Page 33 of Vicious Arrangement (Alpha Billionaire Daddies #7)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

NOAH

I’m glad I put in that extra work over the weekend, because, as I finish up work to get out this fucking door on time… so I can get home to change and take my woman out.

Excitement threads through my veins, heating my blood as something makes my heart beats a little faster and my fingertips tingle.

Am I fucking nervous?

I haven’t stopped looking at my watch since it hit four p.m. It’s five now. Even if the traffic’s shit, I’ll be home by six, but I text her.

Me: Aria, I’m leaving work soon, if I’m not there at six, it’ll be six thirty at the latest because of Manhattan traffic, but it’s going to be one hell of an evening. I can’t wait.

She doesn’t respond. Aria’s not the type to spend hours getting ready, but she might be waking up from a nap or even just getting in from shopping and hitting the shower. I don’t worry about it at all. I just want to be out and home and not late.

And this time, I covered that base.

D’Angelo’s is a place I haven’t been. It’s on the edge of Little Italy and, by all accounts, romantic and top-rated. It’s small, giving it an intimate vibe, and that’s according to each of the reviews I read.

But I chose it because Aria mentioned it.

In fact, I’m so hell-bent on this being a perfect first date that I booked the entire restaurant for the evening. Anyone planning on going tonight who has booked will earn themselves a free meal another night, courtesy of me.

I want it to be just the two of us, me and my girl.

I let that sink in.

My girl.

Aria.

I’m ready to admit the true extent of my feelings for her, and I’m hoping like hell she feels the same.

I even broke down and spoke with Asher today, who just told me in a bored voice, “Of course you’re in love with her and she’s in love with you.

Can we all get on the same page and move on with our lives?

Because if you don’t, you two will be at Josh’s wedding still trying to work out feelings. ”

He said “we” as in me and Aria.

Asher meant me.

I’m the idiot with my head in the sand.

And while I wanted to get mad, he’s right.

But I don’t know how she feels. I’ve made wrong turn after wrong turn with her. Fuck the only real thing I’ve gotten right is sex.

I want more. I want it all.

Because, I think, last night’s affecting me more than I’d ever have expected it to. Not the fucking nonsense with Aaron. That I’ve taken care of. But her.

She almost threatened me with leaving me and it hit home. Knocked me around.

I’m fucking forcing her to be here, and I don’t want that. I want her to want to be with me, but who’d want me the way I’ve been behaving? I’m me and I wouldn’t. So how can I expect someone as special as Aria to do so?

I get that my livelihood, Templeton Properties, and my inheritance depend on Aria continuing the marriage.

Because of that, how the fuck can I expect her to fully ever trust my feelings are genuine?

No, I’m not giving it all to that fucker Aaron, but it got me thinking, if I lost it all, where would I be?

There’d be money. I’d still be rich. I’m skilled enough to get another job, a high-end job or start my own business.

I’ll be fine if I don’t have that inheritance that adds to what I already have. And if someone else takes over as the president here, then I have my own shares, and I’ll make it all work for me.

But I won’t be fine if I lose Aria.

I’ll be poor without her.

Rock bottom.

The thought of her not in my life makes me sick to my stomach, it hurts my heart.

Telling her how I feel is one step. A big one. But it’s not enough.

I need to also show her. That’s what tonight’s all about.

With a sigh, I finish up and turn off my computer. I’m heading out, key in my office door when my lawyer arrives.

“Oh, good,” Peter says, “I caught you. I need your signature for a business deal.”

“Actually, I’m on my way out. Can it wait?” I try to keep the irritation that’s climbing in me to a dull roar.

“Not really,” he says, pushing up his glasses.

With a sigh, I unlock my door and usher him in, where I sign the document.

“Thanks for the heads-up on this Aaron. If he tries anything, direct him to me personally, I don’t want you dealing with it. We’ll squash him in court if he stupidly goes that route, and he’ll be slapped with all kinds of suits if he starts spreading lies.”

