The Billionaire's Affair: Billionaire Brothers (Tycoon Billionaires Book 2) (7 page)

Sarah was exhausted by the time she left the police station with Dylan and Joseph. At times during her interview she’d felt as if the police were interrogating her, rather than asking for information. And she hadn’t understood what relevance it was that Dylan was a former boyfriend of hers, but this fact seemed to be of great interest to the detective. Thankfully Dylan’s lawyer had been very professional and ensured she only answered the questions she was comfortable with. 

They all got a cab back to Dylan’s apartment, where he’d been living for the last few months to oversee the Grafton Techs takeover. Sarah refrained from gasping as she walked in. Dylan had obviously done very well for himself in the years since they’d split up. The apartment was huge and modern; clean and immaculate. His monthly rent was probably the equivalent of a year’s wages for some of her staff at the hotel. It was pure luxury. But… it was characterless, like living inside the glossy-but-bland pages of a home-furnishings catalogue. The cream walls, beige carpets, and angular furniture were dull enough, but the lack of personal artefacts – such as books or photos – made the place feel utterly soulless. She knew Dylan wasn’t planning to move here permanently, but still… did he actually
live
here, or just exist?

Dylan showed them through to the lavish kitchen. It was metallic and minimalistic, reminding Sarah of a futuristic movie. But the clinical décor was quite fitting for how Sarah was currently feeling. Detached. Cold. Emotionless…

Dylan pulled her out of her thoughts with a kiss her on the lips – making her feel shy in front of Joseph. Then he headed back to the living room. “Hey, Joe, make Sarah a cup of tea, okay? I need to call Adam and the others. Make sure they’re all okay.”

Joseph frowned. “Why? What would be wrong?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. Let me call them first.”

Sarah unwrapped the plastic from an untouched packet of tea, then she watched as Joseph poured the boiled water from the gleaming kettle into a brand new mug. He stared into the steaming liquid and pressed the teabag up against the side of the cup to within an inch of its life.

“Still can’t make a decent cuppa, I see?” she joked.

He glanced up and smiled. “Sorry, I was miles away.”

“It’s okay. It’s been a bit of a weird afternoon, hasn’t it? You okay?”

“Oh yeah, I’m okay. I’m getting used to people dying all around me.”

Sarah gazed at him with compassionate eyes. Poor kid. “You miss Ivan… he was a good guy.”

Joseph gave the teabag one last squeeze then fished it out with the teaspoon. “He was the best. But life goes on. I just wish… oh, nothing. There’s no point in wishing, is there? It doesn’t change anything.”

Sarah reached out and grasped his arm affectionately. “I know how painful it is, Joseph, I really do. But – and it’s cliché, I know – but time will take the sting away. It won’t always feel this bad. I promise.”

Joseph smiled sadly. “Thank you, Sarah – I know I’m not the only one who’s been through this.”

Sarah opened her mouth to share her own losses, but Dylan strode back into the room. “Good news – everyone’s alive.”

Sarah poured a splash of milk into her tea. “Why wouldn’t they be, Dylan?”

He leaned against the marble counter. “I got a phone call during my police interview. They told me not to repeat what Natalia said to me when she died, or they’d exact revenge on my family. One by one.”

Joseph’s mouth dropped open. “What!”

“Don’t worry, kiddo, I didn’t tell the police anything.”

Sarah’s anxiety sputtered into life. “Did you tell them what happened last night, though?
I
did. I mean, I didn’t think it would be a problem. Your lawyer said it was okay to tell them that.”

“I told them the truth,” Dylan said. “But I get the feeling that detective thinks I had something to do with what happened, so I need to make sure I clear my name. I don’t trust the police.”

“What
did
Natalia say to you before she died?” Sarah asked. “You can tell me and Joseph, surely?”

Dylan rubbed his forehead wearily. “She said ‘Orlov will use Grafton Techs to create a war between Russia and America. He knows about Ivan… Long live the rebels.’”

