To Have & to Hold (11 page)

“Yes, and that
’
s what friends do. I don
’
t owe you.”

He squinted at her, his eyes hard and flat. “Yes, you do.”

“Michael, what do you really want?”

“What I
’
ve always wanted.
You.”

Cate
shivered. He wouldn
’
t like
her
response
and she didn
’
t know how he
’
d react
. She stood and walked to the bank of windows looking out over the forest and hugged herself. She dipped her finger below her waistband at her hip and retrieved an ornate ladies penknife in a silver filigree scabbard. The knife rested in the palm of her hand. Just in case. It might not do much damage, but every little bit would help.

She turned from the windows to address him. “Michael, I don
’
t know how long you
’
ve been fantasizing about me, but it
’
s not going to happen. I will never be yours. Whether I like it or not, as long as I live, I will always be Grayson Cooper
’
s and he will be mine.”

“We can change that today.” A wicked smile stretched Michael
’
s face tight. He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. “I
’
ve drafted divorce papers for you. You could sign them right now.”

Cate
stood
there shocked. “Why? I
’
ve never even hinted I wanted to divorce Grayson.”

“I know your heart,
Cate
. Just like a year ago. I knew you wanted to give me control of the
practice, take care of you. The night Grayson disappeared.”

“What are you talking about? You weren
’
t even there. I never--”

“Yes, I was. Poor
Cate
, c
an
’
t remember?
You signed papers giving me total control over the practice in Grayson
’
s absence.
A
little over a
year ago.
That night Grayson disappeared and you were so distraught. And the business was the last thing you wanted to think about in those weeks and months after he disappeared.”

Cate
searched her mind. Was Michael insane? She
’
d remember signing papers that gave him power over any of her or Grayson
’
s money. Her memories from that night were a little muddy. But she hadn
’
t called him until the next day to say there
’
d been an accident and Cooper was missing. It had been a few days earlier than she
’
d planned to trap Grayson herself, but the situation presented itself and she took it. He
’
d spent every night after that one safe in the attic alone, battling the dragon for supremacy. Too bad it hadn
’
t worked. It had all been for nothing. Sadness weighed on her heart, like a stone sinking to the bottom of a clear pool.

Cate
shook her head as if coming awake from a dream. “Michael, I don
’
t remember . . . “

His laugh bounced off the walls of the bedroom.

“Of course you don
’
t. See, the champagne is taking hold again. You need to watch out for that vintage shit,
Cate
. It packs an unexpected wallop.
Steals your right mind.
Robs your power.
Makes you my willing slave.
Just like last time.
Doesn’t matter what I say today, you won’t remember anything incriminating afterwards. It’s
the perfect
chemical mind eraser.
”

She might look a little dazed, and certainly she felt confused, but it had nothing to do with the champagne she hadn
’
t touched. Everything she
’
d thought about Michael over the past year had been a lie. Nothing had been true.

“I
’
ve had signing authority over the company for the past year. You never even noticed. A little here, a little there, paying off consultants for this, buying equipment that never appeared in the office.
None of it real of course.
All of the money lining my pockets.
You
’
ve made me a very rich man.
A happy man.”

“You?
”
Awareness dawned for
Cate
, a little too late for her comfort. Anger at herself, as well as at Michael, sharpened her tone. “You embezzled the money from Cooper & James? It wasn
’
t Grayson.”

“Smart girl.
But I waited a year. A God damned long year for Grayson to show up. I got tired of that game. I wanted a bigger playing field. I decided I wanted your money. I planned to marry you after Grayson disappeared. He was supposed to die that night. I wanted control of everything. And I wanted you.
In my bed.
Only you wouldn
’
t cooperate. And then I found out your grandfather had built in certain codicils that prohibited even your husband from controlling your money. So I came up with another brilliant idea--a medical power of attorney, with you as my wife and incapacitated, nothing could stand in my way.
Until now.
Now that Grayson
’
s back, we need to get rid of him first.” He waved the envelope.

“You shot Grayson that night on the boat? It was you.” She stumbled. If he thought she was drugged,
all the
better. She didn
’
t care. She needed to know what he
was planning
before Grayson arrived.

“Yes. He was never supposed to live.” Michael stood. “Come,
Cate
.” He watched her. “Sign your divorce papers. Once they
’
re signed, sealed, and delivered, Grayson will have absolutely no power over you. We
’
ll marry. You
’
ll sign the durable power of attorney. And I
’
ll have unfettered control of your money.”

