The Alpha's Assistant & The Dom Next Door: A Billionaire Romance Collection by Michelle Love, Eliza Duke (13)

‘He probably took her in a car – they could be anywhere.’

Jack inclined his head. ‘Yes. But we want you back in Orleans, with Arlo, so we can keep you all together, it’s safer that way.’

Harpa closed her eyes. She tried to force her mind to get past the overwhelming terror that was flooding through her. Cosima…

‘I have a life here. I would have to talk to Stan…’

‘Already talked to him, it’s cleared. Anyone else?’

She didn’t answer him. She’d known Mikah a month – did he really need to be dragged into this crap? She liked him – a lot – there was no doubt, and the connection they had was thrilling but, Jesus, involve him, and he might end up dead or with the same look in his eyes that Arlo had now.

‘Harpa,’ Arlo spoke now, his voice gravelly with exhaustion and pain, ‘I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you too. I won’t permit it.’

Her eyes opened, and before she could stop herself, she snapped at him. ‘Like you did such a bang up job of protecting my sister?’

She could have bitten her tongue off, but he nodded. ‘I know. I will never forgive myself.’

Harpa sighed. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that.’

‘Doesn’t make it any less true.’

There was a knock at the door. Jack looked irritated. ‘I told them to stay downstairs.’ He went to the answer the door. It was Sean.

‘Sorry, but there’s a guy downstairs insisting on seeing Harpa. Name’s Mikah Ray.’

Arlo looked up. ‘Mikah Ray?’

Harpa colored. ‘He’s my friend.’ She looked at Jack. ‘I need to talk to him if I’m going back to New Orleans with you.’

Jack didn’t look happy but nodded. ‘We’ll give you some privacy.’

‘Thank you.’

Mikah was at the door before the two men left and he shook hands with them both, smiling at Arlo. ‘Good to see you, man.’

Arlo nodded. ‘You too, buddy.’

When Harpa and Mikah were alone, he took her in his arms. ‘What’s going on, Harp?’

The way he used Cos’s nickname for her was the thing that finally made her break, and she burst into tears. He cradled her in his arms, trying to soothe her.

‘My sister’s been abducted…and she’s probably dead by now,’ she said between sobs. ‘I can’t bear it, Mikah, I can’t.’

‘Oh, sweetheart…’

Eventually, her sobs subsided and she stepped away from his embrace, smiled at him. ‘I have to go back to New Orleans while they look for her.’

Mikah nodded. ‘Of course. I’ll come, I can move some things around and – ‘

‘No.’

He rocked back. ‘No?’

Harpa touched his face. ‘I adore you, Mikah, which is why I don’t want you to come. I don’t want you to be messed up in my family’s crap.’

Mikah shook his head. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘I know you don’t. Just trust me enough to know that this is for the best.’

Realization dawned. ‘You’re breaking up with me.’

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. ‘It’s for the best. Mikah, this last month with you has been the best of my life, but we have to end it. I cannot risk your life.’

‘No, wait…my life? What the hell is going on?’

Harpa wiped away her tears. ‘It’ll be in the press soon, and then you’ll understand.’ She stepped closer to him, stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. ‘I’ll never forget you, Mikah.’

Mikah took her shoulders and pushed her away. ‘No, this is insane. I want to be there for you…’

‘No.’

‘Why?’

‘I don’t want this.’ God…she remembered Deacon saying those very words to her and now she was wretched, saying them to this glorious man.

Mikah stared at her in disbelief. ‘Don’t push me away. Please, Harpa, I care too much for you to do that.’

‘I’m sorry.’

He stared at her for another long moment then turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Harpa crumbled as soon as the door closed, sobbing silently into her hands. She heard Arlo and Jack return, felt Arlo put his arms around her. For a long time no-one said anything then Jack cleared his throat.

‘Come on, guys,’ he said softly. ‘Let’s go home.’

Nine days gone…

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Cosima hunched over the toilet and threw up until there was nothing left to bring up. Her stomach cramped and clenched, and she retched again, slumping breathless to the floor. The pain in her stomach was excruciating. She crawled back to bed, drenched in sweat, her hair sticking her face, both freezing cold and boiling hot.

How she got sick, she didn’t know, unless it were food poisoning from something he’d brought her. He’d visited last night, bringing her a tray of hot food – well, lukewarm by the time he’d gotten here – but it had given her hope that civilization wasn’t too far away and if she could just find a way out…

But now, running was the last thing on her mind. She curled up on the bed, in full view of the camera, hoping he would see, that he would take pity…what was she thinking? He was an animal, he didn’t care…again she wondered why the hell he didn’t just kill her and have it over with. Because he is a psycho, you dumb woman, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes and prayed for sleep, oblivion, anything. With her physical and mental defenses down, she was laid wide open for anything he wanted to do to her…and at this particular moment, she didn’t care.

She didn’t know how long she had slept for, but it wasn’t until she felt him touching her that she opened her eyes.

‘Jesus, you’re burning up…’

Hovering between awake and unconsciousness, she heard him go into the bathroom and run a bath. When she felt him start to undress her, she moaned in protest.

‘I gotta get your temperature down, stop fighting me.’

She did, having no energy. Goaty undressed her then carried her into the bathroom, lowering her into a very cool bath. She cried out in protest and shivered violently, but he washed her, soaking a cloth in the water and putting it against her burning forehead to quiet her down. Soon, she was sinking into unconsciousness again and didn’t feel him lift her out of the tub.

When she awoke, he was gone but on the nightstand were two aspirin and some vitamin tablets. She took the aspirin and one of the vitamins, seeing a basket of fresh fruit on the chair next to the bed. She swallowed some water carefully, found her stomach could take it but decided not to try to eat anything yet. She had no idea of how much time had passed, but a couple of hours later, she heard his car.

He came in, saw her sitting up, reading and nodded. ‘Feeling better? Good.’

He put two more aspirin on the nightstand. ‘Why don’t you just leave the box,’ she said, ‘save you keep coming out here?’

He chuckled. ‘And have you take a bunch of them and deny me the pleasure of killing you? I don’t think so, beautiful.’

She studied him. The balaclava, the mask, she really couldn’t see anything of him. ‘Why haven’t you killed me yet?’

He didn’t answer.

‘Seriously, why all of this?’

Another silence then. ‘Because I want to savor the moment.’

His answer made her feel like throwing up. Sadist fucker. ‘How are you going to do it?’

‘I’ll put a bullet in your belly and watch you bleed slowly to death. Is that enough detail for you?’

She wanted to scream. ‘Then do it.’

He laughed. ‘Not yet.’ He bent down and splayed his hand across her stomach. ‘Haven’t, you heard of anticipation, Cosima?’ He pushed his forefinger into her navel, hard. ‘Next time it won’t be my finger but the muzzle of my gun and then…bang. I imagine the pain will be…unimaginable.’

She stared up at the eyes of the mask, trying to see anything human in him. ‘You’re a sick fuck.’

He laughed. ‘Yes. Now, I’m going to go, is there anything else you need?’

‘Yes.’

‘And what’s that?’

‘I need you to go fuck yourself.’

He laughed again. ‘See? This is why you’re still alive, you make me laugh, Cosima. And next time I see you, you’ll give me something else too.’

He leaned in and nuzzled her neck; Cosima shrunk away from him. ‘I can’t wait to taste your sweet little cunt, Cosima. I’m already hard for you, can you tell?’

He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his erection briefly then laughed and left the room, the door clicking shut behind him.

Cosima was trembling violently, but she sucked in a few deep breaths calming herself. So now she knew his plan, knew he planned to rape and murder and so Cosima, for the first time, had an advantage. Because she wasn’t going to go along with his plan.

She was getting out of here even if it killed her to try.

The news of Cosima’s abduction broke nationally then internationally ten days after Cosima had gone missing. The Malhotra family history was dredged up and analyzed over and over; several groups known to be enemies of Cosima’s father and grandfather were quick to disassociate themselves from the kidnapping. ‘Although we have historical ties to the family, and in the past have actively sought the deaths of anyone related to the traitorous Malhotra family, in these more enlightened time, we do not seek retribution from innocent children. We wish and hope that Ms. Malhotra is found alive and well.’

‘Bullshit,’ said Harpa, fiercely. ‘They’re probably having street parties. Wait until they find Cos’s body, they’ll have posters made.’

‘She is not dead,’ Arlo growled, getting up from the couch.

Harpa felt bad. ‘I’m sorry, Arlo, I didn’t mean to say she’s dead. There is hope.’

She had been staying at the penthouse of the hotel, sleeping the guest room, which had been a blessing and a curse. She felt close to Cosima here, seeing her sister’s things; her books, her jewelry. Arlo had come home one day to find Harpa in her sister’s closet, holding onto the sari she had been saving for a special occasion, sobbing. He had gently lifted her up and sat her on the couch, listening as she rambled on about Cosima, random memories. It had brought her closer to Arlo. She had apologized for blaming him; she knew it was killing Arlo that he hadn’t protected Cosima enough.

‘No-one could have seen this coming,’ she told him over and over but to no avail. Jack had been updating them daily on progress, but she knew Arlo was frustrated. He was using every means open to him as a civilian to try and find her; hundreds of detectives countrywide were searching every ‘Outhouse, doghouse, farmhouse…’ He had intoned and half-smiled.

They spent all day trying to figure out what to do next. Worst of all, when the news broke, Monica Lascelles had gone public too, playing the brokenhearted mother of the victim to a tee.

Harpa and Arlo watched her press conference on the t.v. and, afterward, Harpa turned to Arlo, a strange smile on her face. ‘Arlo, you’ve just seen our birth mother at her finest. Did you notice she didn’t say Cosima’s name once? It was all ‘my daughter’, ‘my loved one’.She made Cosima’s abduction all about her.’

Arlo was grim-faced. ‘Harpa, I can see exactly why you and Cos don’t have anything to do with her. What a piece of work.’

‘Yep.’

But then Monica had decided she was coming to New Orleans and bringing her whole entourage. ‘It’s going to be a circus.’ Harpa groaned, then grabbed Arlo’s hand. ‘Whatever you do, don’t offer her anything – no hotel rooms, no special favors. She will leech onto you and never let go.’

‘How on earth do you and Cos share DNA with her?’

‘Lord knows. I have a fantasy that one day we’ll find out she used a surrogate.’ Harpa clasped her hands together. ‘I send up a prayer about that nightly.’

She smiled, and Arlo was glad she still retained some of her sense of humor; it reminded him so much of Cosima.

God, he missed her so much, it was like his heart was being torn to pieces thinking she might be dead. Every day he would sit, his eyes closed, trying to remember the soft velvety feel of her skin, the flush of her skin when she came, her kiss, so sweet and tender. Her smiling eyes haunted him.

He felt so helpless; Jack had warned him not to get in the way of the official investigation and so he was tied on how much he could do. He had his contacts come up with lists of abandoned buildings in the New Orleans area and wider Louisiana, but she could be anywhere. Anywhere. Just be alive, please, he prayed constantly. If she was still alive, then there was hope, and he desperately needed to cling to that.

The hotel’s grand opening had been postponed, and now it echoed with silence, the workman having cleared out four days previously, and Arlo and Harpa had been left alone. They’d talked, of course, endlessly about what to do, what they could do to find Cos but also about plans for the future as if saying the words would strengthen the possibility of Cos’s safe return.

Their little self-contained unit was broken when Monica Lascelles arrived. She summoned them to her hotel room and subjected them to hours of self-pitying grief before finally asking Harpa about her own life. Harpa gave her the bare bones of her life in Seattle.

They were sitting at dinner in one of Seattle’s finest restaurant – a private table, Monica had announced loudly, making sure everyone in the room heard. Arlo couldn’t believe this brash, vain woman was Cosima’s mother.

