I swallowed the lump in my throat, refusing to believe that. “No. That’s impossible.”
Edvard scoffed. “Show her the other pictures.”
Gordon went from one picture to another, mentioning various people who Stone hurt in one way or another. They also said he dabbled in drug and weapons trafficking, and everything was so hard to get a grasp on that I felt like I had entered some nightmare and was about to wake up.
Yes, all those photos were a proof of appalling acts, but none of them told me it was Stone who actually did them.
“How do you know it was Stone who was behind all of this?”
“Some of our secret agents have infiltrated into his group and managed to testify against him. Still, it wasn’t enough. So that is why we need you. You’re the final piece that we need to stop the ruthless man that is Stone Testova,” Edvard said.
I shook my head, feeling like I should get out of here as soon as possible. I didn’t like this at all, and if Stone was really a part of the mafia, I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a part of these guys’ scheme to catch him. What if that put my and Kaelyn’s life in danger? I had to think about my sister and niece as well.
“I’m sorry, but I refuse to help. Now, can you please let me out? I’m really late for work.”
Gordon’s eyebrows scrunched into an intimidating frown and I pulled back, suddenly feeling like he could hit me or worse.
“If you don’t want to help us, we can send you to jail for obstruction.”
Was he serious?! I gaped between Gordon and Edvard with my heart in my throat. “You can’t do that. I’m sure that isn’t possible; so don’t even try to coerce me into helping you. And I’m sure that keeping me here against my will is not legal either. So let me out.”
Edvard raised his hands in the air. “Hold on for a sec.” He cast a glance to Gordon that said “drop it” and looked at me with pleading eyes.
“We understand that this might be difficult for you, especially if you developed, uhh, special feelings for Stone Testova. He can be pretty charming with the ladies.” His insinuation that I wouldn’t help them because of my personal feelings only infuriated me more, and I fisted my hands, wishing for the first time that I could hit someone.
“But if you have any sense of decency, you’ll lend us a helping hand. That man is the devil himself. He’s a criminal who has done many awful things and will continue to do them for as long as he’s free. So please, think about the victims. If we manage to get him into jail, his whole criminal group will go down with him.”
I was so mad, refusing to hear even a word more. “I won’t help you,” I hissed at him. “And I swear to God, if you don’t let me out now, I’ll call the police and all the media and whatnot and expose you.”
Without waiting for their response, I yanked the door open and rushed out. Luckily, they let me go, but I was sure they weren’t done with me yet. I darted out of the alley and into the crowded street, looking over my shoulder to see if they were following me. They weren’t, which brought immense relief.
I was still shaking terribly as I crossed the street, feeling like all eyes were on me. I was starting to feel paranoid, expecting an attack from any side.
I just couldn’t believe that Stone was the kind of person they described him to be. All those photos… They were a proof of horrible crimes, but was Stone really the one responsible for them? Was that man, who could be so tender one moment and passionate the other, really capable of such things?
I couldn’t know, but I was sure I couldn’t face Stone in my current state without giving away everything. I wasn’t ready to face him now. What would I even say?
I went back to my apartment and called in sick. I paced around my living room, trying to decide what to do next. Stone might come to my place again when he found out I didn’t show up at work, and I had to avoid him. And to think I’d given myself to a person who could be a part of the mafia… My cheeks flamed, and I groaned, feeling more embarrassed than ever. I should get out of here.
It would be best to visit Kaelyn. Not only would I be able to keep an eye on her and my niece, but also some space would give me perspective.
I packed a few things and headed to Kaelyn’s place, this time making sure no one was following me.
Chapter 12
Stone
“Okay, Daniel. Send me those documents when you finish them,” I told one of my managers, concluding a long and quite tedious meeting.
I had been stuck in the conference room the whole morning, which was why I couldn’t get in touch with Saylor. I was hoping to see a message from her, but she hadn’t sent anything.
I strolled out of the conference room and stopped at her office, wanting nothing more than to check up on her. But I told her I would give her some space, so I had to resist this need to see her. I was missing her so much, but I didn’t want to scare her away.
I turned to leave when her coworker from yesterday approached me.
“Hello. If you’re looking for Saylor, I have to tell you she isn’t here.”
“She is not here? Then where is she?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. All I know is that she didn’t turn up at work at all.”
I didn’t like the sound of this. “Thanks for the information.”
I went to Eve and told her to find out what was going on with Saylor. I sat at my desk, knowing very well I wouldn’t be able to focus until I heard about Saylor. That woman had infiltrated my system, making me more and more addicted to her.
Eve was quick, coming to my office several minutes later.
“So have you found out anything?”
“Yes. I heard that Saylor called in sick.”
I frowned, getting worried about Saylor. Yesterday, she told me she didn’t feel well, but I didn’t believe her. I was an idiot. Maybe she was too stressed with everything that was happening. That was a big change, and instead of giving her some time to process it all, I had been pushing her right into it.
“Thank you, Eve. That will be all.”
