Gage (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood #16)

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

S uzanna struggled to open her eyes, fighting against the weight of drowsiness swamping her. It was important she wake up, though she couldn’t remember why. Her head felt heavy and hung forward toward her chest. It took a second to realize that she was sitting upright in a chair—and that she couldn’t move.

Forcing her eyes open, she expected to be sitting in Elizabeth’s parlor. Instead she found herself in more familiar surroundings—her own home. Specifically, her dining room. Hands and legs secured to the chair with massive quantities of duct tape, wrapped around and around, sticking to her skin. She wasn’t able to budge it, not even a centimeter.

She heard talking in the other room, sounded like it was coming from the kitchen. As the voices drew closer, she recognized Elizabeth and Donald. Watching them enter through the opening between the two rooms, the one the cook used to serve meals to her and Steven, felt wrong.

“What are you doing?” She barely got the words out, her tongue feeling swollen and too big for her mouth, her throat as dry as the Sahara. Then she remembered drinking the tea at Elizabeth’s house. Which was the last thing she remembered. “You drugged me?”

“Yes, and that stupid bodyguard.” Elizabeth still wore the black silk pantsuit she’d had on earlier, though it wasn’t as pristine and pressed. There was actually a tear in the stitching of the shoulder, where it had torn, and a small smudge of dirt decorated her cheek.

“Ranger? Is he okay?”

“Stupid question. You shouldn’t be worrying about the bodyguard, you should be concerned about what’s happening to you.”

“This doesn’t make sense. Elizabeth, Donald, what have you done?”

“We did what needed to be done. I got tired of people lying to me, controlling me, using me and then tossing me aside like I was yesterday’s garbage.” Donald slammed a large knife onto the table, across from where Suzanna sat, and her heartbeat raced in her chest at the look in his eyes. It was like the Donald she knew, the one she and Steven had spent years with, wasn’t in there anymore and somebody else, a stranger, had taken his place.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ll explain everything, but I need you clearheaded. Elizabeth gave you a much milder dose than she did that behemoth with you. He weighed a ton. I almost left him lying there in the parlor, but that would have led to all kinds of questions, ones I don’t want to answer.”

“Where is Ranger? Did you kill him?”

Donald laughed, the sound sending goosebumps up and down Suzanna’s skin. “Of course I didn’t kill him. My lovely wife simply drugged him with enough ketamine and cocaine to drop a full grown elephant. He might live through that, though I have my doubts. I moved him to a location where he will be found. Eventually. If he’s lucky.”

A sickening feeling was building inside Suzanna, one she didn’t want to acknowledge. It wasn’t possible that Donald was responsible for everything. He was Steven’s best friend, his partner. They shared everything, all their hopes and dreams from the time they were in college. Steven brought him into the company, gave him part ownership. No, she had to be wrong.

“Donald, get on with it. We don’t have a lot of time. I think that Gage Newsome person keeps tabs on Suzanna, and when he doesn’t hear from her, he’s bound to start snooping around. I’m sure she told him she was meeting me for lunch.”

“They were supposed to meet you at the restaurant, not at our home. He’ll be chasing his tail, looking everywhere for her. When we’re finished, we’ll simply go home with him none the wiser.”

“What if he checks with the restaurant? They’ll tell him we never showed up there.”

“Did you give anybody the name of the restaurant?” Elizabeth shook her head. “They we’re in the clear. They’ll have to search dozens of restaurants before they realize they’re chasing their tails.”

Suzanna watched their back and forth conversation, trying to make sense of everything. She’d never suspected Elizabeth, not once. When she’d claimed Donald was cheating and she wanted to talk? Looked like it had all been a lie meant to lure her back to Dallas. But why?

“Steven was your friend.”

“Steven was a liar and a thief.” Suzanna jerked back at the vehemence in Donald’s tone. “Though he wasn’t solely to blame. I could have turned him back around, made him do what he promised, if he hadn’t become besotted with you.”

“Steven never lied. Not once in the whole time I knew him.”

