Amy’s heart twisted with compassion. Even though Tariq was tall and well-built, he was actually a delicate soul.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to remind you of tougher times.”
He recovered and smiled sweetly. “It’s no problem. Please drink your tea.”
Amy gazed into the steamy liquid. “Shall we talk about what you hope to gain from me? I have some information for you that I’ve convinced Adam to give me. It’s from Ivan’s files.”
“Oh, I’d like to see that. Are you warm enough? Getting dry?”
“Er, yes. Thank you.”
“Good. Ivan will be very happy to know you’re helping me, Amy. You’ve chosen the right brother now – believe me.”
Oh god, he was talking about Ivan as if he was alive. “You and Ivan were very close, weren’t you?”
“We still are.”
“Right… Adam mentioned that you fell out over a woman?”
Tariq laughed heartily. “Oh no. Well, yes and no. It was complicated.”
Amy sipped her tea and waited for him to speak next.
“Can I show you something, Amy?”
“Of course. What is it?”
“Come with me.”
Tariq stood up, so Amy automatically did, too. He gestured for her to go back out to the hallway.
“This way,” he said.
Amy followed him down the corridor, to the top of some wooden steps that led to a basement doorway. Tariq gestured for her to go down. A shot of jagged fear zig-zagged up her legs. It was the sort of basement that was the refuge of spiders and banshees.
“Down there?” she asked.
“It’s okay,” Tariq said. “It’s nothing terrible. Just something I’ve been working on.”
She gripped the wooden bannister. “Can’t you just tell me?”
Tariq chuckled kindly. “Honestly, Amy, what do you think I’ve got down there? Frankenstein’s monster?”
Amy winced apologetically. Her knees filled with fear at the prospect of going anywhere near his basement, but her British sense of guilt kicked in – as well as her rational mind – and she shook herself out of it. It was true that Tariq was a bit awkward, but he wasn’t a serial killer. Surely there was no harm in finding out what he’d been working on. It might be something Adam and Dylan needed to complete the puzzle of Ivan’s invention. Or his death.
She propelled herself forward, placing one foot on the first step, then the next. She turned to face Tariq. He nodded encouragingly.
Amy inhaled deeply, then turned to continue her descent towards the rickety basement door. She halted in front of it and glanced back at Tariq again.
“It’s okay, just push it. It’s not locked.”
Amy pushed the door and it swung on its hinges. It was dimly lit inside, with no windows and stale air. She braced herself to see something horrible, but reminded herself that she wasn’t in any danger. She lifted her foot to step inside, but a clang behind her struck her brain like a bomb siren. She screamed and jumped around. Tariq reached out and grabbed the picture that had fallen from the wall. Amy panted, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat.
“Shit,” Tariq said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you jump. It was just this picture. I accidentally knocked it with my shoulder. Come on, let’s go in.”
Amy exhaled, realising she’d been holding her breath. She turned and crept into the dingy room, and – as her eyes adjusted to the light – she glanced around. She relaxed and chastised herself for being so paranoid. It was just a normal basement, with cardboard boxes stacked up against the walls, an old pool table, and…
Amy froze. Was that…?
There was an old couch pushed up in the corner, and as her eyes focused in the dimness, they seemed to be showing her a dead body lying on it. Amy swallowed, feeling her sense of reality slip away. She could sense Tariq loitering like a zombie behind her, sending prickles of terror down her exposed neck.
Desperate to prove her eyesight wrong, she slunk over to the couch, praying that the body was nothing more than an innocent shop mannequin, or some kind of voodoo. But electric panic gripped her internal organs, as she realised it was Ivan’s dead body.
Oh god! She didn’t dare turn to look at Tariq. Her mind pulsed with alerts of grave danger. Her normal sense of reality imploded, leaving only pumping, primal fear. But surely Adam and Dylan would be coming to the rescue any moment now, because they were seeing what she was seeing. Amy snapped into survival mode and realised the best thing to do would be to keep Tariq calm until they arrived.
“This is Ivan?” she whispered, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.
