Freeing Lily: A Steamy Romantic Suspense (MacKay International Book 3) Read online

  “Fuck,” I breathe out. Standing there among the rubble, I fully grasp the depth of the destruction.

  “Mr. Finch, this is acting Chief Kalani.” Daniels introduces the uniformed firefighter who is standing by the smoldering remains of one warehouse.

  “Call me Arthur,” the large man, no older than myself, says brightly as he sandwiches my hand between his own in a firm handshake. With most men, this would’ve seemed aggressive, but this man exudes calm, and it feels reassuring.

  “Finn,” I tell him, returning the smile.

  “The Chief is on vacation this week, so you’re stuck with me, I’m afraid.”

  “What can you tell me?” I cross my arms against my chest stiffly.

  “A small explosive device was used, and it is what triggered the fire. The State Fire Marshal and her team have been here once already, but she’ll need to speak with you. They are in charge of the criminal portion of the investigation,” he explains.

  “Of course. Anything you or they need.”

  “Sir, I’ve already sent over the security footage for that night to their office,” Daniels informs me, reminding me again why the man is invaluable.

  “Make sure they get anything else they need to catch the bastard,” I tell Daniels before turning to Arthur and asking, “How long will it be before we can begin cleaning up this mess?”

  “The structural integrity of the building has obviously been compromised. It will need to be torn down and rebuilt. You’d never be able to fix it and get it to pass the state code.”

  “Fuck,” I mutter, running my hand through my hair.

  “It may look grim,” Kalani starts, “but with the materials they left behind, they could’ve done considerably more damage if your security hadn’t given chase.”

  “Thank you for everything your team did,” I tell him.

  “Our pleasure.”

  “Thank God, no one was hurt.”

  It’s one thing for Mayer to go after my business, but if someone got hurt just being associated with me? Fuck. I’m not sure how I’d cope with that.

  “La’i lua ke kai,” Kalani states.

  “What?”

  “It’s Hawaiian and means, ‘The sea is very calm. All is peaceful.’” He smiles before adding firmly, “Don’t worry, I have every faith that Fire Marshall Lewis will get the bastard.”

  My phone buzzes in my pocket. I take it out and, after seeing who the caller is, turn to the two men, saying, “Excuse me, but I need to take this.”

  Stepping away from the group, I accept the call and greet the caller tersely. “Yes.”

  “How bad is it?” Peter asks, his voice full of concern.

  “I just spoke with the acting Fire Chief, and he says the entire building will need to be torn down.”

  “Fuck, man, I’m sorry.” Peter’s voice is low, tired.

  “The Fire Marshall is coming back later, so we’ll see how their investigation is going.”

  “I shouldn’t tell you this but, considering everything with Mayer, the FBI is taking over your case. And they’re probably on their way to speak to you now.”

  “About what?” I growl. “For fuck’s sake, we all know who hired the bomber and why.”

  “Yes, which is why they’ve gotten involved.”

  “They need to get their heads out of their asses and arrest the fucker already.”

  “I agree. Thank God Mom and Lily are safe,” he mutters. “They seemed to be having a great time together when I spoke to them earlier. It’s the only good thing to come out of all this.”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” I chuckle. Meeting Lily, getting a chance to capture her attention, and making her mine—that makes all of this worth it. Mayer could’ve destroyed all of my warehouses, but I would still have my princess.

  “Excuse me, sir.” Daniels comes jogging over to me. “The FBI are here.”

  “I’ve gotta go. Your friends are here,” I tell Peter. “I’ll call you back.”

  My residual anger at my friend is slowly fading away as I realize the magnitude of what he’s been dealing with. Alone. With no one to confide in. No doubt worrying about his Uncle Arthur’s legacy and the company he spent a lifetime building.

  The silence that greets me as I enter my condo later that evening is unnerving. As the door clicks behind me, I suddenly feel lonely. I’ve never experienced that feeling at the end of a long day before. My home has always been my refuge from the world, from my business. Somewhere I can relax and be alone. But I no longer want solitude. It was not until these past few days, with Lily within arm’s reach, that I realized how much I wanted someone to share my life—my bed—with.

