by Tamie Dearen
“I only wish your father could see you for who you are,” Fordham murmured. “He’s far more blind than you will ever be.”
With worries about Carina, his father, Johnson, and Escapade Resorts jamming the circuits in his brain, Branson couldn’t concentrate. He closed his laptop. The backlog of emails would have to wait.
Anticipating a good long workout, he headed to his suite and changed clothes. When he stepped into the hallway and turned toward his private gym, he heard something—a quick intake of breath.
He froze, listening. “Who’s there?”
Silence.
“I know you’re there. Who is it?”
A slight rustling noise. Or was it his imagination? I’m getting paranoid.
“This hallway’s monitored with security cameras. We have your face recorded already. One phone call, and you’ll be in jail.” It was a bluff, but a plausible one.
He heard a sniff. Then a small, trembly voice said, “I’m sorry. Please don’t send me to jail.”
“Ellie?”
“Yes.” She sniffed again. “I didn’t mean to come here. I got lost.”
“Why aren’t you at school?”
“Mommy said I could stay home today, on account of we’re moving tomorrow.”
His throat constricted. He had no idea Steph would move out that fast. He’d hoped he had time to convince her to stay. How could she afford it? How would she take care of Ellie?
“Are you going to call the police?”
“I won’t.” He gave her what he hoped was a pleasant smile, to soothe her nerves. “Want me to show you the way back to your rooms?”
“No, not yet. Mom told me not to come back for an hour.”
“Why not?”
“Because, she’s talking to my dad.”
She wants an hour alone with her ex? Inside my estate? I don’t think so.
“How did you find me?”
Stephanie stood, gripping the back of the chair, to hide her trembling fingers from Jeff’s sharp eyes.
“Someone told me where you were and what you’re up to. What’s the matter, baby? You act like you aren’t happy to see me.”
“Why are you here?” She mustered all the bravado she could find. “And don’t tell me you’re here to see Ellie. You don’t even believe she’s your daughter.”
“I miss you, sweetie. Thought maybe you miss me, too.”
With his feet propped on the coffee table, he leaned back on the couch and stretched his arms over his head. Steph remembered when she used to admire his biceps and swoon over his six-pack. She’d been so enamored with his outward appearance, she’d brushed certain behaviors under the rug. Constantly questioning her whereabouts. Accusing her of cheating. Criticizing her appearance. Controlling her outside contacts. She hadn’t realized how oppressed and alone she felt until he left her with a sick child. She’d all but lost touch with her old friends. Laurie, however, stuck with her through it all, and made no secret of celebrating when the marriage ended. Though he’d never been violent before, his sudden appearance made Steph nervous. She took comfort knowing, if she screamed, Laurie would come running over from next door and likely beat the man to a pulp… or at least call nine-one-one.
“Sorry to disappoint. I don’t miss you. Not at all.” Steph swept her hand toward the door. “Time to go.”
He gave her a smarmy smile. “I don’t think so. Not until I get what I came for.”
“Spit it out, Jeff. I don’t have time for this.”
“I want in.”
She blinked. What on earth was he talking about? Ellie?
“It’s too late. Ellie doesn’t want anything to do with you.”
He stood up, slinking closer, while her heart thumped a machine gun rhythm in her chest.
“I don’t care about your defective kid. I want a cut of the extra dough you’re getting from your blind boyfriend.”
“There is no extra dough. I worked for Mr. Knight and got paid a salary. I live paycheck to paycheck, trying to cover Ellie’s medical bills. And I think you should leave before I decide to sue you for the child support you’ve never paid.”
His eyes rolled up to the ceiling. “You expect me to believe that billionaire isn’t paying you a little extra for his booty calls?”
Steam spewed out with her words. “There are no booty calls. And why would you think I would ever give you a dime, anyway?”
With a blur of movement, her wrist was cinched in his painful grasp. “Either you pay up, or I’ll tell him all about you. I’ll tell him what a slut you are. I’ll tell him how you wiped out my savings account.”
