At the Tycoon’s Service Read online

  He wouldn’t do this. Surely even he could not be so cruel as to bring her back to the place they’d shared and the place he’d brutally shoved her from.

  She reached for the tears, expecting them to come, but curiously all she felt was an odd detachment, a void of nothingness coupled with the need to get out of this place.

  When she sat up, her gaze flickered to a chair by the window occupied by Chrysander’s sleeping form. He was slouched against the arm, his clothing rumpled and the stubble of over a day’s beard shadowing his jaw.

  She waited for the rush of anger, of fury, but again, she felt nothing but overwhelming numbness and a need to escape.

  She got out of bed, not paying attention to her own rumpled clothing. It occurred to her that maybe she should change, but she couldn’t risk waking Chrysander. No, she needed to be away. She couldn’t look him in the eye knowing that he’d made such horrible accusations and then left her to the mercy of her kidnappers.

  Her thumb brushed across the thin band of her engagement ring, and she wrenched it off. It felt cold in her hand. She gently laid it on the nightstand beside the bed then turned and walked away.

  On bare feet, she walked out of the bedroom and to the elevator. Her stomach churned as she relived the night she’d gotten on this elevator as her world crumbled around her, Chrysander’s accusation ringing in her ears. How could he? It was the only thought that played over and over in her mind until she wanted to scream at it to stop.

  When she reached the lobby, she paused, realizing that not only would Chrysander’s security people likely be manning the front entrance but that also the doorman would never let her walk out as she was.

  She turned and hurried for the back entrance. To her dismay, one of the men she recognized from Chrysander’s detail was standing at the door. She quickly ducked into a service entrance and made her way down the hallway that housed rooms for laundry and building maintenance. A few minutes later, she opened the door and walked out into the pale, predawn light.

  Chrysander woke with a monster catch in his neck and shifted in the too-small chair to alleviate his discomfort. He’d wanted to spend the night with Marley tucked into his arms, but she’d resisted his touch at every turn, becoming so distraught that he’d had no choice but to retreat.

  He’d taken the doctor’s advice and phoned a therapist as soon as he’d returned to the apartment with Marley. The therapist was due to arrive this morning to speak with her. Chrysander just hoped she would be able to.

  His gaze moved to the bed, and when he saw it empty, he shot to his feet. He started to bolt from the room, but a glimmer of something on the nightstand caught his eye. When he saw her engagement ring lying there, dread tightened his chest. He ran from the room in search of her. As he went from room to room, his panic grew. She wasn’t anywhere to be found.

  Even as he hurled himself into the elevator, he dug out his cellular phone. As soon as the doors opened in the lobby, he ran out and nearly collided with Stavros.

  He grasped the man’s shirt in his hands and pulled him up close. “Where is she?”

  Stavros blinked in surprise. “We haven’t seen her, sir. No one has. She was with you.”

  Chrysander pushed him away with a violent curse. “She’s gone. Call your men in. I want her found immediately.”

  He strode to the entrance to question the doorman, but he seemed as baffled as the security man. He turned around to see several of his detail gather in the lobby as they were questioned by an angry Stavros.

  Theos! Where could she have gone? She was in no state to be wandering around New York, and the people who had abducted her were still at large.

  Worry settled hard into his chest. He turned to go out the door in search of her himself when he saw Theron walk in.

  “Chrysander,” he said in greeting. “I was on my way up to see you. How is Marley?”

  “She’s gone,” he said grimly.

  Theron raised one brow. “Gone? But how?”

  “I don’t know,” he said in frustration. “She’s disappeared. I have to find her.”

  Theron put a firm hand on Chrysander’s shoulder. “We’ll find her, Chrysander.”

  “There is something about this situation,” Chrysander said in a hollow voice. “Something that doesn’t add up. I saw no guilt in her face when she remembered everything. All I saw was complete devastation, as if she were the one who was betrayed. She was so distraught that she had to be sedated, and she becomes extremely upset when I get close to her. She isn’t herself right now. I fear where she may have gone. Her frame of mind is not good.”

  “I will help you, Chrysander,” Theron said quietly. “Do not worry. We will find her.”

  Marley shivered as she eased down onto the cold stone bench and clutched her arms around her trembling body. She glanced down at her feet but couldn’t summon any rebuke for having gone out in the chill without shoes or a coat. The only thought she’d had was to get away as quickly as possible. She couldn’t face Chrysander now.

  Now she knew why she’d been drawn to this place. Her thinking spot, indeed. Just hours before that last night, she’d sat here, afraid of how Chrysander would react to her pregnancy. She’d been right to be afraid. He didn’t trust her. He didn’t love her. And he’d left her to her fate with the kidnappers.

  She refused to allow the memories to roll back in her mind. They simply hurt too much. At least now she realized why she’d chosen to forget. All those weeks of living in fear as her kidnappers waited for their demands to be met had paled next to the betrayal Chrysander had handed her when he’d refused.

  How could anyone be so cold? Wouldn’t he have been willing to pay such a meager amount of money to free anyone? Even a complete stranger? She’d never imagined him to be so heartless. But he’d cast her aside with little regard for her. She’d been his mistress, someone to slake his lust and nothing more. The fool was her for falling in love with him, not once, but twice.

