“ANNIE? WHERE ARE YOU?”
Annie blinked her eyes open and stared at the weak sunshine making intricate patterns against the far wall. “I’m … Adam?”
“Yeah. Annie, I need to speak to you.”
She pushed up from the far-too-comfortable bed and ran a hand through her hair. What time was it? Her head felt thick and groggy.
The glass of water she always balanced on the bedside table before bed called to her; as she turned to lift it to her lips, she saw a note propped against it.
“I’m meeting Adam today.” Her eyes dropped lower, to the smooth glass coffee table and she saw her engagement ring lying carelessly on its beautiful side.
She picked it up distractedly and stared at the rock at its centre.
“Annie? This is important. Are you even listening?”
She shook her head and grimaced. “Sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Yeah, that’s tough, Annie, but some of us have real problems.”
She ignored her brother’s acerbic remark. He was obviously freaking out and she was pretty sure she could guess why. “Yeah? What’s going on?” She prompted with an attempt at sounding casual.
“He hasn’t told you?”
“Told me what?” She asked, playing dumb.
There was a beat of silence while Adam worked out how best to play his sister to his advantage. “Your husband just called me,” Adam said stiffly.
“Uh huh?” Annie felt a string of apprehension tighten around her. She lifted the ring a little higher, watching the light kaleidoscope across the room as it bounced off its multi-faceted sides.
“Damn it, Annie. Why are you making this so hard?”
She frowned. “I’m just waiting for you to spit it out, Adam. What are you calling me about? What’s going on?”
He groaned. “Annie … I don’t want you to get all serious on me, okay?”
She compressed her lips. “Go on.”
“I did something. Stupid. A few weeks ago.” He swallowed. “It’s the baby. I guess I just want to make sure we have everything we could possibly need. I know Juanita’s worried about the space in the apartment, and our neighbourhood’s not the best. And she hasn’t been away in ages; I wanted to take her somewhere good.”
“Yeah? That sounds normal. So what’s it got to do with Kyle?”
There was a longer wrap of quiet and contemplation before Adam continued.
“I worked out a way to take a little bit of money from every single one of his employees. Nothing. Nothing that anyone would miss anyway.”
She knew this already, but hearing her brother say it in such a matter-of-fact way turned her blood to ice.
“That’s stealing, Adam.”
“It’s not like it would make a difference to any single person.”
“My God, are you actually defending this?”
“It wasn’t a big deal. It was like a small levy on everyone’s pay. Just for a few weeks… a month.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “How much?”
Adam cleared his throat. “A few bucks from each person. A little bit more from executive level. Nothing.”
“I mean: how much did you take? In total?”
“Does that matter?”
“Are you calling me because you want my help?” She snapped into the phone, though a sea of worry was dipping around her.
“Yeah.” He coughed. “Just under a mill.”
“A mill? Holy Heaven. You mean a million dollars.” Her heart began to hammer against her ribcage. “That’s a small fortune.”
“From the woman who was given a penthouse on Fifth Avenue as a wedding present,” he growled and Annie stiffened at the obvious resentment in his voice.
“If you were worried about money, I would have helped you. All you had to do was ask.”
“I didn’t need help. I wanted to do this on my own.”
“By stealing from my husband?” She pounced sceptically, her stomach in knots at the unpleasant conversation.
“Not directly from him,” Adam winced.
“I happen to know you’re on a great salary so I don’t buy your story about needing money for a single second,” she said, finding it important to make sure her brother knew that there was no justification for what he’d done.
“You have no idea what the real world costs,” he grumbled and Annie fluttered her eyes closed.
Adam couldn’t have known that Annie had spent the last six months paying rent, buying groceries and making ends meet just like the next person. True, she had a great savings account with a healthy balance though her hospital bills had taken a sizeable chunk out of those.
“I can’t believe you did this,” she said softly. “How are you going to fix it?”
“Well, I’m going to show up to your husband’s office at the time he demanded I appear.”
Annie’s face was pale. She heard Kyle return to their suite but didn’t shift from the bed.
“So what does it have to do with me?”
Kyle appeared in the door looking devilishly handsome in a dark suit and crisp white shirt. His eyes clashed with hers and then dropped to the engagement ring she was holding. Curiosity danced on his features.
“I need you to talk to him,” Adam said slowly, as though Annie had problems with basic comprehension. “I need you to make him understand that I did this because I was worried about the costs of having a baby.”
“Thousands of people do that everyday without resorting to theft,” she snapped, her eyes locked to her husband’s as though they were glued.
“Okay, okay, you can get off your flipping high horse now? I said I was sorry.”
“No, you didn’t,” she corrected stiffly. “But you’re going to have to.”
“You’ll talk to him for me? You’ll make sure he doesn’t … do anything stupid?”
“Like what, Adam? Call the police?”
“Or tell Juanita?”
“No one’s telling Juanita a thing,” Annie promised. “Not until she’s had that baby anyway.” Her defensiveness for the unborn child might have sparked curiosity in Kyle were he not completely captivated by his beautiful wife in the morning sunshine with eyes that sparkled like her diamond, and a face that was as grim as mud.
