Beck and Call (22 page)

“Mr. MacLauren,” the doctor’s voice was impatient.

Reluctantly, Keith brushed a kiss on her temple and left the room.

A college friend and former member of the Special Forces who had gone into security was waiting outside the door. Beyond him were five of the toughest-looking men Keith had ever seen.

“Thanks, Ben.”

“No problem. These three will do a rotating schedule at her door once they put her in a room. No one in or out who hasn’t been approved by you. If the police go in, these guys go in too so she will never be 167

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alone.”

“Thanks,” he nodded.

Ben gave him a hard look.

“It really never occurred to you that someone might do this?”

“I’m the one who fired them, not Serena,” he shook his head. “Damn! What else could happen?”

“Don’t ask things like that,” Ben advised. “It’s never a good idea.” He looked at the men. “Adams, you take first watch, then Watson and then Jackson.” They all nodded. Two left while Adams entered the room. “Any idea who did this?”

“Her friends pulled the mask off long enough to see his face,” Keith said quietly.

“Who was it?”

“Mark Hammond, my former PR VP…

“How could you?” came a shrill shriek.

“Damn,” Keith replied as Penny ran down the hall.

Watson and Jackson turned to chase after her.

With a scream of fury, Penny launched herself at her cousin, hammering her small fists on his chest. He easily caught her wrists. Ben raised his hand to halt his men in their tracks.

“How could you do this to me?” she demanded, struggling to get away from him. “You’re pathetic!

You’re jealous of Mark so you bribed Serena to lie.

Just like all those other women lied about Duncan and the other men.” She gestured at Debbie who was talking to the police. “So desperate for attention that—”

“We did not!” Debbie yelled, turning from where she’d been talking to the police. “We did not lie!”

“And you!” Penny turned on Claire. “You just want him for yourself so you—”

“What!” Claire protested. “I’ve had a boyfriend for months. I wouldn’t date Mark for a million dollars.”

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“Look at us,” Debbie demanded. “Do we look like we had a good time with your fiancé? He attacked Serena eighteen months ago and nearly raped her tonight, ripping off her clothes before we could get to her!”

Penny didn’t move. She shook her head at Debbie’s words.

“That’s impossible. Daddy and Uncle Ken said he was a good man,” she whispered. “They said he was the only one they’d approve of.”

“Then your daddy likes a rapist,” Debbie told her, lowering the ice pack she’d been holding to her cheek. “Does this look made up?” Penny stared at the two indignant, bruised women for a long moment then turned to Keith. Her complexion was ashen, blue eyes wide with shock as she faced him.

“Daddy said if I didn’t marry Mark by the end of the year that he would cut me off and find a way to control my trust. It’s all true, isn’t it? He…I can’t go on like this anymore,” she shook her head. She wrapped her arms around her narrow waist and bit her bottom lip. “No, I won’t marry Mark, no matter what Daddy says or does.” She whispered. Keith watched the conflict of emotions on her face as she gazed at Debbie and Claire. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face him squarely. “Whenever someone talks about how successful your company is, they get very angry.” She cocked her head sideways. “Do you think all of that is connected?” Keith studied his cousin. Normally frivolous and ditzy, it seemed that his cousin had finally grown up.

Or had everything been an act? Given the revelations he’d gone through the past week, could he trust her?

“Penny, what kind of game are you playing?”

“Survival,” she replied. “In our family, if you have brains, you become a target. So I act like the 169

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stereotypical blonde.” She smiled. “I did just graduate from Vassar Magna Cum Laude. In business.”

A slow smile curved Keith’s mouth. This was going to piss a lot of people off, but the idea of having even one person in his family on
his
side nearly made him dizzy.

“You want a job? I have a few openings.” Penny’s jaw dropped and she gasped, before she flung her arms around his neck.

“Yes!” she grinned up at him. “What do you want me to do?”

“Come by my office tomorrow and we’ll figure out what works,” he smiled, kissing her forehead.

“The rest of the family won’t like it,” he warned her.

“Our fathers don’t like it when they’re not obeyed.” She nodded.

“I have some information that may help.” He gave her a quick look and nodded. She smiled slightly, relieved he understood her. “Now, I have to ask you this. Did you really beat up Uncle Ken fourteen years ago? I overheard Kevin and Kyle a few months ago, but no one will answer my questions.”

“Yes,” Keith nodded. “I’ll explain it tomorrow.” He looked at Ben. “Do you have anyone who can keep an eye on her? If she sides with me, she could be in danger.”

Ben gave him a hard look.

“Only myself.”

“Works for me,” Keith nodded, glad his friend understood. Except for Serena, Penny’s safety came first. “Don’t let her out of your sight.” Penny’s gaze went from one man to the other.

“I don’t need a bodyguard,” she said firmly.

“Penny, someone attacked Serena,” Keith started patiently. “And if you don’t marry Mark and side with me, you just became another target.” 170

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Mostly, he added to himself, because they’d already gone after Serena.

She paled. Beyond them, Sanders’ radio squawked and he answered in a low voice.

“Me? Keith, this is our family you’re talking about.”

“I’m not taking a chance,” he said gently.

“Please. Let Ben protect you.”

With obvious reluctance, she nodded.

“I hate Mondays,” he muttered. “I really, really do.”

Paul and David arrived and nodded at Keith before going to Claire. Paul pulled her to him. Too grateful for his strength to resist or protest his being there, Claire relaxed against him.

“Are you all right?” he asked. His eyes went over her face and he muttered an obscenity under his breath. “Where the hell is he?”

“In police custody,” Sanders replied. “He was just apprehended in his apartment. He’s being processed and has requested his lawyer. I take it you’re the boyfriend she just said she had?”

