MARRYING MR. RIGHT (The Brides of Hilton Head Island Book 3) (21 page)

              Raw hurt appeared in Taylor’s eyes. “Because I was so early in my pregnancy and not many people knew I was pregnant, I always thought maybe I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. That maybe Mildred and Kelvin kidnapped me because they wanted me to be a slave to them. Having this new evidence means that whoever paid Mildred and Kelvin to take me knows me, and they were watching my every move.”

              Don swallowed. “Yes, Taylor, you’re exactly right. This is where the bad news comes in. Whoever in Hilton Head paid to have you and your baby stolen is probably still watching your every move.”

              Taylor gasped. “Oh my God. This is frightening.”

              Zeke’s heart plummeted to his gut. He reached over and grabbed Taylor’s hand to find it scorching hot. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” he said, squeezing her hand.

              Until now Zeke, had never wondered if he’d made a mistake by bringing Taylor back to Hilton Head.
Jesus Christ. What have I done? Maybe I should’ve left her in Paris.

              Knowing Taylor’s abductor may still reside in the area, Zeke shifted uncomfortably in the chair. If anyone hurt Taylor, he’d never forgive himself. First thing tomorrow morning, he was going to go buy himself a gun. And if anyone tried to hurt his wife, he’d blow their ass to pieces and wouldn’t feel bad about it.

.

Chapter Twenty-Two

             
F
inally home alone, Katherine descended the staircase and strolled inside the living room. Red hair hanging over her shoulders, she wore a yellow spring dress she’d had custom made by a famous designer in New York. She pulled back the sheers on the large bay window and peered out at her front yard. Gazing out the window, she thought about her day today. 

              Earlier today, while Zeke was visiting the dumb group care facility instead of running Balfour Enterprises like he was hired to do, Katherine had gone to the guest house to take Taylor her lunch, prepared by Delbert. Right as Katherine had raised her hand to knock on the door at the guest house situated behind her mansion, she’d noticed it ajar.

              Standing beyond the slightly parted door, clenching a tray with Taylor’s lunch in her hands, Katherine eavesdropped on Taylor’s telephone conversation with Kayla. At first, ungrateful Taylor had chatted with Kayla about how Kayla had given birth inside Sandella’s bakery, SugarKanes.

              Then the two women had started talking about how it’d be fun to have a reality TV show called “The Brides of Hilton Head Island”. While Taylor sat giggling on the phone with Kayla, Zeke had called, and Taylor had rushed to end her conversation with Kayla so she could click back over. And what Katherine had heard next had bothered her all day.

              Reliving the conversation between Zeke and Taylor, Katherine’s nerves jittered.

              While on the phone with Zeke, Taylor had said,
“Well, hello, Mr. Right. About time you gave your wife a call. When are you coming home?” Silence. “Don wants to see us? Today?” Silence. Taylor continued. “Don has something to share with us? Oh Zeke, I hope he knows where our son is.” More silence. “Why doesn’t Don want us to let anyone know we’re meeting with him?” Pause. Pause. Taylor eventually said, “Well, you don’t have to worry about me saying anything. I get it, Zeke, don’t say anything. Especially not to Katherine.”

              Still gazing out the window, Katherine shuddered. “Especially not to Katherine…why didn’t Zeke want Taylor to tell me about their conversation? Why did Zeke emphasize my name?” Had Don linked the kidnapping back to her? Katherine wondered. Were the police going to come and arrest her soon?

              Disturbed, Katherine turned from the living room window, strolled up to the brick fireplace inside the family room, and pondered. Looking over her left shoulder, then her right shoulder, she reached high up in the fireplace. Searching for the murder weapon she’d used to kill Bridget, her hand floundered over the dirty soot wall. “There,” Katherine said, hand gliding over the handle of a blade.

              Biting hard on her molars, Katherine yanked the blade from the fireplace and now held it in her dirty hand. Black soot smothered the sharp blade. Tempted to hide the murder weapon used to kill Bridget somewhere different, her mind flashed back to the way Bridget’s mouth had popped open when she’d stabbed her.