Monica kept dabbing at her eyes as she talked about her loss. ‘Cos isn’t dead,’ Harpa said between gritted teeth, but Monica wasn’t listening.

‘It’s different for a mother,’ she said, ‘it’s a physical pain to know your child might be in danger. It’s that blood link.’

‘Cos and I share the same DNA,’ Harpa said archly, ‘We share a deeper bond than you have ever had.’

Monica rolled her eyes and turned to Arlo. ‘She always gets like this, forgive her, so competitive.’

‘I’ve never found her to be so,’ Arlo said calmly, and Harpa flashed him a grateful smile. Monica ignored his words.

‘When I saw that video…my god, my baby, attacked with a knife, I felt a…chasm open up inside me. Raw, raw pain, agony, really.

‘Mom.’ Harpa toyed with her cutlery, ‘Do you realize that since you came to New Orleans, you haven’t said Cosima’s name once?’

Monica rocked back. ‘Don’t be silly, of course, I have. This is what I mean,’ she said to Arlo, who gazed back at her coolly. Harpa could barely control her temper.

‘No, you haven’t. Not once. You don’t know the Cosima we do: funny, brilliant, artistic, warm, kind, erudite. You don’t know that she loves, loves, Harry Potter; the books and the movies. You don’t know that her favorite musicians are Billie Holiday and Johnny Cash, or that she hates wearing nail polish on her fingers but always wears it on her toes.’

‘That she sings when she’s cooking’ Arlo joined in, ‘Or that she winds her hair around her finger when she’s concentrating on something. That she loves with her whole heart.’

‘That she’s the best person I’ve ever known,’ Harpa’s voice was shaking now, ‘that she is my sister, my mother, my father, my best friend. That when she met Arlo, she found her soulmate. You don’t know any of this.’

Monica was stunned into silence, looking away from her daughter. The waiter came with the wine then, and she made a great show of flirting with him and discussing the different vintages with him. Harpa looked at Arlo who winked at her and mouthed ‘Way to go.’

After dinner – which, of course, Arlo paid for - Monica wanted them to go back to her hotel for drinks but seeing Harpa’s stricken face, Arlo made their excuses and they left, both sighing with relief.

‘She’s a goddamned parasite,’ Harpa raged in the cab back to the LaBelle. ‘Did you notice her flirting with you? Gross.’

Arlo laughed. ‘Thanks.’

Harpa chuckled. ‘You know what I mean. God, you know what, I feel like doing a DNA test to try and prove she’s not our mother.’

He looked over at her. ‘You think that would tell you anything new?’

Her shoulders slumped. ‘No.’ She sighed. ‘We look too much like her for it to be in doubt. Well, I do. Cos has always taken after Dad; her features are softer than mine.’

‘You’re both beautiful, and on the inside too, which is what matters.’

Harpa grinned. ‘You been reading Cosmo? Are you seriously telling me you would have noticed Cos if she didn’t look like she does?’

Arlo nodded. ‘I am saying that – maybe it would have taken me longer than a millisecond – but there’s something that shines out from your sister and it’s not about physical beauty.’

Harpa’s eyes filled with tears. ‘You’re right.’

Arlo squeezed her hand. ‘We’re going to get her back, Harpa, I know it in my bones.’

It was another bad day. The sickness she thought had left her was hanging on, and she felt wiped out. She had read all of the books Goaty had left for her, and now she was curled up on the bed, staring at the tiny red light blinking on the camera. She’d been doing that for hours, but she didn’t know why. Eventually, she grabbed a bottle of water and some saltines then went to bed.

Waking in the middle of the night, she stumbled to the bathroom to pee, then climbed back into bed. Maybe I’ll die of this virus, she thought and remembered his words about killing herself and robbing him of the pleasure. She lay back down and turned on her side – and stopped. The red light wasn’t blinking. There was no red light at all. She sat up and stared at the darkened corner of the room. Did that mean he wasn’t watching? The moon was full outside, and its light streamed in on the huge windows.

Suddenly Cosima felt the adrenaline coursing through her. Maybe he was asleep; maybe he watched until she fell asleep, then turned in himself – after all, he was human, wasn’t he?

What can I do? What can I do? She looked around wildly, desperate not to waste this opportunity then realized she was hyperventilating. Calm, calm. She sat back on the bed and breathed deeply. Calm. Think. Think. She got up and moved around the room, running her fingers over everything in the room. The bed was iron, welded, no loose parts. In the bathroom, she felt each tile, but they were cemented in place. The faucets too were old; time had encased them in their fittings. The shower head was fixed.

Damn it, damn it. She walked to the bathroom door and gazed out over the bedroom again. Her eyes settled back on the bed…then she dropped to the floor and crawled across it. Gingerly, she felt under the bed, wary of spiders and bugs and felt around. The floorboards were wooden in this room, and as she moved her hand around, she felt how rough they were. Maybe she could break off a splinter, use it as a weapon? Maybe. She wriggled under the bed, and when she was halfway across, she heard it. The squeak of the floorboard under her. She moved again, and it squeaked. Her throat felt full of nerves and anticipation. Squeezing her body around so she lay flat on her stomach, she found the squeaking floorboard and traced along it until she reached the screws that held it in place. A screw was standing a little proud of its fixing, and she eagerly attacked it, twisting the metal with her fingers. When she felt it give, she whooped and unscrewed the whole thing. She clenched the long screw in her fist. A weapon. Shove this in his eye, or his throat, or his scrotum, which might give her time to get away. It was a small hope, but it was still hope. She felt along the board to try and unscrew the second fixing. This one was deeply buried in the wood. Shoot. Well, maybe this was a start. She wriggled out into the moonlight. Still no red light. It must have been an hour at least. She hid the long nail under the mattress, at the far corner of the bed. Maybe she could use it to pry a tile free or something.

Cosima felt something she’d hardly dared to hope; that she might be able to fight back. That small piece of metal might be the thing that saved her from the monster that held her here, who planned to rape and murder her. At least, she had to try.

She watched and counted the minutes until the red light of the camera flickered back on just before dawn then she closed her eyes and sleep more soundly than she had for days.

Mikah Ray sat in the auction house, staring unseeingly at the pieces up for sale. Usually, this was his happy place, his hunting ground but since Harpa had left Seattle and the news of her sister’s abduction had broken, he couldn’t think of anything else. After the bidding was over he filed out with everyone else then felt someone drop into step beside him.

‘Dude, what’s with you? I was expecting a fight on that Hockney miniature.’

Grady Mallory grinned at his friend and Mikah shrugged. ‘Just wasn’t feeling today.’

Grady studied him. ‘What’s up, bro?’

Mikah stopped, hissed out a sigh. ‘You got time for a drink, Gray? I need to talk to someone about…something.’

‘Sure thing,’ Grady looked at his watch. ‘I’m picking Flori up at four but until then, I’m all yours. O’Shea’s?’

At the bar, they ordered a beer and some chips and salsa and sat down. Grady twisted the cap of his beer. ‘So, what gives?’

‘I was seeing someone, briefly. Was crazy about her too, then…did you see the stuff in the news about the girl who got kidnapped in New Orleans?’

‘Wasn’t she Indian royalty or something?’

‘Yeah…well, it was her sister. Harpa. They lived under assumed names, Harpa just came to Seattle to train as a chef, which is where I met her. Then all this happened and she just…left. Checked out. Didn’t want me to be involved with, as she put it, ‘all this crap’.’

‘Sounds fair enough but I guess you think otherwise?’

‘I can’t stop thinking about her, man. I think we could have built something really special, you know?’

Grady nodded and was silent for a moment, considering. Mikah watched his friend’s expression. ‘I thought I’d asked you since you’ve had some experience with this kind of thing.’

Grady nodded. It had been a couple of years since his girlfriend Flori had been attacked and stabbed by a psychopath named Gregor Fisk, who had gone onto kidnap Grady’s sister-in-law, Quilla. Quilla had escaped Gregor’s hands but nearly died in the process. The whole sordid saga had been gone over and over in the press so many times, Mikah knew the entire story.

‘What would you do?’ he asked Grady now, his needs for some kind of approval growing. ‘Should I respect her wishes and stay away, or go find her and tell her that her problems are my problems and that I’m not going anywhere?’

Grady smiled sadly. ‘I know what I did; I stuck around…but then it was my family Fisk was targeting – and although I didn’t know it, I was already in love with Flori. I don’t know how to advise you. If you’re serious about her, I say go for it but don’t crowd her. Just say ‘I’m here, I’m not going anywhere, whatever you need, whatever you want.’.’

Mikah nodded. ‘That’s good advice, man.’

‘But?’

Mikah smiled. ‘How’d you know if you’re serious about someone?’

Grady grinned. ‘Is she the first person you think of when you wake when you see something funny. If you can’t get the feel of her skin out of your head…’

Mikah nodded. All those things and more…I just hope I can convince Harpa.’

He pulled up to the house around noon. He’d been watching the feed all morning, seeing her sleeping soundly. She still looked sick, but at least someone of her character was coming back. He laughed every time she passed the camera and stuck her middle fingers up at it, or mouthed ‘Fuck you’ at it. He loved her spunkiness as much as the feel of her soft skin. God, he’d miss her when she was dead, but still, knowing he would be the last person she would ever see made up for that. He would cradle her in his arms after he shot her, watching her bleed out, hearing her last desperate gasps for air, for life, and he would kiss her as the light went from her lovely eyes.

He got hard just thinking about it.

He looked up at the window as he got out of the car. He always expected – hoped – she would look out at him and smile, wave in greeting. Fat chance, pal. Cosima hated him with the fury of a thousand suns.

But today, he grinned as he climbed the stairs to her room, today would be different, today would be tender, and loving…today would be the day she gave him everything…

Cosima didn’t look up when he entered the room, just stuck her middle finger up. Goaty chuckled. ‘And good morning to you, beautiful. I have a treat for you today.’

‘Shove your ‘treat’ up your ass.’

He laughed again, and she slammed the book she was pretending to read down on the bed. ‘Look, asshole, just fucking shoot me. Or let me go. I’m never going to give you what you want.’

He pulled up a chair and reached into his backpack. For a second, her heart stopped, thinking he was reaching for his gun, but then he pulled out a paper cup and a bottle of bourbon. He poured some into the cup and handed it to her. ‘We’re just going to talk. Drink.’

She threw it at him, and he laughed. ‘Should have seen that one coming but God, Cosima, what a waste of the good stuff.’

He pulled out the bottle and another cup, poured them both drinks. He pulled up his mask, to drink and Cosima stared at his mouth, trying to memorize it on the small chance she got out of here. Almost absentmindedly she sipped the bourbon. It warmed her blood.

‘What do you mean, talk?’

He reached for the bottle again, and she wondered why he kept putting it back in his bag. Maybe he was scared she’d make a grab for it, smash over his head. Well, she thought, that’s exactly what I would do. He refilled her cup.

‘That. Talk.’

She took a huge gulp of the liquor. ‘Let me go.’ Well, what else am I going to say?

He shook his head. ‘No. These four walls are your prison, Cosima. They’ll be your coffin too.’

‘Why? Why are you doing this? Is this about my father? You’re not Indian, your hands are white….have they hired you to do this to me?’

He didn’t answer, just kept staring at her through the grotesque goat mask. He poured another drink, and she threw it back, wanting now the oblivion. Stop, her subconscious told her, stop now. Losing control will not help you.

But she didn’t listen. A quarter hour later, the room wheeled and swayed, and her vision became hazy. But…she didn’t feel drunk, she just felt disconnected, absent. Her body felt alien to her. She squinted at Goaty. ‘What’s stopping me from getting up and walking out of here, right now?’