“He promised me half the company. Said we’d be equal partners. Fifty-fifty. I worked, slaved for this company, and what do I have to show for it? A lousy thirty percent. I didn’t know Steven had changed his will, leaving everything to you. I didn’t care that he left you the house and even the money. But he promised—he swore—I’d get Dawkins, Inc. If I’d known about his change of heart, I would have forced him to change his will back before I had him killed.”

Suzanna’s whole being frozen as Donald’s admission sunk in. He’d killed Steven? How was that possible?

“Donald?”

“Don’t look at me like that with your big puppy eyes. You married him for his money. I know it, everybody always knew. Why else would you even look at him twice? No, you connived and twisted him around your little finger, until he took everything that was rightly mine and handed it to you on a golden platter.”

“I didn’t do anything. I never knew Steven changed his will to leave me the company until the will went into probate. We never talked about it. I knew I’d have income coming from it, shares and dividends, to keep me comfortable once he was gone, but that wasn’t supposed to happen for many, many years. I swear, I don’t want Dawkins. I don’t know how to run something that big.” She glared at him. “I’d much rather have my husband alive and well than all his money.”

“Glad to hear you don’t want the company, Suzanna, because we’ve got a plan to help you get rid of it.” Elizabeth’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, the hardness of her face making her look older than her years. While Donald had been talking, Elizabeth laid out papers on the dining room table, stacked into neat little piles, like soldiers awaiting orders.

“You are going to fix Steven’s mistake. We all agree Dawkins, Inc., should be mine. This will simply make sure I get what’s coming to me.”

“What do you want from me, Donald? Steven’s will should be coming out of probate soon. Unless the judge invalidates the will, Steven’s decisions will stand. There’s nothing I can do about that.”

“Actually, there is.” Donald walked around her chair, picking up the knife as he did. She swallowed past the gigantic lump in her throat, her eyes never leaving him. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that whatever the Blackthorns planned, she wouldn’t be alive at the end.

“I’ll do whatever you want. You want me to sign over the company to you? Done. Give me the papers, and I’ll put my signature on there so fast, you’ll see a smoke trail. But promise me you’ll let me go. I’ll leave. Not just Texas, I’ll leave the country. You’ll never see or hear from me again. Nobody will know what you’ve done, I swear.”

Donald reached forward and cupped her cheek, his touch surprisingly gentle. “Of course, my dear. Once you’ve signed all the paperwork, you’ll be free to go about your life. I do like that you’ve offered to leave the country. I think that’s a splendid idea. Go find a tropical island someplace, maybe the South Pacific, where you can spend your days lolling around on the beach, having cabana boys bring you fruity drinks. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

She nodded. She’d promise him anything he wanted if he let her walk out that door. Except she was no fool. There wasn’t a chance on earth, after he’d admitted to killing Steven, they’d let her live. Yet, somehow, she knew that Gage was coming. That he was looking for her, knew she was in trouble.

Please, Gage, please find me. Figure out what Donald and Elizabeth have done. I know you’re looking. You’ll figure out what they’ve done, and come and save me. Please, Gage, I don’t want to die before telling you I love you.

Her eyes widened with the realization she loved Gage Newsome. But more than that, she was in love with him. Over the moon, deeply and completely in love with Gage. How had that happened? She’d been attracted to him from the first moment she laid eyes on him, in that skanky bar in New Orleans, but never in a million years had she expected to fall for the man. Now, she might never get the chance to tell him, and the thought chilled her to her bones.

“Are you listening to me, Suzanna? I need your full attention here.” Donald tapped the long blade against her chest, and she leaned as far back as the wooden chair allowed, holding her breath.

“I’m listening. I told you, I’ll do whatever you ask.” Her heart was racing in her chest, and she wondered if she’d have a heart attack before she could do whatever Donald wanted from her. Somehow, she had to stall, because she knew deep in her soul help was on the way. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she was convinced and wouldn’t allow doubt to sway her. Help was coming.

