The Art of Retaliation (2 page)

Mara lifted her head and fought to keep her voice steady and even as
she continued to recriminate.

“I have nothing to do with Ryan anymore.
 
I am not involved.
 
I knew he was seeing someone behind my
back but I had no idea it was your sister.
 
Ryan and I are no longer together and therefore I fail to see what your
dispute has to do with
me or Maxine
.
 
If he has hurt her go to the police.”

Stephane
began
talking to the other men in French and again the group erupted into
laughter.
 
Mara ignored them,
pulling back the strands of hair that were escaping the neat short blonde bob
that dramatically crowned her features before giving Maxine’s hand a reassuring
squeeze.
 
They were laughing at her
mention of the police who had clearly been unhelpful in the matter.
 
Desperate Mara made a frantic grab for
her
handbag which
had been thrown down on the sofa
next to her laptop bag to retrieve her mobile to get help but was prevented by
a strong hand bearing down on her wrist.

The billionaire wagged his finger at her.

“No one can help you nor will they find you.
 
I am a very powerful man and I can keep
you hidden for everyone for a long time.
 
Don’t push my patience.”

He snatched the bag from her, took out the mobile and threw it on
the wooden floor to cover it with his foot.
 
He exerted pressure and destroyed
it.
 
Mara stepped away from him.

“I am aware Ryan has left you but let us hope he still cares enough for you to
return my sister.
 
He is only after
her inheritance and I am damn sure he is still in love with you.
 
When she dies and the money passes to
him he will return to you.
 
It is a
nice plan you have both concocted but I am going to see to it that it fails,”
he informed her with dark angry menace.

Mara’s eyes moistened with fear waiting for the “or else”.

“That’s a lie.
 
I would
never do such a thing.
 
Ryan does
not still love me.”

“Well that is what he told me and that is what you are going to have
to rely on if you ever want to be a free woman again.”

Mara felt her blood run cold at his threat.

Fear and helplessness rose inside her making adrenaline pump through
her veins at a speed causing her heart to thud against her chest as though it
would burst out.
 

She opened her mouth to speak in an attempt to protest her innocence
again but no words came out.
 
Instead she stood dumbfounded watching the room spin around her like a
carousel.

Stephane
looked on
with concern, frowning as Mara felt her blood drain from her face.
 
She felt her body sway as though she was
about to lose gravity and was faintly aware of her name being called.
 
Maxine was coming to her aid but the
billionaire’s arm was already around her waist supporting her body.
 
She tried to push him away but he was
lifting his arm under her legs and scooping her up in to his arms.
 
He carried her fainting body to the sofa
as blackness crept in to her vision and forced her in to unconsciousness.

She came round to find
Stephane
sitting
next to her, holding the side of her face gently in his hand.
 
Idly his thumb stroked her cheek as he
spoke her name to rouse her.
 
It was
a warm soft caress that she instantly began to warm to.
 
It contradicted his earlier harsh words
and left her feeling somewhat confused.

Leon handed him a glass of water and the billionaire’s hand moved
underneath her head to lift it from the pillow while he put the glass to her
lips.

“Here, drink some water.
 
Sip it slowly.”

It was the tenth dizzy spell she had experienced during the last
week and this one had ended in her fainting.
 
Mara couldn’t help regretting not having
taken
Dr
Martin’s offer of tablets to help her
control it.

“You need food and rest.
 
Are you all right to walk?’ he asked softly.

Mara nodded and looked at trembling Maxine.

“Please let Maxine go.
 
It’s just me you want.”

He appeared impatient with his task.

“No.
 
I can’t have her
running to the police.
 
Now we’ve
wasted enough time.”

Stephane
took hold
of Mara’s hand to raise her from the sofa.
 
His arm wound around her waist to support her fragile figure as he led
her to the door of the apartment.

He took her straight to the lift that she had been told was out of
order and showed the concierge his thanks in monetary terms when they reached
the ground floor for the deception.

There were three other men waiting outside for them standing
inconspicuously next to two black Mercedes.
 
One of them opened the car door for
Mara.

“Only six men to kidnap two women, Monsieur
Garreau
.
 
Don’t you think it would have been safer
with more?’ Mara’s sarcasm was biting.

The billionaire took a breath but said nothing.
 
Yet she couldn’t help feeling
satisfaction that her jibe had hit home.
 

Maxine was taken to the second car and
Stephane
sat on the back seat beside Mara.
 
She rested her throbbing head on the back of the seat turning away from
him conscious that he was watching her every move with concern after her
fainting spell.

Their journey was about two hours long, and mostly spent in awkward
silence after his refusal to tell her where they were going and her frantic
attempts to read the road signs.
 
Eventually the movement of the car began to lull Mara into the sleep she
craved.
 
