Her Sweet Surrender: Billionaire Secrets - Book Four Page 9

  "This will make you feel good Suzy. Happy. Just like the song, right? 'Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof.' You know the one I mean, don't you? I love that song. But you know what's best of all Suzy?" He began to carefully unwrap the folded paper as he spoke. "The best thing of all is that you won't remember a damn thing."

  She kicked her foot out weakly and it knocked the paper from his hands.

  "You stupid bitch." He shouted, filled momentarily with rage. He went to strike her but quickly recovered himself.

  "It's okay honey." He said. "I forgive you, don’t you worry about a thing, coz pretty soon you'll be just as sweet on me as cherry pie."

  He retrieved the packet, opened it carefully and left it on a windowsill far enough away from Suzy for it to be safe. Then he turned back to her, grabbed her free arm and twisted it painfully behind her back. She tried to scream but her voice was too hoarse and deathly fatigue filled her like a drug. It was no use. With his free hand he reached over to the sill and brought the terrifying powder closer. Her face was pressed against the wall - she couldn't move. To survive a few seconds longer with her will power intact all she could do was draw in breath and then hold, but that tactic wouldn't buy her much time. Mitch held the scrap of paper high up above her head.

  "Gotta breath sometime baby." He said. "So why don't you just relax and get ready to have a good time."

  Hold on Suzy. Come on. Hold on. Hold on. Hold on…

  Spots of color began to fill her vision, her lungs screamed at her to let go.

  I'm sorry Ruben, so sorry…

  She finally released her breath and a long, exhausted sigh left her lungs. Mitch quickly lowered his hand and crushed her face to wall, pinning her in place.

  "This is it baby, now just relax and take a deep breath in….

  *******************

  "This better work Ruben." Dale pointed an angry finger his friend.

  They had easily tracked Suzy to a remote island belonging to the French Polynesian archipelago. Mayweather Services already had a team in place in the main city of Pape'ete on another project and Ruben had diverted off duty members to his rescue operation.

  "It's under control Dale." Ruben replied. "We have Suzy's location pinpointed. She's about six hundred yards straight ahead of us through the forest. Now shut the hell up and follow the plan. Radio silence. Don’t forget that you and Clay are just here for the ride. My people are handling this, so don’t do anything unless I give you the go ahead."

  Dale reluctantly agreed. As much as he hated to admit it, Ruben was the person most capable of getting Suzy out of this mess. Although why exactly he cared so much about this mystery girl was beyond him. In fact, if anything, all he could really think about was the odd couple he had insisted on bringing with them from Point Nemo; Lindsay and her ward Nena. The pair had stayed behind back in Pape'ete airport. He was burning to spend more time with her, but before he could direct his attention there he had first to see this particular adventure through to its final conclusion.

  "If anything has happened to her Ruben, I swear I'll break you. I don’t care how far back we go."

  "If anything has happened to her Dale," Ruben said calmly, "I'll help you do it."

  Dale was momentarily taken aback. Ruben actually sounded like he meant it and this was not usual for the master of self-preservation.

  "Come on. Let's move out." Ruben said and Dale fell in behind him. No wasn't the time for squabbles and recrimination.

  Progress through the moonlit undergrowth was slow but Ruben kept his group to a disciplined snail's pace to avoid any warning. The Hargraves and Nadia had insisted on being present and he had accepted responsibility for their safety, but that, of course, meant absolute obedience.

  When they arrived at the clearing the rest of his team was already in place. There could be no way out of that shack at the end of the small, camouflaged runway. Only one guard sat outside. He looked sleepy and bored. After all, what was the possibility that they would be found by anyone? This location had been used for years as a drop off and pick up for consignments of illegal narcotics without interference from the authorities and there had been no indication that anyone had followed them from Point Nemo.

  He let his eye-lids droop down and it was enough for Ruben and his team.

