Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset (29 page)

T
he ache
in Holly’s head grew as she fought to the surface of consciousness. The sterile room and brilliantly white walls hurt her eyes as she slowly opened them. Lifting her hand, she stared down at the needle stuck in the back of her arm and cringed.

“You’re awake?” Riley’s voice startled her and Holly jumped, painfully jerking the I.V line that kept her attached to the fluid bag hanging over her bed.

“Ssshhh, you’re safe, it’s just me.” Riley dipped his voice and leaned over the bed.

Tears filled Holly’s eyes and she fought to swallow them back, but the emotion welling within her quickly overwhelmed her.

The tears were hot as they dripped down her cheeks and Holly reached out to Riley, her mind refusing to fully believe that he was really next to her. After everything she’d been through, part of her couldn’t help but think perhaps she’d created it all inside her mind as a means to comfort herself.

“I don’t know if you’re real or if you’re just in my head…” Holly said, her voice sounding hoarse and dry to her own ears.

“I’m really here, Holly, you haven’t created this.” Riley took her hand in his, his thumb stroking small circles across the back of her knuckles, which only made Holly cry harder.

“How did you find me? I thought…” She trailed off, her mind a fuzzy mess of jumbled thoughts and flashes of images that didn’t want to fit together.

An image of Marcus holding a syringe popped into her head and Holly’s heart raced in her chest. Grabbing Riley’s hand tighter, Holly struggled to sit up in the bed.

“He stuck something in me, injected me with something, but I don’t know what it was…”

“Holly’s it’s fine. The doctors know, but you need to relax,” Riley said, his voice soothing and patient.

The sound of the heart monitor finally registered in Holly’s head and she turned to stare at the frantic line bobbing up and down on the screen next to her.

“How did I get here?”

“You were in an accident. You crashed your car into the barrier on Cliff Road…”

Holly nodded. His words made sense in theory and she had a vague memory of the sound of screaming metal and shattering glass.

“There was another man in the car with me—I think he saved my life.”

“What do you remember?” Riley’s voice was cautious and Holly turned to stare at him.

“You knew there was someone else in the car? Who is he?”

“I know you said you could handle it yourself but I didn’t want to leave you there on your own so I hired someone to help get you out, to help get you away from Marcus. You weren’t supposed to end up having a car accident.”

“I was wrong, Riley, I was so wrong. I thought if I just did as he asked that he’d eventually just leave us alone and life could go back to the way it used to be, but…” Holly trailed off, the pain and shock on her father’s face as Marcus had buried the blade in his stomach filling her head.

“Riley, I watched him kill my father, I watched him bury a blade in him because he interfered and saved me.”

Holly squeezed her eyes shut tight in an attempt to block out the memory that flooded her mind and made it almost impossible to think of anything else.

Strong hands gripped her face, cupping her cheeks, and she opened her eyes slowly, staring up at Riley.

“Holly, we’ll get him, we’ll make him pay for everything he’s done. I promise you that.”

“How can we? He’s always two steps ahead…”

“Not anymore, you’re safe and…” Riley trailed off.

“He’s got my mother, Riley. Without me there to stop him, he’ll kill her.”

“Your mother? But she’s not even in the country anymore. I thought she left after she split from your father…?”

Holly nodded and chewed her lip nervously. “She did, but Marcus contacted her and told her about the wedding, invited her back for it.”

“He won’t hurt her, Holly. She’s the only leverage he’s got now. Where is he keeping her?”

“She’s getting in tomorrow morning but he wouldn’t give me any of the details.” Holly started to pull the I.V line from her arm and only succeeded in setting the alarm on the heart monitor screaming.

“What are you doing?” Riley said, grabbing her hand and halting her movement in the bed.

“I’m getting out of here, what does it look like?” Holly couldn’t keep the irritation out of her voice as she fought against his powerful grip.

“You’re not going anywhere, have you completely lost your mind? You’ve been drugged and crashed your car. The only thing you’re going to do is lie back in the bed and rest.”

“Riley, I’m not going to lie here while that psycho is out there destroying what’s left of my life. He’s done too much already. He killed my father, I’m not going to let him kill my mother, too.”