‘Apart from my gun? Nothing. Go ahead. Try.’

She shook her head. ‘You’ll shoot me.’

He laughed. ‘Well, okay then, say I’m in a good mood, and say I give you a shot - so to speak – at escaping. Go ahead. I promise I won’t shoot you.’

He was mocking her, but she couldn’t waste the chance. She got unsteadily to her feet and walked to the door, stopping to look back at him. He hadn’t moved. Shakily she put her hand on the door handle and turned it, pulling the door open. The rush of fresh air assaulted her senses, made her head whirl and her stomach roil. She sucked in lungfuls of it and tried to walk out into the house. It was huge, a mansion, maybe a plantation house, grandly decorated, the wide upstairs hallway led to a grand staircase. Cosima tried to walk towards to it, but every step was like walking in treacle. What the hell was wrong with her? She pulled herself along to the staircase then slumped to the ground. Jesus…she couldn’t breathe….couldn’t think…Arlo…Arlo, please…help me…

Too late, she realized she had been drugged, and as Goaty, mocking her, laughing at her attempt to escape, yanked her into his arms, she managed to gasp out the words. ‘What did you give me?’

He chuckled nastily. ‘Just a little something to make you more…friendly…’

Oh god…no…not that, please…Arlo…Arlo…

Mikah checked into the hotel in the French Quarter, dumped his bags then went straight out into the crowded streets. He wanted to scope out the place, see the hotel where Harpa was staying. Some helpful private dick of the Mallorys had helped him out, easily finding out the information that Arlo Forrester, once a resident of San Francisco – had now permanently relocated to the Big Easy. Mikah stared up at the refurbished hotel in admiration. Cosima and Arlo Forrester have some major talent, he thought. He didn’t linger, couldn’t risk Harpa seeing him and freaking out. He had a plan and that plan meant taking advantage of the few times he’d met Arlo. With the man grieving for his lost love, Mikah didn’t want to take advantage, but he thought he might try, contact Arlo, see if he could help, maybe set up a meeting…

God, could that plan be any more passive-aggressive? Mikah shook his head and went to find a coffee house to settle in and plan what he was going to say.

Cosima opened her eyes to see Arlo gazing down at her. ‘Hey, beautiful…’

‘Arlo…’ she whispered and smiled. He smoothed her hair away from her face.

‘I missed you so much, baby, so much….’ He pressed his lips to hers, and she kissed him back, feeling the softness of his mouth on her own, and his tongue gently massaging hers. His hands were on her body, and she realized she was naked. She smiled and coiled a leg around his waist.

‘I want to be inside you, my darling Cosima…’ and with one thrust. He drove his cock deep into her velvety sex. She gasped at the quick pain and then moaned as he found his rhythm, urging him on… ‘Arlo…’

His hips grew rougher, and the look in his eyes grew colder as he rammed his cock harder into her…she didn’t understand the look in his eyes…and now he was scaring her…and now it wasn’t Arlo but Jack thrusting into her….no, wait….now it was her childhood friend, the one who wanted to kill her..Naveen…..no…his face wasn’t human…it wasn’t human…

She bucked and screamed for him to stop but he cuffed her hard around the face and stunned her. She could not fight as he pinned her hands to the bed and grunting loudly, he came, and she felt the hot rush of his semen, his disgusting seed, deep in her belly, and she started to sob.

‘Don’t cry, Cosima, this was inevitable…ssh, don’t cry, it won’t be long now…soon you’ll be dead, and this won’t matter…’

She didn’t stop crying for hours after he left, then, exhausted, fell into a nightmare-heavy sleep. When she woke, she wished she was dead. There was no spark of hope left in her as she sat in a freezing cold bath, leaning her head against the cold tile. She had no tears left now; her skin and eyes felt desiccated. She closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths.

Never again. That monster would never touch her again. She would attack him, make him shoot her, or – if it was even possible – get the gun from him.

Yeah right. She sighed…and then it hit her. His gun. His gun with a silencer on it. If she was in the middle of nowhere, why would he need a silencer? She sat up. God, how had she missed that?

She could hardly wait until the middle of the night when the red light on the camera blinked off. As soon as it went out, she darted up, grabbing the small screw she had squirreled away and found a window that wasn’t immediately noticeable from the middle of the room. He’d lied about her being alone in the area so maybe he’d lied about the windows being alarmed; using the sharp end of the screw, she scrapped away at the window’s surround. The house, while magnificent, was old and the cement that held the window in place crumbled easily away. It still took her most of the night to do one side of it and by the time dawn was breaking, she was tired. She had checked the camera all night, every few minutes but it wasn’t until she had brushed her teeth and washed her face that it blinked back on. She guessed the feed had been down about six or seven hours. Over the next few nights, she’d loosen the window pane and lift it out and spend the night screaming out of it in the hope that someone, somewhere would hear her.

Cosima’s mind was buzzing now; she would try again to loosen the floorboards beneath her, see if she could drop through to the floor below. She didn’t care how crazy the plan, she was determined she would try anything to survive. One thing was for sure; she’d never accept anything from him again.

‘Five days,’ she murmured to herself, ‘five days and I will be out of here, or I’ll take that sharp-edged screw and open my own wrists. You don’t get to tell me what to do, motherfucker, you don’t get to decide what happens to me and my body.’

She got into bed and slept soundly for the first time in days.

Arlo nodded as the make-up artist took the shine off his forehead and Jack, his face rigid with disapproval asked him again if the television interview was a good idea.

‘I’m sick of doing nothing,’ Arlo said firmly. ‘The kidnapping is already headline news, and I want to get the message out that at the end of the day, regardless of her family, Cosima is an innocent victim, that whoever has taken her will be guilty of killing someone who only does well in this world. That whatever the crimes or perceived crimes of her father and grandfather, Cos is loved and cherished.’

He let out a long breath. ‘God, Jack, I just want them to know what they’ll be destroying for absolutely no reason.’

Jack sighed. ‘Arlo…can’t you think of any other way…?’

‘Jack, you’re the one whose put a block on my guys searching for Cos, on me going public with a reward for information.’

‘To stop your guys prejudicing the FBI investigation, that’s why I shut them down. And I did that after they’d searched your hit list of abandoned sites in the state. As for a reward – we’ll get a million crazies and not one useful piece of information. Trust me, Arlo, I’ve done this before.’

‘Not knowing is driving me crazy.’

Jack sighed. ‘Arlo, have you considered this may not be the work of Arjun’s enemies? That it might be a stalker? Or even…and I hate to say it…the work of your ex-girlfriend?’

Arlo gave him a chilly smile. ‘I doubt Sabine would have a clue how to pull this kind of thing off, and she may be a world class bitch, but she’s not violent. And, yes, I have thought about it being a lone stalker…after all, the group in India wouldn’t bother to kidnap her.’

‘No, they would have slit her throat in her workplace restroom, quick and cold.’

‘Jesus, Jack!’ Arlo looked sick and angry. ‘Do you not think before you speak? Do you know how many nights I’ve lain awake imagining every kind of horrific scenario?’

Jack looked shamed. ‘Sorry. It just doesn’t make sense to me, none of it. When I thought it was her family connections but….’

Arlo nodded. ‘Yeah.’

The floor manager came to find Arlo. ‘We’re ready for you, Mr. Forrester.’

Arlo stood and pulled off the paper bib the make-up artist had given him. ‘Okay.’ He followed the floor manager out but stopped by the door and turned to look at Jack. ‘Jack…I have to do something. I have all this money and influence, and I couldn’t save the one thing I hold most precious in this world. Let me do this.’

Jack was quiet and then nodded stiffly. ‘Okay. Okay, Arlo.’

Cosima is my love, my heart. Please, whoever you are, stop and look at the beautiful, brilliant woman in front of you, the woman you are keeping from her family. Imagine she is your daughter, your sister, or the love of your life and examine how you would feel in my position. If it’s money you want, you can have it. If you’re holding her because of her family’s history…you are punishing Cosima for the sins of her fathers; she has nothing to do with those old arguments and differences. And if you are holding her because you think you feel something for her…I know how you feel. She is incredible. But love is not a negotiation, love is not control, love is not imprisoning or harming the one you love. Please…set Cosima free, let her come back to her family. Thank you.

Sabine clicked off the television, her mouth curling up in a sneer. Revolting, she thought to herself, ignoring the sharp pain in her chest. Arlo would never have spoken about her the way he spoke about the fucking princess. When she had heard Cosima had been abducted, she had felt a certain glee – she was convinced Naveen – her occasional lover - was behind the disappearance. She hadn’t seen Naveen since the news broke that Cosima was missing, and she was feeling the absence – especially of his magnificent cock drilling her to the bed – but seeing as he was doing her dirty work for her, she’d let him off. Sabine had also sat through a desperate, pathetic, overwrought Monica talking to Diane Sawyer about her ‘darling daughter’ earlier that day which had put Sabine into an even better mood.

Now she reached for her cellphone. Really, the timing couldn’t be better. She pressed the call button and waited. When he answered, she dropped her voice to a warm purr. ‘Arlo, darling, I’m so sorry. What can I do to help?’

He couldn’t stop thinking about her, her skin, the brief moment when the drug in her bourbon had made her hallucinate, think he was Arlo. Her smile. God, it made him hard just thinking about it. The moment his cock had plunged into her, he had felt like a king. Triumphant. When she’d started to fight him, the power and control he had over her…

He was seriously rethinking killing her. What if, instead, he just kept her, wore her down, and made them into a family…could she be his? Forever?

She would have to be broken, he decided, so much that she would do anything to live, even submit wholly to him. Forget the past, forget Arlo Forrester, and even forget her sister. He would take her away, somewhere no-one would even think to look for them. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have the means or the imagination to keep her away from the rest of the world for as long as he needed. The house in the bayou had been a good prison, but now he was getting edgy. It was too near New Orleans, too close to civilization. It only took one gator hunter out on the bayou to come across the house…

Yes. He would begin to plan the move, find a good base…put the plans into motion. In the meantime, he had one way of distracting the people looking for Cosima, and he smiled to himself. He was going to enjoy this.

Jack called at the hotel just after seven a.m. and by the look on his face, it wasn’t good news. Harpa huddled close to Arlo, and he put his arm around her, pressed his lips to her temple to comfort her. Jack sat opposite them.

‘Guys,’ he began slowly, ‘I don’t know….this is the hardest…’

‘Oh no, no, no,’ Harpa crumbled, and Arlo gave a low moan. Jack, his own face betraying his grief, held up his hands.

‘We’ve found a body…now, look. It may not be Cos…I haven’t personally seen the body yet. We got a call an hour ago, up near Baton Rouge. A young woman of Asian heritage was found, bound and stabbed to death. She matches Cos’s description but…I don’t know, something about it seems hinky. I’m going up there now, and I’ll call you, straight away.’

Harpa and Arlo looked at each other then turned back to Jack. ‘No,’ said Arlo, ‘We’re coming with you.’

Jack shook his head. ‘No. I’m sorry but no…if it is Cos, I don’t want you seeing her like that.’

‘That’s not your decision to make,’ Arlo was angry now, ‘you may have known her longer than I, but she is my love. I need to see her, Harpa needs to see her.’

‘And if it is Cos, you will – after we’ve released her body, after we’ve prepared you and her. Harpa, does Cos have any tattoos, birthmarks, scars I should know about?’

Harpa shook her head. ‘No…god, please, don’t let it be her.’

Jack stood. ‘Look, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for all of this. I’ll call you when I know more.

And he was gone.

Arlo and Harpa hugged each other, the room suddenly cold despite the temperature of the day.

‘Please tell me it’s not her, Arlo, please,’ Harpa’s voice was barely audible. Please tell me I’ll see my sister again.’

