Deadly Obsession (40 page)

“Darling, please understand—”

He whirled around, interrupting her. “Understand what, Vivian? You haven’t answered my question. What the
fuck
did you do. With. All. My. Money?”

“Besides the two million I borrowed for the hospital bills, David invested half of it in a land deal before he died. We were going to build a five hundred unit loft high-rise, right in downtown L.A. The projected returns were fantastic. Tripling your money. But then the real estate bubble burst and the deal fell through. We lost everything.”

Nic was squeezing his fists so tightly, he drew blood. After a quick glance at his palms, he shoved his hands into his pockets. Blacking out was the last thing he needed right now. “What about the other half?”

“Carmichael Productions. Four years ago, David started a film production company. All our clients invested in it, including you.”

“Nice of you to let me know. What happened to the company?” He sneered. “Let me guess, it went under too?”

Hands in her lap, she sat on the couch like a statue. Her lips barely moving, she said so softly, he almost didn’t hear her, “I’ll understand if you want to quit the agency.”

He snorted. “Don’t you realize I could have you arrested for fucking embezzlement?” But God, could he really do that to her? Vivian would never survive prison; she’d barely survived losing David. One thing was sure—she wouldn’t be managing his goddamn money anymore.

“There is another way,” she said.

“What are you talking about?”

“To get the money you need to pay the blackmailers. I’m selling my house. The deal should be going through in the next day or so.”

Nic sat back down beside her. “You’re moving?” Was another woman in his life leaving him?

Vivian smiled. “I’d never go anywhere without you. The house is too big and I don’t need it anymore. The buyer agreed to pay six million for it, which with the two million from your investments leaves you only two million short.”

“Any idea where I can get that kind of money?”

She grinned. “Lauren could sell her Harry Winston necklace.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Never.”

“I was kidding.” She patted his knee. “But seriously, back when business was booming, David bought me some nice pieces. I’ll take them to the jewelers and see what I can get.”

He didn’t want her to sell her home or the jewelry her dead husband had given her to pay him back. But what choice did he have? If he didn’t pay the money, the stalker would still go after Lauren. “Why would you do this?”

“Because you mean the world to me, darling.”

Just then, he heard a noise and looked over his shoulder to see Lauren coming down the stairs, struggling with her luggage. Vivian quickly pulled a tissue out of her purse and furtively wiped at the streaks on her cheeks. Nic raced up the steps and grabbed Lauren’s bags, then set them on the floor near the door.

She stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Vivian, saying nothing. Vivian broke the silence with one of her usual catty comments. “Leaving so soon, dear?”

Seeing Lauren’s eyes narrow, Nic decided to intervene before things got uglier. “Vivian, thanks for dropping by.” He hooked an arm around Vivian’s shoulders and led her to the door. “Let me know when the deal goes through, okay?”

“You can count on it.”

Closing the door behind her, Nic barely suppressed a sigh of relief. Both women had looked ready for a no-holds-barred cage fight. He plastered a blank expression on his face and turned around. “Ready?”

She nodded but didn’t make a move to come closer.

“Is something wrong?”

“I… uh…” She stopped and swallowed, then licked her lips as if her mouth were dry. “I want you to keep an open mind about what I’m going to say.”

“Okay.” Her hesitation was making him nervous.

“Vivian wears designer shoes.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Lauren closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. “Nic, open your eyes. Vivian fits the profile of the stalker perfectly.”

Nic shook his head. Vivian had the means to do this and God knows she had the opportunity. But as far as he could tell, she had no motive. How would Vivian benefit from stalking him or trying to get money? Shit, the woman had already cleaned him out.

Lauren took a step toward him. “Promise me something.”

“What’s that?”

“Every time you see her from now on, look at her shoes. I know I’ve seen her wear red-soled shoes before.”

Nic folded his arms across his chest. “Okay.”

“Promise?”

When he nodded, she closed the distance separating them and rising on her toes, placed a tender kiss on his lips. “Be careful, Nic. I don’t want to lose another man I love to violence.”

He gazed into her sweet blue-green eyes, feeling like a dead man walking. “You already have,
chérie
. You already have.”

Vivian stood silent, unmoving, after Nic closed the door behind her. The defeat on that moneygrubber’s face as she plodded down the stairs with her luggage had been priceless. But before the celebration started, she had to be sure the leech was leaving for good.

She pressed her ear to the door. The cow was saying something, but she couldn’t make out the words. Vivian eyed the handle. She did have the key…. Maybe she could open the door just a tad. As she was about to turn the knob, she caught sight of the security keypad and froze.
Shit
. Nic had changed the code and hadn’t given her the new one.

Damn it, she had to know what they were saying. The gold digger had gotten the
Vanity Fair
job, what more did she want? Like Summer, she was using Nic as a launching-pad for her career. Why else had she entered that photography contest?

The sound of movement on the other side of the door captured her attention. After cupping her hand, she leaned her ear against it.
Lorna
was speaking. What was she saying?

“I don’t want to lose…” Vivian’s stomach fluttered. This could be it. God she was so close. The end of the sentence was garbled, but the missing word had to be “you.”

Vivian waited breathless, for Nic’s response. She couldn’t stand much more of this. He had to tell the parasite to hit the road. She’d given him warning after warning, and he’d ignored them all. At least until receiving the blackmail notice. Oh, what genius that had been, if she did say so herself. Her poor darling was wonderfully protective and loyal to a fault. She’d never doubted the extremes to which he’d go to protect his sister, and himself, from the press. She chuckled softly at the thought. He was a bit of a diva that way.

