The Hotel 3 (The Billionaire Seduction)(10)

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.





Chapter Ten




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."

"Upstairs." Blaine slides off his stool. "Let's continue this conversation in private."

"You got a room?"

He's so close to her now, she's probably drowning in his nasty cologne.  "There's only one way I imagined this evening ending, Lillian. Of course  I got a room."

Ugh.

Lillian gently pulls her hands away from him and remains seated. "It's a shame to waste good scotch. Would you like another?"

There's a razor-sharp pause. I imagine the doubt going through Blaine's  head, and we haven't gotten anything we can use for evidence.