The Art of Retaliation (14 page)

He blocked every blow feeling the sharp sting burn across his face
and pushed her up against the wall once more.
 
His captive freed her hands from his
hold and flung them upwards to her neck.

“You can take this stupid necklace back and this wretched dress,’
she screamed unclasping the necklace with fumbling hands, succeeding after
several attempts and threw it down on the chair next to her.
 
Stephane’s
eyebrows raised and in the heat of the moment he found himself holding his
breath waiting for her to tear the dress from her body.
  

He held her shoulders pushing them against the wall feeling his
blood stir with lust.

“Come on then, what are you waiting for,” he said darkly baiting her
in to action.
 
“Rip the dress off
and give it back to me,” he demanded slipping his fingers under the line of the
bodice of the dress, his fingers brushing the top of her breast to tug hard at
it.

“Or maybe you want me to do it and put us both out of our misery,”
he told her watching her breasts rise and fall with each agitated breath she
took.
 
“Believe me, Mara nothing
would give me more pleasure than to rip this dress off you and see what is
underneath,’ he said angrily, unable to stop himself.

“Well that’s a pleasure and an honor you will never have,” she said
answering his question with a malicious curl of her lips.
 

Stephane’s
eyes
narrowed.
 
“We’ll see.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her hard.
 
Her hands fought him and she resisted at
first.
 
He decided to persist for a
second longer before retreating and he was rewarded when she opened her mouth
and softly whimpered her defeat surrendering against his male strength.
 
The tenseness in her body
evaporated.
 
She was suddenly warm
and soft like melting butter in his hold allowing him to sink his tongue
deeper.

The billionaire swept his arms around her body to draw her
close.
 
Her hands clung to him as he
began to expertly pull down the zip at the back of her dress.

“Let’s get you out of this and in to my bed where you belong,” he
murmured against her lips.
 
“I have
waited long enough.
 
Right here and
now there is only you and I, no problems and no fear.
 
I want you and I am going to take you,”
he declared opening the back of the dress and undoing the catches on her corset
as he devoured her mouth in another passionate kiss.
 
His palms were just splaying out against
the smooth skin of her back when the damn door opened.

Both moved away from each other.
 
Mara appeared mortified holding up the
back of her dress.
 
He went to help
her but she glared at him when his mother entered the room with Leon.
 
Horrified she bolted from him, the skirt
of her ball gown swishing against the floor and furniture as she did so.

With impatience he pushed past his mother deciding he’d played her
game enough and followed Mara outside of the Chateau.
 
He caught up with her on the terrace at
the stone steps that led out to the extended grounds.
 
An elaborate fountain splashed heavily
against the pool of water beneath it on this area of the terrace and it was by
it he took hold of her hand and swung her around.

“Mara, why did you run away?” he demanded when she tried to pull
away from him.
 
“We have nothing to
hide anymore.
 
I never had any
intention of carrying out my threat.
 
This is all a lie.
 
We are
attracted to each other and this charade with Ryan and Abdul has to end.
 
I will find another way to get Louise
back with your help . . .”

“This is wrong, all wrong.
 
I can’t do this.
 
You want to
erase what you have done to me and act like all is forgiven, there will be
another way? I don’t believe you.
 
You kidnapped me and made me frightened for my life now you are telling
me it has all been a lie.
 
It isn’t
to your mother,” she shouted finally succeeding in zipping her dress back
up.
 
“And if you really mean what
you say then you will let Maxine and myself leave the Chateau right now.”

Stephane
hung his
head listening with dismay at the water in the fountain.

“I can’t,” he said softly letting go of her arm.
 
“I need you to be here but I want you to
work with me, help me.
 
Ryan needs
to know you are in danger from me.
 
He has to believe it.
 
I
can’t let you leave and if you try I will have no choice but to stop you.
 
Work with me instead of being my
prisoner.”

“And if Ryan doesn’t come through what are you going to do?
 
Your mother wants revenge and so will
you if your sister dies.
 
And even
If you let me leave I will make sure you are prosecuted and you will lose
everything.
 
I won’t rest until I
see you behind bars for what you have done.
 
I can’t trust you.
 
I might work with you but I am convinced
you will do anything to help your family.
 
You have proved that by kidnapping me.
 
How do I know if you really mean what
you say?
 
Is this just a game you
are playing with me to get me in to your bed?”

Stephane
sighed.
 
There seemed to be no way
out of the mess they were both in.
 
No escape from the situation.
 
Mara was never going to believe him and he didn’t blame her.
 
If it came to the crunch and Louise was
going to die at Ryan’s hands for real who knows what he would have to do to get
her back.
 
Mara was right he had no
choice but to go through with the plan and give her back to Ryan.
 