  Dumping my luggage onto the floor, I shrug off my coat and hang it in the hall closet before moving into the kitchen. As I walk down the hallway, I wonder what Lily would think of my place. Would she like it? Grabbing a beer from my always-stocked fridge, thanks to Mrs. White my housekeeper, I wander into the living room and drop onto the squashy leather couch. Staring out into the room, I notice for the first time how sparse, empty, it is except for the flatscreen TV that takes up the opposite wall. Smiling, I imagine Lily is with me, tucked up against my side as we watch a movie, or simply unwind together after a stressful day. It’s too late, or rather too early, in London for me to call her now. I imagine she’s long since gone to bed.

  Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I scroll through the pictures we’ve taken together. Her beautiful smile as we wrap our arms around each other on the top of the Eiffel Tower. The wind, blowing her soft light-brown waves in all directions. Our first picture together. After several clicks, I make it into my lock screen. Every time I look at my phone tomorrow, I’ll see my princess. There are a few more selfies we took together and then several I snapped of Lily while she was sleeping. I choose the one Kitty took of us overlooking Mayfair as my phone’s wallpaper. I wonder if she’s dreaming of me.

  Chapter Seven

  ~ Lily ~

  Finn and I are sitting in a booth at my favorite diner. We’re drinking strawberry milkshakes and feeding each other French fries covered in mustard. My man is smiling, sending a flutter of excitement through my chest. It turns to ice-cold fear as my stepfather replaces Finn. He reaches over and steals a French fry, shoving it into his mouth piggishly. James goes to grab for my milkshake, but I snatch it from him, and we play tug-of-war before he wins. His gloating smile twists my stomach.

  I’m home, running down the spiral staircase. Someone is chasing me. I shut myself inside of my father’s office. The desk is a mess, and I straighten the papers, knowing how much Dad hates disorder. A loud knock on the door makes me jump. I hold my breath as it swings open, and Dad is standing there in the shadow. He enters the room, and I run into his arms, feeling the love flowing between us.

  Pulling back, it’s Finn who’s holding me tightly. He pulls away and picks up a familiar-looking envelope bearing my name from the desk. He hands it to me with a grin before turning and walking back toward the door.

  “Finn,” I cry out, reaching for him as he walks away. My heart twists painfully as he leaves. The echo of his footsteps rings in my ears as it fades further and further away. Someone grabs my arm. I am next being pulled along the snow with skis strapped to my feet; they trip me, landing me face-first into the suffocating wetness. I’m now drowning.

  “Wake up, sweetie.” A distant voice is calling to me through the darkness, pulling back to wakefulness. “You’re safe now.”

  “Auntie,” I croak, blinking my eyes open against the harsh light that had been switched on near the bed.

  “I’m right here.” Aunt Kitty’s face comes into view as she strokes my head and back gently. “And no one is going to hurt you.”

  Her eyes are gentled with concern. Seeing how much she truly cares for me etched on her face twists my heart, and something within me burst open. Choking sobs follow as I cling to her. She tucks me tightly against her and slowly rocks me side to side.

  “I’ve got you,” s
he murmurs, rubbing my back. “Let it all out.”

  I do as she says. For the first time since my abduction, I let myself feel everything. The fear, the anger, and the helplessness all rolled together into a storm of emotions. Maybe it was dreaming of Dad. Feeling his love flow through me.

  It’s a long while before I can even begin to choke back my tears and reign in my feelings. Aunt Kitty continues to comfort me even after the worst of the crying has stopped, and her unconditional love brings it all back.

  “Thank you,” I hear her say in a normal tone, and I pull back, confused. To my embarrassment, JoJo is handing Aunt Kitty a glass of water. She presses it gently into my hands. “Drink this, sweetie.”