I wanted to rush to be with her, but I couldn’t because of that damn space I was giving her. If she wanted to see me, she would at least text me or call me.
“Fuck. I don’t like this at all.”
I took my phone out of my pocket and checked if she called or messaged me, but there was nothing. Maybe I should just call her to check on her. If I showed her I really cared about her, she would be more inclined to talk to me.
I dialed her number, unusually nervous. My hands were actually sweating, and I was taken aback with my reaction because not even important meetings could make me feel like this. She was affecting me a lot, turning me into a person I didn’t know, and it was scary.
Saylor answered after the fifth ring, sounding distant. “Hello, Stone.”
“Hey. Eve just told me that you called in sick. How are you holding up?”
She didn’t respond right away. I could swear she sighed. “I’m okay. I just… Um. I think I overexerted myself, so I needed to stay home and get some rest.”
“If you don’t feel well, I could come to your place and stay with you.”
I heard some shuffling, as if she was packing something. Once more, she didn’t answer me immediately. “Um, no. That won’t be necessary. In fact, I’m going to visit my sister for a couple of days, so I’ll be fine.”
My frown deepened, and something akin to fear gripped my heart. I felt like she was slipping away and I would lose her, and it felt too soon. I was frustrated that I didn’t know what was wrong, but I was sure she wouldn’t give me any answers.
“Just take care, Saylor. I’m worried about you and I wish I could be by your side.” She didn’t say anything, and my fear intensified. Maybe she was really having second thoughts and wouldn’t return. No, I didn’t want that to happen.
“Thanks, Stone. I will, take care.”
I spoke before I could stop myself. “Look, I don’t know if you’re regretting everything that
happened between us or not, but please promise me you’ll come back. Don’t run away. Maybe everything was too much for you, which I understand, so we’ll go slow from now on if you want.”
She hesitated for a moment, but then she finally said, “Okay. I will come back.” I half-smiled, trying to hold her to that. “I really do have to go now. Bye, Stone.”
“Bye.” I was about to tell her I would miss her, but she ended the call, leaving me even more insecure than before.
“Shit,” I muttered and ran my hand through my hair. “I don’t like this at all.”
Our conversation didn’t sound promising. Dammit. At this point, it was most likely she would leave me, and it was a hard pill to swallow. I had to do something…
Okay, there was one thing I could do.
As a show of good faith to live up to my part of our bargain regardless, I was going to hack my company files to get her direct deposit info and transfer $1 million into her account. That was how she would see I was serious about her and ready to fight to have her by my side.
Twenty minutes later, I had the money transferred to her account, but I still didn’t feel like it was enough. Seriously, what was going on with me? I was losing my grip here.
I definitely couldn’t give up on her when we barely scratched the surface. I would give her three days to come around, and then I was going to go after her. I couldn’t just give up on us without trying to fight her fears. I would have her back and help her see everything could be much better if she only gave us another chance.
Chapter 13
Saylor
I replayed the conversation I had with Stone in my head many times, touched by his concerned tone. He sounded so sincere, that it was hard for me to believe in anything that Edvard and Gordon had said. Unless Stone was a damn good actor and was faking everything he had ever told me.
A dull ache permeated my chest, and I felt like I was going to cry. I was driving through the city, and while driving usually helped me clear my mind, this time it did nothing to help me with my rising confusion.
For a moment, when he said that he wanted to come to my place and stay with me, I was so close to giving in to him. And then he told me to take care and pleaded with me to come back, and I could just feel my heart aching and my resolve crumbling. His soft words made my doubts disperse for a fleeting second, and I remembered how good and safe I felt in his arms.
I hated knowing there was a possibility that all of what we’d gone through was just an illusion. I stopped at the traffic light, telling myself to relax and take deep breaths. I told him I would come back, but I wasn’t quite honest. I would have to see him again eventually, but then there was the threat of him being a criminal.
I didn’t even want to think about the danger my sister, my niece, and I were going to face if that was the truth.
Just when I stopped for gas, I got the message from my bank that I had a pending deposit. But then the shock came when I checked my account and saw how much it was. It was the agreement money. One million dollars.
I couldn’t move, glued to my seat as I realized what this meant. Stone was done with me.
I closed my eyes, and this time I couldn’t prevent my tears from bursting out. The past few days had been crazy. The arrangement, the earth-shattering passion I had with Stone, the FBI agents, and our disturbing encounters… Everything came crashing down on me, but Stone was in the middle of it, and it hurt. This much money would solve all my problems, but it broke my heart.
Maybe I was wrong for doubting Stone. But then, why would those two agents claim he was bad and that they wanted him behind the bars? It didn’t make sense.
Shaking my head, I debated with myself about whether I should call Stone or not, so I could see if we were really over.
I took my phone out of my bag, but then my phone buzzed with a new message, and my pulse accelerated when I saw it was Stone who texted me.
“I just want to make sure you have the resources you need to make the best decision for you. I don’t want to pressure you, but please remember that you promised to come back. If you do, I’ll do anything I can to make you feel good. I promise.”
