Breaking Into the Business (30 page)

“I’ll
confess that I wasn’t standing there the entire time,” he said. “But I did see
enough to know that you share more than a mere physical attraction.”

“I’m
really sorry, Jeremy.”

“So
what are all of these guys doing here? Are you having a party of some sort?”

“It’s
a long story.”

“I’m
not going anywhere.”

“I’ve
run into a bit of trouble lately,” I said. “Just a bit of personal drama.”

“Is
there anything I can help you with?”

“No,
it’s something that I have to take care of on my own.”

Greg
looked around the kitchen, and then turned back to me. “Yeah, it would seem
that this is a problem you want to deal with on your own.”

I
grimaced. “That wasn’t fair.”

“I
didn’t mean any offense, but I’m just trying to figure out why you are keeping
me at arm’s length. I’ve tried to connect with you and I feel like I’m getting
resistance.”

“I
promise that I’m not doing it on purpose. I’ve spent a lot of time building up
walls and it’s hard for me to let people in.”

Jeremy
crossed the distance between us. As he walked towards me, he removed his sports
coat and laid it on the island. He stopped right in front of me and placed a
hand on my shoulder.

“Let’s
start breaking these walls down now,” he said.

“Okay,
I can try.”

“Tell
me what’s going on.”

“It’s
really complicated.”

“Then,
let’s try to uncomplicate it.”

I
took a deep breath and told him the story of how the calls started a few months
ago, and how they escalated to threats for money.

“So,”
I finished the story. “I have to give him the hundred thousand.”

“Or
what?”

“I
don’t know.”

“Where
are your children?” he asked.

“My
sister has them. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to them.”

“So
you think this man might actually try to harm you or them?”

“Who
knows?”

“Are
you going to give him the money?”

“I
don’t have it.”

He
frowned. “Then what do you plan on doing when he calls back?”

A
chill shot up my back and I realized my mistake. I had never said anything to
him about the deadline or the fact that he was supposed to call again.

I
saw Jeremy in an entirely different light. Before, I had seen a strong,
cerebral man who was kind and well-spoken, but now those thoughtful eyes
morphed into those of a psychopath.

“What’s
wrong, Lana?”

“I
really need to go check on my friends.”

“Stop,”
he said, before I could even turn around.

“Please
just leave me alone,” I said.

I
could feel my hands trembling. My legs nearly gave out beneath me, but I knew that
I needed to get away.

“I
have your sister’s address. If you alert your friends to my identity, I will
make sure that you never see your children again.”

“Please
don’t hurt them.”

“Then
do exactly what I say.”

He
reached over into his sports coat and stuck one of his hands into a pocket. He
removed a small, black, handgun and aimed it at me.

“We’re
going to get rid of your friends, and then, we’ll get down to business.”

“What
do you want me to do?”

“I’ll
take care of it. We’re going to go into the living room and then we’ll be rid
of them soon.”

He
had a gun, and with that, he could kill any of my friends. I wanted to warn
them, but I knew a showdown in the living room where Jeremy was the only one armed
wouldn’t go well.

How
could I have been so stupid? Why would a good-looking successful man be
genuinely interested in me?

I
walked ahead of him just a little and we entered the living room to find the
guys standing around. Ray was in the foyer near the window, peering out of the
blinds every so often. Pearl and Betsy were sitting on the couch. Everyone
watched Jeremy and me apprehensively. They would certainly have heard some of
our discussion.

“Hey
there,” Mike said.

Before
anyone else could say anything, Ray startled everyone with his cry.

“That
car is back,” he said. Greg and Mike ran over to the window, and I saw Greg
slip his hand into the console table near the door.

“We
need to after him,” Mike said quickly. “Let’s end this tonight.”

“We’ll
all go,” Greg said. “Pearl, will you stay with Lana?”

“Yes,”
Pearl said.

“I’ll
stay, too,” Jeremy said. “You all go, so we can get the bastard.”

Nobody
else questioned the new arrival. In seconds, Betsy and the guys were out the
door, piling into different cars and speeding away.

“I
hope they get him,” Pearl said as she locked the front door and secured the
dead bolt for added protection.

Jeremy
chuckled. “Yes, let’s hope they find what they’re looking for.”

“Should
we hide Lana?” Pearl asked Jeremy.

“From
whom?” he asked.

“Who
the hell do you think I’m talking about? That crazy stalker.”

Jeremy
turned and faced me. He pulled the gun out into view. “Lana, would you please
get some rope from the garage and tie Pearl up.”

“What?”
Pearl asked. Then she saw the gun. “What are you doing with that?”

“Lana,
just do as I say. Pearl, if you move, I will put a bullet in your chest.”

“I’m
not moving,” she said quickly, doing her best to keep her hands out beside her.

In
the garage, I found some rope in one of Frank’s old cabinets where he kept his
tools. I returned to the living room, and just as Jeremy had instructed, I
brought one of the wooden chairs from the kitchen and tied my best friend up.

“What’s
he doing?” Pearl asked as I secured the rope around her wrists.

“He’s
crazy,” I whispered back.

“Are
you both so stupid to think that I wouldn’t hear you?” Jeremy asked.

“Just
tell me what you want,” I said.

“I
told you that I want my money,” Jeremy said.

“I
don’t have it.”

“Then
why did you lie to me?” he asked.

“I
was trying to buy myself some time to think of a way out of this.”

