by Lexy Timms
“So, he wanted to get back control by giving you money with strings attached,” she added.
“Yes, exactly,” he said with a nod. “Only, instead of spending it on setting up some hair-brained business like he wanted, I invested in Dover.”
“It was a good investment. Look how it turned out for you,” she said, motioning to the luxurious kitchen.
“It was a great investment, even though I knew it would take years before I saw any kind of profit. So, when I told him what I spent the money on, he was furious,” Simon went on. “Called me up and demanded I come back to Seattle to face him and explain myself.”
“That’s when you had the fight,” she said. “When you came back to Seattle after you first invested the money.”
“Yes. I tried to get my father to see things my way,” Simon said. “I did everything to explain to him that my investment in Dover wasn’t a waste. That I’d share the profits with him when the company started performing well.”
“You offered him money after all of that?” she asked in amazement.
“Of course. I promised both my parents that I’d share the profits with them,” he replied. “I knew that if I had five years I could make enough money to set them up for life. But Dad was too proud. He said he didn’t care how much money I made from Dover, he never wanted any money from me.”
“He was still upset that he couldn’t control you.” She paused as she weighed her thoughts in her mind. “Honestly, I think he wanted to control you because he resented you.”
“That’s what I thought, and I told him so during the fight,” he said. “My dad had done manual labor his whole life, and he thought my going into the corporate world was me rejecting his values. Rejecting him. But that wasn’t it at all. I looked up to him. For all this flaws, my dad worked hard. All I wanted was to follow my dreams and make him proud.”
“He couldn’t see that.”
He sighed. “Dad refused to see. The fight got so ugly that he brought you into it. Said that you were unfaithful for moving on to another guy.”
“We had broken up by the time I moved on to Gary,” she pointed out.
“I know, but Dad didn’t care,” he said. “My father was so angry at the thought of me forging my own path that he wanted to hurt me as much as he could. Bringing you into the argument was the final straw. I told him that he was out of line, but he kept going on and on about how you weren’t good enough and...” His voice trailed off.
She reached for his hand. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but I won’t be upset, okay?”
“The things he said about you were terrible, Heather,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want to dredge up the past when Dad came back into my life. I didn’t want to hurt you or make you think less of him. Dammit, I’ve screwed things up.”
“Everyone makes mistakes,” she said gently. “You made a mistake and now you’re trying to own up to it.”
“Dad said that even though all I was good for was factory work, he still thought that you weren’t good enough for me,” he said. “He said if I was going to end up being popular at school I should have chosen a more popular girl to date.”
She chewed her lip, stunned by the revelation. Onslow’s resentment of her seemed to go back even further than she had thought. He had held on to a grudge for years and then finally confronted her at the dinner last night. “Oh, Simon.”
“I defended you,” he said. “Warned him not to talk about you, and that pushed him over the edge. He got in my face. Honestly, I thought he was going to punch me. My own father.”
She gasped. “Did he punch you?”
“No, but I could see in his eyes that he wanted to,” Simon answered. “All my life he belittled my intelligence. My accomplishments. When Dad realized that he was wrong, that I was going to be a success on my terms, he lashed out at the one person who supported me. And that was you, Heather. He hated the fact that you were right about me, and that he was wrong. During the fight he kept saying he never wanted any of my money, probably because he was embarrassed. Accepting money I made from Dover would be admitting that he had been wrong about his own son. Plus, he seemed to believe that I thought I was better than him because of my degree and my work at Dover.”
“He did seem to hint that he thought you’d look down on him for having less money, now that you’re a success,” she said.
“I would never do that.”
“I know, but if your dad is insecure he’ll see things that aren’t there as long as they confirm his fears,” she said.
They sat together in silence for a long moment.
“I know you don’t want me to go ahead with this, but I want to know who these kidnappers are,” Simon said finally. “Handing them a paltry amount of money doesn’t sound like the way to get my dad back. I won’t risk them holding him for further extortion down the line, and I won’t fail my dad.”
Arguing the point further wasn’t going to stop him. She could see the determined set of his jaw. He was going to go through with this no matter what. That terrified her. Going up against people who had threatened his father with a knife on camera was so dangerous, but if there was a chance these criminals would go back on their word she understood why Simon was going to take this chance.
“So, what’s your plan?” she asked.
“Jake and I are still working on it,” Simon replied. “Jake will be there to help me catch these guys in the act, so don’t worry. I’ll have a professional with me at all times.”
At least he wasn’t going to be totally reckless. Having backup was for the best.
“So, what now?” she asked.
The buzz of his phone interrupted them and he took it out of his pocket to look at a text. “It’s my accountant. The money is being counted. After that, the million dollars will be sent down here in an armored truck.”
THE TRUCK ROLLED INTO the underground parking lot under cover of darkness. Heather was standing by his side, half a dozen of Dover’s best security guards waiting with them. After the text from his accountant Simon had spent the day going over a plan with Jake, and now that night had fallen one million dollars was within his grasp.
