Page 17

Chapter Sixteen

After my bath, I changed into my comfy PJs and made my way into the living room. Andrew was sitting at the dining room table, his computer in front of him. When he saw me, he immediately gave me a smile. "There you are. I was wondering if you'd fallen asleep in there."

"I wasn't going to take that chance after almost drowning earlier. What are you doing?"

"Answering work emails. I do have an actual job besides all of this," he said, an edge to his voice.

"I know that."

He gave me an apologetic look and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. It's been a day. Not as bad for me as for you, so I shouldn't complain."

"We can complain together."

"It's about all we've been doing together."

"I know," I admitted, meeting his gaze. "Not the romantic, sexy honeymoon either of us was envisioning."

"I don't care about that; I care about you. I'm not protecting you the way I should be."

"You had no idea I'd be in danger on that yacht, and neither did I. It wasn't your fault."

"I hope you truly believe that. Lately, you look at me with a question in your eyes. Is there something you want to know that you're afraid to ask?"

That was a loaded question. There were dozens of things I wanted to know, like why he had a second phone, but when a knock came at the door, followed by, "Room Service," I knew this wasn't the right time.

"I'll get that," he said.

As Andrew got up to answer the door, I took a look at his computer screen, which was not opened to his emails but to something that looked like blueprints. It probably was work, I thought, until I realized I was looking at the floor plan of what appeared to be Victor's villa. His name wasn't on it, but I recognized the large patio and outdoor living space I'd seen off the living room during my earlier visit.

My heart jumped into my chest, and I quickly moved away to the other side of the table, not wanting to be caught spying. The waiter came into the suite, pushing a cart. As he set up dinner on our table, Andrew closed his computer and moved it out of the way.

I took a seat at the table, trying not to let my face reveal any of my thoughts. I wasn't sure exactly what I'd seen, and I shouldn't jump to conclusions. Andrew was a real-estate developer. Maybe those plans were for another oceanfront villa at a hotel resort.

Shaking my head at that ridiculous explanation, I settled into my seat, still feeling pain in my hip, but it was surprisingly better than it had been. Maybe some good had come from the pain medication and my icy-cold plunge into the Pacific Ocean. That might have brought some of the swelling down.

My stomach rumbled as the waiter revealed some very delicious-looking dishes from steak frites to a grilled branzino and a roasted chicken. There were also plenty of sides, from mashed potatoes to Brussels sprouts and spicy green beans. It all smelled heavenly, reminding me of how long it had been since we'd eaten. And I'd thrown up most of my lunch. But I wasn't nauseous anymore. In fact, I was starving, and the waiter had barely left before I picked up a serving fork, split the tender fish in half, and put it on my plate.

"This looks great," I said as Andrew sat across from me.

"I'm glad you're feeling hungry."

"I am." I dug in with an enthusiasm I hadn't felt in a while. Maybe it was because I was realizing how lucky I was to be alive. This day could have ended in my death. It could have been Andrew sitting alone at this table. Or he might not have been alone at all. Allison might have been with him.

I frowned at the abrupt turn of my thoughts.

"Is the fish okay?" Andrew asked.

"What?"

"You look like you just tasted something bad."

"No, it's wonderful. My mind keeps going back to being in the ocean and feeling like I wasn't going to make it, and I was so close to not making it."

"But you did. You're alive. You're relatively well. Getting better every day, I hope. Try not to think about it."

"I'm trying," I said as we ate the rest of our meal in relative silence. We'd never been so quiet with each other as we'd been the last three days. For six months, we'd shared so many lively, energetic, talkative meals, filled with laughter and stories, and love and kisses. But there was a distance between us now. I didn't know how to shorten it. And there was a part of me that didn't know if I should try to bridge the gap between us.

But we couldn’t live in this awkward silence, so as I finished my meal, I decided to see if I could find out more about his business, about what he might have been looking at on his computer. "What are you working on? I thought you were taking time off for our honeymoon."

"Well, since that has been a bust, I decided to catch up on some emails."