“Donald, we need to hurry.”

“I know, my love. Come here, by my side. We need to do this together, you and I.” Elizabeth shot him a loving look and walked to stand in front of him. “Look at Suzanna. See the terror in her eyes? That’s real power. We hold it in our hands. We might not have plunged the knife into Steven’s chest ourselves, but we were responsible. We held his fate in our grasp, and now we hold hers.” He nuzzled his cheek against hers. “Turn around, and see what real power looks like.”

Elizabeth spun around, and Donald pulled her back against his chest, and for the first time Suzanna noted that he’d slipped on a pair of latex gloves. He hadn’t had those on earlier. Sliding an arm around Elizabeth’s waist, he pulled her close against his front and she moaned. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the knife onto the table, and reached behind him, whipping out a 9mm pistol, placing it into Elizabeth’s hand.

“It’s time, my love.” Wrapping his hand over hers, he slowly brought her hand up. Suzanna squeezed her eyes shut, knowing the bullet was coming. Her body tensed, knowing the hot lead projectile would tear through her flesh, and at this close range, they wouldn’t miss.

The discharge of the pistol sounded, and Suzanna jerked but felt nothing. Opening her eyes, she saw Elizabeth slump to the floor, the side of her face blown away. She screamed and screamed, her throat raw. Blood coated the front of her shirt, and she felt warmth trickle down her face.

“Stop screaming right now or you’re next.”

Drawing in a ragged breath, her whole body shaking, Suzanna stared at Donald. He’d just killed Elizabeth. Shot her in the head. Why? It didn’t make any sense. She was working with him, had drugged and helped kidnap Suzanna and possibly killed Ranger. Why murder Elizabeth?

“You killed her!”

“Of course. She’d never have been able to keep her mouth shut. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her—in my own way—but she could never do what was necessary. When we decided to kill your husband, she got cold feet. Wanted to back out, give him a chance to do the right thing. Like I hadn’t been trying to get Steven to do what he’d promised for months. Years. Everything was perfect until he met you. Tell me, Suzanna, how did you manage to bewitch him? He’d been oblivious to women, faithful to his precious Mary, until he met you. Are you that good in bed?”

“We loved each other. Steven was my best friend.”

“Yeah, well he was my best friend for years, and look where that got me. Pushed aside for the latest blonde bimbo willing to crawl between the sheets.”

Struggling against the duct tape, she felt the tiniest bit of looseness, and prayed Donald wouldn’t notice. Not that it helped much, it would take forever to work both her arms and legs free. But something was better than nothing, and the feel of Elizabeth’s blood on her face was driving her crazy. Bile rose in her throat, and she swallowed, praying that she didn’t throw up. She had the feeling that would infuriate Donald, which was the last thing she needed to do.

“What do you want from me, Donald?”

Tucking the 9mm back into his waistband, he grabbed the arms of her chair, and leaned forward until he was nearly touching her, their faces so close she could smell his fetid breath, warm against her skin. Hatred filled her at the thought this was the man who’d murdered Steven, who’d tried to frame her for it. She’d bet he thought if she was sent to prison, he’d have free run of the company, but that would never have been enough for him. It was all or nothing, and he refused to take nothing.

“I’m going to cut the duct tape, and you are going to slowly get up from this chair and walk around the table and sit down at the stacks of papers. You will then sign everywhere we have marked. If you don’t, well, you’ll be joining Elizabeth.”

With a single nod, she leaned back, watching him pick up the large knife, and slide it against her skin, his smirk making her want to punch him right in the mouth. Once her hands were free, she rubbed against the skin, trying to ignore the pins and needles sensation flooding her. Next, her legs were freed, and she stood, swaying a little from the aftereffects of the drugs she’d been given.

Just think, I’ve always worried about getting roofied. Who knew it would be my so-called friends who slipped me a mickey.

Walking around the table, she eased onto the chair Donald had indicated, staring at the pages that had been placed face down on the table. The corner of one stack had a smudge of Elizabeth’s blood across it, and she choked on her inhalation.