“Well,
you thought wrong.”

“So,
is that your thug in the silver car my friends are chasing?”

“Yes,
it is,” Jeremy smiled. “I pay him quite handsomely to take care of things like
this for me.”

“Will
he hurt them?” I asked.

“Of
course not,” Jeremy said. “He’s only there to keep them away from the house
long enough for me to get the answers I want.”

I
had finally tied Pearl’s hands behind her and then stood back up.

“Just
tell me what you want, and I will do whatever you ask as long as you don’t hurt
my friends.”

“I
want to know where Frank is,” Jeremy said.

“I
have no idea.”

“Of
course, you do. I never bought that story you told me about how he just
disappeared and left you all the money and your community possessions. Who does
that?”

“My
asshole ex-husband did it,” I said. “I really don’t know where he’s at.”

“He
owes me a lot of money.”

“How
do you know my husband?”

“We
met at a conference in Vegas some years back. The two of us forged a friendship
that revolved around our mutual love: gambling. He frequented the ATM and would
tell me stories about how his dumbass wife never knew that he was pilfering
from the kids’ education funds to support his habit.”

“That
doesn’t surprise me.”

“He
always thought he would win big and be able to put it back before you noticed.”

“So,
let me guess, you let him borrow the money?”

“Yes,”
Jeremy nodded. “But he used something for collateral. Since he hasn’t come
through on the repayment, I’m here to collect what is due to me.”

“What’s
that?”

“You.”

“What?”
Pearl snapped. “You can’t put a person up for collateral.”

“Shut
up,” Jeremy snapped. He turned back to me. “Your husband had shown me a picture
of you once and I found you to be the most exquisite creature I ever laid my
eyes on. He could tell by the way that I stared at your picture. So one night,
when we were in Vegas, he asked to borrow a large sum of money from me. When I
hesitated, he said that if he wasn’t able to repay it, then I could sleep with
you.”

“You’ve
got to be kidding me,” I said.

Before
Jeremy could say anything else, there was a knock at the door, and then I heard
Greg’s voice. Jeremy held a hand to his lips to tell me to be quiet.

However,
Greg persisted, and then soon Mike and Betsy’s voice joined his.

“Tell
them that you are okay now, and you want them to go away.”

“That
won’t work,” I said. “Not to mention all of their stuff is here.”

“Then
we will have to hurry,” Jeremy said. “Now you either tell me where Frank is, or
I will put a bullet in your friend.”

“Please
don’t hurt her,” I pleaded. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I
had to be strong for Pearl.

Jeremy’s
sadistic smile made my skin crawl. His gun arm tensed and he stepped closer to
Pearl.

“Now
start talking or I put a bullet in her forehead.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

This was
definitely a no win situation. The men were trapped outside and the only other
person in the room was my best friend Pearl, who I had just tied to a chair. I
had never been so scared in my life, but a part of me was either brave or
stupid, and pissed off. My ex-husband had lied to me on a constant basis, and
now this asshole had just come in my life and told a big one.

“I
meant it, Jeremy. I have no idea where Frank is. I’ve told you that before.”

“You’re
covering for him.”

“I
would never. That asshole left the kids and me all by ourselves and he can rot
for all I care. In fact, if I knew where he was right now, I would encourage
you to go there and shoot him.”

“Don’t
play jokes me with me,” Jeremy said. “If you don’t tell me where he is, I will
shoot your friend and then take my collateral.”

Pearl
growled. “You touch my friend, and I will tear these ropes and kick your ass.”

Jeremy
laughed. “Go to hell, bitch.”

“I
would, but Satan has a restraining order out on me.”

Something
was different now. The men were no longer trying to get my attention at the
front door, and I hadn’t heard a knock in at least a minute. I wondered if
Jeremy had noticed.

“I
don’t have the money, Jeremy,” I said. “Do whatever you’re going to do, but I
don’t have the money and I don’t know where Frank is.”

“Why
would I believe you?” Jeremy asked.

It
was hard not to react, but I saw a flash of movements on the balcony upstairs
that overlooked the living room. I couldn’t see who or what it was, because if
I looked up, it would warn Jeremy that someone was up there.

“What
else did Frank say about me?” I asked Jeremy, trying to stall for whoever was
upstairs.

 However,
the insane author never had time to answer. His eyes opened wide and he gaped
at something behind me.

I
turned around just in time to see a large object flying towards one of the back
windows that overlooked the patio. The object crashed against the glass,
shattering into a million pieces all over the living room floor.

As
I stumbled backwards, I got a look at the lounge chair from the patio lying
across my couch, covered in glass. It was the same chair that Derrick and I had
used to have sex twice, and the same one that Greg and I had occupied not a
half hour before.

I
tried to pick myself up, but then stumbled backwards. There was flash of
movement from the stairs. Greg leapt over the side and landed on top of Jeremy.

The
wood floor was covered in glass, so it made it difficult for me to crawl
across. On the other side of the lounge, Pearl was still tied to the chair. I
had to get to her so I could free her.

I
used the couch as leverage to pull myself up. However, I stopped when I saw
Greg and Jeremy wrestling on the ground, and then I saw that the gun had fallen
near Pearl.

“Get
the gun,” Pearl hissed at me, nodding her head in the direction of the weapon.

Going
around the chair would have taken too long. I leapt over the couch and jumped
into a pile of glass shards.