Cat 'N Mouse (8 page)

He turned the computer toward her so she could see. His hair was still wet. He smelled of soap and it wasn’t anything she had in her washroom. This was very male, something spicy.

“Here is where you’ll be.” Sam tapped the screen and it indented slightly. “There is a washroom here, around the corner. There are two entrances into the meeting room. I’ve asked that they lock the second door, which leads out into the main hallway. That leaves only one way in and out. I’ll be stationed here at the entrance. No one gets in or out without my knowing. The only weak area I can see is the washroom. It’s too open, but it won’t be a problem if you inform me of when you need to go. I’ll get a female security guard to accompany you. Hanes arranged it.” He closed the laptop. “Any questions?”

“I see you’re earning every penny of daddy’s money.” That was hitting below the belt, but why should her heart be the only one racing a mile a minute. All that time she’d spent on her production and he didn’t even bat an eye.

“At least I’m doing something for it.” Sam left her standing at the counter and headed for his room. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

•  •  •

The woman was going to drive him to drink, Sam thought as he snagged a towel from the rack in the washroom and began to towel dry his hair. He’d just stepped out of the shower when Hanes had returned his call. He’d wanted to set a plan in motion before her
Highness
woke up.

Sam knew when she opened the door and stepped out into the hallway she was ready for round two. The thoughts that raced through his mind, he had seriously considered going to confession. On a sobering thought, Sam decided he didn’t need a priest; he needed an exorcist to get her off his mind.

“You’re a professional,” he reminded himself in the mirror. He had to keep reminding himself because she had a habit of getting under his skin. Yanking the wet T-shirt over his head, he reached for another, shrugged into his tan jacket and was ready to meet Princess.

Sam had a feeling the day was about to get interesting. He made sure he had everything when he left the bedroom…keys…gun…and a stack of patience. Patience was right up there on the list next to breathing.

“After you,” she said sweetly and passed him when he opened the front door, brushing against him. Her fragrance, her trademark musk, assaulted his senses.

Oh yeah, it was definitely going to be an interesting day.

•  •  •

Sam had never seen anything like it before, Alexandria could tell as his eyes glazed over when they pulled up but he said nothing to her. The hotel was described as a castle on top of a hill. Set on about five hundred acres of the most beautiful landscaped garden in Orlando, it was ideal for the Foundation’s gala.

She fit right in but saw when he looked down at his attire. Was that a hint of regret that flashed in his eyes, she couldn’t tell. He had a poker face and she could never tell what he was thinking.

He told Alexandria he had a private spot where Hanes told him to park when she asked to be let out at the front entrance.

Sam was all business when he parked and pulled the key from the ignition. The man she’d been in constant conflict with since they met had vanished. In its place a leader with strength and confidence emerged. He knew what he was doing. He did a sweep of the parking area before he got out. She had to admit she did feel safer with him around, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She just wanted to get the committee meeting over with. Since she’d given Sam a list of the committee members and he’d cleared them with Matt, the meeting was good to go.

The Robyn’s Nest Gala Committee consisted of six other members, all socialites and married to rich husbands. The best designers fashions were on display—Dior, Channel, Lagerfeld, Wang, Spade…all perfectly draped around her fellow members’ bodies.

Alexandria had brought these ladies together because she knew they could raise the money needed for the Foundation. They needed ten million dollars and these ladies were up for the task. Last year they hadn’t accomplished their goal but with the new members and her at the helm, she expected to meet or exceed the target number this year.

Sam didn’t seem to care for the ladies. He had brought her to a room that mimicked a boardroom decorated in heavy wood and large high back executive chairs. He reiterated the instructions he rambled off in the kitchen earlier and again after they had exited the SUV. How could she forget?

“Alexandria, pay attention,” he said, when one of the committee members waved at her and she waved back.

“I heard you in the kitchen and when we got out of the vehicle ten minutes ago. I’m not deaf. I stay put in the room and don’t go anywhere without you. Anything else?”

He looked at her hard then abruptly turned on his heels and left the room. He didn’t say where he was going but she knew he wouldn’t be far away.