She fought desperately to
keep her drooping eyes open, wanting to know where they were going and be alert
to danger.
 
But it was a battle she
was to lose.

Mara woke as their journey neared its end, trying to work out
exactly when she had fallen asleep.
 
She glanced at a car rug that was tucked around her body and then at
Stephane
in surprise.
 
He was looking out of the window away from her.

She studied his brooding profile trying to figure him out.
 
One minute he was hard with her,
asserting she was a criminal and the next he was taking care of her.

A second later Mara realized he was looking back at her through the
window returning the appraisal with hooded eyes.
 
Her cheeks warmed.
 
Embarrassed she let her eyes fall to the
seat to meet his body and his other hand that lay leisurely in his lap.
 
She remembered the strength she had felt
when he had caught her wrist.

There was no ring, no marks of ownership, she'd made a mental note
despite being angry
at
herself and here she was doing
it again.
 
It was more important
that she find out where they were going and diverted her attention to the
sights out of her own window.
 
They
were going through some quaint old village that was surrounded by fields and
vast countryside that appeared to stretch to the ends of the earth.
 
She couldn’t understand why he had
brought her here and not stayed in Paris but the reason became evident as they
turned a corner and began to follow a
single track
road across a river.
 
She sat up and
strained to get a better look.
 
The
15
^th
century Chateau
Albain
stretched long
and wide in front of them.
 
It was a
white building with a smooth dark grey roof and two towers on situated at the
back of the main house on either side.
 
The billionaire’s home was illuminated displaying its grandeur and
elegance making Mara’s lips part, awed by the enchanting sight.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered under her breath.

“I’m glad you like it, Mara.
 
You may be spending quite some time there.”

She refused to acknowledge him or the bait for an argument he threw
her, too concerned with obtaining a better view.
 
They entered the chateau’s grounds
through the main gate and came to a halt outside the two sets of steps that led
up to the main on either side.

Stepahne
took hold
of Mara’s arm in a firm hold and led her from the car into the house, greeting
the butler warmly.
 
She heard the
billionaire request that he arrange for the women’s bags to be removed from the
cars and sent to their rooms.
 
He
led her in to a wide cream marble hallway flanked by pillars in the middle of
which sat a sweeping staircase covered in the
centre
by a plush red velvet carpet.

“I see I am getting the red carpet treatment,” Mara laughed
sarcastically.

He ignored the remark and pulled her towards the stairs.

They stopped on the first floor and entered a large room overlooking
what looked like a moat at the back of the house.

“This will be your room for the moment.
 
Try to make yourself comfortable.”

Try to make yourself
comfortable?
 
You have to be
kidding.
 
This
luxury and a room with a view.
 
Not the prison cell I expected.

Mara deliberately hardened her features annoyed at falling for the
charm the jail he had confined her in.

“Yes I suppose it will have to do.”

She cursed herself inwardly the moment the words came out of her
mouth.
 
She sounded like a petulant
child and she wanted to scream when she saw another smile on the man’s lips.

Mara frowned and walked towards the window.
 
Although she wore a mask of disapproval
she couldn’t help
feeling
 
at
being put in the room.
 
Moving around the space she inspected
the paintings on the walls and ornaments she dared not pick up.

She ran a gentle hand along the soft back of the sofa sitting in
front of a large white fireplace that was the highlight of the room.
 
A portrait of a young woman in 18
^th
century dress looked down at her from above it.

‘Who is she?’ Mara asked.

Stephane
moved
next to her causing her skin to prickle and flush.
  
She tried in vain to dismiss the
reaction reminding
herself
that she was his prisoner
and moved away from him.
 
Hadn’t she
learned anything from Ryan?
 
Men
were trouble, especially those who kidnapped you.

“The Countess of
Albain
in 1642.”

Mara stood fixed with a blank look on her face, careful not to
betray any emotion that would make him believe he had kidnapped her senses and
self control
.
 
But as she listened to the gentle French lilt wanting him to continue,
her resolve softened as though his voice was a caress she was powerless to
resist.
 
She kept her attention on
the picture but could feel the heavy weight of
Stephane
Garreau’s
haunting hypnotic blue eyes watching her
intently.
 
He gave a small laugh.

“She never married, quite a fiery lady that couldn’t be tamed by all
accounts.”

He was looking at her again and something told Mara he wasn’t just
talking about the Countess.

“Never took any nonsense from her men,” he informed with a grin
looking directly at Mara.

She smiled with approval and turned to walk across the cream carpet
towards the bed on the other side of the room suddenly aware of how tired she
felt.
 
The sheets were made of
sumptuous white silk on top of which sat a silk white and light taupe patterned
duvet.
 
Everything about the room
was elegant and luxuriant in its modern design.
 
