The Billionaire's Secret

by Nana Malone

  Lucas would tag one of the kidnappers with a GPS device as well. But unfortunately, that meant identifying them and getting close enough, so he was the wild card. Sebastian wasn’t loving the idea of his brother anywhere near the action, so to speak, but Lucas had insisted.

  My whole family, the family I never even knew I had, was on this team, in on this plan. They were determined to save us.

  Next to me, Derrick fidgeted.

  Something was off with him.

  I nodded at him and bumped our knees. "Are you okay?"

  He nodded and flashed me a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Yup, peachy."

  "Did everything go okay with the signing today?"

  He nodded. "Yup. Everything went fine."

  "Then why do you look like someone shit in your Cheerios?"

  "Well, because we're about to hand ourselves off to fucking kidnappers. Does that seem like a good idea to you?"

  "Right now, it seems like the only idea."

  He shrugged. "Yeah, I just don't want to die today. It's a shitty day to die."

  I grinned. I'd finish the phrase that he used at our team meeting. “It's not the best day to get maimed either.”

  He smiled. "You know, when this all started, I just wanted to see if you were capable of doing this, of adjusting to this life. But in the last couple of weeks, I regret not getting to spend more time with you. You know, you’re not a half-bad brother."

  I winked. "We both know I'm prettier."

  He grinned at me then. "If you say so."

  The smile he gave me was warmer than before, but something was still off. I didn't have time to pinpoint it or to ask a lot of questions since we were arriving at the drop point.

  When we pulled up, Jax's voice was low. "There's the meet sight. You two stay in here. Trace and I will step out. When we see them, we'll open the door for you. But do not step out before that."

  My brother shook his head. "The lamb is off to the bloody slaughter. Are you ready?"

  "If it gets mom back, I'll do whatever I need to."

  Derrick pinched the bridge of his nose. "You really do love her."

  "She's my mother. Of course, I love her. Didn't you love your mother?"

  Derrick frowned and thought it through. "I mean, I think so. I was still young when she died. I remembered thinking about her as family, but she wasn't exactly warm. There were no hugs and very little love from her. When I had nightmares or a booboo, it was Elena who patched me up."

  "Right. I guess Elena was more your mother than your adoptive mother."

  “Either way, I had some love.”

  That made my heart squeeze. What would I have become without the strong guidance of my mother? What would have happened to me?

  We couldn't see Ariel, but she was on our comms. "Still waiting. Lucas says it's clear."

  "Is Zia on the line?"

  "Yeah, Theo, I'm right here. It's going to be okay."

  Derrick rolled his eyes next to me. "Jesus, are you guys going to start professing your sweet nothings? Heads up, last night would have been the time to do that. Not now on an open line with all of us on here."

  Penny's voice came over the comms next. "Jesus, they just want to share some love. Hey, you guys, go ahead. Tell each other you love each other."

  I had to laugh at that. We'd already said the words. I was happy to say it again, but it felt awkward with everyone listening now.

  Sebastian's low chuckle was apparent. "Oh, my God, you've been reading more romance novels again, haven’t you?"

  "Hush up. Look, I said I love you."

  Zia giggled. "I love you, Theo Coleman."

  "Arlington," Derrick corrected.

  I rolled my eyes. "It doesn't matter what you call me. I love you too, Zia."

  She added. "Now get back to me safe or I'll kick your ass."

  Derrick laughed then. "I will attest that she is quite skilled at that."

  "Don't I know it?" I muttered. I inhaled a deep breath when I saw movement at the main exit. "Showtime. I'll bring Deedee back safe to you."

  "I know you will."

  Lucas's voice was clear on the comms. "Look alive people."

  When the exit doors opened and the blonde from the gala stalked out with the two hulking men who’d been with her, my stomach turned. Oh, so it was like this? "Those aren’t the people in charge. Those are huntsmen, for sure."

  Derrick frowned. "How do you know?"

  "Because that's the crew that tried to pinch me from the gala."

  Jax muttered under his breath. "Everyone, be ready. Mate, out we get?"

