Boss: Romantic Thriller Page 15

  When she reached the steps, he was at her side. She didn’t realize that she needed help, but his arm around her waist offered her the steadiness she couldn’t find on her own two legs. Together they ascended.

  “How bad is your head?” he asked.

  She ignored the question.

  He sighed with acceptance. Anything she offered him from here on out would be by force and she decided that she was not going to play his game. He walked her to the door and tossed it open. She frowned discovering that it was unlocked. Was there someone else present?

  “Go on,” he encouraged her.

  She went inside with him following. “Where is the furniture?” she asked.

  “I told you no one lives here,” he said after he closed the door. “Don’t worry there’s electricity.”

  She crossed her arms in defiance and refused to take another step.

  “We’re going there,” he tossed his chin to the left. She glanced over to a set of tall double doors that were closed.

  “What’s in there?” she asked.

  He didn’t answer. He just stared at her and waited. She caved and walked stiffly to the door, past the stairs. She sucked down a breath of bravery and opened the door. It was a larger room with handsome furnishings around a fireplace that had a television mounted above it.

  “Sit down and wait here,” he ordered.

  She glanced back at him as he closed the doors, locking her inside. She turned to stop him, but it was too late.

  “Shit!” Kassidy said.

  The house was cold but not as cold as it was outside only her nerves had left her perspiring with panic. She shrugged off her coat and tossed it to the L-shaped leather sofa. She went around the room in search of a phone. There was none. Next she tried the windows. Each felt as if it were nailed shut. She looked out at the snow falling. It was beautiful. In all her life in Texas, she’d never seen snow like this. And then she worried. The more it fell, the worse her plight would be. Even though she doubted someone was looking for her, how could they find her in these conditions?

  She turned from the window when Tarek returned. He breezed in with the binder she had stolen from his company. She watched him in silence as he walked over and picked up the remote control. The gas fireplace flickered on, and began to warm the room immediately. He then aimed it at the television and it flipped on. The news broadcast blared.

  It’s the worst storm Dallas has seen in over a decade. If you are inside, then stay. The Dallas North Tollway is at a standstill. Highways I-635 and I-820 are also at a standstill. A radar map appeared with the image of the troubled areas in red. The storm covered the entire city it seemed. Tarek stared at the screen and Kassidy stared at him. The weather woman continued to explain the trouble areas, and said emergency crews were out clearing roads for salt trucks.

  “They predicted this. When the sun goes down a lot of this snow is going to freeze,” he said. He glanced over at her. He tapped the binder against his leg as if he were thinking.

  “Okay, you caught me. I was going to turn that over to the E.P.U. Yes. I’m guilty. Call the police," she said.

  “I knew there was something about you the moment I met you. I couldn’t put my finger on it. At first I thought it was Dale. He’d tried this shit before. But I was wrong. Still, I didn’t think it was the EPU. How did I miss that?”

  “Are you serious? Who the fuck cares Tarek? You caught me. It’s over. You won.”

  He tossed the binder to the coffee table, and then took a seat. She glared at him. He waited. Kassidy walked over to the chair and sat down. The sooner they were done the better. And he wasn’t going to like what she had to say.

  “Why did you want to work for me?” he asked.

  “It’s obvious,” she said, and pointed to the folder she stole.

  “No. It’s not obvious. You could access this information without working for me. You sought me out. Me, over Dale, and even Henry. Why choose me?”

  “I didn’t seek you...”

  “And that little performance you gave me in Chicago. The one at the airport and on my private plane and later in bed... and then Alaska. You had plenty of information after Alaska. Why now?”

  “None of it matters now because this stunt trumps anything Daniel and I have done—”

  Tarek smiled. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He removed it, and answered.

  “Yes, good. Call me. Okay,” Tarek said, and ended the call. “You were saying?” he asked.

  “I said Daniel is going to go to the police. He’ll tell them you kidnapped me. This will get a lot worse for you,” she said.