“Yes,” Tariq said, standing close behind her.
She fixed her gaze on Ivan’s pale face, feeling her heart thrash wildly against her ribcage, desperate to escape. Poor Ivan, he looked so peaceful lying there with his eyes closed, blissfully unaware of the terrible shockwaves that his death had caused. Amy’s eyes welled with tears. Ivan had been a handsome man; it was such a shame. But… wasn’t it strange how well he’d been preserved considering he’d been gone for a month?
Amy inhaled to keep Tariq talking, planning to say how attractive Ivan had been, but her mind burst with terror as Ivan’s eyes flickered open…
Chapter Twenty-Five
The rain fell heavily onto the windshield of Adam’s car as he stared ahead at the wipers, mesmerised. The damn camera and mic had cut out as Amy had gone into Tariq’s basement, and they had no idea what was going on. Adam feared the worst…
“Something’s happened,” Adam said. “I don’t trust him. I mean, what the fuck would he wanna show her down there?”
Dylan stared at the laptop on the dashboard, which showed nothing but static. “It’ll come back on as soon as she goes back upstairs. Let’s just wait and see what happens.”
Adam gripped the steering wheel. “He knows… He knows we’re involved.”
“How could he? Amy was doing a great job of getting him onside. Quit worrying so much.”
Adam rested his gaze on the wipers as they swished the deluge back and forth, blurring the windshield and blocking his view. Not that there was anything to see around here but empty road. The bleak surroundings reflected his mood. He was struck with an overwhelming desire to rescue Amy. Why had he let her go in there? He’d never been comfortable with this arrangement, and now all he wanted was to get her out of danger. His heart was so full of her; he couldn’t bear for her to be harmed. What if Tariq turned nasty? What if he discovered the camera and mic? What if he discovered the… oh shit!
Adam turned slowly to face Dylan. How was he going to explain this? Just say it…
“Amy’s got the prototype about her person.”
Dylan tensed like lightning rod. “What! How?”
“You said I should put it somewhere safe. I got it made into a pendant when she was out shopping with Preti. I gave it to her at the party. It must be tucked under her shirt, but if Tariq sees it… he’ll know.”
“Adam, you fucking idiot.”
“I thought it was a safe place to hide it. I should’ve remembered to tell her to take it off.”
“Well, it’s too late now. We’ll just have to hope he won’t see it.”
“No.” Adam flung open his door. “I’m gonna go get her.”
Dylan reached out and grabbed his arm across the central console. “No, Adam – you’ll blow the whole thing!”
“Let go – I’m not just gonna sit here and lose the woman I love!”
“The woman you love? Adam, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“I love her.”
“You’ve known her a week.”
“Let go of my arm, Dylan!”
“No! Imagine all the info she might be getting right now – I’m not letting you fuck this up. Surely your dead brother’s more important than some woman you only just met!”
Adam’s leg – which was half-outside the car – was getting soaked. “She’s more than that to me.”
“Don’t do this, Adam.”
Adam hadn’t had a rough-and-tumble with his brother for over a decade now, but he needed to get to Amy. He twisted around so that he was above Dylan, then he swung his fist and punched him in the face.
The impact – and probably surprise – made Dylan let go. Adam didn’t bother to check if he was okay. He would be – Dylan was a tough cookie. He clambered out into the rain and ran towards the house.
“Fuck you, Adam!” Dylan shouted, clambering out and running after him.
Adam had no idea if Dylan had retaliation on his mind, or whether he was joining the rescue, so he quickened his pace and ran up the hill towards the house, making sure he kept ahead of his furious brother. He sped up the steps two at a time, then banged on the door.
“Tariq, let me in! It’s Adam Quinlan!”
Dylan halted next to him, gasping for breath. “You really think he’s gonna let you in, knowing she’s in there and you’re out here, seething with anger?”
“Well, what do you suggest?”
“What do I suggest? Adam, there’s a locked door between you and the so-called woman you love. What the fuck do you think I’d suggest? Break the fucking door down.”