With my thumb hovering over the reply icon, I wondered whether I should answer him or not, only to lock my phone and return it to my bag. I resumed my drive to my sister’s place, feeling better about the money and him not being through with me, but I had yet to determine if I would give him another chance or not.
“Hello, sis,” I told Kaelyn when she opened the door and hugged her as if I hadn’t seen her in ages.
“Hey,” she replied and returned my embrace not so enthusiastically. “What are you doing here?” Judging from the tone of her voice, her words meant: “I’m annoyed that you showed up without invitation.”
“I wanted to see you. Is that bad?”
“You mean, you were worried about me.”
I let out a chuckle, busted. She could always read me well. “That too.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let me in. “You’re something else. I think you should change your profession and become my personal bodyguard. It’d suit you best.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” I went inside and looked around for Amelia. “Where is my niece?”
“She’s at kindergarten.”
“Aww, I can’t wait to see her.” I placed my bag next to the couch and sat down.
“She also can’t wait to see you. She’s been asking me about you almost every day recently.” She motioned at my bag. “What’s up with that bag? Are you moving in?”
“Maybe,” I joked. “I just wanted to spend some time with you guys. Is that so bad?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Something fishy is going on here. Does this have anything to do with my phone call yesterday?”
“Nope. Not at all,” I replied a little too fast. She saw right through me, and she shook her head in exasperation.
“I’m fine. Nothing happened after that, so I’m sure I just imagined it. But since you’re here, and we haven’t spent much time together recently, we can catch up.”
I smiled at her, glad that she wasn’t annoyed with me anymore. “That sounds amazing.”
We had a good day, watching our favorite TV shows and munching on popcorn, and I was able to forget most of what had sent me running, at least on a conscious level. I thought about telling her the whole truth, but I wasn’t ready yet.
Besides, Kaelyn always poked fun of me for being a goody two shoes and never actually living my life, so she would most likely be shocked when I told her about the deal I made with Stone.
We all went out for dinner, and I couldn’t stop smiling at sweet Amelia, who was the cutest thing that walked on earth. She looked like a real angel with her beautiful blonde curls and blue-green eyes.
“So kindergarten was fun today?” I asked her after she finished the story of how she colored in the coloring books with her friend Lisa.
“Yes,” she replied with a toothy smile. “And tomorrow, Lisa and I are going to play with LEGOs.” She turned to Kaelyn with a pleading gaze. “Mommy, when can we buy LEGOs?”
Kaelyn wiped the sauce off her chin. “Not yet, sweetheart. Maybe one day but not yet.”
I looked between my sister and niece, admiring my sister once again. She was poor, but she was managing, doing her hardest to be a good mother to Amelia.
Speaking of money… Now that I had Stone’s agreement money, I could help them. Kaelyn would refuse my help, but if I bought LEGOs for Amelia, she wouldn’t be able to reject it.
Satisfied with the idea, I dug into my meal, but then I noticed an unfamiliar guy, who was sitting a few tables away from us, staring right at us. It was an unsettling kind of stare, and the more he stared, the colder I felt.
I didn’t want to scare Kaelyn, so I kept this to myself, occasionally casting glances at him to check if he was still looking at us. He was. I lost all my appetite, but I pushed myself to eat because I didn’t want to upset Amelia. An immense
relief replaced my dread when the man stood up and walked out of the place.
“Are you okay, Aunt Saylor?” Amelia asked me, and I schooled my expression to a smile.
“Absolutely, sweetie. Let’s order some dessert, okay?”
Amelia bobbed her head up and down animatedly, but Kaelyn just watched me, as if she knew something was wrong.
It was a short walk back to Kaelyn’s apartment. The night was quiet and warm, but I couldn’t relax because that man in the restaurant was always on my mind. I kept looking over my shoulder to see if someone was following us, my stomach twisting with anxiety.
But then we crossed the street near Kaelyn’s apartment, and I spotted him walking across the street, his eyes following us intently. Jesus.
He lingered there for a moment before moving on, but I didn’t believe it was a coincidence or just a product of my imagination. I didn’t say anything to Kaelyn until she put Amelia to sleep and returned to the kitchen, visibly tired.
“Are you still being followed?” I asked her, cutting to the chase.
With a frown she sat down at the kitchen table and poured herself a glass of wine. “No. Geez, Saylor. I told you not to worry. I’m sure I’ve just imagined it.”
Something told me she definitely hadn’t imagined it, and it had everything to do with the guy from tonight.
“Why do you ask?”
The exhaustion I found on her face was a good enough reason for me not to make things more difficult for her.
“I’m just concerned. You know me.”
She held my gaze for a moment longer, like she was trying to find if I was hiding something, and shrugged her shoulders. Hopefully, tomorrow would be better.
Kaelyn and I went for a jog in the morning, which was exactly what I needed after a wakeful night. I dreamed about Stone and all those things he did to me, and it increased my longing for him. At one moment, I was close to calling him, but I decided against it because I still couldn’t determine if Stone was the bad guy.
Love Affair with the Billionaire Page 7