  “Your friend Daniel was just picked up. He’s not going anywhere but to his office to get me every file, and every document you gave him. And then he’ll come here. When I’m satisfied, you both are going to jail,” Tarek said.

  Kassidy swallowed down the hard truth. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Reaching up she touched her brow and winced. She looked at her fingers, and was relieved to see there was no blood. It hurt like she was bleeding though. He observed her in silence.

  “Why are you like this? You aren’t really a Marshall but you’re just as evil,” she said.

  “I’m protecting my family because they are my family.”

  “That’s a lie. You went to Alaska and met with the Kovalevsky’s to take your company from your family.”

  Tarek went over to what she didn’t know was a liquor cabinet, and began to fix himself a drink.

  “Your father is dumping the oil business,” she blurted out.

  Tarek froze. His back was to her so she couldn’t see his face. But she sensed his tension and anger.

  “It’s the truth. It started right after you left again for Alaska. Did you know I’ve been meeting with him and Dale the past two months? He’s unloading the company.”

  Tarek slammed the bottle down on the shelf.

  “He doesn’t care about the Campos Basin or Alaska. And neither does your brother Dale. There’s some investigations starting. Your father has been dumping stock, and selling off parts of your company for months. The only paper trail he’s leaving is the one that leads to you,” she said.

  Tarek chuckled. He nodded and smiled. “You’re good… really good. But I know everything about my company and my family. Nothing happens behind my back.”

  “So you’re in on it? You’re letting them do it? Why?”

  Tarek didn’t answer.

  “What is it you really want Tarek?”

  There was no fucking way his father would abandon the Marshall legacy. The stroke hadn’t scrambled his brain that much. Tarek was groomed from a small boy to protect and serve the Marshall name. Not a single one of his brothers, including Dale, ever showed the commitment or desire to do the same. He removed his phone from his blazer pocket and dialed his father. The call went to voicemail.

  “It’s Tarek. You were right about her. Call me,” he said and hung up.

  “Who was that?” she asked.

  Tarek smiled.

  “Who was right about me?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “I need to use the bathroom,” she said.

  “Then I guess it’s time,” he tossed down his drink and set the glass down.

  “Time for what?” she asked.

  “I’m in no mood for this bullshit,” he said and approached. She scooted over on the sofa. He took her arm and forced her to stand. “I’ll put you in a room, and we’ll wait for your friend to deliver. Then you and I, pretty lady, are done. Oh, and yes sweetheart you’re fired.”

  She was pretty. That was part of her power. Because it took brains, smarts, and guts to do what she had done in the past six months and not get caught. How stupid was he? The moment she approached him in the restaurant he knew she wasn't who she seemed. He didn't believe her bullshit for a minute. Then he takes her to Alaska and loses his focus. He was an idiot.

  When he pulled her toward the door, she didn’t resist. Not like he expected s
he would. So he let go of the tight hold he kept on her arm. At times, he didn’t know his own strength. He saw the way her eyes swept her surroundings as they walked, and he could imagine her thoughts. She wanted out. There was no out thanks to the winter storm barreling down on him. There were no phones in his place, besides the one in his pocket. She was his, for now.

  “I need medical attention,” she said.

  Tarek glanced over to her, remembering that she did black out, and the swelling above her brow was becoming more apparent.

  “I feel funny, dizzy,” she said.

  “I should hear from Cash soon,” he said.

  “Cash? Who is Cash?” she asked.

  “Never mind who he is. When I turn you over to the police they will get you some –”

  “No!” she grabbed his arm, stopping them both mid-step. “I need it now. I hit my head and that’s your fault. I could have a concussion or something.”

  He took hold of her chin and her eyes stretched. He looked into her eyes and though they looked weary from tears, her pupils looked fine to him. She snatched her face away from his hold. Tarek took hold of her arm and continued to pull her up the stairs. At the top, he walked her down a hall to a room on the left. It was also one of the few rooms that were furnished.