  “Thanks,” I mumble, gripping the glass between my hands and lifting it to my lips. I take a slow sip, drinking in the cool wetness that soothes a thirst I didn’t know I had. After downing half the glass, I look up and bite my lip. “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry about,” Aunt Kitty assures me, running her hand along my arm. Soothing my jumbled nerves. “It’s important that you release your emotions. You can create all kinds of physical problems if you hold them in. I had neck spasms that were caused by my last ex-husband, and you know Peter’s been a pain in my ass for years.”

  I find myself giggling softly as I take another slow sip of water and feel the anxiety leave my body fully.

  “You’ll need to talk to a therapist,” Aunt Kitty says gently but in a firm tone. “We could find you one now who’ll consult over the phone, or you can wait until you get home. But you do need to talk to someone.”

  “I’ll wait,” I tell her quickly, not wanting to think about talking to someone. Reliving my living nightmare to a stranger.

  I wake the next morning starving. After a delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we return to the suite. I use my phone to check my email and make arrangements to gain access to my dorm room, with the plan to clear it of my personal belongings.

  Sitting on the bed, I attempt to video chat with Finn, but there is no answer on his end. My mood deflates. I haven’t spoken to him yet today. I wonder if he’s thinking of me or if he still misses me as much as I miss him. The five-hour time difference sucks.

  Giving up on being able to connect with Finn, I wander back into the living room to see if Aunt Kitty and JoJo are ready to leave. Yesterday, we went shopping, and Aunt Kitty was insistent on buying me shoes that fit and on purchasing me several pieces of luggage. I ended up with a comfortable pair of walking shoes, some new clothes, and two large rolling suitcases.

  “I gotta go, baby,” JoJo is saying to her phone screen, smiling brightly. “Don’t give Pop any lip, you hear?

  I can hear distant female voices saying goodbye and telling JoJo they love her. She must be talking to her two daughters, Sophie and Lee. When she spoke about them earlier, it was clear how much she loves them.

  Yesterday morning when I walked out of the bedroom to find Aunt Kitty chatting with JoJo, I hadn’t realized I was nervous about meeting my bodyguard—who I wrongly assumed would be a man. I instantly relaxed at her warmth and kindness. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t take her job seriously. When we are out of the suite, she is always vigilant, assessing our surroundings, and when we re-enter, she checks to ensure no one is waiting for us as well. During our short time together, JoJo has made me feel safe. Except with Finn, I’ve never felt safer.

  Whenever she mentions her pre-teen daughters, I can tell she’s an amazing mom who thinks of her children often. I wonder if my mother is thinking of me. She never noticed I had been kidnapped, nor worried that she had not spoken to me directly in over two weeks. Until we know, for sure, whether she’s involved with my kidnapping, no one wants me contacting her. And to be honest, I haven’t really wanted to.

  “Love you all the way to the stars,” JoJo tells them as I sit down on the opposite couch. She quickly ends the call, placing the phone into the inside pocket of her navy suit jacket.

  “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “I was just quickly calling my girls before school,” she tells me, smiling.

  “My dad used to call me before school every day when he was away, too,” I say softly. I hadn’t appreciated it then. But my day was always better when he called just to say hello. I felt cared for. Loved.

  Aunt Kitty breaks my musing by stepping back in from the terrace. “Are you ladies ready to go?”

  JoJo stands up, straightening her jacket, and looking ready for action.

  “Yes.” I jump up from the couch, full of excited nervousness about going back to campus. It’s the first step in getting my life back. “I just need to grab my purse and a suitcase on the way out.”

  “Let’s vamos,” Aunt Kitty says, picking up her backpack from the coffee table and hooking it onto one shoulder. “By the way, sweetie, Mark says hello, and he can’t wait to meet you.”

  “I can’t wait to meet him, too,” I tell her truthfully. After having met his son Trevor, I have a feeling that Aunt Kitty finally found a good man—this time. One worth spending her life with.

  “Lily!” We all turn as the excited voice of Daisy, one of my fellow American study abroad students, calls as she rushes at me. “Where have you been?”

  “I got sick while I was in Paris,” I explain, rehearsing the lie we concocted. “I ended up staying at my aunt’s apartment there.”

