“Better you than me.” Little does Cooperknow that I’m past my limit. “Only kidding.” I amend to the end of mystatement, playfully hitting his shoulder.
“Coop.” Luke comes up next to us. “Colewould like you outside.”
“Hooray, Cooper’s being relieved of Kateduty.” I put my hands together in a silent clap.
He kisses my cheek. “See you in a minute,love.”
“I had security go and retrieve the limo,if you’d like to walk outside.” Luke puts his arm out for me.
“Okay.” A server comes up to us andoffers me a glass of champagne.
“It’s Armand de Brignac.” She smiles atme. I smile back, taking a glass off her tray. I take a small drink and theberry and current flavors fill my mouth, making it water. Dang that’s good, andI take another drink.
Outside, Luke stands next to me as wewait for the limo. I can see all the men, Kit, Race, Coop, and Cole, stand in asemi-circle around Palo while he talks. Cole glances over at us. I give him alittle wave, and he winks at me. But then he motions for Luke. “Kate.” He looksme in the eye. “I will be just over there. If you need anything, wave or yell,okay?”
I shrug and nod, but he stares at me, notmoving. Good grief. “Wave or nod, I got it.” Satisfied I’ve said the words, hewalks over to the other men. I finish my champagne and notice another serverwith a tray of drinks. I motion him over and give him my glass. He has one lastfull glass of champagne, ah why the hell not? I take the pink drink off histray. I turn back to the men and watch their conversation. The longer I watch,the more heated the conversation gets. Cole keeps his cool, which is a veryCole thing, but Kit doesn’t and neither does Cooper.
“Miss.” A valet taps me on the shoulder.“Your limo is here.”
“Um—okay, thanks.” The man opens the limodoor for me. I guess I can get in; it’s probably safer than standing out here.I hurry and down the rest of my champagne, handing the empty glass to thevalet. Luke is the only one facing me. I wave my hands, and he catches my eye.I point to the car and then turn to get in. “Thanks,” I say to the man. I scootin, but then hear my name and see Luke running toward me. Before I have time toreact, the limo peels out and I fall off the seat onto the floor and theforward momentum slams the door shut. “Holy hell.”
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
I sit up on the floor, looking around,and breathe a small sigh of relief. At least I’m alone this time. I need tostop getting into strange limos. In fact, I’m scratching limos off my list. Nomore, ever! Only Ferraris and bullet proof Escalades. I sit up on the seat andmove to the door. Think Kate, ugh that may not work, my head is swimming, I’mso drunk, and to prove my point, I hiccup.
Okay, let’s try this again; think Kate,but what I think, my brain screams, is that I’m being kidnapped. Stay calm, juststay calm, but I’m not sure that’s going to be possible. The only thing holdingmy frantic heart inside my body is my rib cage. I take a deep breath. Okay, trythe door. We’re moving, but I’m not thinking clearly and I try the handle, butit doesn’t budge. Shit, somehow I don’t think limos have child safety locks. Ihit the button on the privacy screen and try to scroll it down but nothing. Ido have a set of lungs. I crawl over the seats and pound my fists against theglass. “Hey!” I scream at the top of my lungs. “Let me out of here. Kidnappingis a crime!”
The privacy screen moves an inch. “Sitback on the seat.” Oh, I know that voice. Shit. Damn. Hell. “Make me!” I screamat Shane. The limo lurches to a stop and I go flying back against the seat, hittingit with a huff. I guess she can make me. The screen comes halfway down. “Itisn’t kidnapping when you willingly get into a car.”
“It is when you won’t willingly let meout,” I pant, still out of breath. Shane smirks at me, then rolls the screenback up. “Great, just great.” I mutter to myself. I thought karma was on myside for once. I have a fierce desire to break down, curl into the fetalposition and cry, but that will not help me, it’s only going to make me lookweak. Who the hell am I kidding. I am weak. Aren’t I? I mean, I survived Oliviaand Preston. I survived telling my family I eloped. I survived Mr. NotImportant. And I endured my mother showing up surprising me with a wedding, andbeing her demanding prudish self. A pregnancy scare. Oh yeah, and the wholeguess what you own, Kate, Lawton shipping. How could I forget that? And Ican’t forget I survived Cole chasing me. That worked out rather well for me. Ialso graduated with a Masters degree. So maybe I’m not so weak after all. Imean, what’s a social visit with a probable investor that has the potential tokill you? That’s all this is.