“How did the money get counted so fast?” Heather asked.
“Scores of people counted it out,” he explained.
He hadn’t wanted to burden her with this, but she had insisted she come down with him to make sure the money was secured. Without even thinking Simon reached for her hand, desperate for the reassuring warmth of her touch. When this was finally over, Simon knew that she would be the reason he managed to get through it without going insane. She had been brave enough to tell him about the argument she’d had with his father. And then she had listened without judgment when he had told her about his own argument with his father from years before. As hellish as this ordeal was, there was no way he’d be able to get through it without her.
The truck came to a halt and security guards muscled their way out, weapons at the ready. Jake jumped out of the truck, holding a duffel bag in his hand. “My team will be guarding the truck until the exchange is made,” Jake said as he approached them.
“That isn’t money you’re carrying in that bag?” Heather asked.
Jake shook his head. “No. This is the equipment Simon requested.”
“Equipment for what?” she asked in a quiet voice.
Simon glanced at her. There was no way to reassure her, so he was going to be upfront. “Equipment to save my dad, and bring these guys down once and for all.”
Chapter 16
“We want you to exchange the money at exactly two in the morning.” The sound of the cold voice filled the living room.
Simon looked down at his watch. That left a little over eight hours. Eight hours until he could see his father again. Eight hours until he stopped these criminals for good. “Where do you want to make the swap?”
The voice on the other end of his cell phone rattled off a street name. Simon’s eyebro
ws shot up in recognition. “That’s not far from Dover.”
“Exactly. So you won’t get lost,” the man said. “We’ll meet you in the park. If you bring the cash, you get your father back in one piece. No cops.”
The kidnapper hung up without another word and Simon exchanged a glance with Jake. “Do we have enough time to put everything in place?”
He and Jake had gone over their plan multiple times in the days leading up to tonight. But even with a plan, there were still so many variables they couldn’t foresee. There was no way to know what the kidnappers would do, which meant there was going to be a hell of a lot of improvisation tonight. Thinking on their feet held a lot of risk.
Jake nodded. “I think so, but we need to leave immediately.”
“I’m coming with you.” Heather looked up from her place in the armchair, her chin raised defiantly like she was ready for a fight.
“That isn’t a good idea,” Jake said.
“I didn’t ask you,” she said firmly. “It was a declarative statement. I’m going with you. My parents are here with Finn, and there are multiple guards watching the building, so I know my family will be safe.”
“I’m not putting you at risk,” Simon said.
“Oh, so it’s okay for you to put yourself at risk, but I can’t?” Her golden eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m not letting you face this alone.”
“This is a very dangerous situation,” he told her.
“So was the night your father got kidnapped, but you stayed behind while I had to leave and worry about your safety.” She folded her arms. “I’m not going to sit around and wait to find out if you’re safe. Not to mention, an extra pair of hands and eyes can help. I will be going with you, whether you like it or not.”
They were wasting precious time arguing, and he suspected that was why she had left things until the last minute. Pressure would only make him relent that much faster, which she was no doubt counting on. Her courage was damn infuriating, but he admired it. Heather really would fight for the people she loved.
From the fire burning in her eyes, it was evident to him that nothing short of locking her in the bathroom was going to stop her from coming.
Simon didn’t like bringing her, but if the worst happened to him at least Heather would be able to help his father. She would do anything for him, even help his father after the way he had disrespected her that night in the ballroom.
He sighed. “Fine. You can come with us, but you can’t get in our way. You do what we tell you at all times.”
“That’s right,” Jake agreed. “Plus, you’re not supposed to come out of the van.”
Momentary anxiety flickered across her features, and then her face was placid again. “I understand.”
“Let’s go,” Simon said.
Once he grabbed the duffel bag full of equipment, they all headed downstairs to his building’s underground parking lot. As expected, a huge black van was parked on the far end of the lot. It was still early evening, with a long night ahead of them.
Though the van windows were tinted, Simon knew from the sound of the engine running that the driver Jake had recommended was sitting up front. They all got into the van, settling into their seats before navigating out of the parking lot.
The van was part of a fleet of secured vehicles that Dover owned, and the inside looked like something out of a spy movie. In addition to the seats and briefcases full of money there were foldout chairs, computer monitors, tactical gear, and even a cache of weapons at the back.
Heather looked around from the seat next to him with wide eyes. “I didn’t know Dover owned something like this.”
“We own scores of armored vehicles, though we don’t like to advertise our security apparatus,” Jake said. “The van is bulletproof, so you’ll be secure as long as you remain inside. Our driver also has the finest military training in the security business, which means you stick to him like glue if anything goes wrong, Heather.”
She seemed to relax a bit at Jake’s words. “I think I feel better knowing how good Dover’s security is.”