But he couldn’t.

Cosima replaced the window pane back in its setting, her throat red raw from screaming for most of the night. Nothing. No-one. The sky was lightening on the horizon, and she knew it wouldn’t be long until the camera switched back on. She crawled under the bed and had another go at trying to loosen a floorboard. A half hour later, she screamed in frustration and gave up. The boards were just too firmly screwed down for her to make any difference. She lay on the floor for a few minutes, breathing hard.

Okay, okay, she thought. Plan B…whatever that might be. Two days of her deadline were up, but she refused to believe there wasn’t something she could do so save herself. She went and took a quick, cold shower then sat down on the toilet to pee. As she stood and flushed, her elbow caught the heavy porcelain lid on the cistern and pain shot through her elbow. But she barely noticed. The lid had moved. It had shifted. She froze. At that moment, the bathroom camera blinked on.

Cosima didn’t look behind her, didn’t acknowledge the sharp pain in her elbow from whacking it on the hard porcelain. Instead, she moved like an automaton, washing her hands and brushing her teeth. She moved deliberately casually but inside her, the adrenaline was screeching through her system.

She got into bed and pulled the covers over her head, letting out a shaky breath. How had she missed it? She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry and at that moment, she knew.

Today was the day she was going home.

Jack called them from Baton Rouge. ‘I’m about to go in. Are you sure there are no identification marks I could look for? Because…god…the girl has been dead a few days and in this heat…’

Harpa dashed to the bathroom to throw up. Arlo, feeling sick, gripped the phone tightly. ‘No. We’re sure. Please, Jack…’

‘Stay strong, Arlo. I’ll call back soon.’

Arlo put his phone down on the table and closed his eyes. There were so many emotions whirling around in him; fear, despair, grief. He sucked in a big breath and went to find Harpa. She was sitting on the side of the bath, the room stank of vomit. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Arlo shook his head.

‘Don’t be silly,’ he opened a window then grabbed a face cloth, running under the cold water. He wiped her face gently, then sat down next to her, his arm around her shoulders. Harpa leaned into him.

‘Arlo…if it is Cos…I want you to know that she was the happiest she had ever been when she met you. She loved you so much…’

Arlo’s voice was gruff. ‘I know. She was my world; no, screw it, she is my world. She’s coming back to us, I know it.’

Cosima heard his car door slam, and she darted into action. The porcelain lid of the cistern was heavier than she’d reckoned but despite her screeching muscles, she got ready, her heart beating at a hundred miles an hour.

As he opened the door and stepped in, she brought it down on the back of his head with as much force as she could muster. He dropped immediately, and the aftermath was so silent, she stopped there blinking for a second. Had it really been this easy?

He didn’t move, didn’t groan. She dropped to her knees beside him and went through his pockets, found his keys. Without another thought, she ran, down the flight of stairs to the front door. Locked. Her hands trembling violently, she tried each of his keys. Finally, she yanked the door open and stepped out into bright sunlight. His car stood on the driveway and ignoring the gravel tearing into her bare feet, she ran to it. When it started the first time, she almost screamed with relief. Tugging the stick into reverse, she turned the car around…just as he appeared at the door. The goat’s mask was even more terrifying; its calm visage in sharp contrast to his obvious rage. He raised his gun and fired. Cosima ducked and pressed her foot hard down on the gas, the rear window shattering behind her. She didn’t care, with every second she was freer – a bullet zinged along the side of the car but then she was at the end of the drive and pulling onto what looked like a normal highway. She really had been this close to civilization this whole time. Motherfucker. Cursing loudly, she drove along the highway, speeding, not caring if she was stopped – she wanted to be pulled over by the cops. The cops were safe, they’d get her home. Finally, she saw the sign for New Orleans…six miles. Six miles? God…I’m coming home, baby…

I’m coming home…

Arlo and Harpa stared at his phone as the screen flashed up with Jack’s number. Harpa moaned softly, but Arlo took her hand in his. ‘We have to know, Harpa.’ He pressed the speaker phone button. ‘Jack?’

‘Hi.’ He paused and Harpa started to cry. ‘Guys, we couldn’t make a positive identification. The body is too decomposed. If it is Cos, then she was killed almost as soon as she was taken.’

Arlo had trouble breathing. No. No. ‘Then it can’t be her. I’d know, I’d sense if she were dead.’ He felt Harpa squeeze his hand.

‘Jack…do you think it’s her?’

Jack sighed, his own voice racked with pain and grief. ‘I wish I could say positively one way or the other, Harp, I really do. I don’t want to believe it’s her but the height is right, the victim has long dark hair, dark skin that matches Cosima’s own skin color. Until we have DNA proof…’

‘Until we have DNA proof,’ Harpa said, her voice suddenly strong, ‘We are going to believe it’s not her, okay? Okay, Jack? Okay, Arlo?’

Arlo nodded, but his eyes were hooded and dark. Jack sighed. ‘It can’t hurt to think like that. I certainly don’t want to think it could be her…although it is someone.’

‘Someone’s daughter, sister, lover,’ Arlo repeated in a monotone. ‘There is no good news here for anyone.’

‘Yeah.’ Jack’s voice was low, and Harpa unconsciously reached out her hand as if she could comfort him through the phone. She dropped her hand.

‘Jack…I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to see that.’ She glanced at Arlo. ‘We both know how much Cosima meant…means…to you.’ Arlo nodded and cleared his throat.

‘Yes, we do, and we want you to know, Jack, we’re grateful for everything you’ve done for us, for Cos.’

‘Thanks, man. Look, I’m going back to New York to see where we’re at for a couple days then I’ll be back. We won’t stop looking for her, believe me.’

Arlo ended the call and hugged Harpa. ‘There’s still hope.’

She nodded. ‘Look, I think I need a shower and some food. Then maybe I can think straight.’

He nodded and she padded into the room. Arlo stared after her, not really seeing anything. He rubbed his face with his fingers, trying anything to relieve this numbness he was feeling. He really believed what he had told Jack, that he would know if Cosima was dead. No, it wasn’t possible. He closed his eyes and sighed. Come home.

Steve, one of Arlo’s security team, knocked and came in.

‘Sorry to disturb, boss, but there’s someone here who wants a word.’

Arlo’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Not press.’

‘No. It’s Mikah Ray.’

Arlo half-smiled. ‘Send him up.’

Mikah Ray rode the elevator, feeling sick with nerves. Which was a new feeling for him – for the love of God, he was a successful businessman, someone with influence, connection and yet he was terrified. Terrified that Arlo would turn him away and not listen to him, scared Harpa would lose it when she saw him. Mikah’s hand hovered over the stop button. What was he doing bothering this family at this time? For what? His hard-on?

No. Because it wasn’t just about sex…he wanted to be part of Harpa’s life, to be there for her now, in this hell she must be living. He wanted to be the one she leaned on – and yeah, that was monumentally selfish, but he couldn’t bear to know she was in so much pain, and he wasn’t able to do anything. His hand dropped; no, he was going to do this, and if she rejected him now, then that was that. It was over.

He stepped out into the foyer and Arlo Forrester was there to meet him. Mikah felt a jolt of sympathy when he saw the pain in the other man’s eyes.

‘Man, I can’t even imagine what this must be like for you. I’m here for you, for Harpa, for whatever you need.’

Arlo half-smiled as he shook Mikah’s hand. ‘Thanks, dude. Listen, I think you may be what Harpa needs right now, but it’s up to her. I’m all for whatever it is you need from her but…’

‘I know. Just five minutes is all I ask.’

Arlo nodded. ‘Okay. Come on in, she’s just in the shower.’

Mikah followed Arlo into the penthouse and whistled when he saw it. ‘Dude, this place is magnificent.’

Arlo smiled sadly. ‘All Cosima; she has a great eye.’

‘You’re telling me, wow.’

Arlo thanked him. ‘Look, I’ll just go see if…’ He nodded to a closed bedroom door and Mikah nodded, his nerves returning.

‘Okay. Cool.’

‘I’m decent, come on in,’ Harpa called when Arlo knocked at her door. She was toweling her long dark hair, wrapped in a robe and she smiled at him. What’s up?’

‘There’s someone here to see you. A very nervous someone.’

Harpa looked confused, and Arlo smiled. ‘It’s Mikah,’ he said gently then put up his hands as she looked first shocked then panicked. ‘Relax, he just wants five minutes to talk.’

Harpa sat down heavily on her bed, staring at him. ‘I don’t know…all of this…I just…’

Arlo sat down next to her. ‘Maybe it’s good…closure at the very least. You should talk to him; he’s invested, Harp, he deserves five minutes. And can I tell you something?’

‘Of course.’ Her voice was soft, trembling. Arlo nudged his shoulder to hers.

‘Don’t waste love, not even for one second. There’s no good reason for you not to be with the man you’re crazy about. Cosima would kick your ass.’ His mouth hitched up in a grin, and she couldn’t help but join in.

‘Okay…but five minutes – and I’m not promising anything.’

‘You don’t owe me any promises, nor Mikah neither. Go with your heart, Harp.’

She swallowed and nodded. ‘Okay. Let me throw some clothes on.’

‘I’ll send him in a minute or two.’

Harpa took a deep breath in and opened the door. Oh God, she’d forgotten just how beautiful he was, his dark skin shining, his eyes big and soulful, and his cute way of wearing his porkpie hat on the back of his head.

‘Hey,’ he said. Even his voice was rich and made her stomach warm.

‘Hey. Come in.’ She stepped out of the way to let him in and closed the door behind him.

For a long moment, they stared at each other, drinking the other in. Then he smiled – making her stomach flutter.

‘I want you to know…that I have superpowers.’

That she didn’t expect. ‘Huh?’

Mikah chuckled. ‘Go with it. Yeah, I have this power…to transform into anything you need right now. A rock, a punch-bag, a friend, a lover, hell, even a unicorn – if that’s what you need right now. Anything, Harpa. You say you didn’t want me messed up in your family’s crap…too late, Bedi, I’m already in deep.’

She gazed at him then closed her eyes before she spoke. ‘My sister is probably dead.’

‘Yes.’

His honesty stung but she liked he didn’t bullshit her. ‘It hurts like all hell. If it’s true, then I don’t know how to be in a world without her.’

‘Who would? This situation is so fucked up but, as Arlo must have found, some things really are out of our control. The only control we have is how to react to the situation – and even that’s tenuous. No-one is expecting you to hold it together if Cosima’s been murdered. No-one. I’m offering to be the person you can go absolutely batshit crazy at if that’s what you need.’

He stepped closer and when she didn’t back away, he put his hands on the tops of her arms. ‘I know we haven’t known each other for that long, but I’m all in, Harpa. All in.’

Harpa gave a sob, and he took her in his arms, holding her tightly. ‘I don’t pretend to know what you’re going through, baby, just knows you’re not alone in this.’

Arlo stepped out onto the balcony of the penthouse and looked down at the crowds of tourists below, milling around the Quarter. He was curious to know what Mikah was saying to Harpa, and he hoped that the young woman would be responsive to her former lover. Mikah Ray was a good guy and if the worst had happened, well, Harpa would need him. Because if Cosima was dead, then Arlo didn’t know how he could go on. All he could think of was the first night they’d met, or the look on her face when he’d walked into that restaurant after all those months apart or the first night they’d spent together here, in her hotel. That’s how he thought of this place; her signature, her taste, her brilliance was all over this hotel.

A squeal of tires made him look down. A black S.U.V. weaving a wild path down the street below suddenly screeched to a halt outside The LaBelle. He heard shouting, and then he saw Steve and Roger burst out from the hotel below, scattering the people, as the door of the S.U.V. was pushed open and a small figure almost fell out of the vehicle.

