Maid for the Billionaire (11 page)

Carefully she picked the Choice of Excursion
card out of the pile and held it up for all three men to see. She
showed it happily to each, not minding that they sat back in their
chairs as if she'd mortally wounded each of them. "You know what
this means?" she knew her voice held a bit of smugness.

"Paddleboats," the three men said in
disgusted union.

She held up another card, unable to stop
herself from enjoying some of her winnings. "And this one?"

"Do you even have any movies with you?" one
of the body guards asked.

"Mrs. Duhamel set me up," Abby replied. "I'll
just have to decide between Meg Ryan and Sandra Bullock. You guys
aren't closet criers, are you? Should I call down for a box of
tissues?"

She knew she should stop, but it was really
too much fun. The men looked positively miserable.

Scott pulled out the one card he'd balked
against. "And what about this one?" he asked.

The mood turned serious for a moment. She
knew that Dominic had written up instructions with her safety in
mind and, as much fun as it had been to win the outing, she wasn't
going to do anything deliberately foolhardy. She shook her head.
"There is nowhere I need to go. It was just fun to win it."

He placed the card in his shirt pocket
looking more relieved than he likely wanted her to see. The men
beside him nodded and Abby knew that she'd gained their respect in
that moment. She wasn't here to endanger them or give them trouble.
Her goal had been to harmlessly have a little fun.

Still, she couldn’t help wondering what they
would have done if she’d actually named an off limits destination.
Something told her that these men were not always so congenial.
They were humoring her because Dominic had instructed them to and
like so many other people in Dominic’s world, they did his bidding
without question.

Knowing that, the paddleboat excursion seemed
almost cruel. Abby remembered how confident they’d all been that
they’d whip her at Poker and she bit her lip to hide her
mischievous grin. Nothing wrong with a little payback.

"I'm going to go change. I think the rental
place is open until five," she announced gleefully and was rewarded
with a round of dramatic groans.

The walls of the hotel must have been thinner
than what they were used to because Abby could hear the men as they
cleared the table. One of them said, "I can't believe you told her
what people are saying about Dominic."

The other, older guard said, "I can't believe
you said you wished you'd met her first. If that got back to
Dominic you could kiss your company goodbye. Was the joke really
worth it?"

"Who said I was kidding?" Scott asked.

"Don't do anything stupid, Scott," one of
them warned.

"I didn't say I'd act on it. I just voiced
what the two of you are too afraid to say out loud. That is one
incredible woman."

Abby pressed her back up against the door,
knowing she should stop listening, but unable to. She sought more
than compliments. These unguarded moments could provide her with
some insight to what this trip was really about.

"Do you think it's true that he met her this
week?"

"Walton has had me following Dominic since he
received news about his father. It's true,” Scott said and Abby
smothered an involuntary gasp with both of her hands.

"Did Dominic know that you were already on
his tail before he asked you to come with him?" It gave Abby no
comfort to hear her surprise echoed in the voice of the other
guard.

"I'm pretty confident that he had no idea,"
Scott said with confidence.

"Are you still reporting to Jake?" one of
them asked him.

There was a long pause before Scott
reluctantly answered, "Yes."

"Oh, man, he'll kill us if he finds out."

The sound of feet shuffling was followed by
what could have been the slam of a body against a wall. Abby’s
hands shook against her mouth, but she could not force herself away
from the rest of the conversation.

"He's not going to find out." Scott’s easy
manner slid away, revealing the cold voice of a man who didn’t make
idle threats.

"I don’t want to be buried in some Chinese
rice field,” the man said in defense.

"Will you shut up?" Scott threatened, but in
a lower voice as if just remembering Abby’s presence in the other
room. "There is no one who could tell. You two have as much to lose
as I do. Jake won't go up against Dominic. There is no one who
would tell him. So stop worrying."

Abby stepped away from the door, suddenly a
lot less sure of what she was going to do that day.

Stopping on the highest part of the Seventeen
Arch Bridge, Abby leaned between two white lion statues and looked
across the peaceful Kunming Lake at the ornate Long Corridor that
wound along the shoreline. The sheltered passageway had led her
most of the way from the Summer Garden’s East entrance to the
Marble Boat where she’d taken the Dragon Ferry to the small island
behind her. The weight of her thoughts had dimmed the pleasure of
walking beneath the thousands of ancient paintings. She’d stopped
at each of the season pavilions along the way, but even their
beauty had failed to hold her interest.

Lucky arch number nine. I could use some of
your luck today. A masculine and powerful number in China; nine
symbolized both fortune and safety on a bridge that some said
looked like a magical rainbow from a distance.

As Dominic had instructed, Scott and his men
had retreated a slight distance when she’d claimed a headache, but
their presence was a constant reminder of how vulnerable she really
was. Did they suspect that she had heard them? If so, how far would
they go to stop her from revealing their secret?

She had to tell Dominic – and soon, but she
had no idea how he would respond to the news. Because I barely know
him. Her stomach flipped uncomfortably at that thought.

What kind of business was he involved in? For
all she knew, it was illegal and Jake was collecting evidence he
could use in his own plea bargain when the Feds came for them.

Criminals didn’t discuss their plans with
government officials. Did they?

They do if the officials are also involved in
the deal.

When one of the guards had said that Dominic
would kill them -- had he meant figuratively, through their
careers, or actually help them go into the light kind of kill? Did
she really want to find out while she was in a foreign country with
no money, no passport, and no friends to help her get away if the
situation turned ugly?

She should have followed her instincts and
gotten off the plane in New York. She could be back in her old life
right now.

Safe.

Bored.

Half alive.

Half alive is better than dead.

Abby shuddered and rested her hand lightly on
the neck of one of the lions. I wouldn’t mind a little of your
protection today.

