Complicated Ties (The Ties Trilogy (A Contemporary Erotic Romance Novel)) (17 page)

“Yeah I'm sure, now please do as I ask, I'm risking a lot being here, yeah and I know it's safe”.

Daniel moved over to where the phone sat on a mahogany table and called Ant, a few moments later Daniel returned.

“Ant's on his way and would you relax Maddie, you look like your about to have kittens”,

“Kittens?, it's just the fact that the whole of my life I've had it easy and now I've got some nut job who goes out of his way to kill Sophie and the possibility of that asshole extinguishing my life is bearing down on me”. Daniel took my hand and squeezed it , the look of solitude and peace filled his eyes as he kissed my cheek.

“This place is like Fort Knox, no one will get in and if they do, I have a place inside the penthouse which is handy for such events”,

“You mean a panic room?”, Daniel took my hand and guided me to a plain look wall with a picture of a non descriptive beach he reached out and pushed a panel which revealed a biometric pad. Daniel moved his eyes towards a flashing retina reader,

“Voila, my panic room”, as the door swung open and a room with a bank of video screens on one wall and enough supplies for a entire year.

“Isn't that a bit paranoid?”, knowing the question that I had asked was a little pointless.

“Paranoia has nothing to do with it Maddie, you can't be careful these days, especially with who I know and who I deal with”.

His answer puzzled me, but I thought nothing of it.

“Mr Ace, Miss White's driver is here”,

“Thank you Raoul, show him in would you”. Standing in front of the panic room, Daniel depressed the panel and the door shut. Being a billionaire today meant that anyone who had a
grudge against him could easily kill him without any problems. Wondering what Daniel Ace got up to when I was not with him puzzled me, Ant came into view with my briefcase and even though I was glad to see him, he looked flustered.

“Hey you, any problems at the house?”,

“No Miss Maddie, oh Alice is staying with her sister in Palo Alto I made sure she was ok”

“Ant, Daniel wants a word with you”, Daniel came towards us with a smile on his face.

“Would you give us an hour Maddie, help yourself to a drink”, pointing at the bar, Daniel took my hand and held it lightly.

“Your dogs will be safe Maddie”, they both walked into the elevator as the doors closed.

Walking towards the bar and needing a stiff drink I took a bottle of whiskey and a glass and moving back to the office where Maizie and the puppies were asleep. Taking a pad and pen from his desk I tried to decipher his planner but couldn't, the living room was quiet as I took a seat on a comfy armchair, pouring the amber liquid into a glass and drinking it in one, I felt better.

Writing the short version of the dog's routine in blue ink on the paper

MAIZIE’S
ROUTINE

6AM WALK

630AM FEED

8AM GROOM

9AM CHECK PUPPIES

12PM WALK

1230PM FEED AND CHANGE WATER

3PM WALK

4PM FEED

6PM WALK

10PM BONE

OTHER DOGS ROUTINE

6AM WALK 2HRS

9AM FEED

12PM GROOM

330PM WALK 1HR

430PM FEED

630PM WALK 30 MINS

9PM WALK

10PM BONE FOR THEM ALL

I poured myself another drink and began to doze off, dreamless sleep filled my body.

Without warning an alarm filled my ears and waking up, the entire penthouse was in darkness, security guards lay lifeless by the elevator.

'Shit!',
my mind doing back flips at the thought that everyone was dead, even Daniel and Ant.

“Ok guys you can get up, I think Miss White has turned a pale shade of her former color”,

“What the fuck Ant?”,

“Daniel and his men were giving me a crash course in looking after you better”,

“Well unfortunately I have had the shit scared out of me”,

“Sorry Miss, but all in a day's work for us”,

“Do me a favor, would you take Maizie for a walk round the block?”,

“Sure Miss, won't be long and sorry for scaring you”,

“Think nothing of it Ant, see you later ok?”,

“Yes Miss”. Ant walked into the office and came out with Maizie on her leash, her crazy 'let me outside so I can sniff at everything' attitude was clearly visible.

The tall and smartly dressed Daniel came towards me and sat down next to me.

