The Billionaire's Prize: Taken & Tempted: (Book 3 Billionaire Bodyguard Series)

by Kristi Avalon

  “Hardly.” Liam shook his head, knowing no one substituted for Trey’s calm rationality and undaunted stability. “But if it has to suck a donkey’s ass, you know we’re right here with you.”

  A reluctant grin tugged at Cade’s lips. “Yeah, I know. I appreciate that.”

  Adam joined the conversation. “You’re here to protect her, you’ve got her back. She isn’t going in alone. This won’t be like that night five years ago.”

  Cade went stock still. His pulse thundered in his ears.

  It’d been five years since he’d lost his dad. To. The. Day.

  Liam exhaled a terse sigh and glanced heavenward. “Bro, I love you,” he said through a tight jaw, “but you suck at consolation.”

  “What?” Adam’s eyes widened. “I’m just saying this won’t go down like that. It’s supposed to be a good thing.”

  A whiplash of emotion shredded Cade’s insides.

  Resolute, he stalked toward Kylie.

  Logan stood in front of her, discreetly placing the microphone and camera that would feed images and information to the control board he’d set up in the conference room.

  Cade shoved him aside and clasped her face in his hands. “You don’t have to do this, Kylie. We can call it off. We’ll find another way.”

  “It’s a little late for that,” Logan said in quiet, measured tones.

  “I don’t give a damn,” Cade snarled. “I’m not sending her in there alone. I made that mistake once. It’s not happening again.”

  “I know what you fear.” Kylie’s gaze bored into his soul like two beams of light that pierced the dark despair consuming him. “But I have to do this.”

  He blinked back the sting in his eyes. “I can’t lose you, too.”

  She caught his hands in hers. “I need to count on you. You promised me we’d get through this together.”

  “We will.” Cade drew on an inner strength that matched his brother’s. “I’m going in with you.”

  “You can’t.” Slone shot him down.

  Cade fixed him in an icy glare. With lethal calm, he said, “I’d like to see you stop me.”

  Slone stood in a defensive posture and flexed his chest.

  Logan sliced his hand through the thick animosity. “Stand down, Rowan. That’s an order.”

  Instantly, Slone complied, though a muscle ticked furiously in his jaw.

  Adam stepped forward. “If that’s Cade’s decision, then I stand by him.”

  “Same,” Liam said. “Three against two.”

  Slone growled, “If your stunt gets her killed, so help me—”

  “Enough.” Logan stepped between them. “Cade’s going in.” He gestured to Liam to hand him another bulletproof vest.

  “There’s no time,” Cade said. “Kylie’s fully equipped. That’s all that matters.”

  Slone narrowed his eyes. “Don’t play the hero.”

  “I’m no hero.” Cade’s lips spread with a cold smile of assertion. “I’m the man I should’ve been five years ago.”

  The words rang true the moment he said them.

  “You need a Kevlar vest,” Logan insisted.

  Cade ignored him. He looked into Kylie’s eyes and found all the fortitude he needed. “Time to kill this switch.”

  *

  The glow of audiovisual equipment cast a cool blue light throughout the limousine. Logan had set up a miniature command station inside, so they could be on scene and react to potential threats at a moment’s notice.

  Kylie’s nerves stretched taut, almost to the point of snapping. Despite the limo’s smooth ride, she felt every bump in the road like a bone-jarring impact.

  For a moment she closed her eyes. Please let Lindsey be okay.

  Her fingers itched to reach for Cade’s hand. But he seemed miles away in thought, his usual charismatic warmth locked away, his posture stiff as he sat forward with his hands folded. He didn’t look at her, didn’t touch her, didn’t blink. He just stared straight ahead.

  It bothered her tremendously that he hadn’t worn the bulletproof vest Logan had offered him. He’d asked for only one thing out of Logan’s stash of high-tech gear—a taser shaped like a cell phone that he’d clipped to his waist.

  And, curiously, he’d requested money.

  “Adam,” Cade had asked before they set out on the trip, “do you still have the cash I gave you to pull strings?”

  “Sure. How much do you need?” Adam had responded.

  “All of it.”

