Rai loved hearing the joy in her friend’s voice. Anna enjoyed laughing and she was certainly doing her share over dinner. Simon appeared to be the perfect gentleman and gave her the attention she deserved.After dessert, Rai was grateful that she and Anna walked onto the ferry and no driving was required. By the sound of it, Anna had her share of wine as well. The men had walked with them to the ferry terminal, hoping the fresh air would clear all their heads.Simon gave Anna a sweet peck on her cheek, while Gideon offered Rai a long and lingering hug. In her ear, he whispered, “I’ve missed you.” She had missed him as well but felt best to keep that to herself. The last thing she wanted was to give him hope for something that wasn’t possible.“Thank you,” was all she could manage and that simple reply made her feel like a chump.The steady roar of the engine was a constant reminder that she should have said more.Anna nudged her shoulder. “Hey, you alright? You haven’t spoken a wo
Cliff let the paper fall back to the polished burl-wood desk. The picture of Rainair standing next to Gideon Taylor on a cruise ship glimmered in the sunlight like a taunting lure. She was smiling, completely unaware her photo had been snapped—whoring little bitch. Her smile alone was enough to set Cliff off on a rampage. He poured himself another glass of Balvenie Single Malt and took a swig of the smooth amber liquor. Rainair was proving to be more of a nuisance than a benefit these days. He had allowed her to run free for long enough. Now it was time to rein her in. The bitch wanted a divorce? Well, that could certainly be arranged.The law firm she held shares in was primed for selling, but he’d be damned if she’d receive a single penny. B&B Associates was his baby from the start. She ended up on the board by default, back when she was easy to control. Now, she was running around with some wealthy buck from old money, flaunting herself like a whore. It was time to put an end t
Anna ran to her apartment and grabbed her pack, the one Rai told her to prepare for this day. Without hesitation, she left the building, using the stairs instead of the elevator. Rai’s instructions played out in Anna’s mind like dominos falling in slow motion.As she made her way to the ferry, she called the police. Her next call was to Gideon.“Anna?” His voice was clipped, impatient. “He took her,” she quivered.“Who?”She remembered that Gideon knew nothing of Cliff and swallowed hard.“Anna? Took who?”“Rai. Cliff came back for her. He’s going to kill her.”“Where are you?”“I’m heading for the ferry. Rai told me to leave if this day ever came. She gave me precise instructions.”“Come to my office, you hear me? You’ll be safe here.”Anna closed her eyes and breathed deep, trying to keep her fear in check. “Okay.”Rai opened her eyes. The scent of hickory and clove assaulted her nose. She was in a car, a limousine. They were on the road.“Wakey, wakey,” Cliff said, slapp
By the time they reached Taylor Enterprises, she had succumbed to her exhaustion. She awoke to a sharp jab to her ribs. “Wake up.”Nope, it was not a nightmare, it was real. Her overbearing husband was sitting next to her and her face still ached.Cliff got out of the limo and walked around to open her door; not because he was a gentleman. He hauled her out of her seat as if she were a duffle bag he wanted to sling over his shoulder. Instead of being lifted, however, her legs buckled beneath her and her knees slammed onto the cement.“Don’t be so damned clumsy,” he gritted out, pulling her to her feet. “My God, you are an embarrassment.”She tried to fling his hand from her arm, but his grip was like that of an enraged gorilla.“Enough!” He shook her.They made their way up the marble steps and into the lobby. James, from security, greeted them with hesitation.“Uh, good afternoon, Ms. Landry.”“We are here to see Gideon Taylor,” Cliff announced, pushing his way to the elevator
As promised, Wes had Rai’s apartment restored with all of her belongings. Anna’s door would be fixed tomorrow. She was planning to spend the night with Simon, who had refused to let her out of his sight.Rai still felt a bit shaken as Gideon settled her onto the couch with a glass of Bordeaux. “I still can’t believe he is out of my life. I can’t help thinking he will find a way out of this—he always does.”“Not this time.” Gideon placed his hand on hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Anna is making sure your divorce is filed.”Rai chuffed, as if all of this were a dream not close to reality. She shook her head, still in a daze of disbelief.“Cliff told me you were one of the top corporate lawyers in New York.” Gideon poured them both a bit more wine.She took a long pull of the sweet juice. Talking about that time of her life was like recalling another life she wanted little to do with. Her fingers drummed against the smooth surface of the glass. “He and I had a law firm together.
“The bastard has connections, bro. He never even saw a cell and I doubt he was ever booked. I informed you as soon as I heard.”Gideon glanced over at Rai. By the fear in her eyes, she knew the subject matter of this conversation. “What about the iron-clad evidence against him?”“It was dismissed?”“What? How?”“I don’t know, but I intend to find out. Someone up the chain is dirty. Uncovering them may cost me my job.”“What can we do on our end?”“Just lay low. I have a few connections of my own. I’m sure Vadik will be interested in hearing how Clifford ratted him out, along with a few other Bratva members. A few well-placed rumors should take care of Clifford Bishop.”“Take care, Ryan, and thank you.”“No worries, bro. The more I learn about this bastard, the more I’m convinced he is the worst kind of asshole. It will be a pleasure bringing him down, even if I have to dance with the dark side to do it.”“Tread lightly mate.”“Will do.”Gideon put the car in gear and drove s
The text was short and to the point:I’m coming for you, bitch.Rai nearly dropped the phone, but her desperation to reach Anna was greater than her fear. Her hands trembled so much, she could not manage to dial her friend’s number. She decided to use Siri instead. The tremble in her voice caught Gideon’s attention.He finished drying the morning dishes before stepping by her side. “What is it?” He asked.“Come on,” Rai chanted. “Pick up the phone, Anna girl. Pick it up!” Anna’s voicemail chirped her greeting. Rai left another message.“I have not heard from Simon, either, which is odd. We typically play tennis on Tuesday. I could not reach him to cancel.”“Something is wrong. Anna never takes long to answer my texts and she rarely ignores my calls.”“Come on. Let’s take a drive. We’ll check Simon’s flat first, and then Anna’s.”Rai grabbed her phone and cane. She didn’t care about taking anything else. Hank stood next to her, his tail wagging in anticipation of a ride. He offe
Gideon brought Rai a glass of wine. “You seem to be a bit out of sorts tonight, love. Want to talk about it?” He sat next to her on the couch.Instead of driving back to Seattle, he had taken her out to dinner, and then rented a room at the Baymont. Not nearly as nice as his flat, but comfortable all the same. She was grateful for the chance to be closer to Anna. The nurse assured her that she would call if things took a turn for the worse.Gideon’s question was more like a command than an inquiry, she thought. She imagined his brows scrunched together and a piercing look in his eyes. Were they brown or blue? She never asked.“You’re frowning,” he commented. “What color are your eyes?”“Brown, and you are changing the subject.” His tone took on a deep resonance that sent chills up her spine.“Brown. Really. Dark or light?”“Rai.”She took a sip of her wine; crisp, bright, and dry—Petite Syrah? “I’m seriously curious. I actually have no idea what you look like. Anna said you are