Riley’s Billionaire (17 page)

Going against Jack’s wishes — and probably good judgement — was the most difficult task Riley had undertaken. Self-righteous justification told her Jack had never been in her position, so he wasn’t capable of deciding for her. An over-abundance of self-actualisation told Riley she wasn’t necessarily qualified to decide either, but here she was, several miles above the ocean on her way to stubbornly attempt what she shouldn’t.

She had all her ducks in a row. She’d shopped for what she needed and had the equipment and supplies shipped to Cadigal Valley, and she hoped Amelia or Patrick would sign for them without ringing Jack. But what if they didn’t? What if they told him she hadn’t gone home once she landed in Australia? He’d worry. He might even have the police search for her. He’d certainly be angry.

All she had to do was list visiting Lex as her excuse for travelling north. Surely, her husband would understand, if not agree, that she was entitled to visit her friend.

Thinking about what lay ahead didn’t lessen her guilt, though. Riley knew without doubt that she could’ve and should’ve spoken with Jack further before striking out on her own. If she was honest with herself, she didn’t want to risk hearing him flatly disagree with her or turn high-handed, forbidding her to go. So not only did she feel guilty — she felt cowardly.

She argued with herself that it would’ve been so easy to stay in France and fall in love with her husband. Every day talking with him, every night sleeping beside him, each minute of conversation and the slightest nuance of affection drew her closer to what she considered her danger zone. Out of her element. Totally out of control. Unable to resist his charm and her own desire to be with him. It shouldn’t feel wrong to fall in love with her husband, but considering their business arrangement, she’d be foolish to allow herself the luxury.

And it would indeed be luxury. She’d never felt more pampered in her life. What was missing was that she didn’t feel adored, and for all his obvious love for his family, he’d never indicated he loved
her.
Riley knew he cared. He’d said as much. /
give a damn.
No sensible man could possibly think a line like that would make a woman feel cherished. And Jack was sensible, which meant he couldn’t have meant them to mean more than they did.

She was so engrossed in thought that the trip to Hervey Bay seemed only a few short minutes. She was hungry, though, and hoped Lex didn’t mind stopping at a fast food restaurant so Riley could grab a sandwich before they headed for Lex’s home.

Just before touchdown, she made a last minute decision to use the new phone, in case Jack rang her on it. Wouldn’t do for her not to answer it after he’d taken the trouble of buying it and readying it for her.

Riley plugged in the few numbers she needed from her old phone then shut it off. She’d have it disconnected once she was back at Cadigal Valley.

She felt the belly of the plane groan as the landing gear dropped and realised she had arrived in Hervey Bay.

Jack knew he was dishonest, but he felt he was doing the right thing. Riley was up to something — he was sure of it, and the best way to keep tabs on her was to hand her a new phone with a built-in GPS tracking device. He wasn’t particularly proud of his action, but she’d been jumpy, dreamy one minute and fretful the next, for days, even before they left Australia. He’d hoped she would tell him what troubled her, but she hadn’t. He told himself it was his duty as her husband to look after her, no matter the consequences should she discover his intrusion.

He glanced at his watch. She’d landed in Sydney hours ago, and she’d phoned when she landed, as he’d asked her to, but she’d called from her old phone, which disturbed him. Even though he’d been in one business meeting after the other, he’d glanced periodically at his laptop to see her location. What the hell was she doing in Queensland, and why in blazes hadn’t she consulted him...at least told him her business?

You’re a controlling, manipulative arsehole, mate.
He set his jaw, wishing he could go back to the hotel and ring her, not that it would do much good. He couldn’t very well give himself away and announce what a distrusting fool he was.

He’d known Riley long enough to believe she was faithful to her vows. It wasn’t like her to cheat on him, even though there were no clauses in that damnable contract he’d had her sign. But he couldn’t for the life of him understand what prompted her to be so secretive. She was lying by omission, wasn’t she?

God, he hated not being there to force the issue, make her tell him what troubled her to the point she’d take off on her own. If she’d been one of his employees, she’d have faced his wrath. Then again...she was just that, his employee. And so much more.

What if I fired her?
The drone of the man giving his report set Jack’s teeth on edge, and it was all he could do not to roll his eyes and tell him to get on with it, to wrap it up.