  Trace gave him a terse nod, and the two King’s Knights climbed out.

  They marched to the halfway point between our SUV and the airport exit, then waited.

  The blonde sashayed out to meet them. There were words I couldn't hear, but Jax gestured back to the car, and she glanced our way before heading back to her people. Then she whispered something to one of them, and that guy went back inside. When he came out, he had my mother and Deedee, moving them in our direction.

  I reached for my door. It was Derrick who put his hand over mine to stop me. "Uh-uh, remember, we're waiting for them."

  "Fuck."

  "Look, we do as we're told and make this happen."

  The blonde sauntered back over, the two hulking bodyguards behind her. When she reached Jax and Trace, Trace turned around and gestured for us to get out.

  Derrick gave me a grin. "Showtime."

  I climbed out, my heart hammering. The usual steady thud, thud, thud escalated to a tippity-thud, tippity-thud, tippity-thud. I frantically forced myself to take deep, long breaths, but it was impossible. I didn't know what I was marching to, and I needed to make sure that Mom and Deedee got to safety.

  Trace gestured for us to come to meet them, and we stepped over, glancing around, not sure what was going on. The moon was full. The lights on the tarmac were on, and we could see a reasonable glow. When we reached the center point, Mom gave me a grateful smile but refused to look at Derrick. She staggered in the arms of the bony guy and sadly said, "You know the truth."

  I gave her a terse nod. "It’s not important now."

  Deedee talked more. "Oh my God, Theo… Derrick… whoever... I—Jesus, where's my sister? Oh my God, is Zia here? I need to see Zia."

  "Deedee, relax. You're going to follow my mother, follow the team, they'll take you to safety."

  She opened her mouth to talk again, but I gave her a shake of my head and she snapped it shut.

  The blonde smiled at me. "Ah, you are a hard man to hold on to, Theo Coleman. I'm so glad I have you now."

  "Shut up and let’s get this over with."

  "Tsk, tsk, why are you never nice to me?"

  "Whatever."

  She turned to Derrick. "And you, you're a naughty one. You made the news. Well done."

  Derrick shrugged. "Get my father out here so we can get this over with. The deal was we get to know who’s behind this."

  She grinned. "Ah, first hand me the comm units that are in your ears. I'm not an idiot."

  We slid glances at each other and then did as she told us. We were deaf, with no knowledge of what was coming from the team.

  She smiled then. "Thanks, Ashton."

  Something was happening, because Jax and Trace looked at each other and neither one of them were particularly pleased. Mom and Deedee were handed off. And then they looked at the two of us like they wanted to communicate something.

  Blondie took both of us by the elbows. "Gentlemen, come with me. Your benefactor is waiting."

  Derrick planted his feet, not budging. "Everyone comes out in the open. That was our deal."

  She scowled at him. "Do you realize we can still shoot them from here?"

  He shrugged. "No skin off my back. But if you want me in there with you, with the power to do whatever you want, then bring out the mastermind."

  God, I just wanted this over. When the door finally opened, the last person I expected walked
out.

  Elena Dominchyk, who looked chic dressed in fancier clothes than I'd ever seen her in, made quite an entrance. "It's fine Cora. He wanted to know the mastermind? Here I am, Derrick."

  It felt like the air had been sucked out of my lungs. "Elena?"

  Derrick wavered on his feet. "No. No fucking way."

  Elena started toward him. "Yes, Derrick. For years you've been looking for that person behind the kidnapping when you were a boy, and I was right under your nose."

  His gaze flickered to me. "No. No, way."

  Elena snapped at him. "Why? Because I'm just the housekeeper? I don't look as if I'm smart enough to do this?" She held her phone up to her ear. “Sweetheart, can you please come out here?”

  Our gazes went back to the door, and out walked Arlington.

  But Jesus Christ, what the hell? No, someone else was walking behind Arlington holding a gun at his back. Shit.

  Brian Cohen.

  Our father stumbled forward. "Enough. I get it. I'm moving."

  Derrick and I stared at each other.

