Deep Blue Forever (Deep Blue Series) (2 page)

"Was that the flavor of the month?"
I ask after I take a sip of my coffee.

"Heidi Dean
, actually."  I almost spit the drink I was taking out of my mouth. 

"As in super model turned actress Heidi Dean?"

"That's the one." He raises his eyebrows up and down.

"Oh."

"That's not jealousy I hear, is it?"  Rex leans on the counter. He is shirtless and his muscles flex as he moves.  I tilt my head at him giving him an are you serious look. 

"No, I'm not jealous.
Impressed yeah, but not jealous," I tease right back. For a few minutes I have forgotten about Ian.  "So, is it serious or just Rex serious?"

"We've only been out once, haven't even done it yet."
I love how he's just so straight forward with me. 

"Rex Olsen went on a date with drop dead gorgeous super model Heidi De
an and didn't have sex with her?"  I'm flabbergasted.

"The date was last night,
" he admits, and I honestly think he told me to prove his point. That no matter what he will always be there for me.

"Shit, I'm sorry.  Was she mad?" 

"No, she was really cool about it. I just told her a dear friend needed my help."

"Did you tell her that this dear friend was a girl
, though?" 

"She was sitting across from me when you called
, all crying and a mess.  How many times do you think I said, 'Baby girl, calm down, so I can understand you?'"  He points out, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. 

"Hmmm, well that is really cool.  Do you have a second date tonight?"

"I don't have anything as long as you are here and need me."  He states taking his coffee cup to the sink to rinse it out.

"What did I do to deserve you?"
I come around the counter to give my best friend a hug. 

"You must have been an angel
in a previous life or something," he teases returning my hug. 

I don't know what triggers it, but my thoughts
are all over Ian again.  I am crying again as the sadness and the ache comes back.  Rex takes my shoulders in his big hands pushing me back so he can see my face.

"What am I going t
o do, how do you make this stop?" I cry putting my hand over my heart to signal the pain. 

"I'm afraid I don't know, Aubrey.
I've only ever been in love with one girl, and I broke her heart seven years ago.  I still have the pain, so once you figure it out let me know," Rex says getting serious, taking my face in his hands and using my name.

"Oh
, Rex, you didn't break my heart.  I ran because I was young and scared. I needed to forget, and I know now that running doesn't make you forget. I'm sorry. You know I love you too.  You also know why we would never work." 

"Well
, I have found that having meaningless sex with many women has helped dull the ache."  There he is, serious Rex gone, which I'm grateful for because this Rex makes me laugh. 

Chapter 4

Ian

Spent
the whole night in the airport and finally I'm able to charter a plane, since all other flights were full. Sam had me on the phone telling me Michelle has lost it.  She has disappeared.  When they went to her house to find her, they found a full on obsession room.  She had pictures of Aubrey and me with scratches on her face, and pictures of me all over the house. They even found an Ian box.  There was everything from a used napkin to a pair of my underwear.  At least Sam assumed it was a pair of mine, since it was in the box marked Ian with a huge heart on it.  "Mate, this is some messed up shit.  This is way worse than I could ever imagine," Sam said over the phone.  "I think you better find Aubrey, because it would seem she is going after her by what I see here."

"God damn it!
How in the hell did I not see this?"  I yell in the phone.

"Don't beat yourself up.  I thought she just had a crush, I didn't know it was
a full on fatal attraction meets Rambo," Sam says.  We'll find her. Where do you want me?"

"Come to New York.
I'm sure she is where ever Aubrey is.  I just wish I was where Aubrey is.  Damn, I hate this!  I have Kory trying to find her, but he hasn't seen her.  He's staking out the castle right now," I tell Sam and he says he will be there as soon as he can.

I land in New York mid morning.  I've been calling Aubrey about every 30 minute
s and it goes straight to voicemail each time.  One of my company cars is waiting for me when I land, and with traffic, I make it to the castle in about an hour. 

I ring the doorbell then knock.  No answer.
Knocking harder, the door finally opens. 

"Ethan."
I greet Aubrey's assistant as I walk into the foyer.  "Where's Aubrey?" I ask, not waiting for an answer I start my search.

"Ian
, she's not here," Ethan says following me as I go from room to room yelling her name.

"Ethan
, I know she's mad, but I just need to explain.  Please tell me where she's at."  I reach the den, yelling out her name.  Turning around, I almost hit Ethan head on.

"She's not here, what is she mad about?"
I turn to see the confused look on his face. 

"Didn't she call you and tell you she was coming to New York?"

"Yeah, but then, like an hour later, she texted saying change of plans, that she wasn't coming," Ethan says as innocent as can be. 

"Shit, did she say where she was going?"  I am headed for the front door. 

"Colorado," Ethan answers, and I stop dead in my tracks. 
Son of a bitch, she went to Rex.

Getting back in my car, I dial Rex. 

"Well, if it isn't the dumbest man alive." Is how he answers my call.

"Rex, can I please talk to her?
"  I keep my voice calm even though I want to reach through the phone and wring is neck.

"Don't think she want
s to talk to a lying bastard."

"I didn't lie, Michelle did.  I
've never been married."

"And why would Michell
e lie about something like that?"

"I don't know.
She's crazy, delusional.  Just let me talk to Aubrey, I have to hear her voice." I hear him sigh and then a muffled sound, like he is covering the mouth piece of his phone.  I hear more muffled talking.