  In seconds the shack was closely surrounded and Ruben had a gun to the guard's head. He tapped on the door and then turned the handle, pushing the man in front of him with a choke hold to his neck. In a second he had the room appraised. Boyevik was lying down in a corner with a delirious smile on his face, the pilot and the other goon were playing poker at a table in the middle of the room. He pointed his gun at the goon and mouthed the words; where is he?

  The goon hesitated, but in seconds the room was filled with members of Ruben's rescue team. They were in full special forces equipment, complete with night vision goggles, armed to the teeth and ready for combat. Candy was the lead operative and she strode to the table where the goon sat and put a gun to his head.

  Without a word he raised his hands up and then nodded to the bedroom.

  Ruben pushed the man he was holding aside and stepped over to the door. He had been playing it cool for a very long time now. His show of emotion with Candy on the runway had been brief and he had immediately fallen back into the role of cold, lethal, ex-special forces operative within seconds, but now he felt the heat of emotion rise within him. It was a dangerous feeling. This was how things went wrong - this was how missions failed.

  He raised his foot and smashed the door in with one terrifying kick and pointed his weapon at the man hunched in the corner, leaning over a cowering figure, her face crushed to the wall.

  "Suzy!" He cried out in a thundering voice as he threw his gun aside and dived across the room.

  The woman's drooping eyes half opened as she heard the voice that resonated in her soul. The scopolamine was still in front of her, her lungs were empty, screaming to inhale but the pressure against her head had been released. She swung her hair wildly scattering the powder aside as Ruben landed on Mitch and hammered one powerful fist into his jaw. The stunned Mafioso landed on the floor like a sack of old bones. Instantly Ruben was on top of him and delivered another powerful, spine-shaking blow to his jaw.

  His limp head rolled sickeningly to one side, battered to unconsciousness.

  Suzy lifted her head, still struggling not to inhale. If any of that powder was in the air who knows how powerful it could be. She saw Ruben raise his fist above the battered Mafioso again and a terrifying clarity filled her.

  This wasn't the way.

  "Stop." She barely articulated - her hoarse, dry throat rasping painfully in the hot night air. "Ruben. Don’t. You'll kill him."

  As enraged as he was Ruben's reaction to the sound of Suzy's voice was instantaneous. He dropped the lifeless body to the floor and turned to the woman he now knew he loved with an intensity that defied description.

  He tore the goggles and mask from his face and put them over hers to minimize contact with the airborne drug. His own nose was blocked effectively with cotton wool.

  "Water." He ripped a flask from his belt, screwed off the lid and then cradled her head to put the container to her lips. He allowed it to trickle in at first and then pour down her parched throat.

  When it was empty he turned to Mitch. "Where are the keys?" He shouted, but he was still out.

  Candy located the keys on the bed and tossed them to Ruben who immediately set to freeing Suzy from the handcuffs.

  Nadia, Clayton and Dale had made it into the shack at last and were crowding into the small bedroom behind Candy.

  "Suzy, oh my God, Suzy." Nadia ran to her friend and pushed Ruben aside. The friends embraced each other. The Hargrave brothers stood back, both men relieved, but when Ruben looked up and caught Dale's eye, the big older brother blazed with rage again. Candy, vigilant as ever, positioned herself between them. Dale was big and brawny but she wasn't in the least afraid of him
. She put one hand to his chest and kept her weapon poised in the other.

  "Please calm down Mr. Hargrave. This mission is still not complete."

  "Suzy," Nadia squeezed her friend close. "Did that bastard hurt you? Did either of them hurt you."

  Suzy shook her head. "Just a little thirsty is all. No-one laid a finger on me. They didn't get a chance, you all got here too soon."

  Clayton had ducked momentarily out of the room but reappeared back in the doorway now holding a bent over Mikhail Boyevik by the back of the neck.

  "Here's daddy Nadia." He said. "Come on Boyevik, time to have a heart to heart with your daughter. You've got some catching up to do old man."

  Nadia looked at her defeated father and felt only pity and contempt.

  After all that had happened, would anything he could tell her make any difference?

