To Love and to Cherish Page 6

  I hope this doesn't sound too creepy and stalkerish, but yes, I was following you. Not physically. Online. Keeping track of you. And if fate hadn't driven you into my arms and life when it did, I would have hired you away from spending your life dealing with tighty whities. Damn, I was jealous of that company for having you. I was on the verge of having my recruiter go after you, when I went to Reno and you walked into that hotel.

  If I have to admit it to myself, it was the chance encounter I'd been dreaming of for too long. That meeting, as you know, went completely awry. I was devastated to think you would use me like it seemed you did. Hurt beyond belief.

  But when you walked into Harry's office, and I realized you weren't the one who'd conned me, I felt like fate had just been toying with me. Making me wait until the opportunity was perfect, and even I couldn't mess it up.

  So before you go, I want you to know the truth—I was so desperate to keep you that I forced your hand. I forced you into this marriage. After you left Harry's I leaked the news of our marriage to the media. I did it. And I take full responsibility.

  I played on your good nature. It was wrong. And I'm paying the price for it. For that, I'm deeply sorry. I don't want to ever force your hand again.

  I have, and will always, love you.

  Jus

  My nose was running. Tears streamed down my cheeks. I was a mess. A total wreck. I made myself get up and grab a tissue from my desk. I wiped my eyes.

  Jus had taken a big chance writing a letter like this. What if we'd ended badly and he'd no longer wanted me? I guess he would have had Harry destroy the letter.

  I wanted Jus back. This Jus who'd written the letter. But was he gone forever? Had I made him a hardened, bitter guy?

  My phone rang, startling me so badly I jumped and put a hand to my heart. Britt was calling. I had to talk to someone so I picked up.

  "Hey." I sniffled, hoping she didn't notice as I dabbed at my eyes with the tissue.

  "Ophie isn't in the office today," Britt said without preamble. "Word is she left for Reno about half an hour ago. Made some excuse about a business emergency and how Justin needed her. I would have called sooner, but I just found out."

  Britt talked so fast and was so agitated, she was hard to understand. "I'm sure she's going after Justin. You have to stop her! Get yourself on a plane and go after her! What are you waiting for? Get your billionaire back!"

  * * *

  Justin

  Watching your friend hit on your wife isn't the most thrilling thing under ordinary circumstances. In my case, watching Dex hit on, and be hit on by, Macy was at times boring and tedious. At times infuriating. And sometimes completely hilarious. Dex could be surprisingly charming. Watching him work his moves on Macy, leading her on and playing her, was worth the price of admission. Watching her work him? Embarrassing knowing she'd done it to me.

  Dick was used to this kind of work and tedium. He was on his sixth cup of coffee. I would have been jazzed and had a hole in my stomach from the amount he'd drunk. But he seemed alert and perfectly calm and relaxed.

  Dex treated Macy to an expensive meal on the money he'd won. As we watched her, Dick and I could almost see the wheels turning in her mind—the more Dex spent, the less she had to steal. But Dex had been good about bragging, repeatedly mentioning he'd won over fifteen thousand at the tables. Why wouldn't he blow some of it to impress a girl?

  Dick focused his attention on the screen. "The meal's almost over. I'm sure she's going to drug him. You can tell by her body language she's itching to incapacitate him and grab his dough—

  "Ah! There. There! There she goes!" Dick almost came out of his chair as he pointed at the screen. "Atta girl. We got it on camera, Dex. She just dropped a pill in your drink."

  Dick whistled low. "She's good. I almost missed it. Watch yourself, man. We don't know where she got these roofies. But they're not coloring your drink and she seems unconcerned that they will. Which means they're foreign." Dick laughed. "Not FDA approved, obviously. Take a fake drink. I'll send my girl over to make a switch."

  With clever help from one of Dick's female investigators posing as a waitress, Dex had managed to make it look like he'd had four adult beverages already, while actually having nursed maybe one full one.