"About…"

"A property I'm looking at in Florida," he replied. "There's an old beachfront hotel in the Keys going up for sale at a good price. With an extensive remodel, it has the potential to be a beautiful resort."

Maybe the blueprints had been for some other oceanfront resort. I relaxed a little at that thought. "That sounds interesting. Have you put in an offer?"

"Not yet. I need a partner, so I've been working on some potential investors." He paused. "I actually brought it up to Bennett when we were on the yacht earlier. He's interested in bringing in some acquisitions of his own to prove to Victor he is worthy to be the heir apparent. This property could be a good addition to the Carrington portfolio."

Yet another secret project he hadn't told me about, and it involved my company, which made it worse. "This wedding weekend is working out good for your business," I couldn't help saying.

He set down his fork, giving me a hard look. "I saw an opportunity to discuss the idea with Bennett. Why does that bother you? It's not like I haven't fulfilled every other obligation that has come my way. And, frankly, I've done it with more joy and enthusiasm than you have."

He had a point, but I was a little startled by his attack. "I wasn't criticizing; I was making a comment."

"A pointed comment."

"You're right," I admitted. "I'm just feeling like I'm the last person you talk to about anything. I work for Carrington Resorts. Why wouldn't you mention this to me?"

"It recently came up, and you work in marketing, Lauren. You make ads and posts for social media. You have nothing to do with real estate acquisitions."

Now I was irritated. "I do more than make ads and posts. I work with Megan on far bigger strategies to market our brands around the world. Do you even know what I do?"

"Apparently, you haven't been that forthcoming, either," he said, turning it around on me. "I didn't think you were interested in my business, Lauren. You rarely ask about it."

"Well, I'm interested when it has to do with the Carringtons."

"Noted. I'll keep that in mind."

I let out a sigh, knowing we kept tiptoeing around the edge of a big fight, and if I hadn't almost died today, we probably would have already had that fight. Andrew's phone buzzed, and he picked it up to read a text.

"Who's that from?" I asked.

"Jay. Bennett wants to meet us for a drink. He wants to talk about the Florida property. I'll tell him I can't go. He can do it on his own."

"You can go if you want to, Andrew."

"I don't think I should leave you alone."

Actually, I thought being alone would feel better than being on edge with him. "I'll be fine. I'm going to get into bed and watch a movie and probably fall asleep in less than an hour. I'm exhausted. Every muscle in my body is aching, and the day is catching up to me."

"Which is why I should stay with you."

"No. I understand that your business is important to you, and you have gone above and beyond with this campaign. I'm sorry if I haven't expressed my gratitude enough. You have carried me through a lot of shoots."

The tension eased between us. "I've been happy to do it, Lauren. We got a great wedding out of it, and, yes, I have made a connection with Victor and Bennett that may prove valuable in the end, but that was just an unexpected benefit."

"Go meet Bennett and Jay. I'll be fine."

He gave me a speculative look. "All right. If you change your mind, call me, and I'll come back."

"Is Colin going with you?"

"No. He's taking Harper out to dinner in Avalon." He smiled. "They are definitely having a good time together."

"I'm glad."

"By the way," he said. "Two things. One, Megan texted me about our spa day tomorrow and asked if you are still going to do it. I told her I would check in with you, but I couldn't guarantee anything. She wants to shoot us taking advantage of all the spa has to offer…couples massage, facials, manicures, and pedicures. It actually sounds relaxing. But you can think about it."

I really didn't want to do anything but lie in my bed. But if I had to do something for Megan, the spa was probably the easiest thing to do. "I saw I had a text from her, so I'll respond and let her know that we'll do it. What's the other thing?"

"Victor called to check on you. I said you were feeling much better, and he was happy to hear that. He's very upset about you falling off his yacht."

I frowned at his description, but I was tired of arguing over semantics. "Well, it was thoughtful of him to check in."

"He also invited us to his villa tomorrow night for a private dinner he's hosting for his friends and associates who are on the island for the grand opening. He said it would be a photo-free event and that he just wanted us to come and meet everyone and have a good time. But only if you're up for it, of course. He said to tell you there was no pressure on you to attend. But he and Paula would love to see us there."

