Her Indecent Proposal (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Collection) (13 page)

The P.I. grunted.  “You must have hurt her real bad.”

“That’s the crazy thing,” Sloane said, still bemused. “The whole
break-up was her fault.”

Danvers lifted his eyebrows then he chuckled, obviously amused. 
“Isn’t that what they all say?”

“This time it’s true and that’s what makes the situation so
insane.”  Sloane shook his head.  “I’m done trying to figure her out.  The fact
is, she saw announcements of my engagement, came up with a plan of revenge, and
moved on it immediately.  She attacked Melanie months before she even became my
wife.  How evil is that?”

In response, Danvers snorted.  “The woman is a pro.  Now let’s teach
her not to mess with the big boys.”

By the time the private investigator left that afternoon they had a
solid plan of action, one that would require that they now involve Melanie.  So
far Sloane had been shielding her from the investigation, not wanting her
reaction to Palmer to tip him off in any way.  Now that they had solid
information she would have to be involved.

He picked up the phone and dialed her number. 

***

As Sloane’s executive assistant led her down the hallway toward his
private suite, Melanie looked around and the memories came rushing back.  Only five
and a half months earlier she had walked down this hallway, intent on one thing
– to secure Sloane’s promise to give her a baby.  It had been an audacious
plan, a shocking one, but she was the one who had ended up with the greater
shock when the notorious bad boy had presented her with an outrageous proposal
of his own – marriage in three months.

She’d come away from the negotiations with a heck of a lot – his
wedding ring and his name – but the key thing she craved was still not hers – a
child to call her own.

Melanie blinked.  She would not fret.  A baby would come soon
enough, hopefully earlier rather than later.  Right now she needed to focus on
the issue at hand.  Sloane had said they needed to talk, not tonight at home,
but before the work day ended.  It was critical if they were to save her film
division.  That got her immediate attention and she cancelled her ad agency
meeting and sped over to his office.  The meeting with Sloane took priority
over everything else.

Melanie was not surprised when she walked into her husband’s office
and he waved her over to the couch and began to pace the room.  She’d come to
know by now that this was how he did his best thinking.

“We’ve got the evidence we need,” he said, “but we have to move
cautiously.  There’s no way I want this guy to disappear before the police can
slap handcuffs on him.  Where’s Palmer now?”

“I left him in a financial planning meeting.  Those things go on for
hours.  He’s not going anywhere for a while.”

“Good.  Here is what I have in mind…” 

By the time Sloane finished speaking they had a plan in place, one
in which Melanie would have to employ shock tactics to get Trent Palmer to
confess.  She was to call him into her private office and confront him with her
knowledge of the scheme.  Hopefully, he would become so flustered that he would
quake under her questioning and divulge incriminating information about himself
and his dealings with Zena, the mastermind.  Unbeknownst to him, she would be
recording the entire conversation.

“But what if he doesn’t crack?” Melanie asked.  Sloane seemed so
confident that the plan would work.  She, however, wasn’t so sure.

“Offer him something he can’t refuse,” he countered.  “He seems like
the kind you can bait with a good carrot.”

“Meaning?”

“Tell him if he comes clean you won’t press charges.”

“Won’t press…that doesn’t even make any sense.  The man let
that…Zena bitch…practically ruin a whole division of my company.”  Melanie shot
Sloane a look that said he’d really messed up on that one.  There was no way in
hell she was going to let Trent Palmer go scot-free.

Sloane tightened his lips, nodding, as his eyes grew thoughtful.
“You’re right.  I guess I was so intent on bringing Zena down that I lost sight
of the enormity of the situation and this guy's role in it.”  For a moment he
looked away then his eyes honed in on her.  “Let Trent Palmer know that if he
doesn’t come clean we won’t even consider a plea bargain.  And trust me, his
lawyer will come knocking.”  He folded his arms across his chest.  “If he talks
we can consider leniency for cooperation.”