  When they arrived at the door, he forced her inside. She pulled away and went toward the bed rubbing her arm. Had he again been too rough? What if she was hurt? Tarek hadn’t thought that part of his plan through.

  “What is this room, my prison?” she asked.

  “It is for now. You can clean up yourself in there,” he said pointing.

  She glanced over to the bathroom. Then her gaze turned back to him. He waited. He wasn’t sure for what, until it happened. She removed her coat and then her blazer in front of him. Tarek’s gaze went over the swell of her breasts, and her petite waist. There was blood on her shirt. Several drops actually. This feeling of guilt he felt was new to him. He typically never felt guilty dealing with his enemies.

  Kassidy rubbed her arm and walked over to the bathroom. Once inside, she turned on the light, then inspected the side of her face. Tarek rubbed his jaw. He took a step toward the bathroom, their favorite place, when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

  He paused and removed it. But his eyes never left her. “Where are you?”

  “I, ah, we got a problem boss.”

  “What problem?” Tarek asked.

  “I took the kid back downtown to his office to get what you wanted. The roads are the worst here. They’ve completely shut down the access roads to the interstate. Everything is iced over. And the snow is not stopping...”

  “I don’t give a fuck!” Tarek yelled. “Do you hear me? You bring him here with everything. This happens now,” Tarek said. Kassidy glanced over to him with concern. Tarek ended the call, and heaved a deep breath before he turned and walked out the room. He paced the hall trying to think.

  21.

  Kassidy feared his return. She saw the way he looked at her. When he didn’t come back, she left the bathroom. She glanced around her for a weapon, something, anything she could use for protection. But there was nothing in this room, besides a lamp that she could lift. Deja-vu returned. The night she spent trapped in a room in Alaska with men outside of her door. It was as if she and Tarek were on this out of control merry-go-round. She kept spinning toward nothing.

  What she needed was a phone. Tarek had one, but the house had to have one as well. Didn’t it?

  She rubbed her hands down her hips and walked to the door. She put her ear to it first and listened for him. There wasn’t a sound, so she said a silent prayer and opened it slowly, peeking outside. The hall was empty. He had to have gone downstairs. Though she burned to break and run for it, she knew that he’d catch her. Instead, she ran for the room across the hall. Kassidy opened the door, and found the room empty. She frowned and backed out of the room, checking the next door in the hall, and then the next. Each room was like the last. Empty. Two didn’t even have windows.

  “What the hell is this place?” she asked herself in the hall.

  22.

  “Hello, Mom,” Tarek said.

  “Tarek, ah, hi,” his mother said.

  “Is Pops around?” He paced the floor.

  “No. Sorry, hon. He’s with your brother Dale. Are you okay? The weather report said –”

  “He’s not answering my calls. Did you speak to him?” Tarek asked.

  “Earlier. He said he would stop by and see Dale and Henry at the office before he came home. The storm, Tarek, it’s getting worse. Where are you?”

  “I’m fine. When you see Dad tell him to call me,” Tarek said.

  “Why don’t you call your brother? He can—”

  “Have Pops, call me,” he said and hung up. He dialed the worm attorney who did his father’s bidding.

  “Bill Havarti speaking,” the attorney answered on the first ring.

  “The accounts. The wire transfers. Does anyone have the account numbers?” Tarek asked.

  “No. I have everything in my office under lock and key...”

  “Destroy everything. Do you hear me. Today. Every trace. Wait to hear from me....”

  A door slammed. It was the front door. Tarek ended the call before he raced out of the parlor. He went straight for the front door, opening it in time to see that Kassidy was on the run. She stumbled a few times and struggled to flee in the large but soft drifts of snow. It was a mile’s drive from the front door to the road. And the snow had already blanketed his land. It was uncanny how hard and fast it fell. He stepped out into the storm and squinted up at the grey storm clouds. The sky was gone and the temperature was dropping.