Arlo’s heart began to pound as he watched Steve and Roger run to the driver…the driver who had long dark hair and was obviously in some distress….oh god….oh god…..

‘Cosima!’ His scream made everyone below look up, and Harpa and Mikah burst out from her bedroom as Arlo darted for the elevator.

‘Arlo, what the…’

He was wild-eyed and breathless as the other two crowded into the elevator with him. ‘It’s her, it’s Cosima…’

He was babbling, press the down button again and again until Harpa took his hand away.

‘Stop. Breathe. What about Cosima?’

Arlo looked at her, his mania calming. ‘She’s downstairs…’

They burst out of the elevator doors as soon as they opened onto the hotel lobby and saw her, their Cosima, alive, breathing, as Steve and Roger carried her inside. Harpa screamed her sister’s name and ran to the wilting woman as she began to sob. She hugged her sister, reaching out to Arlo as he wrapped his arms around them both, shaking his head in disbelief, saying her name over and over and over…

Sabine hissed in frustration as the news reporter, standing outside the LaBelle brought the viewers the news of Cosima Malhotra Bedi’s miraculous escape. God damn it. She wondered what Naveen had been thinking, keeping the princess alive.

To Sabine’s dismay, Arlo hadn’t risen to her offer of help, just thanked her in a dead voice and ended the call.

And now Cosima was home, safe in Arlo’s arms again. Sabine sighed. Maybe it was time to let it go after all. Sabine simply didn’t have the energy to break them up. Maybe she should concentrate on Naveen; a man of means certainly, the ease with which he moved around the world constantly, never staying in one place too long.

Yes, she could get used to a life like that…

‘Okay, Arlo, you win,’ she said aloud to the picture of her former lover that flashed up on the screen. ‘You keep your princess. I have bigger plans.’

If only she knew how to get hold of Naveen.

Arlo waited until the doctor had finished his examination then stepped back into Cosima’s room. He still couldn’t believe that she was here, in front of him. In the melee that had followed her arrival at the hotel, the emergency services were called, and it wasn’t until the police insisted that Cosima go straight to the emergency room to be checked out that Arlo had time to gather his thought. The doctors and hospital staff had been kind and thorough; Cosima didn’t appear to have any significant injuries, apart from cuts and bruises, but mentally, Arlo could see the pain, fear, and confusion in her eyes. After being locked away for so long, Cosima got quickly overwhelmed by all the people around her. When the doctor had told her, gently, he needed to do a rape kit, Arlo had been heartbroken when Cosima looked ashamed and nodded slowly. God, what she must have been through…

The doctor smiled at him. ‘She’s exhausted and dehydrated, and we’ll keep her in for a couple of days. She’ll need to talk to the psychiatrist and of course, the police but for tonight, she should rest.’

They both went back into the room, and Cosima’s delighted smile made Arlo’s heart soar. He kissed her forehead. ‘I love you,’ he whispered.

She leaned into him as the doctor wrote some notes. ‘Can I shower now, Doctor?’

He looked and smiled. ‘You can, then I’m going to order some hot food for you. I want that drip to stay in overnight; you’re dehydrated so drink plenty of water. I’ll be back in couple of hours to give you a sedative to help you sleep.’

Cosima sighed. ‘Sounds good.’

‘Can I stay with her, doc?’

‘Of course, I’ll have a cot brought in for you.’ He patted Cosima’s hand gently. ‘Rest as much as you can, Cosima. You deserve it.’

‘Thank you, Doctor Arno, you’ve been very kind.’

When they were alone, Arlo tipped her face up to his and kissed her softly. ‘God, I missed you, every second, Cos. Thank God you’re okay.’

She smiled, but her eyes were troubled. ‘Arlo…there was one day…he drugged me and I was hallucinating that it was you…’

‘I want to kill him for doing that, but it wasn’t your fault, Cos, you realize that, I hope? I’ll make him pay, I promise you. Are you sure you didn’t recognize him?

Cosima shook her head. ‘Maybe Jack will have something in one of his files but, to be honest, I’m just relieved to be away from him. Did the police find anything at the house?’

Arlo shook his head. ‘Jack said he was going to find out what they knew, what the crime scene people could find.’

‘Is he okay?’

‘Jack? I think like the rest of us, he’s overwhelmed you’re safe. He said he’ll come see you as soon as he can.’

‘Good.’ Cosima leaned against him and sighed. Then her eyebrows shot up. ‘Oh, right, I was going to ask…who was that guy with Harpa at the hotel?’

Arlo grinned. ‘That, my darling, is Mikah Ray. They met in Seattle and were hot and heavy until you disappeared and Jack made Harpa come to New Orleans.’

Cosima chuckled. ‘Arlo Forrester, you sound like an old gossip. Wow, so that’s Mikah? Nice work, sis.’ She grinned at Arlo but then her smile faded. ‘I keep waiting to wake up and find out I’m still trapped in that house.’

Arlo stroked her face tenderly. ‘Cos…you’ll never have to go through that again, understand? Look, we’ve got a lot to talk about but for now, please, you need to rest.’

Later, when Cosima had bathed, eaten and was finally asleep, Arlo stepped out into the hallway to call Jack again. The FBI agent sounded harassed. ‘Hey, sorry for not calling you back, Arlo. Got dragged into another sting and got clobbered by the perp.’

‘You okay?’

‘Oh yeah, just had the wind knocked out of my sails. How’s our girl doing?’ Jack’s voice warmed considerably, Arlo noticed, but he pushed any jealousy aside. Now was not the time for that.

‘She’s doing okay, I think. They’ve treated her so well here, but I think we need to wait a few days for it to fully hit her. She seems dazed.’

‘Not surprising, really.’

‘Jack?’

‘Yeah.’

Arlo sighed heavily. ‘Jack, he raped her.’

‘God.’

‘Yeah.’

Arlo heard Jack curse softly under his breath. ‘Is it wrong to say that as horrific as it is, I’m not surprised? That it was kind of inevitable?’

‘Terrible thing to say to think but, yeah, in the world we live in.’

‘Arlo…I’ve never brought up the money thing, your wealth, I mean, because it’s none of my business and I know Cosima always shies away from any mention of it but just this one time, can I make a plea?’

‘Go ahead, whatever you want.’

‘Get the best psychologists, psychiatrists, and hypnotists, whatever. For her, for Cosima. She shouldn’t have to have this on her plate for the rest of her life.’

‘Oh don’t worry, I’m going to insist,’ Arlo’s voice was firm, ‘there’s no price I won’t pay to make this right, Jack, you can be assured of that.’

‘Good. Thank you. Arlo…cutting all bull here, you know how I feel about Cosima…and I want you to know I think you are the best thing that has ever happened to her. I wouldn’t be able to give her half what you have, even with the best will in the world and despite my family money. I just ask…don’t shut me out. I promise I’ll keep my feelings to myself.’

Arlo was touched and nodded. ‘Of course, Jack, you will always be a part of the Malhotra’s lives.’

‘Thanks. Now, I may be gone for a few more days, we want to follow every lead, every suspect. I still think this has nothing to do with the Malhotra family, but we have to check.’

Harpa sat down by her sister’s bedside. Mikah pulled up a chair across the room. ‘Are you sure it’s okay for me to be in here?’

Harpa smiled at him and nodded. ‘Of course. I want Cos to meet you properly at least once before you go back to Seattle.’

He smiled. ‘I’m here for as long as you need me, Harpa.’

Really?’

He rolled his eyes. ‘Of course. Besides, when your sister’s better, I need to take you out on a proper date.’

Harpa pretended to consider. ‘I’ll think about it.’

‘Don’t be a tease,’ Cosima’s voice was wooly and thick, but she smiled sleepily at her sister as she opened her eyes. Harpa smoothed her hair from her forehead.

‘I’m sorry, Cos, did we wake you?’

Cosima shook her head as she pulled herself into a sitting position. ‘Nope, I’ve just been pretending, waiting for you two to talk dirty or something.’

Harpa and Mikah both laughed. ‘Sneaky,’ Harpa stuck her tongue out at her sister then beckoned Mikah closer. ‘So, Cosima, this is Mikah, Mikah, Cosima.’

The two shook hands and Cosima grinned at him. ‘So, I’ll just say that the sedative they gave is making my brain a bit squirrely so I apologize if my filter doesn’t work.’

‘Fair enough. How are you feeling?’

‘Glad to be back.’

Harpa squeezed her sister’s hand. Arlo told us you went ninja on the asshole…did he tell you they found the place?’

Cosima nodded. ‘Yep but not Goaty.’

Harpa looked bemused. ‘Goaty?’

‘He had a goat’s mask, he wore it over a balaclava. I called him Goaty – not showing that much imagination,’ Cosima tried to laugh it off but her breath caught in her chest. ‘He’s still out there.’

‘But he will never get close to you again, Cosima, I won’t permit it. Arlo’s already hired extra security…’

Cosima sighed. ‘I don’t want to be a prisoner again, though, Harp.’

Harpa nodded, her eyes full of understanding. ‘I’m sorry, Cos, but until we catch the guy…’

Mikah sat forward again. ‘Look, I just had an idea…some friends of mine have an island just off the coast of Hawaii. They’re always telling me to make the most of it, go down there, and take whoever I want. How about the four of us go away – when you’re out of here, obviously?’

Cosima smiled at him warmly. ‘That does sound tempting, but it might have to wait for a while. Arlo’s lined me up some pretty hardcore counseling for the next month.’

‘Well, the offer stands. Just say the word.’

Cosima looked at Harp and nodded at Mikah. ‘This one’s a keeper,’ she pronounced as Harpa rolled her eyes.

‘And with that, you need more rest. Come on, Mikah, before she has us picking out china patterns.’

Cosima went back to sleep after her sister and Mikah had left but this time, her dreams were terrifying; Goaty in her hospital room, her loved ones on their knees as he pressed the muzzle of a gun to her and fired more bullets than a gun could possible hold into her…she felt the pain of each burning piece of metal slamming into her, but all she could feel was fear for Arlo and Harpa as they begged Goaty to stop killing her. He swung the gun around and shot Arlo between the eyes as Cosima screamed; Arlo dropped to the floor, eyes staring, lifeless as Goaty dragged Harpa to her feet by her hair then shot her through the heart. Cosima screamed….then realized she was being shaken awake, but she couldn’t stop screaming, a panic attack in full flood.

‘Cosima! Cosima, darling, calm down!’

Oh. God.

Her mother.

Naveen showed up on the Friday following Cosima’s escape. Sabine opened the door to him, smirking. He looked amused as he took in her expression. ‘Something funny?’

She shut the door and leaned back against it. ‘Couldn’t quite keep a grasp on the little princess then?

His face shut down. ‘No idea what you’re talking about.’

She chuckled and cupped his face in her hands, pressing her lips to his. ‘Yes, you have. Cosima…all of a sudden she reappears, bedraggled, tormented and yet still beautiful – and still very much alive.’

Naveen nodded. ‘So I hear.’ He shrugged out of his jacket – dark blue today which highlighted the salt and pepper hair at his temples – and pulled his tie loose.

Sabine waited. ‘Well?’

He shrugged, his expression insolent. ‘So what? I told you before, Sabine, what I do or don’t do to Cosima Malhotra is my business. Now, I came here to fuck – I assume that’s what you want too?’

Sabine flushed but reached for the zipper on her dress. Naveen smiled his tone warming. ‘Allow me.’

As always with him, Sabine forget everything else as soon as he touched her, his strong hands working her body like no one ever had, and when she was panting and gasping his name. As his cock drove her towards heaven, she realized she didn’t care about Arlo or Cosima and anything else in this world apart from this dark, dangerous man in her arms. When she came, she looked at him with tears in her eyes and, forgetting her nature, forgetting that she wanted to remain aloof, told him she loved him.

