Resisting The Tycoon's Seduction (The Berutelli Escape) (12 page)

When his phone rang, Marissa startled slightly, but continued to nibble on her salad while he answered his phone.  “What did you learn?”

Marissa stared at him, her whole body tense and wary as she waited for him to say something, to acknowledge the information the caller was conveying.  But he just continued to nod his head.  “Thanks,” he finally said and ended the call.

Picking up his fork, he glared at her.  “So if you
hadn’t married me, you would have been forced to marry Jimmy Treveri so that your father can get a son.  When were you going to tell me that?   After your first anniversary?”

She shivered at the idea of Jimmy as a husband, hoping he didn’t notice. 
“It’s none of your business,” she said, her fork sifting through her salad as if she were trying to find something interesting to stab but in reality, she was simply trying to fight the tears of humiliation that threatened to fall over her lashes.

“Your sister is safe.  She’s been
helping your brother at the hospital.  Apparently, he was beaten up rather badly in a bar fight and is now in intensive care.”

Marissa blinked and looked back at him curiously.  “We don’t have a brother.”
  That just increased her sense of foreboding.  Or was it actually good news?  If the hospital thought that Sierra was the man’s sister, wouldn’t she be protected if someone might come to finish the job?

Zeke shrugged.  “
Okay, the man isn’t your brother and is just some guy she feels strongly about.  His name is Drake Harrison.  I’ve met him a couple of times but I don’t know him personally.  Dave says he was beaten up pretty badly.  He’s in intensive care but the information Dave received was that he was going to survive.”

Marissa tried to process all of that information, including the fact that Zeke had found that out in less than
twenty-four hours all of the secrets she’d been trying to hide from him, and had located her sister in less than ten minutes.  Even her father couldn’t gather information that quickly.  “How did you find out all of that information so quickly?” she asked, amazed at his resources. 

“My investigators are better than your father’s,” he stated succinctly.  “Now would you please eat something? 
I know you didn’t eat any dinner last night and I doubt you’ve had anything since I last saw you.  Then we’ll head over to the hospital and find out what’s going on with your sister.”

Marissa looked down at her salad and shook her head.  “
I can make my way to the hospital for Sierra.  I’ll be okay.”  She fluffed up her beautiful dress awkwardly.  “I just need a change of clothes.  Do you still have the other outfit I was wearing earlier today?”

“Those clothes are in the car I believe.  Although I think you
look stunning in that dress,” he said, his eyes flaring with heat and she couldn’t deny that she liked it when he looked at her like that.  He then shook his head at her other issue.  “About you going to the hospital alone, not a chance.  I’m coming with you,” he stated firmly. 

Marissa didn’t want to slow him down, so she picked through her salad, eating as much of the protein as she could swallow
under the circumstances.  “I’m ready,” she said when she’d finished all of the salmon from her salad and most of the vegetables, leaving only the lettuce behind.

He looked at her plate and nodded, apparently accepting that she’d eaten enough.  “Fine.”  He signaled to the waiter and handed him a credit card, indicating that the waiter should hurry with their check.  The waiter practically ran
, obviously understanding their urgency somehow, coming back only moments later with the check to be signed. 

“Let’s go,” he said and took Marissa’s hand in his large one. 

She knew she should probably pull her hand away, but it felt too wonderful to be held by his.  He was strong and secure, warm and gentle but firm all the same.  One of his bodyguards was standing at the lobby to the restaurant with her clothes.  She was truly grateful for the change, feeling very awkward and conspicuous in the wedding dress.  No matter how lovely it was, people stopped to stare, some of them smiling with a knowing grin and others, mostly women, glaring at her with jealousy.  Marissa preferred to be a bit more circumspect, not liking to be the center of attention. 

It took his driver less than fifteen minutes to make it across town to the hospital where the mysterious Dave had mentioned Sierra was visiting her
stranger. 

