He stood there, shoulders broad and strong, hands in his pockets, giving nothing away of his thoughts, not even a hint. “I don’t need you to be sorry.”
She wondered what he did need, but didn’t have the nerve to ask.
“And taking me makes perfect sense, really.”
“How’s that?”
“More leverage with which to manipulate you. The only problem will be, of course, once Rick sees me. He’ll take one look and realize I’m no stranger, not to him and not to Leena.” He turned to face her. “But unfortunately, to Maddie I would be.”
She stared at him as the truth sank in. And it no longer mattered if they were being watched or not because he was right. “You met Rick in person? When? He rarely meets clients in person.”
“And yet I met you in person.”
“Yes, but that was only because…” She broke off, blushed. She’d flown to him under the guise of needing to talk to her client, an excuse that had worked with Rick at the time but had been nothing but a big, fat lie. “Never mind.”
The truth was, she’d flown to New Orleans to meet with Ben because she’d been attracted to him from the very start, to his voice, to the way he strung his words together, to how he seemed so laid-back and easygoing, so intelligent and yet utterly approachable.
And genuine. Kind and warm and genuine.
There had not been enough of that in her life, and she’d homed in on it like a bee to honey. Meeting him had only deepened her crush, and it had been a crush. A deep, heart-yanking crush. In person, he’d been even more dynamic than she’d expected, and her visceral reaction had shocked her.
She wanted him. Mind, spirit, and even more shocking, physically.
He’d been completely clueless, of course, and one-hundred-percent professional. Together, they’d pored over her design, talking for hours and hours.
And then he’d taken her to dinner. And over sushi and candlelight, over laughter and more easy talking, she’d done the unthinkable. She’d fallen.
Hard.
And then she’d had to go back to Stone Cay to make his design a reality and screw him over.
That she’d done so was her own personal humiliation and shame, and she’d take that to her grave.
But Ben would not be taking anything to his grave, not if she had anything to do about it.
He was regarding her from unfathomably deep eyes. “I contacted him after I discovered the swindle,” he said.
Her mouth fell open. “You what?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t? That I would just let it go and not care about the fact that I was robbed?”
“Most do,” she admitted. “All do. Because his clients are all of questionable wealth to begin with. So far no one’s wanted to admit they were a victim.”
“I was referred to him by a relative,” Ben said quietly, “of questionable wealth. I don’t know what came over me to actually use an acquaintance of his, and believe me, I’m extremely sorry I did, but I won’t be a victim for anyone.”
Certainly not for her.
The message was loud and clear.
“The problem is, of course,” Ben said, almost thoughtfully, “I’m now an expendable complication.”
Leena swallowed. She was afraid he was right, but the thought of Rick doing anything to Ben did something to her. It revealed her backbone, and she pointed at Ben now, stabbing a finger into his chest, which was hard and ungiving.
How the hell did a rich artist get so damned buff? “Nothing’s going to happen to you. Do you hear me?”
“Hard to miss. You’re shouting.” He rubbed his chest. “And ouch.”
“I mean it. You’re going to be okay.”
He let out a low laugh at that. “Sweetheart, look around. I’ve been taken and brought to what is for all intents and purposes a deserted island. I’m already pretty far from okay, and I have a feeling it’s not going to be the last of it.”
Oh, God. He was right. What could she do?
If only Maddie really was here. She could think incredibly quickly on her feet, but thinking quickly had never been a particularly strong suit of Leena’s.
At the knock on the door, her heart thumped hard against her ribs, and she glanced at Ben.
He lifted a shoulder.
They were pretty much helpless, and he knew it.
Before she could make a move, the door simply opened and Rick stood there.
He smiled at her, but it wasn’t a very nice smile. In fact, it curdled her blood, and she took a slight step in front of Ben.
The gesture was not missed, not by Rick and especially not by Ben, who stepped out from behind her with a fulminating don’t-you-dare look on his face.
But he had no idea what they were up against. Not really.
Unfortunately, she did.
“Greetings,” Rick said.
“Rick-”
He held up his hand to silence her, his sharp gaze locking on Ben. “Ah,” he said. “Interesting. Hope you’re enjoying your visit to Stone Cay, Mr. Kingman.”
“Considerate of you to ask.” Ben’s eyes flashed fury. “Considering that first, you insult me by swindling me out of a family heirloom, which I want back, by the way. And now you bring me here against my will.”
“Sorry about that second part. A most unfortunate accident. You will be returned to your gallery soon enough.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t believe it.
Neither did Leena.
Rick pulled out a two-way radio and spoke into it. “Have Ed and Saul sent to my office. They’ve managed to bring me the wrong sister. Which means it was Maddie we had here the first time. Explains the security cameras breach, yes?” Then he turned to Leena. “You’re going to call your sister. Tell her we’re having a family reunion, and her presence is required. Again.”
Leena shook her head.
“No? Then tell her you need her help.”
“But I don’t.”
“Actually, you do, but that’s neither here nor there at the moment.”
“You should have just let us go!” she cried. “It would have been smarter to just let us go!”
At that, his eyes cooled, nearly freezing her skin on the spot. “Call Maddie, Leena.”
When she hesitated again, he calmly pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ben.
She immediately opened her cell phone. Maddie’s cell phone.
“Atta girl,” Rick said approvingly.
Chapter 25
Maddie and Brody made it back to Sky High Air, where everything seemed so normal it was hard for Maddie to adjust. She walked into the lobby with the inviting leather couches, the tall, leafy plants, the huge maps spread over the walls. The scent was distinctive-jet fuel and oil-the sounds as familiar as breathing. She could hear a jet engine roaring, the thunk of a candy bar falling from one of the vending machines, a lineman yelling to another…
Home. She was home.
Too bad it wasn’t to stay. She had to find her sister, and in that vein, pulled Leena’s cell phone out of her purse to turn it back on from her flight.
It immediately vibrated, which had her heart racing. She retrieved the voice mail-from Leena!-but the fear in her voice reactivated Maddie’s.
“I’m on Stone Cay,” Leena said.
What?
“I’m here to…um, visit.”
No way. Whatever reason Leena had for being there, it wasn’t to “visit.”
“Anyway, it’s been so long since we’ve all been together, and Rick was thinking you might come back. For a family reunion sort of thing. Yeah. So…see you soon.”
Okay, this was bad. Maddie shut the phone, her brain racing.
Rick was on to them.
Somehow, he’d found out he’d had Maddie there on the island instead of Leena. Even worse, Leena was now bearing the brunt of his rage by herself. Now Rick wanted Maddie back on the island, and the only reason for that had nothing to do with a family reunion.