Adam coiled his muscles, stepped back, then rammed his shoulder against the solid oak. It hurt like hell, but he absorbed the pain and shook it off. The door remained resolutely intact.
Dylan stood beside him. “We’ll do it together, okay? One, two, three.”
They propelled themselves at the rickety door. It rattled and shook, but refused to budge.
Adam raised his voice against the pouring rain. “Again!”
They rammed their combined body weights against the door a few more times, before the wood finally cracked down the middle – still remaining locked. Adam summoned his strength and kicked the splintered wood hard with his boot, making a gap big enough to squeeze through. Then, being careful not to snag his flesh, he poured himself into the jagged hole.
Dylan followed.
“Amy!” he called, heading straight for the basement. “Where are you?”
He bounded towards the steps and braced himself to shoulder-slam the basement door, but the sound of Amy screaming his name shot terror into his brain. Oh god, don’t let me be too late!
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amy leapt back and screamed in terror, as Ivan’s peaceful expression surged to shock at the sight of her. Time slowed to a slur; seconds stretched to infinity. Amy’s mind raced, battling with fear and confusion. What the fuck was happening?
Ivan shot to his feet and panted, staring at her in shock. Amy clenched her fists, feeling the room spin frantically around her – Ivan was supposed to be dead! Had Tariq kidnapped him and faked his death? But why would he do that? Ransom money? Not if he was dead. This made no sense…
Amy’s muscles coiled like a pouncing cat, as Ivan slowly held out his hands.
“Who are you?”
“I… I’m Amy Carter. I don’t understand…”
“It’s okay,” Tariq said, loitering behind her. “Let me explain.”
Amy’s heart thumped hard, as she struggled to figure out what to do next. This might be the only time for both her and Ivan to escape Tariq’s evil grip before he executed whatever heinous plan he was about to explain. Amy was sure that together they could overpower him; Ivan was tall and strong like his brothers, and Tariq was standing near enough for Amy to turn and headbutt – which would shock him enough for Ivan to get in a few blows as they escaped. Amy summoned every iota of her inner-strength, preparing to assault Tariq, but she suddenly realised that Ivan was staring quizzically at her, as if she was the anomaly here.
He transferred his attention to Tariq. “Why did you bring her down here? I was sleeping.”
“We’re running out of time, Ivan,” Tariq said. “I don’t want you dead.”
A renewed sense of danger overwhelmed Amy as she realised that Ivan was on Tariq’s side. She raised her fists, ready to fight for her life, but relief poured over her as she heard the front door being smashed in. Adam, thank god!
Frantic feet trampled across the hallway above and his voice called her name. “Amy! Where are you?”
“Adam!” she screamed. “Down here!”
“Wonderful,” Ivan said. “Who invited my brother?”
Tariq glared at Amy. “I’ve no idea. Ms Carter, I thought we had an agreement?”
“Well I thought he was dead!”
Adam crashed through the basement door, followed closely by Dylan. Amy turned to help them fight, but Adam was so pumped up he could take on an army single-handedly. Without even noticing his resurrected brother, he grabbed Tariq by the shirt and drew back his fist to punch him.
“No!” Ivan shouted. He spurted forward and charged Adam so hard that he was knocked sideways into the wall. Ivan crumpled on top of Adam, so – still clueless as to whom he was fighting – Adam shoved him in the chest, then prepared to punch again.
Dylan threw himself between the two brothers and dragged the struggling Adam into his arms. “No, Adam! It’s… Ivan?”
Adam panted in Dylan’s arms. Both brothers stared at Ivan in disbelief.
“Ivan?” Adam said. “What the fuck?”
Ivan threw them both a sheepish wave. “Hi.”
Amy watched as the three brothers sized each other up. She realised that Ivan was a combination of the other two. He looked physically like Dylan, but he seemed to possess Adam’s relaxed charm. He radiated a genial aura – so what was he doing here with the evil Tariq? This was completely surreal.
Ivan smiled self-consciously and opened his mouth to explain. But then he noticed Dylan’s face and frowned. “Why have you got a black eye, Dylan?”