Naveen waited until Sabine fell asleep then got up and swiftly dressed. He wasn’t good at this despite his outward coolness. When Sabine told him, she loved him, just for a second, he had seen a future with this blonde ice queen – kids, a mansion, and family dinners. He had dreamed of that all of his life – had envied his childhood friends who had that – the Malhotras. He’d fallen in love with the elder sister the moment he had seen her, and both the girls and their father were more than generous with all they had. But his own father was a proud man, and had hated the Prince and his ‘whore’ daughters and had eventually instilled that hatred in Naveen, who’d built up so much resentment towards Cosima that all his adult life, he’d been trying to find a way to get to her.

But someone else had beaten him to it. Someone had taken her and he didn’t have a clue who it was. That pissed him off – and at the same time, he was astonished to find he felt some relief – that his burden had been taken from him, that he had a choice about the life he led.

Because he had watched the news reports and seen Cosima looking exhausted, worn down, hunted – and he had felt sympathy…and, unbelievably, fondness. He saw again the young girl he had played with, had adored, and he felt ashamed. His hatred – for so many years, a burning, raging thing inside of him, dissipated. The realization hit him like a sledgehammer. She was just a young woman trying to live her life and he – as well as her father’s enemies and clearly now this new threat – had made her life a living hell. For years.

For no good reason except petty revenge and childish jealousy.

Last month the order had come down from the families; the threat to the Malhotra children was no longer acceptable. Naveen had called his father who had railed against the order, of course – impotently as it turned out as the order came through again, stronger: Cosima and Harpa were not to be harmed under any circumstances.

And then Cosima had disappeared, and the in-fighting had begun. Naveen flew to India to make sure his father didn’t have anything to do with it; that he wouldn’t be censured or worse by the powers that be. But no-one knew anything – or at least that they would admit to.

Which meant there was a new threat, and Naveen, in an about-face that staggered him, wanted to know who it was and how to stop him coming after her again. He’d thought hard about what he should do, and now he was contemplating going to the one man who he knew would desperately want the same thing as he.

The ex-lover of the woman he had just fucked.

Arlo Forrester.

After days and days of other people, finally, on the fifth day after Cosima escaped, they were alone – really alone – in their apartment in the hotel. Cosima walked slowly around, acclimatizing herself to it again.

‘It’s weird, it feels brand new,’ she smiled at Arlo, who was watching her. He laughed.

‘Well, if you think about it, it is. Come here, beautiful.’

She went into his arms, and he kissed her. ‘God, I missed you.’

Me too, baby,’ she rubbed her nose against his, All the time, I just thought of you and every day we’d been together, what we’ve done or haven’t yet done. I came up with so many ideas for things to us to do together or new projects…and of course now I’ve forgotten them all.’

They both laughed. ‘We can make new lists, he said softly, and she touched his face.

‘There’s only one thing I want right now.

He looked surprised then stepped back. ‘Cosima…with what you’ve through…’

She was stung. ‘You don’t want me?’

‘God, of course, I do, every second but Cos…you were raped. You need time.’

‘Rape is not sex, Arlo, it’s violence. I was subject to a violent act. It had nothing to do with you and me making love…unless of course…’ She didn’t finish the sentence, but her meaning was clear.

Arlo shook his head. ‘No, Cos, no…’

‘I’m soiled goods.’ Her voice was flat and dead. ‘Okay. then.’

‘No, hang on a minute, you are putting words in my mouth, Cos, that’s not what I meant at all.’

‘It’s okay, Arlo, I don’t want to fight.’

‘Me either, baby. I just think you need time…god, Cos, there is nothing I want more than to take you back to our bed right now, but one of us has to be…’

‘…if you say responsible, I’ll scream.’ But she smiled when she said it. ‘Like I said, I don’t want to fight. Look, okay. I’ll see the psychologists or whoever, I’ll work through what I have to. But don’t keep me waiting too long, Forrester.’

Arlo, relieved, chuckled. ‘I promise. Now, in lieu of our favorite activity, how about you join me in our second favorite pastime?’

She looked excited. ‘If you mean ‘eating’ then bring it on, Julia Child.’

Harpa and Mikah were at a restaurant in the Quarter. To give Arlo and Cosima some privacy, Mikah had offered Harpa, the suite next to his in his hotel, but she had waved it off.

‘Baby, if this has taught us anything, it’s not to waste time being ‘polite.' We both know what will happen if we go out on a date – why pretend?’

She had been all big talk but now, as they lingered over coffee, she was nervous. He was so beautiful, so present and vital that she felt awkward and kiddish, like a lovesick teenager.

Mikah grinned at her. ‘You okay, babe?’

She smiled. ‘Of course. I never said thank you, for coming out here, for roundly ignoring my wishes – ‘ and she laughed as he looked guilty, ‘…and for being a friend. A really good friend.’

Well now, you’re welcome. After all, what else are friends for?’ But his smile was so wicked that she shook her head, laughing.

‘You make everything sound so filthy.’

‘But you like that?’

‘Oh yes.’ She sipped her now cold coffee. ‘So…’

‘So…’ Mikah smiled at her, ‘Is this the right time to ask what you plan to do next? I mean, I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to be with your sister, if you moved back here. I know Stan would understand.’

Harpa sighed. ‘I can’t answer that question right now, it’s too soon. I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to go back to Seattle; I love the city, my job, being near you. I just need time to trust myself to be away from Cosima again.’

‘I get it and listen…it’s a plane ride. Obviously, my business is there, but I can come back here as often as you like. That is, if you want to try and make something of this, us.’

Harpa smiled. ‘I would, I really would…’

Mikah signaled for the check. ‘Then, Miss Bedi…Miss Malhotra…would you do me the honor of escorting me to my hotel suite?’ He held out his hand and, giggling, she took it and stood.

I do hope,’ she said in an undertone, ‘that you won’t mind so polite when we get to your room, Mr. Ray.’

Mikah kissed her. ‘You can count on that, sweetcheeks…’

He was neither gentlemanly nor polite as he pushed her against the wall of the elevator but she loved it as his hands slid under her skirt and he dropped to his knees, pushing the fabric of her skirt over her knees and burying his face in her sex. Harpa gasped as he snagged the delicate material of her panties in his teeth and drew them down her thighs but then as she started giggling, the effect was ruined when the elevator stopped, and Mikah toppled backward. Harpa shrieked with laughter and by the time they got to his suite, they were breathless.

‘God, I am so crazy about you, Harpa Malhotra,’ he said, cupping her face and she grinned.

‘Shut up and fuck me, Ray.’

He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. She was already wriggling out of her top as he set her down and as he pulled his own t-shirt off, she was attacking his fly.

‘Greedy girl…’ But he let out a rush of breath as she freed his cock from his underwear and took him in her mouth. She teased the tip with her tongue before tracing the blue vein that ran down the long length of him.

Mikah stroked her hair gently, but as he grew harder and thicker under her touch, he moaned. ‘Harpa…I have to be inside you.’

She grinned, laying back on the bed and spreading her legs wide. ‘Come on in…’ she whispered, and Mikah dropped on top of her, growling and making her giggle.

Somehow, Cosima had fallen asleep in the middle of the movie they were watching, and now she was sprawled across the couch, her head in his lap. Arlo stroked her hair, still not quite believing she was home. It had been weeks but still every day, waking up with her, sent his soul into the stratosphere. He had meant what he said all those weeks ago; he wanted Cosima to be absolutely certain she was okay before they made love again but it was driving him crazy too.

His cell phone rang. ‘Hey, Jack.’

‘Hey buddy, how is she?’

Arlo looked down at his love, all stress erased from her lovely face in sleep. ‘She’s good…well, getting there. We’re just doing our usual thing; watching trashy t.v. and eating enough calories to feed a small country.’

Jack chuckled. ‘Good move, sounds blissful.’

‘Where are you at? Cosima’s been asking after you, wondering when you’re going to come see her – you haven’t seen her at all since she got back and she’s worried.’

Jack sighed. ‘Dude, I wish I was there too, but I’m calling with good news.’

Arlo was immediately wide awake. ‘Really?’

‘We’ve had a communication through from India. Sources close to Arjun Malhotra’s enemies. The threat is lifted. The orders have down from the highest authorities. Arjun’s children are not to be harmed.’

Arlo’s breath caught in his chest. ‘Are you serious? Oh, my God….Cos…Cos wake up…shit, Jack is this true? That’s un-fucking-believable! Cos…’

Cosima sat up, blinking at him, faintly annoyed, but he grinned at her and handed her the phone. ‘Talk to Jack, Cos…

Cosima took the phone from him. ‘This better be good, Hampton, I was having a really good dream.’

Arlo watched her face as Jack relayed the news. For almost a minute she said nothing…then dropped the phone and burst into tears.

Arlo laughed and picked up the phone. ‘Jack…I think she’s happy!’

‘I hear crying.’

‘Yep, that too, but she’s smiling like an idiot.’

‘Will she call Harpa? I have to get off the phone.’

‘Of course, we’ll tell Harpa…and to thank you, Jack.

Cosima was still sobbing and laughing. ‘I don’t believe it…I don’t believe it.’

He gathered her into his arms, feeling the weight of years of stress falling from her. ‘You’re free, baby, you’re free.’

‘Oh god…oh god…’

When she had calmed down, she wanted to call Harpa immediately, but the call went to voicemail, and she didn’t want to tell Harpa the biggest news of their lives with a message. ‘Just call me back, please, Harpa, I have huge news. Whatever time of the night, it’s okay, just call me.’

Then she got up from the couch and yelled with joy, leaping around the room like she was on drugs. Arlo watched her, laughing, and when she yanked him to his feet and started to dance with him, he couldn’t resist. ‘God, I love you, Cosima Malhotra.’

‘And I love you, Arlo, and guess what, I can love you wherever I want now…’

‘Damn right you can, beautiful…’

Cosima kissed him, her hands moving down to cup his cock through his jeans. ‘Take me to bed, Arlo Forrester…tonight, I need to celebrate.’

He swept her into his arms. ‘God, yes…’

They tore each other’s clothes off and tumbled onto the bed. Cosima climbed on top of him, grinning down as he cupped her breasts in his big, warm hands. She leaned down to kiss him, running her hands over his hard chest. ‘I missed this body,’ she whispered, reaching down to take his cock in her hands, stroking along the length of him, massaging his balls in her palm. Arlo groaned and, with one movement, flipped her onto her back.

‘I can’t wait, I’m sorry…’

Cosima grinned wrapped her legs around his waist, arching her back. ‘Don’t apologize, just do it.’ She guided him to the entrance of her cunt and then gasped with delight as, with one strong thrust, he plunged into her. ‘Oh…god…yes…’

Arlo pinned her hands to the bed with his own, locked eyes with her as they moved, their need for each other desperate now, after all, those weeks apart. Arlo slammed into her, his cock thickening with each movement, her vagina muscles gripping him tightly, driving each other insane with excitement and desire. They came together, and Arlo didn’t give her time to recover before he turned her onto her stomach and took her again, pushing into her ass and making her scream with pleasure.

The night was lost as they took each other again and again, tumbling from the bed in their frenzy, Cosima straddling him, riding him so hard her body undulated above him, and he couldn’t take his eyes from her breasts moving with her thrusts. The muscles in her stomach rippled as she moved and when he was close, he pulled out and came on her belly. Collapsing back on the bed next to him, Cosima kissed him, smiling. ‘We get to do that forever now, my darling.’

‘You bet that sweet ass of yours we do. Cos…now that you’re a free woman, where do you want to live? Here? Or would you want to be in Seattle, nearer to Harpa?’