              Colton’s admittance about how he still loved Bridget came rushing inside Katherine’s head, instantly giving her a headache. “Colton is still in love with a dead woman. I done heard it all.”

              “Mrs. Balfour,” Delbert called Katherine’s name. “I’m here.”

              Katherine hurriedly replaced the knife back inside the fireplace. Hands filthy and black, she ran to the bathroom down the hallway and washed her hands. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror, she felt like she’d lost herself. Like she didn’t know who she was anymore. Like it was her up against the world. Up against Zeke. Up against Taylor. But worse of all, up against Bridget. A freaking dead woman.

              With her stomach pressed against the bathroom counter, Katherine dropped her head in her palms. Her brain swirled. Jumbled. “I’m losing it.”

              If Colton hadn’t had an affair with Bridget, her life would be so different. If her unfaithful husband just would’ve kept his dick in his pants, Zeke would’ve never been born. And she would’ve never had all these insecurities. One thing having led to another, she would’ve never felt the need to have Antonio arrange for Taylor to be kidnapped and her son to be sold. All the horrible ugliness she’d done had been brought on by one man—Colton Balfour. And now knowing Don had something to tell Zeke and Taylor, her past just may be catching up with her.

              Trying hard to pull herself together, Katherine lifted her head from her hands, pulled open the bathroom door, and waltzed to the kitchen. Delbert stood at the stove, stirring a spoon into a small pot, when she arrived. 

              “What’s for dinner?” Katherine asked, forgetting what Delbert had said he was cooking for dinner this evening. 

              Delbert lifted his gaze from the pot, looked at her face, and frowned. “You have something black on your face, Mrs. Balfour.”
Soot!
“I’m cooking fried smothered pork chops with mushrooms, cabbage, Mexican cornbread, and rice pilaf. And I’m cooking chicken gnocchi soup for Taylor. Earlier, she put in a request for something healthy and bland. You know Taylor; she loves eating healthy.”

              Katherine drawled, “She’s not footing the grocery bill, so she needs to eat whatever you fix.”

              “Oh, I don’t mind cooking separately for Taylor. I hope you don’t want any soup, because I only made enough for her.”

              “I need more than a bowl of soup for dinner.”
Let me go get this soot off my face.
Tires rolling over gravel entered Katherine’s ears. She walked to the living room, slightly parted the sheers on the window, and looked out to the driveway.

              Bright lights blazed from Zeke’s Porsche. Sitting in the passenger seat of the SUV, Taylor leaned over to kiss Zeke’s cheek. She got out of the car and headed toward the guest house. Dropping Taylor off, Zeke backed the vehicle out of the driveway and left.

              After Katherine washed the black soot off her face, she returned to the kitchen, where Delbert had a glass of red wine waiting for her. While making small talk with Delbert and sipping the flowery fragrant wine, Delbert’s cell rung. “Excuse me. I need to take this call,” he said.

              “Go ahead,” Katherine told him, and she couldn’t have been happier that someone had interrupted their conversation.

              Delbert left the kitchen through the back garage door.

              Head still aching, Katherine reached into the pocket of her dress and retrieved a small orange bottle. Standing over the stove, she twisted the white cap off the bottle, sprinkled the white powdery poison into Taylor’s soup, and stirred.

              Sliding the bottle back into the pocket of her dress, Katherine strolled over to the table and sat as if she hadn’t done a darn thing.
I’m killing Taylor slowly. She’s dying and doesn’t even know it. Talking about she thought she was pregnant. Maybe if she died, Zeke would forget about finding his son.

             
Delbert emerged back inside the kitchen and walked over to the stove. He stirred Taylor’s soup, poured it into a bowl, and after making Taylor a fresh tossed salad, he put her food items on a tray. “I’ll be right back to fry those pork chops after I drop this off with Taylor.”