"Another party, huh?"

Andrew shrugged. "Yes, another party."

"It would probably be an excellent opportunity for you to network," I said.

"And you," he returned. "I can't imagine it will hurt your chances of moving ahead in the company. Victor feels like he owes you."

"I don't want him to give me anything I haven't earned."

"I think you've earned a lot more than he's given you," Andrew said pointedly.

"Well, that's true. You're right. We should go to the party."

A smile spread across his face. "I think that's a good decision. I also think that tomorrow will be a better day," he added as he got to his feet.

"It couldn't be worse than today," I said, hoping that was true.

Andrew left ten minutes later, taking his computer with him. After he was gone, I went into the bedroom and checked the pocket of his jacket for the second phone, but it was gone, too.

Frowning, I got into bed and turned on the television, but nothing interested me. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling, trying to make sense of what I knew.

Andrew was getting close to Victor and to Bennett. That could be helpful to him personally and professionally. Through this whole event and marketing campaign, Andrew had gotten into a high-level circle that might have taken him years to infiltrate otherwise. But that wasn't a crime. I'd put him in a position to make those contacts. I couldn't criticize him for doing that.

But was it just about business contacts? Ethan thought Andrew was a thief, and the fact that he had been studying blueprints for a property that looked a lot like Victor's villa made me nervous. There was plenty of treasure inside Victor's gallery to steal. But there was also a high-level security system designed to protect those treasures, and Ethan was surely doing everything he could to make the system foolproof. Even if Andrew had blueprints for the villa, how could that really help him get inside? And why would he even need blueprints? He'd already been in the gallery. He'd had an opportunity to check out everything in that room, including the security system.

If Andrew was a thief, and he was planning to steal something from Victor, why wouldn't he have done it already? Why wait?

Maybe it was because not all the cases were full…

Was Andrew waiting for something in particular to arrive, something spectacular and legendary like the Heart of Eternity diamond that had been talked about at brunch? But surely anything that special would be impossible to get to, especially when Ethan was so focused on protecting that gallery. If Andrew was a thief, he would know the odds were stacked high against him.

The paintings that had been in Victor's office at the Newport Beach Hotel had been hanging on a wall in a locked room. There hadn't been this level of security at that location, so that had been a much easier theft. Who would attempt to rob Victor now when he'd basically put everything into a secure fortress?

I remembered what Ethan had told me about thieves, about motivations. Some people just wanted to prove they could do it. I hated to say that sounded like Andrew. He'd told me once he liked long odds. He preferred the challenge of doing something no one thought he could do. That's why he was risking so much to build his own business. He didn't want to work for anyone else. He wanted to be his own boss and wield his own power.

Shaking my head, I couldn't believe I was thinking about my husband being a thief. It seemed unbelievable. But then, everything that had happened the last few days seemed unbelievable, too.

My phone buzzed and I saw a text from Ethan, asking how I was doing.

I was touched by his concern. Instead of texting back, I picked up the phone and called him. He answered almost immediately.

"Lauren, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Am I interrupting you?"

"No. I'm just leaving Victor's villa to go back to my room. What's up?"

"I saw what looked like blueprints on Andrew's computer. I thought they might have been of Victor's villa, but I'm not entirely sure. Andrew also told me he has a piece of property in Florida that he wants to buy, and he's talking to Bennett about it being a potential acquisition for Carrington Resorts. They're meeting now for drinks to discuss it. It's possible those blueprints were for another ocean resort, but I thought I should tell you."

"I appreciate that. Andrew won't be able to bypass the security system we've set up, even if he has the blueprints of the villa."

"That's what I don't understand, Ethan. It seems like your security system is foolproof. Wouldn't that stop someone from trying to break in?"

"I hope it does, but it could also be a challenge someone can't resist."

I thought about that, then said something else that was on my mind. "Do you think there's any chance that Victor is…I don't know…playing two sides?"

"What do you mean?"

"I was wondering if he was one of the two people I heard talking on the yacht about handling you. Do you think Victor could be using you in some way?"

