The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

Knox POV

The room is small and dimly lit. I glance through the window, taking note of the two women who look terrified, both speaking in low whispers to each other. Their faces are pale, their bodies trembling. I relished the expressions on their faces. I wanted them to be fearful. I wanted them frightened. The head of security, Mr Evans cleared his throat as lan and I turned to him. "You said this was a matter of urgency, Mr Grant," he said cordially to lan who nodded tightly.

Mr Evans politely opens the door and allows us to access the room. The two women are handcuffed to the table. Their eyes slowly widen as they take in lan and I. Sabrina and Christina Washington, the two women responsible for Lorelai's kidnapping. It had taken hours to track them down and discover their real identities. We had gotten to them just in time before they had managed to disappear on an airplane and disappear out of the country. I gave a slow vicious smile as the younger of the two blinked and then glanced at her older sister uncertainly.

"What do you want?" the older one was more direct.

"Where is she?" my voice was low and controlled but also menacing and dripping with promise.

The girls glanced at each other. The older one flattened her lips and subtly shook her head at the younger one, Christina. I slammed my hand on the table, startling them both. "Where is she?"

"Who are you talking about?" Sabrina is coy, pretending to have no clue what I'm asking them about. "Where is my fiancee" I snarl.

Silence. lan coughs "Sabrina, Christina, I don't have to tell you how much trouble the two of you are in. You kidnapped an innocent woman against her will. We have you on surveillance. We are more than willing to provide the tape to the authorities. Or you can cooperate."

"Do you think we are stupid?" Sabrina scoffs while Christina stares down at the table "We cooperate with you, we're as good as dead. There's no way you're going to keep your word. You might as well fling us in jail."

I give a sardonic smile "Who said anything about prison? Prison would be getting off lightly for what you have done. You think you have something to fear from whoever hired you? That's nothing compared to what will be in store for you if you don't start talking" I threaten.

"Was it Karen Deluca who hired you?" lan's voice is calm.

We had learned only hours before she had managed to slip away from our surveillance team. I clenched my hands into fists as I glared at the women who glanced away.

"My fiancee has done nothing to you. If you won't talk for my sake, at least talk for hers" My voice is low and filled with emotion, lan glancing at me in surprise "She's innocent in all of this. Would you really leave a woman to suffer for something I've done?" I demand heatedly "Can you live with yourselves knowing you participated in the torture of another human being?"

"She said she wasn't going to kill her, only hurt her" Christina whispered and her sister shot her a threatening look that she ignored "I swear. She said it was to teach her a lesson" she added.

I leaned in closer "Who is she?" I asked, putting myself between her and her sister so she couldn't see Sabrina. Christina blinks "Karen Deluca."

"How do you know Karen Deluca? You didn't come up as being employed by her."

"We were employed by Charlotte. When she got arrested our employment was terminated. Karen looked us both up and offered us an opportunity to get even with the man responsible for Charlotte's death and gave us a large sum of money to help. She said that it would be a quick way to secure money and then we could leave the country."

"Christina" Sabrina objected behind me, her voice venomous "Stop talking. He's trying to charm it out of you. Don't let his big eyes fool you. He's just like any other rich bastard. Full of lies."

lan laughed "You really have it in for rich people, don't you?"

"Why wouldn't I? You're all the same. None of you care about the little guy, all you care about is your fat wallets and making as much money as you possibly can, no matter who you screw over in the process" she sneered.

I ignored her. I focussed entirely on Christina. "Where is Karen?" I demanded.

She looks at me, resigned. There's no fight left in her. Her eyes are shining with what I suspect is unshed tears. "I don't know. She was planning on going into hiding and she wasn't going to divulge her location in case" she pauses and sighs, looking up at me with a grimace "in case something like this happened. That way it wouldn't matter if we betrayed her."

f**k. I try my best to remain calm. Karen could wait but Lorelai, she was my priority. I ran a hand through my hair. "What about my fiancee? Where was she being taken?"

"Don't tell them, Christina. The second you do, we're dead. Don't do it" Sabrina interjected angrily.

