Free At His Side: The Billionaire's Beck and Call, Part 9 by Delilah Fawkes Page A

police straight to Lex when they arrived.
    I
slowed down when I reached the corner Veronica’s swaying pink purse had just
disappeared around. The sound of male voices reached my ears, and I peered
around the hull of The Ex-Wife , hoping to remain unseen in
the shadow of the yacht.
    “You
don’t have to do this, Lex. This is between you and me. Let’s talk this through
before you do something you’ll regret.”
    “Don’t
flatter yourself, Chase! This is about me getting what I deserve. Living in your shadow should guarantee
me a fucking bonus, after all the shit I’ve put up with over the years.”
    “The
employees are the ones who will suffer, and you know it. If you want to get
back at me, take anything else. Just not the pensions. Even you aren’t that selfish, Lex.”
    “Did
you ever think maybe it’s not just about the cash? Maybe I want to relish the
thought of all those people knowing that you let them down. Of you tossing and
turning at night as you wondered how you didn’t see it coming. The guilt of
your failure eating you alive. Maybe that’s the only thing I want as I sail
away to a brand new life.”
    I
saw Mr. Drake now. His back was to me on the dock in front of Lex, who was
standing on the ladder on the side of his yacht, ready to board. They hadn’t
seen Veronica yet. She was lurking in the shadows by a pile of rope, digging in
her purse, her suitcase forgotten at her feet.
    Where the hell are the cops already? My ears strained for the sound
of sirens, but the seconds ticked by, and we were still all alone.
    “Please,
Lex... I’ll go away if you’d like. Leave the city. We can pretend this never
happened, and I’ll leave the company quietly. Just come down from there and
talk to me.”
    Mr.
Drake moved toward the yacht, his hand outstretched, urging Lex to come with
him.
    “Freeze,
Chasey!”
    Both
men’s eyes shot wide as Veronica’s shrill voice rang out over the water. She
held a revolver in her perfectly manicured hands, the barrel pointed straight
at Mr. Drake’s chest.
    “One
more move, and I’ll shoot, Mister! Back away nice and slow.”
    “Nice
work, Ronnie,” Lex said, grinning in a way that made my blood boil. “You’ve got
great timing.”
    He
hopped down off the ladder and stood in front of Mr. Drake, his hands on his
hips. Veronica advanced on him, gun held steady, the light of the setting sun
glinting off the weapon.
    “You
were right, Lexy. I’m glad I took daddy’s gun like you said.”
    “Search
him,” Lex said. “Make sure he doesn’t have his cell phone. We don’t want him to
try anything funny when we leave him tied up. We want to be well on our way by
the time anyone knows we’re gone..”
    Mr.
Drake’s face was dark, his forehead furrowed as Veronica moved toward him.
    This
had gone far enough. They were going to get away if I didn’t act fast.
    I
flicked the phone open and dialed the last number, leaving it ringing silently
on the wooden boards of the dock. I stumbled around the corner like I’d been
running, my chest heaving dramatically.
    “Wait!”
    All
eyes landed on me, Veronica’s gun barrel twitching as she tried to decide
whether to cover me or Chase Drake.
    “Take
me with you, Lex,” I said, moving closer, raising my hands in the air. “You
were right about me. I only wanted Chase when I thought he was the powerhouse
behind the business. The successful one.” I breathed heavily, holding a stitch
in my side. “I want to come along...”
    “Stay
right there, bitch!” Veronica’s hands shook as she trained the gun on me.
    Something
in my chest tightened in reaction to staring down the barrel of a real-life
gun, but I steadied my emotions.
    Keep going, Isabeau. You can do this.
You have to!
    Chase
Drake needed me to keep a cool head, and that was exactly what I was going to
do.
    I
stopped, but trained my eyes on Lex. He looked incredulous, but ran a hand over
his chin, looking me up and down in a way that made my skin