A body slinks up beside me. "You don't have a drink, Kylie." John's hot breath is inches from my ear. My stomach churns, bile rising in my throat.
I step closer to Lisa and nearly cause her to spill her drink.
"Don't make a scene, Kylie." His voice is low and threatening. He hands me a glass and grabs another for himself from the tray. "Here. Have some champagne and take the edge off."
Jack's voice booms in the small space. "So here's to Bob."
I down the champagne in one gulp, anxious to get out of the conference room and away from John. I hand my empty to Lisa. "Are the files ready?"
She squishes her eyebrows together, and she glances behind me. Something flickers in her eyes. "Yes, they're on the chair in your office."
"Great. Thanks, Lisa. Have a good weekend."
I leave the conference room without a word to John. I rush down the hall to my office. As soon as I walk in, a headache brews at the back of my skull, and my head feels like a the ocean waves are rocking my brain around inside my skull. I curse Jack under my breath for the shitty champagne.
I glance at Jake. "John's here."
He looks past me toward the elevators. I follow his gaze, and see John. He smirks, but there's an edge of surprise, as if he's warning me, but he didn’t expect Alex's security team to be here. I turn away. I'm done giving him any satisfaction that he scares me. This game of control through fear that he loves to play with me is over.
Jake looks at Thomas. "He's leaving."
Thomas nods. Another secret guy code I'm not privy to.
Thomas picks up a large stack of files from the chair.
I point to the table. "I need this pile, too. If you want to take those down, I'll go through these and see what else I need."
Jake looks over his shoulder. John's not there.
"Okay, we'll be back in a minute. Stay here until I come back," he says.
I nod, rummage through the files, and grab what I need. The files are secure under in my arm, and I head for the elevator, hoping to catch Jake and Thomas before they head back up for no reason. I press the button for the lobby, and the doors close.
A hand forces the doors open. John steps inside and immediately presses the close door button. Fear washes over me. He must have been waiting for an opportunity to get me alone.
The reaches across to the panel, and the button for the garage lights up.
My heart pounds loudly in my ears. My headache is in full throbbing mode. I need to come up with a plan to get off this elevator before it gets to the garage. Once he gets me to the garage, I'll be gone before anyone realizes anything is wrong. Things are fuzzy. My thoughts are not scattered.
"You don't look well, Kylie. I think I should take you home." John says, but his voice is far from caring and concerned.
"I have a ride," I say flatly, not looking at him.
He shakes his head. "No, I'll take you."
My heart drops to my stomach. I know what this means. He'll finish sadistic training session.
Images flash before my eyes—restraints, beatings, and so much blood. An acidic burn rages in the pit of my stomach.
The floors pass. I hold my breath the closer we get to the bottom. I should've stayed in my office and waited for Jake. But even Jake thought John had left, or I wouldn't have been left alone. But John waited.
A ding announces our arrival in the lobby. John's eyes are wild, and I'm guessing he didn't expect someone in the lobby would interrupt our private ride.
The doors slide apart, I rush toward the opening. John presses the button to close the doors. His free hand hits the center of my chest, and he slams me against the wall. All the air rushes from my lungs. I lunge for the door before it closes, but I'm off-balance and I stumble. My head feels as if it's on a swivel stick, and my equilibrium is completely out of whack.
The door gap between the doors is almost gone. My heart sinks. I can't escape.
A boot shoves between the doors and forces them to slide apart. Thomas storms in, throws John against the wall, and pins him there. Jake rushes in, grabs me by the arm, and pulls me out of the elevator.
Dizziness blinds me, and my knees buckle. Jake holds me up, and practically carries me to the SUV.
I slump against the backseat as Jake slides behind the steering wheel and turns to me. "Are you okay, Kylie?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Not hurt. I just feel really light-headed and dizzy." My head is pounding, on a countdown to detonate. I'm confused. I don't react to stress this way. I don't completely fall apart in the face of danger. I'm stronger than this.