“But you’ll speak to Kyle and make him see? I need you, Annie. I need you to do whatever it takes to help me fix this.”
“Give the money back,” she said simply, startling as Kyle began to cross the room towards her.
Wordlessly, he reached down and took the ring from her.
“I can’t. I’ve already spent most of it.”
“A million dollars?” She stuttered in disbelief. “What on?”
“A down payment on a bigger place. A few trips. Baby stuff. You know, it all adds up.”
“You are unbelievable!” She closed her eyes and then blinked up at Kyle. He reached for her hand and lifted it a little higher, so that he could study it for a moment.
“Promise me, Annie. My life won’t be worth living if Kyle’s an arse about this. Please promise me you’ll talk to him.”
She swallowed her bitterness and grief and nodded. “It’s okay, Adam. I’ll do it. I’ll talk to him.”
“And you’ll do everything you can to make this go away?”
Annie bit down on her lower lip. “Yeah. I’ll do whatever I can.”
And slowly Kyle slid her ring back on her finger, his eyes glowing with the same sense of achievement she’d seen in the past when he’d accomplished huge business deals.
She disconnected the call and dropped her phone to the bed.
“Adam?” He queried, though no answer was necessary from his wife. He eased himself onto the bed, kneeling in front of her.
Annie stared at the ring, her heart about to break and her throat clogged with emotion. That bloody ring.
The ring that had transformed into a shackle. It had mocked her and she’d loathed it. “He said you’re meeting him this afternoon.”
“Did he?” Kyle prompted, his eyes scanning hers thoughtfully.
“What are you going to say to him?”
Kyle lifted her hand to his mouth and placed a kiss in her palm. “I’m going to sort it out.”
“He’s terrified, Kyle. He’s absolutely scared witless.”
“As he should be,” Kyle responded with barely concealed anger. He made an effort to soften his tone for his wife’s benefit.
“I know that,” she responded quickly though. Her eyes shone with determination. “I said as much to him. You know I don’t condone his behaviour.”
Kyle’s voice was soft. “I know.” He ran a finger over the back of her hand. “This suits you,” he nodded towards the ring.
Annie didn’t respond to his statement. “Kyle, you know Juanita’s pregnant. I don’t want her upset. Whatever you do, please promise me she won’t be affected by my brother’s stupidity.”
A muscle jerked in his jaw. “I’ve got no interest in ruining her life.”
“I know that. But they’re married. What you decide to do to Kyle will affect her.”
“And you’ll do whatever it takes on their behalf, right?”
Her cheeks glowed. “You know I will.”
Kyle stood up and paced to the other side of the room. He looked out at the snow-covered landscape without seeing its luxurious folds of white and the magical swirls of frozen air.
“I don’t want you to stay with me because of your brother.” His words were torn from deep inside of him. “I want you to stay with me because you want to be here. Because you know that we have something great and worth fighting for.”
Annie lifted her knees to her chest and pressed her cheek to them. She stared at his back, wondering what she could say to make him understand.
“And if I won’t?”
He spun around, and his eyes were dead. The emotions that she felt slamming into her were all dark. “I want you any way I can have you,” he admitted finally, pinning her with the intensity of his eyes.
“So your original ultimatum stands?” She pushed softly, her voice shaking.
He dragged his fingers over his stubble-roughened jaw. “Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m afraid it does.”
Annie let the words sink in and their full implication became clear to her. “For how long?”
“For how long?” He repeated, planting his hands on his hips.
“How long do you want me to stay?”
He expelled an angry breath. “Until I tell you otherwise.”
Until I tell you otherwise. The words chased around her brain all morning, as she dressed and packed her suitcase and prepared not just for a return to New York but for a full return to her life as Mrs Kyle Anderson.
It was all so much worse than she’d imagined.
She spent the whole flight back to New York in a brooding silence, staring out of her window with her mind in overdrive.
But every avenue she explored brought her back to the same dead-end.
She couldn’t let her brother go to prison. And she couldn’t risk Juanita being put under stress.
Her only option was to go along with Kyle’s preposterous proposition despite the certainty she had that it would lead to her own eventual heart break.
Again.
The plane touched down with a few bumps and then came to an abrupt stop. Annie didn’t realise, so lost was she in the tangle of her thoughts. It was only when Kyle reached over and rubbed her shoulder that she startled into the present. He didn’t speak.
His eyes locked to hers and she swallowed nervously.
“You still have a key?” He asked off-handedly, as though it wasn’t a weighted question.
She shook her head. “I left it, remember?”
“That’s right.” It had been the first clue that she was actually gone and not just out licking her wounds after their verbal sparring match. “The doorman will let you in. I’ll have Maria call ahead.”
“Thank you,” she said softly, standing with as much dignity as she could muster. Her silent stoicism made his chest compress like a bag of cement had been placed on it.
“My car will take you …”
“I can get a cab,” she contradicted quickly.
“My car will take you,” he said again, leaning closer towards her. “Stop arguing with me over things that don’t matter.”