Christina bit her lip, looking hesitant. I place my hands on the table and lean in close to her ear. "Listen" I breathe "Right now I don't give a flying f**k about the money she gave you, or even that your sister is trying to protect you. What I do care about" I pause and look at her meaningfully "is my fiancee and what she might be going through right now.It seems that some sentences in this chapter require you to read the complete chapters on Jo b n i b.com in order to avoid an incomplete reading experience. It's driving me crazy. Right now I'm willing to forget what you did, even consider letting you go, but if she dies, or if she's hurt badly, then I'm not going to be able to forgive that" I said bluntly as Christina looked up at me "in fact, I'm going to be very, very, angry. I haven't resorted to violence, because I don't like hurting a woman" I added as lan nodded in agreement "But trust me, if it comes down to it, I will do it if it means saving Lorelai. Don't think I won't."

My voice is deadly.

I abhor violence against women but in this case, I was willing to make an exception. As it was if I got my hands on Karen I was not going to hold back. Ian is studying Sabrina who is staring resolutely down at the table. I feel the urge to hit the table again but refrain as Christina begins to swallow hard and nod towards her bag which has been propped in the corner. "I wasn't supposed to but I wrote down the place she was taking Lorelai to. I overheard her talking to the men...." she trailed off as I raced over to the bag and began to upend it desperately "It's on a piece of paper inside my wallet, in the zipped compartment."

"Christina you i***t" Sabrina shouted "I told you not to tell them. We're screwed, do you realize that?" she screams.

I found her purse and began to open it, my fingers shaking. Ian moves away from the table and the head of security continues to stand there silently observing. I find the piece of paper and open it. I recognize the address. It's abandoned. Owned by our company, it had been left empty for the last few years. Karen no doubt found it amusing to use one of our own buildings to hide Lorelai in. I grit my teeth and shove the paper at lan.

"We need to go," I said, getting back to my feet and ready to tear off running.

"Wait" Mr Evans calls out, his voice cautious as lan and I turn to look at him "What about these women?" he asks bewildered.

I glance at them. Christina looks hopeful but Sabrina stares at me with a small smile curving on her lips. She's not naive. She knows that they were never going to just get out of here intact and in one piece. Not after what they did to my fiancee. I clear my throat. "Have the authorities pick them up."

My tone is dismissive.

"But you said" Christina began to protest loudly, even as I stared at her, a small smile on my lips.

"I lied," I told her without remorse "You should learn that men will say anything to get what they want and I'm no different to any other."

She glares at me and begins to shriek at the top of her lungs. I wince and then step outside, lan putting a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll take the helicopter," he said grimly as we began to stride towards the exit "It will be a lot faster."

I shake my head "It will warn them we're coming. It's too loud."

"Knox" lan hesitates as I turn towards him, impatient, "we might need to announce our presence this time," he says quietly "I don't think coming in quietly will work this time. Unless you think it's going to put Lorelai in more danger, but if Karen has already gone into hiding..." he trails off.

I understand what he's not saying. My stomach churns. The thought of Lorelai being at the hands of ruthless men or women makes me want to scream out loud in frustration and devastation.noveldrama

"Get the chopper ready" I snarl, turning and beginning to walk away while lan quickly grabs his phone "I want to be gone in thirty even if I have to pilot the damn chopper myself" I shout, as lan begins to follow me quickly.

So close. It was a bit of a trip to reach the abandoned building, but now we had a location to find Lorelai. I could feel my heart hammering loudly in my chest. All I had to do was be patient a little longer and I could put my arms around her again. I could hold her and feel her body next to mine. I gritted my teeth as my feet pounded the pavement. My bodyguard matched my pace. Was I going to find my beloved in one piece when we got there or..was I going to find the unthinkable? My head and my heart couldn't bear to consider the very real possibility that I might be too late and as I stormed outside, my eyes turned to the horizon, separation warring inside of me. I wanted Lorelai back, and I was prepared to kill to get her. Anybody who had laid a hand on her, was going to find themselves in a world of pain unlike anything they had ever experienced before in their lives.