by Y. L. Stokes
“Ash, honey, talk to me. Are you hurting anywhere?”
Reaching up, she placed her hand on the side of his face. “I’m fine. I guess I turned a little too fast.”
“Don’t do that again, okay?” he admonished. “You scared the hell out of me.”
“I know, Nicky, and I know that you’re scared about our plan. Believe me, I’m scared also, but I’m more afraid of what he might do next if he can’t get to me.”
Nick opened his mouth to respond, but she silenced him by placing a finger against his lips. “I can’t take the chance of him trying to hurt you, your mother, or your grandparents,” she said.
“Jack,” Nicholas said, his eyes focused on his wife, “if you let anything happen to my wife, I’ll take you and Rick out.”
“I love you, Nicky,” Ashley whispered.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Peter flicked through the newspaper. The society pages caught his eye. There on the front section was a picture of his grandmother and her butler, announcing their recent marriage and their plans for a honeymoon.
“That old bitch is using my money to go to Paris for their honeymoon!” he yelled inside the car.
Frenzied, he ripped the paper, and an idea struck him. Since I can’t go back to Raymond’s, I can take the bitch to Grandmother’s. No one would ever think that I’d hide there. Hell, I’ll only have to be there for a couple of days and the old bag will be gone for two weeks. That would be plenty of time for his dear old cousin to gather the money to get his precious wife back. He checked the paper again for the date the old lady would be leaving, but unfortunately it didn’t say. I’ll have to stake out the house. Now that I’ve ditched Raymond’s car I’ll be hidden for a while. Peter laughed, excited his plan was about to pay off.
The payoff came two days later. Peter had been heading to the mansion and passed his grandmother’s limo. His heart beat faster, so fast that it almost hurt. He drove around the block just to make sure the coast was clear. Passing the house again, he parked the car down the street near the woods surrounding the mansion. While making his way to the house, a car pulled into the circular driveway. Peter thought his heart would stop—his golden goose climbed out of the car.
“Hello bitch!” he said as he came up behind her.
Ashley whirled around, startled. “Peter! What are you doing here?” She took a couple of steps back. “We thought you would be long gone by now.”
“I know, but as usual, you and that cousin of mine were wrong. Now get inside. I think it’s time to give Nicholas a call.” Peter pushed Ashley into the foyer and quickly closed and locked the door. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the study. “Now, go over there and call that husband of yours.”
Ashley wrenched her arm away from his grasp. “When was the last time you bathed?” she asked, holding her nose.
“What, does my scent offend you? It didn’t seem to bother you the night that brat was conceived.”
Ashley reacted to the barb, slapping him across the face. “You know that I enjoyed it just as much as you did—or should I say didn’t. Did you have to picture that I was Raymond?”
Peter lashed out. He struck her across the face and knocked her to the floor. “You leave him out of this.”
“Oh, by the way, how is dear Raymond?” she asked and rose from the floor.
“You needn’t concern yourself with Raymond, but you do need to be concerned about me.”
With Marcus safely at Ashley’s old house with Nicole, Nicholas sat at his desk trying to reach Ashley by phone for the fifth time to no avail. Where in the hell could she be? He’d left her at home this morning after finding her in the bathroom throwing up. He’d made her promise to stay in bed and rest….
“Wait…she didn’t actually promise,” Nicholas said to the empty office.
He picked up the phone to try his mother’s number. Sean and Patrick walked into his office. “What in the hell are you two doing here?” he growled.
“Jack sent us here to set up the phone.”
“For what?” He had a sinking feeling that he already knew why. “I suppose you know where my wife is?”
Sean and Patrick looked at each other. Patrick gave a quick shake of his head.
“You know we can’t lie to him, Patrick,” Sean said. “Besides, I’m sure he’s figured it out.”
“Figured what out?” Nick yelled. “That my wife and my brother are going ahead with this hair-brained idea of theirs? Where is she? Tell me so I can go and pick her up before it’s too late.”
“It’s already too late, Nick. The wheels are in motion, and we need to set this recording system up as soon as possible. Ashley can only stall him for a little while before he becomes suspicious.”
Nicholas’ legs weakened at the thoughts that filled his mind. “You mean he has her? That bastard has my wife?” Nicholas grabbed his coat and headed for the door. Sean and Patrick went to work, shaking their heads.
“He’s in for a surprise, huh,” Patrick stated.
Nick was surprised his brothers didn’t try to stop him. As soon as he stepped out of his office and started for the elevators, his mother’s voice halted him.
“Young man, you will turn around and take your butt back into that office and wait for the call from your wife.”
“What is this? Is my entire family turning against me? Am I the only one that can see how dangerous this is?”
Saundra placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him around to face her. “You and I both know that your brother would never let anything happen to Ashley. I know that you’re upset, but right now we need for you to be calm.”
“How can I—”
Saundra pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. “Nick, you’ll have to dig deep within yourself and find the strength. You’re going to go back into your office and wait for the call.”
A noise sounded behind him. Nicholas turned and faced Jack. “If you let anything happen to her I’ll never forgive you.”
Jack’s gaze met his. “If something happens to her I’ll never forgive myself.”
