Chapter 1 #2
Savvie had looked up adult children of the rich and famous in upstate New York and come up with the McMadden family with their seven children. Hopefully, he hadn’t met them as Mr. McMadden liked to keep his family out of the public eye.
“Sapphire McMadden,” she said. “My mother wanted to call me Diamond, but my father said it was too over the top since he owns a diamond mine.” She shrugged. “So, Sapphire is what’s on my birth certificate.”
“Sapphire suits you. Cold stone on the outside and fire inside.” His eyes narrowed. “McMadden? As in Howard McMadden?”
She nodded. “My father.”
The man’s eyes practically rang cha-ching.
“Your family is from up north if I recall correctly. What are you doing in Miami?”
“Question number two?” She waved a hand around. “Trading cold weather for sun and sand. It’s May, and there’s still snow on the ground in New York.”
“Ahh, snow-birding.” He tipped his head toward the entrance as a woman sailed in wearing a long, flowing red dress, her jet-black hair hanging down in soft waves around her shoulders. “That’s Amelie Crescent, the actress.”
Savvie’s gaze followed the woman across the floor. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caldwell’s hand move over her drink, shaking a fine powder into the gold flakes.
Her heart beat faster.
The bastard had spiked her drink. She imagined that was how he got women to go with him to his suite night after night.
Well, tonight would be the last time he drugged some unsuspecting female.
“She’s beautiful,” Savvie commented and lifted her glass toward the entrance. “Is that Bradley Cooper?”
When he turned to look, she spilled half of her drink into Caldwell’s empty tumbler and raised the rim toward her lips. When he turned back to her, she set the glass on the counter. “No. Sadly not Bradley.” She giggled and swayed a little. “The drink is lovely. What about question number three?”
He shook his head. “It’s my last question. I think I’ll wait a little longer before I ask it.”
The bartender set another bourbon neat on the bar top and removed the empty.
Savvie faked a yawn, covered her mouth and blinked. “Sorry.” She smiled. “I’m not usually this sleepy.”
“Are you ready for another drink?” He frowned at her half-empty glass. “Don’t like the Five Star Gold Martini? I can’t imagine gold flakes having much flavor.”
She gave him a sleepy grin. “No, but they tickle my lips.” She closed her eyes and rolled her neck and shoulders. “Is it warm in here? Or is it just me?”
“It’s warm,” Caldwell said. “I have the air conditioner running full blast in the penthouse. Would you like to come up with me? It has the most amazing view of the city and the ocean from the top floor.”
Laying her act on even thicker, she propped her elbow on the bar and rested her chin in her palm. “I’d like that, but I’m not so sure I can make it all the way to the elevator.” She shook her head, pretending to try to clear encroaching brain fog. “What did you say your name was?”
“I didn’t. But your name is Sapphire.” He took her arm. “Come on. Let me show you the view.”
Savvie let him lead her out of the bar. “I need to use the ladies’ room,” she said.
“You can use the bathroom in the penthouse,” he assured her.
Savvie shook her head. “Only be a minute.” She dragged the words out and lunged into the ladies’ room as they passed.
Caldwell tried to grab her arm before she made it through the door.
Managing to evade his grasp, she waved as she entered. “Be right back.”
Once the door closed behind her, she pulled out her cell phone and touched the keys that activated the computer program that would freeze the surveillance system.
Once she’d activated the code, she tucked the phone into her bra, swung back out of the bathroom, staggered and giggled. “Never mind. I can wait.”
Caldwell hooked her arm and steered her toward the elevator. Once inside, she slumped against the wall, clinging to his arm at the same time. “I don’t know why I’m soooo…sleepy.”
The man swiped his room card over the card reader and hit the penthouse button.
“Must be the heavy gold flecks in that drink.” He slipped his arm around her waist and held tight to keep her from slumping to the floor.
She let her knees buckle twice on the ride up to the penthouse, making him work to keep her upright.
She didn’t want to make it any easier for him.
When the door opened to the penthouse, Savvie let her target half-walk, half-drag her out of the elevator into the suite.
“I jusss…need to….sit…” Savvie let her eyes flutter closed. Not all the way. Peering through her lashes, she studied the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows gave an uninterrupted view of city lights. Nothing moved in the room. As far as she could tell, they were alone.
Good.
He helped her through the entryway and into the sitting room. Doors opened off either side of the sitting room, leading into bedrooms.