“My, my,” Rebecca, a thin, thirty-five year old blond said, fanning herself with her hand. “Who is that eye candy?” She leaned her head to stared at Sam’s behind as he walked away. “Is he yours?”

Alexandria didn’t care much for Rebecca. She was on husband number five who had just celebrated his eightieth birthday. With the amount of plastic surgery Rebecca had, funded by her husbands, she didn’t think the woman had any of the original body parts God had given her. The thought of her getting her hands on Sam was unsettling.

“He’s taken. Can we get on with our meeting?” She took the seat at the head of the table and called the meeting to order.

The morning flew by without any of them agreeing on anything except for the formal dance. They couldn’t decide on a theme because Rebecca kept steering the conversation back to Sam. Rebecca wanted to know where they met and why she had kept him a secret.

“My personal life is not on the agenda, Rebecca. Can we get back to what is actually on the agenda?”

“Someone didn’t get any last night,” Rebecca smiled.

Lunch was brought in at noon with Sam following closely behind the staff as they laid out the food on the boardroom table in front of them. He probably tasted everything on the menu she thought to herself. God forbid if she should die on his watch.

Rebecca asked him to join them. He declined politely and left with the staff. By the end of the afternoon they had decided upon a fairy tale theme and music from the Motown era.

“Are you sure about Motown?” Alexandria said to Michelle. She reminded Alexandria of a young Lena Horne. “Somehow fairy tale and Motown don’t go hand in hand to me.”

“With the amount of money my husband and I are contributing to this event, we better have some music we can dance to. The band that played Bark last year, not impressed.” She waved her forefinger through the air.

“It’s Bach,” Rebecca chuckled. “Johann Sebastian Bach. The gala had a classical theme, remember?”

“Well,” Michelle addressed the committee, “
Bach
is out and Motown is in.”

“Amen to that,” Sahara said, pushing her braids over her shoulders. “All in favor?”

“Since no one objects, Motown it is,” Alexandria said with a laugh, watching Rebecca tease Michelle about being musically illiterate.

The meeting ended with Alexandria agreeing to finalize the catering menu with the hotel.

Alexandria didn’t see Sam when she exited the boardroom and rushed to the washroom wanting to return before he got back. The washroom was just around the corner. If she returned before he got back then there would be no reason to tell him.

The hotel spared no expense on the washroom décor. From the black marble floor to the glass bowl sinks, every thing was about detail. She entered the stall, closed the door and the lights went out. Her heart was beating so loud she could hear it in the dark.

The washroom door opened and she saw a sliver of light from under the stall then darkness. She heard footsteps. Someone had entered the washroom. She opened the stall door. It could be Sam, but why would he turn out the lights. Perhaps he wanted to frighten her to teach her a lesson. Let it be him she prayed silently.

“Sam?”

“He can’t save you.” The voice was muffled. The smell of sweat and alcohol overpowered her senses and made her nauseous. “You belong to me.”

Fear like nothing she’d ever felt before cloaked itself around her to the point of suffocation.

She couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t move.

She couldn’t scream.

Something wet hit her chest splashing in her face. It tasted odd. She was pushed to the floor; her hand went down breaking her fall. Footsteps ran away from her. The door opened and a sliver of light came in and it was dark once again.

Alexandria crawled to the door feeling her way up the wall until she found the handle and the light came on. The handle of the door was covered with blood. The floor and the wall where she pulled herself up also covered with blood. She was drenched in it and fought the urge to scream, stumbling from the washroom. When she stepped out into the hallway she heard someone screaming. It could have been her but she wasn’t sure.

Sam came around the corner with Hanes, a tall husky man. He raised his thick eyebrows in horror when he saw Alexandria.

“What the hell happened?” Hanes reached out to touch her and she backed away. “Are you okay?”

Guests exited their meeting rooms rushing out into the hallway. People rushed around her screaming, all talking at once. They were even talking to her but she couldn’t speak. It was as though she was trapped inside her body looking at the world reacting around her.