Nick gave a curt nod.
“Mom, we need to talk to him about this, to explain,” Jack said.
“Jack, you and I both know that he’s not going to listen to anything you have to say right now.”
Jack ran his hand through his hair in frustration.
Nicholas returned to his office.
Jack followed. His phone went off; he answered it quickly, listened, then ended the call. “I just got the call from Rick. They’re all inside the house. Nick, you should be getting a call from Ashley any minute now.”
Nicholas didn’t respond. He stared out the window, praying that his wife would come out of this unscathed.
The phone rang on his desk. Everyone froze. Nicholas quickly walked over to his desk, answered, then replaced the receiver. “That was George. Apparently Grandma and Grandpa are here, and he needed clearance to send them up.”
Nicholas sat behind his desk. Mary and Phillip walked in. His grandmother took one look at him, and her breath caught in her throat.
“My God, Phillip, he looks so much like his father.”
“I know, my dear, I know,” Phillip agreed and took her hand in his.
Phillip and Mary greeted everyone, but Nicholas didn’t respond.
Saundra said, “Nicholas Maxwell, mind your manners.”
“He’s just as stubborn as his father,” Mary commented with a smile.
“I don’t know what all of you find so amusing,” Nicholas snapped. “My wife is in grave danger, and all of you can just sit here as if we were waiting on the next scene at a play?”
“Son, I know you’re worried, and there’s nothing that any of us can say that will change that, but we have the upper hand.”
“What do you mean? Peter is the one in charge—he has my wife.”
“Nicky, Peter doesn’t have Ashley. True, he may think that he does, which is
what we want him to believe, but what he doesn’t know is that in each room of the house there’s a secret passageway, and right now Rick and his guys are in those passageways.”
Nicholas was about to question his grandfather further when the phone rang.
“Enough of this stalling, I think it’s time to call that cousin of mine,” Peter said and sneered.
“Why do you hate my husband so much?” Ashley asked and slowly made her way to the phone. “He was never any threat to you.”
Peter chuckled. “At one time I would agree with you on that—until I found out that the old bat was trying to find him and his mother to make amends for the rift that happened between her and Nick’s father. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I started interfering with her investigators, and when they found Nick I intercepted the investigator on his way to report his findings to the old bag. Needless to say, she never saw the report, but I decided to use the information.”
“So you cooked up the plan with Trisha?” Ashley asked.
“Yep.”
Her hand froze when realization dawned. “Wait a minute, you were Alicia’s father?”
“Yes, well, sometimes a little too much drink can do a great deal of harm.”
“What do you mean?” She frowned.
“You should know exactly what I mean.” Shaking his head, Peter explained. “You see, when I found out about the old bag’s plan, I had a moment of self-loathing and hit the bottle. Well, I guess I was deep in to it when I was thinking about going over to Raymond’s. I passed out, and when I came to I was still drunk. In my drunken state, I thought I was at Raymond’s in bed with him. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
“It was Trisha.” Ashley’s eyes narrowed.
“Well, now, you’re smarter than your brother thought, huh?” He smiled. “I guess you can be smart and a little slow at the same time. Apparently you didn’t listen when I explained how your brother set you up.”
“What do you mean set me up?” She feigned ignorance.
“That night in this house, the party you came to with your so-called friends,” Peter taunted.
“You mean to tell me that my brother knew about that night?” Ashley asked in a small voice.
“Knew about it? Hell, it was his idea. Look, although I enjoy causing you this pain, I’m ready to inflict some on that dear cousin of mine. Now, pick up that damn phone and call him.”
Ashley’s hands shook as she dialed the number to the office. She told herself that she’d indulge in a bed of self pity after this ordeal was over. Now wasn’t the time. First, she would have to make her husband forgive her for deceiving him and then demand that he comfort her.
Nicholas answered the phone, and a feeling of calm overcame her. “Honey…,” she began, but Peter ripped the phone from her hand and put it on loud speaker.
“Hello, Nicholas, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who this is or what this call is all about,” Peter said.
“Let my wife go,” Nick said.
“I’m sorry, but I simply can’t do that. Not until you deliver the money that belongs to me.”
“Why are you doing this, Peter?”
“Why do you think? All because of you and that damn butler, the old bag has gone and changed her will, leaving me a small pile of shit! Since you’re responsible for it, you will have to pay for it,” Peter screamed.
Ashley made her way quietly to the hidden door near the bookcase. Almost there…. Her hip bumped a table. The plant sitting atop it fell to the floor. Peter swung around. Ashley opened the door, and Peter screamed and withdrew a gun.
Rick quickly yanked Ashley inside the passageway behind him, using his body to shield her. Peter shot off two rounds. Rick got off one of his own, hitting Peter in the head, killing him instantly.
The line went dead. Jack immediately tried calling Rick and kept getting his voice mail. Nicholas saw the worry on his brother’s face, and his heart dropped.
“I need to get over there,” Nicholas said, running out the door before anyone could stop him. Footsteps sounded behind him, and he turned. “Jack, I’m going over there, and there’s nothing you can say or do to stop me.”
Jack continued past him. “I’m not trying to stop you, Nick, I’m going with you.”
