“Jacques told me that that was how Val became rich. He used to be a criminal, and he smuggled drugs with Harlow. But when their relationship went sour—I assumed because of the girl and her kidnapped brother—he turned on him. Val renounced his criminal business and turned Harlow in. That’s why Harlow is after him. The Belladonna thing was a drug deal he’s connecting Val to … he’s exposing him….”
Ellen stared blankly at her.
“Ms. Nicoletti, do you need to lie down? Are you ill?”
Serena looked up at her with wide eyes.
“It was a lie, wasn’t it?” she asked. “Jacques said that was how he met Val, they were both drug smugglers….”
“Mr. Lepin was a new hire that Val brought on a few years ago, sweetie,” Ellen said, kneeling down to see eye to eye with her. “Maybe Mr. Lepin has a shady past, but not Val.”
Serena groaned.
“God, how could I have been so stupid?” Serena said, squeezing her eyes shut. “How could I have believed him?”
“Are you sure Mr. Lepin said those things?” Ellen asked, standing up. Something in her expression had changed. “Please, Serena, I need to know. Did he really say something like that?”
“Yes,” Serena said weakly. When she looked up, she could see the horrified realization creeping across Ellen’s face. She recognized it because it was the same expression that had crawled across hers too many times in the last few hours.
A thought occurred to her, and the horror hit her to. Val wasn’t just being betrayed by Jacques. He was going to be served up on a silver platter. And here she was, wasting time.
Oh God. She had to stop him.
“Ellen, quick,” Serena said. “Where is Val right now? Please, this is important.”
“He left a little bit ago, I told you,” Ellen said, her voice a little breathless and her gaze a little vacant, still dizzy from the revelation she had been hit with.
“He’s where?” Serena said.
“He went to a meeting,” Ellen answered, furrowing her brow. “One about an hour away, he said he’d be out late. What’s wrong, Ms. Nicoletti?”
“Who did he leave with?” Serena breathed, unwilling to hear the answer she knew was coming.
“Jacques, of course.”
“Ellen,” Serena breathed. “He’s not at a meeting.”
“Pardon?”
Serena swallowed hard. “Jacques isn’t taking him to a meeting. He’s taking him to Harlow.”
*****
Ellen was totally silent. One shaking hand reached up to touch her cheek, as if making sure she was really here and this wasn’t some terrible nightmare. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, Ellen,” Serena whispered. Oh God, what was she going to do? Val was gone. By now he was already half way there, already half way to the Harlow Group, half way to death. There was nothing she could do now, she was too late. Shit, why hadn’t she made a fuss when she had first gotten here? Maybe then she could have saved him.
Serena buried her face in her hands.
“Oh God,” she moaned. “This is all my fault.”
“Jacques,” Ellen spat. “God damn him, I knew something was going on. God, how could I be so blind?”
“You what?”
“I knew that man was trouble the instant he arrived,” she cried, marching around the room and throwing her hands up. “I should have known he was one of Harlow’s men. He showed up when Harlow framed him, you know—and stupid, stupid me, I thought it was because he was helping him.”
“I did too,” Serena breathed, realizing just how far Jacques’ deception had gone. It was easy enough to fool someone like Serena, who had only been here for a few months. But Ellen, who knew every gust of wind and spot of sunlight that entered the mansion?
Jesus, he really was a crazy genius.
“God,” Ellen breathed. “What are we going to do now?”
“What are we going to do?” Serena cried. She whirled around and grabbed her coat from the coat rack. “We’re damn well going to go get him is what we’re going to do.”
“But how?” Ellen said, her voice shaking.
“I don’t know,” Serena cried, her voice shaking but furious. “But we’re going to do it. Ellen, wake up, you have to tell me: do you know where Jacques took him?”
“He said New York….”
“But do you know where he went instead?”
“I don’t think….”
“Ellen, please, where did he go?” Serena cried, shaking her.
That seemed to snap her out of her reverie. She brought a hand to her face, a new revelation appearing to her.
“Yes, I think I do….”
Ellen sat down for a moment, gathering her thoughts.
“A week ago, Jacques asked something about the plane … Val’s jet, I mean. He asked how far it would go, if it could make it across international waters... He said it was for a meeting, I think….”
“No,” Serena said, shaking her head. “That’s too far. Edwards said that Harlow was near, and besides, he took the car. Think, Ellen. Do you have any other idea?”
There was a short period of silence as Ellen thought. Suddenly, her eyes gained new light.
“The warehouse,” Ellen said, her head perking up.
“Where?”
“The warehouse at the edge of the town. God, how could I have forgotten? Jacques and Val used it to store odds and ends back when they ran a shipping company, right after they teamed up and Harlow fell. But Val gave it up to Jacques a few months ago, he hasn’t been there in ages….”
Ellen shook her head.
“I should have realized,” she said, “they have to be there. There wasn’t much gas in the car when they left, I remember telling him he should fill up, but he ignored me. He couldn’t have gone far, which means he’s still in the city. That warehouse would be the only place he could have kept a base without Val noticing. It’s the only place of privacy in the city.”