When they found her in one of the waiting rooms, Sierra took one look at her sister and burst into tears.  “Mari!  I’m so glad you’re here!” she cried
, throwing herself into her sister’s arms as if she were a lifeline.

Marissa wrapped her arms around her sister and guided her over to one of the waiting room chairs.  “Tel
l me what’s happening,” she urged, trying to infuse her voice with strength.  Sierra cried for about fifteen minutes, telling Marissa about the man going into their father’s office, then the black Lincoln driving away and her frantic chase to keep up with them.  By the time she was finished, Marissa knew more about the man’s injuries than she ever wanted to know.  She couldn’t believe that her father could do something like this, but apparently, he was just as cruel and heartless as they’d suspected. 

When Zeke handed Sierra a cup of coffee, she smiled gratefully up at him. 

Sierra sniffled and took a sip of the coffee and a tissue, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.  “Okay, I’m fine now,” she said.  Looking at Marissa, she said, “I think most of those tears were just due to stress so please don’t think I’m breaking down, Mari.  I just…” she searched for the right words.  “I can’t believe that the man who did this is our father.  It’s just too horrific to believe.”

Marissa looked
suspiciously at her sister, not sure if she believed her mental state or not.  “What are you going to do?” she asked soothingly.

Sierra was quite firm about her plans. 
“I’m going to stay here and make sure no one else hurts that man.  He didn’t deserve any of this.” 

Marissa eyed her sister cautiously.  “How do you know he wasn’t part of the problem?”

Sierra was already shaking her head, denying that the man fighting for his life in the hospital bed was like their father.  “No.  He’s innocent in all of this.  I can’t explain it to you.  I just know it, Mari.”

“His name is
Drake Harrison,” Zeke explained.  “And according to Dave, he has no ties with your father or any other criminal enterprises.  He’s a good man,” Zeke assured Marissa.

“See?” Sierra said triumphantly, as if Zeke’s statement was fact simply because it coincided with her own opinion of the stranger.  “Listen, Mari.  You have to trust me.  I’m going to be okay.  I’m going to make sure this man survives,
I’ll pay for all of his hospital and doctors’ expenses on the credit cards Dad gave to us and then I’m going to head off to school.  I don’t care what Dad says about my education.  I’m done listening to him and following his commands.  As far as I’m concerned, our father is dead to me.”  Her chin jutted out stubbornly and Marissa prayed that Sierra’s instincts bout the man were on target. 

“And if he has other plans for you?” Marissa asked worriedly, thinking about the predicament she was currently in. 

“Then I’ll go into hiding.  I don’t care anymore.  This was the last straw, Mari.  I’m moving out and I’m not going to watch as Dad does these kinds of things.  Nor am I going to live off of the largesse of his criminal enterprises anymore.  I’m out,” she stated emphatically. 

Marissa knew that Sierra would have a fight ahead of her.  She wasn’t sure what she could do, but Sierra was strong.  “We’ll do t
his together,” she said, deciding that her sister was right.  It was time for both of them to move on with their lives.

Sierra smiled slightly.  “You’
re a great sister, Mari.  But I don’t want you involved in this.”

Marissa shook her head adamantly.  “I’m not leaving you.”

Zeke cleared his throat at that moment.  “I’m sorry to contradict you, Marissa, but you’re coming with me.”  Turning to Sierra and before Marissa could contradict him he said, “Sierra, I’m going to leave some bodyguards with you.  They will be here to protect you and help you with whatever you need.  Do you understand?”

Another tear slipped from Sierra’s eye.  “Thank you.  But could they guard Mr. Harrison?  I don’t think…”

Zeke smiled gently as he interrupted her.  “I know this is going to come as a shock, but you’re my sister-in-law now and I won’t allow anything to happen to you.  They’ll protect both of you.”  Zeke wasn’t going to leave this young girl on her own, especially if what he suspected was true.  “Call me if you run into any problems and especially call me if you decide you don’t want the guards.  Will you do that?”