"Hi
." It's Aubrey's sweet voice. The voice I have been longing to hear since I stomped out of the house like a two year old.

"Aubrey, please just listen.  It's not true, none of it.  We were undercov
er in Egypt as a married couple. She's delusional and thinks it was all for real."

"Ian
, if you are playing more games with me, I swear."  She sniffs and I can tell she is crying. 

"Aubrey Jackson, I am not playing a game.  This is serious, and Michelle has gone off the deep
end.  I think she might try to hurt you.  I need you to let me come get you. 

"Why would she try to hurt me, Ian?
  I've done nothing to her." 

"I'm afraid she thinks you are the only thing standing in the way of me and her being together." I grate, getting more and more anxious by the minute.

"Well, you are free to be together now. So, please, go be together."  Her voice is anger and sadness all in one, and it is tearing me up inside. 

"Aubrey, please just listen.
I. Love. You...never been in love with Michelle."  I'm trying to stay calm. I don't want her hanging up on me.  Damn I wish she was standing in front of me right now.  All I hear are sobs on the other end of the line.  "Can you hand the phone to Rex, baby."  Maybe if I can get through to him, tell him she is in danger, he can make her see reason.  I hear some muffling sounds and Aubrey crying even harder. 

"Ian?"
Rex says.

"Look, Michelle is the one who found your dad.  She is the one who tipped
Tandi to the tape.  She is gone, and by what Sam said, I think Aubrey is in danger."  I explain to Rex the seriousness of the situation.

"This Michelle is an employee of yours, right?"
Rex is being condescending and not taking me serious. 

"OK
, just forget everything you think you know.  This is not a game, she is a dangerous woman.  She thinks we ARE married.  We are not, never have been.  She thinks that Aubrey is the only thing standing in the way of our happiness.  We are talking dangerous, highly trained Special Forces on one mission-to destroy the one thing she thinks is standing in her way of happiness." I grate into the phone, annunciating every word for emphasis. 

"All right, Ian.  What do you want us to do?"  Rex has finally got it, and now there is anxiety in his voice. 

"I am going to come get her. Keep her in the house and don't let her out of your sight."

"No you are not.
I will come to New York on my own."  Aubrey is now speaking, so I know Rex had put me on speaker phone. 

"Aubrey, I don't want you in New York
.  I need to take you somewhere safe." Damn, I know she is stubborn, but I have a feeling she is going to fight me tooth and nail. 

"Ian.  I said no.  I will take my jet to Ne
w York.  Meet me at the airport and that is final."

"Rex?" 
Please talk some sense into her
.

"I'll drive her personally
, right up to her jet," Rex says, and I want to throw my phone I'm so angry.  They don't know what exactly Michelle is capable off. 

"Fine
," I snap.  "Aubrey Jackson, I love you." Dial tone, she hung up on me.  Stay calm, stay calm. I punch the steering wheel.  I wish Michelle was standing in front of me right now, I'm pretty sure I would shoot to kill. 

Chapter 5

Aubrey

"Don't you think you should let him come get you?"  Rex says to me after I hit the end button on the cell phone. 

"No, I'
m not even sure I believe him." God I'm messed up. My heart and brain are pulling me in different directions.  I am so mad and so sad all at the same time.  His employee, the one he "trusted," is the one who found Jim Olsen.  How could he be so oblivious if it is true? 

"Aubrey, I believe him,
" Rex says, stopping me from my pacing around the room.  I give him a disbelieving look.  "Hey, no one is more surprised than me, but I saw the way he looked at you.  I saw the way you looked at him.  I could hear it in his voice just now.  He's in love with you, baby girl. I know you are confused right now, but if you can look me in the eye and tell me that you are not totally head over heels in love with him, then I will believe you." 

I can't do that, hell I do love him.
I feel like the whole in my chest can only be fixed by Ian.  I think back to Michelle in Ian's living room.  How smug she was, like she had won a battle.  She wasn't mad that her "husband" was screwing another woman.  She was happy that she was getting me out of the way.  Shit, shit, she found Jim Olsen to get me out of the picture.  Ian didn't go. He stayed when I told him the story.

"That's what I thought,
" Rex says seeing my mind going a mile a minute.  "He really seemed scared for your safety.  Call your pilot and then let him know the exact minute you expect to land.  I want him there waiting for you." 

I run to the guest room to find my cell phone.  Turning it on, I have 105 missed calls.  Most
are from Ian, some from Miry, and a couple from Ethan.  Shit! I start listening to the voicemails as I pack.  The first one is from Ian, telling me he needs to talk to me.  That it's not true, please call him back. The next one is from Miry.

"Aubrey, it's Miry.  I know you are mad, but it's not true.  I've known Ian a
long time. I have to admit, I did know that Michelle still had a thing for him, but I swear to you it was all one sided.  No one knew it was as bad as it was.  I know you're hurting, but please call him and hear him out."

I stop listening to the voicemails after that.  I sit on the bed
, my head in my hands, and I start crying again.  Jesus, I'm an emotional mess.  I haven't cried this much in years. 
Get it together Aubrey, put on your big girl panties and get it together.

After calling the pilot,
I text Ian to let him know when we plan to arrive.

Should land at 9:45 pm
. 

I grab my bag and head out
, ready for Rex to take me to the airport.  I hear a buzz on my phone.