She propped herself up on her elbow. ‘No, Seattle is Harpa’s thing, I wouldn’t want to cramp her style, now that we don’t have to live in each other’s pockets. To be honest, Arlo, I love New Orleans, despite everything that’s happened here and in fact, in spite of everything. This is where we built your hotel, where our first home together is. What about you, though? Are you missing San Francisco?’

Arlo nodded. ‘A little, I must admit. I really want you to see it, meet Margaret, my assistant and the closest thing to a mother I have. She’ll love you.’

‘That sounds great….’ Then she groaned. ‘Talking of mothers…’

Monica had stayed in New Orleans since Cosima’s homecoming, and both Arlo and Cosima had had their fill of the woman. Constantly needy, constantly whining that her daughters were ignoring her, despite their visiting her almost every day. Cosima had been trying to persuade her to go back to London for weeks.

‘Mom, I’ll be going back to work in a couple of weeks, Harpa’s going back to Seattle. What will you do all day? All your friends are back in the UK.’

‘I’ll be fine, besides I want to get to know my son-in-law better.’

Cosima rolled her eyes. ‘Mom, Arlo isn’t your son-in-law, we’re not even engaged.’

Monica waved her hand. ‘Semantics. It’s inevitable.

‘Well, she is right about that,’ Arlo grinned at Cosima, ‘but Lord help me if I want to discuss my intentions for you with Monica.’

Cosima wriggled with pleasure. ‘Is that because your intentions are purely filthy?’

‘Indeed. Look, sweetheart, let’s go to Frisco for a couple of weeks before you go back to work.’

‘That, sir, is a wonderful idea.’

Unfortunately, Monica thought so when Cosima went to her hotel to tell her they were leaving for a while. Monica clapped her hands together.

‘Oh, I love San Francisco, it’s been years…lord and I shall have to have a new wardrobe.’

Cosima was dismayed. ‘Mom…Arlo and I are going on a vacation. Together. Alone.’ She let a warning tone creep into her voice, and Monica flushed.

‘Really, Cosima, I don’t think you’ve ever learned the importance of family, especially at times like this.’

Cosima sighed, used to the passive-aggressive machinations of her mother. Not this time, Mom. ‘Whatever you say, Mom. But Arlo and I are leaving tomorrow so….have a safe flight back to London.’

Monica huffed. ‘Well, then…shall I send the hotel bill to Arlo?’

Cosima had been walking towards to the door, but she turned, disbelieving. ‘Excuse me?’

Monica waved her hand around her. ‘For this. I assume he’s picking up the tab for all of this?’

Cosima blinked. ‘Why on earth would you think that?’

‘Well, he’s bankrolling you, isn’t he? How else would you be able to afford to live in such opulence, take so much time off work?

Her words hit Cosima like a wrecking ball. For a moment, she was speechless. ‘For your information, Mother, no, Arlo isn’t bankrolling me. Yes, I live in his home with him – at his request – but everything else I pay for.’

Monica’s smile was cruel. ‘By spreading your legs?’

Cosima made a disgusted noise. ‘No, Mom, I’m not you.’

Monica cackled loudly and moving swiftly, she pinched Cosima’s face between her fingers. ‘Don’t think you’ve got any more currency than this, Cosima. You got your beauty from me, don’t forget that.’

Cosima jerked her head free, her eyes cold. ‘But, luckily, my moral compass from Dad. Goodbye, Mother, I can’t imagine we’ll ever have anything else to say to each other.’

Cosima slammed the door on her way out and went down to the hotel’s reception, seething. Her mom always seemed to make her feel worthless, like damaged goods. Bitch. Cosima knew she would never see her mother again if she could help it. Mom, you’ve insulted me for the last time.

But some of her mother’s barbs had hit home. Was she Arlo’s kept woman? Cosima tried to push the thought away. No, her mom wasn’t going to destroy her happiness out of spite.

She was so lost in her thought that she didn’t see him at first, and it wasn’t until he stepped directly in front of her and spoke that she stopped.

‘Hello, Cosima.’

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Steve and Roger dart towards them as she recognized the man in front of her. He smiled.

‘It’s so lovely to see you again.’

Finally, she found her voice. ‘Naveen…what are you doing here?’

He smiled. ‘I’m here for you, of course, Cosima…’

* * *

Steve and Roger slammed Naveen into the wall before Cosima could say another word. She watched as Naveen gave no resistance as her two burly bodyguards searched him for weapons.

‘He’s clean.’ They let him go and Naveen, with a slight smile on his face, straightened himself up.

‘Cosima, I mean you no harm, on my mother’s honor I don’t. I just wanted to talk to you, resolve our…issues.’

Cosima looked at him coldly. ‘The only issue is you threatening to kill my sister and me for years, Naveen. Other than that, I do not see any reason why we should talk.

Naveen nodded. ‘I know, I understand that. But, Cosima, I swear, that is behind me, and I’m here to ask your forgiveness. May we talk?’

Cosima hesitated then nodded. ‘Not here, not in public. Steve, Roger, we’re going to the penthouse.’

The two security men exchanged a look but Cosima was determined. She wanted to show this man that she was protected, that she wouldn’t back down or be cowed by him.

As they drove back to the LaBelle, Cosima tried not to stare at Naveen. He was as handsome as she remembered; dark hair, longish, curling around the collar of his shirt; black-as-night eyes, framed with long thick lashes, the swarthy skin clear. He had a beard now, which suited him, and the hair at his temples was graying. He had been her teenage idol, growing up, and she had adored him – until the terrible day when she and Harpa were ripped away from everything they’d ever known and sent to London. She’d never forgotten the horrible day when her father had told her that Naveen was one of the people who now hated their family and wanted to see them dead.

At the LaBelle, Steve stood between Cosima and Naveen in the elevator on the way up, and Cosima had to smother a smile. At first aloof and polite, her two bodyguards had become more than just Arlo’s employees to her, and she knew they were fond of her too. Probably because I don’t treat them like the staff, she thought to herself. They would tease her like a little sister, and she would give them back as good as she got. I know what you’re doing, Malhotra, she said to herself, you’re distracting yourself from the fact that Naveen Chowdry, the man who wanted to kill you for so long – and who was your first love – is less than a foot from you.

So many conflicted feelings.

Once they were back in the penthouse, Naveen admired the apartment and made all the right noises as Cosima poured them both a drink. They sat opposite each other on the couches and Naveen studied her as he sipped his scotch.

‘You’ve grown ever more beautiful,’ he said softly.

Cosima rankled a little. ‘I like to think my intellect has become sharper, my skills at my work more refined. My appearance is of little matter to me – it does not define who I am.’

‘Touché, I meant no offense. I’ve followed your career, Cosima, you’re a star.’

‘I bet you have,’ she muttered then fixed him with a cold look. ‘Was it you, in New York? Was it your threats that were the reason for us being exiled from there?’

He shook his head. ‘No, that was not me or in fact, as far as I can tell, was there ever any threat to you in New York. The death sentence may have still been in place then, but as far as I know, no-one acted on it – or were planning too.’

Cosima was confused. ‘I don’t understand. For years, Harpa and I have been shifted from place to place by the FBI because of…’

‘I’m sure you were, but I’m saying, New York wasn’t us.’

Cosima sighed, rubbed her eye. After a beat, she took a deep breath. ‘Naveen…was it you? This time? Did you have me abducted?’

He sat forward, his gaze steady. ‘No, Cosima, that wasn’t me, I swear. While I had come to New Orleans to kill you, had I done so, it would have been quick, not torturous.’

She blanched at his words and he held up his hands. ‘But you should not be concerned about that, about me, I mean what I say: you are safe from me. But, Sima, you should know, neither was it the families – which means you have a new enemy.’

For a moment, Cosima looked away. ‘You haven’t called me ‘Sima’ for years…Nav.’ She gave him a half smile and Naveen’s body relaxed.

‘I’m so sorry, Sima, for everything I put you through. I don’t know what I was thinking, what was wrong with me. Hell, yes I do. Jealousy, pure and simple. When you left India, the pain of you going away…’ He trailed off and sighed. ‘Please, Cosima, forgive me. I have been a fool.’

She nodded but didn’t say anything. Naveen drained his scotch. ‘There is one thing I do know that may help you,’ he said. ‘I know who instigated the attack on you at the market. Sabine Karlsson.’

Cosima rolled her eyes. ‘Well, that’s not the biggest surprise but how do you know?’

Naveen grinned, his face suddenly boyish. ‘Because I’ve been entertaining her.’

Cosima wrinkled her nose. ‘Gross.’

Naveen laughed loudly, and she couldn’t help but join in. ‘I agree, Sabine is not the most pleasant of people,’ he said, ‘Did you know she lost out on a big job to your mother?’

‘Oh, so I’ve screwed her over twice in her reckoning? Well…good,’ Cosima felt satisfied then sobered up. ‘Do you think she had anything to do with my abduction?’

‘Hard to say…she asked me if I was behind it so that could either mean she genuinely isn’t involved or that she’s bluffing.’

Cosima chewed this over for a few moments. ‘For what it’s worth, as much as I dislike the woman, the man who kidnapped me was twisted. Psychopathic. It felt…personal.’

‘I swear again, Sima, it wasn’t me.’

‘I believe you.’

Naveen smiled at her. ‘Thank you.’

‘What’s this?’

They both looked up as Arlo, his face set and grim, his eyes never leaving Naveen, entered the room. Naveen stood and offered Arlo his hand. ‘Naveen Chowdry, good to meet you.’

Arlo ignored the proffered hand and went to Cosima’s side, wrapping a protective arm around her shoulders. Naveen let his hand drop but kept the friendly smile on his face. Cosima looked up at Arlo.

‘Arlo, this is Naveen…an old friend.’

Arlo nodded. ‘The old friend who wants to kill you?’

Cosima sighed, but Naveen spoke up. ‘Mr. Forrester, I have just been apologizing to Sima – Cosima – for my previous behavior. I swear to you, I mean neither her nor you any harm.’

‘Naveen was just informing me that the delectable Sabine was behind the attack in the market. Seems she has major beef with me and not just because I’m with you.’

Arlo was taken aback. ‘Sabine?’ His brow creased in annoyance. ‘God damn that woman…’

Cosima put her hand on his chest. ‘Calm down. She’s just a spiteful bitch, not worthy of our intention.’

He ran a hand through his hair in annoyance. ‘A vindictive, violent one. Well, we’ll see how she likes it when I cut her off.’

There was an awkward pause. ‘You’ve been supporting her?’ Cosima’s voice was soft, but there was hurt in her tone. Arlo kissed her forehead.

‘It was only supposed to be temporary until she found her next job. I thought it was the right thing to do.’

‘You’re a better person than I then.’ Cosima looked irked.

Arlo looked at Naveen. ‘You've been fucking Sabine?’

Cosima winced, but Naveen merely nodded, unfazed. ‘Yes. It was a casual thing, nothing heavy.’

‘So, what do you want from Cos and me? Congratulations?’

‘Arlo.’ Cosima’s voice was warning, but he ignored her. Naveen shook his head.

‘I don’t want anything from you, except Cosima’s forgiveness and she has been gracious enough to bestow that on me. I will tell you what I told Sima; you have a new enemy. The man who took her won’t be satisfied until either he or Cosima is dead.’

Arlo cursed, and Cosima sighed, looking at him. ‘Well, not fearing for my life was good while it lasted.’

Arlo pressed his lips to her temple. No-one's getting near you, I swear it.’

Cosima nodded, even if she was unconvinced. Whatever this was, she knew it had to play out to its natural conclusion.

She just hoped that she would be alive at the end of it all.

