The Hotel 3 (The Billionaire Seduction) (7 page)

“And
I kept on going,” Xander
says, but he lets the smile drop. “And
it turns out, I have you to thank for that. The medics say you
dragged me out of the car.”

“It
was getting kind of toasty in there.”
Now it’s
my turn to joke. Anything to keep from reliving the nightmare of
feeling trapped in the car, desperate to get him out.

“You
both were lucky.” Dom’s
voice is full of emotion. “It
could have been so much worse.”

I
shoot him a nervous look. I don’t
know how much Xander knows, or what we should tell him. But Xander
seems to be filled in. He gives a wry smile.

“Looks
like somebody wants one less Rexford on this earth.”

“Do
you have any idea who would want to hurt you?”
Dom frowns.

“Present
company excluded, no idea.”

I
inhale sharply, but Dom doesn’t
say a word. He’s
standing there stiffly, his shuttered expression back. To an outsider
– to
Xander – it
would seem like he doesn’t
care about his brother at all. But I know differently. I saw his
panic when he thought Xander was hurt. He loves him, but the two of
them are too
pig-headed and stubborn to say sorry first.

“OK,
enough of this!” I
exclaim suddenly. “You
guys need to bury the hatchet once and for all. And I don’t
mean in each other’s
back,” I
add. I turn to Dom and give him a fierce look. “Xander
didn’t
come back to steal the hotel out from under you. He just wants to be
a part of the family business, too. And Dom would never hurt you,”
I add to
Xander. “He
went out of his mind when he thought you were hurt. He barely left
your bedside all night. No matter what else has happened, you guys
are brothers. You love each other. So can we please stop fighting
like this and just make up?”

There’s
silence. For a moment, I think I’ve
pushed them too far. These guys are proud. Shit, maybe I’m
just making this worse.

Then
Dom clears his throat, and slowly approaches the bed. He extends a
hand formally. “Thank
you for looking after
Juliet.”

“Don’t
give me that.” Xander
rolls his eyes, then pulls Dom down into a hug. They slap each
other’s
backs gruffly, the way guys do.

I
let out a huge sigh of relief.

“Well,
isn’t
this the happy family?” Lillian’s
voice comes from the doorway. She looks amused. “I’m
glad you’re
all in one piece.”

Dom’s
tense expression returns. “What
the hell are you doing here?”

“I
called her.” I
say. “Somebody
tried to kill Xander and I. We need to figure this out –
all of us.”

He
scowls. “You’re
asking me to trust a woman with Lilian’s
track record?”

“What’s
that supposed to mean?” Lillian
actually looks offended.

“You
set me up to claim half my shares in the Rexford. Who says you don’t
want to increase that proportion?”

“Are
you seriously accusing me of attempted murder?”
Lillian’s
voice rises. “I
didn’t
hire the guy who took pictures of you and Juliet. The tape and
pictures arrived anonymously at my office. I’ve
no idea who did it.”

“Wait,
what?” I
frown. “If
you didn’t
set up the honey trap, then who did?”

“I
don’t
know!”

There’s
a pause as we all process this news. Lillian continues.
“Once I
saw the evidence, I had to use it. You never let me have anything to
do with the hotel before. It was so damn important to you. I figured
I’d
see what all the fuss was about. Controlling shares aren’t
that much fun, honestly.”

Lillian
decided she’d
try and run a multi-million dollar hotel because she was bored? I
remember what she said about Dominic never letting her in. This was
her way of seeing inside his private world—maybe
a little inside him, too.

“So
who did this?” I
ask, thinking hard. “They
knew it would make Dom crazy, and split him and Xander even further
apart.”

“And
make Lillian happy,” Xander
adds. “And
put the future of the Rexford in jeopardy.”

There’s
only one person who would stand to gain from all of that.

Dom’s
eyes narrow as a slow rage washes over his beautiful face. “Blaine
Prescott.”

“You’re
right!” I
turn to Lillian, recalling the restaurant incident. “Blaine
was spitting mad when you turned him down. After you left with
Xander, I thought Blaine was going to breathe fire.”

Her
face goes pale. “He’s
been asking me out forever, but I never took his interest seriously.
Even when I was with Dom, he was always hanging around.”

