by Tia Siren
I didn’t want my mission to end. I wanted to spend more nights like this with him, which scared the hell out of me. My dad would seriously kill me if he knew what I was thinking. I was searching for a way to make something with Dylan work out, even though I knew it never could—especially after Dylan confronted me with the truth of who I was. He would never forgive me.
“You’re in too deep,” I murmured, staring at myself in the bathroom mirror.
I’d miscalculated my ability to keep it strictly business. In the process of learning who Dylan was, I had somehow lost myself.
Chapter Nineteen
Dylan
Friday
The phone rang as I was headed into the office. I checked the screen and immediately veered into an open conference room, shutting the door behind me. Kendall would likely be waiting for me in my office.
“Dylan here,” I answered.
“Dylan! Where are you?”
“I’m at my office. Are you here?” I asked, looking through the window of the conference room.
“No. Where’s the girl?”
“What girl?”
He growled. “Kendall Adams!”
I shrugged. “I don’t know exactly. I would guess she’s in my office. I’m in a conference room. Why? What’s going on? Is she making her move?”
Last night had been amazing. I knew it wasn’t likely to happen again, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I hoped it would. Sex with her blew my mind. I lost all control with her. I knew she had let me do what I’d done in the kitchen because she was hoping to seduce me. I wasn’t seduced. I got sex and that was that.
“She’s in danger. You might be too!”
Everything went into slow motion. “What do you mean?”
“The money. I followed the money and it wasn’t a loan or exchange for goods. It was a payment to kidnap his own damn daughter!”
I couldn’t have heard him right. That made absolutely zero sense.
“Jonathan, I’m going to need you to talk real slow and explain to me what the hell you’re talking about.” My voice was low and threatening.
I heard him suck in a long breath. “Scott Adams hired a couple thugs to kidnap and hurt his daughter. They’re framing you for it. He plans on having you locked up to eliminate the competition. She’s in danger!”
I shook my head. Jonathan had to be overreacting. None of it made any sense. No one would go to those lengths to make a few dollars.
“Do you have concrete proof?”
“I do. Well, kind of, but I believe my source. This isn’t a joke, Dylan. You need to get her somewhere safe.”
“When is this supposed to happen?”
“Today. He’s meeting with his legitimate investors. He’s planning to get the call that his daughter has been kidnapped. It will give him a good excuse to leave on a family emergency, stalling the investors a while longer. Then she’ll eventually be found, you’ll be on the hook, and all his problems will be gone. Those products he stole from you will be his for the taking. Your company will fold without you there and everyone knows it,” Jonathan said, his voice dire.
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Dammit. How the hell did I get mixed up in all this?”
“I don’t know. But I know you’ll do the right thing and take care of that woman. I’m going to look for the concrete proof that will be needed to put this man away for a long time. In the meantime, lie low. When he figures out his plan was thwarted, he’s going to be out for blood.”
I hung up and took a minute to get my nerves under control, then walked to my office at a fast clip. I pulled out my phone, thinking fast on my feet, and ordered us a ride. My heart was racing. Adrenaline pumped through my veins at the thought of her being in serious danger.
“Hi,” Gena said, greeting me, but I kept on walking, not bothering to answer. She had to be in my office. I wasn’t sure what I would do if the kidnapping had already happened. She could have been hurt right now. The thought made me sick to my stomach.
When I saw her sitting on the couch, completely preoccupied by whatever she was reading on her phone, I breathed a sigh of relief. I hadn’t felt that kind of fear in a long time. Actually, ever.
“You’re here,” I said in a casual tone.
“Yes. Was I supposed to be somewhere else?”
“No. Look, I had something come up. I need to go to Connecticut.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize—”
I shook my head. “I only just got the call. Ever been in a helicopter?”
She giggled. “No, I can’t say I have.”
“Well, you’re about to get your first ride in a helicopter. We’ll be staying overnight,” I informed her, doing my best to be cool.
“Will we be going to your penthouse first to pack an overnight bag?”
“No. We’ll get what we need there.”
“Okay. What time do I need to be ready to go?”
“Now.”
“Now! Are you serious?”
I nodded, zipping my laptop in the case and taking a last look around. I don’t know why, but I had a feeling my life was going to be very different the next time I stepped foot in this office.
“We can take a minute to collect your laptop and anything you need from your office. The helicopter will be here shortly.”
She was looking at me as if I were crazy. “You have a helicopter?”
I wasn’t sure why that was a sticking point but nodded my head. “Technically, it belongs to the company.”
“I just need to grab my laptop. Do I need my tablet?”
I knew she was suspicious. The tablet was company property. She probably assumed she was walking into a trap. With the recent revelation about her father’s plan, I could see why she thought the worst of me.
“You won’t need your tablet. We won’t be doing anything that involves the company,” I said.
She stiffened, now even more concerned. “Oh,” she said, nodding her head and smoothing her skirt before plucking invisible lint from her shirt sleeve.