Sierra tearily looked into Zeke’s eyes, a man she’d never met.  Her eyes went to Marissa’s hand that was in the stranger’s,
saw her sister’s wedding ring, then back to the man’s eyes.  With a fast decision, Sierra accepted this person her sister obviously trusted.  “I’ll call you.  And thank you,” she said with heartfelt sincerity. 

Turning to Marissa, she looked at her with obvious surprise.  “Mari, you have a lot of explaining to do.  So as soon as you can, give me a call and tell me everything that has happened since that horrible party, okay?”

Zeke put a hand on Sierra’s shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  “I have to take your sister away for a while.  And I’m sorry to do this at a crisis point…”

“Don’t worry,” Sierra interrupted.  “I think I understand.  Just keep her safe, okay?”

Zeke’s respect for his new wife’s sister grew exponentially in that moment.  She wasn’t as fragile as she looked.  “I’ll protect her with my life.”

Marissa glanced between the two of them and a touch of jealousy flared up, surprising her.  She’d never felt jealous about anyone before.  Why would she feel threatened by her sister and the man she’d just married? 

Maybe it was because Sierra was looking at the man she….no, not loved, but definitely wanted for some strange reason…and there was something in her eyes.  Some indefinable emotion she’d never seen before. 

With one more squeeze, Zeke stood up, taking Marissa’s hand in his and pulling her out of the waiting room.  “Watch her and the man she’s watching over,” Zeke said to
the two men standing outside the waiting room doors. 

“I’ll call Mr. Hamilton and get more men here, Mr. Vaughn,” one of them said, already pullin
g his phone out of his pocket to call Hamilton Securities, one of the best security agencies in the world. 

“No.  I’ll call Mitch myself and get more people to cover
myself and Marissa.  He just got married a few months ago so I need him to focus on this and not Claire.  At least for a few minutes.”  He was only half joking and the guards all knew it.  Mitch Harrison wouldn’t disappoint but they all knew about his new wife who could be a distraction.  Especially when she was trying to break into their home.  “You stay here.  Don’t’ take your focus off of either of them until this gets cleared up.”

It looked like the man was going to argue but Zeke didn’t wait around to hear the issues the
bodyguard would bring up.  He had to get Marissa out of there.  His personal guards were becoming anxious which meant that they knew something they couldn’t tell him around Marissa.

After a reassuring nod and a smile of agreement, Zeke led Marissa back out of the hospital. 
He got her back into the protection of his limousine as quickly as possible, needing her safe.  He caught Dave’s eye a moment before he ducked into the car and nodded.  Dave understood the message and instantly reacted to the unspoken communication. 

Marissa watched the interaction between Zeke and the unnamed man and she knew something was terribly wrong.  “What’s
going on?” she demanded as soon as Zeke was sitting next to her again.

Zeke took her hand, squeezing it gently.  “I just want you safe,” was all he would say.

After a lifetime of living with secrets, she knew something was significantly wrong.  She considered her words carefully, trying to figure out what she could say that would reassure him that she could handle whatever was happening.  She didn’t know what was going on, what his perception of their relationship might be or what their future might hold, but she didn’t want any secrets between them.

Then again, did she really want to start an argument with him?  If she only had a small amount of time with Zeke, did she want to spend that time
arguing with him?  Even if he was gallantly trying to protect her? 

Thinking that she needed to know information more than she needed to keep the peace, she squared her shoulders and faced him, trying to put as much confidence and assurance into her tone so he would understand that she was fully capable of handling whatever was on the horizon. 
“Zeke, what’s going on?  What aren’t you telling me?” she asked.

Zeke looked down at
his new wife and felt his chest expand with pride.  She was beautiful, intelligent, compassionate and kind.  She loved her sister who was trying to protect and heal a stranger.  What had these two women dealt with while growing up in the household of Joe Berutelli?  He couldn’t imagine how such a messed up childhood had created caring, loyal sisters.  Zeke never wanted her to have to go through anything like that again.