The Art of Retaliation (26 page)

“Don’t even think about it, Mara.
 
You couldn’t escape from here anyway,”
Stephane
said sharply.

She ignored him but knew that he was right.
 
In minutes they had reached the first
level. They followed the hordes of people on to the platform.
 
The sky was overcast and a wind was
blowing across the platform lowering the temperature but she was unable to feel
the chill only numbness.

“They’re not here yet,” she heard
Stephane
say to Leon in a temper.

“Don’t worry.
 
I’m sure
they will be here in a minute,” he answered.

It was five minutes before they did arrive.
 
They walked out of the lift towards
them.

“Look at the state of her,
Stephane
,” Leon
put his hand to his mouth.

The Count stared at his sister as she walked over huddled in an over
coat which she had pulled up to her chin.
 
Her hair was piled up as always but seemed to emphasize the blackness
around her eyes and tired features.
 

“
Stephane
, I’ve missed you,” she said
hugging him.
 
“Please don’t be angry
that we got married. Let’s just be friends I’m too tired to argue.”

Stephane
visibly
heaved a sigh of relief and kept tight hold of his sister.

“The pain in my head has been so bad I’ve almost been screaming with
it.
 
Ryan says I need to have the
operation now.
 
He changed his mind
after finding out some more information from the doctors on my condition.
 
He cares for me so much.
 
Please be friends.”

Leon quickly glanced at
Stephane
and then
Ryan.

“You haven’t told her have you?” he asked Ryan.

“No.” he grinned.
 
“I
thought I would leave that to
Stephane
.”

“Louise, we need to get you to a hospital.
 
They are waiting to operate right
now.
 
If we don’t let them, you will
loose your life.
 
Ryan has been
lying to you,”
Stephane
said quickly not wanting to
wait any longer.

Louise pulled away.

“
Your
lying.
 
Ryan loves me.
 
He wouldn’t do that.”

She moved back to Ryan and clung on to his arm.
 
Her husband pushed her away.

“Listen, Louise I don’t really love you.
 
Stephane
is
right.
 
I saw you as a meal ticket
and nothing else, honey.
 
I still
love Mara and I’ve brought you back here so I can get her back.
 
There is no other treatment.
 
I lied.
 
I was just going to wait for you to die
so I could inherit your money,” he told her flippantly without a care.

He gave her a push towards
Stephane
when
she started to cry.

Louise stared back at him in disbelief then lowered her head to the
ground as she tried to take it all in.
 
He was right, he spent most of the time asking her questions about when
she would receive the money from her uncle and how much she was going to
get.
 
He had abstained from sleeping
with her.
 
She’d thought it was
because she was in so much pain that he had wanted her to get a good nights
rest not because it did not want to be near her.
 
Anger swelled inside her.
 
She couldn’t take it out on him because
she loved him too much despite his faults.
 
Louise walked over to the source of her misery and spat in Mara’s face.

“Louise,”
Stephane
snapped pulling her away.
 
“That won’t solve anything.
 
It’s not Mara’s fault.”

Mara raised a hand to her face and wiped it.
 
This wasn’t the first time this had
happened to her and she stared at
Stephane
and his
family with tears in her eyes.
 
The
Count’s cold demeanor appeared to falter for a moment then he pulled the mask
on tighter.
 
Ryan took hold of her
arm, painfully digging his fingers into her skin.

“Enough time has been wasted.
 
I take it you will see to the divorce.
 
I’ll send the address to you so that
your lawyer can send me the necessary papers,” he said angrily.
 
“
thanks
for the
money you put in my account.”

Stephane
nodded as
he held his sister who was now sobbing.
 
Leon handed Ryan Mara’s suitcase and gave her back her mobile phone, passport
and handbag as the billionaire began leading his sister to the lift doors.
 
Mara gripped his arm as he passed.

“I won’t let you get away with this,
Stephane
,
any of you,’ she said with scorn.

Ryan’s laughter at her words was cut short by
Stephane
.

“Get Mara out of here and back to London.
 
It isn’t safe in Paris for her.
 
Get away from here as far as
possible.
 
There are people trying
to kill her.’