  A small moan escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes as the ache built within her once more. Never had she felt so hurt, so utterly lost.

  Her hands closed around the bulge of her stomach, and the tears that she’d thought locked under the ice began to well to the surface.

  How could he be capable of such a despicable deception? He had to know she’d remember eventually, and yet he’d spent weeks wooing her, making her love him all over again. Pretending affection for her. And passion. The question was, why?

  Was it all an elaborate ruse to punish her? To make her suffer more than she already had? She’d never imagine Chrysander to be so cruel, but it just proved how little she’d known about the man she’d given herself to.

  She sat there, rocking back and forth, her arms wrapped protectively around her abdomen. The wind picked up, chasing a chill down her spine, but she ignored the discomfort.

  “Marley?”

  Her name came out cautiously and sounded distant, yet when she looked up, the man was standing just a few feet away, concern lighting his eyes. She recognized him. Theron. No wonder he’d been so resistant to Chrysander marrying her. He thought her the thief that Chrysander did. It was more than she could bear.

  She hugged herself tighter and looked down, determined that he not see her tears.

  He squatted down in front of her and put a hand on her wrist. “I need to take you back, pedhaki mou. It’s not safe for you to be out here,” he said gently.

  She flinched at the endearment. It was Chrysander’s pet name for her, and she wanted no part of it. She shook her head and pulled her hand up in a protective manner.

  He glanced down at her feet and swore under his breath. “It’s cold, and you shouldn’t be out here in your bare feet. Let me take you back home.”

  She recoiled violently. “No.” She shook her head vehemently. “I won’t go back there.” She slid to the end of the bench, the rough stone scratching against her clothing.

  Theron put a hand out to prevent her flight. “Marley, th
ink of your baby. Let me take you back. You’re cold.”

  “I won’t go back to that apartment,” she said desperately. She stood, prepared to bolt.

  Theron look at her with regret. “I cannot allow you to run. You’re clearly upset and are not dressed for the weather.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Why do you care? I stole from you, remember? I’m just the harlot who snared your brother and tried to ruin his company,” she said bitterly.

  Theron’s eyes softened. “If I promise not to return you to the apartment, will you come with me? I won’t leave you like this, Marley.”

  She swayed, and he caught her as her knees gave out. He picked her up and began striding away.

  She stiffened in his arms. “Please, just leave me alone,” she begged.

  “I cannot do that, little sister.”

  “I’m just your brother’s whore,” she said, allowing more of the anguish in.

  His grip tightened around her. “Theos! Never say that again.”

  She turned her face into his shoulder, and hot tears flooded her eyes. “It’s true,” she whispered.

  She closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift away once again. It was easy to flee from reality when it represented so much she wanted to escape. She cursed that she’d ever regained her memory. Doing so had destroyed her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chrysander strode into the Imperial Park Hotel, waving off members of the staff as they hastened to greet him. The elevator was being held open for him, and he got in and rode it to the top floor.

  A few moments later, he walked into the luxury suite usually reserved for VIP guests. His brother met him in the sitting area, and Chrysander scowled furiously at him.

  “Why didn’t you bring her back to the apartment?” he demanded.

  “She became hysterical at the mere mention of it,” Theron said. “She was set to run as far and as fast as she could. I had to promise I wouldn’t take her back to the penthouse.”

  Chrysander swore and closed his eyes. He brought his hand to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers in a weary gesture.

  “She’s about to break,” Theron said quietly. “Bring your therapist here to talk to her. Maybe she can help.”

  Chrysander looked sharply at his younger brother. “You seem concerned about her.”

  “She carries my nephew.” His lips pressed together in a grim line. “It is as you said. There is no guilt in her expression, her actions. She acts as though she has suffered the deepest of hurts. It was uncomfortable for me to see. I suddenly wanted to do all I could to shield her from such pain.”

  “Where is she now?” Chrysander demanded.

  “Asleep,” Theron replied. “She fell asleep on the way here and never stirred when I carried her up the elevator and put her into bed.”

  Chrysander headed for the bedroom, determined to see for himself that she was safe. He made his way through the dimly lit room and stopped at the head of the bed. Even in sleep, her brow was creased in an expression of despair.

  He reached down and touched her cheek, tucking a curl behind her ear. She didn’t stir. Her pale face lay against the pillow, framed by her dark curls. Deep shadows smudged her eyes, and he could tell from the redness that she had been crying. His chest twisted painfully at the signs of her distress.

  As he walked back into the sitting room, he pulled out his cellular phone to call the therapist and have her come to the hotel. When he was done, he closed his phone and turned to Theron.

  “Where did you find her?”

  Theron handed him a drink. “She was in a garden a few blocks from your apartment.” He winced as he looked at Chrysander. “She was barefoot, with no coat or sweater. She looked lost and unaware of her surroundings.”

  Chrysander swore. “It has been so since she regained her memory. Theos mou, but I don’t know what to do.” He’d never felt so helpless.

  “Do you still believe she is guilty?” Theron asked quietly.