“Maddie, I need to talk to you”,

“Sure what's going on Daniel, nothing serious by the way is it?”,

“No Maddie, I've telephoned Lisha she'll be here momentarily”,

“What for?, What's going on Daniel...What's happened to Lisha?”, my concern starting to show.

“We've placed security outside all of your family homes just in case something kicks off, whoever this guy is, I don't trust him. If he can't get to you then he'll probably attempt to get to your family”,

“Fuck, all I want to do is do what I normally do and get on with life and not hide away”,

“It's for the best Maddie, better safe than sorry”.

The elevator door opened and hearing footsteps I knew Lisha had arrived.

“Maddie...you ok, you look a little stressed”,

“Stressed is an understatement, fucking asshole messing with my entire schedule, he better not fuck it up for Friday”,

“Miss Flowers, I've placed some of my men outside your house, just to let you know they are armed and have the complete authority to shoot anyone attempting to take yours or your father's life”,

“Isn't that overkill?”,

“No Miss Flowers, if I know what type of man is doing this then he will try to take the life of those close to Maddie”. I was glad of what Daniel had done, at least everyone would be safe.

“Fuck knows why this is happening to me, what have I done to deserve this?”, Lisha came over to me and hugged me tight.

“Dunno Mad, Anyways I need to get back to Dad make sure he's ok”,

“Oh Daniel, thanks for everything” Lisha left the penthouse and we were practically alone apart from the 'invisible' security team.

Sitting on the warm and inviting armchair and falling asleep, my dreams filled on Friday and the launch, Daniel woke me up and picked me up in his arms and took me into the bedroom where he laid me on the bed, the dogs following us.

“Need to sort the dogs out Daniel”,

“Don't worry my guys have started the schedule you left on the coffee table”,

“Thanks”, placing my hand on his face.

“Drink this, it will help you sleep”, he handed me another glass of whiskey with ice in it.

Daniel took my clothes off, it didn't feel sexual but someone who cared deeply about me, Oscar pushed himself under the covers and fell asleep with his warm breath against my leg making it tingle.

Falling asleep, I could see someone in the shadows come towards Daniel brandishing a steel blade that glinted in the light, without warning the man began to stab Daniel repeatedly until there was nothing left of him, the stranger turned to me and laughed until his face faded into the darkness

Awaking with a scream with Daniel putting his arms around me,

“Maddie, it's ok.. I'm here”,

“Mm, thanks...”, falling back into slumber.

A knock at the door woke me up as Daniel answered it, not knowing what they were talking about.

“Are you sure?”,

“When?”,

“Keep an eye on the news Raoul”, the one sided conversation had me puzzled.

“Daniel, what is it?”,

“The police have found that black van that followed you those few times out on a Santa Monica pier, burnt out.”,

“Anyone inside it?”, hoping to god that this was all over.

“Yeah, body of a male. They're trying to identify him”,

“Does that mean it's over?”,

“Hope so, now get some sleep Maddie, we'll talk in the morning”.

I never knew Daniel left the bed that night to speak to the police, he had never told me but I knew. Hoping to God that everything that had taken place the last week had been a bad nightmare and that is was finally over.

Hearing the conversation as I pretended to be asleep,

“So you found the scumbag then?”,

“We assume so Mr Ace, a body was found in the vehicle dressed in a UPS uniform”,

“Asshole deserved what he got”,

“Well forensics are going over it with a fine tooth comb just to make sure”,

“Will you tell Miss White, Mr Ace?”,

“Yeah in the morning, she needs her sleep Detective”.

“Very well Mr Ace, I'll bid you a good night”.

Daniel came back into the bedroom and got back into bed, feeling his arm move across my back and over me, I knew he would fall asleep quickly.

Waking up at the crack of dawn as the San Francisco sun blazed a path across the marble floor onto the bed where we slept. Daniel was snoring gently next to me, the urge to use the bathroom pulled me out of bed.