“Yes,” Paul nodded. “Are you done? Can I take her home?”

“I’ll need her to come down to the station and sign a statement.”

“Can’t leave Debbie alone,” Claire whispered.

Ben spoke up, looking at the last man at his side.

“Quincy will take you home,” Ben told Debbie, then looked at Keith. “You need to get home as well.

You’ve been a busy boy today.”

“And tomorrow looks like it will be just as much fun,” he sighed. “I hate Mondays. I really do.” He looked at Adams. “If she wakes up, call me.”

“You got it,” he replied with a nod.

Exhausted, Keith drove home and rode the elevator up to his apartment. Slowly he hung up his 171

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coat and walked down the hall. Inputting the code, he opened the door and entered the playroom.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled, imagining he could still smell Serena’s scent. He’d kept her safe, here.

Here…his eyes fell on the spanking bench. Here, he’d been able to make sure nothing hurt her. She had felt only pleasure here. Here, he’d felt more joy, more contentment, more sexual pleasure, more…just more everything. They had fucked, talked, slept, and repeated the cycle until he’d finally had to let her go.

He hadn’t slept at all Sunday night. He kept reaching for her warm little body and she hadn’t been there. Because he’d let her go.

He went to the window. While their office suite overlooked the lights of Manhattan, this view displayed the river, the Statue of Liberty and the endless horizon of the ocean. Serena had stood staring out at it late Saturday night. Coming from the bedroom, he’d seen her, pressed her to the glass, and fucked her from behind. She’d been hoarse from her screams, but managed to tell him she loved the sight of the ocean. Would she want to come here again after tonight? He’d promised to protect her yet failed miserably. Turning, he looked at the spanking bench, the padded table where he’d bound her and tormented every sensitive nerve in her body until she’d begged him to fuck her, the large X they hadn’t yet used, and the chest with all his toys and gear.

She wouldn’t want to come back, and he couldn’t imagine using anything on anyone else. Head bowed, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

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Keith concluded that Tuesdays were almost as bad as Mondays. To take advantage of her social contacts, he’d put Penny in PR to help Jason. Her obvious delight in being able to do something useful had put the day in the plus column. But just barely.

Flanked by Paul and David, he discussed the legal situation all day. Mark’s firing was fairly cut and dried especially after his attack on Serena the night before. Duncan and the others, however, had already filed lawsuits for wrongful termination.

While Keith and the company were media darlings and had the support of the public, the legal situation was not as clear-cut. Duncan and his underlings claimed they’d had nothing to do with Mark.

Paul and David were working with the police and private investigators to establish a link between Duncan, Mark, and Keith’s father, uncle, and anyone else. The police were skeptical when Keith brought it up, but Penny had been able to provide more information.

He’d called the hospital four times and each time Serena had been sleeping. Guilt convinced him that she’d realized he was Master. Because he had failed so spectacularly at protecting her, he figured she was avoiding him, that she didn’t want him as her dominant. Returning to his penthouse, he put something in the microwave and stared off into space. When the appliance beeped, he jumped.

Pulling the cardboard container out, he stared at it, trying to remember what it was. Standing at the counter, he ate half of it before tossing the rest in 173

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the trash and dropping his fork in the sink. Going to his room, he didn’t bother turning on the lights.

Letting his clothes fall to the floor, he crawled into bed. It was nearly midnight. Closing his eyes, he inhaled Serena’s scent and flinched as if receiving a physical blow. Rolling off the mattress, he went to his exercise room to work off some demons.

On Tuesday he discovered another side of his cousin. Penny liked to mother people. Apparently deciding that Keith wasn’t taking care of himself, she went to the cafeteria and brought him lunch.

Barely knocking, she came in, Ben a step behind her.

Keith nodded at him.

“I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“I’ll be at Serena’s desk catching up on my laptop,” Ben nodded, stepping back and closing the door behind him.

Penny sighed loudly.

“I really don’t think I need a babysitter,” she told him.

“I really think you need a bodyguard,” he replied, saving his document and slowly looking up at her. “It’s not up for debate, Penny. I’ve already had calls from both our fathers to send you back home.”

Grimacing she nodded and sat down.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, putting the sandwich and salad before him. “Don’t give me that look. Eat.” She put a pint of milk next to the sandwich. “Is Serena okay?”

“I’ve no idea,” he grumbled, peeling the cellophane off the turkey sandwich. “No one will tell me anything.”

“Have you called her friends?”

Giving her a quick smile, he pulled out the piece of paper with the women’s information. Stabbing at the numbers on his phone, he closed his eyes as he waited for someone to answer.

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“Claire? Keith MacLauren. The hospital won’t tell me…” He nodded, relief on his face. “Thank you.

No, no, she shouldn’t worry about coming in.

Monday is fine, or whenever she feels up to it.” He listened, nodding. “Of course. Please tell her. Thank you.”

“Well?” Penny prompted.

“She’ll be released tomorrow. Claire said Serena was talking about coming in to work as soon as she left the hospital.”

“She has a concussion,” Penny shook her head.

“Plus everything else that beast did to her.” She shivered. “Keith, promise me that you won’t hide anything about any man I date from me again.”

“Hey!” he protested around a bite of sandwich.

“That was as much a surprise to me as anyone else!

And you’re the one who didn’t want to believe that he’d hit Serena.”

She slumped in the chair, nodding.

“God, I know how to pick’em, don’t I? Maybe I should take a vow of celibacy or something. Join a convent.”

“I don’t think you’d make a very good nun,” Keith told her wryly. “I think they have to take a vow of poverty as well.”

“Okay, that might be a problem,” she acknowledged with a laugh. “Feel better now that you’ve eaten?”