my ear, Carlino?”
He’s always wanted my job. Ever since the first day he walked in the door, he wanted to overthrow me, but he couldn’t pull it off. I’d become too powerful for him to have a chance, but it didn’t mean he didn’t have the balls to try at every turn.
He cracks his neck, rolling his head around his shoulders. “There’s whispers, Antonio.” Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he arches an eyebrow and smirks.
The doors open and we step inside. I bite my tongue, waiting for the doors to close to give us privacy before I turn my full attention to the man at my side. “Whispers?”
He swipes his hand through his overly greasy hair with a cocky smile. “About Ms. Bradley.”
“Carlino.” I ball my hand into a tight fist, but I resist the urge to punch him square in the jaw. Although I’d love to watch him fall to the floor like the little bitch he is. “I’d watch your tongue and be very careful with your next words.”
His smile hardens as his chin juts out. “Based on your response, the whispers are true. Either you move on it today, or I’ll bring a motion before the board along with a no-confidence vote for you, Antonio.”
“I’ll set up a meeting with Josh Goldman, VP of Interstellar, and you two can hash out the details and get the ball rolling.”
He folds his arms and cocks a shoulder. “Too busy to take part in the most important business merger of the century?”
I’m two seconds from popping his smug face, but I know it’s what he wants, and I have to control my anger. He’s pushing my buttons, and for the first time, getting a reaction out of me. “The paperwork is standard, Carlino. I didn’t think you needed me to hold your hand, but I will if it’s necessary.”
“I can handle it all by myself, but don’t forget where your loyalties lie, Antonio. Someone might take your lack of attention right now the wrong way.”
“Do your job, and I’ll do mine. Don’t test me.” The doors open, and I leave Carlino hovering near the back because his office is on another floor. He gives me a smug chin lift as the elevator doors close.
I’ve never been able to stand him, and I’ve made sure that even though I’m not here often, he’s as far away from me as possible when I am. If I had to spend one more minute with him, I would’ve ended up knocking him out and given him plenty of ammunition to use against me.
Once ev
erything is done and the merger has taken place, I need to reevaluate the corporate structure of the new company. Carlino tops my list.
“Good morning, Mr. Forte,” Marny, my executive assistant for the last ten years, greets me with a cup of espresso and a smile. “Mr. Maverick is in your office waiting for you.”
I give her a courteous smile and take the espresso before excusing myself, trying not to seem overeager. When I enter, he’s sitting at my desk, pecking away at the keys on my computer as he talks on the phone, and he glances up at me.
Motioning for him to stay put, I take the seat across from him, placing the espresso on the edge of the desk along with my cell phone. I listen to his words very carefully.
“Canada.” Maverick’s eyes meet mine.
Alarm bells go off, and the picture of Lauren and Trent flashes through my mind. It’s the perfect place for him to take Lauren. Close enough, yet so far and out of local police jurisdiction. But he forgot one thing: my reach is wider than that of any police department.
“When you have the address, send it to me.” He pauses and punches a few keys on the keyboard. “We won’t need backup. We’re trying to keep this off the radar.”
He says a few more things to the person on the other end of the phone before he hangs up. Leaning back in the chair, he lets out a loud, relieved sigh. “We’re almost certain Moore’s in Canada. Our best guess is that he’s taken her to that cabin in the photo.”
“Are you guessing?”
“His license plate was spotted through some tolls heading in that direction. Our guess is that he’s taking her across the border. But I’ll find him, Mr. Forte. If I have my way, Ms. Bradley will be back on US soil before the sun sets.”
“I’m coming with you.”
There’s no way in hell I’d let him go after her alone. I’m completely certain of his competency, but I want my face to be the first Lauren sees after her rescue. Not because I want to steal the spotlight, but because I want her to know that I care enough to put everything else on hold to find her.
Maverick studies me for a moment. “Antonio, it’s not safe.”
I reach for my espresso, needing the caffeine to get my ass in gear and my head on straight after such a long night. “There’s nothing to discuss. I’ll be by your side whether Lauren is at that cabin or not. I won’t be able to rest until you find her. Understood?” I raise an eyebrow and stare at him over the top of my cup.
“Yes, sir. Whatever will make you happy, although I strongly advise against it.”
“Just find her, and I promise not to put myself in harm’s way if it can be avoided.”
He gives me a quick nod. “I’ll have the address before noon. My buddy in the Canadian Special Operations Forces is working on the location.”
“Thanks, Maverick. Now give me a little while to get some business done and my day set so I can go with you.”
“Sorry about using your computer,” he says, rising from my desk and knocking his knuckles against the mahogany desk.
“Don’t ever apologize for helping me. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
He leaves without another word, and I know I have limited time to get the deal with Interstellar rolling before we slip off to Canada without being noticed.
“Josh Goldman, please.” I click through the endless emails that have rolled in since last night as I wait for Josh to answer the phone. I have as much love for the man as I do Carlino.
“Goldman,” Josh says as soon as he answers the phone.
“It’s Forte. I’d like to set up a meeting today for you and my VP to discuss the merger.”
“I don’t think that’s wise without Lauren here.”
I roll my eyes. “Do you want the merger or not?”
“Lauren and I already discussed the merger, and we decided to present it to the board.”
