Chapter 31
31
Bethany walked into Zach’s San Francisco Palisades home just after midday the next day, expecting another architectural masterpiece that bore very little signs of who Zach Savage was. She was immediately proven wrong.
Well-used surf boards lined the wide grey hallway that led to a vast open-plan living room, which gave floor-to-ceiling views of Bay Bridge from the exclusive corner of the world Zach truly called home.
The furnishings were big and comfortable and lived-in. A signed baseball glove sat on the large cedar wood coffee table hewn from a whole tree trunk, and swim trophies covered the large fireplace that dominated one side of the room.
The surprising insight into his life, however, didn’t distract her from the man himself. His face was set in harsh lines of fury, much the same as they had been when he’d picked her up off the floor in their Bangkok suite and carried her to the living room.
He’d poured a brandy and stood over her as she’d sipped the strong liquor.
Then, just like he’d done with her iPad, he’d taken her phone and handed it to a summoned Philip. It had been returned less than ten minutes later.
“Keely didn’t send you that text. Your phone was hacked.” Zach’s voice, blade thin and lethal, had frozen her relief that her best friend hadn’t been responsible for the pain clawing through her.
“Who did?”
“The same person who sent the message to your iPad.”
Frowning, she’d stared at him. “But why send it from Keely?”
His look of guilt had sent alarm bells clanging wildly. “Because I blocked all non-essential calls on your phone the day we left Italy.”
“What? What gave you the right? And who were the essential people you chose?”
“Your parents and Keely.”
“We need to have a serious conversation about the things you feel you need to protect me from, Zach. But first, please tell me what the hell is going on,” she’d demanded.
Fury had pulsed from him as his jaw clenched. “Time to bring this thing to an end.”
Now, Bethany watched him pace his living room, his cellphone glued to his ear, and her insides churned.
The whole flight home, he’d kept her in his sights as if she would disappear the moment he looked away. The terror in his eyes when he’d read the message would live with her forever.
It hadn’t been terror born of guilt. It had been terror that the simple text message would drive her away once and for all.
His eyes had tracked her as he’d called his lawyer, his demands uncompromising. After he’d finished, they’d dressed, packed and headed to the airport.
It was a testament to Zach’s power and influence that he’d had a private plane fueled and waiting by the time Philip had driven them onto the tarmac.
For a tiny moment, she feared what he would do to the person who’d sent her the texts messages.
“The meeting’s in half an hour. Would you like something to eat? Or to take a shower?” he asked, that probing look fixed on her.
She didn’t feel much like eating. And she didn’t think her stomach could hold any food, seeing as it performed a triple somersault each time she thought of what lay ahead. “I could use a bathroom.”
He nodded, came over and took her hand, the apprehensive look still lurking in his eyes. “I’ll show you where it is.”
The bedroom he led her to was suspended over a shallow cliff, the view so breathtaking she froze for a second. “Do you like it?”
Just like in Italy, his gaze searched her as he questioned her. She nodded. “The view is amazing. And this place… it feels like a home.”
He nodded thoughtfully and pointed to the glass door to the side of the room.
Bethany washed quickly, dug her toothbrush from her purse and ran it over her teeth. Then she re-knotted her hair and adjusted the sleeve of the light blue jacket she’d worn over her white summer dress.
Zach was waiting outside when she emerged, feeling a little less travel worn.
“We need to leave now.”
She nodded, her heart jumping into her throat. She would know Zach’s deepest, darkest secret before nightfall. Zach Savage wasn’t prone to making irrational judgments, and as Philip drove them towards the offices of Reed, Reed & Clintons, she reiterated to herself that whatever that secret was, they would work through it together.
Stanley Reed personally met them in the vast, artistically designed foyer and led them to a plush conference room. Introductions were made.
The portly man’s gaze was speculative, but his ingrained discretion won over his curiosity.
“Are they here?”
Stanley nodded. “They arrived ten minutes ago.”
Zach’s face grew taut and unreadable and renewed tension bristled through him.
“Let’s get this over with.”
“I’ve drawn up all the necessary papers. All we have to do is convince them to go ahead with what we proposed.”
“They have no choice. They won’t like the alternative.” The dark threat was unmistakable.
Stanley’s gaze darted back to her before he stood. Zach remained seated, his breathing choppy. “Give us a minute, Stanley.”
His attorney nodded and left.
Zach raised bleak, anguished eyes to her and her fear for them tripled. “Bethany…”
She surged forward and took his hand. “I’m here, Zach. No matter what, we’ll deal with it together.” She knew, unequivocally, that the man she loved, the man who treated her like she was the most precious thing in his life, wasn’t a killer. Whatever else was out there, she was sure she could deal with it.
His fingers grasped her, meshing painfully around hers. “I’m holding you to that, baby. I can’t… I won’t live without you,” he whispered raggedly.
She rose and launched herself at him. He pulled her into his lap and buried his face against her chest, his breath heaving as his body shook. They remained like that for a full minute before he slowly lifted his head.
The anguish hadn’t abated, but it had eased a little.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
He nodded.
She took and held on to his hand as they left the room.
Stanley led them two doors down to another conference room.