Nicholas came to a halt beside Jack as the elevator doors opened. In the car, Nicholas drove while Jack tried to reach Rick by phone.
Nicholas’ heart hammered faster. The last thing he’d heard was the sound of gunshots. He was too afraid to voice his fears, to think past the shots…too afraid that his worst fears….
Jack’s voice interrupted his disturbing thoughts. “Rick, is Ashley okay?” he yelled into the phone. Even when Jack said she was, Nick’s heart still didn’t slow down. He pulled into the driveway, put the car into park, had the door open, and climbed out.
“Where’s my wife?” he shouted as he went through the police tape.
The officers outside tried to restrain him.
Jack intervened. “It’s okay. Let him through!”
Rick met them at the front door. “Nick, this way. She’s fine, just a little shaken up.”
As soon as she saw him, Ashley ran into his arms, tears streaming down her face. “I’m so sorry, Nicky. Don’t be angry with me. I had to do this.”
The tears undid him. “It’s okay, baby. I’m going to take you home,” he whispered. She shook, and he knew they had to leave immediately. “Rick, if you have any questions for my wife, come by the house tomorrow. Right now I’m going to go and pick up our son.”
“Nick, Mom said to leave Marcus with Nicole at Ashley’s house for the night. I don’t think he needs to see his mom like this. Besides, you’re going to have your hands full taking care of Ashley,” Jack said.
Nicholas nodded and took his wife home.
After soaking in the tub, Ashley slipped on Nick’s bathrobe and went down to the kitchen.
Nicholas stood at the stove and turned to face her.
“Honey, what are you doing down here?” she asked.
“I was about to bring your soup up to you. I won’t ask how you feel because I know this wasn’t easy for you.”
Ashley walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Dealing with Peter was easy. The hardest part was going against your wishes. I know how much you wanted to protect me from him, and there I was walking right into his hands. I feel so bad for not telling you this morning about what we had planned, even though you said you didn’t want to know. So I’m ready for you to let me have it.”
Nicholas leaned against the sink, his arms folded across his chest. He stared at her as she stood before him practically swallowed up by his robe. She wrung her hands tightly.
“I was pissed this morning when I tried to call you and didn’t get an answer. I was still pissed when Sean and Patrick tried to stop me from leaving. I was extremely pissed when Jack tried to talk to me when he arrived at the office. Hell, I almost defied my mother when she tried to stop me.” Nicholas walked over and stood in front of her. “But none of it matters now because it’s all over and you’re here safe with me.” He took her into his arms and held her tight. “Do you know that my heart stopped when I heard those damn gun shots? And when the line went dead….” He stopped—for fear that his emotions would spill over?
Ashley heard the catch in his voice and gave him a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay now, honey.”
Nicholas chuckled. “Now wait a minute. You’re the one that just went through this ordeal, and here you are comforting me instead of the other way around.”
“We’re comforting each other,” Ashley said and lifted her mouth to his.
Searing passion filled their kiss and ignited the fire between them. The sash from her robe came loose. Nicholas slipped his hands inside, and Ashley felt a jolt of electricity when his hands came in contact with her skin. I wonder if he’ll notice the differences in my body? His hands slowly caressed her. Nicholas ended the kiss and slid the robe off of her shoulder
s and onto the floor.
His mouth closed around her nipple, and all thoughts left her.
They made their way out onto the patio, where he gently laid her down onto the lounge chair. He removed his clothes and joined her. Ashley opened for him, and with one powerful thrust they became one.
“Do you know how much I love you, Ash?” he said against her ear.
“Yes, Nicky, and I love you too—with all my heart.”
Nicholas moved within her, and the only sounds heard were their moans of pleasure blending in with the sounds of the night. He made slow and thorough love to her, communicating to her in the most intimate way possible between man and wife.
Early the next morning, Nicholas opened the door with a string of curses about someone coming to the house at an ungodly hour. Nicholas saw Rick and almost closed the door in his face.
“Do you have to do this now?” he asked.
“I thought you’d like to get this over with as soon as possible. Besides, Jack said your mother wanted it finished so Nicole could bring Marcus home.”
Nicholas stepped back to let Rick in. “Have a seat in the study, and I’ll go up and get Ashley.”
Nicholas walked into the bedroom. Retching sounds came from the bathroom. He moved to go in, but the sound stopped and Ashley came out wiping her face.
Worry made his voice a little gruff. “Rick’s downstairs. Once you’re done talking to him we’re going to call the doctor to find out what’s going on with you. At first I thought you were just worried sick about the shit with Peter, but now I’m not so sure.”
Ashley tried to stop him by holding up her hand. Nicholas wouldn’t be deterred.
“I mean it, Ash. You’ll be examined by the doctor as soon as Rick leaves.”
The talk with Rick lasted only an hour. Ashley waited patiently in the study for her husband to return from seeing Rick out and letting his mother in. Saundra went into the kitchen to fix herself a drink.
“Honey, could you come over here and sit by me for a minute?” Ashley asked in a sweet, coaxing voice.
“Ash, I’m not going to change my mind. I’m going to call the doctor so that he can tell us what’s going on.”