  Adam had handed over a significant amount of money without question. A sense of foreboding had followed. She wasn’t sure what he meant to do, since offering a bribe wasn’t part of the plan they’d rehearsed before piling into the limousine. In the back of her mind, she questioned how she’d pull off this face-to-face meeting.

  The sound of Logan tip-tapping on his laptop keyboard set her teeth on edge. Then he paused. “You’re good to go.” He sent her a compassionate glance. “You have a lot of well-trained, highly skilled people in your corner, Kylie. You’ll make it through this in one piece.”

  “Don’t worry about a thing.” Slone’s penetrating gray eyes offered the confidence she longed for from Cade. “You remember the plan?”

  She nodded tightly. “Cade stays in the hallway. I go in with the stack of evidence to exchange for my sister, while the limo stays parked out front and your tactical team waits in the rear.”

  “And the safe word?” Slone prodded.

  “Mayday.”

  “As soon as you say it, the team and I will storm the warehouse. We’ll get to you before Lucy Ramos does. You can trust me on that. I’ve carried out dozens of rescue missions under heavy enemy fire.” He winked. “This is cake.”

  “If you say so.” She patted her vest, beneath the layers of her shirt and coat, the only thing between her and a bullet.

  Logan hit the enter key. “Say something.”

  “Like what?” Hearing the echo of her own voice on a slight delay startled her.

  “We’ll see and hear everything you do,” Logan said. “As well as every word and action from others in the room.”

  She gulped. “Others?”

  “We assume she’ll have a couple of her goons with her,” Slone said.

  “Oh.”

  Of course Lucy wouldn’t be there alone and exposed. But the thought of facing the type of men who’d tried to shoot them on the yacht made her tense with anxiety.

  Uncertainty prickled across her scalp as they pulled up to the designated meeting place. The windows of the warehouse were boarded shut behind metal bars, like a haunted prison.

  “Remember,” Logan said, “the FBI is on their way.”

  The notion offered her a boost of reassurance, and gratitude swelled in her chest that Logan had such far reaching connections. She hoped the combination of Logan’s equipment, Slone’s team, and the FBI would be enough to save her and her sister’s lives.

  Logan’s phone buzzed. He skimmed the text message. “My buddy in the local FBI outpost says they’ve put a trace on Lucy’s Cadillac by tapping into the vehicle’s On-Star system. It’s parked within the six block vicinity. If she and her cronies think they’ve set a trap for you, we’ll spring a bigger one on her. When she leaves this building, it’ll be in handcuffs.”

  “If I don’t get to her first,” Slone muttered, his fists clenched.

  She swallowed. “As long as my sister isn’t the one who leaves in a body bag.”

  Throughout their discussion, Cade maintained his stone cold silence. She wondered if he’d heard a word they’d said.

  Slone nudged Cade. “Don’t do anything idiotic. Like stray from the plan.”

  “I’ll do what I have to do,” Cade said quietly.

  Logan nodded to her. “It’s go time.”

  Cade wrenched open the car door. He didn’t reach for her hand to help her out. He refused to look at her at all. He shouldered through the heavy door that creaked on its metal hinges.

  Once inside the
building, she climbed the stairs at a slow trudge toward the third floor.

  The glare of caged construction lights, hung at distant intervals, barely illuminated their path. When she looked at them and glanced away, blind spots speckled her vision. It shocked her that the building even had electricity.

  The place smelled musty with wood rot and gross neglect. Sheets of plastic concealed parts of the ceiling that had caved in. The silhouettes of dangling wires, cracked beams and abandoned machinery looked like an elephant graveyard of alien life forms.

  Creaks and groans from the dilapidated structure made her tense at every turn. She expected someone to jump out of the shadows and attack them any minute.

  Cade kept a few paces ahead of her the whole way, his lean athletic body moving with easy grace. The shield of his presence took the edge off her gnawing worries, and she silently thanked him for choosing to go in with her.

  On the third floor, Cade hung back. He waved at her to go ahead of him. She picked her way through piles of debris toward a doorway that shed light into the hall.

  “Lucy Ramos?” she called out.