Joseph stood tall, ready to fight. “What do they know about Ivan? That he’s dead? It’s hardly a secret, is it?”

“No… I know.”

“So what did they mean?” Sarah asked, stifling a yawn. “Oh sorry… What a day.”

Dylan put his arm around her and pulled her close. “It’s okay. It’s been a pretty traumatic afternoon, huh?” He transferred his attention to Joseph, “Hey, you got a gig tonight?”

“No, we’re not playing again now until my birthday.”

“So you’re coming to Adam and Amy’s party?”

“I don’t really feel like it after today. But I
am
staying with Adam and Amy, so it would be rude to just stay in my room. Are you going?”

“Yeah, me and Sarah are going.”

Sarah eased herself out of his arms. “I didn’t agree to that, Dylan.”

“No, but I don’t want you out of my sight. Nor you, Joseph. We’re in this together now.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me,” Joseph said. “I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, well I think we should keep an eye on each other. Just in case.”

“Just in case what?” Sarah yawned again. “God, sorry. I can’t stay awake.”

“You wanna lie down, sweetheart?” Dylan asked.

“Well… I should really get back to work.”

“No,” Dylan said. “I don’t want you back there today. It’s too dangerous. Phone your boss – the hotel owner – and tell him –”

“Her.”

“Tell
her
you’ve been a witness to a murder. They’ll just have to cope without you.”

Sarah nodded. It would be nice to sleep for a while. She tried not to think about the brutal image of Natalia that had been haunting her all day. What if she could’ve done something to save the poor girl? A flash of sadness assaulted her, forcing hot tears into her eyes and a lump in her throat. She tried to suppress it, but her emotion spilled out into the world as a whimper. She bit her lip, refusing to break down.

Dylan wrapped her up in his arms. “Come on, let’s go lie down ... Joe, don’t leave without telling me, okay?”

“Okay. I’ll get on with some college work if I can use your laptop? It’s all stored in the cloud.”

“Sure, help yourself.”

Dylan and Sarah strolled arm-in-arm to his bedroom. She still needed to let out her burning emotion. A good cry would make her feel better, but she would prefer to do it in private – just in case Dylan thought she was nuts or hysterical. Perhaps she could shower later and have a soothing sob.

Sarah glanced around his bedroom and tried to act cool, but this was the most impressive room she’d ever seen in her life. And she’d seen
a lot
of gorgeous bedrooms in her profession. The huge window overlooked a lush green park – an oasis in the middle of London – and the king-size bed seemed incredibly inviting. The high ceiling gave the room an airy feel, and Sarah started to feel a bit better just from being in this warm and sumptuous setting.

She sat down on an antique chair and gazed out into the summer night. Dylan sat on the corner of the bed opposite her, and they smiled into each other’s eyes. Sarah suddenly felt nervous. As if they were on their first date – which was odd, considering they’d already had sex twice and witnessed the murder of his former lover together this afternoon. Maybe it was
because
of those things that she felt nervous… maybe it was because her heart was opening up to Dylan again. And maybe his was opening up to her.

“Rough day, huh?” he said.

She smiled sadly. “It started well.”

He chuckled. “It did. Right up until I woke up and you weren’t there.”

“Did you expect me to be?”

“Nah. Just hoped.”

He gazed tenderly into Sarah’s eyes, and opened his mouth to add something, but then he shook his head and looked away.

“What?” she asked.

He smiled fondly. “I’m proud of what you’ve achieved, Sarah. I really am. You’ve done very well.”

She shot him a playful look. “You sound like my dad!”

He laughed. “Sorry. I mean it, though – it’s great to see you succeeding.”

“Thanks.” She gestured to the room. “You’ve obviously done pretty well yourself.”

“Yep. I can have anything money can buy…”

“But?”

He ran his fingers through his curls. “You know I’ve never been good with words.”

Her heart thumped nervously against her chest. “Maybe now’s the time to start?”

He held out his arms. “Come here. I’ll
show
you how I feel, okay?”

She remained seated and tutted disapprovingly. “Don’t you ever stop thinking about sex?”