Whether the answer came to her from the
ancient guardian or from a revival of her own inner fortitude, the
result was the same. She resolved to trust Dominic and tell him
everything she knew as soon as he returned to the hotel. Fear is
not going to rule my life anymore.

A petite Chinese woman stepped out of a crowd
of tourists and stood next to Abby. In thickly accented English,
she said, "Excuse me, Miss Dartley?"

Before she even had time to turn fully, Abby
sensed her bodyguards closing ranks around her. "Yes," Abby said,
amazed that someone here would know her and wondered if it was
someone from the hotel staff. Did she have a message from
Dominic?

"Zhang Yajun would like to meet you for tea
at your hotel lounge," the woman said with a slight bow of her
head.

Abby sought advice from the only person she
had to rely on. "Scott?"

He assessed and dismissed the risk. "She is
one of the most influential women in China. She made her money in
real estate and food essences, I believe. I don't think there is
any harm in meeting her in a public place.”

“I don’t--” Abby started to disagree, then
stopped herself. If this trip was really the jumpstart to the next
phase of her life, then it was high time she started embracing
opportunities as they came. How often did one get the chance to
meet one of the most influential women in China? "Do I have time to
change?" Abby asked the woman.

"She waits for you as we speak," the woman
said apologetically. "She requests just a few minutes of your
time."

Tea sounded pretty harmless. People who were
going to kidnap you or threaten your life probably didn't offer you
such a soothing beverage, did they? Should she call Dominic and
tell him where she was going? By now he could be meeting with the
Minister of Commerce, how insane would she sound interrupting that
to ask if she should meet with a woman who was probably just
curious about Dominic's choice of companionship?

"Lead the way," Abby said patting the white
lion one last time.

The hotel tea lounge was busy, but Zhang
Yajun would have stood out in any crowd. Her confidence outshone
the simplicity of her loosely restrained black shoulder length hair
and the starkness of her white pin striped shirt. She sat at a
corner table appearing completely undisturbed by the obvious
interest of the patrons around her.

She stood as Abby crossed the lounge. Her
stare was direct; a blatant assessment which bordered on rude. She
was the opposite of every meek Asian Hollywood stereotype. Her
greeting was a nod rather than a bow. She waved for Abby to join
her at the small table. Abby sat and accepted the tea the woman
poured for her.

"I am glad you could join me," Zhang said in
perfect, although somewhat stilted English. Her accent hinted at
education in Europe, rather than the US.

"The invitation was an honor," Abby said
honestly. Who wouldn't want to meet a woman who achieved money and
power in a country still mostly dominated by men?

"You are a surprise to many, Abigail
Dartley," Zhang said ambiguously.

"In what way?" Abby asked.

Zhang looked around the room, her eyes
resting briefly on each of Abby’s four security guards. "Dominic is
not known to mix business with pleasure. Is it true that you have
only just met him?"

"Why is how long I have or haven't been
seeing Dominic important?" Abby countered.
Please don't let her
say it determines the amount of the ransom. Please.

Instead, the woman asked, "Do you know why he
is here?"

The truth will set you free.
"Not
really, no."

Zhang laced her fingers together, choosing
her words with care. "Dominic has gathered some hefty investors and
petitioned the Chinese Minister of Commerce to open the
technological market to Corisi Enterprises. Once that contract is
signed, the internet across China will be revolutionized. Some say
there will be a computer in every home, even before there is a
washer."

"Don't you already have the internet? I've
seen computers at the hotel and in the tourist office." Despite the
age of the buildings, the hotel had been outfitted with every
modern gadget associated with luxury and convenience.

"We do, but not to the scale that Dominic
proposes. He has designed a software and a network that could
handle the amount of traffic our country would produce if it were
to collectively get online."

"Sounds like it would benefit both sides,”
Abby said, more than a little relieved to discover the nature of
Dominic’s current project.

Zhang’s expression revealed a hint of
impatience. "Yes, but computers are not my greatest concern and I
hold the ear of the Minister. There are others who have the same
ability as Dominic and are more likely to do what needs to be done.
I had been against the Minister signing the deal with Dominic until
I heard of you."

"Me?" Abby asked, once again feeling a bit
like Alice in Wonderland. How could she possibly play a role in a
major international deal? "I think you've been misled as far as my
importance to Dominic. I don't hold any influence over how he does
his business. In fact, until you explained it to me, I had no idea
what his business here was in the first place."

The declaration didn’t deter Zhang. "When a
man who does not speak, utters his first word, everyone
listens."

Abby shook her head and shrugged a shoulder
to indicate her confusion.

Zhang didn’t look like a woman who normally
bothered to clarify herself, nor did she appear to enjoy doing so
now. "When a ruthless, power hungry man chooses a school teacher
and goes so far as to take her under his protection as if she were
the rarest of treasures, everyone watches."

"What do you want from me?" Abby asked,
cutting through the verbosity she would reflect on later.

Slight admiration widened Zhang’s eyes before
she quickly schooled her expression. "It would be best if I showed
you, but not today. Dominic has already left the commercial
district and is headed back here. I'll come for you tomorrow."

"What if I say no?"

Zhang smiled, but Abby guessed that the curve
of her lips conveyed a discomfort with the question, rather than
amusement. Abby’s experience with various cultures was a strength
in bridging the cultural differences between them. "That is your
prerogative, but Dominic has tied much of his personal fortune to
the success of this contract. He could lose it all in one swift
slamming of a door and only you and I would know what was behind
the unexpected decision of the Minister. If you’re thinking about
telling him, I wouldn’t. He has no reason to believe you."

“He has no reason not to.” But even as Abby
said the words, she began to doubt that they were true. Their short
acquaintance was reason enough to question her involvement in his
business. Hadn’t she spent the day contemplating the nature of his
character?