by Ciana Stone
“The thought crossed my mind.”
Konnor made no comment and after a moment Ryan voiced the question he had wanted to ask. “Can you tell me one thing?”
“What’s that?”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you go after her?”
“I didn’t.”
“That’s not the way I see it. It looked to me like you took the first chance you got and went after her full steam ahead with no regard to who you were stepping on or hurting.”
“I’m not going there,” Konnor said. “You screwed up and lost her. I was in the right place at the right time. End of story. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have something to do.”
“What?”
“Find her.”
“And just how are you planning on doing that?”
“Let me worry about that.”
Ryan studied him for a moment. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
“You find that hard to believe.”
“Honestly, yes,” Ryan responded. “I don’t see you as the type who believes in love.
Konnor made a noise in his throat. “I didn’t think I was either,” he said as he turned away.
Ryan watched him leave then went back inside his apartment to make a call. “Justin?… Hi, it’s Ryan. Have you or Kendal heard from Senna lately?… Yeah, I know she was pretty upset by all that at the party. Listen, I’ve got to run, but if you hear from her will you ask her to give me a call?… Yeah, you have a good one. Talk to you later.”
Ryan leaned back against the bar and thought about it. If she had left town, there had to be a record of it somewhere. He would start by checking the airlines. Pushing himself up, he grabbed his jacket. Suddenly he was determined to find her before Konnor Chase did.
Chapter Eleven
Kitaro threw the priceless vase across the room. It smashed against a marble pedestal, toppling a porcelain statue and destroying both pieces.
“Imbeciles!” he hissed and looked around for something else to demolish. “I am surrounded by incompetents!”
“I fail to see what you’re so worked up about,” the woman reclining on the couch said. “Pierce-Warner no longer poses a threat.”
With a snarl, Kitaro turned on her. “And since he was terminated before we could find out why he contacted her, he can no longer provide us with answers, can he?”
“Would you calm down?” she chastised. “If our opponent had her, we would know it.”
“Would we?” he demanded, pacing the room like a caged animal.
“You know we would. He would already have been gloating over his victory. Besides, do you think either of us would still be breathing if he had succeeded?”
He stopped abruptly. She was right. “If he does not have her then who does?”
The woman shrugged. “Perhaps no one. Consider for a moment. Three people she knew and cared for have been murdered in a week’s time, and strangers are appearing out of the woodwork, asking bizarre questions about a past she can’t remember. Add to that the fact that she was beaten and nearly raped, and discovered that her boyfriend is cheating on her and her best friend is telling tales behind her back. Then throw in a handsome stud who awakens her sexual appetites but will tell her nothing about himself, only to find out that he’s not at all what he seems—and what do you have? I’ll tell you, my darling. You have one very confused woman who just possibly decided to get away from everything to have space to think.”
“How melodramatic,” he commented acidly.
“But possible.”
He considered it for a moment and shook his head. “No, she would not leave. She has too much of her father in her. And you forget all the time we spent together, she and I. I know her better than she knows herself. She would not run. Despite her fear and confusion she would stand and face it.”
“My, we do have a high opinion of the little princess, don’t we?” she asked sarcastically. “Is there something you’ve neglected to tell me, darling?”
“Such as?”
“Such as perhaps you were more smitten with the child than you admit. As you said, you did spend a great deal of time with her and we both know the…unorthodox methods you employ to achieve results. Is it possible that she whetted your appetite, lover?”
Kitaro’s eyes didn’t reveal his feelings. Never, as long as he drew a breath, would he let her know she had hit a nerve. He would never admit to anyone how often he had replayed their time together in his mind, savoring it like a fine rare wine. Despite the fact that he had failed to retrieve the information from her, he would continue to treasure the time they had together, for it was he who had indoctrinated her into the sensuous arts. Just as he had made sure that no other man would enjoy the uninhibited abandon he had shared with her.
“You are a fool, woman. She is less than nothing to me.”
“For your sake, I hope so.”
“Is that a threat?”
“A promise, darling,” she said as she rose and pushed the straps of her dress down her shoulders. It slithered down her body, revealing her nudity. “What’s mine is mine. I don’t share.”
Kitaro couldn’t help but admire the way she reveled in her own beauty, the pride she took in her own body. He also couldn’t help but laugh at how vain and arrogant she was in thinking she owned him. That would be her downfall, as it had been the downfall of others before her. But for now he would allow the masquerade to continue. For the time being, it suited his purposes. When the day came that it didn’t, she would vanish.
She crooked her finger and beckoned to him, but he shook his head and took a seat across the room. “Entertain me,” he ordered.
She smiled seductively and began caressing herself, swaying like a willow. Her hands moved to her pendulous breasts, lifting the weight of them and squeezing them together then pinching her nipples. Her hands moved down her body and he followed their path with his eyes and she smiled and turned around, spreading her legs.
Kitaro’s eyes took on a feral gleam as she bent and put both hands through the vee of her legs, parting the wet folds of her sex. Little did she know that he had ceased to see her at all, but was lost in a memory of a time long ago, and a young, dark-haired beauty who was not nearly so compliant.