“Well,
you
obviously don’t, because that’s not what I meant.” He shuffled back to lean against the velvet headboard. “Come on, lie in my arms… we can reminisce. Then we’ll get ready for the party.”

She stood up and crawled over the bed to his waiting arms. “I’m not sure about the party, Dylan. I don’t have anything appropriate to wear – I’ll feel self-conscious. It’s not like I have a walk-in wardrobe of pretty dresses at home, you know.”

His strong arms fell around her and she snuggled into his warm toned chest, feeling her tension melt away. He kissed her on the head. “That’s not a problem. You’re a similar size to Amy – I bet she’ll have the perfect dress for you, sweetheart. We’ll grab some dinner with Joseph, then we can get going. I won’t take no for an answer. Alright?”

After dinner, Dylan drove Sarah and Joseph to Adam and Amy’s place, and parked in the sweeping driveway.

“So I assume the Ferrari belongs to Adam?” Sarah asked, unclicking her seatbelt.

Dylan yanked up the parking brake and grinned. “I think he hired it for Joseph to cruise around London in, right kiddo?”

Joseph smiled in the backseat. “Something like that. I haven’t had the chance yet, but… maybe tomorrow.”

They all climbed out. Sarah felt even more underdressed now that Dylan and Joseph were wearing their designer suits and expensive shirts. She was still dressed for work and she felt crumpled after the day she’d had. Fingers crossed Amy would have a suitable party gown for her. They gathered on the ostentatious doorstep and Dylan threw her a loving glance, making her smile coyly. Had it really only been last night that she’d come here with him and Natalia? And now that lovely Russian lady was lying stone-cold in a police mortuary. Sarah shivered.

Adam answered the door and delivered his trademark cocky grin, pulling Sarah out of her gloom. “Hey, you guys. Have there been more developments since you called?”

“No,” Dylan said, as they walked into the impressive hallway. “We haven’t heard anything else today.”

“We’re here for a party,” Joseph said. “We can’t let them stop us from celebrating your engagement.”

“I agree,” Dylan said. “Hey, where’s Amy? Sarah’s claiming she’s got nothing to wear. I was hoping she might help her out.”

Amy strode into the hallway, looking radiant. “Of course, Sarah. Everything seems to be under control for the party. Let’s go upstairs. I’ve got just the dress for you.”

Amy grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen, then she led Sarah by the hand up the ornate staircase and into the master bedroom, which
did
have a walk-in closet. It was heavy and austere in here, compared to the lightness of Dylan’s apartment. The furniture was dark oak, and the double-bed creaked ominously as Sarah sat down. The low-ceiling would normally be quite stifling, but Sarah’s tension quickly unravelled in the glow of Amy’s affectionate company.

Amy joined her on the bed, and Sarah felt as if they were schoolgirls at a sleepover. Amy poured a large glass of wine, then passed it to Sarah.

“Thanks,” Sarah said. “So, how are the wedding plans going?”

“Oh, Adam only proposed to me last week. It’s all been a blur – we had to return to London pretty quick after Dylan’s involvement with… you know.”

“Natalia.”

“Yeah. It must be really weird for you seeing him again after all these years.”

“Well, I certainly didn’t expect to get mixed up in all this when I got up for work yesterday morning.”

“The Quinlan brothers like to keep things exciting.”

Sarah chuckled. “That’s true.”

“Cheers,” Amy said, holding her glass aloft.

“Cheers,” Sarah said. She sipped her wine and enjoyed the warmth of the alcohol soothing her body.

Amy rested her glass down on the nightstand, then she strode over and flung open the doors of the rosewood closet. It was crammed with expensive clothes.

“Wow, did you bring all those with you?” Sarah asked.

“Oh no. Adam called ahead and arranged for a personal shopper to fill it for me. He’s sweet like that. Honestly, it’s like another world. Takes a bit of getting used to, but… it’s nice.” She rummaged inside and pulled out a short sparkly dress. “I think this one would suit your colouring and figure. Why don’t you try it on? Then you can take a bath, and I’ll do your hair and make-up. How about it?”

