The Russian Billionaire’s Secret(7)

Alexei turned his gaze to Tiffany. Her eyes met his briefly then darted away. “You tricked me,” he said. “I’m impressed. I really didn’t take you for the type.”

“There really was a party,” Tiffany said, as if in her own defense.

“It was last night,” Heather clarified, speaking up on her friend’s behalf. “We swung by to see if you wanted to join us. Douglas told us to keep you happy, and you’re a fun guy, so…”

“We saw you go in with her.” Tiffany nodded to Ashley who was looking more annoyed than ever.

“I stepped out for just a second,” Ashley said with a groan. “I could see a donut place from the balcony, and… Well, obviously, I didn’t realize we were being watched.”

“It’s nothing personal,” said Tiffany.

“Yeah,” Heather added, giving Ashley an earnest look. “We never disliked you. You’re a good person. It’s just… well…”

“If you get me out of here, I’ll make it worth your while,” Alexei said, trying to keep his voice down and his eyes on Douglas. He couldn’t see the man anymore but assumed he was still in the kitchen, talking on his phone.

Both women looked uncertain. They said nothing, though Heather cast her own nervous look back in the direction of Douglas. Maybe they were aware of what had happened to Ashley’s sister.

“If you don’t help me, I can’t promise you won’t get caught in the crossfire when my father comes to see what happened personally.” That was a bit of a stretch. Alexei’s father would probably take the time to investigate, but it was unlikely he would pay much mind to people as seemingly unimportant as Heather and Tiffany. They could, easily, escape his notice. All the same, Alexei let the threat hang there.

Tiffany stared. The gears in her head were turning. For a moment, it seemed like he had gotten through to her. Then, all at once, she stood and left the room. Heather left the room on her heels.

Ashley took this opportunity to test the ropes binding her wrists and ankles. Alexei didn’t see much point but he didn’t fault her for the effort. His own were tied very securely. Evidently, this wasn’t Douglas’ first kidnapping.

“If I could get over there to you, do you think you could untie me?” asked Ashley.

Alexei raised an eyebrow at her. “With what?”

“I don’t know. Your teeth?” Ashley flopped back on the sofa, giving up. “Sorry if I’m a bit new to this whole being kidnapped thing.” She was silent for a few moments then heaved a big sigh. “I’m sorry,” she said again, without sarcasm this time. “You did me a favor. I blew everything. This is all my fault.”

Alexei frowned at that. As tempting as it was to blame someone else, his conscience wouldn’t let him shirk all the blame.

“I got careless,” he admitted. “You didn’t ask for my help. I should have taken this whole thing more seriously. If we’re being honest, I probably only helped because I thought you were cute.”

Even in their current predicament, that coaxed a smile from Ashley. She had a nice smile. It was warm and dazzlingly white. “If we get out of here, I’ll owe you a date.” Her smile turned a bit sad as she said that. “If,” she repeated.

The distant sound of Douglas talking on his phone ceased. He came back down the hall and into the den, a half empty glass of clear liquor in hand.

“What’s the verdict?” Alexei asked, impatient for news of their fates.

Douglas threw him an annoyed look and sat on the sofa beside Ashley. He switched on the television and drained his glass.

Alexei frowned. Douglas’ silence didn’t tell him much. “Well?” he prompted.

“Well, we’re waiting for… some friends of mine to get here,” said Douglas, keeping his tone curt. “They’re going to help me… resolve this.”

Alexei didn’t much like the sound of ‘friends’. “Maybe, once this is behind us, we can discuss future business arrangements?” Alexei offered.

Douglas rolled his eyes. “Girls!” he called, holding up his glass for a refill.

Tiffany and Heather entered the room. Evidently, they hadn’t gone much further than the hallway. Tiffany took the glass from Douglas and hurried off. No one wanted to test his temper today.

“I think we’ve taken our business relationship as far as it needs to go, don’t you?” asked Douglas, not taking his eyes off the television. “Let’s not kid ourselves. If I let you out of here, you’re not going to let bygones be bygones.”

“You don’t know that,” Alexei said, quickly. “I’m very good at forgiving and forgetting.” That was a lie and one Douglas clearly wasn’t buying into.

“How are you going to get your money back?” asked Ashley.

Douglas didn’t even look at her. He put a hand up. “You don’t get to talk to me.”

Not to be deterred, Ashley pressed on. “At least let him go.” She nodded to Alexei. “Let him go, and I’ll help. Whatever you have planned, this would be faster… Wouldn’t it? Come on. This is my fault.”

“This is your fault,” Douglas agreed. He agreed to nothing, though. He didn’t even budge on bargaining.

Even so, Alexei was touched. No one had offered their life for him before. Maybe she just hoped he would return the favor once he was free. Either she was smart, selfless, or both. He smiled at her. He couldn’t help it.