  A wicked laugh raked over Kylie’s skin. “Right on time. Come in.”

  Summoning confidence she didn’t feel, Kylie entered the room. Broken glass crunched under her feet. She clutched the binder against her stomach as if it could shield the sound of nerves fluttering restlessly inside her, her gut screaming for this to be over.

  “I have what you asked for. Where is my sister?” she demanded.

  “Diego is keeping her company.” Lucy gestured toward a darkened corner where two sheets of plastic converged.

  There in the shadows, a blindfold over her eyes and a piece of duct tape across her mouth, sat her sister tied to a chair. Lindsey struggled against the bindings, frantic sounds coming from behind the tape. A trickle of dried blood made her hair stick to her forehead, her face shiny from sweat and mucus and tears, her features contorted with fear.

  Oh, my God. “ Lindsey!” She rushed toward her sister. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

  Lucy stepped in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. The woman clicked her tongue against her teeth in mocking disapproval. “No, not yet. We have a few things to discuss first.”

  “I’ll give you whatever you want,” Kylie cried. “Anything, just let her go. Please.”

  “That depends.” The woman’s voice sounded soulless, her eyes as dark as a demon’s. “I saw you arrive in style. Once again, your lover has pulled out all the stops to see to your comfort. Where is he?”

  “Who?”

  “Don’t play me for a fool, little girl. I know he’s here.” She glanced toward the open door. “Don’t keep us waiting, Cade.”

  To Kylie’s mortification, Cade sauntered into the room. He made a great show of dusting himself off. “Damn, woman. This place is a pit. We could’ve made this arrangement without me ruining my new suit.”

  In her earpiece Kylie heard harsh whispers between Logan and Slone, but nothing she could make out clearly. She froze, having no idea what to do next.

  “Well, well, well.” Lucy’s lips pulled in a sneer, her eyes crackling with amusement. “If it isn’t Daddy’s golden boy. He spoke highly of you, during our brief alliance.”

  “Whatever.” Cade’s callous disregard made Kylie blink. “I’m done with this game,” he said, reaching into his pocket.

  “Not so fast.” Lucy motioned to a second goon, the one who didn’t hover over Kylie’s sister. “Javier, frisk him.”

  Obligingly, Cade held out his arms while Javier patted him down. “See? I’m unarmed.” He unbuttoned his shirt halfway exposing his bare chest. “No armor. No gun. I came here to make a deal.”

  Cade slowly reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and withdrew the money Adam had given him. “How much do you want?”

  Lucy narrowed her eyes. “You’re not buying your way out of this. Her freedom isn’t for sale.”

  “Her freedom?” Cade scoffed. “I don’t give a damn about her. I want my life back. So how much do you want to take her off my hands—five hundred? A thousand?” Cade unceremoniously chucked the money at her. “Ten thousand? It’s yours. Just take her off my hands.”

  The loose bills fluttered to the floor, settling like crisp fall leaves onto the clumps of cash at Lucy’s feet.

  Kylie reeled. This was not part of their plan. “Cade?”

  “Shut up,” he snapped at her. “I’m sick of your dead weight. You’ve caused me nothing but grief since you landed on my doorstep.”

  “Wh-what?” She couldn’t believe the harsh words falling from his beautiful mouth.

  “I have a goddamn business to run. I can’t be going all over creation to save your ass. I’m done.” He turned to Lucy. “Do we have a deal?”

  Lucy eyed him suspiciously. “You don’t care what happens to her?”

  “Her or her sister,” Cade said. “Take the cash. Dispose of the bodies however you want.”

  Stunned, Kylie stumbled back. “No…”

  Was this a sick joke? Why would he say those things?

  Lucy flicked her gaze to her, lit with satisfaction seeing a tear track down Kylie’s face. Then her eyes fastened on Cade. “I admit I’m surprised. I thought she was your little treasure.”

  “She’s a pain in my ass. I want her out of my life. Whatever it takes. I’ll leave the details up to you.”

  “How thoughtful. Since I planned to kill her anyway.”

  “Good.”

  How could he sound so glad? So cold? So convincing? …Unless he meant every word.