“Like my freedom?” She volleyed back, immediately regretting the acidic rejoinder.
“You have your freedom,” he responded gently. “And this is what you’re choosing to do with it.”
She swallowed and nodded. “You said that you thought we had enough between us worth saving.” He was silent as she chose her words carefully. “You’re ruining that.” She stared at her ring unconsciously and twirled it with her finger. It was a nervous habit that had always made him smile. “You’re destroying any good feelings I had left. How can I care for you at all in the face of this?”
His expression was one of sardonic frustration, not least of all because she had an excellent point. “Go home, Annie, and wait for me there.”
She opened her mouth to say something but promptly shut it once more. After all, he was right. She’d agreed to this. She could have left Adam to face the consequences of his actions but instead she’d chosen to come to his rescue, yet again. And that meant returning to her husband.
Her eyes drifted downwards. Completely out-positioned, she made a noise of agreement and grabbed up her handbag.
She walked ahead of him with her shoulders bent forward and her head dipped down. Her face, which he glimpsed in profile as she turned to exit the door, was ashen.
“LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR FUTURE,” Kyle said grimly, gesturing at the drinks cart as Adam took a seat in the sofas near the window.
Adam was nervous. That was deeply satisfying to Kyle, who hadn’t been sure exactly what he could expect.
“Drink?” He prompted, pouring himself an ice-cold mineral water.
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Adam tapped his foot against the floor, his manner jumpy. Kyle crossed to him with their glasses and took the seat opposite.
“You have a problem.” He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. He was unknowingly intimidating in the hyper-masculine pose.
Adam nodded. “I know. Look, mate, I’m sorry. I don’t know if Annie explained …”
“Your sister does little else but apologise for your failings,” Kyle interrupted with chipped cruelty. “You are fortunate to have someone like her going to bat for you. Without Annie, you’d be in prison already.”
Adam’s face blanched and while Kyle felt a thump of satisfaction from the reaction he also experienced anger. This man looked so like Annie – they were not identical twins but they were alike enough to clearly be identified as siblings –and yet he was such a markedly different character. He was cut from an entirely different cloth.
“Annie understands me,” Adam defended bitterly.
“So she says. But I wonder if anyone truly gets what makes you tick.”
“I was worried about money,” he said simply and Kyle let out a harsh bark of derisive disbelief.
“My God. You were worried about money? Do you know anything of my upbringing? My childhood? You have no idea what it’s like to truly worry about money. To worry about where food will come from.” Kyle cut himself off short. He wasn’t interested in bearing his soul to a worthless piece of trash like this.
“The baby …”
“Would always have been fine,” Kyle cut across angrily. “But with you in prison?”
He enjoyed the look of anxiety that twisted Adam’s features. “I can’t go to prison. I’m not a criminal.”
“Like hell you’re not,” Kyle retorted.
“So that’s it? You’re going to ruin my damned life?”
“You are in control of your destiny,” he contradicted. “Life is all about choices and decisions.” And Kyle didn’t want to inspect his own litany of stupid choices in the past
six months. “Two years ago you stole from me and I curbed my own instincts then at Annie’s behest. You swore to me that you would change. That you’d never do something dishonest or illegal again. And yet, here we find ourselves in the same office having the same conversation.”
“I know.” Adam had a sip of the mineral water and pulled a face. He stood up and moved to the drinks cart. “Mind if I help myself to something stronger?”
“Go ahead,” Kyle invited, resisting the urge to point out Adam was excellent at helping himself to whatever he wanted of Kyle’s. He watched with true disgust as Adam tipped a generous quantity of scotch into a tumbler. He cradled it in hands that shook a little.
“I can’t pay the money back,” he moaned, as though it was truly just dawning on him how vulnerable his position was. “But I can work something out with you.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Kyle cut him short. He reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out. At the press of a button he heard Maria’s concise voice. “We’re ready.”
“Ready? For what?” Adam begged.
“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Kyle leaned back in the sofa as though he had not a care in the world.
“What? What have you done? Who was that on the phone?”
Kyle spoke as though Adam hadn’t. “You’re going to voluntarily admit yourself to rehab.”
“Rehab? What the hell? I’m not a drunk.”
“Your behaviour stems from something psychological. An addiction of sorts. At least, that’s what Annie insists. So go to rehab. Go and get help from mental health experts. Go and comprehend what your behaviour could have cost you.”
“For how long?” Adam asked, echoing Annie’s question of hours earlier.
“I will liaise with your doctor. When your doctor and I feel you are ready, you may come out.”
“But Juanita …”
“Will be looked after,” he assured Adam.
“What will you tell her?” Adam’s voice was notching into whiny territory and it made Kyle’s blood boil.
“That you’re an alcoholic,” Kyle said seriously. “And when you come out and have faced the truth of your situation, you may tell her whatever you wish.”
“I don’t want to go away,” Adam snivelled, throwing the scotch back and wincing as it burned his back palette.
The Sheikh's Million Dollar Bride & The Billionaire's Ruthless Revenge (Clare Connelly Pairs Book 6) Page 23