“I won’t let him. I promise I’ll find her and keep her safe, but I need you to stay here and let the doctors look after you.”

Holly shook her head and simply went back to pushing against his grip. The effort alone was exhausting but there was no way she was going to let Riley see that.

The door swung open and Holly released a frustrated sigh as a young female doctor stepped into the room.

“Nice to see you awake, Ms McCombe. Has your line come loose?” she said, the curiosity in her voice evident as she approached the edge of the bed.

Riley released his grip on Holly’s arms the moment she stopped struggling and he sat back out of the way as the doctor checked the line.

“It’s not loose, I tried to take it out. I need to leave,” Holly said, keeping her voice as calm and rational as her racing mind would allow.

“Leave? I don’t think you understand the serious nature of your condition. We’re still waiting to hear back from the lab about the type of drug you were given and the head injury you suffered may have consequences we’re as yet unaware of.”

“Look, I don’t care. I’m well enough to leave and that’s exactly what I plan on doing,” Holly said, firmly jerking the line free of her arm.

“Well, I…”

“Get whatever paperwork you need me to sign so I can discharge myself.”

“Holly, I really don’t think this is a good idea. The police want to talk to you and after everything you’ve been through…” Riley’s voice was filled with concern and Holly felt her heart twist but it wasn’t enough.

She’d spent far too long playing by Marcus’ rules and allowing him to gain the upper hand at every opportunity. This time it would be different.

“I have nothing to say to them, Riley.”

The doctor left and Holly let out a long breath. Arguing with everyone was only going to slow her progress down and as far as she was concerned, she didn’t have time for it.

“I know you think you’re doing the right thing but I’m concerned, Holly.”

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Holly pressed her hand against Riley’s cheek. Would it always be this difficult to be near him knowing what they had shared in the past? The memory of the kiss they’d shared tingled on Holly’s lips and she struggled to fight past the urge to throw herself at his mercy.

But Riley had already broken her heart once and if even now, after all this time, he couldn’t be honest with her, then there could be no future for them together. And even as she convinced herself of the impossibility of the situation, she couldn’t let go of the hope that perhaps one day it would be different.

“Riley, you need to let me do this. I refuse to be the victim Marcus wants me to become. I want you to help me stop him…”

Riley seemed to study her face and Holly could feel his intense gaze searching her eyes, but she couldn’t tell what exactly he was looking for.

“Of course I’ll help you. I’ll do anything you ask, Holly. I always will.” His voice was low and heavy with the promise of things to come, which made Holly think he could read her mind.

The door opened once more and the doctor who had left just moments before poked her head back into the room, a large stack of papers under her arm. Holly pulled away from Riley, colour flooding her face and she inwardly scolded herself for her ridiculous reaction. It wasn’t as though anything was going on between them and even if it there was something, it’s not as though it’d be of any interest to the doctor who tutted quietly at the end of the bed.

“I’ll need you to sign these but I’d like to reiterate that I don’t agree with you discharging yourself,” she said, her voice curt and irritated as she set the stack down on the small table near the bed.

“Any sign of dizziness or loss of consciousness, you need to come back in here immediately. Also, if you can have someone stay with you, it’d be best.”

Holly nodded as patiently as she could before taking the pen the doctor held out to her. She stared down at the forms, her eyes quickly scanning over the words of the release forms and without hesitation she scribbled her signature across the bottom.

There was too much to get done and Holly knew she couldn’t stop Marcus from a hospital bed.

T
he drive
back to the house was done in excruciating silence. Riley found himself darting worried glances in Holly’s direction as the miles took them farther from the hospital.

Her face was pale and the dark circles beneath her eyes created an ache in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go.

But it was the last thing she wanted from him and he knew it.

He watched the emotions flit across her face as they drove past the now-twisted and broken barrier that her car had destroyed as it crashed into it.

Why was he such a fool?

His mind was a mess of regrets as the car pulled into the gravel drive of the house and rolled to a stop.

Pushing open the car door, Riley climbed out before reaching back inside and holding out his hand to Holly.

Tension flowed up and down through his veins as she placed her small hand in his, her fingers wrapping around his palm as she stepped out onto the gravel.