  "Mallory, baby, swoop in and change out our boy's drink, will you, honey? And save it for the lab." Dick watched like a nervous dad as Mallory moved in. "Create a distraction to give Mallory cover, Dex. Ah, good job, man!" Dick grinned as Mallory successfully completed the switch. "Great job, Mallory!"

  Dick turned to me. "She's the best!"

  "That's what I'm paying for."

  "Give it twenty minutes, Dex. It will take that long for the drug to act. This kid is a pro. She's timed it to take effect just as you finish dessert. I'll give you the nod and tell you which symptom to fake when. Hang in there!"

  Dick leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, and whistled.

  "What do we do now?" I asked. His off-key whistling grated on my nerves.

  "We wait." He was smugly self-satisfied. "Within the hour, Dex will be bring her back to this room. And then it's up to you. My guys will be in the adjoining room. You'll have a wire. You need us. You call. We'll get you hooked up here in a minute."

  He leaned forward, stared at the laptop, and slapped his knee. "Oh, shit! They ordered the Bombe Alaska!" He guffawed. "Of course they did. It's the hotel's signature dessert. You gotta see this, Justin. Watch. They're about to light it on fire."

  * * *

  Kayla

  There's no reason to be a billionaire's wife if you can't get what you want in an emergency. What I wanted was a hired jet to take me to Reno as soon as possible. But I had no idea how to get one. I was halfway to calling Andrea, when I stopped myself and called Lazer instead.

  "I'll get my highly trained admin on it immediately."

  It was reassuring to hear Lazer's calm, confident voice.

  "Andrea could handle this," Lazer said. "She's efficient, too."

  "No, not Andrea!" I protested. "There's a reason I called you. Andrea is…too close to Ophie. Not that I think she's purposefully feeding her information. But she thinks highly of Ophie and considers her a mentor."

  Lazer paused. "Yeah. I have the same suspicions. I'm looking into it, too, Kayla." From Lazer's tone it sounded like I had passed a test. I wasn't an oblivious noob or something. "Have a safe trip. And good luck. I hope Justin comes to his senses."

  And so, voila! I was on a plane and on my way to Reno within the hour. I had just enough time to throw a few things in a bag and catch an Uber to the airport. I could have called the car service, but that seemed over the top. And besides, Jus might get wind of it.

  I wanted my visit to be a surprise. And I couldn't be too careful.

  * * *

  Justin

  I sat in a chair by the window, listening to the air conditioning running while I waited for my "wife" to arrive. Dick had decamped to the adjoining room with several elite, beefy, security-detail-type members of his crew.

  Dex was now feigning the full array of symptoms, acting the part of a roofied mark, leading our thief right to me. He was on his way to "his" room with Macy. Where her plan was that he could pass out thinking he was going to get lucky. And she could steal his hard-won money without having to compromise herself. At least, that was what it appeared to Dick and me.

  Lucky her. She was in for a surprise! Her husband was waiting for her. This was going to be some fun fireworks.

  There was drunken laughter in the hall. Footsteps stopped just outside the hotel room door. The click of the lock flipping.

  My heart pounded in my ears. The door opened.

  Dex stood back. "Ladies first!" He handed her in.

  At first, she didn't see me. Which had been the plan. She was too busy laughing with Dex, trying to put him at ease. Clearly, she was a seasoned pro.

  "Come on, baby," she cooed to him. "Don't be shy! You geek boys are always
so sweetly timid. Come on in and have some fun with me. I'll make a man out of you!"

  She laughed, looked up, and saw me sitting in the dimly lit room.

  "Another time," Dex said, completely soberly as he snatched her purse off her shoulder.

  "Hey!" she screamed at him.

  He gave her a gentle shove into the room and backed out the door, shutting it and barring it behind him.

  I knew the minute she recognized me. Her eyes went wide. She swung around and tried the door, but Dick had it barricaded from the outside. She wasn't escaping. And, with luck, Dex had just disarmed her of any weapons.

  She pounded on the door. When that didn't work, she turned around to face me. "You! What do you want?"

  If Dick hadn't been so thorough, I might have been worried that she had a weapon. Even without one, she was dangerous.