I take a deep breath and look around theback of the limo. Maybe I can find something useful’ a piece of paper or heavenforbid, a weapon. There’s a small refrigerator at one end. I open it out ofcuriosity more than anything. Inside is a bottle of champagne, more alcohol,not a bad idea. I read the front. “Aces of Spades, looks expensive.” I pull thewrapping off. Oh a cork, dang it. It takes some work, but I get the bottleopen. And it fizzes over the top, “Oh shoot, not on the dress.” I let theliquid spill on to the seat next to me. Not my limo. What do I care? But beforeI take a drink, I sit the bottle down. Not a good idea. Don’t be an idiot,Kate. Besides, I’m already sufficiently drunk.
I sit the bottle in a cup holder on theside. Good grief. I get kidnapped and what do I do? I raid the fridge. Mymother would be so proud. I push the skirt of my dress between my knees andslump to the floor. Well, at least I don’t feel like my life may end at anymoment, so being drunk has its perks. The limo slows down and turns. Cole isgoing to be so mad at me. I mean, what was I thinking, getting in the limo bymyself? Who does that? Get in a limo without security. I tried that with theelevator and he was mad at me for the rest of the day. We did however, havemind blowing sex afterwards. Stop it Kate! No thinking about sex. I’ll getmyself all worked up. I thought I was supposed to get in the limo. This is notmy fault. I’d still like some mind-blowing sex. I deserve it after this. Ugh. Ilet my head fall back on the seat, rubbing it. Try to stay focused, Kate. Theblonde chick you despise just kidnapped you.
I glance out the window and we’re pullingup to a large house, well it’s a mansion. It looks bigger than the mayor’s. Wepull up to the front step and the car turns off. The locks click, and the frontdoors of the car open and shut. I push the button on the locks in the back andI’m surprised when they click over locking. “I’ll be damned.” I laugh, mildlyamused.
Someone tries opening the door to noavail, and then the limo shakes. I hear a thud like someone has kicked thedoor. The locks click up again, but this time, I’m not fast enough and the doorjerks open and large meaty hands grab me by my wrists, yanking me out of thelimo, and I scream.
“Shut up.” A large beastly man hisses,pushing me up against the limo. His face is inches from mine. He has a largered scar that runs under his eye, and his face is scrunched up and meanlooking.
I gasp. “What happened to your eye?” Oheff my life. I clasp my hand over my mouth. He yanks me by the arm, dragging meup to the house with Shane leading the way. “Ouch, that hurts.” I rap myknuckles against his fingers. “If that leaves a mark, you’ll regret it.”
Amazingly, he loosens his grip, but hekeeps dragging me. He throws the door open, storming through the entry and downa large hallway. I’m having a hard time keeping up. It feels like I’m running amarathon in heels, and I’m trying not to trip over my dress. We pass a largealcove in the hall with a small tea set. My curiosity gets the better of me,and I snag a teacup. I tip it upside down and it’s stamped St. Petersburg 1889.“Oh, my freaking hell.” Scar face grimaces at me. I lower the cup and smile athim. “This hallway is long.” This time, Scar face growls at me. “You know, myhusband growls at me, but it’s usually because he’s turned on. So what you’redoing doesn’t really scare me.”
“You’re impossible,” he hisses.
“So I’ve been told.” We come to a largeoak door. Shane knocks and then opens it. Scar face pushes me through the doorbut doesn’t follow. I grip the teacup so it doesn’t fall out of my hand. “Youneed to learn how to treat girls, because you’ll never get laid, pushing themaround, sheesh.” I straighten up, smoothing my dress. Not that it’s going to dome much good. It’s all crumpled and has champagne stains on it.
“Ah, I see you noticed my tea set.”
“Huh?” I look up to see Rafael Mezzostanding behind a large dark walnut desk.
“The teacup.” He points to my hand.
“Oh, yeah.” I hold the cup in my hands,running my fingers over it. “It’s a piece from Nicholas the Seventh’scollection.” I sit it down on his desk. He picks it up, examining it.
“Then you know this one piece is worth—”
