WindSwept Narrows: #18 Paige Andrews

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “I…I’m not going to lie to you and tell you I’m fine, Paige. If it were allowed, I’d probably beat you to the jail and pound them into the ground without a second thought,” Sebastian told her honestly.

  “I got in some pretty good hits,” she said with a little smile. “But it’s a nice sentiment.” She moved around the counter and leaned into him, kissing him softly. “So…we’re okay?”

  “I think I’ve got my head out of ass…so yeah, we’re okay,” he grinned at her grimace.

  “You’ve got a good memory…”

  “So what’s that tell you?”

  She laughed. “That I have to watch my mouth to avoid having it come back and bite me.” She took the hands he had hanging down his sides and tried to put them on her waist. “Sebastian?”

  “Paige…I’m…shit…I saw the bruises, Paige. I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you,” he told her raggedly.

  “I’m okay, Sebastian…honest…trust me, I’ve had worse,” she laid her head down on his chest when his arms came around her. It was a difficult but she kept the laugh in after she issued a tiny yelp and he jumped back, pulling his hands free immediately. She lifted her head and winked at him. “Gotcha.”

  Pale lashes narrowed, his hands up to immediately frame her face and pull her mouth hard against his for a long, searing kiss that took them teetering near the edge.

  “I’ve…uhhh…got to get going,” Paige exhaled slowly, her eyes cruising over the full, sensuous lips. “Yeah…work…”

  “You could ride in with me on the bike,” Sebastian lifted the glass of juice and drained it.

  “Hmm…let me think on it…that would be…no,” Paige dug an apple and the wrapped sandwich from inside. “I’ll see you at the office. How do I get out?”

  “I’ll open the gates and be a few minutes behind you,” he said with a shake of his head, following her to the front door and tapping buttons. “Cleared…”

  She paused, looking at him, waiting. “You said we’re okay…so my apology was accepted?”

  “We’ll talk over lunch, Paige. I didn’t mean to bulldoze you. And…okay…my words weren’t as smooth as they could have been,” he sighed at the little smile sparking in her eyes. “See you at the office.”

  She waved and continued to her car, dropping her pack inside before sliding over the seat. Music played as she dug out some pills and the bottle of water she’d refilled and stuck into her pack before she headed out of the driveway. A long puff of breath was pushed through her lips.

  She was already planning for the next argument at the end of the day. She really wanted the exploring of the granary over the weekend with him so she hoped it could be cleared up before night.

  She discussed the whole thing with Pepper and Catherine. Full disclosure where males were concerned just didn’t always work right when they’re brains were less than engaged and other parts of them were tied in a knot. The entire inequity of the whole deal always chafed, she thought, making her way through the offices and opening drapes and windows before digging into the folders that had been left for her.

  Chase walked in behind Sebastian, his gaze lingering on Paige with a little frown. “You two coordinate your closets this morning? Pepper looks about the same…”

  “That’s us girls…we’re coordinated,” Paige answered with a little chuckle. “Don’t forget – gone at three to go to the resort and twist vendor ears.”

  “Now that we should probably have on video,” Sebastian remarked on his way into his office, the soft leather case he carried opened as he tossed folders inside from his desk. Helmet and gloves in one hand, briefcase in the other, he came around Paige’s desk and went to kiss her.

  “No!” She kicked out her feet and sent her chair rolling, pink tinting her cheeks and her eyes immediately on the open door to Chase’s office and then back on the stunned look on Sebastian’s face. “No!” She hissed again, palm up and one finger pointing.

  “Paige…”

  “No. This is an office. There will be none of that here. Go. Have fun meetings and conquer,” she raised both hands with a shooing motion.

  Sebastian straightened up, drawing in a long breath. “Alright. I’ll bring lunch back. You want anything?”

  “No, thanks…oh, wait…yeah…a milkshake would be nice…strawberry,” she said with a little nod, turning back to her computer. There was an odd little bit of her who considered the kissing in the office thing settled. She really was starting to wonder where her brain was lately.

