“Bullshit!”
“Are you willing to take that chance? Check your email, Blaise. You will find the documents you need. And, when you get here, I’ll show you the originals.”
Jackhammers were having a field day in her head, and Blaise was finding it difficult to follow the conversation. It’s not possible. There’s no way. Those thoughts kept running through her head until his words penetrated her stupor. “When I get there?”
“Of course. There will be a plane waiting for you at LAX. The only one you will say anything to is Ms. Montgomery. However, you are not to say where you’re going, or why, or you will lose everything… again. We just need her to know that you need time away. By yourself.”
“Why are you doing this, Vincent?”
“Money, Blaise. It’s what makes the world go around,” he answered arrogantly.
“If that’s all you want, I will give you the goddamned company, and the inheritance that goes with it. I don’t want it. Just give me…”
“No! I’m not waiting another three years! Especially when you’re getting so close to that Steele bastard!”
Blaise’s turmoil turned into fear when she heard Vincent losing his control. Hoping she sounded calm, she asked, “What exactly are you proposing?”
He barked out a sharp laugh. “Interesting choice of words. I want you to marry me.”
“No.”
“You don’t really have a choice, Blaise. Marry me, or that text is all you will ever have.”
“Don’t do this to me, Vincent. I love Greyson!” She inhaled sharply at the words that left her mouth without much thought. Oh my God. I love him, and I’m going to lose him. Isn’t that just fucking perfect.
“That’s not my problem. Be on the plane, Blaise, or else. If you tell Greyson, it’s bye-bye,” he finished with a sinister edge to his voice. Blaise wondered, again, how she could have missed such evil. “One hour. And, be careful what you say to Ms. Montgomery. We wouldn’t want her ruining anything, now would we?”
Shallow breaths were the only sound left in the room. Bile was rising quickly, and Blaise fought to keep acidic coffee she just drank in her stomach. One hour. If she did this, she would be standing Greyson up. If she didn’t, she would never know if Vincent was telling the truth. Blaise looked at the text once again, wondering how she ever took her eyes off of it in the first place.
“It can’t be,” she whispered. But what if it is? Her aching soul argued back. Greyson would understand, right? Blaise would go to New Zealand, find out it was all an elaborate hoax, kick Richard and Vincent out of the company (maybe kick Vincent in the balls while she was at it), and get back home. Greyson wouldn’t have to worry about Steele Industries being taken away from his family, and Blaise would have gotten rid of her problem. Easy.
Blaise snorted softly. It wasn’t going to be easy, she knew. But at least it would be over.
“Ms., I mean, Blaise? Are you okay?”
Blaise brought her head up at Mer’s voice. If the look Mer was giving her was any indication, Blaise’s astonishment was clearly evident.
“What? Oh, um, yes. I’m fine. I have to go.” Hurriedly, she began gathering her things.
“I—I don’t understand. Did something happen?”
God, Blaise felt terrible. She knew how much Mer needed this job. “No. It’s just… there’s a personal matter that I need to take care of,” Blaise answered vaguely, brushing past Mer. “I’m sorry,” she quietly told the young woman. Blaise pulled the blonde into her arms, giving her a quick squeeze. “I will be back,” she vowed, talking to herself as much as her assistant.
Now to convince Ellie everything was okay, and Blaise just needed a little space. She knew her best friend wouldn’t rat her out to Greyson, but she wanted enough real-estate between them when she called, just in case. I’ll wait until after I arrive in New Zealand, she decided, and then groaned miserably at herself. You are such a fucking coward.
FOR THE FIFTH time, Greyson checked his watch. 6:24 pm. He checked his phone. No messages, no phone calls. No Blaise. At the risk of being thought of as a stalker, he texted. Again. Though, he wasn’t sure why he bothered. Each time he had called, it went straight to voicemail.
“Everything all right, Greyson?” Ellie topped off his coffee, concern etched on her face.
He took a sip of his coffee—his third cup—and looked up at Blaise’s best friend. If anyone knew where Blaise was, it was Ellie. “Have you heard from Blaise?”