Jake opened the duffel bag and started taking out the equipment inside. “The security team has been working overtime since the death threats. We increased security at Dover offices, got guards for senior staff members, and made sure that everyone else on the staff has been accounted for. If a single staff member feels threatened, we do everything to protect them. It doesn’t matter if they’re an executive or part of the custodial staff, we take care of our own.”
This was why Simon had opted to go with Dover’s security over the police. The cops would never have looked out for staff the way the company’s security team did. They took round-the-clock calls from panicked staff, even checked homes of staff members to put them at ease. No police force could provide that kind of service.
As the van rumbled toward their destination Jake placed a digital wire and a small, discreet camera on Simon. That way, Jake could watch and listen in on the money exchange. Simon would also be able to hear Jake’s instructions without the kidnappers knowing.
Simon ignored the way his stomach lurched as he went over the plan in his head. It didn’t matter if he’d never done anything remotely this dangerous before. Getting his father back safely was the most important thing. Then he’d be able to unmask these guys, and hopefully get them into a jail cell before the night was over.
“Do you still think someone from Dover is responsible?” she asked.
“I do,” Jake replied. “People are usually betrayed by people they know. That knowledge is a part of the security business, unfortunately.”
Heather sighed as if she knew that all too well. She probably did, considering how she’d been framed by a Dover executive and mistreated by her lousy ex-husband. “So, you’ve ruled out the documentary producers once and for all?”
“I haven’t totally ruled them out, though we’ve kept a discreet eye on them since the kidnapping,” Jake said. “All we’ve been able to observe is them begging to get access to staff so they could do interviews about the kidnapping.”
“That’s not very suspicious, since reporters have been messaging me non-stop since the kidnapping.” She frowned. “They ignored our request for privacy.”
“I knew they would. They’re all vultures,” Simon said bitterly. The worst ordeal of his life was nothing more than tabloid fodder. He was grateful that Heather had been fielding those calls, because he would probably have said something regrettable if a reporter ever got in touch with him.
Finally, the van stopped in front of the park.
“We’re here,” Jake said.
There were still hours left until the exchange, but this was part of the plan. Now that they were here, they’d stake out the location to get ahead of the kidnappers. It would give them an advantage, and access to an escape route if things escalated.
Simon started to test the equipment with Jake, making sure that the audio and the camera were working. Once they were satisfied that everything was working correctly, they got in touch with two other Dover vans that were currently on their way. The kidnappers had only mentioned not wanting police around, and having discreet backup security might help to even the odds against the unknown.
As the tense hours crept by the other vans arrived, and Dover security personnel began sweeping the perimeter, searching for any suspicious activity. In the meantime, they ate portable meals in the van and Simon went over the plan again with Jake.
“This car has been parked across the street for the last hour and nobody has gotten out,” the driver said from his vantage point up front. “Seems suspicious. Most of the people who come out here at this hour are joggers and people taking their dogs out for late-night walks in the park.”
“I’ve got twenty more minutes until the exchange,” Simon said as he glanced at his watch. “I can head into the park and wait inside.”
Jake nodded. “Okay. You take two of the briefcases with you and one of the security guards in the othe
r van will cover you discreetly. I’ll keep an eye on the suspicious car and keep you up to speed on anything suspicious.”
His insides churned. This was the moment of truth. The moment in life that almost made him believe that he had to do everything by himself. That nobody was in his corner. But these past several months had showed him a different way to live. He didn’t have to shut the world out. Didn’t have to shoulder life’s burdens on his own. Not when he had Heather with him.
Despite the danger, she had volunteered to come with him.
His gaze locked on hers as she flashed him a strained, but encouraging, smile. She was the real reason he was doing this. If he couldn’t protect his family, then what kind of man was he? This wasn’t only about impressing his father or making him proud. This was about Heather. Her ex-husband hadn’t protected her or their son. Gary had almost destroyed his family and then watched as everything had crumbled around them.
Simon refused to let his family go to ruin. Refused to let anyone dare harm his loved ones. He was going to get his father back safely and make these people pay. Tonight was his way of showing the world that nobody was going to get away with messing with his family. Maybe it was pride and ego that had led him to this moment. Maybe it was his own hard-headed stubbornness. Either way, he didn’t care. His love for his family had brought him to this point. His love for his father, for Heather, and for Finn had taught him that he was the one they all looked to. He was the leader. Now, he was going to make sure he didn’t let them down.
“I love you,” he told her, hoping this wasn’t going to be the last time he’d ever say those words.
Her hazel eyes were still locked on his, her gaze unwavering. As unwavering as her love for him. Right now, that love was what was fueling him. What was giving him the guts to face this kind of danger in the dark of night.
“I love you, too,” she breathed.
He let himself drink her in, memorizing every line of her face. Time seemed to slow to a halt as he took in the exact shade of her golden eyes, memorized every freckle on her creamy skin, mentally measured the length of every strand of her auburn hair. Her lips were the last part of her that he focused on, and he was so overcome by how beautiful she was that he brought his lips down to hers.