  “Alright…fair enough…payment,” Sebastian moved quickly, things dropped to her desk and his hands on her shoulders. As expected, her head popped up at just the right angle, his mouth down hard and caressing. “I’ll see you later, Paige.”

  “Damn it,” she swore softly, scowling at the taut behind that merely gathered his things and went to the parking lot, whistling softly. She heard Chase chuckling and quickly popped her ear pod into place and tuned up music. Throwing herself into her work and not surfacing until almost noon.

  The scent of something hot and spicy entered her senses at the same time a large frosted cup appeared on her desk. She looked over in time to see him striding into his office. She heard the helmet hit the chair and the briefcase dropped on the desk that he kept mostly bare, except for the computer and monitor. Chase wouldn’t be back for an hour, she slid the straw into the slot and took a long drink.

  “Delicious, thanks,” she watched him drag a chair next to her desk and set the container of food down along with a tall cup of something cola colored. Her lips were pursed and brows knit.

  “What?”

  “Excuse me?” Paige blinked and looked at him.

  “You’re scowling and I’ve been gone, so it’s not my fault, whatever it is,” Sebastian took a bite of spicy beef vegetable mix, watching her raise her hand with one finger aimed at him.

  “You want to know why I’m scowling?” She asked, meeting the wary expression. “I’m scowling because of this…” She let her hand wave over the spread of his lunch and her milkshake on the desk.

  “Lunch?” He said carefully, taking another bite and wondering why it was so hard to keep up with her brain.

  “Lunch. In the office. Together,” she held up a finger when he opened his mouth to speak. “And you know why? Because you have that look on your face again.”

  “Paige…I’m really trying to keep up here…what look?”

  “The one that says, you’re really gonna have to cave on this one,” she said with a nod. “Because you’re persistent and deliberate and determined so you’ll use all that and gradually insinuate yourself and wear me down. I know how it works.”

  “I didn’t realize I was that devious or obvious,” he said after a long pause, his grin crooked and immediately telling her she was right.

  She opened her mouth with a sharp retort and closed it quickly, taking a long drink of the milkshake and a deep breath at the same time.

  “So…how did the meetings go this morning?” She asked politely, absently sorting the folders he returned to her.

  “A lot smoother than yesterday,” he answered simply, bright blue eyes meeting the wide circles that looked a little embarrassed. “Yeah…I wasn’t in a really great mood yesterday morning.”

  “I…uh…noticed the concessions that weren’t in the original documents,” Paige mentioned casually.

  “They were quite generous by the end of the meeting,” he offered without details.

  “Yeah…I bet…probably didn’t even know what they were doing just to get out of the meeting with their skins intact,” Paige sighed and shook her head. “I’m not taking the blame for that.”

  “Haven’t asked you to, sweetheart,” Sebastian chuckled and tossed the empty container to the trash. “Do you want to get some clothes after work today?”

  “I have things for tomorrow,” she said with a shrug. “We can go there after we hit the granary. It’s supposed to be brilliantly spring tomorrow.”

  �
�One of the stops we’re making is to get you the right kind of jacket and a pair of gloves,” Sebastian stood up and went into his office, not waiting for her reaction.

  Paige knew she was right. Insinuate, she thought. The man was devious.

  She had things closed down at three and stuck her head around the office door with the little knock.

  “Chase isn’t back yet, I’m off to the resort and will see you later,” she said quickly, almost running out the door before he could ask questions. Questions without answers and guys who believed you were helpless, she hit the gas and sped down the coastal road toward the resort.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Both women stood before the mirror in the salon and exhaled, long and slow.

  Catherine Jenkins looked from one to the other and nodded. “He hasn’t seen you in a long time, Pepper. He also doesn’t strike me as the kind who would have kept up on your appearance. The picture in the paper was romantic but it didn’t show your features off, other than the long blonde hair.”