What if she fired me as husband?
Jack sat up with a start. Nothing was in their agreement about the possibility that either of them would be unsatisfied with the arrangement.

Suddenly the drone he’d heard faded, and when he looked up, all eyes were on him. Crap. What had he missed?

‘Mr Beauchamp, is everything alright?’ The man to Jack’s left leaned forward and repeated his question in a whisper.

‘No.’ Jack closed the folder containing facts, figures, and what should have been important information to him. ‘Gentleman, I’m sorry, but I’m needed elsewhere. Family emergency. I’ll have my secretary reschedule the rest of our business at a later date. You are free to go home to your families. I’m sorry I kept you as long as I did.’

As the rest of those at the conference table looked at one another in bewilderment, Jack rose and headed for the elevators. He might be mad as the proverbial Hatter in
Alice in Wonderland,
but he was damned if he’d let a mere slip of a girl wreck what was left of his serenity. She was, after all, the one who had destroyed it, the first time he’d kissed her.

The only decent sleep he’d had, the most contented days he’d experienced, and the most freedom he’d felt...all were due to Riley. He’d find her, and after he did, they were having a come-to-Jesus on everything from what had happened between them in the bedroom to what might happen next. They were tearing up that infuriating contract and starting from scratch.

First he had to find her.

‘You look wonderful! ‘ Lex enveloped her in a bear hug. ‘Marriage agrees with you.’

Riley wanted to cry
What marriage?
There would be time for commiserating later. For now, she wanted food followed by a hot shower.

Lex tilted her head toward a sack of bottles resting on the back seat. ‘I picked up some wine. Figured if we need to sleep on this one more night perhaps a few sips of inspiration wouldn’t hurt.’ She eyed Riley shrewdly. ‘You going to tell me why all the subterfuge and why you don’t want your husband knowing what you’re doing?’

Riley lolled her head on the seat’s neck rest. ‘I’m probably making the worst mistake of my life by hiding this from Jack, but, Lex...I just found out I was supposed to have been killed twenty years ago.’

‘What?’ Lex took her eyes off the road and had to swerve to right the car.

‘I was dropped at the orphanage when I was three and the man who left me was supposed to kill me but for whatever reason couldn’t go through with it.’

Riley rushed through a fractured explanation of what she knew and what had occurred at Cadigal Valley.

Lex seemed dumbfounded. ‘And your husband knew...when he proposed?’

‘Not really — he suspected, but he didn’t know for sure until Amelia saw me.’

‘So you’ve found your birth family? That’s wonderful!’

‘I’ve found my grandmother, not my siblings, and my parents are dead.’

Riley told Lex about the connection she might have with Gerald Frost. ‘So you see why it’s important I speak with him. Right?’ Riley sobbed. ‘I need someone I trust to tell me I’m doing the right thing or for them to help me pull my head out of my arse.’

She stole a look at her friend. ‘Come on, I know you must be thinking something.’

Lex gave a soft whistle. ‘I should have bought more wine.’

Jack called in favours from magistrates, detectives, policemen, and an employee at the airline he’d met in university. He didn’t care what it cost or if it hair-lipped everyone at the Tax Commission, Parliament, or the Prime Minister’s office, he had to track the route Riley took from Nice to Sydney. He cursed himself soundly for not impressing upon her the severity of her situation, the danger she might face. If only he’d kept her at Cadigal Valley where he could’ve kept an eye on her.

Too late for that, but money garnered a man certain privileges, and Jack wasn’t about to let any of them be wasted.

He sat back in the private jet he’d chartered. Gerald Frost was imprisoned somewhere in Queensland. Surely, Riley wasn’t going to meet up with him?

Sure she is. She wants to find her brother and sister.
Jack swore some more. He should’ve promised his wife he’d check into Frost’s claims so Riley wouldn’t be tempted to search for answers on her own. Of course that’s where she was going. Had to be.

But why go to Hervey Bay? Why not drive north from Brisbane?

He picked up his phone and rang the detective who’d found Frost. ‘Charlie? Pay the nuns another visit, will you? Find out who Riley’s best friends were, then track them. You have maybe three hours. I need to know before I land.’ He listened while the poor man told him it couldn’t be done. ‘Just give it your best shot, Charlie. My wife’s life may depend upon it.’