“Then there’s no time to waste. Meet with Carlino today, and call an emergency board meeting as soon as possible. It’s up to you two to convince the people behind Interstellar it’s in their best interests that we merge. I’m sure you can make it happen, no?”
“I can make it happen, Mr. Forte. Lauren may be in command, but I have just as much sway as she does.”
The number twos are always willing to step up and show off their ability. But no matter what they do, the people within the company know that they’re back-climbers and are only looking out for themselves.
“Then make it happen. Carlino will be there at one to make sure you have all the details before you present it and get the deal closed.”
“You won’t be coming?”
I’m not sure if I hear disappointment or disdain in his voice. “I figure you and Carlino can handle it on your own. I have other important business to attend to.”
“Seems to be a common theme lately,” he says in a snarky tone, referring to Lauren’s absence.
It seems that Cassie has been able to sell the lie to the staff at Interstellar and bought us a little time until Lauren’s found. The media hasn’t been alerted, and no one is in a panic. Let them gossip all they want about a supposed love affair between us; I’d rather that happen instead of the news of her disappearance splashed across the front page. Nothing sends a company into a nose dive quicker than a kidnapped CEO.
LAUREN
I freeze, squeezing my eyes shut, and I swallow down the bile that’s rising in my throat as the latch opens, scraping against the metal as the bolt moves.
Maybe he’ll leave me alone, safe in the darkness, if he thinks I’m still unconscious. Being in this room scares me, but the thought of what Trent’s capable of is far more frightening because of the unknown.
I knew he had an unhealthy obsession with me and that he never fully accepted or got over our breakup, but I never thought he’d do something like this. Until recently, he wasn’t ever aggressive and he’d never pushed himself on me. But all the warning signs were there, slowly building to his breaking point. I should’ve seen it coming and put more distance between us. I should’ve fired him a long time ago, but I just couldn’t. Letting the company and the invention come before anything else, I opened myself up to his attack, and it led to my being in this room.
There’s a loud creak as the door opens, but I don’t dare sneak a glance across the floor toward his feet. When his footsteps move closer and grow louder as he approaches, I hold my breath and wait for whatever comes next.
Will he keep me in this tiny room as a prisoner until someone finds me or until I die? Will he torture me or, dear God, rape me until he’s had his fill? A day ago, I would’ve said Trent didn’t have it in him, but after he choked me until I passed out, I know he’s capable of anything.
Trent slides his hands under my back as he lifts me into his arms. My skin crawls as our bodies touch, and he holds me against his chest as he carries me. I stay limp, letting my arms flop as he takes heavy steps out of the room he’s kept me locked inside. I want to run, push away and escape, but I’m seized by panic and too terrified to even breathe, let alone move.
“I know you’re awake,” he says as his fingers dig into my waist and hip. “You can stop the act, Lulu.”
Fuck. I sag against him, defeated and knowing I have to face him. But I still have my strength and speed to outrun him. I just need to figure out where we are and get the hell out of here. I would do anything to break free and get away from the madman, even if it means dying for a chance at freedom.
I squint, blinded by the harsh lighting in the new room, and swallow down the sob that wants to break free. Do not cry. I’ve never been a crier, and I refuse to start now. I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that he’s terrorizing me or any inkling that I’ve given up hope because of him.
“Where are we?” I try to remain as calm as possible, knowing my life depends on my ability to keep my mind focused.
My insides are twisting because this man, someone I once thought I loved, has done this to me. This man choked me until I blacked out, but it takes a
special kind of crazy to do that to someone they supposedly love.
I wipe everything away and think of only one thing…survival. If I play nice, maybe, just maybe, he’ll let his guard down long enough for me to get away.
“Our favorite place.”
My panic level ratchets up from scared to death to off the charts because I know exactly where he’s taken me.
We’re at his favorite place, a secluded cabin in Canada. The tiny house is set back miles from any main street, and the nearest neighbors are over a mile away. Too far for anyone to hear me scream if I were able to escape and near enough for him to track me down on foot if he’s conscious when I make my move.
How long had I been out before I woke up in the blacked-out room? He had to drug me to keep me from waking up during the six-hour drive before crossing the border. I should’ve known that the dull throb in my head was caused by more than his hands wrapping around my neck.
“Why here?” My voice sounds distant, almost robotic. I’m in shock, but who wouldn’t be in the same situation? I can’t bring myself to look at him, the man who’s now my captor.
He gently sets me down on the bed as if he might break me, which is almost comical. “Because I needed us to be alone.”
I stare down at my partially clothed body, and my stomach rolls as bile rises again in my throat.
He reaches over me and grabs something near the top of the headboard, but I can’t bring myself to look. When he reaches for my wrist, I pull away and try to curl into a ball. I want to cry and run, but I know there’s no one and nothing for miles. “Leave me be,” I say, fighting back the tears that are threatening to fall.
I can’t cry. I won’t cry. I can’t give him that power to know how much he’s affecting me.
“You either give me your wrist, or else I’ll put you back in the darkness.”
I don’t know what’s worse—the cold, hard darkness of the safe room or being out here with a deranged lunatic. I know that the second he puts me back in the room, there’ll be no chance for escape.
Merger: Takeover Duet #2 Page 2