  “Alright then…it’s show time,” Paige squared her shoulders, lifted the special pack they’d created and walked out of the salon toward the entrance to the resort.

  At Hartley Montgomery, Chase answered his cell phone when he saw the readout was his driver. “Montgomery.”

  “Sir…I think we might have a problem,” Leo knew it wouldn’t do any good to hit the horn. There was just too much coming and going and a moderately sized limo did not have the right of way.

  “What? Where are you?”

  “I came to wait for Mrs. M. at the resort and…I saw her arguing with Ambrose outside the main entrance.”

  “She…now? She’s supposed to be with Paige working,” Chase was up and headed to the outer office, Sebastian striding out at the raised voice. He put his phone on speaker.

  “I don’t know, sir. I was waiting, watching. Mrs. M. came out and Ambrose came from the curb. It looked like they exchanged a few sentences, then it was kind of an argument and…”

  “Hold on…did you get hold of security, Leo?” Sebastian asked, grabbing up his helmet, gloves and patting down his pocket for keys with a hitch of his head toward the door. He locked it behind them and mounted the bike.

  “I can’t leave the car.”

  “What happened?” Chase asked, mounting behind Sebastian and holding the extra helmet.

  “She turned to go back into the resort and he grabbed her…she kind of stumbled and almost fell to the ground…”

  “He hit her?”

  “No…I didn’t see him raise a hand to her, sir…she just…collapsed toward the ground only the guy that drives for him was there to catch her and put her into the back seat. I tried taking off, but the traffic here is…I can’t get through,” he said with a sigh. “I’m sorry…”

  “I’ll call security,” Chase said flatly, tapping in the preset number and waiting while Sebastian wound their way quickly toward the resort. “Catherine Jenkins, please.”

  “I’m afraid she’s not at…”

  “Find her for me. Now, this is Montgomery and I want to talk to her,” he ordered brusquely.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Chase, what’s wrong?” Catherine came on the line, one eye on the monitor as she drove.

  “Ambrose just grabbed Pepper,” he bit out, a slim thread holding his temper intact.

  “Pepper is fine, Chase. She’s here with me and she’s okay,” Catherine handed the phone to Pepper. “Calm him down…good grief…”

  “Chase? What’s wrong?”

  “Pepper? What the…Jesus, I’m stupid!” Chase tapped the helmet and spoke into it. “They were dressed the same.”

  “They…fuck…” Sebastian pulled off to the side and tore the helmet off his head. “Where are they now?”

  “Pepper…what is going on?” Chase tapped the speaker button. “Bastian is here with me…”

  “Uh-oh…” Pepper Montgomery closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Sebastian…Chase…we have things under control.”

  “Where the hell is she, Pepper?” Sebastian dug his heels into the gravel and let his head go back for some semblance of control.

  “Right now, he’s headed toward the small airport to the south of here.”

  “And how is this under control?” He asked frigidly.

  “Because she’s tagged. Because she’s got a military grade listening device and because it’s Paige,” Pepper sighed thickly. “She didn’t want you to worry, Sebastian. But she came up with a plan that will have it over and…and he’ll go to prison for what he’s done today.”

  “Give me the co-ordinates, Pepper,” Sebastian said through clenched teeth. “He said that’s where he’s taking her?”

  “We’re recording them discussing it, Ambrose and his driver,” Pepper held her breath. “We think he knocked her out. But she was expecting it, Sebastian. She’s not…”

  “Not what, Pepper? Not helpless? The hell she isn’t…” He gave the phone the Chase and fastened the helmet on, waiting while Chase ended the call and put the other helmet on.

  “They’re following in the SUV, Sebastian.”

  “And we’ll beat their time,” he said flatly. “Hold on.”

  They’d ridden together before. He couldn’t recall seeing such precision or speed as they wove their way along the highway to the south of Tacoma.

  “Do we know the tag number of the car he has her in?” Sebastian asked, the sight of small planes catching his attention as the GPS pointed them around a corner.