This can’t be happening. It’s all a horrible dream, and I’m going to wake up at the Boudreau ranch. Ms. Patti will come into the kitchen and start dinner, asking me if I want to help. Douglas will stroll inside, having been out with the horses. He makes me feel safe. They both do. Everything about the Boudreau family is real. They’ve built a family from a ragtag bunch of boys who needed help and now they help others. I want to be part of that, part of making a difference. I want to see Ms. Patti’s eyes light up when she spots Gage. She’s got a soft spot for him, I know. That’s real. This is just a nightmare and I want to wake up now. Come on, Suzanna, it’s time to wake up.

“This might be a nightmare, but you’re awake and it’s all very real.” Donald whispered words made her realized she’d spoke out loud. He leaned over Suzanna’s right shoulder, and tapped the first stack of papers. “Let’s start with this stack. It’s a copy of your revokable power of attorney, which you will sign. You’ll postdate it three months ago. There’s also a letter addressed to me, stating you want me to handle all your business affairs while you mourn your husband. You feel like you aren’t capable of making any decisions about Dawkins, Inc. during this time, and want me to handle all the business affairs. I’ve been doing it anyway, this just makes things all nice and official, since I’ve been signing things at the office that you should have been taking care of. Of course, you couldn’t be bothered to come into the office to even check on things. Not once since Steven died did you even darken the doors. Such a pathetic excuse for a wife.”

Flipping over the stack, she saw that it was exactly what he stated. Scrawling her name across the bottom, she handed the stack to him, which he accepted with a malignant grin.

“What now?”

“On to the next thing. This is the most important thing. My dear, this is your last will and testament.”

“I already have a will. I’ve had one for several years.”

“This one will make that one obsolete. You will sign the new will, leaving Dawkins, Inc., to me. It was supposed to be mine, so you’re simply rectifying Steven’s mistake. I know the probate court is going to uphold Steven’s will. I’ve got spies at the courthouse who told me the ruling on the will is coming next week.”

Fear coursed through her, a bead of sweat sliding down her forehead. If she signed that will, she was a dead woman. There was no way Donald would let her live. As long as she was alive, he wouldn’t have ownership of Dawkins, Inc., with its new microchip technology. She wasn’t stupid, she realized he must have sabotaged the chips, delaying the launch.”

“Steven found out you sabotaged the particle light microchip, didn’t he? That’s why you killed him.”

“It was my project! I did everything to make it a success. I brought on the IT personnel who worked the program from start to finish. I brought on the marketing professionals to facilitate the launch and publicity for the microchips, and well as distribution. I approached Sandoval about providing secure courier services. Why shouldn’t I reap the glory? Instead, Steven met with Sandoval and refused to use him.”

“Because Gustavo Sandoval is a criminal.”

Donald barked out a laugh, the light from the crystal chandelier glinting off the shiny blade. “It’s business, Suzanna. Everybody in business is a criminal in one way or another. At least they are if they want to be successful.”

“That’s not true. Steven wasn’t a criminal.”

Donald’s maniacal laugh startled her. “Oh, my darling Suzanna, Steven really had you fooled, didn’t he?”

“I don’t believe you. I knew my husband, and he was an honest man. He was good to his employees. He was loving and kind.”

“Then why did he cheat me out of what was rightfully mine?” Donald’s scream echoed off the walls. He stalked away from her, before slamming his hand against the table hard enough she could feel the vibrations beneath her hands. Drawing in a ragged breath, she braced herself, knowing she’d only have one shot, one chance to get away. The house was empty; she’d given all the staff time off when she’d gone to New Orleans and then to Shiloh Springs. But if she could make it outside, there were neighbors who could hear her screams—maybe. Who knows, maybe the police were already on their way. Maybe a neighbor heard the gunshot, and the cavalry would ride to the rescue any minute.

Didn’t matter. She had to try.

Throwing herself from the chair, she raced through the opening and toward the front door—toward freedom.