The air in the bedroom was stale and reminded me of the changing rooms back at high school, its smell of sweat and pain. As I began to pull my bra on, Daniel moved up behind me and kissed my neck,

“Come back to bed Maddie, at least spend a few moments”,

“Can't, got things to do today, thinking about going into work”,

“Work?, well let me give you something to remember me by”, pulling me back onto the bed he kissed me and I kissed him back with passion.

Laying next to him and feeling his heart beat beneath his chest as he moved on top of me. Daniel's lips beginning to kiss my body from my head to the bottom of my feet,
'This feels wonderful',
the thought filling my head as I felt his manhood grow against my stomach.

He moved down and feeling his cock push against the lips of my pussy, it felt good at this early hour. Kissing each other felt so good, and the tenderness behind the lovemaking was astounding. My orgasm coming on gently as we both came together,

“That was beautiful Daniel...beautiful”,

“Yeah...very euphoric”,

“Look I've gotta get up and walk the dogs Daniel”,

“Security will walk them its ok, take a shower with me would you?”, it felt pointless arguing with him.

An hour later we stepped out of the shower and into the bedroom,

“Look I haven't got a stitch to wear, and I'm not going home to pack a suitcase”,

“Go shopping then, but you'll have to wear some of my clothes as you’re not going out in last nights”, Daniel pulled out one of his running suits and boxers, placing the oversized boxers and Tracksuit on I felt like a kid dressing up in their parents clothes.

“There, at least you don't look like yourself”.

With us both heading into the living room and seeing the breakfast laid out on the table made me feel even hungrier.

“Help yourself Maddie”,

“Can I check on Maizie and the puppies first?”,

“Sure go ahead, breakfast will still be here when you get back”.

Popping my head around the door of the office and seeing Maizie was asleep with the puppies lying on her I returned to the mountain of food that made up breakfast.

Hearing the padded footsteps of my dogs as they came bounding out of the elevator, my breakfast plate near enough empty.

“Now sit!”, all four of them sat as the sausages I had in my hand were making the dogs salivate,

“Impressive”, Daniel finished his coffee and started to read the morning papers.

Leaving the breakfast table and heading to the office with a sausage in my hand for Maizie, opening the door a security guard was fussing Maizie,

“Oscar ok with you?”,

“Yes Ma’am, got a few of my own back home”,

“Although he wasn't taken with Raoul, doesn't seem to be a dog person more of a cat person”,

“Look just between you and me, you seem to be more interested in the dogs, I'll have words with Daniel see what we can do to get you a little time off to spend with your family”,

“Thanks Ma'am, appreciate it”, the security guard known as Johnson left as I gave Maizie her sausage which disappeared down her gullet without a moment of chewing.

Daniel had finished with the papers and was going over some paperwork as I walked in,

“You done then?, how's Maizie and the pups?”,

“They're fine...I'm going to head into town and get some new clothes”,

“I'll come with you, meetings all morning again. Amanda will be pulling her hair out if I'm not on time”,

“That bad huh?”,

“Yep.. She's the one for punctuality and promptness, although I've got a spare hour to come shopping with you if you don't mind?”,

“Nah, come along and watch me shop, a man who enjoys shopping”.

As we approached the elevator Ant came out of one of the rooms,

“Ant make sure the dogs are ok would you?”,

“Yes Miss Maddie, will do”,

“Daniel's taking me shopping, anything you need at all?”,

“Just a couple of tee shirts, most of my stuff is back at the house Miss Maddie”,

“Sure, let me guess...a medium?”,

“Yes Miss, thanks again”, pulling out his wallet I pushed it back into his pocket.

“On me Ant for everything you've done for me, spot you later”. Ant returned to his room as we called the elevator and stepped in, the doors closed and I kissed Daniel.

“What was that for?”,

“Looking after me and letting the mad bunch stay as well, appreciate it, you know I do”,

Kissing me back as the doors opened and we stepped into the lobby, it was busy as usual.
The dragon red Bentley Flying Spur stood outside looking majestic and threatening to launch itself with speed from where it was parked.

“Shall we Miss White?”, as he opened the passenger door.

“Of course Mr Ace”, laughing as I sat down in the leather seat and buckling myself in.

Daniel got in and started the engine, heading out of the parking space and into town.