  "I'm not moving any further until someone tells me what the hell is happening."

  Elena was all too happy to start her villain speech. "I have looked after this idiot for twenty-six years. I have loved him like a mother. I have taken care of him, and he treated me like I'm a fucking non-citizen. Without me, there would be no Derrick Arlington. You realize your adoptive mother would have smothered you in the crib as a baby, right? It was I who stood guard."

  Derrick shook his head. "But why? Why do you hate me?"

  "I hate you because you have everything my daughter should have had."

  "Daughter?"

  My head was spinning. Timothy Arlington's jaw was set. He remained unmoving, like a tree.

  Cohen scowled at me. What had I ever done to him?

  I wasn't going to dare to ask because Elena was still speaking, though she was addressing Derrick. "I loved your father. And if he had treated me better, none of this would have happened. When you were nine, he was in the middle of an argument with Adele. She wanted him to provide access to some fancy program for Theo. It was the only time she ever called to ask for anything.”

  My gut twisted. If this was true, it meant my mom had been in contact with Arlington when I was a kid.

  “I asked for the same for Nina. Which was only her due. But he refused. He said it was too expensive to send her to boarding school. He took no pity on me or his own child. He didn’t care that I was busy taking care of his son with another woman while my own child had to live with my sister.” She shook her head. “On no, there weren’t fancy schools for my Nina. But she is remarkable just the same.”

  Derrick had clearly lost his patience. “What do you want from us, Elena? We’re not the ones who wronged you.”

  She glowered at him, lip curling into a sneer that said she didn't think much of my brother. “I took you to remind him of his deal with me; the deal for my silence and for taking care of you. He was supposed to make sure Nina was taken care of financially, at least. She couldn’t have a mother's love, of course, because I couldn't look after you and her."

  I frowned at my father. "Were you ever going to acknowledge her as yours?"

  He rolled his eyes. "The mistake with this woman happened right before you two were born. I never intended to keep sleeping with her.”

  I couldn’t stand him. “But you did, didn't you?”

  “It was before I found out about you two. It was an affair. No big deal."

  I wanted to smack him. He was going to get all of us shot at that rate.

  Elena laughed. "No big deal? My daughter missed out on her mother’s love. She missed out on the best education. You will give her what she's due even if I have to sacrifice your legacy to get it."

  Arlington glared at her. "And if I don't?"

  "You know that trust that Brian here made you sign a while back? It says ‘your children’ will inherit, and a quick DNA test will show that she is your child. And now that we have these two in custody and they're going to die, she’ll be the only one. She will inherit everything."

  I wasn't going out like that. "Why kill me? I didn't even know anything about this?"

  Elena sighed and marched over to me. "I was serious when I told you that you were the son I would have liked to raise. At least you were kind.” She jerked her chin at Derrick. “Not like that one."

  Derrick just shrugged. "I’m just a product of my upbringing."

  She walked right up to him and backhanded him. I was surprised by the venom behind it.

  "I don't have any feelings, Elena. Hit me all you want. I don't care. There's nothing you can do to me that will be worse than what I've already gone through."

  "You're such a spoiled, useless child."

  "Man. I'm a man now. If you're going to try and kill me, I will put up a fight."

  "Oh, I'm not going to kill you. Brian's going to do it."

  Cohen shifted on his feet. "Elena, let's get this over with."

  We kept trying to stall, because Jesus Christ, our guys needed a shot. Could Roone make the shot from his location? And who would he take out? From his vantage point, could he tell that Brian was the danger and not Arlington?

  Shit. "Elena, why kill me?"

  "Well, I have to kill you because your idiot brother here found out about you."

  "So, what? I got dragged into all this mess, and now you're going to kill me?"

  "Wrong time, wrong place. Sorry."

  Why the hell wasn’t Roone taking his shot? Someone should have taken a shot by now. Any shot.

  Derrick looked like he was still reeling. His gaze flitted around wildly before finally landing on our father. "No, this doesn't make any sense. You had me kidnapped to solidify your seat on the board, to solidify your position in the company. That's why you had me kidnapped."