“That sounds lovely, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.”

They shared a smile. Sarah felt her eyes sting with tears. She swallowed, but Amy had noticed. She rushed back to sit on the bed with her. “What’s wrong, sweetie? Did I upset you?”

“No, it’s just… you’re being so nice to me.”

Amy laughed. “Sorry, I’ll stop if you like!”

Sarah laughed, too. “No, I appreciate how lovely you are. It’s just been a horrible day.”

“I know. I’m sorry for babbling on about dresses when you must be in shock. Poor Natalia.”

“Yeah. At least I’m still here and alive.”

Amy held Sarah’s hand. “You wanna talk about it?”

Sarah composed herself. “No… It’s just seeing Dylan again. It’s brought back all these memories of being… well, of being
me
.”

“How do you mean?”

“It’s made me realise I’ve just wasted the last seven years of my life on autopilot, throwing myself into my job and not facing my emotions. Burying my feelings in my career, you know?”

Amy smirked playfully. “Oh, you sound like Adam!”

They both laughed. Sarah felt her tears try to surge up again, but she fought back.

Amy squeezed her hand. “It’s hard because the future is unknown and scary. But Dylan’s a good guy. And I can tell by the way he looks at you that there’s still a flame burning bright.”

Optimism glistened in Sarah’s heart. “Has he said something?”

“You know Dylan’s not one for talking about his feelings, but – in my opinion – he’s never stopped loving you.”

“How can you tell?”

“I know my future brother-in-law quite well by now. He can be a bit silent and brooding, but –”

Sarah giggled. “Yep, that’s our Dylan!”

Amy gazed tenderly into her eyes. “But today, even after…
everything
… there’s a change in him. It’s like he’s found the missing piece of the puzzle. I think
he’s
been putting his happiness on hold, too, waiting for you to come back.”

Sarah sipped her wine. “He hasn’t said anything like that to me.”

“He’s never been good at expressing himself, has he? Adam’s the brother with the silver tongue – we all know that. But Dylan will
show
you how he’s feeling, rather than talking about it. Isn’t that right?”

Sarah couldn’t stave off the tsunami of suppressed sobs any longer. Her emotion collapsed inside her chest like a landslide, and the tears spewed out in shuddering sobs. She could barely speak, but she wanted to explain. Her voice came out in sniffling shudders. “I didn’t want to leave him. But he sent me away. He told me to leave so I could take care of my mum. Of the family business. He said he loved me, but he wanted to do the internship. I didn’t want to leave, but he sent me away!”

Amy reached out and hugged her tight. Sarah sank into her warm arms, and Amy rocked her gently from side-to-side. “And if he hadn’t let you go? If he’d begged you to stay and you had? Your mother would’ve died alone and
that
would’ve been on your conscience forever. It would’ve torn you and Dylan apart anyway, right? Adam’s said many times that Dylan’s always had a wise head on his shoulders. He was thinking of what was best for you, Sarah. You do know that, don’t you?”

Sarah’s tears dwindled and she sat up straight. She inhaled and snuffled, feeling foolish for losing it like that. But somehow the sudden purging had made her feel lighter – like a summer’s day after a violent storm. “I know,” she said. “But what if too much time has passed now? What if it’s
fatal
to get involved with him these days!”

Amy laughed kindly, then she fell serious. “Sarah, what happened to Natalia had nothing to do with Dylan – that’s for sure. And it certainly had nothing to do with your relationship with him. Okay?”

Sarah sighed. “I know. Thank you, Amy. I needed that.”

“You can talk to me anytime. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing quite a lot of each other in the future.”

Amy winked. Sarah chuckled, but she didn’t want to ask what she was implying – it was pretty obvious anyway.

“Come on,” Amy said. “Try on the dress and I’ll get the bath running. You’ve had a hard day, and what you need now is some wine, some fun, and perhaps a little dance with your reunited lover.”