“I don’t think he’ll be a bother,” I say, squirming a little inside. I shared with Peter because I had to. It was the smarter thing to do, just in case my plans go south. But it’s like I’m a child running to Grandfather with a problem.

Only instead of being rebuffed, Peter’s taking it in his stride and taking it seriously.

It still makes me feel eight.

I check my watch as he hands me another page to sign. And then another.

“While you’re here, sign this one.”

I do that, too, and check my watch. The car’s waiting. We’ll be cutting it fine, but I think we’ll get there just on six.

“You seem to be in a hurry, Noah,” Peter says, checking everything.

I run a hand over the back of my neck and nod. “I’m taking Aria out for dinner.”

He grins. “Maybe your grandfather knew what he was doing after all. I know he was hard on you, but… he did love you.”

“Did he?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. He harbored a lot of guilt over your mother and for not seeing your father for what he was. And not doing more. But I’m thinking this might have been a sneaky gift.”

I scoff, but inside, I wonder if there’s truth to any of that. Was Oscar covering his guilt with his coldness to me? Maybe I take after him more than I knew. The idea isn’t exactly pleasant. But… yeah. And was he playing matchmaker?

“I guess,” I say, “we’ll never know.”

“Have a good evening, son.”

Even before the elevator doors open, I know something is wrong.

Angus is going insane, barking up a storm, and it only gets worse and more urgent as I step in.

He lunges at me and nips my coat, trying to drag me.

Then he lets go and barks, running off around the corner where the hidden emergency exit stairs are.

He barks and barks, then comes back, biting my jacket and pulling, something tears.

“Angus, where’s your mama? Where’s Aria?”

I don’t give a fuck about my jacket because in moments I’ve taken in the scene. A lipstick on the grounds. Scattered shopping bags. I put a hand on Angus’s soft fur because something’s sticking out.

In horror, I pull it out of his neck, above his collar.

A syringe.

He starts barking urgently, and this time when he lunges for my coat, I go with him.

Oh, God, oh, God, there’s blood on the wall next to the elevator, a little higher up than Aria’s height. Or her height in heels.

The world wobbles.

I race down to the stairs, where emergency lights are always on, but there are scratches at the back of the door, and I get what’s odd. The alarm isn’t blaring. Most people need a key to enter on each floor, but this one has an alarm. And it’s been disabled.

Whoever it was got in this way, but not out. At least, I don’t think so. Not on this floor because they’d have to race across the third floor to get to the bottom of the stairwell and then spill out on the street with Aria.

No one can enter from the street unless they’re the fucking FDNY.

It’s designed to let people out in an emergency, not in, not unless you’re the fire department.

Shit. Fuck. And Angus isn’t barking here. He’s back at the lift. Barking. Someone must have had a car right outside the door.

“Aria?” I scream her name even though I know she’s not here. I knew it the moment I stepped off. “Aria?”

No answer. Angus keeps barking, and even though I know she isn’t here, the marble statuette on the floor, some piece I bought in Venice a number of years ago is on the floor, some blood on it and I’m frozen inside.

“Aria!”

Angus and I race through the place, throwing open every door to every room top to bottom. We race around the terraces, and there’s no fucking sign of her. She’s gone. Slowly, I pull out my phone. Who the fuck do I call? The cops. But maybe she had an accident. Maybe something happened. Maybe?—

“Maybe Aaron got in and took her.”

I close my eyes as a wave of nausea, so strong I almost fall to my knees, washes over me.

If I call the cops, they’ll take too long. I don’t know what to do. For the first time I don’t know what to do.

Aria… I can call, see if she just went out.

It’s ludicrous, the fact her dog’s been drugged at some stage and is in a frenzy, or was, but is now leaning heavily against me, tells me just how idiotic her just going out is.

But still… I try to call her, and of course it goes to voicemail.

Then, across the great room, I spy something black. I run to it. Her phone. And it’s fucking smashed.

Frantic, I call Asher.

“I need your help. Please…”

“What is it?”

I take a breath. “Aria’s phone’s smashed. I need you to see if you can access it. She’s gone. She’s gone.” My throat closes. “I think she’s been kidnapped.”