Free Living on the Edge by Susan Mallery

and stepped back. Instantly two of the three associates were at his side, holding him in place. He felt their strong fingers digging into his arms and knew he was well and truly trapped.
    â€œYou think I don’t know what this technology is worth?” Stanislav asked, his temper back under control. “When your company finishes producing the first prototype, you will be able to jam any radar system in the world. This is power. This is the future. Your company will make billions the first year.”
    The Russian’s pale eyes narrowed. “And yet, on the verge of that, you try to trick me.”
    Oh, God. No! Fear turned to panic. “Not that,” Christopher said, picturing that other man and his hand. The blood and the screams as each finger was slowly cut off.
    â€œI’m not trying to trick you,” he said earnestly. “I would never do that. Never. I swear. I’ll get the money. I had a plan. A good plan. But somebody got in my way.”
    Stanislav stared at him. “What was your plan?”
    Christopher hesitated, not sure how the other man would react to the truth. The hands holding him tightened.
    â€œI kidnapped my ex-wife and convinced her father to cough up fifteen million in ransom.” There was no point in mentioning the five million he owed in gambling money.
    The Russian’s expression didn’t change. Christopher braced himself for the worst when the other man began to laugh. The associates let him go. The relief was so strong, it made his legs tremble. He forced himself to stay upright.
    Stanislav slapped Christopher on the back. “Your own wife? Good for you. You could almost be Russian. So what went wrong?”
    â€œThe guy I hired turned out to be too good. His men intercepted the ransom money before I could collect it.”
    The humor faded as if it had never been. “For so intelligent a man, you make many mistakes,” Stanislav said. “I don’t like that.”
    â€œI know. I’m sorry.” If he got his hands on Tanner, he would kill him, Christopher vowed.
    Stanislav glanced at his men, then back at Christopher. “One week, my friend. Only because we have come so far and it would take time to find another buyer. But be warned. No more excuses. If you do not have the money in a week, I will kill you. But first I will make you wish you were dead.”
    Christopher believed him.
    â€œI’ll have it,” he said.
    Stanislav shrugged, as if to say it hardly mattered, then he walked out and his associates followed.
    Christopher sank down into the chair in front of his desk and tried to catch his breath. One week. What could he do in a week?
    Robbing a bank came to mind, and if he thought he could pull it off and get enough money, he would have started planning. But the outcome was too questionable. Better to go for the sure thing. Which meant Blaine Adams.
    They’d been talking about merging the companies. Obviously it was time to resurrect those discussions and then leak word to the press. That would be enough to push up stock prices. With the shares Christopher already owned of both companies and the options he had on his own, he might come close to his fifteen million.
    If he’d gotten his hands on the ransom, none of this would be a problem. Somehow, some way he would make Tanner Keane pay for that. And for keeping Madison. If the bitch was here, he could force her to sign over her shares to him. That had to be at least ten million.
    But she wasn’t here. She’d managed to convince Keane that she was the innocent in all this. That he, Christopher, couldn’t be trusted. He needed her.
    But how to convince her it was safe to come home? And if he couldn’t do that, how could he lure her out of hiding? There had to be a way.

Chapter 7
    T anner scanned the files in Madison’s computer. The work was fairly easy. She didn’t keep any financial records on the machine or use it for more than