Club Nova Vol. 4 (Brad Grayson) (8 page)

“Me?” She smiled and ran her fingers across his amazingly hard abs.

“Where was that beautifully sexy woman hiding all this time?”

She smiled against his lips. “I needed it, too.”

“You can have me whenever you want, baby. I’m yours, you know that, right?” He tucked one hand behind his head, his body perfectly at ease, finally fully relaxed. She had that effect on him, and he wanted her to know that no matter what happened, he would always be just hers.

“Mm hmm. And I’d like to think this is only the beginning of us.”

He chuckled. “Good.” He caressed her cheek and she leaned into his touch. “You’re amazing.”

Smiling, she kissed his lips. “And you can say that more often.”

He laughed, then groaned as reality began to shove its way back into his brain. It was time to face the facts and do something to ensure his future with Victoria was secure.

“I know that sound,” she said. “That means we’re back to business.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“If we could stay here like this forever, I would. I really would. Fucking believe I would.”

Nodding, Victoria climbed off him, and he gave a small pout at the sudden lack of contact and warmth.

Victoria spun on her heel and turned to Brad, staring at him with the most confident eyes he’d ever seen on her. “So, what’s the plan?”

Victoria listened intently as Brad outlined the plan: she was to call the kidnapper and beg for his help. When he agreed, she was to schedule a time to meet with him. But she wouldn’t be going, someone else would, someone who could grab him and stop him from working with Peyton any longer. While all that was going on, Brad would be keeping Peyton “entertained” so she wouldn’t be able to interfere.

It sounded foolproof, but nothing in life was ever a sure thing, and Victoria’s hesitations weren’t without merit. Brad had never seemed more confident. He assured her this would work, and so she’d agreed. She didn’t see another way. There was no other option. She knew this was it and it was what she had to do to finish and destroy Peyton once and for all.

Victoria swallowed hard, her nerves getting the better of her. She didn’t know why she was so nervous. Nothing would happen to her. She wasn’t even going to leave Brad’s condo. This was what she had wanted—to help Brad. Brad promised she’d be safe, and she trusted him. She took another deep breath and fumbled with her cell phone.

“Hey,” Brad crouched in front of her, his hands on her knees, “it’s okay, baby. I’m right here. And there is a room full of people who are on your side, right through that door.” He pointed toward the door. “You’re safe.”

She nodded and licked her lips. “Yeah, I know.” But what she didn’t know was how this guy was going to react. She knew he was clever. What if he’d put the pieces together and figured out Victoria was with Brad and they were trying to manipulate him? That would be a recipe for disaster. What if she couldn’t convince him to help her? And worst of all, what if she failed Brad?

Brad straightened and kissed her forehead. “You can do this, Victoria.”

Blowing out a heavy breath, she scrolled through her contacts and when she came to his details, she paused, hovering over them as she found the courage to press dial. He answered on the first ring, his cold, sinister voice making her shudder. She looked up at Brad and he reassured her she was fine with a comforting smile. “I was wondering how long it would take you to call me.”

Victoria closed her eyes and pushed down the unease working its way up. “I try . . . I tried to convince Brad on my own, but . . . but he just won’t listen.” She scanned Brad’s face, who was smiling faintly, encouraging her to keep going as planned.

“It’s hard to say no to Peyton. No man I’ve met has ever been able to. I didn’t expect anything different from the one and only, Brad Grayson.”

Victoria cringed as she listened to the way the man said Brad’s name: full of disgust. It gave Victoria pause. Before, this man had been disgusted with Peyton, consumed with getting revenge. It now seemed like his emotions and priorities had shifted the same animosity toward Brad, which only flooded Victoria’s body with more nerves. She began to doubt their plan was setting the right foundation for success.

“You said you could help me?” Her voice sounded unsure even to her own ears.

“Yes.” There was a harsh, inhuman laugh, and Victoria had to hold the phone away from her ear because the sound was too scary to listen to.

“Brad and Peyton are closing the deal today. In an hour. I don’t have a lot of time, and I need your help.”

“Oh,” he sounded pleasantly surprised. “You need my help? I love it. What’s your plan darling?”