Three people were seated inside. The older couple were clearly Farrah’s parents. The older woman’s resemblance to her dead daughter was acute.
Stanley made the introductions. Fawad and Nabila Nisa didn’t offer to shake hands, and neither did their son, Karim. Pure hatred bristled from the younger man the moment he turned his black eyes toward Zach, and it ramped up a few thousand degrees when he saw their joined hands.
Zach pulled out a chair for her, opposite the trio on the other side of the conference table, and sat without letting go of her hand. She knew he craved the support, but it helped her just as much.
Stanley Reed took his place at the head of the table and cleared his throat. “Shall we get started?”
Nabila made a tiny rough sound beneath her breath. Raising her head, she glanced at Zach.
Bethany’s breath caught as she witnessed the emotion in the woman’s eyes. Pain, raw and hellish and all-consuming. But as she watched her, another emotion flared up. It took a few seconds for Bethany to recognize it.
Her eyes were pleading with Zach—a desperate plea for salvation. For mercy.
Zach returned her stare, his face twisting with regret for a moment before he glanced at Stanley.
“Bethany, Zach has asked me to draw up non-disclosure papers for you to look over. As you probably know, they involve Farrah Nisa, his wife”—he paused as Karim snorted—“and the circumstances of her death. Are you prepared to consider the papers?”
Her eyes darted to Zach. Grey eyes locked with hers. “It’s totally your call. But it’s… easier this way.”
“Easier for you to lock her in a world of secrets and lies, you mean?” Karim blasted from across the table.
Zach froze. His eyes turned bullet lethal as they rested on Karim. “Do not push me, Karim. You already stepped way out of line when you decided to come after Bethany.”
Fawad Nisa frowned. “What did you do, Karim?”
Karim’s jaw clenched. “She needs to know the kind of man he is,” he shot back.
“I know everything I need to know about the kind of man he is,” Bethany inserted.
Five pairs of eyes turned to her. Zach’s eyes held desolation, gratitude and fear. Her lips pursed. It was time to end this, to work on making her man whole again.
She glanced at Stanley. “What do I need to do?”
He opened the black folder in front of him and slid papers across the desk.
“You sign the agreement, then Zach is free to tell you everything you want to know.”
“No,” Zach bit out, his eyes still on her. “I tell her before she signs.”
“No chance in hell is that happening.” Karim’s eyes narrowed on Bethany. “And before you consider signing the document that’ll lock you into a sordid world of secrets and lies, let me tell who exactly it is that you’re sleeping with.”
“Karim.” Zach’s voice throbbed with warning.
“He took a beautiful young girl and turned her into a junkie.”
Zach jerked to his feet. His chair crashed into the wall behind. Karim jumped back, but his eyes continued to taunt Zach.
“How old are you, Miss Green?”
“I’m twenty-five.”
“My sister would’ve been twenty-eight two weeks ago. But he ended her life.”
“Karim.” This time, the warning came from Nabila. Her eyes darted to Zach and immediately shifted away.
“I meant what I said in that message. You need to be careful he doesn’t do that to you, too.”
“Karim. Enough!” His father stared him down, but anger rolled across the younger man’s face. “Mr. Savage, I urge you to remember the terms of our previous agreement and reconsider.”
Zach calmly resumed his seat. “No. I’m telling Bethany before she signs. That is non-negotiable.”
“You trust her to keep our secret?” Nabila asked, her voice husky with the raw emotion displayed in her eyes.
Zach’s nostrils flared, and he swallowed hard. Bethany looked deep into his eyes and caught a glimpse of the desperately lonely boy yearning for a connection. She vowed there and then to be whatever Zachary Savage needed.
“I trust her to do whatever she feels is right for her. I’ve trusted her since the moment I met her, but I was too damned blind to see it.”
His words knocked the air out of her lungs. “Zach…”
“Give us the room please.”
“This is… Don’t think we won’t sue your arrogant billionaire ass if this goes sideways, Savage! You’ll be looking at serious jail time by the time I’m done with you if you don’t rethink this right now.”
Zach barely glanced at Karim. “No, you won’t. If you want to know why you won’t be coming after me, ask your mother.”
Nabila’s horror-filled gasp echoed in the room. Her husband turned sharply toward her, his eyes widening as her pale, pain-ravaged face crumpled and she began to sob quietly.
Stanley jumped to his feet and ushered the couple out. Karim followed at a slower pace, suspicion and confusion momentarily blanking out his anger.
The moment they were alone, Zach reached for Bethany and pulled her into his lap. He meshed one hand in her hair and then clasped her hand against his chest. “I’m sorry, Bethany. I should’ve done this a long time ago. I should’ve told you that night in Marrakech.”
“You needed time to sort things out in your head. You’ve held on to this for six years. Even though I feel like I can’t remember a time before having you in my life, it’s really been just three weeks since we met, Zach. I wanted too much, too soon.”
He looked a little shocked at the reminder, but he shook his head. “I wanted everything from you the moment I laid eyes on you. You had the right to demand the same from me.” He sucked in a jagged breath and let it out. “No more secrets, Bethany.”
She swallowed. “No more secrets.”