              Finishing off her glass of delicious red wine, Katherine said, “Take your time. The men are at the office. According to Colton, they all will be working late tonight.”
It’ll just be me and the prissy bitch out back at home tonight.
             

Chapter Twenty-Three

                           
“Thanks, Delbert.”

                            “It’s my pleasure,” Delbert said, closing the door to the guest house.

              Sitting on the barstool inside the kitchen, Taylor hefted the remote, aimed it at the television inside the family room, and pressed the power button. Steve Harvey’s face appeared on the television screen. Listening to Steve Harvey host “Family Feud”, Taylor lifted the lid off her soup. A mild chicken flavor wafted up her nose. “Mmm. This looks delicious.”

              Spooning the soup into her mouth, Taylor thought about what Don had said earlier. The person who had kidnapped her may still be watching her. Savoring the soup, the scary thought made her shiver. Thank God Colton and Katherine were gracious enough to let Zeke and her stay here at the estate with them and Antonio. Bane had his own place. With a family this large, someone was always at home or visiting. With her kidnapper still out there, the last thing Taylor wanted was to always be alone.  

              Sucking the soup from the spoon into her mouth, the warm, chunky food glided down her throat. “This is pretty good, Delbert.”

              Completing her soup and salad, Taylor longed for her husband’s company. Longed for him to return home and make sweet love to her. Longed for him to lick between her legs with his long, thick tongue. Imagining Zeke feasting between her legs, Taylor’s sex clenched. Her nipples tingled.

              Taylor placed the empty bowls in the sink, then walked to the family room and plopped down on the couch. She wished she was plopping down on Zeke’s hard shaft instead.

              Lonely, Taylor decided to do something she thought she’d never do, but probably should’ve done a long time ago: invite Katherine to the guest house for some girl talk.

              Hoping she wouldn’t regret her decision, Taylor stabbed the intercom with her French manicured nail and called up to the main house.

              “How may I help you, Taylor?” Delbert answered in a friendly tone.

             
Lord, please don’t let me regret this
. “Hi, Delbert. Is Katherine around? I’d like to speak with her.”

              “Yes, she’s sitting right here. Hold on.”

              “Yes?” Katherine answered in her ever-so-proper voice.

              “Hi, Katherine. I’m about to watch the Atlanta Housewives show and wanted to know if you’d like to join me.”

              “Sure! I’m on my way.” Katherine hung up the phone, and a few seconds later Taylor saw her walking up the pathway, making her way to the guest house.

              Taylor pulled open the front door to find Katherine looking fabulous in a simple yellow dress, holding a tiny bowl in each hand. “I brought dessert for us to enjoy while watching TV,” she said, handing Taylor the dish in her right hand. “Fruit, with a small dollop of whipped cream.”

              “Oh, that sounds good. Thanks for coming, Katherine.”

              Katherine walked past Taylor and waltzed straight into the family room. “Thank you for inviting me. This is going to be fun. I love watching these housewives shows.”

              Taylor giggled. “Me, too. I didn’t watch much television while in Paris, but since I’ve been here, that’s all—” A sharp pain sliced through Taylor’s belly, making her flinch. 

              Katherine placed a gentle palm on Taylor’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

              The pain quickly faded. Taylor took a deep breath, then turned the television station to Bravo. “Yes. I’m fine.” Taylor dropped down on the couch, and Katherine sat beside her. She pulled the foil off the fruit bowl, picked up the little spoon Delbert had put inside, and began enjoying the sweet fruit. The juicy strawberry covered in whipped cream squirted on her tongue. “I love fruit.”              

              Eyes on the television, Katherine spooned some fruit into her mouth. “Me, too.”

              “How would you feel if I starred in a reality show?” Taylor wondered.

              “It wouldn’t bother me any,” Katherine said flatly. “You’re a grown woman. You can do whatever you please.”

              “I’m surprised to hear you say that.”

              Katherine shrugged. “Why?”