  "The question is—what do you want?" My voice was surprisingly calm. "Have a seat. I'm not here to hurt you."

  "Thank you. I'd rather stand." Her tone was defiant, full of false bravado. Her eyes were wild. She was trying to buy enough time to assess the situation and talk herself out of this one.

  "Suit yourself." I shrugged. "You've been sending me messages. You wanted to talk. So talk."

  Her eyes narrowed. "And this is how you arranged it? Kidnapped me?"

  "Kidnapped? You came back to the room voluntarily with my roommate."

  "So what do you want?" She changed course, suddenly putting a purr in her voice.

  More flies with honey? Was that her new strategy?

  "Answers," I said. "I have some ideas about the last time we were together. But I'd very much appreciate it if you would fill in the blanks."

  "Oh, you would?" She laughed and took a seat on the bed across from me. "I know who you are. A little late, but I figured it out. You really are a cutie pie." She leaned forward to touch me.

  I leaned away from her. "Last time we met, you drugged me. Like you just attempted to do to my friend."

  "Drugged you? Oh, that? Is that what you're calling it now? That was purely consensual. You asked for it. Don't you remember, baby? How comforting I was? You appreciated it well enough then.

  "If only I'd realized that night that you were more than just a broke college kid with a knack for playing blackjack. You count cards, don't you?" She shook her finger at me. "That will get you banned. Ah, well. Lost opportunities, right?"

  I didn't answer.

  "You wanted something to ease your pain. You were upset that the Kayla bitch stood you up. Cruel woman. Leading you on like that.

  "You were drunk. Very drunk. So you probably don't remember me saying I could give you something to dull the heartache. I put it in your drink. With your permission. You practically begged me. You certainly saw me. You even paid me a little something for my trouble."

  "You broke my heart," I said, trying to hold back the bitterness.

  "Did I? Ain't that sweet? I didn't realize you were that into me."

  I shook my head. She was a piece of work. "You had Kay's phone. It was in her purse when you stole it. You were the one who replied to my texts. So, in a sense, you stood me up. You certainly set me up."

  She laughed. "You're a regular card, Justin. I found her purse."

  When she smiled, she revealed slightly stained teeth. The bottom ones were crooked and one had a small chip. And she had to be a good ten years older than Kay. A cheap imitation. Tonight, when she wasn't trying to be Kay, I found her repulsive.

  "And returned it like a Good Samaritan by stashing it in a potted plant in the lobby after stripping it of her credit cards and cash?" I caught a whiff of her perfume. It brought back snatches of memories from that night.

  I had been very drunk by the time she approached me. She was telling the truth about that. Never drink to get over a woman. I had to have been smashed not to have seen, and cared about, the stark differences between her and Kay. Her hardness and Kay's gentle sweetness.

  I'd already admitted too much. I had to get what I wanted from her without admitting to participating in a wedding ceremony with her. I didn't want anything either on, or off, the record. Nothing she could use against me.

  Fortunately, I hadn't confessed to anything essential. Hell, Kay could have "stood me up" and changed her mind later and married me. I caught myself from saying more. And reminded myself to proceed with caution. "Tell me more. Fill in the gaps in my memory. Why did you choose me?"

  "What's it worth to you?"

  "I'll make it worth your while." I kept my tone even and fought to keep my anger under control. I didn't believe in hurting women, but I could hardly stand to look at her. And yet I felt an odd well of sympathy for her. In her own way, she was pathetic and in need of help.

  "I'd seen you around the hotel before. Several times. I wanted to get to know you. Is that so wrong? You're cute."

  I scowled at her.

  She laughed. "And modest. You don't believe me. You don't believe in your appeal." She shook her head. "That makes you even hotter."

  I ignored her come-on. "So you'd pegged me for a good mark."

  "You're too cynical for someone so young. You looked like you'd be fun to hang with. That's all."

  "And you got lucky. I texted Kay. You had her purse and phone and took advantage of the situation," I said, filling in the blanks.

