Chapter Nine
Dana
I watched the interaction between the two men standing at the bar with more than a little trepidation. The guy who had stood and met me was of moderate high with longish blond hair with a slight curl. It looked like he had shaved recently, at least by what I could tell with the fresh nick on his jaw. His eyes shone, kind of glassy looking, but when I got closer it didn’t look like his pupils were dilated. He didn’t look stoned.
The guy he introduced me to was handsome. More than handsome, in fact. He was hot. Better than model hot… all man hot. He looked… powerful, not only physically, but when he turned to glance up at me, I was startled to feel a burgeoning of heat that swept through my body. Unwanted, more than slightly embarrassing, and emotionally frustrating.
The look on his face, the quick glance at his friend, that frown of confusion and startled surprise caused all those emotions to evaporate. The moment he asked to speak privately to his friend, I knew. The reaction acted like a cold splash of water on my face.
I should’ve known. I should’ve known! My suspicions were right all along. This was some kind of a weird scam. I glanced at the two men, the dark-haired one… Brady, I think his name was, standing with his back to me.
My heart pounding, my pride injured, and mentally kicking myself for my stupidity, I rose from my chair and quickly wove my way through tables toward the entrance foyer. I exited the restaurant and walked through the reception area of the resort hotel when the phone in my pocket vibrated. I had turned off the ringer before I entered the building. Impatient, angry at myself, angry at the world, I pulled the phone out of my pocket, thinking it was either Charlie or that blond-haired guy, likely the one I had spoken to on the phone yesterday.
I didn’t recognize the number. Breaking my own rule, I answered it, ready to give whoever it was a good piece of my mind.
“If this is who I think it is—”
“How did you know it was me?”
My stomach turned, and I froze just outside of the entrance of the hotel. I recognized that voice. It was Slim Pete. “How did you get my phone number?” I demanded. “What do you want?”
“Well hello to you too, Dana.”
I heard a smile in his voice. I swallowed, striving to maintain calm, doing my best to prevent panic from rising inside me. “What do you want?”
“Where’s your brother?”
My heart skipped a beat. “I don’t know.” That was the truth. I had no idea where Charlie was. I had yet to get hold of him.
“Well, I’ll tell you what, Dana. You tell Charlie that he can’t hide from me. I already know about your uncle in Arizona.”
My stomach lurched. How did he know that?
Slim Pete chuckled, “I know people, Dana, and I promise you, I know people who can find Charlie if he tries to run, or if you’re stupid enough to try to hide him from me.”
I felt bile rising again and fought the urge to gag. Trembling, I said nothing.
“If I can’t find him, and soon, I’ll just have to take it out on you, if you know what I mean.”
My head felt like it was in a vice, that someone relentlessly and mercilessly tightened the screws. This couldn’t be happening! He couldn’t mean that, could he? Where the hell was Charlie? Why had he put me—put us—in this awful situation? At the back of my mind, I wondered if he’d run. If he’d left town, leaving me to hold the bag. I wouldn’t, couldn’t believe it. Charlie wouldn’t do that to me.
“You hear me, Dana?”
“I don’t know where he is, but I can tell you that he’s not going to run.” I paused, swallowed, and stiffened my back, my sense of bravado surprising even me. “You’ll have your damned money in three days.” With that, I disconnected the call.
I stood unmoving for several moments, breathing hard, nibbling on my lip, staring at the serene, well-manicured, fancy, and gorgeous landscaping of the resort around me. It was a different world. I didn’t belong here. Three days. Time was running out. I wasn’t sure if Slim Pete meant what he said or if it was merely an empty threat, but I didn’t want that slimy bastard in my life.
I looked back over my shoulder at the hotel. What other options did I have?
Heaving a heavy sigh and fighting back tears of despair, I turned around and walked back into the lobby. Maybe this was the lesser of two evils, I didn’t know. Maybe I should just listen to what those guys had to say. Could it be worse than what Slim Pete had suggested? I could always walk away. There were plenty of people around. They weren’t going to kidnap me, at least not here.
Cursing myself for a stupid fool every step of the way, I entered the lobby and made my way back to the table, where both guys still sat, not talking. Both looked up at me with surprise as I approached. I stared down at the dark-haired guy, Brady, thinking that he was too damned handsome to be some kind of pervert, but I knew better. I glanced at the other one, who nervously tapped his fingers on the tablecloth and avoided my gaze.
I pulled out a chair and sat down, arms crossed over my chest as I eyed the dark-haired one, Brady. “What’s going on?”
“It’s like I told you on the phone,” the blond said. “It’s a personal assistant position.”
I glanced at the blond, not sure what to believe.
“Shut up, Nick.”
I turned my gaze toward Brady and lifted an eyebrow, trying my best to maintain a calm expression while inside my head felt like it was going to explode, and I would start screaming in panic any moment. My mind spun. Charlie, broken and bleeding… me, forced to do things against my will with Slim Pete… my future hopes of getting my nursing license crashing down around me.
“Dana… Miss Sommers, my name is Brady Shaw.”
