The Tycoon's Seductive Revenge(44)

“So are you.” He swayed on his feet, standing between her and the door. “Name your price, my little seductress.”

“There isn’t enough money in the world.” A wave of claustrophobia smacked her. Moving closer to the door, closer to him, she sniffed the air. “Were you smoking a pipe down here?”

He shook his head. “Cigarillos. Want a taste?”

“No, I don’t smoke.”

“You can still have a taste. When I put my tongue in your mouth.”

“Don’t you get it?” She fumed. “I’m not yours, I’ll never be yours. Neither will the hotel. Forget the bid—I want you to leave.”

His eyes snapped with violence. “If I can’t have you and this hotel, then no one can.”

Then he lunged for her. Ellie shrieked and dodged him. He caught her leg and they both crashed to the floor.

Dust and grit settled in her mouth. She coughed and spat, kicking against Arnoff’s vice grip on her ankle. He dragged her toward him across the floor.

“Let go!” She kicked furiously, but he must’ve tapped the inhuman strength that alcohol induces. Her legs scraped across the ground as he hauled her to him. “Stop it.” She kicked him harder. “Get off of me!”

“Give me the hotel.”

“No.” Screaming, kicking, fighting with all her might she dodged two of his attempts to grab her throat.

“Help! Somebody help!”

Then he knocked her head against the floor causing her to black out. When she came to, Arnoff had wrangled himself into position above her, choking the air from her lungs. “Are you with me or against me?” he demanded.

Pooling every ounce of strength she reached for an empty bottle and bashed it upside his head.

Arnoff pitched and rolled onto his side gripping his skull. He pulled his hands away and stared down at the blood coating his fingers. “I’m bleeding.” Then he threw her a glare that promised retaliation. “You bitch!”

“At least I won’t be your bitch,” she spat. Tears spilled over her lashes. She kicked off her high heels and ran up the stone steps, away from her attacker.

She smacked into Russert in the darkened main corridor. “Eleanor, what’s going on? Did I hear you scream?”

“He attacked me,” she panted. She grabbed her uncle’s suit caot in her fists. “Please make him leave.”

“Eleanor, calm down. I can’t understand a word you’re saying.” He held her arms in a secure grasp, the closest thing to a hug Russert had ever given her. “I tried to find you to tell you Carter returned. You weren’t in your room and I looked for you everywhere. What happened to you?”

Chin wobbling, she shook her head. “Arnoff, he—” She swallowed against her dry scratchy throat. “He tried to...”

“Oh—no. No.” He cupped her cheeks gently. “I never suspected he was unstable.” She felt him stiffen with resolve. “I’ll call the police.”

Ellie stopped him, believing Bill Marquell would love nothing more than to take Arnoff’s side against her. “Just make him go away. Please. If the police get involved, the auction won’t happen.”

Russert nodded at her reasoning. “I’ll have words with the man. He can’t hurt a Montgomery and get away with it.”

Although her uncle’s intentions were noble he was the same size as Arnoff in height and build. He’d be no match for the drunk, vicious man.

Carter . He was the only person she trusted. She ran to his room.

“Carter!” She pounded his door with her palm—her knuckles were too bruised to knock. “Please, open up. I need you,” she pleaded, leaning her forehead against the door, fear knotting her nerves, and tears streaming down her face. “I need you.”





Chapter 10





Carter turned the water off in his suite’s master bath. He swore he heard Ellie calling him. She’d used the words he’d been waiting to hear since he planned his return to the island.

I need you .

“Carter!” Slap, slap, slap on the door. “Are you here?”

He sprinted to the entrance and opened it to find Ellie hugging her chest, her face dripping with mascara and tears.

Concern knifed through him. “Ellie, what’s wrong?”

“Please let me in.” She looked up with pure terror in her eyes. His protective instincts kicked in full force.

“Yeah, of course.” He guided her inside.

“Lock the door!”

Taken back by her vehemence, he did as she asked. “Ellie, what’s going on?”

When she came further into his room, his bedside lamp revealed her physical state. “Christ. What the hell happened to you?”