When Naveen had left, Cosima followed Arlo into the bathroom and sat on the toilet seat while he showered. Arlo’s body had been rigid with annoyance while Naveen was there and now, as the hot water hit his tired muscles, he couldn't help but be annoyed with Cosima’s ready acceptance of her former enemy.

‘What possessed you to let him into our home?’

‘Steve and Roger were with me, it was fine.’

‘He could have done anything.’

‘But he didn’t. For what it’s worth, I believe him. He was the Naveen I grew up with, not the angry fundamentalist he was for a while.’

Arlo turned and stared at her. ‘And you think a man can change just like that? I’ve seen the light! I don’t buy it.’

Cosima looked upset. ‘Arlo, for once…can’t I just believe in something good? I’m so sick of being suspicious of everyone and of you being suspicious of every other man in my life.’

Arlo was stung. He cranked off the water. ‘Cosima…that’s not true.’

‘Really? What about Jack?’

Arlo grabbed a towel. ‘Jack and I have sorted out our differences.’

‘Which is why he feels so comfortable coming here,’ she snapped, looking exhausted. ‘Why hasn’t he been here, Arlo? I haven’t seen him since I came home.’

Arlo suddenly felt sorry for her. ‘Sweetheart, I don’t know. He’s been trying to find the man who took you.’ He sat on the edge of the bath and took her hands. ‘I’m serious, I have no problem with Jack, but Naveen Chowdry spent years wanting to kill you. Give me a minute to get used to the fact you want to be his friend now.’

Cosima nodded but didn’t say anything. Arlo cupped her face in his big hands. ‘I love you, Cosima Malhotra. You and me, that’s all we need.’

He brushed her lips gently with his then kissed her properly, his tongue massaging hers, becoming more aroused as they touched. Soon, he stood and led her into their bedroom, his towel falling away, his cock standing proud against his belly as he undressed her while they kissed. Cosima stroked her fingertips down the length of it and groaning, he picked her up, pressing her back against the wall as his cock slid into her welcoming sex. At first tender, their fucking became rougher, intense until they couldn’t stand up any longer and they tumbled to the floor, Arlo driving himself deeper into her with every thrust, pushing her legs as far apart as they would go to sink into her balls deep. Cosima raked her fingernails down her back, moaning blissfully, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Arlo grinned down at her.

‘You have no idea how beautiful you look when I’m fucking you,’ he growled, his thrusts becoming harder, deeper until she cried out, her skin flushing scarlet as she came. She tightened her legs around him, clenched her vaginal muscles around his cock, and Arlo came with a long groan, his hips spasming as he shot hot cum deep into her.

Afterward, they lay entwined, panting, grinning at each other. ‘Do you think,’ Cosima said, breathlessly, ‘that we’ll ever get tired of doing that?’

Arlo laughed. ‘Not a chance. Not ever.’

Cosima rolled on top of him. ‘Good, because when your cock is inside me, that’s when I feel most alive.’

He grinned. ‘How the hell am I ever going to get any work done when you say things like that?’

Cosima chuckled. ‘That’s my evil plan. Talking of work, I think it’s time I went back to the office – Tal’s been more than patient. Besides, don’t we have a grand opening to arrange?’

Arlo stroked his hands down her smooth back. ‘All done, my love, all set for this Friday. Once that is over, we can talk about our next project.’

Cosima’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Our next project? You want to work with me again?’

‘Of course, we’re a team. Besides, I think that will make up for lost time in Tal’s case, yes? He’s a good man.’

‘He is that.’ She sighed happily and laid her head on his chest. ‘There’s only one problem with going back to work that I can see.’

‘What’s that?’

She grinned. ‘I have to move from this spot to do it.’

Harpa had been early to work every day since she’d returned to Seattle from New Orleans and today, when her boss, Stan, arrived, he chuckled at her as she scrubbed the worktops clean. ‘Sweetheart, you’re making me feel lazy. You don’t have to keep doing this.’

‘Just trying to make up for lost time, boss.’

Stan reached over and took the wet cloth from her hand. ‘You, sit,’ he ordered. Harpa did as she was told, perching on one of the stools. She watched as Stan flicked the coffee pot on.

‘Now,’ he said a while later as he handed her a steaming cup of coffee. ‘Why are you acting like a toddler on a sugar high?’

She grinned. ‘I am not, I just feel bad about being away for so long. I wouldn’t have been surprised if you canned me.’

‘For taking time off because your sister was missing? What kind of tosser do you think I am?’ Stan rolled his eyes. ‘You ain’t done anything wrong, love, so relax. Look, you’ve done brilliantly since you’ve been here so I’m taking you off pot washing and making you our new sauté-chef. Your palette is exquisite, so there’s no question; Sandy will be leaving us soon to have her baby so she’s agreed to train you. Do well at that for a few months, you’ll be my sous chef.’

Harpa was stunned. Yes, she knew food was her talent, her passion but in her wildest dreams, she’d never expected to progress so quickly. ‘I don’t know what to say….thank you, Stan.’

He smiled. ‘Don’t thank me yet; you won’t believe how much of a bastard I am to my sous-chefs.’

Harpa giggled. ‘Yeah, right.’

‘You’ll be busy; the hours are longer, the pay’s still shite, plus I’ll be on your back about your schoolwork. I expect you to graduate with honors, Harpa.’

She hopped off the stool and threw her arms around his neck. ‘You are the freakin’ best.’

‘Yeah, yeah, gerroff me, you nutter, people will talk.’

That day’s shift was grueling and long and by the time Mikah showed up to pick her up, Harpa was wilting. She smiled at her lover. ‘You look even more delicious this evening.’

He grinned. ‘You drunk?’

‘On you.’

‘Sweet talker. Have you eaten?’

She shook her head. ‘Nope, we haven’t had a minute’s rest.’

‘Come on then, I know a good place open past midnight.’

He took her to a small café in the center of the city, Mexican food, and Harpa fell on a plate of nachos, scooping up gobs of guacamole and sour cream and moaning with delight. Mikah, chuckling at her enjoyment, helped himself to a chip.

‘So, I was thinking…’

‘Does your head hurt?’

‘Oh, burn…I thought maybe you might want to move in with me?’

Harpa swallowed her food and took a slug of coke. ‘Huh.’

Mikah looked amused. ‘That’s all I get? A ‘huh?’

‘Maybe it’s a little soon,’ Harpa said gently. ‘We just got Cos back, you and I are still in the honeymoon period. Don’t get me wrong, I love every moment I spend with you, I do. But after being under…how can I put this…surveillance, for years and years, having my every move scrutinized I need time to experience the adult world for myself, live alone, sometimes be alone.’

Mikah nodded slowly. ‘I think I get it…it just kills me when I wake up alone now, you know? Because, although it is soon, I’m falling…’

Harpa held up her hand, looking panicked. ‘Don’t say it yet, not like this, not when I’ve just turned your offer of co-habitation down. Because, yes, I feel that way too but call me sentimental, I want to say it and hear it at the perfect moment.’

Mikah sighed. ‘You got it.’

She chewed another chip and studied him. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Mikah, I’m crazy about you. Please understand, I just need…’

‘Space?’

‘Time.’

‘There’s a joke about a continuum in there somewhere, but I don’t feel like making it.’

‘Please don’t be sad.’

‘I’m not sad. I’m disappointed, but, okay, I get it. I have no earthly way of knowing what it must have been like for you.’

Harpa squeezed his hand and smiled. ‘Let’s talk about something else. What’s going on with you?’

‘Well, just so happens there're a few pieces up for auction on Friday in New Orleans so I thought we could swing by that before the hotel opening. You’ve still got that night off, right?’

‘Damn straight. I’d love to see what you do, Mikah, I’ve never been to an auction before.’

‘Grady Mallory will be there, so you can meet him, maybe Flori if she’s with him.’

‘We could double-date like grown-ups do.’ She looked excited, and he laughed.

‘Hey, has Cosima got any idea about the surprise Arlo is arranging?’

Harpa grinned. ‘None. God, I am so looking forward to Friday night. Let’s hope nothing spoils it.’

Hours later, in San Francisco, Monica Lascelles smiled benevolently at the reporter. ‘Do you think you have everything?’

The young blonde woman smiled nervously. ‘Ms. Lascelles, while your story is certainly…explosive, are you sure that you’re ready for the fallout from it? I mean, your relationship with your daughters…’

‘Has been strained for years. It’s about time they paid attention to the woman who nurtured and shaped them. I had hoped Cosima’s ordeal would soften her heart, but it seems not.’

‘But it’s not Cosima who you’ll hurt the most with this story, is it?’

Monica smiled mockingly. ‘Believe me, when you cut one sister, the other bleeds.’

The reporter, Bree, left the older woman in her hotel suite and headed back to her magazine’s office. God, what a hateful woman Monica Lascelles was but Bree couldn’t deny her story would be manna from heaven for her editor. She went straight to her boss’s office and knocked on the door. Her editor, Lisa, looked up.

‘What did you get from the raddled old witch then?’ Lisa, it turns out, had worked with Monica in the good old days and had despised her even then.

Bree handed her notebook to Lisa. ‘The headlines.’

Lisa read down the notes Bree had taken. As with most of the magazine's interviews, they took minimal notes, just bullet points really, and then built whatever story they could around them – slanting the interview depending on whether Lisa liked the interviewee, or how much groveling they would do to the magazine. Needless to say, the magazine Bree earned her money from wasn’t one she’d proudly put on her resume but it paid the bills.

Lisa whistled. ‘Wow, she really gave you the goods, huh? Hell, approved, just go with and try to get Simon to squeeze it into the next issue. Front page. It comes out Thursday, which should ruin that fancy hotel opening.’

Bree hesitated. ‘You know, the daughters haven’t actually done anything wrong. This is the ramblings of a bitter middle –aged woman who hates that her daughters are still gorgeous and courting attention when her star is fading. Ridiculous to be jealous rather than proud of your children. Monica Lascelles is still stunning – if only on the outside.’

Lisa was looking at her agog. ‘Bree, are we in the business of wrapping people in cotton wool? It’s a story, a good one. Run it.’

Bree went back to her desk to write up the story, but it bothered her. Surely an anonymous heads-up to the daughters wouldn’t ruin the story? Checking no-one could hear her, she pulled out her cell-phone and called her friend, Vivien.

‘Viv, hi, listen, I can only be a sec…are you still friends with Arlo Forrester’s assistant? I need to get a message to him.’

Cosima yanked open the door and threw her arms around Jack. He laughed as he hugged her then, pulling away, she batted him.

‘Jack Hampton, you have been away too long. How dare you put work before me?’ she grinned at him. ‘Come on in, Arlo’s getting the wine ready. Even though you absolutely don’t deserve it, I’ve made you one of my specialties. You like lamb pasanda, yes?’

Jack groaned. ‘God, I dream about it. You’re looking good, Cos.’

Pulling him by the hand into the kitchen, she grinned back at him. ‘If you mean, I’ve put on some weight, then yes. Being a lady of leisure will do that. Thankfully it’s coming off now I’m back at work.’

‘Is she still whining about her non-existent pot-belly? Again, Cos?’ Arlo, grinning, shook Jack’s hand. ‘Hey, Jack, good to see you. Ignore her moaning. Wine or beer?’

‘Beer, please.’

Cosima batted Arlo’s butt as she went to the refrigerator. ‘I’ve been looking forward to this all day. Damn, Jack, it has been too long. What gives?’

She handed him the cold bottle of beer. ‘Chasing ghosts, I’m afraid,’ he said. ‘The trail went cold on me.’

Cosima’s smile faded a little. ‘Well,’ she said finally, ‘at least we know who it’s not.’

Arlo rolled his eyes. ‘Wait until she tells you who she’s best buddies with now.’