by Nana Malone
Theo…
The sound of buzzing woke me up with a start. When I checked my surroundings, I wasn’t quite sure where I was at first, and then it hit me. I was on Zia’s air mattress that we had basically destroyed last night. The thing was only semi-inflated. Unlike me, who was fully inflated. I didn't think after last night I could possibly go again.
I groaned as I patted around for my phone. When I flipped it over, I frowned.
There was a photo of a bloody temple. Derrick Arlington’s bloody temple.
Unknown Caller: Come to the beach. Alone. Lose the bodyguards, or your mother will have a premature death.
My stomach fell as I bolted up in bed.
Me: Who is this?
Unknown Caller: Someone who is done fucking around. You want your mother and your girlfriend to live, you come to the beach now.
Fuck. I slid my gaze over Zia’s naked back, and I knew I was going. I knew I had to walk away and leave her.
There was a window in back I could use, and then I could jump the fence and grab a cab further down.
Shit. I didn’t want to leave her.
You don’t have a choice. Move.
The choice I hadn’t wanted to make had come to a head. I shoved my phone in my pocket and made my decision.
Zia…
I woke up and patted the bed next to me. It was still dark in the room, and I had to blink to let my eyes adjust. "Theo?"
His side of the air mattress was cool. I felt around, but he wasn't there. When I moved, the mattress moved with me, which meant we had certainly been enthusiastic and deflated the bed some.
I sat up properly this time, holding the sheet to me. "Theo?"
There was no sound. There was no light coming from the bathroom. Maybe he'd gone to sleep out in the living room. Had he gotten a call?
I climbed out of bed. I had no clothes in here. All I had was a sheet, and I wrapped it around myself as I padded out into the other room.
"Theo?" With every step forward, my heart hammered. My belly slowly clenched itself into a tight knot. He wasn't here. Oh, God.
I whipped around, glancing all over again, making sure I hadn't missed anything. My clothes were there, but his were not. He was gone.
I grabbed my underwear and bra, tossed my t-shirt over my head, and was stepping into my jeans even as I pulled my phone out. I dialed Tamsin quickly. "Derrick, did you see him leave?"
Tamsin yawned. "No, he was with you. Did you accidentally kill him?"
"No, Tamsin, he's gone."
Tamsin's voice went alert immediately. "What the hell do you mean he's gone?"
"I don't know. I woke up and he was gone. His clothes aren't here. He's not here."
"He didn't leave. I’ve been watching the front all night."
"What do you mean? There's no other exit."
"He did not come out of that door."
I frowned. And then I cursed. "Jesus fucking Christ, he must have gone out the window."
Now it was Tamsin's turn for curses. "Jesus fucking Christ is right. You call Ariel. I'll see if I can activate his tracker."
I had wanted to be the one to activate his tracker and go after him, but I knew protocol. I wasn't on duty, but I was the last one to see him. So it was my job to call it in and explain to my boss how I’d failed, how I’d fucked up. How the one job I had I hadn’t done well.
I hung up with Tamsin and dialed Ariel using the various protocols we had.
She answered sleepily. "Hello?"
"Ariel, it's Zia."
She still had a little confusion in her voice. I could hear her shifting around and a whispered, 'Hush, stop it.' "Zia, what's wrong? You're not on duty."
"I know, but the client was with me. He's gone."
Just like that, Ariel was alert and awake and all manner pissed off. "What the fuck? Where are you?"
"My old place. I moved my sister out today, so I moved some things in."
"Why was Arlington with you?"
Yeah, just the question I needed. "Uh, we were here together."
There was a beat of silence. Another muttered curse. And then Ariel was all business. "Okay, who's the guard on duty?"
"It was Tamsin, but he didn't go out the front. He went out the goddamn back window."
More muttered cursing under her breath. "Fucking Christ."
"I know. Tamsin is getting his tracker up."
"I know he's not going to have his phone on. He's been too bright for that," Ariel muttered.
I hesitated for a moment. "Uh, that's not where I put his tracker."
There was a pause. "Okay, well done."
"With all due respect, Ariel, none of this was well done."
"You and Tamsin go. Track him and alert the team when you have a location. Do not engage."
"Yeah, on it."
I didn't have nearly enough weapons. Just a Taser, a gun, and one clip. That wasn't going to do anything. Because once I caught Theo, I planned to kill him well and good.
I only brought my light jacket. I slid it on even though it wasn't really that chilly. And then I was out the door, barely closing it behind me, and in the van with Tamsin. "We have a location?"
"Yeah, nice tag, because he turned off his phone. I didn't think we'd be able to find him."
"Yeah, I figured if he ever decided to do a burner, he knows enough not to use his phone. But his wallet though, you can't separate a billionaire from his money."
"That was smart."
"Yeah, basically the only smart thing I've done."
Tamsin tapped the monitor and started the engine. "Looks like he's headed toward the beach."
I frowned when I saw which beach he was headed to. “But why would he go to Queen's Way Beach? That's right next to the shipping pier. There's nothing to see there."
"I don't know why, but that's where his wallet is going," Tamsin said.
"Okay, fine."