  “I don’t know,” Chrysander admitted. “I think sometimes that it doesn’t matter.” He looked bleakly up at his brother, expecting to see condemnation. Instead, Theron looked at him with understanding.

  “When I saw her on the bench, it did not matter to me, either,” Theron said softly.

  The therapist arrived a few minutes later, and Chrysander filled her in on everything that had happened since arriving in New York.

  Despite the discomfort he felt over providing such personal details to the woman, he wanted her to know whatever she needed in order to help Marley. So he told her everything. From the confrontation he’d had with Marley so many months before, to the present.

  To her credit, the woman did not react. She took the information in stride and asked to see Marley.

  “She is resting, but you can go in and wait for her to awaken. I don’t want her to grow upset and try to leave.”

  The therapist nodded and followed Chrysander to the bedroom. As they entered, Marley stirred. Chrysander automatically stepped forward, but the therapist held up her hand to halt him.

  “Leave me to speak to her,” she said softly.

  Chrysander weighed his desire to be near her with the therapist’s request. Finally, he nodded curtly and turned to leave. He didn’t go far, though. He stepped from the bedroom and closed the door, but left it slightly ajar so he could hear what was being said within.

  There was a long period of silence, and then the slight murmur of voices filtered from the room. The therapist did most of the talking at first as she soothed Marley. After a long while, he could hear Marley’s trembling voice, and he strained closer to hear what she said.

  “I went to the doctor the day Chrysander was due back from overseas. When I discovered I was pregnant, I was shocked. I worried how Chrysander would react. I wanted to ask him about our relationship…how he felt about me.”

  “Go on,” the therapist encouraged.

  Marley’s questions that night now made sense to Chrysander. And then he flinched at her next words.

  “He told me we had no relationship. That I was his mistress. A woman he paid to have sex with,” she said hollowly.

  He wanted to protest. He wanted to march into the bedroom and tell her that he’d never considered her someone he paid to have sex with.

  “Then he accused me of…” Her voice trailed off, and he could hear a quiet sob rise from the room.

  “It’s all right, Marley,” the therapist soothed.

  “He said I had stolen from him. He said I took plans for one of his hotels and gave them to his competitor. He told me to get out.”

  “And did you steal them?”

  “You’re the first person to actually ask,” Marley said wanly.

  Chrysander flinched. She was right. He hadn’t asked. He’d judged and condemned her.

  “I was stunned. I still don’t understand. I’d never even seen the papers he threw at me. I don’t know why he thought I took them or how he could even think such a horrible thing.”

  The tears he heard in her voice felt like little daggers to his chest. The tension grew until he felt he would explode. Dread skated up his spine. What had he done?

  “And then…” She broke off as sobs took over.

  There was another long period of silence as the therapist murmured words of comfort to Marley.

  “Tell me what happened next, Marley.”

  “I left the apartment, but I knew I had to come back the next day after he’d calmed down so I could make him see reason and tell him I was pregnant. I felt if I could just have the chance to talk to him that he would see what a mistake it was.”

  “And what happened?” the therapist asked gently.

  Chrysander pushed against the door, his body tense with anticipation.

  “A man pulled a bag over my head and forced me into a car. I was taken to another place in the city and told that I was being held for ransom. I was terrified. I was pregnant and was so scared that they would hurt me or m
y baby.”

  Chrysander’s hands curled into fists as he fought the rising rage within him.

  “They sent two ransom demands,” Marley whispered. “He refused both. He left me there. Oh God, he left me to those men. I wasn’t even worth half a million dollars to him!”

  Sobs ripped from her throat as she dissolved into tears. Chrysander stood in stunned disbelief. Mother of God. He’d never received a ransom demand. He hadn’t! His stomach boiled as acid rose in his throat. He turned and laid his forehead against the wall and brought his clenched fist to rest a few inches away. He felt wetness on his cheeks but made no move to wipe it away.

  A few moments later, the therapist eased out of the bedroom and looked at Chrysander. He expected condemnation in her eyes but saw only a faint sympathy.

  “I’ve sedated her. She was nearly hysterical. She needs rest above all else. Her reality is very painful, so she retreats. That same self-preservation is what prompted her amnesia. Now that she no longer has that protective buffer, she struggles to cope in the best way she knows how. Be gentle and understanding with her. Don’t push her too hard.”

  She patted him on the arm as she walked past.

  “Call me if you need me. I’ll come at once.”

  “Thank you,” Chrysander said hoarsely.

  When she left, Chrysander turned and shuffled farther into the sitting room and sagged onto the couch.

  “Dear God,” he said bleakly.

  “I heard,” Theron said with a grimace.

  “She never stole anything.” Chrysander closed his eyes and dragged a hand through his hair. “Theos. I never got a ransom demand. She thinks…she thinks I left her to those animals, that I didn’t care enough to pay half a million dollars for her return.”

  Theron put a comforting hand on Chrysander’s shoulder. “There is much we need to investigate.”

  Chrysander nodded. His thoughts hardened as he turned from the anguish over Marley’s revelation and forced himself to play back the events of that night.

  The realization, when it came, was so startlingly clear that he cursed himself for not having pieced it together before. He’d been too angry, too wounded by what he perceived as a betrayal by Marley.