She glanced up at him, her beautiful dove-grey eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t read. There was a time when he could read every emotion that passed through her eyes but not anymore. Time had changed them both.

“Tell me what you’re thinking?” Riley blurted the words out before he could stop himself and he cringed inwardly.

She had the ability to reduce him to a young and inexperienced fool, one who spoke before allowing his brain to engage. Of course it had always been that way, but in the past he’d had the excuse of actually being a young fool.

He was supposed to know better now.

Holly smiled, the expression brightening her grey eyes and making them sparkle. The memory of her laughter and the wicked sparkle in her eyes hit him like a blow to the gut. It had been his main mission in life to be the cause of the laughter in her eyes. How could he have forgotten something he’d considered so important?

“You haven’t asked me to tell you my thoughts in such a long time, Riley. Why the sudden interest now?”

“Ignore me. I’m a fool, that’s all.” Riley’s voice was rough even to his own ears.

“No, Riley, wait.” Holly’s hand on his arm stopped him from turning away and he had the sudden urge to crush his mouth against her rose petal lips.

“I…”

The sound of the front door slamming open and raised angry voices cut Holly off, forcing Riley to drag his attention away from her beautiful face.

“I can only apologise so many times before I give up, Stuart!” Griffin’s voice was filled with irritation as Riley watched him jog down the steps, carrying a duffle bag over his shoulder.

Stuart appeared in the doorway, his face a mask of anger as he started to follow Griffin down the steps and caught up to him at the trunk of Griffin’s car. He grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, swinging him around to face him.

Riley reluctantly released the grip he had on Holly’s hand as he was forced to interject between his brothers.

“What the hell is going on?” Riley said, jerking Stuart away from Griffin as the two men grappled.

“I don’t have time for this,” Griffin announced, jerking away and opening the trunk of the car. He dumped the bag within before heading for the driver’s side.

“Griffin, where are you going?” Riley said, releasing Stuart and following his younger brother.

“Anywhere away from here, anywhere away from him.” He jabbed his finger in Stuart’s direction.

“That’s the first sensible thing I’ve heard come from your mouth and if you have sense you’ll steer clear of me for the rest of your miserable existence,” Stuart said.

“Don’t worry, I won’t bother you again…” Griffin climbed into the car and Riley caught the door as he attempted to slam it.

“Griffin, what’s going on? What happened?” Riley said, holding the door despite his brother’s best efforts to close it.

“I came here for help and all I’ve gotten is grief and I don’t need it, Riley, I really don’t!” Griffin said, his voice strung with emotion as he shoved the keys in the ignition and gunned the engine. “Now get the hell away from the door and let me go!”

“Not until you tell me what happened between you two.”

“Riley, for Christ’s sake, you can’t solve every problem by talking it out. And anyway, your girl needs you. If I stick around here all I’ll do is screw everything up for everyone around me, so just let me leave.”

“Griffin, you’re upset. Come back inside and I’ll sort it out with Stuart. You don’t need to leave… I could do with your help.” Riley glanced back over his shoulder at Holly who stood nervously at the bottom of the steps.

“No can do, things to do…”

Griffin gunned the engine and Riley was forced to release the door or else cling to the side of the car as his brother swung around and tore down the drive.

Riley watched him go, the brake lights disappearing from sight around the bend in the drive.

“What happened?” Holly said, moving up beside him.

“Your guess is as good as mine. I know something happened between them in the past, but…” Riley shrugged and returned his attention to Holly. “We need to get you inside and settled into one of the guest rooms.”

She smiled but something had changed within her and Riley couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d missed some sort of opportunity.

C
arrying Holly’s bags
, Riley directed her to one of the bedrooms on the second floor.

She seemed to be lost in thought as he showed her around and left her bag on the floor next to the bed. He watched as she dropped onto the edge of the bed and stared out the window.

“Can I get you anything?” he said, his voice not much louder than a whisper. There was something fragile about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but his gut told him it had something to do with what Marcus had done to her.

Holly shook her head and dropped her gaze to her hands folded in her lap.

“Do you think things might have been different if…” She trailed off but Riley knew what she was hinting at.