“I told you a thousand times, I never cheated on you. And I used our savings to pay some of Ellie’s medical bills. That’s all.” She jerked against his relentless grip, so tight it brought tears to her eyes.
Evil gleamed from his eyes as his lips spread to expose his teeth. A shiver rippled down her spine. He’d been so sweet and romantic when they were dating. How could this dark personality have been so well hidden? Was it obvious all the time, or did he change after they married?
“That’s not the way I remember it, baby.” Ripe and foul, his hot breath hit her face.
“It doesn’t matter.” She tugged again, to no avail. “I quit my job. I’m moving away tomorrow.”
The corner of his lip twitched. Suddenly, her arm was wrenched down and around, behind her back. She cried out in pain, but he lifted it high, forcing her head down. She couldn’t take a deep enough breath to scream for help.
“You’re not leaving here until you pay me back. You married me and slept around and took my money. Did you think I’d let you get away scot-free?”
“I don’t have any money.” Her voice came out a barely audible gasp, the pain in her arm intense as she waited for it to twist out of its socket.
“We’ll find a different way for you to pay.”
“No!” Her rasping protest sounded almost as terrified as she felt.
He’s out of his mind. Totally crazy.
Her arm bent further, pushing her to the floor. Adrenaline surged through her system as she watched for an opportunity to fight back. His weight fell on her back, trapping one arm beneath her and squeezing the air from her lungs.
With her arms pinned, she could only flail about, the clunky boot on her foot impeding her efforts. Then his weight shifted. He flipped her over and trapped both arms over her head, sending stabbing agony to her shoulders. Her legs were still trapped, but her mouth and lungs were free.
One deep breath later, she screamed for all she was worth and prayed Laurie would call nine-one-one. When his hand clamped over her mouth, she opened her jaw as wide as possible. A finger slipped inside, and she bit, hard. He answered with a shriek of pain, his wild eyes growing even wider. Something that felt like a chunk of lead impacted the side of her head and, for a second, she saw stars.
All at once, his weight lifted, and he gave a yelp of surprise. His body tumbled sideways to the floor. In his place stood Branson, chest heaving, expression dark with fury.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Ellie bounded over and fell to her knees beside Stephanie, tears streaking her face.
Steph scooted and crawled, backing as far as possible away from Jeff, who was already climbing to his feet, his cheeks red, veins pulsing on the side of his face.
Hopefully, Jeff would take one look at Bran, with his formidable height and bulging muscles, and decide to make a run for it.
“What’s wrong? Afraid to fight someone your own size?” Bran jeered. “One of those guys who beats up on women because he’s too chicken to fight a real man?”
“Bran. No.” He was taunting an insane man. He could get himself killed.
As she backed against the wall, Steph maneuvered onto her feet, a difficult task with her air cast in place. She whispered in Ellie’s ear and sent her running for help.
“Are you the guy who’s been sleeping with my slutty wife?” Jeff gave a harsh laugh as he marched up to Branson, giving
him the once over. “Believe me, she’s not worth fighting over.”
“Maybe I disagree.”
Bran stood like a target, a sitting duck, hands at his side. Stephanie didn’t know what to do. If Jeff beat him up, it would be her fault.
Relaxed and smiling, Jeff shook his index finger at Stephanie. “I’ll come back to you in a minute, babe.”
In a blink, Jeff’s head snapped backwards, and his body teetered, tilting to the rear. Then, Branson sent a side kick to his belly, and he folded, landing with a thud.
Bran rubbed the knuckles on his right hand. “No, you won’t.”
Steph tiptoed closer to Jeff’s unmoving body, wary that he might jump up at any minute, brandishing a knife or a gun, as in every action movie she’d ever seen. From a distance of ten feet, she could see his chest rise and fall and decided she’d come far enough.
“I can’t believe you knocked him out. He’s alive, though.” She fanned herself with her hand, pushing her sleeves up to her elbows. “I was so scared when he got close to you. I thought he might kill you. Why did you taunt him like that?”