  Tarek groaned and headed down the steps. His neighbors were spread ten to twelve miles apart so no one could hear her screams for help on his eight-thousand acres of land. He started toward his truck and paused, thinking that the woman was a survivor. He respected that.

  23.

  Kassidy glanced back over her shoulder. He was outside and running for her and he was smiling. Terrified, she stumbled and fell in the snow. Kassidy willed herself to get up, to run faster and not weaken. But she didn’t even see the road ahead, just snow and more snow. She was up and running when he caught her. She swung and hit him hard in the face, aiming for his eyes with her nails. A tactic her ex-boyfriend had taught her in self-defense. She clawed at his face, scratched him good. Then they both went down, the snow cushioned her fall but the fall hurt like hell. Stunned, she lost the battle. Tarek seized the opportunity, grabbing both of her arms and pinning them above her head. She felt as if she were pressed down on top of a block of ice. Her head sank into the snow and his face came close. The scratch she gave him had blood trickling down his cheek.

  “You want to play rough?” he asked. Was he excited? The creep! She squirmed. “There’s nowhere to go, Kassidy. No one knows you’re here.”

  “You bastard!” she shouted at him. “No wonder your own father wants to destroy you, you evil fucking bastard!”

  His eyes darkened with anger. “I’m done playing games with you!”

  “Good! So am I!” she shouted back, bucking her hips and kicking her legs. He tried to rise and bring her with him by holding her wrists. The separation between them gave her the advantage she needed. Kassidy drove her knee up swift and fast, hitting her target. Tarek yelped in pain and fell off her. He grabbed his gonads. Kassidy got to her feet while he howled in agony face down in the snow. She looked to the road and then back to the house. Her eyes soon landed on his big truck. She dropped next to him, and dug in his pocket for his keys. She found the keyless remote before Tarek tried to recover. He grabbed at her arm, but she was able to snatch away. And this time when she was up and running for his truck, she had no intention of stumbling or falling. This time she knew she had to run for her life.

  24.

  The pain was so intense tears stung his eyes. Agony covered his pelvis, and made his knees and legs weak. He literally
had to lie still for the suffering to subside. But that was a mistake. She had his keys, and it felt like only seconds before he heard the revving of his truck’s engine. Tarek sat up. He held his groin and squinted with snow covering his lashes. He had underestimated her, again. Fuck! She was getting away. He staggered and stood up. Blood and snow was on his face. And his truck, his pride and joy, was charging straight for him. Tarek had to jump out of the way. The damn woman had aimed to run him over.

  “Kassidy!” he roared in anger.

  She drove erratically toward the front gates.

  “Kassidy!”

  Tarek limped to his house. He didn’t have another car. He’d have to head to the stables, and pray her fear and inexperience in this type of weather played on his side. If not, he was fucked. He didn’t realize as he limped away that his cell phone was left behind in the snow. And by the time he reached the stables the heavy downpour of frosty white had covered his cell phone completely.

  25.

  There was something wrong. She tried to steer the truck but the slightest turn left or right of the wheel sent the vehicle veering in that direction. What the hell kind of truck was this? He had totally rigged it for his driving preference. She fumbled with the gears sticking out of the steering column for the wipers, and found them just in time to see the road.

  “Shit!” she screamed. There was forest just beyond the road. The truck surged in speed and swerved off his land onto the main road. She recovered by cutting the wheel hard left. It spun into the turn. The truck barely kept from toppling over the embankment on the side of the road. She corrected herself out of the spin and sped on.

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” Kassidy cheered. She hit the steering wheel with glee. She’d gotten away. She’d beaten the bastard. She glanced up into the rearview mirror to see if he had another monster vehicle in pursuit. Relieved to see there was no one after her and she was home free. Kassidy exhaled and her eyes returned to the road. It was then she saw the fox. It stood paralyzed on the snow-covered road staring directly at her. Kassidy slammed on the brakes. The bed of the truck and back wheels swung left and she turned the wheel right but not in time, the truck flipped. She screamed in horror.