“You already have,” he said, and tingles raced up and down Vivian’s spine, like the precursor to a supernova of an orgasm. Hallelujah! Nic had finally dumped his little piece of tail.

Vivian leaned her head against the door and breathed a sigh of relief. For a few days now, she’d been worried that he’d mess up her plan. And even though she really hadn’t wanted to hurt him, she would have if he’d continued seeing the tramp.

But today, he’d manned up. Her chest warmed with pride at how he’d honored her love and friendship. The hurt in his eyes when he’d asked why she hadn’t confided in him about the agency’s troubles had broken her heart. But his expression of bemused love when he’d accepted her offer to loan him the cash to pay the
blackmailer
? Well, that look of love made this whole charade worthwhile. She felt a momentary pang of remorse for the necessary deception but shrugged it off.

Everything she’d done had been out of love.

She hadn’t enjoyed killing Summer. Well… maybe just a bit. But that was beside the point. She’d killed her because she’d had to. The too-stupid-to-live idiot had deserved to die for what she’d done to Nic. And if that slut
Lorna
tried to ingratiate herself back into his bed, Vivian would have to take a more direct approach to getting rid of the vermin in Nic’s life.

Vivian pushed away from the door. She’d heard enough. Her plan was coming together. Now that Nic had chosen her above all others, she could move on to the next step: resolving the blackmail issue. Tomorrow she’d call him and let him know that by some miracle, she’d managed to scrounge up the full ten million dollars. She grinned, thinking how pleased he’d be with her for saving him and Rachel from exposure. On Saturday, she’d join him at the ranch, and on Sunday, they’d meet the deadline and transfer the ransom to the
blackmailer’s
account, together. And then, finally, her dream would come true.

A laugh bubbled in her chest as she imagined his reaction when she brought him to the island paradise she’d created for their mutual pleasure and showed him what his money had bought. After they were married, she’d gift him with the blackmail money. She couldn’t wait to see the surprise on his face when she told him it was all in a joint account she’d set up for them in the Bahamas.

Just thinking about the appreciation he’d lavish on her sent a thrill of excitement rippling through her body. It would be nothing like what she’d seen him do with that cunt because Nic loved her. His actions today had proved it.

But how was she going to get him away from Kaden? A smile broke out across her face. Summer’s idea of using Rohypnol had been brilliant, even though she’d had to die because of it. But unlike Summer, Vivian knew what she was doing.

She’d slip a tablet of Rohypnol to Kaden somehow and stash him somewhere no one would find him for a while. Then she’d suggest Nic take her to Starbucks. A little Rohypnol in his coffee, and
voilà
! They’d be off to the airport, and off to paradise. And if anyone commented on Nic’s state, she’d laugh and say something like, “You know how these Hollywood types like to party…”

A chartered plane would be waiting to fly them from Montréal to the Caribbean, and from there it would be a short boat ride to their new home.

Behind her, the elevator made a noise. Shit, someone was coming. Turning, she spotted the emergency stairs. She’d stay there until the coast was clear. Soundlessly, she slipped into her hiding spot.

And rejoiced in her victory.

CHAPTER 19

The door shut behind Lauren with a finality that threatened to stop her heart and made her mind reel. How fast everything had changed. This morning she’d woken up in Nic’s arms, and now she was leaving, never to see him again. Except in movies. Her life had come full circle. She was back in that lonely place she’d been before meeting Nic. Worse even, because she’d have to live with all the memories of what could have been. Tears filled her eyes.

The elevator opened, and she stumbled walking into it. Jake, her new bodyguard, gripped her elbow, steadying her. She murmured her thanks and turned away, trying to keep him from seeing the tears tracking down her cheeks.

“Thought you could use this ma’am,” Jake said gruffly, handing her a handkerchief.

Embarrassed, she dried her eyes, then glanced at him. “I’m sorry, Jake.”

“No need, ma’am. Partings are hard.”

Lauren nodded. It would take a lifetime to get over losing Nic, a lifetime to ease the ache in her chest.

They arrived on the ground floor and Jake led her to a limo waiting by the curb. She turned to look up at Nic’s windows. When a curtain fluttered, her stomach somersaulted. But then a breeze moved the curtain again. Her stomach plummeted. He wasn’t there.

A barren emptiness grew in her chest, bending her like a leaf. Sobbing, she slumped against the side of the car, and wrapped her arms around her waist. It was just like when Todd died, when depression had gripped her in its fist. Oh God! She couldn’t let that happen again.
Fight it, Lauren!

Seconds later, Jake was at her side. “It’ll be okay ma’am. You’ll be safe with me.” He helped her into the back seat of the car. When she just stared at him dumbly, he added, “I promise.” Then he shut the door and climbed into the driver’s seat.

As the car drove off, she forced herself not to glance back. She had to focus on her future. She’d lost Nic, but she hadn’t lost everything. The job with
Vanity Fair
opened up new possibilities for her and Jason.

Jake wheeled the limo onto the freeway. Through the window, cars and buildings zoomed by. Life was like that. It zoomed by and if you didn’t keep your eyes wide open, you’d miss it. That’s how her relationship with Nic felt—over before it started.

What hurt the most was losing him even though he loved her, she loved him, and they were both alive. She hated this whole situation. Hated that a stalker was dictating their actions. Hated that violence was once again controlling her life.

She pounded her fist on the seat beside her. She’d get her revenge. If there was any evidence hidden in the photos they’d received from the stalker, she’d find it. Nic had sent her the latest one, and as soon as she got a chance, she’d examine it. Maybe something in the photo would prove her suspicions about Vivian right or wrong.

And if it was Vivian?
God help us, God help us all
.