“Thanks for the ego boost. Thought, after all this time, you wouldn’t expect so little from me, just because I’m blind.” His eyebrows knitted together, and his jaw flexed. “If you really want to know, taunting makes an opponent talk. It’s a lot easier to hit my target while he’s speaking, especially if I’m aiming for his chin.”
“Oh. Right. Uhmm… makes sense.” The complete awkwardness of the entire situation settled in. Other than sending a single text asking for “space,” she’d ignored Branson’s attempts at communication. In an effort to avoid him at all costs, she’d located a short-term, low-rent sublease in Monee, a suburb of Chicago, where the three of them could stay until she made arrangements to go to New York. That was assuming everything worked out with Finn, whom she hadn’t yet contacted.
Now she felt like a complete heel, even though she’d pushed him away for his own good. She didn’t even know if he’d come down with the stomach virus. The last two nights, she’d laid awake with nothing but Branson on her mind. When morning came she would crawl out of bed, splash water on her face, and struggle through the day, explaining away her bloodshot eyes and dark circles as a cold. From the way Laurie reacted, pressing her lips together and watching her with a sympathetic gaze, Steph assumed she wasn’t buying the excuse.
As if I didn’t owe Branson enough already, he went and saved my life, or at least saved me from a horrible experience. I have to say something.
“Thanks for… coming to my rescue. Thought I could handle him, but he’s never been like that before. Maybe he was on something.”
His expression softened. “Stephanie, I—”
“Dang-it!” Laurie galloped into the room, past Stephanie and Bran, until she reached Jeff’s crumpled form. “I missed it.”
Chapter 22
Branson’s fingers had scanned the same line at least ten times. He still couldn’t make his brain concentrate on what he was reading. How could he get any work done, knowing Stephanie was moving out of the estate today? Even worse, he was scheduled to meet with Carina later that afternoon, and he wasn’t ready. She’d lied about the Parker-Aston stocks and slipped drugs into his drink, which certainly justified breaking off the marriage. Bran was convinced Carina was somehow involved in a plot with his father, though he hadn’t found any evidence to support his theory.
He jumped when his cell phone rang.
“Hey, Finn.” He didn’t wait for his friend to respond. “I planned to call this afternoon and give you another update. It’s just like we thought. A lot of activity on the Escapade stocks. Someone’s been buying them up under the umbrella of various shell companies. Fordham hasn’t been able to prove my father’s behind it… not yet.”
“What about Carina? Is she wrapped up in the Escapade deal, or is that a coincidence?”
“No way to tell. The information she gave on the Parker-Aston stocks was bogus. But she claims she lied to talk me into rushing the marriage because she didn’t want me to find out she was pregnant. She’ll be here in a few minutes, and I’ve basically got nothing.”
“Your life is so screwed up right now.” Finn gave an audible sigh. “I gotta ask you, Bran. How did this happen? You’re so careful about everything. I can’t even understand why you would go out with Carina, much less sleep with her.”
“She was different when we first started dating. She can be charming when she wants to.” The ever-present knots in Bran’s intestines drew tighter. “But the few times we slept together, I took precautions.”
“So maybe the baby isn’t yours?” Finn’s voice was hopeful.
“I wish I knew. The timing is right, though. Twenty-two weeks would’ve been the last time we were together. Guess I can’t prove anything until the baby comes. And meanwhile, I’m losing my personal assistant over this.”
“Your personal assistant?” From his harsh tone, Finn’s exasperation was obvious. “If that’s all Stephanie is to you, I’ll send you a list of qualified applicants to replace her. You can have a new employee in that position by tomorrow.”
All the feelings Bran had been pushing into the background tumbled out at once, covering him like an avalanche of depression.
“I love her,” Bran whispered, though admitting it aloud felt like salt on his raw emotions.
“Finally!” Finn declared, then paused, making a funny sound in his throat. “Which brings me to the reason I called. Stephanie contacted me this morning, asking for a job.”