Ellie frowned. “Not since this morning. Why?”
“She was supposed to meet me here at six. We were going to have dinner together.”
“Oh. Well, I’m sure she just got held up at the shop.”
Greyson shook his head. “I tried calling. Mer said she left early. Said she was in a bit of a hurry.”
Ellie slid into the booth, facing Greyson. “Did something happen between you two?”
Greyson’s gaze snapped to Ellie’s. “Why would you think that? Has she done this before?”
“Done what before, Greyson? Left work early? Been late for a date? I asked if something happened because you seem agitated. Like you’re expecting her not to show up.”
Eyes narrowed. “Blaise has told me you’re a little scary. She was right.”
Ellie smirked, her eyebrows raising. “Me? Scary?”
“She says you just know things.”
“I’m not a witch, Greyson,” she scoffed playfully. “I just pay attention. I’ve known Blaise for a long time, so she’s easy. But I’ve been in this business long enough to know how to read people. A diner owner isn’t far off from a bartender,” she winked.
“You should work with Cade. You would be a great asset to the security business.”
“Hmm.” Ellie’s demeanor didn’t change when he mentioned Cade. Sorry, brother. I think this ship has sailed, he thought as the young woman studied him. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Greyson looked down at his coffee sheepishly. “We fought,” he admitted quietly. “I—I said things I shouldn’t have said. But I thought we made up. She promised me she would be here.”
He noticed Ellie’s brows furrow. “How much did you piss her off? What are we talking here? Yelling? Cursing?”
“We’re talking about Blaise not even wanting red velvet cake,” he muttered dejectedly.
Ellie stood abruptly, hands firmly planted on her hips. “Shit, Greyson! What the hell did you do to my best friend?”
Greyson winced a little under her scrutiny. “I begged for her forgiveness!” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Look, Ellie, Blaise will have to tell you what happened if she wants you to know. Right now, I’m worried. She said she would be here. She won’t answer her phone, she’s not at the shop. What if something happened?”
Anger turned to unease in hazel eyes. Ellie pulled out her cell phone, pressing what Greyson assumed was a speed dial number. “Straight to voicemail,” she said somberly. “Maybe she just needs some time, Greyson. I’m sure she’ll call me once she gets out of her head.”
“Call you,” he repeated sadly. Not him. Fuck! I really screwed this up.
“She…” He noticed Ellie pause. “She cares for you, Greyson. More than I’ve ever.” She stopped, and shook her head. “Just give her time.”
AS IT TURNED out, time was not on Greyson’s side. Days turned into weeks, and he was losing hope that Blaise would ever come back to him. In the beginning, he went to Blaise’s shop or the diner daily to see if the woman who had stolen his heart would show up. He would badger Ellie with endless questions. Unfortunately for Greyson, she would never give much away, only to say Blaise was fine, and needed time. He would, however, notice that Ellie never seemed convinced of the words she spoke, but if he questioned her, the story remained the same.
“How’s it going, brother?” Cade leaned against the doorway of Greyson’s office. Since Blaise’s withdrawal, Greyson had parted ways with Steele Industries, as well as his family. In his mind, they wer
e the main reason he lost the woman he loved. Not that he was letting himself off the hook. But if they hadn’t stuck their noses in where they didn’t belong, this wouldn’t be happening. His only solace was immersing himself in working with Cade. Greyson was even thinking of going out on missions. Anything to get out of this fucking depressed state he was in.
“Good,” Greyson responded though he was feeling anything but good. “Did you look over the file I sent you? I don’t think the mission should take more than two weeks. I could catch a flight…”
“Not going to happen, brother.” Cade pushed away from the entrance, and settled himself in the visitor’s chair.
“What do you mean? This is right up our alley, Cade.”
“I didn’t say we wouldn’t take the contract. Just that you’re not going.”
Anger began to bubble to the surface. With Blaise’s disappearance, his family harassing him about his decision, Pricilla constantly trying to ingratiate herself into Greyson’s life still—especially after she found out Blaise was no longer around—it was all beginning to get to Greyson.