* * * * *
Auston Woods Apartment Homes, Charlotte
Paige was sitting in her car in front of his apartment when Ryan pulled up. At first he didn’t notice. He rubbed his eyes and leaned his head back against the headrest. If Senna had left the city, she sure wasn’t listed on any airline or railway passenger list, and no one at the bus station remembered seeing a woman who matched her description. She had to have taken her car. He had requested access to her credit and debit card records to see if she had made any charges or withdrawals, but so far he hadn’t been granted permission.
The sound of a car door shutting made him look up. Paige walked over to his window and leaned down to look in at him. “Hey.”
Ryan opened the door and she stepped back as he got out. “Where’ve you been?” she asked. “I’ve been trying to reach you for the last hour.”
“My cell battery died. Guess I forgot to charge it. Why were you trying to reach me?”
“Dr. Ho Hum’s car was found a couple of hours ago.”
“Where?”
“Southpark Mall, in the covered parking area. Apparently it was there when the mall closed last night, but security thought the owner would come back for it. This morning it was there in the same place. When it hadn’t moved by closing time, mall security ran a license check and a flag came up on the computer.”
Ryan gave her a look of disbelief. “A flag?” he asked as he headed for his apartment.
“Okay,” she said sheepishly. “Let’s just say that I’ve been keeping an eye out for anything that has to do with Dr. Dreary and I asked a couple of people to keep me posted if her name came up.”
Ryan opened the door and turned on the lights. He wasn’t
sure about telling Paige that he knew Senna was missing. But he was glad to know about the car. Now he knew that whatever had happened, she had not simply jumped into her car and taken off. That, however, raised another question. If she hadn’t run then where was she?
A chill ran down his back as an image of Pierce-Warner’s body came to mind. He had been trying not to let the possibility that she was dead enter his mind. It appeared he had reached the point that he had to consider it.
“So what do you think?” he asked Paige as he took a couple of beers from the refrigerator and opened them.
“I think she’s skipped.” She accepted the beer he offered. “Thanks.”
“Why?” Ryan took a swallow from his bottle.
“Well, duh-huh! Think about it. Three people have been murdered and she’s the only common thread. If she has any brains she’s bound to realize that attention will be on her sooner or later. There’s just too much pointing her way.”
“In other words, you think she had something to do with the murders and is on the run because she’s scared she’s close to getting caught.”
“Essentially, yes.”
Ryan took his beer into the den and sat down on the couch. Paige followed. She took off her jacket and tossed it across the back of the couch, then flopped down beside Ryan. “What?” she asked. “No argument? No jumping to her defense?”
Ryan was considering things. First, there was the information the technician, Ron, had given him. He had read through the information several times and was starting to think there was a connection. Senna’s father had been considered a foremost authority on the ancient civilizations of Sumer and Babylon, and the notes were definitely some type of cuneiform used during that time period. How that connected Senna, he was unsure, but his gut told him it did.
Secondly, he knew that if he tried to defend Senna it would only make Paige mad and at the moment he could use her help. Among other things, she was like a bloodhound when it came to tracking people down, and he was starting to get a little desperate to find Senna.
“Maybe we should put a bulletin out on her,” he suggested in what he hoped was a depressed and resigned tone.
Apparently, it sounded that way to Paige. “Are you serious?” she asked. “You’re finally willing to admit that everything’s pointing right at her?”
“I don’t see that I have a choice.”
Paige watched him for a moment then put her beer down on the coffee table and reached over to put her hand on his thigh. “Ryan, I know this is rough on you, and I really wish it didn’t have to be this way. She treated you shitty, and even though it hurt you, you’re really better off without her. She doesn’t deserve a man like you and you deserve a hell of a lot better than her.”
Ryan knew from her tone of voice where the conversation was leading. Just as he knew that if he had any sense he would put an end to it before it went any further. The problem was, he was feeling pretty low, he had been hurt by Senna’s involvement with Konnor, and her rejection of him. It was almost like an instant replay of his wife Connie and her affair. And Paige was an open invitation, a very attractive one at that.
He downed his beer and turned to her. “I really don’t want to talk about this.”
“I know, but I think we have to,” she argued. “Ryan, you can’t let this woman jerk you around and—”
“Paige, I don’t want to talk.” He took her hand as he interrupted.
“Then what do you want?” she asked in a husky tone.
Ryan knew it was a mistake, but at the moment it didn’t matter. He pulled Paige to him. She moaned as their lips met, and pressed him back against the cushions. Letting her hunger infect him, he pushed everything else aside. There was plenty of time to feel guilty later.
Paige broke the kiss and climbed off the couch. “Take your clothes off,” she said in a husky voice. “I have to get something from the car and I want you naked when I get back.”
Ryan was certain he was a fool for it, but the minute she turned to leave he stood and peeled off his clothes, leaving them lying where they fell in the floor.