"Just sit back and relax. We'll get you back to Mr. Stone's."
I glance at the rearview mirror and catch Jake's eye. "Thanks...for everything."
"That's what I'm here for, Kylie."
I close my eyes and massage my temples."How did you know John was on the elevator with me?"
"I didn't. Thomas and I were coming back to help you with the rest of the files. The doors opened and then started to close before anyone got off. It was a gut call."
The magnitude of what happened hits me. A cold wave passes through me, and I shiver when I consider what I narrowly avoided. Dumb luck and intuition—that's all that saved me from the hell John promises to put me through. "I'm sorry, Jake. I should've waited for you, but I thought John left after seeing you and Thomas with me. Doesn't matter. I shouldn't've taken the chance."
The passenger door swings open, and Thomas jumps in, grinning from ear to ear. Apparently, he enjoyed the little adrenaline rush my precarious situation provided. He has a baby face and is considerably younger than Jake, who is in his mid to mid-thirties. I haven't taken much notice of him because he's so quiet and reserved most of the time. He is built, though, his muscles strain against his white dress shirt. I can see why Jake trusts him as back-up.
I lean my head against the back of the seat as we traverse the roads to Alex's house.
Jake's cell phone rings, and breaks the silence in the vehicle. "Yes, sir. We're about ten minutes out. There was an incident with Sysco, however. He cornered Miss Tate in the elevator. We were able to remove her without any injuries sustained...to her." There's a pause before Jake speaks again. "She has relayed that she's not feeling well."
We pull up in to the front of the house, and Jake assists me up the steps and inside. Thomas carries my files in and disappears. I walk into Alex's study, a little unsteady on my feet, and grab hold of the chair to keep from falling. My head is so heavy. I'm dizzy and seeing spots.
Alex eyes me warily. "You okay?" He moves from behind the desk toward me.
"I'm really light-headed. I don't know what's wrong with me."
The room starts to spin. The room is closing in, as if I'm in an ever-decreasing hallway collapsing in on itself with each passing second. The world around me—and within me—slows way down. My arms and legs are numb, and I feel like I'm floating.
My head is a balloon at the end of a long string, bobbing up and down. Alex calls my name, but he's a thousand miles away. He rushes toward me, but the black hole finally closes off the light before he gets here.
Chapter Seventeen
The room is bright—too bright. I squint, confused, until I realize I'm in Alex's bed. How did I get here? I try to sit up, but pain shoots from the back of my head straight through my eyes. I clench my eyes shut and abandon the effort.
Alex sits beside me on the edge of the bed. "Take it easy." He places one hand behind my head, holds my elbow with his other hand, and gently pulls me up. "It's okay. You just need to go slowly."
I open my eyes again as the pain dissipates some. Alex's caring soft eyes are filled with relief.
"What happened?" I rub my forehead in an attempt to ease the dull throb in my head.
Alex stares at me for a moment and exhales loudly. "You were drugged. You've been out for about eighteen hours."
"Drugged? How? Who?" The words rush out of my mouth.
"Easy, baby. We're pretty sure it was John,
based on the drug and the attempt to kidnap you. The how is more difficult."
I inhale deeply. I need to remain calm so Alex won't decide I can't handle the specifics and keep them from me. Plus, my head already feels like someone is hammering inside my head. I don’t need it turning into a jackhammer. "What was the drug?"
"Rohypnol."
"The date-rape drug?" My chest tightens. My brain is fuzzy, making it damn near impossible to connect the information with the events. Jesus, if John was successful in getting me alone, he could have done anything to me, and I would have been unable to stop him.
We sit for a moment. Alex holds my hand, his thumb rubbing the back of it. "Do you remember being at the office? Anything odd that happened while you were there?"
I close my eyes and try to recall what happened. But connecting the dots isn't that easy and frustrates the hell out of me.
"Everyone was in the conference room when I got off the elevator. I saw Lisa and went in to talk to her. I looked around for John, but didn't see him. Jack was telling us to get champagne. It wasn't until John was right next to me that I realized he had come up beside me. He had a glass of champagne in his hand and gave it to me."