  "Let him go." She said. "I don’t need him or his lies anymore. I've got all the family I'll ever need now anyway." She squeezed Suzy's hand and looked at Clayton with infinite gratitude and awe. Despite everything she had done, despite all of her lies and mistakes, this man he had sworn forgiveness to her. He was far, far more than just a billionaire, he was a truly good human being.

  "What do you want us to do with all this trash Mr. Mayweather?" Candy asked, bringing some focus back to the group. "Lockin' 'em all up on an island doesn’t seem like such a great idea anymore. And there's a whole lot more of 'em this time."

  Ruben ran gloved fingers through his thick dark hair. Candy was right, unless they were willing to go to the authorities with all of this then realistically, what were their options?

  "I've got an idea." Suzy said. "In fact, I've got a pretty damn good idea. Where's that powder Mitch tried to shove up my nose."

  "That fuckin' piece of shit." Candy said looking at his unconscious body. "Is this it over here?" She picked up the piece of paper and held it at arm's length examining it carefully. There was still plenty left.

  Suzy smiled and looked over at Mitch. The dazed man who was just coming back to his senses, his skull obviously thicker than it looked.

  "Hey Mitch." She said. "Ready to relax and have a little fun?"

  The color left his crass, evil, selfish face.

  Chapter Six

  Five Months and Twenty-Nine Days Later

  Suzy looked down at her feet thudding into the sand below. The beach was deliciously empty at this time of year and at this time of day. It was her favorite time; early morning, before the day began. This beach had been a Godsend to her since returning home from the trauma of her adventure in South Pacific. Running in solitude with only Redmond by her side had become a touchstone of sanity and sometimes she believed that it had helped her more than all of the therapy and counseling Ruben and Clayton had insisted she and Nadia receive in order to help them heal and rebuild their lives.

  Nadia was working for Hargrave Robotics now and while she had started off slow, learning the ropes as a low level analyst, it was clear that she was destined for very, very great things. Her mother was being cared for safely in the best facilities that money could buy. While her lack of ability to function before the kidnapping had been faked, there was no doubt that she had lost her reason as a result of her four years of close captivity with her ex-partner and the terrible episode with her daughter on Point Nemo. If Nadia could never expect to have a normal relationship with her then at least she knew her mother was as happy as her circumstance would allow and that she posed a threat to no-one.

  Now that Nadia's family history was out of the way, her dream wedding would go ahead as planned with Suzy as the head bridesmaid and Dale as best man. This was assuming of course that he could work out the problems he had been going through in the six months since the events in the South Pacific had occurred.

  Clayton assured Nadia that he would come round again in time for the wedding - it was a Hargrave guarantee and not to be taken lightly.

  Suzy mulled all of this over with satisfaction, but while things had gotten back almost immediately on track for Clayton and Nadia, things weren't quite so simple with Ruben. Ever since they had returned to the United States he had taken a step back from the intense emotions they had shared during her rescue in French Polynesia.

  In his implacable way he had set a time frame for them to weigh up their emotions and he insisted doggedly that they stick to it.

  Six months. Not a day less.

  He said that she needed time to heal and time to think. He assured her that if she needed anything during this time that he would always be there, just a phone call away, but he wouldn't back down on the time frame. He had also promised her a future position with Mayweather Services because, he insisted, he couldn’t afford to lose her to the competition.

  She understood him. She understood the reasoning, but God how hard it had been to spend that time apart. The intensity of their time together had been seared into her memory, imprinted on her soul, and at times it felt like nothing would ever equal those insane days again if she lived to be a thousand years old.

  And she worried about him. She worried about him constantly.

  Was that what his life was really like all the time? Did he always put himself in such danger? And what about his relationship to women? Had he just gone on to the next super nerd with a face he had taken a liking to after they had said their goodbyes?

  Candy had assured her that he had been living like a monk since then but she found it hard to believe.