Without missing a beat, Ellen pulled a phone from her purse. She began dialing numbers furiously, her expression hard and determined, a woman on a mission. Serena watched her in awe. She realized that she was very, very glad she had Ellen on her side. And even more glad she didn’t have Ellen against her—she suddenly got the idea that anyone who got on Ellen’s bad side didn’t stay there long, if only because they didn’t last long at all.
“Go,” Ellen said to her, interrupting her conversation and placing her hand over the phone for a moment. “Get your things. We’re living in five minutes. Be ready.”
Be ready.
It reminded her of Val.
“Are you sure? We can’t go alone,” Serena said.
“No,” Ellen said, dialing another number. “We’re not going alone. We’ve got a near army prepared for things like this, we always knew they could happen. If Jacques thinks he’s picked a fight with just Val, he’s got another thing coming. We’re going tear down that warehouse brick by brick.”
“Ellen, you’re amazing.”
“I know. Now go get ready.”
Without wasting a second, Serena darted to her bedroom, suddenly a woman on a mission just as much as Ellen. She grabbed the first few things she saw, praying that she was doing the right thing. She stuffed her cell phone into her pocket, double checking that it was charged. In her purse, she stuffed anything she thought would be useful—a water bottle, a map, hair pins, a watch. She grabbed a coat and darted back outside, returning to Ellen.
Ellen snapped her phone shut.
“Are you ready, Ms. Nicoletti?” she asked, her eyes on fire.
“Yes, Ellen. Now for the love of God, let’s go.”
Ellen led the way to the garage of the mansion, a towering building made of metal and clear glass that held every kind of car imaginable. They passed a row of limousines and black SUVs, with Serena’s wide eyes fixed on them.
“It should be back here,” Ellen said, marching forward with her fists clenched. “This is the fastest one, I think. It’s t
he only one with a prayer of a chance to get us there in time.”
She unlocked a door, leading them into a dark, private room. With a flick of the light switch, the room was illuminated, and Serena’s jaw dropped.
In the middle of the room, painted in sleek black with silver accents, was the most gorgeous car she’d ever seen.
“Is that an Aston Martin?” Serena asked.
“Yes.” Ellen began inspecting it, unceremoniously throwing open the doors and running her hands along the leather seats. “How did you know?”
“My brother,” Serena breathed, touching the slick paint of the hood lightly. “He’s crazy about cars. He would love this thing, it would drive him over the moon. He never shut up about them after we saw that one James Bond movie.”
Her stomach clenched at the thought of Harry. She shook it away. She had to focus on Val, now.
Ellen got on her knees between the seats and felt around the floor. In another hidden compartment was a spare key, perfectly tucked away so that only someone with inside knowledge like Ellen could find it. She slipped it into the ignition, and the car purred to life, slick and silent.
Serena slid into the seat, taking in the smell and feel of the car as Ellen got ready to drive. She was starting to understand why Harry loved them so much.
Serena had barely closed the door behind her when Ellen peeled out the garage. They left tire marks behind them.
“How far away is it?” asked Serena once they had driven past the mansion and into the black night.
“Not far,” Ellen said. Serena watched the speedometer inch closer and closer to the edge. “In this car, we can make it in … maybe ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?”
“I know,” she moaned. “But it’s the fastest we can hope for. I just pray that Valentine is still al—” She cut herself off.
Ellen had said the drive would be ten minutes, but they made it in nine, falling away from the main road and taking a backwoods one that led them even further into the dark. After a few moments, Serena’s eyes widened.
A massive compound loomed over her, blackened out by the shadows, just a foggy silhouette in the middle of the dusky darkness. As Serena drew nearer, it became clearer what it was:
A warehouse.
How cliché, Serena thought.
She had to stifle a nervous, horrified laugh. The absurdity of it all was getting to her. Before she met Val, she had been a secretary with a knucklehead brother and trouble paying her electric bills. Now she was … what? A billionaire’s mistress, a private investigator, a spy?
Ellen turned off the car, the engine coming to a stop abruptly, leaving them alone in the silence of the night.
“How do we get in?” Serena asked, taking in the sight of the massive compound. Suddenly she wasn’t so sure about her plan to barge in and take down Jacques. The place was massive, and Jacques could be anywhere in it. Val could be anywhere. Harry could be anywhere.
(And besides—that had been kind of a stupid plan anyway.)
“There’s a door at the back,” Ellen said, bracing her hands against the wheel. “It looks big, I know, but I’ve been here a few times. The main part of it is one big room, and the ceiling is vaulted since it was used for storage, so it’s only one story.”
“So it’s the back that’s where they’d be?”
Ellen nodded.
“It should be,” Ellen said. “That would be the best place to hide him. It’s just a series of hallways and storage rooms, but they can be confusing. The main back door leads to a storage room, and the door opposite from it leads to the main hallway.”
Serena nodded, reaching for the door and bracing herself for what she was about to do. But Ellen reached for her arm and stopped her. Serena looked at her, confused.
“What?”
“You’re not going in, are you?” Ellen said, her expression horrified.
“… Of course I am? Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s not safe!” Ellen cried, pulling on her arm desperately, trying to tow her back into the safety of the car. Serena allowed herself to be pulled back in, still confused.