And then he got a new one off the tray for himself.
I open my eyes and look at Alex. "What if he put it in my drink?"
"How?" Alex asks, and there is no mistaking the note of skepticism in his voice.
"He probably already had a glass of champagne and could've added the Rohypnol to it when he saw me come in."
Alex takes a deep breath in. He narrows his eyes, and shakes his head. "And—what?—just happened to have it on him?"
"Yes."
Alex give me a sideways glance.
"Why is that so hard to believe? He would have had to have it on him to administer it."
"But, baby, you weren't at work."
"He wouldn't have known that until he got into the office, though. He probably had it in his pocket, so he could slip it into my coffee—which he could have done easily, by the way. I always have a cup on my desk. He could have waited until I wasn't in my office, and I never would have known. The point is, he would have had to have it readily available when an opportunity presented itself."
"And you walked into the conference and presented him with the perfect opportunity."
What a nightmare my life has become.
Tears sting my eyes. "It's never going to end. He'll never let me go."
Alex gently places his hands on my face and forces me to look in his eyes. "Listen to me." His voice is stern and serious. "This will stop. Now. I'll make sure he never hurts you again. Not ever. I'll protect you any way I can."
Darkness clouds his beautiful eyes and sends a shiver down my spine.
I remember Alex's threat to John at the gala. He threatened to kill John if he ever hurt me again. "Please tell me you're not planning on following through with your threat."
His gaze softens, and his lips curve up slightly at the corners of his mouth. "I'm not going to find a hit man and have John taken out, if that's what you're asking. There are other ways of killing a man. Ways that don't involve murder."
I narrow my eyes. "Such as?"
"Dismantle his life until he has nothing left." His voice is void of all emotion. "Ruin him financially,
"A man who has nothing left to live for might become even more desperate and dangerous."
Alex brings his lips to mine and kisses me. His eyes return to the sea of blue that warms me, but they still have traces of unrest and ire.
"I'll take that under advisement." He stands and helps me out of bed. "Come with me, I have a surprise for you."
There's a gleam in his eyes, and his exuberance is infectious. Excitement replaces the fingers of fear that squeezed my chest. But I know it's only a temporary fix. I have to deal with John and his abusive behavior. Right now, however, I push the anxiety to the recesses of my mind and take comfort in Alex's arms.
We walk down the hall, through the kitchen, and into the family room. A baseball game is on the TV and reminds me of Alex loaning Ryan, Paul, and me his suite.
"Here she is," Alex says.
Ryan and Paul glance over the back of the couch at us. I cover my mouth with my hand and stifle the sob in my chest. I gaze through the mist of new tears in my eyes at my two best friends.
Ryan runs to me, wraps his arms around waist, and kisses me on the cheek. "Oh, darlin'. I am so glad you're okay." He pulls back, gazes at me for a moment, and pulls me into another embrace.
The tears roll down my face and soak into Ryan's shirt where my head rests on his shoulder.
Paul bear hugs me, lifting me off the floor. "Dammit, Kylie. You scared the shit out of me." His breathing accelerates and becomes ragged, and he buries his face in my hair.
"I love you, Paul," I whisper choke down a sob.
He barely lifts his head from the crook of my neck. "I love you too, K."
He finally sets me down and wipes the tears from my face. Paul doesn't get emotional often. In fact, the only other time I've seen him this upset was also because of John.
It's quiet, now that the tenderness is becoming uncomfortable.
Paul flashes his patented shit-eating grin. "Well, one positive came out of this. I don't have to go to that damn convention."
Ryan groans, and Alex shakes his head.
I punch Paul in the shoulder. "Glad I could help."
Ryan and Paul resume watching the game.
I wrap my arms around Alex's neck and gaze into his eyes. "Thank you. You have no idea how much having them here means to me"
"You're very welcome." He kisses me and whispers, "And I think I do."
