Jo Leigh - One-Click Buy - September Harlequin Blaze

“Anyway, he came to my place, and when I had to leave the room, he broke into my safe. He saw the information I had on Brody. I wouldn’t give him the money to pay off his bookie, so he stole that information and used it as a way of getting out of debt. That’s why you’re here-because I let Charlie into my apartment. I didn’t realize he’d go this far-and I should have.”

As he paused he saw her eyes jig over to look at him, but they went back to staring straight ahead a second later. “I know it’s hard to believe anyone could be stupid enough to let Charlie in the same borough, let alone his apartment. He’s been nothing but trouble from the time he was a kid. He stole, he took drugs, he had no sense about the world. It was always someone else’s fault with Charlie, mostly mine.

“My mother had died a long time ago, and my father did his best to keep Charlie out of trouble. He got sick-my dad, I mean-and he made me promise I’d take care of Charlie. I gave him my word, and that’s not something I take lightly.

“It was all right because I spent so much time overseas. You know I was in intelligence work, but you don’t know why I left the service. It was Charlie, one more time. He stole a briefcase from a fellow officer’s car. He was caught and he went to jail, but because of me they didn’t charge him with treason. I couldn’t stay in the service after that.”

He wasn’t sure, but he thought she’d leaned a little more his way. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if she was listening or, if she was, whether she believed any part of his story. The only concrete change he saw was that she wasn’t struggling quite so hard to breathe.

“You feeling a little better? I can get you some water.”

She shook her head, and he wondered if she was saying no to the water or to feeling better.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Why should I believe you?” Her voice was low, a monotone of bleak expectation.

“There’s no reason at all. I had planned on telling you about Charlie, but honestly I wasn’t sure when. I didn’t expect you to have a minute of sympathy for my situation, but I didn’t want you to hate me so much that you wouldn’t accept my help.”

“You made love to me.”

“Oh, God. That’s what I was most afraid of. I didn’t have ulterior motives-no, that’s not true. There was a hope that, after, you could get some rest. But the motivation for kissing you, that’s been around for a long time. I’m not sorry we did it, only that I wasn’t smart enough to know the best way to handle this situation. You’ve been doing so great. Your attacks have been less frequent and less severe, and if you can keep that up until we’re safe, then it’ll change your life.”

“When did you know?”

“That Charlie was behind this?”

She nodded.

“When I followed you here. When I looked into the saloon I saw him. A few seconds later I was knocked out.”

She turned her head to look at him. At least she had a little more color. “The fifty million, heading off for the Caymans…it’s too much to believe.”

He nodded. “I know some things about Ed Martini. There’s a reason we’re on this boat. Once he’d gotten the ransom from your father…”

“He’d have killed me.”

Michael nodded.

“I imagine he’ll kill me after I sign the papers at the bank. The question is, will he kill you?”

“He won’t kill either of us. I told him about the bank to stall for time. I had to make the prize big enough, so I told him fifty million. I had to make it far enough away that he’d have to take on fuel and supplies.”

“They knocked you out last night when they should have killed you.”

“Because they think I’m the only one who can get you to sign the papers.”

She shook her head a little, and her eyes welled with tears. “You tell a good story, Michael. But then, that was your job, wasn’t it? Telling stories to manipulate people?”

“That’s right.”

“So how can I know? How can I possibly believe what you’ve told me?”

“I don’t know. I do know that I’m going to resign as soon as I have you back safely.”

“I wish I hadn’t heard him,” she said. “It was so much better.”

“You would have found out. It was inevitable. Ironically, I’d planned on telling you right after your shower.”

“Michael,” she said, whispering, “why does it bother me more that you made love to me than that you had me kidnapped?”

He wiped his face with his hand, wishing like hell he could tell her at least one thing that would convince her that he wasn’t lying. “It’s because you doubt yourself. How attractive you are. How smart and funny.”

“Oh, don’t. Don’t do that to me. It’s hard enough.”

“Is there anything I could say that would help?”

“I know that I can’t trust anything you’ve said or will say. I might have a panic disorder, but I’ve been well trained about con men. I’ve got that fifty million. And my father, he’s got so much more.”

Her color was back and her cheeks looked flushed. She wasn’t gasping for breath any longer. Her panic had diminished as her anger had grown, which was good. She needed to be angry.

“I imagine you’ve seen your share of gigolos.”

“Some of the best. That’s why-”

“Why what?”

“I can’t have this conversation.” She stood up and took a deep breath. “I can’t be in this room with you.”

He was the breathless one now. Why had he thought the truth would be enough? It rarely was, and if he were Tate, he wouldn’t have bought it, either. He just hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted a miracle. “I understand.” He looked up at her. “Unfortunately there’s nowhere for me to go.”

She looked behind her, at the door. “You can go be with your brother.”

“Uh, no. Martini already let me know that if I didn’t get you to sign the papers, he’d kill Charlie first.”

“Why should I care?”

“Because he said he’d kill you second.”

SARA WAS GOING TO lose it. They’d heard nothing, absolutely nothing, and William had delivered the ransom hours and hours ago.

She’d paced all six thousand square feet of Tate’s place. She’d tried to comfort William, but he was inconsolable. Believed his daughter was dead. Believed Michael had been behind the kidnapping. There were security people all over the place, all his phones had been forwarded to Tate’s main line. And they’d heard nothing, not a word.

What concerned her most was William having a heart attack. She’d called his personal physician to be here until this was resolved, and the doctor should be arriving any minute. She went to the fridge again and took out a head of lettuce. It wasn’t her usual kind of snack, but it was here and she had to stuff something in her mouth. She broke the lettuce up into chunks and put it in a colander to drain.

“Is there something I can make you?”

Sara jumped at Pilar’s voice. “No, thank you. If I have a bite of something decent, I’ll never stop. I’m going to chew lettuce.”

“I can fix a quick vinaigrette-”

“Thanks, Pilar, but I wasn’t kidding. I will never stop.”

“I understand. Food is oddly comforting.”

“Maybe you can fix something for Mr. Baxter.”

“He’s refused me several times.”

“You know, I think if you put a platter near him with bite-size treats, he’ll end up taking one, and that will lead to more.”

Pilar nodded. “I’ll do that. I’ve got twenty minutes until I have to take the casserole out for the staff.”

Sara sighed as she took the lettuce from under the running water. She let it drip, thinking about how incredible Pilar’s casseroles were, and put a chunk of the not-quite salad into her mouth. It tasted about as good as she’d expected.