“Well, maybe.”  She spoke the words grudgingly but she was willing
to consider that…but not for Zena.  That one was going down.

Sloane put a hand on her shoulder. “Ready?” he asked, his gray eyes
concerned as they skimmed her face.

She nodded.  “I just want to get this over and done with so I can
move on.”

“I understand.”  His voice was heavy and Melanie could tell that
although this was her problem, he really cared.  “Come on, let’s go.”

She stared at him as he shrugged into his jacket.  “You’re coming
with me?”

He cocked an eyebrow at her.  “You thought I’d let you face this man
alone?”

“But what if your presence tips him off?”

“By the time he comes into your office it will be too late for him
to run anywhere.  He’ll have no choice but to talk.”

“Or else what?” she challenged, giving him a teasing grin.                                      

“Or else he’ll have a very irate husband to answer to.”  Sloane gave
her a playful chuck under the chin.  “Now let’s go before that meeting ends and
he disappears.”

Melanie took his hand and stood up beside Sloane and in his grasp
was a firmness and strength that gave her a sudden surge of confidence.

She was a feminist in her own way – a strong, independent
businesswoman – but it felt good to know that she had a man like Sloane in her
life.  It made fighting a battle like this one so much easier.  And, for that,
and the fact that she’d been blessed with a caring husband, she was truly
grateful. 

***

Sloane put his arm around Melanie’s shoulder as she spoke, her voice
clear, her eyes never wavering from the officer’s face.  And he was proud of
her. 

It had been a harrowing twenty minutes in her office, with Palmer
looking like he wanted to bolt any minute, but with Sloane in the room, leaning
against the door that represented his only possible exit, he had no option but
to keep his plump backside in the chair and sweat through Melanie’s
interrogation. 

Of course, he had no idea his confession was being recorded but in
the end that  was extraneous because Sloane was right there in the room with
them, a perfect witness, listening to every word.

Palmer blamed Zena, he blamed his wife who had pressed him into a
shaky investment scheme that crashed, he blamed everybody but himself.

But in the end it didn’t matter who he blamed.  He was guilty as sin
and he would be made to pay.  The only thing was, Sloane wanted to make sure he
dragged Zena down with him.

In the end, he needn’t have concerned himself.  Once he realized
there was no way out the man was more than eager to talk and he was out to
protect no-one, not if blabbing his mouth meant less jail time.  He told them
everything, from the day Zena called him out of the blue and arranged for a
lunch meeting, to the story she’d given him about the rosy prospects of her
cousin's film company, to his hesitation after reviewing the paperwork, and
then to his capitulation when she’d offered him the hefty cash incentive.

“You threw me under the bus, Trent.”  Melanie’s eyes flashed as she
held him with her glare and even when he bowed his head in shame she did not
let up.  “You were my right hand.  I trusted you.”  Then her lips twisted in a
bitter smile.  “I trusted you way too much.  I let you have free reign to make
major decisions because I had faith in you, in your loyalty and your
competency.  Look where it got me.”

When Palmer left the office he was a shell of the man who had walked
in.  But that was his problem.  As soon as they saw the back of him Sloane
jerked his head toward the door.  “Let’s head down to the station and get this
reported immediately.”

He didn’t have to say it twice.  Melanie was out the door and
marching down the hallway before the words were all out, her mouth set in a
determined line, her back straight.  It was obvious she meant business.

And now, without so much as a tremble of the lips, she was
recounting the tale to Officer Sutherland, leaving no detail out.  Sloane had
expected a show of emotion, possibly even tears, but the woman, his brave
little wife, was handling things like she made police reports about rogue
employees every day.

Still, when they finally left the station two hours later, Sloane
could see that she was drained.  He gathered her to him, letting her lean
against him as they walked back to his car, then he bundled her into the
passenger’s seat and buckled her in, just like you would a little kid.

And that was what she looked like now, so different from the woman
who had spent the afternoon bullying a man three times her size.  Now she was
fragile and vulnerable and all he wanted was for her to know that everything
would be all right.