“I’m more qualified than anyone in this fucking company, Cade. I thought we were partners in this.”
“We are, but you’re also my best friend. I’m not going to let you go out there in the state you’re in.”
“You’re not going to let me?” Greyson growled.
“Until that ink dries on our agreement, I’m still running this show,” Cade stated defiantly. “This mission is already dangerous. You going out there with your mind on Blaise is suicide.”
“My mind,” Greyson said through gritted teeth. “is fine. Blaise made her choice. Apparently I wasn’t important enough for her to stay here and work it out.”
“That’s not true.”
Greyson’s head jerked up with surprise at the soft voice. He hadn’t seen her in a while, and now that she was here, he couldn’t help but wonder why.
“Ellie?”
Both men started to rise, and she motioned for them to stay seated as she walked into the office.
“Something is wrong.” Ellie’s statement held enough conviction that even Greyson, in his state of denial, began to worry.
“Hello, Ellie.”
Greyson shook his head. Even with the current situation, Cade tried his best with Ellie, giving her his charming smile. Ellie, to Greyson’s amusement, barely spared him a glance.
“Cade.” She nodded politely, then focused on Greyson again. “I know that I’ve told you everything was fine. And, I know you thought I didn’t believe what I was saying.”
Greyson’s eyebrows rose in surprise. Again, he thought Ellie was in the wrong line of work. She would be an excellent addition to Drake & Associates.
“What makes you think something is wrong?” he finally asked. Greyson wasn’t convinced that it was anything more than Blaise deciding she didn’t want to do this relationship thing anymore.
“When she first left, Blaise would call me every day. Of course, she wouldn’t answer any of my questions. All she would talk about was needing space, and then she would change the subject to me or Jessie.” She paused when Greyson grunted. He hadn’t realized he made the sound out loud until she gave him a sad smile. There was no denying it hurt that it seemed Blaise didn’t even ask about him. “If it makes you feel any better, when we talked, she sounded… guarded.”
“Maybe she really didn’t want you to know what she was up to,” Cade offered gently. He and Greyson had discussed the possibility that Blaise had lied about not having anything to do with the hostile takeover of Steele Industries, and had left as a result of being exposed.
Ellie turned to Cade. “Why would she not want me to know what she was up to?” she asked irritably, then waved her hand in front of her as if to erase the question. She missed the look that passed between the two men. “What I meant was guarded as in someone was listening to what she was saying.”
“I’m inclined to agree with Cade,” Greyson gruffed. Hell, he was still smarting from the blow of Blaise’s departure. Now he had to deal with her not even giving a damn. Perhaps he wasn’t feeling generous enough to give the benefit of doubt.
Ellie narrowed her eyes at him. “What happened between you two? And, don’t you dare tell me to ask Blaise. I’m here because I haven’t heard from my best friend in two weeks. I’m worried. You’re obviously not, so I want to know what happened.”
Greyson glanced at Cade, and received a small nod. With a detachment he didn’t really feel, he told Ellie everything. Correction, almost everything. Greyson didn’t know why, but he kept Blaise’s secret of buying Ellie’s diner for her.
Ellie slumped back in her chair. Greyson wasn’t sure if she was in awe or just plain pissed off. Maybe a bit of both, he considered.
“An heiress? Blaise?”
Greyson nodded. “And, the CEO of the company that tried to tear my company away from my family.” He couldn’t stop the bitterness that crept in his voice.
“She wouldn’t do that,” Ellie said firmly.
“How do you know that? Look at what she’s already kept from us,” Greyson shot back angrily. “For all we know, she’s living it up, laughing at what fools we are.”
Ellie leaned forward, fixing him with an angry glare. “If you really believe that, then you don’t deserve her. Was your company taken over? Is that why you’re working here now?” When Greyson shook his head in the negative, she turned fully to Cade. “I’m willing to hire your company to find out what’s going on. Regardless of what Greyson says, something is wrong. I want to know what it is. Will you help me? I’m asking you, Cade, not him,” she said sharply when Cade glanced over at Greyson.