I wanted to assure her I was nothing like her father, but I wasn’t quite ready to reveal that I knew her true identity. Right now, my main focus was getting her out of New York City.
“Are you ready?”
She sighed. “I am.”
We walked out of the office. I told Gena I was leaving on emergency personal business and to clear my schedule. She tried to ask questions. I didn’t bother explaining and led Kendall to the elevators. Once the doors slid shut, I hit the button for the roof.
“Your helicopter is picking you up here?”
“Of course. There’s a helipad on the roof.”
“Oh,” she said again.
If the situation weren’t so serious, I would have laughed at her easy acceptance of whatever I said. That was definitely out of character for my sassy PA. The helicopter landed within minutes of us arriving on the roof.
We boarded and put on our headphones.
I could see the nervousness on her face. “Are you okay?”
She nodded her head. “I’m not a great flyer.”
I smiled. “I’m here.”
“Will you tell me where we are going?”
I grinned, trying to get her to relax a bit. “New Haven. It’s a surprise. Will you trust me?”
She looked like she would say no but gave a slight nod of her head. “This is sudden.”
“Emergencies usually are.”
The short helicopter ride gave me time to think about what to do next. I hadn’t really solved the problem. Jumping in a helicopter and running away wasn’t the most effective decision. All I knew was that I had to get Kendall to safety, and that meant out of New York and to somewhere her father couldn’t find her. I had been with her every minute, and she hadn’t called him or sent a text letting him know her plans.
But I was going to have to tell her about her father. I couldn’t risk her calling and telling him where to find her, defeating the purpose of the escape. That was not going to
be an easy conversation, and it was very likely she wouldn’t believe me.
The helicopter pilot announced we were going to be landing in a few minutes. I looked over at Kendall, who had her face turned toward the window. I grabbed her hand and squeezed. It was a gesture of comfort for her and myself. I was still reeling from those few moments of fear I had experienced when I had thought she could have been gone.
“That’s our car!” I said, yelling to be heard over the sound of the helicopter rotor.
She nodded. I grabbed her hand and walked with her to the waiting car. Once inside, the driver whisked us away. I was excited to show her the property. Maybe it would give her a little more reason to trust me when I told her about her father. I knew they were close. I knew she was fiercely loyal to the man. It wasn’t going to be easy to tell her that father was planning to have her hurt.
“What is this?” she asked when we pulled in front of a white-painted two-story building with lots of bright flowers filling the landscape.
“It’s one of my properties.”
“What kind of property?”
I pointed to the sign that stood proudly against the wall. “It’s a place for adults with special needs who need somewhere to live either because their family can’t take care of them or has passed away. There are many special needs adults who outlive their parents. Once their caregivers are gone, they are left on their own or get tossed into a care facility. I met a man, forty years old, whose mother had passed away, and he was living in a nursing home. The guy was full of life and very capable, but he couldn’t quite make it on his own. He wasn’t ready for a nursing home. So, I looked into the situation and came up with this plan.”
Kendall was looking around the grounds, taking in the high eight-foot fence to keep everyone safe inside the property while giving them freedom to move around the area.
“Wow.”
I laughed. “Let’s go in. I’d like you to meet a few people, and I need to talk with my resident manager.”
We were immediately greeted by one of my favorite residents, Lenny. Lenny wrapped us up in big bear hugs before excitedly telling us about the birdhouse he had made. Kendall offered to go see the birdhouse while I took care of business.
I didn’t really have business to take care of but figured it was a good time to check in on things. The manager had seen my arrival and was coming down the hall to greet me. I chatted for a few minutes, got caught up on the daily happenings, and then went out in search of Kendall. I found her in the garden with several of the residents. They were talking her ear off, showing her the plants and telling her a million different stories.
“Hi,” I said when she noticed me standing off to the side.
“Hi.”
“Lenny, do you mind if I steal Kendall away now?”
Lenny giggled, nodded his head, and clapped his hands. “Bye-bye, Kendall.”
We said our good-byes before I gave Kendall the official tour of the building, showing her the rooms, kitchen, and activity rooms. We met some of the staff. Kendall jumped in and helped get lunch ready while I spoke with the food manager about some concerns she had. From the open office door, I kept my eye on Kendall, watching her work with the residents assigned to kitchen duty. They seemed to be getting along great, the residents hanging on to every word she said.
“Are you ready to go?” I asked.
We had lunch with the residents and staff and enjoyed some music from one talented individual. It was late afternoon and I knew the staff had routines in place they needed to get to. I didn’t want to further disrupt the day.
“This is pretty amazing and such a great idea. I guess I never realized the adults needed looking after as well. Once again I am blown away by your generosity.”
I shrugged. “This isn’t all me. There are federal and state subsidies, fundraisers, and many of the residents get social security disability, which we use to keep them clothed and whatnot.”
“It’s amazing, Dylan. Accept it.”
“Got it. I’ve reserved a room for the night. Are you ready to head to the hotel?”