Caldwell stopped in front of a white leather couch and let her slide out of his arms onto the cushion.
Sitting gave her the chance she needed to reach for the knife strapped to her inner thigh. Guns were too bulky under a dress that hugged her body like the one she wore. And they made too much noise without a silencer, and silencers were bulky.
She sank onto the couch and slumped forward, her arm falling toward the leg with the sheathed knife. Her hand wrapped around the blade.
When Caldwell turned his back, he hit a number on his cell phone and held it to his ear.
Savvie rose from the couch in one smooth motion. She raised her hand, bringing it around the side of the man’s neck. Her other hand reached for his head.
“Got a blonde. You should get a good price for this bitch along with the others,” Caldwell said just as Savvie grabbed his forehead from behind and yanked him backward.
“What the—” the man gasped.
The bastard was practically counting his money over his latest female captive.
Savvie had no problem ridding the world of such a dick.
Instead of pulling forward, he backed up quickly.
Not expecting him to go backward, and wearing high heels, Savvie staggered back until her legs bumped into the coffee table. She lost her balance and fell, taking Caldwell with her.
Her back hit the coffee table.
Caldwell landed on top of her, knocking the wind from her lungs.
Immediately, he rolled to the side, twisting out of her grasp.
As Savvie sucked air into her lungs, it was cut off by Caldwell’s hands wrapping around her throat.
“Bitch, my brother doesn’t like it when the goods are bruised and damaged. You should’ve drunk the martini.” He squeezed tightly. “I don’t have time for this shit,” he growled.
She had to act quickly before she lost consciousness. When she’d fallen, she’d let go of the knife. Reaching out, she patted the coffee table.
It wasn’t there.
Gray haze crept in around the edges of her vision.
She dropped her arm down the side of the table and desperately patted the floor.
She touched something cool and hard. With her fingertips, she dragged the knife closer, wrapped her hand around it and thrust it upward, ramming it into his throat with deadly accuracy.
The razor-sharp blade sliced through the man’s jugular vein.
As blood gushed from the wound, splattering over Savvie’s face and chest, Caldwell’s eyes widened. He straightened and clamped a hand to his throat as all the color drained from his face.
Savvie rolled off the table and stood, wiping warm liquid from her cheeks. Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
Savvie turned to face two men emerging from the elevator.
As they rushed toward her, she shoved Caldwell’s body at the man in the lead.
He staggered backward under the weight of the dying man.
A big man with a barrel chest sidestepped his partner’s fall and pulled a gun from beneath his jacket.
Before he could take aim, Savvie flung her knife through the air, striking the arm holding the gun.
A shot went off, missing her completely.
The man’s hand jerked backward, the gun flying from his grip.
He cursed and pulled the blade from where it had sunk into his bicep, then lunged toward her, his eyes blazing, his lips curled back in a fierce snarl.
Savvie ran for the elevator, knowing she would have to stand her ground and fight long enough for the car to arrive and for her to get inside.
As soon as she punched the button to call the elevator up to the penthouse, she spun.
The man she’d stabbed raised the knife with his uninjured arm and jabbed it toward Savvie.
Her hand shot out, blocking the big guy’s thrust. She twisted her hand, grabbed his wrist and stepped around him, bringing the wrist up between his shoulder blades. “Drop it,” she said.
The man grunted, refusing to release the knife.
“Drop it,” she repeated, shoving the arm higher.
His fingers loosened, and the knife fell from his grasp.
An arm wrapped around Savvie’s neck and pulled her backward.
She released her captive, raised both legs and kicked him as hard as she could, sending him crashing into a wall so hard, he slumped to the floor and lay still.
The man behind her staggered backward at the force of her kick, his arm loosening slightly.
Before he could steady himself, she reached over her head and jammed her thumbnails into his eyes, digging in as hard as she could.
He roared and loosened his hold enough for her to break free.
She dove for the knife and scooped it up into her hand.
The guy still standing reached his arms out blindly, his eyes squeezed tightly shut and bleeding. “Where the fuck are you, bitch. I’m gonna kill you.”
She slipped around behind him.
A bell dinged, announcing the arrival of the elevator car.
With as much force as she could muster, Savvie planted a sidekick into the blinded man’s back, sending him staggering across the room. He fell over the coffee table and landed in a heap on the floor.
The door opened on the elevator as the barrel-chested man pushed to his hands and knees.
Savvie touched the button for the lobby.
Both men made it to their feet.