  Kylie choked on the possibility, her throat on fire in an effort to hold back her tears. Her heart wrenched. No, you can’t leave me, Cade. You promised. You promised!

  Lucy prowled toward Cade, her body sinuous and cat-like. She traced a fingertip along the vee of his half open shirt. “You want nothing else from me? Not even your father’s last words before I killed him?”

  “Please.” Cade rolled his eyes and spoke in a derisive tone. “You did me a favor by taking out my old man. We didn’t see eye to eye on how to run the family business.” Cade shrugged. “With him out of the way, I turned the company into a billion dollar empire.”

  “Interesting.” Lucy stepped back and motioned to her closest henchman. “Javier, take the files from her and burn them.”

  Following orders, the man pried the binder out of her numb fingers. Using oil from the lamp, he spilled the viscous liquid onto the binder, dropped it on the floor, and flicked his lighter. The case files erupted in flames.

  Lucy grinned with malevolent satisfaction. She turned to Cade. “Since I did you such a favor five years ago, I’m not inclined to do all your dirty work. You kill the girl.”

  Kylie’s heart slammed against her ribs. “No, please. Don’t do this.”

  “Fine.” Cade’s jaw hardened. He held out his hand. “Give me a gun.”

  Lucy snapped her fingers. “Javier, do as the man says.” The henchman gave Cade one of his weapons, and kept the other trained on Cade’s head. “If you turn the gun back on me, Javier will blow your head off.”

  Cade gave a heartless laugh. “Don’t worry, lady. We won’t have any problems as long as I get to walk out of here intact. If I’m not back in my limo in…” He glanced calmly at his watch as though late for a meeting. “In two minutes, my driver has the Denver police on speed dial. Besides, you don’t want the exposure of having my blood on your hands. I have far too many connections.”

  Lucy frowned and nodded. “You have my word. I’ll let you leave—after you shoot the girl.”

  Cade took the gun and pointed it his target. “No problem.”

  Wrecked inside, shaking with fear, unable to believe what was happening, Kylie pleaded with him. “Cade, please, don’t do this.” Tears spilled from her lashes, stinging her cheeks. “Please. I’m begging you.”

  Cade glanced up and down her body in a chilling appraisal. His lip curled in disgust. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s
been fun, but I can do better for a lot less hassle.”

  As he raised the gun, her hope and her heart shattered. His eyes contained no pity or empathy. Just cold, cruel determination.

  Cade aimed the gun at her head.

  Had this been his plan all along, from the start? But how could he, after everything they’d been through? She loved him…

  I love you. She mouthed the words as he cocked the gun.

  An explosion burst her eardrums.

  The force knocked her to the floor. Her head slammed against the concrete. She couldn’t breathe. Instinctively, she put her hands to her chest and felt warm liquid pour through her fingers. She heard her sister’s muted scream.

  “Straight through the heart. How fitting.” The mocking voice belonged to Lucy.

  “Clean up the mess,” Cade replied, his words nearly drowned out by the ringing in her ears. “And make sure none of this comes back on me.”

  Unable to breathe, Kylie gasped as shadows clouded her vision. She saw his expensive shoes, spattered with red, turn and walk away. She heard a distant door slam.

  Right before everything faded to black.

  Chapter 13

  “Kylie.”

  The sound of her name tugged at the edges of her consciousness, drawing her out of a chasm of blackness.

  “Kylie, wake up.”

  Someone shook her relentlessly. The haze over her eyes began to clear.

  “Baby, wake up. Come back to me.”

  Blinking, she struggled to focus on the face hovering above her. She gasped a lungful of air, and sweet breath filled her aching chest.

  A blurry yet beautiful vision stared down at her. An angel, she thought. With golden hair, the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, and a face that could’ve been chiseled by the hand of God Himself.

  “Am I in heaven?”

  A soft laugh drifted from his perfect lips. “No, baby. You’re safe—very much alive and well.”

  The vision sharpened into clarity. She swallowed. “Cade?”

  “Yes, honey.” He smiled. “I’m here.”

  Perplexed, her eyebrows pulled together. “You…you shot me.”

  A pained expression settled on his features. “I know. I’m sorry about that.”