She looked nervous. “I should make a call.”
“No!”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, you can call from the hotel.”
“Okay,” she said, but my outburst had put her right back on edge.
I had rented the suite in Aaron’s name. I was probably being a little dramatic, but I wasn’t going to take the chance of being found.
Chapter Twenty
Kendall
Saturday morning
I stretched before opening my eyes and staring up at the ceiling of yet another foreign bedroom. It seemed like I’d been doing a lot of bed-hopping lately. I rubbed my eyes and contemplated why I was in this quaint bedroom. Something was off. Dylan had practically dragged me here with no real explanation. I knew him well enough to know something was up. There wasn’t an emergency at the house. That place clearly ran like clockwork.
There was a soft knock on the bedroom door, and then Dylan’s shirtless body pushing through had me forgetting about all the reasons why.
“Good morning,” he said, carrying a tray toward the bed.
I wasn’t looking at the tray. I was looking at the shirtless man carrying the tray.
“Good morning,” I said, sitting up in the queen bed.
“I brought you some breakfast.”
“I see that. Thank you. I don’t know that I’ve ever actually had breakfast in bed.”
He smiled. “Scoot up and get comfortable then. You’re in for a real treat.”
I did as he said, staring at his bare chest while he placed the tray over my lap. I finally looked at the tray and found a plate of bacon, eggs, and toast with a glass of orange juice I suspected was freshly squeezed.
“Thank you. This is very nice. Are you going to be eating?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I already ate,” he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed next to my legs.
I glanced at the clock, saw it was still early, and then looked back at him. I knew he had something to say. I dreaded hearing it but couldn’t stand the wondering another minute.
“Dylan, this is nice. The hotel is nice and I’m glad you showed me the house, but are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, innocence in his voice.
I raised one eyebrow. “I’m not quite that gullible. I really appreciate the whisking me away to a romantic destination and the breakfast in bed, but I know there’s something going on. I think it’s best for both of us if you tell me what it is. Let’s clear the air.”
My stomach was twisted in knots. There was no way I was going to be able to eat breakfast knowing he likely knew who I was.
“The air is clear.”
I let out a long breath. “No, it isn’t. I’m not an idiot and I happen to be pretty good at reading people.”
He looked across the room, staring at an ugly painting on the wall. I waited in silence, knowing he was deciding whether to tell me the truth or to continue denying there was something wrong.
Without looking at me, he said the words that made my heart plummet to my stomach. “I know who you are, Kendall Adams.”
My mouth opened, then closed. I wasn’t sure what to say. Did I deny it? That would be silly.
He turned to look at me, his blue eyes not revealing what he was feeling. “You’re the daughter of Scott Adams, the CEO of the company that is trying to push me out of business.”
“How did you know?” I asked on a breath, my mouth suddenly dry.
He shrugged. “I recognized you.”
“When? When did you know who I was?”
He cleared his throat and suddenly looked guilty. “In the restaurant that day.”
My eyes went wide. “What! You knew who I was and you hired me anyway?”
He nodded. “I wanted to see what you were up to. I was curious, intrigued really.”
My heart had crawled back into
place and was now furiously pounding in my chest.
“Does this spontaneous trip have anything to do with my dad?” I asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be.
He looked away. Then his blue eyes met mine. I could see he was upset about something. “Yes, in a way. When I hired you, I also hired a private investigator to look into your father and his business as well.”
“Excuse me? You hired an investigator to investigate my father?”
He nodded his head. “I did. I wanted to know what was going on. Kendall, there are some things your father is doing that I’m not sure you are aware of.”
I shook my head. I no longer felt guilty for infiltrating his company and lying to him. He had been doing the same thing to me and my dad’s company!
“I can’t believe you. My dad was right about you. You do sneak around and steal from others,” I hissed.
His gaze narrowed. “That’s bullshit, and you know it. Should I remind you of who ambushed me and used her looks to get hired so she could investigate my company?”
Now I felt like an idiot. “Whatever,” I mumbled. “Still, it wasn’t cool. You could have not hired me instead of going about it this way.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I could have. Kendall, that’s not why I brought you here spur of the moment. There really was an emergency.”
I looked at him, trying to gauge whether he was being honest. “What emergency?”
He looked as if he would rather be anywhere then on that bed, sitting beside me. “I don’t know how to say this, so I’m just going to lay it out, and I need you to trust me.”
I nodded my head, not giving him my full trust but ready to hear him out. “Tell me.”
He dragged in a deep breath and his eyes suddenly turned sympathetic. “Your dad has been dealing with some shady characters, guys who have ties to organized crime.”
I opened my mouth to deny it, but he held up his hand, telling me to hold my denial.
“His company is struggling. The investor meeting was not going to go well. I have it on good authority there were several investors ready to pull out. I know your dad has been stealing product ideas and clients from several other companies. That list of products I gave you, those are mine, and somehow your father put together a presentation that outlined those same products as his own to show his investors.”