"Some of his actions have been questionable," Ethan admitted. "Like his refusal to see Andrew as a potential criminal. It made me wonder if Victor and Andrew could have been working together. If he'd hired Andrew to steal the paintings and cover up the theft with a fire."

"A fire that cost him a lot of money?" I questioned. "Why would he have done that?"

"I couldn't come up with a good answer to that question, so I let that theory go."

"What about Bennett? Maybe you're chasing the wrong person. Bennett seems at odds with his father about his position in the company. He told me he hates his dad's collection. I bet he would enjoy taking something away from Victor that meant a lot to him. Paula might feel that way, too. She doesn't seem happy with Victor's plans to live on the island."

"You've got a lot of ideas going on in your head tonight, Lauren."

"It's easier to think about paintings and thievery than to remember what happened to me today. Every time I let myself go back to that moment when I had to fight my way to the surface of the ocean only to realize that the yacht was moving away from me…" I shuddered as I blew out a breath. "It sends a wave of panic through my body. I know I'm not going to drown now. I'm not going to die in the ocean, but it still makes me sick."

"That's understandable, Lauren. I can't even imagine what you went through."

"I really thought it might be over for me. The water was cold, and I'm a strong swimmer, but I couldn't have floated on my back forever." I shivered at the memory.

"I wish I'd been on that trip, that I could have stopped you from having to experience that, Lauren."

"Well, what I need you to do now is help me figure out what's happening. I need to stop whoever is trying to hurt me. I'm pretty sure they've tried twice, and I don't want the third time to be the charm. I told Andrew to ask Allison to leave the island, but he doesn't think she'll go. And he refused to ask Victor to send her away. He said it wasn't his place to get into Victor's business, which I understand, but I really need her to be gone."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow, see if I can get a better sense of what she's up to."

I felt an immense relief at his words. "I would really like that. Thank you."

"It's the least I can do. What are you up to tomorrow?"

"We have to do a photo shoot at the spa. Nothing bad could happen there, right?"

"Maybe stay out of the sauna," he suggested. "I don't like the idea of you in a heated room with a door that could be locked."

"I hadn't thought about that."

"A massage, facial, getting your nails done, that's all good. Maybe leave the Jacuzzi and sauna for another time."

"I will. Good night, Ethan."

"Get some rest. I think you're going to need it."

After I ended the call, I put my phone on the nightstand, still too tired to go through all my text messages. I flipped through several channels, looking for a distraction, finally settling on an old sitcom with very loud canned laughter.

As I watched the show, I felt very much alone and very worried about my future. I'd fought so hard to survive my fall into the ocean. I thought I'd be safe when I got back on the boat, but I didn't feel safe. I felt like I was waiting for something else to happen, something bad, something I probably wouldn't expect, and I was terrified that my husband might be part of whatever was coming next. How could I have gone so fast from love to fear? How could I be thinking that my own husband might be trying to hurt me?

I blew out a tense breath, trying not to get too worked up. I had no proof Andrew was responsible for anything that had happened to me, and both times he had come to my rescue.

But my mind kept adding up all the odd things I'd learned about Andrew, all the small moments recently when I'd seen an anger, a hardness, I'd never seen before.

My phone buzzed, startling me with an incoming call from a number I didn't recognize.

"Hello?" I said tentatively.

"Stop trying to get rid of me," a woman said. "It won't end well for you, Lauren."

"Who is this?" I asked, even though I knew.

"You know who it is. You're like a cat, aren't you? You have nine lives."

"What do you want, Allison? Is it Andrew? Do you want him back? Is that what this is about?"

There was silence for a minute. "I want him to pay for what he did, and he will. You might, too, Lauren, if you don't stay out of this."

"Stay out of what?" I asked, but there was no answer as the call abruptly ended.

My heart was racing as I set down the phone. Allison had sounded very angry. Andrew must have talked to her. He must have told her to go. But now she was even more pissed. More determined to stay and make Andrew pay for something. I'd never met someone so vengeful before, and it was terrifying because I was more convinced than ever that she was the one who had shoved me off the yacht.