“Then why did you give me directions?” she asked.
“I wasn’t giving them to you, I was explaining how we should direct the guards to find Val when they get here.”
Serena’s jaw dropped. She jerked her arm away from Ellen’s strong grip, though Ellen fought back. “But we have to! Val is in there, and he’s in trouble. Ellen, for God’s sake, we can’t just leave him in there because we’re too cowardly to save him. God knows what they’ve done to him!”
Ellen’s eyes were wide and wild. “And so what? I should let you go kamikaze and march into the headquarters of a criminal? Val would never forgive me! What if something happened to you? What if you … what if you died?”
“Ellen, please,” Serena begged. “The guards aren’t going to get here in time, you know it. And you can’t go in, you have to be here to tell them what to do.”
“I can’t let you go, Val can’t lose you!”
“And I can’t lose him,” Serena said.
“Well I can’t lose you either!” Ellen cried, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Serena. “God, you’re such a perfect, loving, valiant idiot. You’re going to get yourself killed and you don’t even care. What is wrong with you?”
“Ellen,” she whispered. “Please. I’ll be safe, I’m a smart girl. And we have to save Val. Please.”
Ellen was silent for a moment, gathering her thoughts. She groaned and let her head fall on the steering wheel.
“Please, Ellen,” Serena repeated.
Ellen groaned again.
“Take your phone,” she instructed. “Keep it on you at all times, and call me the instant you find him. Tell me which room he’s in, and I’ll get them there in as soon as possible.”
Ellen leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
“Be safe,” she said, touching her cheek.
Ellen returned to the car, keeping the engine quiet as she started it again. She drove off slowly and silently, leaving Serena in the dead night. After a few moments, she was totally gone and out of sight, off to rally the troops.
Serena sighed and began hiking towards the warehouse.
Here goes nothing.
*****
Serena found the door at the back after a long trek and a few minute of searching. She pressed her ear against the wall, ignoring the sweat that dripped down her forehead and the aching in her feat. Total silence. Or so it seemed. Surely Jacques wasn’t here totally alone?
Of course he wasn’t, she realized. That must have been what the row of cars were in the front. Harlow was just arriving then—Val hadn’t been given over yet. Her heart leapt. There was still time. She could still save him.
Carefully, she pulled the door open, wincing when she heard a slight creak. She froze, terrified for a moment that an army was about to track her down and shoot her on the spot. But there was nothing. No one had heard her. Luck really was on her side tonight. She took a deep breath and slipped inside.
The inside of the warehouse was just as gloomy as the outside. The floors were harsh, cold cement, and the walls were dark gray. There was little lighting. A flickering overhead light dimly lit the center of the room, but the edges were totally covered in shadows.
At first, Serena cursed the darkness, sure that it would make it impossible to find Val. But then she realized what a gift this was: she could creep around the warehouse totally undetected, as unseen and silent as a ghost, shrouded by the darkness of the shadowed walls.
She thanked her lucky stars.
Sure enough, there was a door across from her that led to another dark hallway full of doors. She followed Ellen’s instructions as far as she could remember them, keeping to the dark walls and listening for any sign of life.
She froze when she heard movement in the next room. At first she was sure she would die, but the sound stayed put. It wasn’t moving—it was staying put in
the middle of the room.
Carefully, she crept to the room, keeping her ear against the door. No more movement, just her and the person in the middle of the room. And he wasn’t moving enough to be Jacques or Harlow, surely.
And it was … groaning?
Val? she thought, her mind buzzing.
Unable to stop herself now, she pushed inside the room, risking everything for what might be beyond the door.
Her jaw dropped when she saw what the room held.
Serena stepped inside, keeping her hand to the wall but her eyes fixed on the figure in the middle of the room. It was tied to a chair, the head of it limp and looking down. There was only a flickering light above it, but Serena swore she knew who it was. She looked closer, becoming more sure every second, yet still unable to believe it.
It was someone very important, but it wasn’t Val.
“Harry?” she breathed as she approached.
There was rustling in the middle of the room, and the figure lifted its head up. The light was too dim to tell for sure, but then his eyes opened, and he began to look around wildly.
Sure enough, the face belonged to a very confused, very worn out Harry Nicoletti.
“I knew it,” he moaned to himself. “I knew I’d start hallucinating. I heard it on TV once, on one of those doctor shows. You didn’t give me enough water, now I’m hallucinating. I have dehydation.”
“Dehydration, you idiot,” she hissed, staying to the dark sides of the room. She edged along the side, still hiding in the shadows, waiting for a guard or maybe even Harlow himself to jump out from the door and kill both of them.
Surely they had heard them. Stupid Harry, who never stopped babbling, even when he was on the edge of death in the most dangerous situation in his life.
She paused, then had to stifle a laugh.
Jesus, even in the evil lair of a quasi-supervillain, she still had to rag on her little brother.
“Even my hallucinations are critics,” Harry grumbled to himself, struggling against his restraints. “Listen, as long as you’re gonna talk, you might as well keep me company. Any good stories to tell?”
Temptation: a billionaire erotic romance Page 14