  “Oh my God, are you okay?” she asks, giving me an impulsive hug.

  “I’m fine,” I reassure her.

  “I’ve gotta jet to my final, but message me,” she says excitedly, turning and jogging down the hallway before I can reply. Turning to Aunt Kitty, I mutter, “At least someone noticed I was gone.”

  “Sweetie,” Aunt Kitty says softly, grabbing my free hand. “I’m sure plenty of people noticed you were gone. You’re very memorable.”

  We continue to make our way into the building and, after securing a new key from the main office, we head toward my dorm room.

  “Let me go in first,” JoJo says, moving ahead of us and taking the key from my hand. I step back, letting her enter my tiny dorm room first. She pushes the door open slowly, blocking my view, reaches in, and flicks on the light. Turning back to look at us with a more serious face than usual, she asks, “Are you usually this messy?”

  She pushes the door open further and moves aside, revealing that my small single room is a complete mess.

  “No!” I answer, looking at the bed rumpled, papers scattered all over the desk, and shoes and clothes strewn everywhere.

  “Someone must have been looking for something,” Aunt Kitty muses, moving to step into the room.

  “Alright, don’t come in just yet,” JoJo instructs. “I need to clear the room and call this in.”

  “That’s my bag I brought with me to Paris,” I tell JoJo, peering into the room from the doorway. “How’d that get here?”

  “Are you sure it’s the same one?”

  “Yes. It’s my favorite overnight bag to travel with,” I tell her about the colorful LeSportsac bag that always stands out in a crowd and fits more than you think it will. It was shoved under my desk chair.

  Aunt Kitty wraps her arm around me as JoJo steps from the room, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll get this all picked up in no time,” Aunt Kitty assures me. “We’ll go through everything and take back what you really care about.”

  Staring at my overnight bag, it looks like it was shaken empty and then tossed into the corner. My hairbrush, makeup bag, and a sweater I know I packed lay nearby. A bubble of hope fills me.

  “My purse,” I exclaim excitedly. “Do you see a black leather purse anywhere?”

  My scarf could be here somewhere!

  I squat down and peer through the mess, itching to reach out and search through it.

  “No, sweetie, but we can look for it,” Aunt Kitty says kindly, touching my shoulder.

  I look up at her and exclaim frantically, “My
scarf was in it. I don’t care about anything else.”

  “What scarf?” Her face is full of concern.

  “The one Dad gave me.” I stand up quickly as JoJo ends her call and walks back to us. “What did they say?”

  “I need to check for any surveillance equipment, and the control room wants me to take photographs for them,” JoJo states, already pointing her camera at the mess and snapping pictures. We watch as she enters the room and meticulously searches every corner, light fixture, air vent, and crack in the wall.

  “Afterward, we’ll clean up everything and hopefully find your scarf,” Aunt Kitty placates, giving me a one-armed hug. “Don’t worry, sweetie, if it’s here, we’ll find it.”

  “It’s the last gift he gave me,” I murmur, and her arm tightens around me. I know she understands.

  Once JoJo is satisfied that no one has left any bugging equipment in the room, the three of us begin the tedious process of packing up my belongings. Aunt Kitty calmly directs our efforts. “Make a pile of any books or personal items you want to take in the suitcase, and we’ll pack it neatly after we’ve gone through everything. For now, put all the trash on the bed.”

  The first thing I do is search the room for my black leather purse, praying that it had been left here, along with my overnight bag.

  Picking through a pile of clothes on the floor, tossing them haphazardly into the suitcase to take with me, I find my purse underneath.

  “I found it,” I cry, grabbing it and thrusting my hand inside to see if the scarf had been left. My wallet and phone are unsurprisingly missing, but laying neatly on the bottom is the silk scarf. Taking it out, I toss the purse into the suitcase and tie the scarf around my neck. The seemingly useless article has so much emotion attached to it that I suddenly feel better. Safer. Like a child with their favorite blanket. My father may be gone, but it feels as if he’s right here with me.