Victoria froze and looked up at Brad with wide eyes, hoping he’d give her some direction, but he only shrugged, giving her a look that said, “I don’t know, say something.”
Not now. Don’t do this to me now when I need you the most.
She sighed.

“I . . . I don’t have a plan. I was hoping you could help me with that.” She forced a nervous laugh. Her stomach knotted. Something was really off about this. She could feel it in her gut. What exactly? She couldn’t say, but her intuition never failed her. This was not going very well. Not at all.

“I’m sure someone as alluring as you can convince Brad to miss his meeting with Peyton.”

“Believe me, if I had that kind of power—”

“Don’t discredit the power you hold over him.”

“I’ve tried that already.”

“And it didn’t work?”

“No.”

Brad cocked his head and gave her a questioning look. She dismissed him with a wave of her hand, shaking her head.

“And what has he told you?”

“Only that he won’t be long, and that once it’s done, he and I will celebrate, that we’ll go away for a while,” Victoria continued, remembering Philip’s suggestion to make him believe she trusted him. She would tell him little secrets and he would open up a little more. With each door that opened, they would begin to see where his true loyalties lay.

“Hmm.” There was a long pause, and for a moment Victoria thought maybe he’d hung up. The line was dead silent. Then, finally, the silence broke. “That’s interesting.”

“Is it?” she asked innocently.

“I was led to believe Brad promised Peyton the exact same thing—a promise to celebrate their closing of this deal.”

Victoria let out a small cry of disapproval. It was a mistake. She let her emotions take hold. She showed him her cards and she couldn’t take it back. She could only hope he wasn’t paying close attention.

“Ah, you didn’t know.” She could hear the smile in his words and her gut twisted.

“Know what?”

“Don’t play stupid with me!” he shouted.

“I’m not. Honestly, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His voice calmed. “A special weekend for just the two of them.”

She squinted her eyes shut and hung her head. She didn’t want to hear it. All of these lies and fake promises and plans and deals were making her sick. Why couldn’t everyone act like professional adults and just do what was right and expected of them? Why did this have to be such a huge mess? She hated all of this.

“So tell me, Victoria,” he continued, “which one of you is Brad lying to?”

Victoria rubbed her temples, refusing to look at Brad. She couldn’t take it. She didn’t want to have this conversation. Not about the man she’d given everything to.

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Liar!” His harsh accusation made her flinch and she fought hard to not throw the phone across the room. She didn’t want to do this anymore. This wasn’t who she was. “I was right about you, wasn’t I? You are his weakness.”

“Yes,” she said so softly she wondered if he heard her.

“Ah, so then he’s lying to Peyton.”

“I don’t know.” She began to cry. What good would come from this? She began to doubt herself. Doubt their plan. How could telling him all of Brad’s secrets and lies help them? If anything, she was ruining it. Ruining him and destroying the future of Club Nova. This man was controlling the conversation and her emotions.

“I assumed as much.” The man sighed the most awful of sighs. A sigh that sounded more like a growl as a result of the computer he always disguised his voice with. “How far are you willing to go to stop this deal?”

“As far as I have to.” She lifted her head, wiping the final tears away from her eyes, and met Brad’s gaze again. He looked at her with so much love and concern her heart constricted. She really meant what she’d said. She would go as far as she had to in order to make sure Brad was safe and to ensure Peyton didn’t get her hands on him. He meant that much to her now. He was becoming her everything and it wasn’t something she was willing to lose or walk away from.

“Are you willing to put your life on the line for it?”

Victoria stood and went to Brad. She rested her forehead on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. His hold always made her feel better, safe, loved. The thought of losing this, of losing him, was unbearable. She took a deep breath and licked her lips.

“Yes, I am. I told you, I’ll do whatever I have to,” she said after several moments.

“Then we’ll force his hand like we did last time.”

“I’ll do whatever you tell me to.”

“Only this time, I’ll make sure he keeps true to his word and doesn’t trick me into doing something other than what I demand of him.”

“Okay, just tell me what I need to do.”

“Meet me at the docks. Ten o’clock.” Then the line went deathly silent.