I typed a message to Ariel to let her know where we were heading and threw my seatbelt on as Tamsin peeled out of her spot.
"Are you okay?" Tamsin asked.
"No, I am not okay. But I will be. I messed up. I can see that."
"You didn't mess up. You deserve to have some fun. You deserve to enjoy yourself."
"The thing is all my instincts told me to ask questions, be wary, demand more from him, but I just wanted to believe. And because I wanted to believe, I overlooked the most important things. He's hiding something. He has been since we started his case. I've already tried to unravel it, and he has no idea what to do so he's running. Even after I told him how much I care about him, he is still running. He chose to run instead of tell the truth."
"Look, I get it. You feel betrayed. Hear him out. Maybe he really had a good reason."
"He left me, knowing what I would have to explain."
Tamsin pressed her lips into a firm line. "Look, I admit it doesn't look good for him right now, but I will hold off on judgment until you can talk to him.”
“There really isn’t much to talk about.”
We pulled into the parking lot, and I scanned the beach. I saw a dark figure on the sand about four hundred meters away, and I pointed it out to Tamsin. "Over there. That way."
She revved the engine and sped over there as fast as she could. I hopped out before she could even stop the car. She yelled my name and tossed another clip my way. I was shoving it in the back of my jeans pocket when I came across the figure kneeling on the sand. Gun at the ready, I called to him. "Theo, what the hell are you doing? You're making it real hard to trust you."
He didn't move.
"Theo, I am armed and approaching. You have to talk to me. Why did you leave? Why this chase? I do have backup. So if you plan to hurt me—"
He turned his head, and I could see his profile but not his hands, and there was blood streaked down his face. He was holding something in his lap. No, not his lap. He was doing chest compressions. What the hell?
When I realized that Theo wasn't going to hurt me, th
at he was giving chest compressions to someone on the beach, I ran for him. All I knew was that something was very, very wrong.
I approached, and he just kept up the chest compressions. When I finally reached him, I could see there was a man on the sand as if he’d washed up that way. "Theo, what is going on?"
His gaze flickered up to mine. I could see him counting his compressions.
I leaned down next to him, ready to assist in the first aid. I pulled out my phone and called Tamsin. "Tams, body on the beach. We need help."
I hung up and started mouth to mouth. He just kept up the compressions. I didn't look, really look at the person I was giving mouth to mouth resuscitation to until the body started to move.
It started to cough and convulse, and then I stepped back. Theo moved back as well, removing the shadow from the man's face. And the moment he was unobscured, I scrambled backward.
Holy shit.
Theo held up his hands. "Zia, I can explain."
And then suddenly, all of the pieces of the last several weeks slid into place, and I understood. The man on the ground was coughing and moaning. His hair was longer, and he was bearded and bloody, but I would know those eyes anywhere. Stormy gray.
His nose was smoother. It hadn't been broken before. His lips were covered by a mustache and beard, so they were hard to discern, but I knew the shape well. I lifted my gaze to Theo.
"So, which one of you is really Derrick Arlington?"
To be continued…in The Billionaire’s Secret…
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Turn the page for an excerpt from Sexy in Stilettos…
Also by Nana Malone
Sexy in Stilettos
Come on, Trudeaux. Shoulders back, chin up. You are amazing. Jaya was well aware of the impact the three of them made in the crowded lounge. They weren’t the typical San Diego girls, tall, blonde and leggy—but they were stunning in the way they stood out from the crowd with their brown skin and dark hair. Or at least, she could be made stunning just by standing between her friends. With Ricca's curves and Micha's striking looks and hair, nobody could help but look twice. For once though, she didn't bask secretly in the glow of secondary adoration. But maybe Micha was right. If she faked it, she'd start feeling better.
They selected the booth by the bar. It had easy access to drinks, a great view of the dance floor, and was close to the side exit in case the place was packed and they didn’t want to go through the lobby of the Westhorpe Hotel to get out.
Jaya slid into the booth, careful to keep the skirt of her dress bunched. The damn thing was so frothy and flirty, every time she moved, the skirts threatened to lift up and expose her ass to the world. The top was no better. The neckline was so daring, she hadn't bothered to wear a bra with it, putting her goods even more on display. But at least she was comfortable in the shoes. They felt like padded silk and they looked amazing. The perfect complement to the dress.
Once their drinks arrived, Jaya raised her glass as she tried to shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Though, given the Do-Me shoes and the Look-At-Me dress, she should have been more surprised if someone wasn’t watching her.
“Okay, listen closely, ladies, because this is the only time you'll be hearing this from my mouth. You were right.” She paused for effect. “I do feel better. Thanks to you guys, I’m not pulling the death-by-cookies-‘n’-cream routine. And—I have a plan.”
Ricca raised her glass and clinked it with Jaya’s.
Micha's grin was broad as she spoke. “I knew we'd see the old you eventually—Planning and everything. Soon you’ll be making one of us a to-do list. You’re on the road to recovery.” She took a sip of her Lemon Drop, her ruby-red lips closing around the rim of her martini glass. “So, what's the plan? Should I get my shovel? Will this require a trip to the desert and a body burial?”