  “That dark blue one…I recognize the driver,” Chase told him, his own hands clenched into fists as he scanned the area.

  Paige had stirred after a few minutes. She’d worn a special padding beneath her sweater, one that absorbed the small needle he used for his knockout drug. She was glad her guess had been right and that he’d gone for the large open space of her upper arm.

  “Exactly where are we going now?” She asked, deliberately sounding drowsy.

  “I told you. You’re going to sign that money over to me and I’ll let you go back to that rich husband of yours. You don’t need it and I’ve earned it.”

  “Sounds like you really believe that…” She pushed herself into the corner of the backseat, blinking and watching him. “Where are we? Just let me go…”

  “When I have the money,” he said flatly.

  “I’m not sure if that’s theft or blackmail…guess the attorney’s will have to sort that out, huh?” She pressed her back into the door, the sounds of the planes over head making her shake her head. “I really don’t like flying…so you spent all your life waiting to get your hands on this money. You have money.”

  “I have plans and that belongs to me. I put up with raising you…”

  “It continues to baffle me the lengths and stupid things people do for money. Especially money that isn’t theirs…in any way, shape or form,” she offered a bright smile. “I’m not signing anything over to you. I’m not giving you money and you’re both going to end up in prison for a long, long time for this.”

  The older man looked over at her, eyes narrowed. “You’ve never been stupid. You want me out of your life, I want the money. Maybe it would have been easiest to begin with.”

  “Instead you beat and poison and all kinds of other crap to people who didn’t deserve it,” Paige said with a shake of her head. “How do you live with the hypocrisy?”

  Catherine saw the motorcycle come up to the SUV and gave Pepper a look.

  “You deal with them. Hysterical partners make me want to shoot someone,” she said with a low growl, checking the gun at her side and opening the car door and striding to the unmarked police car.

  Pepper jumped out and ran lightly over the concrete and into the arms of the man who stepped from the bike. But her eyes were on Sebastian.

  “She’s alright, Sebastian. I swear it to you. We dyed her hair…it’s temp and will wash right out. She’s been asking questions and he’s been bragging. He doesn’t know it
isn’t me,” Pepper felt the ground beneath her feet once more and stepped to put her hand on his arm. “She’s armed, Bastian. The police are here and will be stopping the car…there…we have the video footage of him drugging her, forcing her into his car and all the conversation to put him away. I…I can’t thank her and Catherine enough for this,” she said softly, welcoming the shoulder to put her head on. “We didn’t tell you because she was never in danger. He wouldn’t hurt her because he wants the money. We…we hoped it would be done and she’d meet you at home and it would be alright. I’m sorry, Bastian…”

  “Pepper…” he walked over to her and kissed her forehead. “It’s okay. I know she can take care of herself…and it’s a good thing our heath care goes through the resort.” He put both hands on his neck, forcing the tension from his shoulders.

  “I heard about the attack yesterday…we almost canceled but she wouldn’t let me,” Pepper inhaled raggedly. “She’s a good friend.”

  Sebastian watched the unfolding scene. The yelling from the reverend, the bodyguard who was cuffed first and led off and the blonde standing with her feet apart and signing papers with the police and attorney they had brought with them. Paige headed toward Catherine until she saw the direction her friend looked.

  He could read her lips and knew exactly what she said. He leaned against the bike, arms over his chest and waited as she very slowly walked in his direction, letting Catherine finish with the police.

  Paige seriously wondered about feet that seemed to stick as she walked.

  “We’re going back with Catherine,” Pepper went forward and hugged her tightly. “Thanks!”

  Chase followed behind his wife, his lips brushing Paige’s forehead. “I don’t think I know how to thank you. I’ll promise not to let Sebastian fire you,” he teased with a wink.

  “That is not even funny,” Paige murmured, swallowing and continuing her walk, making it almost up to him when she remembered. Her hands crossed over her and she pulled the bulky sweater over her head, tossing to him with a half wince. “Hold that…please…”