Dylan glanced at the floorboards like a chastised child. “Adam punched me.”
Ivan adopted an older brother stance. “Adam! Why?”
Adam visibly flinched, as gravity took control of his jaw. “Excuse me; I think we’ve got more urgent questions right now, like what the fuck’s going on? Ivan – you’re alive! I’m hallucinating, right…”
Ivan chuckled and raised his hands aloft as if to demonstrate that he was most definitely alive. Amy could almost smell the suppressed emotion between the three stunned brothers who hadn’t expected to be reunited in this way today. Or ever. Adam cracked first. He stepped over and grabbed Ivan roughly by the shoulders, then he stared at him intensely for a second, before pulling him into his arms and hugging him tight.
Dylan unfroze and piled in to hug them both. Amy bit back her tears as she recovered from her own shock – her tense body trembled from the unused adrenaline. She wanted a hug, too, but she knew she shouldn’t interrupt this family reunion.
She glanced at Tariq who was also watching with a smile on his face. Amy was still utterly confused as to what was going on, but this tender moment between the Quinlans trumped any explanation.
Eventually, Adam pulled away from Ivan’s arms and glanced over. He threw Amy an apologetic wince, then strode over to wrap her up in his secure embrace.
“Amy,” he said. “Jesus, sweetheart, are you okay?”
She nuzzled her face into his strong chest and nodded, watching the other two brothers continue their reunion.
Dylan brushed his fingers down Ivan’s face, checking for sure that he was really real. “You’re alive? I don’t understand.”
Amy pulled out of Adam’s arms. “I think I understand. Tariq and Ivan are lovers and they faked Ivan’s death so they could run away together.”
Ivan chuckled kindly. “Very perceptive, Ms Carter.”
“Thank you.”
“But wrong. I’m not actually gay.”
Dylan’s anger cracked. “So why the lies? Listen, someone better explain to me what the fuck is happening, or I’m gonna lose my fucking temper.”
Ivan wrapped his arm around Dylan’s shoulders and squeezed. “Calm down and let me explain, little brother. The fire, my death, my sexuality… it
’s all been one big hoax. We only –”
“Why the hell would you do that to us?” Dylan demanded.
“Let him speak,” Adam said.
Ivan strode over to sit down on the tatty leather couch. Amy realised he must’ve been hiding down here for some time – whatever he’d been hiding from. It wasn’t exactly homey in this basement. The exposed wooden floorboards were covered in old rugs, and the walls could probably do with a lick of paint. But the alternative – whatever that was – was obviously worse.
Ivan draped his arm across the back of the couch. “That last day you saw me… it was fucking manic. I’d been working all night the night before, and I got home that morning to find my apartment ransacked. We already knew some oil sheiks from Saudi Arabia had discovered that me and Tariq were working on the perpetual motion device and they wanted it. And they wanted us dead. Oil and all that, you know – the perpetual motion device would make oil unnecessary. As soon as they sent round their thugs with the first threats, we panicked and realised we needed to get rid of the blueprints and the prototype, so we asked you to stash them at Quinlan Brothers headquarters for safe-keeping.” The emotion cracked in Ivan’s throat and he rubbed his eyes to compose himself. “God, I’ve missed you guys. It’s so good to see you again.”
Adam and Dylan exchanged a glance, then Dylan strode over to sit next to Ivan.
He rested his hand on his brother’s arm. “We’ve missed you, too. More than words can say.”
Tariq stepped forward and took over the story. “That evening, we decided we had no other choice but to kill off Ivan in the fire.”
Amy frowned. “Why?”
Ivan sighed. “Well, we realised that the fire would make the Saudis think all our work had been destroyed – throwing them off the scent – and we faked my death so they wouldn’t try to kidnap any of my family – who I love more than my life. Tariq doesn’t really have any close family – just one cousin in California – so we decided he could stay alive for now and deal with any issues that came up.”
The Billionaire's Kisses: Billionaire Brothers Page 15