              “Being married to a billionaire, I know image has to be important to you.”

              “Yes. It is,” Katherine agreed.

              “Image is important to me, too. That’s why I turned down the offer to do a reality show for the producer in Charleston.”

              Katherine’s gasp of surprise smacked Taylor’s eardrums. “You were offered the opportunity to do a reality show, and you turned it down?”

              “Yes. But not just because of the whole image thing. I just didn’t see how it’d fit in my schedule. My Agent, Pierre, got me a gig in Paris for a small movie role. Hopefully, Zeke and I can wrap up a few things here real soon so I can return to Paris for a while to do the movie.”

              “What kinds of things do you need to wrap up here?” Katherine asked.

              “Oh, nothing. We—” Gut-wrenching pain knotted Taylor’s belly and shot to her chest. Clenching her stomach, she placed the fruit bowl on the end table and ran to the bathroom. Stomach roiling and burning, she clenched the sides of the toilet and vomited. 

              Katherine rushed inside the bathroom behind her. “Are you okay?”

              Sweat developed on her forehead. “I’ve just been so sick lately. I’m going to the doctor tomorrow.” Chest tightening, Taylor’s head throbbed. Feeling weak, she struggled to stand.

              Katherine hooked her hands under Taylor’s armpits. “Here, let me help you. You need to go lay down.” Katherine assisted Taylor to the bed inside her master suite, then turned back the covers for her. Taylor climbed onto the mattress and lay on her back. Peering down at Taylor, Katherine pulled the covers up over her body to her chin, then placed her hand to Taylor’s cheek. “You’re burning up. You must have a fever. I’ll be right back.” Katherine turned, leaving Taylor all by herself.

              A few minutes later, Katherine returned with a bottle of fever-reducing medicine. She placed a cold white washcloth on Taylor’s forehead, poured the purple liquid onto a tablespoon, and fed it to her twice. “Thanks for helping me, Katherine. Having you here means so much.”
She’s not so bad after all.

              Sitting on the mattress beside Taylor, Katherine cupped her hand. “I’m just happy you let me take care of you. Do you want me to call Zeke?”

              Her lids drooped. “No. I’ll be fine. But thank you for offering. Katherine, will you please do me a favor?”

              Patting the back of Taylor’s hand, Katherine nodded. “Sure. Anything.”

              “Will you stay here with me until Zeke gets home?” Uncertain what may happen to her body while she was sleep, Taylor didn’t want to be alone. 

              “Of course I will, Taylor. I’m going to run up to the main house, see Delbert off, and I’ll be right back.” Katherine took the washcloth on Taylor’s forehead and wiped the sides of her sweating face. She then went into the bathroom, put more cold water on the washcloth, then replaced it on her forehead.

              “Thanks.” Taylor’s limbs felt weak. Her body ached. She must have the flu.

              Katherine turned and left.

              Taylor’s eyes slowly drifted. Putting her hand on top of her cramping stomach, she moaned painfully.
If this pain doesn’t go away, I’m going to the emergency room.
Eyes closing and opening, closing and opening, she turned her head toward the window.

              The full moon gleamed brightly in the dark sky. Sparkling stars twinkled. Suddenly, Antonio appeared in the window. A deadly look was in his pupils, the outlines of his face hardened. Feeling threatened by his haunting glare, Taylor’s body jerked. 

              “I’m back!” Katherine shouted. Taylor tore her gaze from Antonio to look at the entrance to her bedroom, then looked back at the window; Antonio had vanished. “Are you feeling any better?” Katherine asked, peering down at Taylor.

             
Why was Antonio looking at me like that?
“Not really. Did you see Antonio outside? He was looking at me through the window.”

              Katherine dabbled the washcloth along the edges of Taylor’s hairline. “I just got off the phone with Antonio. He’s at work. You’re seeing things because you’re sick, darling. Close your eyes and go to sleep. I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning.”