  Timothy Arlington shook his head. "No. I didn't have you kidnapped. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. It wasn't me."

  Derrick shook his head. "But you didn't pay the ransom."

  Arlington's gaze shifted, and he couldn’t meet Derrick’s eyes as he fidgeted nervously. "I knew who took you. And I knew they'd return you."

  "Your father refused to pay your sister's school fees and said she didn't need a fancy boarding school and that she could go and stay at my sister's. I had to show him what would happen. We were at a stalemate. You escaped, which ruined my plans."

  Arlington cut her a look. "I still paid for the damn school fees, didn't I? I paid you well."

  "I had to kidnap your son so you would do what was right for my child." She laughed but it was an unpleasant sound. “I’ve been siphoning money from the household account for decades. You gave the household a budget three times what you gave to your daughter. I got creative and was able to pocket the overflow. I didn’t need it for school, but it came in handy once I put my plans in motion. You never even looked at that budget.”

  “Why would I? I paid you to run the place.”

  She shook her head. “And that has always been your hubris. Not seeing what’s right in front of you. Or maybe you did see and just didn’t give a shit.”

  Derrick shook his head. "Elena? You saw me. You know how terrified I was."

  "Ah, Derrick, when it comes down to it, and it's my child or his, I'll choose mine. Even though she's his too, he never sees her that way, so I'll do what I have to do for her, every single time."

  Derrick ran his hands through his hair and mumbled as though speaking to himself. "No, no, no, no. No, I cannot. This isn't right. My father did this to me, that's why I had to do what I did."

  I stared at my brother. "Derrick what did you do?"

  "I had to get him back. For all the years of pain. I had to get him back."

  Elena laughed. "Oh, you mean that little merger deal with Inline? I heard you'd been to see Alistair Cummings to find out what he knew and get him to give up his boss."

  "Elena, clearly, you're dying to tell us ev
erything, so just do it." I was losing patience. I wanted this over. If they were going to kill us, it was time to go.

  "Cummings and Vanzant’s partner was a man named Jecko Dominchyk, my brother."

  Derrick ran his hands through his hair again. "No. No. This is bullshit. Do not protect him."

  Elena laughed. "Oh, I'm not here to protect him. I'm done. He was going to cut my daughter out of his will as if she didn’t exist. His daughter. That's what he was going to do. But that's over now. And when I dispose of the two of you, she’ll be the only one to inherit."

  “Derrick, what did you do?" I asked my brother.

  "Inline. You were right; their numbers didn’t add up. But they weren't supposed to add up. The way the deal is structured, those who would normally stand to gain the most would lose the most. Suffer most of the loss."

  My jaw went slack. "Oh my God, it’s a Ponzi scheme?"

  "It wasn't supposed to happen like this. He was the only who was supposed to get hurt. The way it was structured, they made it look like those with the most stock made out the best. I was going to use my own money to bolster the employees so that they wouldn't lose anything."

  "Jesus Christ, Derrick."

  "He was supposed to go down." He stared at our father.

  Timothy Arlington stared back and shook his head. "You hate me that much?"

  "Yes. I thought you had me kidnapped."

  Elena laughed then. "You think he'd care enough to kidnap you? I'm the only one here who has the balls to do what it takes. And as it turns out, Brian here hates your father almost as much as I do."

  Cohen muttered under his breath, "I just want this over with."

  Derrick stared at Cohen. "You were always there. I thought you cared about me."

  Brian Cohen shrugged. "Yeah, your mother, she picked Theo. I didn't have anything to do with you getting kidnapped or any of that, but I was around when your father forced her to give one of you up. You and Theo looked identical, but in your expression, even as an infant, you were pretty much the spitting image of him. Cold, calculating, and I knew she didn't want that reminder of him. I knew I was about to lose everything I’ve worked for when I discovered the truth about this Inline deal. Your father convinced me and most of the board that we had to go in heavy, which of course was a huge mistake. But if I do this, if I help Elena, I get to keep some of what I've worked so hard for."