“What?” Bran took a swig of coffee, wincing when he realized it was tepid. He swallowed anyway, needing the caffeine boost. “I assume you already turned her down. Why would she call you, in the first place?”
“Uhmm… Eh-hem…” Finn’s voice was barely audible. “Maybe because I kind of promised her a job if she needed it.”
“I can’t believe this!” Bran exploded. “You’re supposed to be my friend.”
“I was thinking it’d be a good thing if she worked for me. At least I could keep tabs on her, and you’d know she was okay.”
Bran replied with a word Stephanie wouldn’t have liked.
“Okay,” Finn remarked, a hint of humor back in his voice. “Something tells me you’re a bit unhappy.
“She doesn’t need to go anywhere.” Bran felt like hitting something. Or someone. He resolved to go back to the gym and skip dinner. “I plan to keep paying her salary. I’m going to take care of her and Ellie, no matter what.”
“Perhaps you should mention that to her,” Finn suggested.
“I tried!” Bran shouted. “She won’t talk to me. She blocked my calls. She wouldn’t answer the door. And yesterday, if I hadn’t used my key to let myself in her suite, her ex might’ve killed her. I pulled him off her and cleaned his clock. She barely had time to say thank you before everyone descended on us, including the police.”
“You beat up her ex?” asked Finn. “Can’t wait to hear this story.”
“Never mind that,” Bran fumed. “The important thing is I haven’t been able to talk to her. How can I stop her from moving to New York?”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that. She’s already on her way.”
“How could that be? She just moved out this morning.” His chest burned with excess acid.
“Seems the place she was planning to sub-lease was infested with little critters—namely roaches and mice. What could I do? I told them to come. I’ve got an empty apartment in my building, although I had a high-paying leaser lined up. Since you planned to take care of Steph and Ellie, I’ll let you reimburse me for the apartment.”
“You take Stephanie away from me, and I pay you for the privilege?” Branson was too stunned to be angry.
“If you don’t like it, I suggest you do something about it. Insist on a paternity test. Why wait ‘til the baby comes? Do it now.”
“Ha! I wish.”
“I think it can be done. Google it.”
&
nbsp; A box on Bran’s desk buzzed, indicating someone was at his office door. “I don’t have time. Carina’s already here. Mind looking it up for me?”
“Sure. Guess it’s the least I can do for the guy who’s paying my new assistant’s salary and housing.”
“I didn’t agree to pay for—”
“Want me to send a text as soon as I find out the answer?”
Outside the door, his visitor demonstrated her impatience with persistent knocking. “Branson, let me in.”
Bran gritted his teeth and murmured into the phone. “Yes, please. And hurry.”
As he disconnected the call, he pressed a button to unlock the door. She marched inside, complaining as she came. “First, you insist I make an appointment, just to talk to you. Me—your fiancée. Why should I need an appointment to speak to my husband-to-be? And then, when I come, you make me stand outside and wait. I don’t know what you think about our relationship, but I can tell you I’m not putting up with this kind of thing. I deserve to be treated with respect.”
Branson imagined her standing with her hand on her hips, looking down on him as if she thought herself superior in every way. He waited until her tirade dwindled to nothing, then leaned forward with his elbows on his desk, folding his hands to support his chin.
“Good afternoon, Carina. Thank you for coming.”
“Thank me for coming? I’m the one who insisted we talk. You’ve been avoiding me all week, treating me like I’m nobody, instead of your fiancée.”
He shook his head slowly from side to side. “Not sure your title is still fiancée. That would imply we’re getting married.”
He heard a sharp intake of breath. “Are you threatening me?”
“Not at all.” He forced his lips to smile. “I’m simply explaining to the woman who lied to me and drugged me that I’m not sure she possesses the qualities I’m seeking in a wife.”
“That was only out of desperation.” Her voice went shaky. “It was all for the baby. He needs his father.”
“About that… I’ve been thinking…” Branson let his words hang, stalling for time. Hurry up, Finn. What did you find? “I’m thinking perhaps the baby needs his or her father, but that might not be me.”