ZEKE’S EYES
wandered around his immaculate new office at Balfour Hotel & Resort as he sat behind his oak wooden desk. Navy blue couch against the wall, dark brown furniture, bookshelf filled with business books, and a big shark tank beside the sofa, this was how a CEO’s office should look. Determined to make his father proud, a huge smile came on Zeke’s face.

              Carefully studying the shark swimming inside the humungous tank, Zeke put the tip of his pen to a legal document. In deep thought, images of Taylor snuck into his mind.

              Tall and lean, with a small waist, Taylor’s firm breasts and succulent body always enticed him. Between her legs smelled fresh and flowery. When aroused, she smelled thick and salty. Envisioning his tongue tracing the outline of her dark areola, then flicking her black nipple, Zeke’s shaft hardened. His balls tingled. The tip of his head leaked inside his underwear.
I can’t wait to get home so I can make love to my beautiful wife.

              Knockknockknock.
Zeke’s eyes traveled from the shark tank to the door, and in walked his older brother, Bane.

              Bane lowered a file to Zeke’s desk, then slid it toward him. “I think you need to take a look at this, bro.”

              “What is it?” Zeke asked, having a bad feeling.

              “It’s a hard copy of our financial report from last month.” Obvious irritation was in Bane’s tone.

              Zeke opened the manila folder to read the financial reports. Noticing one deficit after another, frustration rattled him. He lifted his gaze to Bane. “The numbers are off.”

              Bane frowned. “Exactly. It looks like someone is stealing money from Balfour.”

              “And a lot of it.”

              Bane sighed. “Where’s Antonio? I’ve been looking everywhere for him.”

             
I’m getting sick of Antonio coming to work whenever he damn well pleases.
“That’s what I was about to ask you. Did you try calling his cell?”

              “Yes. But it sent me to voicemail.”

              “Someone in the finance department is stealing from the company. We need to have an emergency meeting about this.” Zeke hefted the phone from the receiver and dialed Antonio; his cell went straight to voicemail. “Hey, Antonio. It’s me, Zeke. An emergency has come up, and we need to meet right away. I know it’s getting late, but this can’t wait. Meet us at the office ASAP.” He hung up. “I told him two weeks ago we were meeting tonight, so there’s no excuse for him not being here.”

              Bane nodded. “My thoughts exactly. I don’t know if it’s me or what, but he’s been acting rather strange lately. I understand his frustration about not getting the CEO position, but then again, I don’t. I mean, just look at the little stunt he’s pulling tonight. His ass should be here—”

              “Talking about me behind my back, I see.” Antonio stalked inside Zeke’s office with a snide look on his face. “Yeah, I’m late,” he shrugged, “but at least I’m here. Let’s get this meeting started and over with.” He plopped down in the navy blue chair in front of Zeke’s desk and crossed his legs at the knee.

              Shaking his head, Bane took the seat in the chair next to Antonio. “Just rude,” Bane grumbled.

              Zeke felt where Bane was coming from in regards to Antonio. “I agree. Before the meeting begins, let’s get one thing straight, Antonio. If you’re going to work for me, you must be on time from now on. Do I make myself clear?” Zeke’s firm tone must’ve made Antonio upset.

              Uncrossing his legs, Antonio leaned forward. “You just became CEO, and you’re already trying to dictate and change things around here. You and Bane both know I’ve never been on time, and I come and go as I damn well please.”

              Frustration entered Zeke’s system. “Not anymore, you don’t. From now on, you need to be on time. Our father may have put up with your rudeness, but he and I are two different men. I’m looking to grow Balfour by leaps and bounds. Take it to heights our father could only dream of.”

              Antonio crossed his legs at the knee, and his blue eyes turned cobalt. “Balfour is already successful, so this is more for your ego than for the good of the company.”

              Zeke didn’t have time for idle bullshit. He definitely wasn’t going to explain himself. “Just have your ass here on time from now on. Discussion over with. Now, let’s get on to more important matters, like who’s stealing from the company.”