“As much as I would love to throw Derrick in a ditch, I’ve got something else in mind.” With the hairs on her neck standing at attention and making her take furtive look around, she continued in a softer voice. “I'm going to finish my drink. Then I'm going to get my job back—and oust the interloper from my family.”
Micha and Ricca exchanged wide-eyed looks. “I prefer the desert idea,” Micha mumbled.
“Well, okay. As soon as I legally get rid of him, I’ll don the sexiest of cat-burglar-chic and help you dig.” Jaya sighed cheerily as she took another sip of her drink. “I will be back on top in no time.”
Ricca's happy face went from friendly bolstering to wary concern. “Exactly what is the plan?”
A shot of adrenaline zinged through Jaya. Now that she had a strategy, the tension was already rolling out of her shoulders. “First things first. I'm going to get a date to Tamara’s wedding. There’s no way I can show up alone. It just screams ‘I’m a jobless loser who can’t even find a boyfriend.’”
Micha slapped the table top. “At last. Now you’re talking sense. I told you all that I'm-strong-enough-to-go-to-the-wedding-alone nonsense was bullshit.”
“Yes, you were right. There’s no way I want to show up alone.” She shrugged. “Besides, it won’t hurt to have somebody hot as a fixture. Someone who won’t think Tamara is the most beautiful woman on the planet and the sun shines out of her ass.”
Micha snickered. “Is that what a sunrise looks like?”
Jaya chuckled. “Once I have a date to the wedding, my real work begins. I know for a fact Dad has invited some of our largest clients to the wedding. And I’m sure they’ll win the conference bid. When they do, Dad will be beside himself to invite Brett James to it. He loves to schmooze and give an air of family at Trudeaux.”
“But how do you plan to get close to him?” Micha asked. “Won't Derrick try and keep you away?”
“Probably. But I’ll figure a way around it. I just need to speak with the client. I know I had Brett at that pitch.”
“You two are on a first-name basis now?”
Jaya grinned. “You’d better believe it. Once the client starts grumbling that he wants me back on the project, Dad won’t have much of a choice but to reinstate me.”
Ricca shook her head, sending her glossy black hair waving around her shoulders. “I don’t know, Jai. Sounds risky. What if the client doesn’t demand to have you back?”
Jaya waved a dismissive hand. “I have that covered. I know this client inside out. I’m a comic-book-reading, superhero-loving, self and publically professed nerd. They won’t want a substitute. I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay, so when do we start trolling our contacts for Mr. Perfect?” Micha pulled out her phone, apparently ready to get on the case. “You only have two weeks. And we’ll want to help you audition them, shirts off of course.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Ricca giggled. “You could always take Beckett.”
Jaya shook her head. “No go on Beckett. I’ve known him since college. It’ll be hard to pass him off as my boyfriend, since Dad and Tams know him too. You must have some male model types you use for Fantasies, Inc.”
“Yeah, we use an agency. I suppose we could hire you someone. But why pay if you can get a real date?”
Micha tapped her phone. “That’ll be our last res
ort. In the meantime, I have a couple of guys I've been dying to fix you up with.”
I’ve done it now. Now that she'd opened the floodgates, her friends would be all over this.
Through the crowd, she noticed Beckett's broad shoulders making their way over to the booth. Most people got out of his way—something she'd never understand because he was harmless. His blond good looks and lazy countenance should have put people at ease, but instead, he made people nervous. Ricca especially. Maybe it was his eyes. They were shrewd. Never missed anything. That and his six-foot-five build.
As he joined them, Jaya put on her best brave face smile. But he saw right through it. “Cut the shit, Jaya. You’re a terrible liar.”
She flashed Ricca a look. “Did you tell him? I know you two work together, but is there no loyalty?”
He rolled his eyes. “She didn’t have to tell me anything. I called your office. Then your secretary—who’s now your sister’s secretary, by the way—told me you were fired. What the fuck?”
Jaya cleared her throat. “Yeah, long story. Pretty much the old man lost his mind and I'm out of a gig. Oh, and did I mention I'm still expected at that stupid wedding?”
He winced. “If you want, I—”
She cut him off. “Already been through that. And no. But thanks.”
To avoid the uncomfortable shift in emotion, Jaya scanned the crowd. The usual glitterati were out in full force. Short skirts, bleach-blonde hair and teetering heels. Her eyes shifted to the bar area and she froze. No. It couldn’t be.
Alec. Leaning against the bar. Staring at her. The way she saw it, she had two options. Duck under the table and hide, though not the best choice because, given the skirt, everyone would see the color of her thong. There was the option of shuffling out of the booth and making a break for it. But Micha was quick and Jaya would never make it out without having to explain herself.
As he approached, her whole body tensed, every beat of her heart wearing a more permanent pattern into her chest cavity. Shit. With every step he took, he looked like a predator. The sexual approach she could handle. A kind-hearted, hey-aren’t-you-the-girl-who-cried-on-my-jacket? thing she couldn’t do. If he showed her pity, she’d cry and ruin Micha’s excellent makeup job. Not to mention he’d probably think she was crazy for real.