Jack requested another martini from his steward and scribbled a quick note to the pilot. A few minutes later, after his drink arrived, his pilot rang him on the intercom phone.

‘Mr Beauchamp, we’ve already done the log books and we’re scheduled to land in Sydney.’

‘Then undo the bloody books, re-route. We’re going to Hervey Bay.’

The pilot tried again. ‘Sorry, sir, but that airport isn’t open all hours. They’ll be closed when we arrive.’

Jack sighed. ‘Then land in Brisbane.’ He hung up before the man could argue.

He’d take a damn taxi from there before he’d wait for Hervey Bay to awaken. He just hoped Charlie got back to him before then, and he hoped he wouldn’t be too late.

Something deep in his gut told Jack it wasn’t just Riley’s life at stake now. It was his, and whatever future they might have together.

‘You’re so good for me.’ Riley lifted her glass in a toast to her friend. ‘I’d truly be lost without you.’

Lex shook her head. ‘Say that when I land you in hot water with your hubby.’ She took a sip of Merlot, muttering afterward. ‘Or screw up and get us adjoining cells in jail.’

Riley frowned. ‘I thought you said you talked to them and got us a pass to go in.’

Lex shrugged. ‘All it would take is one official to get his knickers in a twist, and we could be denied entry tomorrow. And unless you’ve changed drastically, I know you’ll manage to worm your way inside anyway, legal or not.’

Riley set her glass aside. ‘You’re right. I’m selfish for getting you involved.’

‘I didn’t say that — those are your words, not mine. All I’m saying is that despite good intentions and careful planning, this could all go south. Remember when you disobeyed Sister Agatha, and we both got detention for a month? God, that was one pissed off nun.’ Lex cackled then raised her glass again. ‘It was worth it, though, wasn’t it?’

‘You didn’t have to defend me,’ Riley told her.

‘Of course I did. It would have been boring without you for a whole month.’

Riley took another drink. ‘I didn’t think this through well enough. Surely, we won’t get in trouble.’

‘For visiting a convicted murderer? Nah.’ Lex winked then sobered. ‘Babe, any time someone as rough as Frost gets visitors logging in to see him, red flags go up, so it’s quite possible you’ll be investigated later, asked questions. What will you tell them?’

‘The truth.’

Lex pursed her lips a second. ‘And what if someone higher up the food chain doesn’t want you talking to him, is afraid of what he might tell you? Did you think of that?’

‘Thinking gives me a headache.’

Why would anyone in the government wish to harm three children? Their parents were wealthy vineyard owners, not important political figures.

Lex polished off her wine. ‘I’m just saying...be prepared for anything tomorrow.’

Jack hadn’t been able to rest on the plane. He was sleep-deprived, haggard, sporting the shadow of a beard, and feeling twenty years older. It didn’t help that his diabolical taxi driver didn’t observe speed limits and traffic lights. Jack wanted to reach his wife, but he’d prefer doing so in one piece, not scrambled like a blood and bone omelette all over the freeway.

True to form, Charlie had procured the information Jack needed. He’d memorised Riley’s school friends’ names, knew where they lived, everything except when they’d last had sex. He’d contacted a former mate from university in the Tax Commission and secured entry into the prison and permission to speak with Frost.

Which is something I should’ve done earlier before my wife’s obsession got out of hand.
‘Hey — slow down, mate. That was a railroad track we just flew over.’

The Hervey Bay cabbie silently saluted Jack and slowed from breakneck speed to one less dangerous.

Jack checked his phone, where he’d started tracking Riley’s GPS signal from the Brisbane airport. He had enough time, or so he thought, to fly to Hervey Bay and maybe intercept the women before they left for the prison. If that was where they were going. But Riley must have turned her phone off, because the signal went dead somewhere between Brisbane and the sleepy retirement community where her friend lived.

He had no clue what he’d say if Riley had simply wanted to spend time with Alexandra. He’d look the fool if that was the case, and he still wasn’t sure what to do. He’d charged off believing the worst without using the number Charlie had given him for Riley’s friend. A simple phone call would’ve put Jack out of his misery, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to make the call. And a gnawing apprehension refused to let him give his wife her space.