“If things hadn’t ended between us?” He finished for her and she nodded in agreement.

“Yes… And I regret the choices I made.”

She glanced up at him, her grey eyes shimmering with emotion.

“You only regret it because of what happened with Marcus and honestly, Riley, I really don’t need your pity.” Her voice was filled with hurt.

“You don’t honestly believe that, do you?”

Holly shrugged and she swallowed hard. “What am I supposed to believe? Actions speak louder than words, Riley, and you made yourself perfectly clear.”

“I see.” Riley’s tone was curt and he felt his shoulders stiffen. “I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”

Turning on his heel, he strode from the room. Anger bubbled in his veins and he clenched his hands into fists as he took the stairs two at a time.

He’d blown it with her. If she honestly believed he pitied her and that was the only reason for his regret, then there wasn’t much he could do to persuade her otherwise. And if he was honest, there wasn’t much point in trying to convince her of anything, not when she was ready to believe the absolute worst of him.

Pushing into the office, he paused in the doorway as he took in the mess that confronted him.

“How is she?” Stuart said from the sofa.

“What the hell happened in here?” Riley said, turning his attention to his brother who sat with a glass of brandy in one hand and a bag of ice in the other pressed to the side of his face.

“Griffin didn’t tell you before he left? How strange…” Stuart said, the sarcasm in his voice grating on Riley’s last nerve.

“Just spit it out, Stuart, the place is a shambles.”

“I caught him trying to break into your safe and, well, we may have exchanged angry words.”

“Just words? By the looks of that eye, you didn’t just exchange words.”

“He got lucky, that’s all.”

Riley released a sigh and crossed the room to the wall behind the desk. Pushing on the panel, it flipped open slowly, revealing the firearms he kept hidden from view.

His stomach churned uncomfortably as he took stock of the missing guns and ammo.

“What the hell has he gotten himself caught up in?” Riley said, turning back to the desk and pouring a large glass of brandy into the last remaining unbroken tumbler.

“What do you mean?” Stuart said, holding his now empty glass out to be refilled.

“He wasn’t just looking for money. He’s taken two of the handguns and all the ammo I had in the case with him.”

“Thieving little shit…” Stuart muttered as Riley poured a drink for his brother.

“He asked me for a quarter of a million, but he wouldn’t tell me why. He’s taken two handguns. Griffin always hated guns, never wanted anything to do with them. It has to be serious for him to go to such extremes…”

Stuart stared down into the glass in his hands before swallowing down the amber liquid and sitting forward on the couch.

“He’s an adult now. He needs to start taking responsibility for his mistakes, Riley. For too long he’s gotten away with everything.”

“What happened between you two to make you dislike him so much?” Riley said, studying Stuart’s closed expression.

“Nothing important,” Stuart said, standing suddenly and crossing the room to leave the tumbler back on the cluttered desk. “How’s Holly doing? I didn’t expect to see you both back here considering the state her car was in.”

“She’s stubborn, refused to stay in the hospital because Marcus has threatened her mother and, well, I guess she doesn’t trust me to get it sorted.”

“What makes you think she doesn’t trust you?” Stuart said, leaning against the edge of the desk.

“She thinks I’m only trying to help her out of pity…” Riley trailed off and pushed to his feet. “I want you to meet me back here in the morning—five a.m. Contact Anderson and see if he can spare any of his men, and here” —Riley pulled open a drawer in the desk and held a business card out towards Stuart.

“What’s that?” Stuart said, cocking one eyebrow as he took the cream rectangle.

“It’s the number for the agent I’ve been working with on the Marcus situation. Tell them who you are and all you know about what we saw going on at Marshall’s airfield. Tell them I said Marcus is planning something for tomorrow morning and we need SWAT there.”

“How do you know he’s planning something for the morning?”

“Because Holly said Marcus has her mother arriving in the morning and if that’s the airfield he’s operating out of, then that’s where he’s going to be.”

Stuart nodded and studied the card for a couple of seconds as Riley crossed the room.

“Where are you going?” Stuart said as Riley headed for the door.

“I’m going to do what I should have done a long time ago,” he said, pulling open the office door and heading for the stairs.