When Sloane pulled out of the parking lot the sun was beginning to
set behind the hills.  He looked over at Melanie but her head was back against
the rest, her eyes closed.  He reached over with one hand to pat her leg.  “It
will all work out,” he said quietly.  “They’ll pick Zena up before she leaves
the country.  Even if Palmer called her right after he left your office there's
no way she could have boarded an international flight and skipped town.  The
police alerted the airport as soon as we tipped them off.”

Melanie’s eyes were open now and she gave him a tired smile.  “Oh,
I’m not worried about that.  I’m just doing an internal strategy session on how
to pick up the pieces.  Whatever happens to them, my film division is still in
shambles.”

"I’ve been thinking about that,” Sloane said as he stroked her
leg, his eyes never leaving the road, “and I want my team to do an assessment
of what can be salvaged of this Rapid Films operation.”

She threw him a puzzled glance.  “Why?”

“I’m thinking, if it’s got anything worthwhile, I can buy it from
you.”

She dropped her hand on top of his and pushed it off her leg.  “Buy
it from me?” she snapped.  “Do you think I’m some damsel in distress that you
have to save?  I’m a business leader, Sloane, a CEO who grew her portfolio to
over a billion dollars.  I don’t need you to rescue me.”

Her reaction took him by surprise.  Relief, he’d expected.  Even
gratitude.  But anger?

“Listen, all I said was I’d have my people review the case.  There’s
no need to get defensive.”

“There’s every need to get defensive.  If I need your help I’ll let
you know.”  She folded her arms across her chest.  “In the meanwhile, you run
your business and let me run mine.”

Sloane gripped the wheel with both hands and stared straight ahead. 

“Fine.” 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

It didn’t take long for Sloane to figure out why Melanie got so crabby
at his suggestion.  And he should have known better than to say what he did. 
He’d offended her when he made the offer because what businesswoman wanted to
even contemplate that her husband thought she couldn’t handle a problem without
him having to bail her out?  Without meaning to, he’d insulted her and he felt
like a royal fool for doing it.

That night as they prepared for bed Sloane made an attempt to
appease Melanie.  Since arriving home they’d spoken little and he wanted to
remedy that.  If there was one thing he admired his parents for, it was that
they practiced the rule of never going to bed angry.  In his own marriage
Sloane wanted to live up to that standard.

“Come over here,” he said, patting the space on the bed beside him. 
“Let’s talk.”

For a moment she hesitated, still sporting a rebellious pout as she
stared at him.  But then a rueful smile softened her lips and she scooted over
to cuddle up next to him.

“That’s better.”  He kissed the top of her head then stroked his
hand up and down her bare arm.  “I’m sorry I came off like a chauvinist.  I was
only trying to help.”

“I know,” she said with a sigh and lifted her hand to run it over
his belly.  “And I’m sorry I jumped all over you like that.  I just didn’t want
you to think I was some helpless dodo.  I’ve dug myself out of holes before and
this time won’t be any different.  I’ll think of something.”

“I’m sure you will.”  He held her just a little bit tighter as her
fingers slid just below the waistband of his shorts.  “Just remember, if you
want a sounding board, I’m here.”

She rubbed her face against his chest just like a little kitten. 
“Thanks,” she said in a muffled whisper.

They were silent for a while, just enjoying the comfort of being in
each other’s arms, and then Melanie spoke.  “You know, I’ve been thinking…if I
can find a company to partner with, one that really understands the film
business but also has a computer animation division, I just might be able to
salvage this project.”  She sat up and in her eyes was a glimmer of
excitement.  “That’s it.  Forget about traditional movies.  Animation is the
way to go.  Remember how Disney Studios partnered with Steve Jobs’s computer animation
company, Pixar?  The partnership produced the first computer animated blockbuster,
Toy Story.  That’s the way to go.”  Eyes wide, she stared down at Sloane. 
“What do you think?”