Paige returned to find him sitting on the couch, his legs stretched out and parted slightly, stroking himself.
“That’s my boy,” she grinned and dropped a small case on the coffee table.
Ryan grinned as Paige stripped off her clothes. As he had imagined, she looked good naked. The fact that she was completely void of body hair gave him a special thrill.
She smiled and climbed on his lap for a blood pressure-raising kiss. He captured a breast in each hand and ended the kiss to suck one hard nipple, grazing it with his teeth and laving it before resuming his suckle. Paige leaned her head back, arching her breasts forward.
“Ummm,” she nearly purred. “That’s nice… Very nice.”
“I’ve got something…nice for you.” He drew back from her breast and bucked up, driving his hard shaft more firmly against her.
“Not just yet, lover.” She grinned and rose to open the case she had placed on the coffee table.
Ryan’s eyes bugged as he watched her unload the sexy toys from the case. First she slid black vinyl, elbow-length gloves on, and a pair of black stiletto high heels. Then she pulled out a blindfold and a pair of handcuffs.
Ryan didn’t know what he had expected, but this sure was not it. “I don’t think so,” he replied.
“Come on, baby.” She knelt down and took him in her mouth for a few strokes. “You’re gonna love it.”
Despite his doubts, in the end she was right.
* * * * *
The smell of coffee drew Senna from the depths of the dreamless sleep she’d been a prisoner of for almost twenty-four hours. She opened her eyes to find herself fully dressed, lying on the bed in the same bedroom she had awakened in after being drugged at the hotel where she was supposed to meet Harlan. She closed her eyes for a minute, remembering what had happened. She had to talk to Emory.
She sat up quickly, making her head pound. Pushing herself off the bed, she went into the bathroom. A new toothbrush still in its packet, toothpaste, shampoo and other items had been placed on the vanity. Folded neatly on the chair in front of the mirror was a pair of jeans with the price tag still attached, new undergarments, and a soft blue knit top.
She didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the gifts. After brushing her teeth, she stripped off the clothes she had been wearing for the past two days, and got into the shower. Fifteen minutes later she walked out of the bathroom with her dirty clothes bundled up under one arm. The smell of coffee drew her downstairs.
Emory was sitting in the breakfast room, sipping coffee and nibbling on a buttered bun. He turned at the sound of her approach. The moment she looked at his face, the clothes fell to the floor and she staggered, groping for something to hold on to.
He jumped up and ran over to her. “Please, allow me.” He helped her to a chair at the table.
Senna could not believe what was happening. It was as if seeing him had broken through some wall in her mind. Memories were flooding into her consciousness like floodwater bursting a dam.
Emory seemed to understand for he didn’t speak. Instead he took a seat beside her and watched her curiously. Some part of her was aware of his presence, but only for a moment. Then she was swept back in time and she was fifteen years old.
Screaming into the darkness, she sat up. It was then she realized that she had been asleep, that the darkness was not the bottomless pit she had thought but only a dream. Sunlight assailed her sensitive eyes and she blinked to stop the tears that further blurred her vision.
“It’s okay, honey. Everything’s okay.” She felt a touch on her shoulder at the same moment she heard her father’s voice.
“Daddy?” Her fear and confusion made her revert to the childhood appellation. “Daddy!” She groped for the hand, swiping at tears so she could see.
“Yes, I’m right here.” He pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s okay. You’re safe. Nothing will har
m you.”
The silent tears turned to loud, racking sobs. “Mom…” she tried to talk. “They…they…”
“Shhh,” he quieted her. “You don’t have to talk. It’s okay.”
Giving in to the need to be comforted and made to feel safe, she cried against his shoulder until there were no tears left. He wiped her face and smoothed her hair back. “I’m sorry, Mouse. I know you’re afraid, and you’ve been through a very traumatic experience, but I promise, it will be okay.”
“Mom,” she whispered miserably. “Dad, they…they shot her.”
“I know.” His face seemed to harden.
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” She could not believe his reaction. “Those men—they killed Mom. They shot her! She was lying there on the floor and…and…I tried to get to her. She was reaching out for me and I wanted to help her, Dad. I wanted to so much but I couldn’t.” She looked down in shame. “Someone grabbed me and pulled me away. I tried to fight but he was too strong. I tried, Dad. I really tried, but…I don’t know. Everything went black.”
“You don’t have to explain, honey. I know what happened at the airport.”
Her head jerked up. “The house! It exploded. We saw it. How did you…how did…”
“I wasn’t in the house when the bomb went off.” He took her hand. “Now, I know this is probably not the best time but time is something we don’t have to spare so I’m going to have to ask you to be very quiet and listen carefully to what I have to tell you. Can you do that for me?”
She nodded and looked at him expectantly. “That’s my girl.” He gave her a kiss on the forehead. “To begin with, I arranged to have the house destroyed. My…a friend helped me set it up so that it would appear as if I had been killed. There will be remains found at the rubble, and hopefully everyone will believe I died.”