“So
he probably thought that once you divorced, the field would be
clear.” I
think it through. “But
nothing changed. And then when he saw you with Xander…”
I stop.
“Shit.
I may have
suggested
that you and Xander were a thing, after you left. I thought it might
help deter Blaine, but…”

Dom
places a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “It’s
not your fault. A man like that isn’t
rational. He’s
clearly lost his mind.”

Xander
looks grim. “I’ll
fucking kill him.”

“Even
if it was him, how do we prove it? The police don’t
have evidence.” Lillian
asks.

“Give
me five minutes alone in a room with him, and he’ll
talk.” Dom’s
face is a mirror of his brother’s
rage.

“No.”
I tell them
both firmly. “Blaine
hates you guys, and he’s
crazy. You don’t
know what he’ll
do.
He’s
already tried to kill Xander, remember? I’m
not having you anywhere near him.”

“Then
what?” Dom
demands, clearly frustrated.

“We
need to trap him into confessing,” I
say slowly. “So
we can get him brought to justice the right way.”

“Sure,”
Lillian rolls
her eyes. “He’s
just going to tell us everything he’s
been doing.”

“Not
us,” I
realize. “You.”

She
blinks.

“You’re
the reason he’s
been doing all of this.” I
see her upset expression, and quickly add, “Not
because you asked for any of it. But in his twisted mind, it’s
all for you. If anyone’s
going to get him to talk, it’ll
be you. He probably can’t
wait to brag about every evil thing he’s
done.”

My
mind is going top speed, pulling together a plan that will take that
asshole down, and hard. “Call
him and make nice on an invitation for drinks at the Rexford. Tell
him you’re
sorry you turned him down, but you weren’t
free to move on. You are now. You’re
interested, and you need his help screwing Dominic over.”

“No!”
Dom
explodes. “I’m
not having anyone go near that monster alone.”

“She
won’t
be alone,” I
tell them. “We’ll
be right there watching. And we’ll
need some kind of recording device, to get the confession on tape…”

“I
know a guy,” Xander
pipes up.

Dom
turns on him. “You
can’t
seriously agree with this nonsense plan. It’s
insanity.”

“And
so is letting Blaine walk around another day. Who knows what else
he’s
planning now his original scheme failed?”
Xander’s
lips press together determinedly. “And
since I’m
not much use in this hospital bed right now.”

Lillian
gets out her phone. Dom makes to move towards her. “Lillian,
I’m
ordering you—”

“You
don’t
get to do that anymore.” Lillian
scowls back. “This
is my decision, and I won’t
let Blaine hurt anyone else because of me.”

Before
Dom can stop her, Lillian dials. “Blaine,
honey, how are you?” she
coos, sweet as honey. “Oh,
don’t
be silly. I told you, it was just because my schedule was jam-packed.
But I’m
free for drinks tonight, if you’d
like?”

There’s
a pause, then she throws in a little giggle. “Can’t
wait. See you later!”

She
hangs up with a nod. “He’s
in.”

I
look around. Tonight, it all goes down. We’re
going to nail that bastard.

Everything
is ready.

We’re
waiting in a limo outside the Rexford. It’s
almost show time and I’m
getting more nervous. What if this is a terrible plan, and I’m
sending Lillian straight into danger?

“Don’t
look so panicked,” she
says lightly, as Xander adjusts a tiny recording device hidden in her
bra. He insisted on getting released from the hospital for this, but
must have reached too far, because she gives his hand a light slap.
“Down,
boy,” she
warns.

He
smirks. “Just
making sure you’re
wired right.”

“Sure
you are.”

They’re
bantering brightly, but I can tell they’re
both nervous. Dom is sitting tense beside me, like he’s
about to bolt from the car and slam Blaine against a wall.

“Are
you sure it’ll
work?” Lillian
asks, adjusting the wire.

Xander
nods. “My
security guy said it was sensitive enough to pick up the barest of
whispers. It’s
synched into Dom’s
extra cell phone, so we’ll
be able to hear everything.”

I
cringe at the thought of Blaine Prescott getting close enough to me
to whisper anything. Poor Lillian. I hope this goes fast, for her
sake. I can imagine she’ll
need a hot bath and some disinfectant when this is all over.