  She flipped her hair off her shoulder. "Not at all. You'd won big at the tables earlier that evening. You had plenty of cash on you and were reckless. Flashing it around. I figured you could show a girl a good time."

  I remembered that much. "You're not telling me anything I don't know."

  She shook her finger at me again. "Never flash that kind of cash around. I figured I should get close and warn you. You never know who will be watching and want to take it away from you."

  "Someone like you?" I watched her carefully.

  "Me?" She shook her head. "You really don't remember. You gave me the money. You did. For the fun of the evening. And making your dreams come true. Fulfilling your fantasy. I never stole it. I never stole anything in my life."

  I lifted an eyebrow.

  She shrugged. "Maybe years ago. But not your money. That was a gift. You can't hang stealing on me. Or kidnapping. Or drugging you against your will. That's all fiction. You don't even remember."

  "So fill me in." I paused, afraid to continue. "How did you fulfill my fantasies?"

  "Oh, baby. What I gave you made you higher than a kite. High, you were completely hilarious. Cute. Sweet. Indignant. Insecure. Upset. What could I do but help you out? I'd be a hard woman if I didn't.

  "You said Kayla was the only girl for you. The girl you were destined to marry. But she'd never have you. You said you were rich. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention and really listened to what you were saying. But you flashed some cash you'd won at the tables. Lots of cash. And I thought that's what you meant by rich. I had no idea you were a billionaire. You are a billionaire, aren't you, Justin?"

  I shrugged. "One of Seattle's youngest."

  She smiled again, this time regretfully. "See? If I'd known that, I would have signed my own name on the marriage license."

  She shook her head and sighed. "Anyway, Kayla had just stood you up, proving your point—she didn't want you. You aren't her type, evidently. Not like your friend Lazer Grayson. But then, he's a hottie, isn't he?"

  I clenched my jaw and my fists. She was baiting me. She wanted me to come out of my chair and hurt her. Presumably so she could sue me and get some of my cash she'd missed out on the first time around. "Don't believe everything you hear from the tabloids," I said, calmly. In business, I could bluff with the best of them. "You were saying?"

  Her eyes flashed with a spark of anger. She lifted her chin, clearly frustrated. She'd underestimated the sober version of me.

  "I was looking for a lark, an adventure. I like the thrill of getting away with as much as I can. You might call me a prankster. A thrill-seeker," she said, putting the purr back in her v
oice. She didn't know how to handle me. She was fishing for something that worked.

  "So I thought up a plan. I told you I could fix it so she married you. Well, more accurately, I could make it look like she'd married you. I'm not a complete miracle worker, after all." She looked around the room, suddenly nervous. "Are we all alone?"

  I held my hands out, palms up. "Completely."

  "I don't trust you. Not after you just pulled a sting on me." She pouted.

  "I guess we're even, then," I said. "I don't trust you, either. But I want to hear your side of the story. Proceed."

  She looked around again, maybe hoping the cavalry might arrive out of the blue—who knew what was going through her mind—and shrugged. "There isn't much more to tell. You described Kayla to me in detail. How she acted, her mannerisms and the like. And I made myself look as much like her as I could.

  "We went to an all-night wedding chapel. I'd found her purse. I had her driver's license. They don't check too closely anyway, at that chapel. If a couple wants to get married, who are they to interfere? So long as they get their money, they're happy.

  "Just in case, I practiced her signature so it looked like a good fake."

  "It didn't take much practice," I said. "According to your record, you're a master forger."

  She smiled, ignoring my comment. "You were out of it. I had to do most of the talking and convincing. I paid for the basic package with money out of your wallet. I pretended to be her. Said the vows. Promised to love you until death do us part. As her, of course. Forged her name on the license and handed it to you. There. You married her. See? Easy.

  "It was a great joke. A real thrill to get away with faking a marriage. You were so high that I had to help you back to your room. See, as your new wife I was concerned about you like that. Then you gave me your winnings for my trouble. And I went on my way."

  "No sex?" I asked.

  "What do you think I am? A whore? A rapist? I don't do comatose guys!" She puffed up, indignant.