I stared, desperately trying not to acknowledge the instant sexual attraction tugging at me. Trying to tamp it down. Think clearly! Dammit, Dana, you’re in trouble here. I lifted my chin slightly, silently inviting him to continue. He fidgeted with the silver-plated knife on the cloth napkin a moment, then reached for his water glass. He didn’t pick it up but turned it around and around on the table before he finally looked at me, shoulders slightly slumped.
“Okay, here’s the truth. My father is Clint Shaw. You know him?”
I shook my head.
He looked a bit startled. “He’s an oil tycoon…”
I frowned as he spoke, wondering if it was the truth. Wait a minute, Shaw? That Shaw? If I was thinking of the right Shaw, he was one of the richest men in Dallas… in Texas. I focused on what Brady was saying.
“Anyway, I’m twenty-seven-years-old and he’s getting tired of waiting. He gave me an ultimatum.”
I tried to pay attention. “Tired of waiting?”
“Yes. For an heir. Tired of waiting for me to marry and settle down. Like I said, he just gave me an ultimatum.”
I tried to tell myself I didn’t really care, but this was interesting. Seems as if I wasn’t the only one with troubles. “What kind of ultimatum?”
“He wants me to settle down and get married.”
“So?”
“Well, I don’t really want to, but if I don’t, he’s going to disown me.”
“Seriously?” I almost laughed. Must be nice to have money and be concerned about the threat of being disowned. At least he had something to be disowned from. And here I was, just trying to get through school, protect my brother, ensure my future—
“It was Nick here who came up with the brilliant idea to put an ad on Craigslist… advertising for personal assistant even though what I really need is a girlfriend.”
I couldn’t help it. I interrupted, my tone impatient. “Someone as good looking as you advertising for a girlfriend?” I wondered what was wrong with the guy. To my surprise, he grinned and offered a lame shrug. And oh, what a grin it was. A dimple appeared on his cheek. He was charming, handsome, and a bit on the arrogant side, but I understood. He was a player, and Daddy was getting tired of his irresponsible ways.
“And what good is that going to do you?” I asked. “A girlfriend, I mean?”
“Here’s the thing.”
He slightly leaned forward. I caught a whiff of aftershave. Dammit, why did it have to be Old Spice? I was a sucker for that one.
“I told my dad that I already had a girlfriend, so as to avoid being… I don’t know how else to put it… attached to someone more of my dad’s liking, the daughter of a business partner, but she’s well, let’s just say she’s not my type.”
I shook my head. “Wait a minute. Am I to understand that unless you somehow produce a girlfriend, your dad’s going to insist you marry someone against your wishes, and if you don’t, he’s going to cut you off? Is that it?”
I couldn’t believe it. The guy was pushing thirty-years-old. He had money to blow, literally had everything in the world at his fingertips, but he was having too much fun doing whatever it is rich people did, and now he had to put on a show, pretend he had a girlfriend, so his father wouldn’t tighten the purse strings? I shook my head. Pathetic.
“The thing is, I’m supposed to introduce this serious girlfriend at a gathering in just a couple of days, on Saturday night.”
He looked at me in earnest, as if I was supposed to jump at this opportunity. He was looking at me to solve his problems? Then again, maybe he could solve mine.
“The offer still stands, Dana. I have to make a deal. I’m laying it on the line here.”
“And that is?”
“First, I have to introduce my girlfriend this Saturday to my dad. It has to look serious, and… and I have to… I have to announce my engagement at that gathering.”
“Go on,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I couldn’t believe I was still sitting here.
“We have to stay married for at least one year. For pretending to be my girlfriend, my wife, you’ll get two hundred thousand dollars.”
I sat, dumbfounded, my heart thumping. Was I even considering this? As much as I hated to admit it though, the situation, the deal, would solve all my problems. I could pay off that bastard Slim Pete and still have enough money to finish my schooling, plus a solid foundation to start my future life.
I would have to wait a year, a whole year, to get back to my school, but I wouldn’t have to worry about how I would pay for it. I couldn’t even save the thirty thousand dollars I’d need to finish school in a year’s time to finish my last two semesters at school anyway. I had already done the math. Even working two jobs it would be next to impossible. Not to mention the fifty grand that Charlie owed Slim Pete.
Should I accept? Could I trust him? I would insist on a contract, but what could I do if he didn’t honor it? Was this a scam? A terrible joke? “Let me see your identification.”
He didn’t hesitate, but reached into his pocket, pulled out a wallet, and retrieved his driver’s license. He placed it on the tablecloth in front of me. Sure enough, he was Brady Shaw. I glanced between the photo on the license and then at his face. He didn’t blink.
“I can prove all of this, Dana… Miss Sommers. And everything will be perfectly legal— papers, signatures, everything.”
Oh God, I was seriously contemplating this ridiculous idea. But again, what other options did I have? He was offering me two hundred thousand dollars to play a part. It was more money than I could make in years of hard work. I could pay off Slim Pete, remove the threat of bodily harm against Charlie, or even Charlie’s life, or mine.
I nibbled at my lip for several moments, and then started to nod. I was taking a chance, no doubt about it. Probably stepping from the frying pan into the fire, but again—
“There’s just one more thing you need to know,” Brady said.
He cast a quick glance at his friend, who still refused to meet my gaze. What the hell?
“We have to have a baby.”