“Okay,
remember to speak clearly.” Dominic
reminds her. “Act
interested, but not too interested. We don’t
want him—”

“For
crying out loud, Dominic,” she
says sweetly, running a finger down the front of his shirt. “I
know how to seduce a man, remember?”

There’s
silence. My chest constricts. “Whoops,”
she gives me
a wink. “Sorry,
honey. He’s
all yours.”

She
grabs her purse and slides out of the limo. Her embroidered blue top
is breezy, effectively showing off her spectacular breasts while
hiding any sign of the wire. Prescott won’t
be able to stay away from her, luckily for us.

We
wait a moment, then Dominic and I slip inside and sit in the shadows
in the back of the room. There’s
a risk Blaine will see us, but Dom wouldn’t
take the chance of leaving Lillian alone with him. Lillian is at the
bar, waiting. Blaine enters. We see him talking to her, but can’t
hear anything.

“Damn
it,” Dom
scowls. “Why
isn’t
the mic working?” He
looks like he’s
about to bolt over there.

“Give
her a second.”

Suddenly,
the app on his phone lights up and scratchy audio starts to play.

Blaine’s
smarmy voice comes through.
“Oh
my God, you look ah-mazing.”

“
Of
course I do, but thank you,”
she quips lightly.
“How’s
life at the Prescott group? Tell me it’s
not as dull as over here. God, all these meetings. It could drive a
girl crazy.”

Blaine
chuckles.
“I
let other people do the boring work. It’s
called delegating.”

“
You’re
so smart. Honestly, I don’t
know why Dom runs around when he could just sit back and cash the
checks like you.”

I
start to relax. “She
knows how to handle him.”

“Lillian
always had a gift for wrapping men around her little finger.”
There’s
a faint note of bitterness in Dom’s
voice. I look over. He exhales. “It’s
in the past,” he
says, smiling at me. He takes my hand and brings it to his lips.
“Everything
worked out the way it was supposed to, my love.”

My
heart leaps to hear him say it.

“You
mean aside from the crazy stalker guy trying to get us killed,”
I point out,
smiling.

He
chuckles. “Aside
from that.”

Dom’s
cell phone rings, and he curses when he sees the number. “It’s
the Paris financial officer. I’ve
been expecting his call.” He
pauses, looking back at Lillian and Blaine. They’re
still at the bar, and Lillian is flirting up a storm.

“
And
did you see Bunny and Bex in Aspen last year?”

“Take
it,” I
tell him. “They’ll
be a while.”

“OK.
Just keep listening in and call me if something goes down.”

He
exits the bar through the back door, and I turn my attention back to
Lillian and Blaine. He’s
leaning so close to her that I can hear his heavy breathing coming
through the wire. Barf. To her credit, Lillian lets him practically
drool on her.

“
I
saw Xander at the hospital today,”
she says. Blaine coughs.

“
He
said the brakes were cut on his little sports car. Honestly, I’m
a little sad that someone beat me to it.”

What
is she doing? She’s
not supposed to push him like this!

“
Really?”
His voice is neutral, but I detect a spark of interest. Lillian plays
it up by tapping his arm with her finger.

“
I
thought I’d
be satisfied when I took Dominic’s
shares from him. But then Xander showed up, and I know it’s
only a matter of time before I have competition.”

“
I
thought you and Xander were a thing?”

She
laughs.
“Please.
He’s
inconvenient. Both the Rexfords are, wouldn’t
you agree?”

I’m
fuming over here. She’s
supposed to be subtle, not so obvious! What if Blaine figures out
this is a ruse?

“
Sure,
they’re
annoying, but I’ll
crush them both in time.”

Blaine
isn’t
taking the bait.

Lillian
leans in closer.
“I
know you sent me the video of Dominic fucking that little intern.”

Holy
shit! She’s
going for the jugular. Panic curls up inside me, and I desperately
wish Dominic would get back. What if she tips Blaine off, if she
makes him suspicious?

“
Admit
it, and let me thank you properly,”
Lillian coos.

Oh
no. Here comes the seductive charm. Blaine takes both her wrists in
his hands and moves so their knees are touching. She looks slightly
alarmed, but recovers with a sugar-coated smile.
“When
I’m
done thanking you, we can talk about getting rid of Xander for good
this time.”