But on one thing he was sure.

“I will not let Abdul hurt you but if you will not work with me then
consider yourself still my prisoner,” he told her coldly.

Mara regally lifted her dress and turned on her heels to sweep down
the steps ignoring the pain that etched on her features as she walked on her
injured ankle.
 
He stood at the top
of the steps staring after her wondering what could have been if they had not
been interrupted in his study.

The next day arrived, as glorious as the last.
 
“Perfect for an escape,” Mara murmured
as she drew back the curtains.

Last night had been spent relating events with Abdul and
Stephane
to Maxine and had been enough to finally convince
her friend that they needed to climb over the
perimiter
wall.
 
She walked away from the
window and glanced at the dress that lay discarded on the floor from where she
had almost torn it in her hurry to get it off.
 
Mara bent and picked it up, carefully
laying it over the back of a chair.
 
Her hand absently minded caressed the satin.
 
She had been so pleased to receive
it.
 
Ryan had never bought her anything
like that.

 
The dress had made her
feel like a Queen.
 
Stupidly she’d
thought
Stephane
must have felt something for her to
buy her such a beautiful dress but she’d been wrong.
 
Well it didn’t matter now what she
thought, she had to get away with Maxine, sprained ankle or not before Abdul
made any plans to silence her forever.

“Are you okay, Mara?” Are you having second thoughts about trying to
escape?” Maxine asked entering her room to flop down on the bed.

“No I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?
 
How it could have been with
Stephane
.
 
Forget it.
 
He’s no good.
 
You want someone like my brother
Christophe.”

Maxine’s eyes sparkled with mischief making Mara feel that familiar
sinking feeling.
 
That
look
meant trouble and lots of it.

“When we get out of here I will set you both up on a date,” she
continued.

Mara sighed heavily and sat down beside her.

“After this, Maxine I don’t want to be involved with another man.”

“I thought you liked Christophe,” Maxine retorted, hurt that her
brother had been slighted.

“You know I always have Maxine, but we are just friends.”

Maxine was trying in vain and she knew it.
 
The two had always been good
friends.
 
To push them together now
would ruin everything, besides Mara was in love with
Stephane
against her better judgment.
 

“Anyway Maxine, are you having second thoughts?
 
You are the one who wasn’t very sure
about this scheme.”

“No, no I’m sure we are going even if I have to carry you.”

Mara smiled.
 
Maxine was
taking control, a sight she didn’t see very often.
 
That was the role left for Mara whilst
she played little girl lost and enlisted the help of the nearest man.
 
It was a dubious talent but one that
Maxine was very good at and it had its uses.

“You better strap that ankle up well.”

Mara nodded.

“Mara, have you had any thought as to what we are going to do once
we get over the wall?
 
We will be in
the middle of the countryside.
 
I am
not sure where the village is.”

“Well there is that farmhouse I told you about,” she stopped and bit
her lip awkwardly.
 
“The only thing
is, I am not sure whether it is occupied.
 
It looks a little run down.
 
But somebody must be there because the garden is well tended.”

“What if there isn’t anyone there?
 
We have no real idea of where we
are.
 
We could be wandering the
countryside all night.”

“Calm down.
 
It’s a mile
away or so from the wall.
 
I am sure
it will be.
 
We will just have to
take a chance.
 
We can’t stay here.”

Maxine shook her blond curls in despair.

“I just wish this was all over.”

“We will go this afternoon.
 
I overheard the housekeeper speaking to
Stephane
.
 
He is entertaining some Japanese
business people and his mother is out for the day.”

She spoke confidently with a firm tone to give both Maxine and
herself the courage they needed.

“Okay I am going downstairs to get some breakfast.
 
There is no point in escaping on and
empty stomach.
 
We don’t know how
long it will be before we can eat again,” Maxine said with determination.
 
“Are you coming?”

“No, I’m not hungry and don’t look at me like that, I’ll be
fine.
 
We’ll tell them we are going
for a walk in the grounds.
 
Mr
Garreau
is so convinced that
nobody could get over that wall.
 
It’s a shame he won’t be there to see it.
 
I’d like to wipe the arrogant smile off
his face.”

Mara watched Maxine go grimacing at the thought of food.
 
It was the last thing on her mind.
   

“Mara, why didn’t you come down to breakfast?’
Stephane
asked entering the room.

She pretended she hadn’t noticed him.

“Oh so you aren’t speaking to me now,” he laughed half-heartedly
giving her the impression that he was undeterred by her silence.
 
He studied her for a few moments before
attempting to catch her attention again.
 
He stood dominantly in front of her in a black suit.
 
He always took her breath away when she
looked at him.

“Are you feeling unwell again?” he asked softly.
 
“Please speak to me.”