Victoria closed her eyes and listened to the silence for several moments before finally moving the phone from her ear. She wrapped her arms around Brad and clung to him as if it were the last time she’d ever feel his warm embrace wrapped. Brad sighed and kissed the top of her head.

“You did good, gorgeous.”

She nodded, but didn’t release him or look up at him. If she did, she’d cry. She knew it. Although she understood this elaborate scheme was primarily to ensure her safety, she also knew it was so Brad could make this deal with Peyton. And that alone, knowing she was a pawn in his grand scheme, burned.

“When?” he asked.

“Tonight at the docks. Ten o’clock.” Her words were muffled against his chest.

“Okay,” he rubbed his hands up and down her back, “we’ll tell Philip, and he’ll send someone in your place. We’ll get this bastard, Victoria, and then we’ll be one step closer to ending all of this.”

“I know.” She tightened her hold on him, never wanting to let him go.

“I need to make a phone call.”

“To her?”

“Yes.” He nodded.

Victoria squeezed his thick torso tighter.

“I’ll call Peyton and invite her to a late dinner. That way she’s with me and we won’t have to worry about her showing up at the rendezvous or doing anything unexpected.”

Victoria pulled away from him. “And I’ll be here, locked up in your bedroom.” She shook her head, then turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

“Victoria!” Brad called after her, but she was halfway up the stairs and had no intention of turning around or facing him. She raced the rest of the way upstairs and into his room, slamming the door behind her. She hated everything about this situation. There was nothing she could do. She felt helpless, even when she knew she was doing everything in her power to help.

She knew the reasoning behind each action, but damn. She couldn’t wait until this was all over. Another day of this would kill her. This was the plan she and Brad had agreed to, but knowing the man she loved would be out late, having dinner with the one woman who was actively trying to come between them, broke her heart. Victoria was going to go fucking crazy in this house tonight. She wouldn’t be able to sleep or eat or do anything other than pace and wonder what was happening and if Brad was okay.

Peyton was a very attractive, manipulate and charming woman. She has also proven herself as dangerous. What if she caught wind of their plan? What would she do to Brad then? Victoria sat on the edge of the bed and tried to calm her wild thoughts, but it was impossible. All she could see was Brad smiling at Peyton the way he always smiled at Victoria. The two of them laughing and drinking champagne while the danger lurked in familiar dark corners.

Victoria let out a frustrated scream, and a second later Brad rushed into the room. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?” he asked quickly.

“No, everything is not okay.” Victoria stood and headed for the bathroom, but Brad beat her to it, blocking the doorway.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “You have no idea what I’m feeling.”

“I get it. I really do.”

Victoria raised an eyebrow.

“It’s all fucked up.”

Victoria nodded. “I don’t trust her, Brad.”

“I know.”

“She’s on to us. I can feel it.”

“It’s all going to work out.”

“Don’t go,” Victoria pleaded, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes again.

She hated how bitter and jealous she sounded. She wasn’t herself. She wanted to be the confident woman she sometimes felt she was, but she couldn’t find that girl. She’d never needed a man before, never needed one to validate her or her self-worth. It was one of the main reasons she’d taken the job as one of Brad’s girls—because she was in control. She could dance for men, tease them, flirt with them, and then walk away regardless of how they responded to her. She never cared because she didn’t need a man to make her feel good.

But Brad was different. She did need him. She loved him and wanted him, and the thought of sharing him, even for a façade dinner, wasn’t sitting well with her. Especially knowing that he would be dining with the devil herself.

“Baby,” he cooed, taking her face in his hands, “you know I love you, right?” Victoria nodded. “Then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. My dinner with Peyton is nothing more than a ploy. The same ploy you know about. We have to stick to the plan to finish this once and for all. We’ll keep her in my sights so I know where she is while Philip nabs her son. That’s all this is. It’s the last inning and we need a base hit to win.”

“Yeah, I know.” She averted her gaze.

“Trust me, I would much rather be here with you tonight and not have to worry about any of this.” He smiled, and she couldn’t help but smile back. He always had that effect on her. “Trust me, I hate this as much as you do.”