Behind the bed sat a large velvet square
taupe headboard surrounded by an ornate silver frame and, as were the curtains
hanging around it.
 
It was beckoning
her, enticing her to sleep and she couldn’t wait for him to leave so she could
rest, regroup and commence the battle again tomorrow.

He appeared to have read her thoughts.

“I will leave you now.
 
You need to get some rest.
 
I
will call my doctor in the morning and get him to examine you.
 
You seemed to be dizzy before you
fainted and don’t appear well.
 
I
didn’t like how pale you were when you slept in the car.
 
Are you ill?”

“No,” she snapped. “No, it’s nothing really.
 
My doctor keeps insisting that I am
overworked.
 
The dizziness is just a
symptom.
 
I need some sleep.”

“Well, we will see you get that rest.
 
After all you will have plenty of time
on your hands,”
Stephane
replied curtly watching the
butler bring in Mara’s suitcase and briefcase.

“Why all the concern?” she sneered.
 
“What do you care if I am ill or not as
long as you get what you want from Ryan.
”

Stephane
walked to
the side of the room and shut an open window that was casting a chilly breeze
around the room.
 
He closed the
heavy damask curtains and then returned to answer the question.
 
To be ignored with such arrogance only
served to fuel Mara’s anger and he damn well knew it.

“Because I am not a criminal and have no wish to see you hurt.
 
I have no desire to keep you prisoner
but Ryan has forced my hand.
 
While
you are under this roof both Maxine and yourself will be given the necessary
courtesy and care.
 
If you need
anything just pick up the phone and dial zero, and no it doesn’t have an
outside line.
 
I will have some food
sent up. Goodnight.”

“No you don’t.
 
I want to
know more about what is going on,” thoughts of sleep suddenly erased from her
mind.

She was holding of his arm, tugging him back.
 
He made to remove her hand, but allowed
her delicate fingers to linger in his own hand stroking a thumb over them.
 
Her skin felt silky against his smooth
male hand.
 
She stared watching him
caress her mesmerized and lulled in to compliant softness before her anger
returned making her snatch her hand back.

So this is your line of
attack, seduction
.

Mara’s eyes narrowed.
 
The French billionaire had picked the wrong woman to mess with.
 
He moved closer and involuntarily she
found herself taking a step back a suddenly a little fearful of his male
presence and the power he was exerting over her senses.
 
He stopped frowning at her fear of
him.
 
He put his hands in his
trouser pockets and looked at her with confusion.
 
Then he said,

“Get some rest.
 
We will
discuss it further in the morning.
 
Go to bed,’ he commanded then he was gone and to her horror he locked
the door behind him.

Mara woke the next morning to bright sunlight attempting to
penetrate the heavy curtains.
 
A
chorus of birds chattered noisily in the grounds somewhere, mixing with the
melodic cooing of a distant wood pigeon.
 
She threw the covers off her body and surveyed her surroundings.
 
The room was fit for a princess.
 
She eased herself up off the bed towards
the window and moved the curtains to create a space in between them.
 
The contrast of the brightness made the
room light and airy forcing her to blink.

She opened the window feeling the early warmth of the day on her
face.
 
There was a slight breeze
rustling the leaves on the trees across the moat, and the water lilies that
congregated in a group in the water below her window were just opening for the
day.
 
She took in a deep breath of
clean country air and leaned against the window frame taking in the idyllic scenery.
  

“Up already, Mara?
 
I had
hoped to wake you with breakfast in bed.”

Mara turned around to find the billionaire standing in the middle of
the room.

“Don’t you knock on doors?” she complained walking to the bed to
reach for her short robe to cover the equally short
night-dress
she was wearing.
 
She fastened the
belt tight around her waist, annoyed that he had caught her off guard.

The housekeeper entered the room behind him and put a breakfast tray
on the table next to the fireplace.
 
She said nothing and courteously made the pretense of ignoring their
conversation as she pulled the curtains to their sides and tied them back.

“What do you want?” Mara snapped walking over to the tray to inspect
its contents deliberately trying to ignore his handsome appearance in a navy
suit with a white shirt and teal tie.

“I came to see how you were feeling,” he told her sitting down on
one of the comfortable taupe chairs around the fireplace and table.

Mara rolled her eyes with frustration.
 
He was staying.
 
Why wouldn’t he leave so she could get
dressed and be ready for whatever he was about to throw at
her.

“Fine.
 
I am doing just
fine under the circumstances.
 
Now,
where have you got Maxine and tell me more about why I am being held captive?”

“Straight down to business, Mara.
 
I like that.”

The billionaire was laughing at her through his eyes. The smile that
played on his lips, much to her irritation, only made him appear boyish and
mischievous in a way that emphasized his attractive features.