Cade gave her an affirmative nod. “I’ll help you, darlin’.”
“I don’t know what your rates are, but…”
“Pro bono,” Cade interrupted. “You think there’s something off, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
She hesitated for a moment before nodding her head. “Fine, but I don’t want him on the case if he’s going to be a dick about this,” she said icily, jerking her thumb towards Greyson.
“That’s not fair,” Greyson argued. “She left me!”
“And, you never once thought that was odd?” She rose suddenly, leaning over his desk to get in his face. “Did you try to find her? Did you do anything to find out why she really left, or did you just sulk? You got Cade to find her before. Why didn’t you do that this time?”
Greyson opened his mouth to respond, but no words came. She had him there. He did nothing but brood. Fuck.
“The way I understand it, if you’re telling me everything, Blaise wanted nothing to do with this EK company. You accusing her got her involved. You did this. Fix it!” She whipped around to address Cade. “The only thing I can come up with from our conversations is she went back home to New Zealand. The last time she was there, she was so depressed. She would constantly tell me what a mistake she made going back there, and that she couldn’t wait to be coming home. She sounds the same way now.” Ellie reached into her purse, bringing out what looked like a business card. She scribbled something on it before thrusting it at Cade. “I want to be kept in the loop. No matter what time it is, or what you find out, I want to know. Thank you for doing this.”
Before either of the men had a chance to respond, Ellie marched out the door, closing it with a distinctive click.
“That woman is scary, brother. And, sexy as hell.” Cade was still staring at the door, missing Greyson’s roll of the eyes. “Maybe doing this will give me some good points with her.”
“Give it up, Cade. I don’t think she’s interested.” He heard Cade mutter something about not being a quitter, but he was no longer listening. Ellie had affected him greatly by what she had said. Every word was burned into his brain. Why didn’t he go looking for Blaise? Why did he just accept that she left? He gave up, and he did it easily. “We start looking in New Zealand.”
Cade sat back, crossing his ankle over his
knee. “You agree with Ellie that Blaise could have gone back there?”
“Yeah, I do. And, I’m a fucking fool. She told me she hated it there. If that’s where she is, she’s not there because she wants to be.”
“EK dropped out of the takeover, yeah?” Greyson nodded. Cade reached into the pocket of his blazer, and brought out his phone. After a few taps, he directed his gaze back on Greyson. “You think she went back to stop it?”
Greyson rubbed his face roughly, knowing exactly what Cade was getting at. “You’re thinking they forced her back there in exchange for dropping the seizure of the company. But she’s the CEO. She’s the boss. How could they force her hand?” He pushed away from his desk, and stood to pace. “Ellie’s right. Something doesn’t add up.”
“So we start with the company…”
“No, we start with residences,” Greyson interjected. “I don’t know why, but I have a feeling this isn’t about her being at the company.”
“Then what, brother?”
“Let’s find out.”
IMAGES OF THE Knight estate was broadcast over the wall of monitors in the strategy room. Though, as they found out, it was no longer the Knight estate. It was now the Clark estate. Greyson had remembered, a little belatedly, that Blaise had said she had transferred the property over to her grandfather in hopes it would satisfy him enough to get over the fact he didn’t get a piece of the company.
“Big motherfucker, isn’t it?” Cade muttered in the quiet room. “Probably bigger than your parents’.”
Greyson grunted. “No wonder Blaise didn’t like it there. She doesn’t understand the need for such a huge place.” He paced the room like a caged animal. The thought of Blaise in that house against her will pissed him off. The guilt was beginning to overwhelm him.
“We don’t know that there’s trouble, brother,” Cade said gently, seeming to read Greyson’s mind. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Greyson shook his head. “I trust Ellie’s instincts, man. That woman would make an excellent spy.” Scratching his beard, he sighed heavily. “I should have trusted Blaise. I’m not going to make the mistake of underestimating either of those women again.”
Coming Home: An LA Lovers Book Page 30