“Where are you hurt?” Sam started touching her as if trying to find the source of the blood.

She wanted to tell him it wasn’t her blood, but when she saw her reflection in the mirrored glass wall the words were caught in her throat.

Blood was everywhere. Dripping from her clothes and her hair. She had left a trail of blood behind from washroom to the hall.

Sam shook her. “Alexandria, are you hurt?” He cupped her face wiping off the blood with a handkerchief someone handed him.

“It’s not my blood,” she managed to squeal out. “The lights went out in the washroom and someone threw it on me.” Her mind was trying to process the information. Someone threw blood on her, but it wouldn’t sink in.

“Call the police,” Sam shouted at Hanes. “Clear the hallway and get everyone back in the rooms. No one leaves this floor!”

“You can’t be serious?”

One look from Sam told him that he was. Hanes started ushering the people back into the meeting rooms.

Sam cursed and raked his hand through his hair throwing the handkerchief aside. “I told you not to go to the washroom without notifying me.”

“You weren’t there when I came out. You said you were going to be there.”

“I got a phone call. Damn it! You should’ve waited.”

“Sam?” It was Hanes. “Everyone is in the room. The police are on their way.”

She had to bite her lips to keep them from trembling. This was a dream. It had to be. Why would someone throw blood on her? An alarm went off and she jumped. Noise filled the empty hallway.

“Where is that alarm coming from?” Sam asked looking down the hallway where the noise seemed to originate from.

“Someone opened an emergency door,” Hanes said into the radio. “Jim, Tony, meet me by the south east doors.”

“No. I’ll go. Stay with her,” Sam said. “See if you can help her get cleaned up.”

“Sam?” She didn’t want him to go.

He touched her, stroking her face with his thumb. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, I promise. Hanes is going to find you some clothes. Okay?”

She stood there staring at him and knew he wouldn’t leave unless she answered him. But she didn’t want him to leave. What if he didn’t come back? She looked down at the blood on her hands, fighting back the tears.

“I won’t be long, okay?” His eyes were gentle.

“Okay.”

Sam pulled his gun and took off down the hall in a dead run. She watched him, leaving her all alone. Hanes touched her shoulder and she jumped.

“Are you okay? Sorry…stupid question. Follow me.”

Hanes led her to a private elevator. It stopped on the sixth floor. They proceeded to a private suite. He opened the door and let her in.

“I’ll be outside the door if you need me.”

She didn’t want him. She wanted Sam.

•  •  •

Warm breeze and the sounds of birds chirping in the palm trees greeted Sam when he shoved opened the emergency door. He didn’t see Tony or Jim and didn’t wait for them.

Sprinting along the cobble-stoned path led Sam to a gazebo where he ran into a young couple locked in each other’s embrace. This would have been the only path to take to get away undetected if they exited from the south doors. Would he even find anything?

Pushing the gun back in his shoulder hostler, he doubled back down the path. When Sam got to the clearing, he stood for a moment scanning the grounds. The waterfall running into the pool with the golf course in the distant, it was all quite peaceful and serene, yet he felt far from it.

Following the sounds of a string orchestra, he came upon the staff setting up for an evening wedding. Chairs were placed in neatly lined rows with a red carpet down the aisle.

Guests of the hotel were scattered all around the lawn and he saw nothing out of the ordinary. He walked around the perimeter again and found nothing.

If the man hadn’t exited from the south east emergency doors then that meant whatever door he exited he knew the alarm would sound sending everyone running in the wrong direction. Conclusion—the perpetrator knew the layout of the hotel. Chances are he was still in the building somewhere. That thought sent Sam racing back to the hotel.

Alexandria was standing outside the meeting room where she had her committee meeting earlier. Any minute now he figured she would fall apart. She stared at the wall, her body stiff. Hanes caught him taking in her oversized black T-shirt and flip-flops. Her dress was in a clear plastic bag on a table beside her.

“We offered to buy her something from the dress shop but she didn’t want it,” Hanes said. “She keeps asking for you, man”