Mara gritted her teeth.
 
He was acting as though nothing had happened.

“You come in here all sweetness and light and treat me as though
nothing happened, as though our argument never existed and you expect me to act
the same way.
 
That is not going to
happen.
 
What do you want?”

He looked uncomfortable.

“At least I am capable of moving on.
 
I didn’t come here to argue with you,
Mara’ he said gently.
 
“I just came
to see how you are?’

“Can’t stand the guilt can you?” She said walking away from him to
the window.

“This will end.
 
Ryan will
come for you.
 
I will make sure he
does, whatever it takes.”

Mara turned on him holding nothing back.

Are you mad?
 
You know he
won’t.
 
You seem to have this
romantic idea that he really cares about me and that he will ride in here on
his white charger and carry me off like Lancelot.
 
I told you money comes first to him.”

“I know he loves you.
 
He
told me,”
Stephane
said quietly but anxiety pulled
his face tight.
 
He knew she was
right about Ryan.
 
The man hadn’t
exactly rushed Louise back to save her and
Stephane
must be getting desperate.
 
He would
need something else to force his hand and that made Mara more than nervous as
to what he would be forced to do next.
 
It was imperative she and Maxine escaped over the wall today.

There was a heavy silence in which the billionaire appeared to be
struggling for the right words to say.
 
Mara turned back to the window and prayed that he wouldn’t be there when
she turned back.
 
For all that had
happened she yearned to tell him of the danger he was in himself with Abdul but
her own brother’s safety had to come first and like she had no choice but to
let him take the fall.
 
There would
be no escape for
Stephane
either.
 
Was that to be her revenge?
 
If so, why did it make her want to cry?

Mara felt the billionaire’s strong presence behind her and tried to
ignore him again continuing to look out of the open window.
  
The breeze caught her hair and
gently lifted it.
 
His hand reached
out to catch it and smooth it back.
 
The touch was simple but enough to make her soften.
 
If she hadn’t had anger to fall back on,
to make her senses alert she would have yielded, given him want he wanted and
taken what she desperately needed.
 
She closed her eyes pleasuring her mind with the image of their bodies
entwining in lovemaking.

His lips brushed her shoulder moving her hair to one side around her
neck.

“If only things were different.”

He repeated the action further up her neck listening to a sigh
penetrate her lips.

“I wish I had the power to make all of this disappear.
 
I deluded myself I could.
 
I’m sorry.”

Mara closed her eyes resisting the urge to turn into his arms and
breathed with relief when she felt him leave and close the door behind him.

They had no trouble in getting to walk in the grounds.
 
The housekeeper was pleased that they
would be out of the way whilst
Stephane
entertained
his real guests.
 
Once safe from
view they quickened their pace as much as Mara’s ankle would allow.
 
She had started the journey with a small
dull ache in it but by the time they had reached their destination the pain was
strong and her ankle was swollen.
 
When the wall came into view Maxine stopped walking and stared, clearly
awed.

“Don’t worry.
 
It is
easy.
 
Just take a run and jump and
then pull yourself up with the vine.
 
Go on you go first, I’ll keep watch,” she urged before Maxine had time
to rethink.

“I don’t know if I can, Mara.
 
What if I fell?
 
No you try
first so I can see how you do it and I will keep watch.”

Mara sighed with impatience and nodded.
 
If she got over, it would convince
Maxine that she could do it.

“Mara, look at your ankle.
 
Let’s just go back.
 
We can
think of something else.”

“Maxine, don’t be stupid this is our only chance.
 
Now watch.”

Mara backed away from the wall and took a quick glance to make sure
no one was watching.
 
She broke out
into a run clenching her teeth with the pain and jumped on to the vine that
covered the wall.
 
Her fingers slotted
through the plant and onto the stone bricks that jutted out from the wall to
maintain her
grip
as did her feet.
 
For a minute she clung unable to move
with the throbbing pain emanating from her ankle she was frantically trying to
keep on one of the bricks.

“Mara,” Maxine almost screamed holding her face in her hands unable
to watch her jump.

Mara raised her head but couldn’t speak.
 
Giving a shaky nod of the head she
slowly started to pull herself to the top of the wall using the bricks.
 
She took several deep breaths before
swinging her left leg over the top.
 
Her movement was too quick and the force pulled her over the wall.
 
She scrabbled to keep hold and tried to
get a foothold on the other side and held the vine to ease herself down.
 
Mara watched her surroundings blur and
spin and cursed.

“Not now.
 
Not now,’ she
prayed clinging to the vine even tighter but her hands were hot with
perspiration from the effort and the vine was slipping through them.
 
She fell from the wall landing on the
leg that supported her sprained ankle letting out a cry before falling
unconscious.