Ryan watched him walk to the lift amused.

“He’s got it bad for you, Mara.
 
Too bad he can’t have you,” he said as the lift doors closed and
Stephane
disappeared from view.

 
“Yes it is a shame isn’t
it, Ryan.
 
I’ll take over now.”

Abdul
Hassem
stepped out of the crowd
peering over the rails of the tower, elusive as a phantom.

Mara backed away but Ryan’s hold on her arm brought her back to
heel.

“Ryan, I thought I meant more to you than that,” she sneered not
surprised to find him ready to hand her over to the criminal.

“Sorry, love.
 
He was
going to kill me if I didn’t agree to do what he asked.
 
He gets half the money and you.
 
I get my life and a nice nest egg.
 
It was all worth it even if I don’t get
you, honey,” he said with a grin.
 
“I suppose you can’t have everything.”

Ryan pushed her towards Abdul.

“She’s all yours.
 
Do
what the hell you want with her.”

Abdul took her arm from Ryan and snatched her laptop from her.

“You won’t find the evidence in there.
 
Raymond Matisse has it all and I am
guessing you can’t find him.
 
Your
time is up.”

Abdul dropped her laptop bag like a stone to haul her up by the
waist on to the railing.

“I have had enough of your interference.”

Mara panicked grabbing at his wrists as he leaned her back.
 
She struggled fiercely for her
life.
 
Ryan was making a hasty exit
uncaring of her fate.
 
Max Spencer
and the rest of Abdul’s men stood guard like faithful hounds keeping
watch.
 
They were in a secluded
place on the level and there was no one to shout out to.

Mara looked over Abdul’s shoulder as she felt him winning pushing
her backwards and let out a sob.
 
It
was a long way down.
 
She fought
Abdul with all her strength and tried to keep a grip on the railing with one
hand feeling dizzy.
 
When she looked
up to face him again all she could see was his head being knocked sideways and
his body hitting the deck hard as though he had been struck dead.
 
He was out cold.

Stephane
caught
her as she lost balance and started to fall backwards.
 
He lifted her from the rail and held her
tight against him.
 
He was shaking.
 
The French police swarming like bees
between people to arrest those involved.
 
It was all over.

“How did you know?” she cried against him.

“I had a feeling Abdul was somehow involved from the start when
Louise went missing.
 
I knew he
would use this opportunity to get to you.
 
The exchange was supposed to take place and I arranged with the police
to have everyone arrested.
 
They
were late but thankfully they got Ryan downstairs and I made it here in
time.
 
I could have lost you,” he
said kissing her head.

Mara had no time to respond feeling herself being cruelly pulled
from his arms and enfolded in the arms of her anxious brother.
 
She hugged him and assured his
persistent questions that she was fine.

“So you are
Stephane
Garreau
,
the man who kidnapped my sister,’ Peter said with contempt pulling his sister
closer.

Stephant
met his
steely eye with the nerve and dignity of a man forced to face an awful truth.

“Yes, I am,” he told Peter firmly.

Peter
signalled
to the female police
detective who appeared to be leading the operation.

“
Sgt
Marsaud
,
this is the man who kidnapped my sister.
 
I want him arrested.”

Stephane
glanced
at Mara.

“I just want to be with you.
 
Forgive me,” he said quietly.
 
“It is up to you, Mara to decide whether or not I should be arrested.”

Peter Logan’s handsome dark features creased with annoyance but he
agreed.

“It is up to you, Mara.
 
He may have helped you here but he did hold you hostage.”

Mara could see
Stephane’s
powerful frame
tighten ready to take any blow that she delivered and nobly take responsibility
to protect his family.
 
It was one
of his many qualities she admired most but he needed a lesson.
 
She thought hard.

“Yes, please arrest him,” she told
Sgt
Marsaud
with a tremor in her voice.

“That is quite a story,”
Sgt
Marsaud
said sitting back in her chair.

Mara sat huddled against Peter.
 
Although it was warm outside she was beginning to feel cold and
unwell.
 
She desperately wanted to
get out of the dingy office and go home but she knew she couldn’t leave with
out sorting what she wanted done with
Stephane
.