Like hell. She bit back the anger that suddenly raged, clawing to get out. She guessed he expected the drug would make her obey him. She took one step closer. God, she didn
’
t want to.
She searched her mind for a spell that would stop him in his tracks. Panic shoved every thought but survival from her brain. Anger cinched it tight.

“We don
’
t have much time,
Cate
.” He looked at his watch. “Your guards will only sleep for another fifteen minutes. Your nursemaid, however, will be out for another hour.”

She shook her head again.
Took another step closer.
“What have you done, Michael?”

“Nothing I haven
’
t done before.
A little creative pharmacology.
Erased some memories.
I
’
m in and out and no one is the wiser. A little magic at my fingertips gets me past the most difficult barriers.” He chuckled.

“How is that even possible?”

“As I mentioned, I have my ways.” His smile looked almost orgasmic. “Don
’
t worry your pretty head.”

“You won
’
t get away with this. Not this time.”
Cate
rubbed her upper arm
s
, trying to
dispel
the chill that had taken up residence.

“Who will stop me?
You?”
Sarcasm dripped off the last word.

Cate
shook her head
and raised her hands. “Not me. Grayson won’t let you get away with this. He’ll stop you.” She had supreme confidence in her husband’s sense of fair play and justice.

“He
’
s coming for you, isn
’
t he?
You’re too calm.
”
Michael
lunged for her, fisted her hair in his hand and yanked her to him. “Time is of the essence then, isn
’
t it?”

“What are you going to do to me? Kill me?” Tears stung her eyes and her scalp throbbed. “What about Grayson? If he figures this out, he
’
ll kill you.”

He laughed again. “No, you
’
re no good to me dead. I can
’
t play with your money if you die. But I can keep you under my control for the rest of your life. And you will live a very long time, my darling
Cate
. I
’
ll make sure of it. A host of miracle drugs exist out there. The right cocktail will keep you cognizant, yet malleable forever. And if I get tired of you, I
’
ll become the adoptive parent of your baby. And have access to a
n even greater
fortune.
Your
granpappy
planned well
for the future of your children
.
”

He pulled a gun from a holster under his jacket.

A shiver of apprehension and fear seized her. Not for herself. But for her husband who would charge onto the scene totally unprepared, yet again, for the likes of Michael wielding a gun.

“A gun?
I thought you said you didn
’
t want to hurt me?” At least Grayson had
a chance
if he knew Michael had a gun.

I hear you,
but it takes a huge amount of concentration and focus and right now I
’
m
trying like hell to get to you.
Hang in there, babe.

“A change in plans.
Instead of you signing the divorce papers, Grayson will die today. The man has run out of lives.” He laid the 9mm Luger semi-automatic on the nightstand.

Cate
recognized it. “That
’
s my gun.”

Michael smiled. And cocked his head as if to indicate, so what?

Oh, my God. What twisted plan had he come up with now?
Working a new angle,
that had always been Michael. Yet he
’
d never been dangerous. He
’
d been harmless, hadn
’
t he?
All along.
Just a friend supporting her in her time of need.
Yes, his response to Coop when he thought he
was
a mangy mutt did indicate a mean streak, but
murder?
Coercion?
Embezzlement?
No.

Pieces
dropped
into place
like tumblers in a lock
. Grayson had never owned a gun. So how did he get one that night on the Celtic Sea?
The champagne.
Michael had been the one to deliver the order to her from London. He
’
d insisted. Her response to those two glasses that night hadn
’
t been normal. He
’
d never planned to kill her.
But why?

How could he know Grayson might be on the way? He couldn
’
t. Not for sure. “You know
Grayson lives in London. He
’
s nowhere near here.”

“You
’
re lying. He plans to show up here today. And I will kill him. A bullet to the head should do it. No risk of missing his heart this time around. Although I doubt the man has a heart.
The way he
’
s responded to you leaving him.
Cold fish, I
’
d say.”

That hurt more than anything. The thought of Grayson not even caring she
’
d left and resuming
his life like nothing had happened. As if she didn
’
t matter to him.
But, no.
Michael was a sociopath.
A practiced liar.
He
’
d manipulated her. And he was doing it again.

Coop, as the dragon,
would eat Michael. No qualms.
He’d give in to instinct.
The dragon would make him disappear.
Forever.
She couldn
’
t allow that to happen. Michael had no clue. Didn
’
t know what he was up against.
Consuming someone so evil couldn’t be good for a dragon and surely
it would taint Grayson
, the ma
n
.
“Why would you want to kill Grayson? He
’
s never hurt you.
Al
ways treated you as a brother.”