Alex thoroughly astounds me. The protection, the support, and the acceptance of my friends are more than I ever anticipated or allowed myself to hope for. Even in the face of all the horrible recent events, in this moment, I am the happiest I've been in a long time, surrounded by the most important people in my life.
Chapter Eighteen
Cheering draws me from slumber. We're still camped on the leather sofa in the family room. The boys watch baseball while I nap. I curl into Alex's side, my head on his chest as he runs his fingers through my hair.
I'm drawn to the text messages between us that day at the office, when he said this action took him to naughty places in his mind. That was when I first imagined being with Alex Stone. Of course, I thought it'd be a one-time event.
I was so wrong. Things moved quickly and it's still hard to comprehend that we're in a relationship. I still worry Alex will wake up one day and move on. That's what my mom did. My dad, too, in a way. So it doesn't seem like a leap to believe the same can happen with Alex. No one loves me forever.
I gaze up into Alex's face, and he smiles at me. He's so unbelievably sexy. I breathe in his musky scent.
I snuggle into him a little closer. "You're very comfy, Mr. Stone."
Alex grins at me.
Ryan slaps at my feet. "Yeah, well, you kicked me in the leg the whole time you were sleeping. I’ll probably get a bruise now."
I glance at Ryan. "It's my boyfriend's house. I can kick you if I want to."
Ryan looks at Alex, his eyebrows raised.
"Sorry, Ryan," Alex says. "If I played for your team, I might reprimand her for kicking you. As it stands, I sleep with her."
Paul, Ryan, and I sit completely still. Slowly, our mouths drop open. I'm not sure which one of starts laughing first, but the room erupts.
"Funny as shit, man!" Paul says, and holds his sides.
I lean over, grab Alex's face with both my hands, and kiss him. "Thanks for making me laugh again."
His eyes dance, and I'm lost in them.
"Anything for you, baby."
When Alex looks into my eyes, I feel complete. It never fails to make my heart race, make me swoon, and envelope me in a sense of calm, like a warm blanket on a frigid day.
I'm so grateful that Ryan and Paul are here, and that Alex is openi
ng his home to us.
I sit up and stretch. "Where are we going for dinner?"
The laughter stops, and the room falls silent. All three men stare at me as if I'm asking which one is donating a kidney.
"Are you sure you want to go out tonight, Kylie?" Alex asks, Paul and Ryan nodding their heads.
I stare at them and snicker. "Seriously? I'm with the three hottest, sexiest guys on the East Coast, and you're all mine. If you think I'm wasting this by staying home, you're crazy. I'm going to flaunt all three of you in front of women who will openly call me a bitch, hate my guts, and try to steal you away from me. Should be a fun show to watch, since you'll all be coming home with me." I smile, playfully rubbing my hands together.
"Hey, we're not just pieces of meat you can throw to the wolves purely for your own amusement, K," Ryan says.
"Yeah, I can." I turn to Alex and grasp his chin. "Except for you. You're mine."
"All yours," he growls.
Alex picks up his cell phone from the side table. "Okay, so is Le Deux all right with everyone? They have excellent food, and they open the dance floor later in the evening. Decent DJ."
I shake my head. "We'll never get in there."
Alex is scrolling through his contacts list. "I'll call and have them save us a table. No big deal."
I make an exaggerated effort of looking at him, and then at the clock, and back at him. "At three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon, you think you have a prayer of getting a table for tonight at the hottest restaurant in town? Not happening."
Alex leans over gives me a quick kiss. "Alex Stone, baby." He presses a button on his phone and places it against his ear. "We'll get a table."
He saunters down the hall toward his study, and I can hear him making reservations. I can't help but stare at him, admire his sexy swagger, and contemplate how I got this damn lucky.
I turn back and gaze at Ryan and Paul. "Admit it. He's pretty fabulous."
"Yeah." Paul grabs his beer off the table and drains it. "Alex is all right. You did good, K."
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