“So I am willing to forget that the French police failed to
investigate the kidnapping of myself and Maxine
Villenueve
if you will keep
Stephane
Garreau
in prison for a night.
 
He is to
have no contact with his lawyer and a full press black out,” Mara demanded
authoritatively.

“I can’t do that.
 
I
can’t bend the law to meet your needs,” the
Sgt
frowned.

“Why not?
 
You obliged Monsieur
Garreau
.”

Peter looked at his sister catching her drift.

“What Mara is trying to tell you is that she knows that Monsieur
Garreau
is a respected and shall we say wealthy figure in
your community and it would be a shame to lose him to a scandal.
 
I think you could oblige her and in
return the French and British press will not get to hear about this sordid
little affair and your failure.
 
It’s easier this way, don’t you think?’ he smiled.
 
“On this occasion I think you can bend
the law for one night.”

There was a heavy pause.

“All right.
 
I understand
where you are coming from but why don’t you want to press full charges anyway?”

“I have my reasons.
 
Can
I see him before I go?”

“Yes if you really want to.”

“Mara, I don’t think it’s wise and I want to get you checked over,”
Peter was impatient.

“I know I won’t be a minute.”

She was quickly led down the corridor to the cells.

The billionaire was prowling around his barred cell like a caged
animal.
 
He stood still as she
approached.

“Mara, I didn’t expect to see you,” he said slowly his blue yes
lighting up at her presence.
 
“You
look terrible.”

Her eyes travelled to his shirt collar.
 
It was open where they had taken away
his tie and his belt was missing.
 
For once he looked disheveled.

“How the mighty have fallen,” she said bitterly.
 
“What does it feel like to be imprisoned
with your life and your career on the line?
 
It hurts doesn’t it?
 
You might know how I felt now.”

“This is what it’s all about isn’t it?
 
You want me to suffer like you did.
 
Well I’ve got news for you I am,” he
yelled unable to control his temper.

“Well good luck,
Stephane
.
 
You are going to need it.
 
What are your family and your society
friends going to think now?”

He reached out between the bars and caught her wrist pulling her
towards them.

“I don’t give a damn about what they think.
 
I don’t care what anyone thinks but
you.
 
I am suffering because I can’t
be with you. We had something going and now you are going to throw it all
away.
 
Don’t do this.
 
You don’t need to.
 
I’ve suffered with guilt since the day I
took you away from that apartment.”

His grip was tightening.

“Don’t you think I have had enough of being pushed around?” she said
looking down at his hand wrapped tightly around her wrist.
 
“Let go.”

“Not until you tell me that you are going to get me out of here and
let me make all of this up to you.”

She began to cry much to her anger.

Stephane
relaxed
his grip in response.

“I love you, Mara.”

She looked at him her face full of confusion.

“I can’t deal with all of this right now.
 
I’m sorry,” she snatched her arm away
and bolted from the cells.

Stephane
sat back
down on the bunk holding his head in his hands.
 
He had never told any woman that he had
loved them before and now he was going to loose her.

“Peter, can we go now I don’t feel so good,” she said walking back
into the room.

Peter put his arm around his sister noticing that she had been
crying and nodded.
 
He took her to
Maxine’s where they would spend the night and return home in the morning after
an arranged meeting with Matisse, his lawyers and the French police at her
insistence.

“What is your plan concerning
Stephane
?
 
What are you doing asking them to keep
him in prison but not pressing charges?” Maxine asked sitting on the side of
Mara’s bed.
 
She looked uneasy.

“I suppose I just want him to suffer a bit.
 
I want him to feel how I did.”

“But I thought you cared for him.”

“So he’s just supposed to get away with it,” she said sitting up her
voice rising slightly.

“No calm down.
 
I was
just a bit surprised.
 
You know I
would have him charged.
 
What
happens when he gets out?”

“He gets out and I will have gone home, end of story.”

Maxine shook her head making no effort to hide her disbelief.

“I don’t think he will let what has happened between the both of you
drop and I don’t think you will want him to.”

Mara turned away trying to hide tears and Maxine hugged her.
 