  She looked down at her wrist and although she couldn’t see the finely crafted nano device she knew it was there. She had never removed the tracking device he had placed on her as they flew into Point Nemo and she hoped that he was watching her, at least every now and then, just checking in to see if she was alright.

  The tide was out and as she rounded the last bluff and her rented beachfront apartment came into view. The beaches of North Oregon were just as beautiful as ever.

  Redmond raced along the shoreline barking at the waves and then snaked over towards her as she headed up the steps. She stopped briefly to take a look around.

  There wasn't a single person on her side of the bluff, but sitting with his back to the beach on her porch was a figure she recognized instantly.

  She put her hands to her face to cover her mouth and her heart beat wildly. She checked the date on her watch. If it was really him then he was a day early.

  Redmond went running up to the man, a stranger to him, and sniffed carefully. She saw Ruben's head turn in profile and smile down at the cautious animal. It was that same, gorgeous sexy smile she remembered so vividly. Nothing had changed except that maybe he looked a little bit older, a little wiser and a whole lot more irresistible than he had done before.

  Redmond began wagging his tail and came forward to lick the man's hand. Ruben patted the dog's head.

  "Are you going to say hello to me?" He said without turning around.

  She rubbed her eyes, wiping away the tiny droplets that had formed and took a deep breath to calm herself. She wanted to dive into his arms but what if he didn’t feel the same way?

  "You're a day early." She said with difficulty. "I thought we had an agreement."

  He turned his head around and smiled directly at her. In one instant all the problems of the past melted away and he was back. He had come for her. Ruben Mayweather always kept a promise, even if he had to go to the ends of the earth to do it.

  "That's exactly why I'm here." He said calmly. "To collect. You know I never back out of an agreement and you know that I expect to collect on every bargain I make. I have a very long and detailed memory Ms. Falstaff."

  She nodded her head, unable to speak.

  He was here.

  He had returned.

  Ruben patted the now totally submissive dog's head again and got to his feet. He was, as ever, immaculately dressed, his hair photo-shoot perfect.

  God how she wanted to mess that hair up, see that confident I'm-in-control-of-everything face scream out in agony b
elow her.

  But she was guessing that wasn't part of his plan.

  He walked towards her and she felt her courage shrink. The chemistry between them had only multiplied in the time they had been apart. She had never been able to think rationally when he was around and it was worse than ever now.

  "We had an agreement Ms. Falstaff and I have fulfilled my role to the letter. I have done everything that you asked of me at enormous personal risk and I think you will agree that not a single other person on this planet would have been in a position to carry out your extreme demands."

  She looked down at the ground, then turned her big eyes up towards him, nodded briefly and then looked down again.

  She heard a short gasp of pain come from the wall of muscle and cultured poise in front of her.

  "Must you do that quite so fucking perfectly?" He asked.

  She smiled inside. It was still there. He might still be able to shut her brain down with a sexy smile, but she could put a painful rod in his pants with just a single glance up at him with her biggest, roundest, most innocent, come-fuck-me eyes.

  "Is this what you're talking about?" She said, and repeated the movement of her head and eyes with action replay perfection.

  She heard his breathing increase rapidly.

  Let's see you control yourself now big man. She thought and began to slowly extend one, small, delicate hand towards him. He looked at her, wild with anticipation as to what she was going to do. She was so small before him and yet she had obsessed his thoughts night and day for the last six months.

  Her finger tips reached his abdomen and his stomach tensed. She felt the rock hard muscle beneath his linen shirt and heard the acceleration of his breath.

  She raised her rounded eyes to meet his; dark, hooded and filled with desire.

  Locking his gaze she pushed her fingers slowly down inside his belt and then it was enough.

  "Fuck this." he said breathlessly and in an instant he had lifted her up by the waist and slung her over his broad shoulder. "I've waited long enough. It's time." He turned and marched up the path towards the porch and flung the door open. Her body bounced helplessly against his, her abdomen squeezing against his hard shoulder, his arm wrapped tightly across the back of her thighs and his hand pressing to her ass.