Forgetting the billionaire would be
harder than she thought.

The following afternoon her business with Raymond Matisse was
concluded and both the French and English police were provided with the
necessary evidence for Abdul’s demise.
 
Mara got out of a limousine and followed Peter across the tarmac towards
the private jet that Raymond Matisse had insisted she use.
 
She heaved a sigh of relief, glad to be
finally going home and smiled up at the steward waiting to welcome them aboard.

“Who the hell is that?”
 
Peter said turning round as another Mercedes drove at speed towards the
plane and parked next to their own.

Mara held her breath.
 
Stephane
quickly got out of the back of the car and stood
looking up at her.

“I’ll wait for you inside,” Peter said tactfully and walked up into
the plane.

Despite her apprehension she found herself walking back down the
steps towards him.
 
He was
dressed
as she’d left him in the prison.

“When did you get out?” she asked not knowing quite what to say.

“When you told them that I could be.
 
That was quite clever Mara, almost as
devious as me.
 
Thanks for not
involving the press.”

The mischievous grin was there on his lips again making her warm to
him.
 
He moved closer.

“I think I’ve been punished enough, Mara.
 
Don’t leave.”

His hand reached up and held her face.
 
She shut her eyes and leaned towards it.

“I have to leave.
 
I have
a lot to sort out,” she replied opening her eyes.

“What about us?
 
Are you
just going to forget everything?”

“Too much has happened.
 
Do you expect me to forget everything?”

He dropped his hand.

“No but we could try and make a go of things now it’s all over.”

There was a depression in his voice that she found hard to
resist.
 
He put his arms around her
body that remained cold and stiff, indifferent to his warmth.

“I can’t, I can’t forget everything like you can?”

“Do you love me?”

She paused, hesitating.

“Yes I do but it’s not enough. I need to be able to trust you, rely
on you.”

“You know you can.
 
Don’t
leave me,” he said holding her at arms length.

He was finding this open show of feeling difficult but was eager to
show his remorse and love.

“No, I’m sorry, I must go.
 
Goodbye,
Stephane
.
 
It would never work.”

“We could try.”

Mara broke away from him.
 
He said no more and watched her turn and run up the steps of the
plane.
 
She didn’t look back.
 
The billionaire turned and leaned
against the top of the car feeling the full weight of her rejection.
 
He watched the plane make its way to the
end of the runway increasing its speed until it rose in the air and glided over
the airport.

A week later Mara sat in her office trying to get her head around a
partnership agreement she had been drafting and threw it down defeated.
 
Since returning she had found it
difficult to concentrate on anything.
 
Her mind kept running over the events like some action replay.
 

Mara turned her chair around to face the window behind her and
looked out over St Paul’s cathedral.
 
She was regretting leaving
Stephane
.
 
It had been the right thing to do but
she missed his love and now there was a new problem.
 
Mara smoothed her hand over her stomach
wondering how long it would be before her pregnant stomach would start
showing.
  
She would have to
tell him soon.
 
Every time she tried
to pull away from
Stephane
there was always something
or now someone forcing her back to him.
 
Mara loved him and it had taken the space in London to realize just how
much.
 
But now the bond between them
would only be platonic.

She had lost
Stephane
through foolish
pride.
 
Mara turned back around and
stood up from her desk to make her way outside to where her secretary sat.

“Janice, I didn’t ask you were there any messages for me when I was
on lunch?”

The woman who was not much older than Mara looked at her with
surprise.

“No you know I would have told you straight away,” she said, the
hurt evident in her voice.

“I’m sorry, I just hoped . . . never mind.
 
Have you got that draft partnership
agreement for Lambton’s typed up yet?”

“Yes, here it is.
 
Who’s
that?”

She watched Mara stand up from leaning over her desk, her face
brightening before quickly dipping her head.

“That’s him isn’t it?” her secretary asked excitedly.

Mara kept her head down and nodded grinning wildly at the woman.

The billionaire strode into the office with the same confident air
he had when they first met.
 
He was
dressed in yet another immaculate dark suit that made him stand out and above
all of the other men in the office.
 
Every female turned her head to view him as he passed.