The Maze (ATCOM) (7 page)

Carlos
walked toward her, at ease in his designer suit. As he approached, she squared
her shoulders, determined not to let him see how much he’d shaken her.

“Ah,
Atalanta, how nice it is to have you with me once again.”

Attie
fought the urge to pull back when he clasped her hand in his and lifted it to
his lips for a kiss. Her skin crawled in remembrance of the time he had lifted
her hand in much the same manner but instead of kissing it, had bitten her hard
enough to draw blood. Then laved it with his tongue.

“What’s
this? Calluses? Just what have you been doing to yourself in your absence,” he
asked, rubbing a thumb over her knuckles.

Attie
pulled her hand away. “What I do is no longer your concern, Carlos.”

“I
disagree. Your well-being has always been, and always will be, my concern. Your
skin is too lovely to be callused. It should remain smooth as silk.”

“You
ruined that for me when you decided to imprison me.”

Something
flickered in Carlos’s eyes, but he masked it quickly.

“Let’s
not discuss it now. My cook has prepared a fine meal.” His gaze landed on Noah.
“Mr. Deason, I presume?”

Attie
turned slightly, steadying her breathing, reining in her emotions. She wouldn’t
let Carlos see how he affected her. For Brendan’s sake she had to keep her wits
about her no matter what Carlos did. She could handle this. She wasn’t Chrystal
now; she could defend herself.

She
glanced at Noah and the tailored suit he wore. She had never seen him in
anything but fatigues. The transformation made her swallow hard. His damp hair
curled around his collar. The dark jacket fit him like a glove and accented his
broad, well-muscled shoulders. The crisp, white shirt was unbuttoned at the
throat, and slacks hugged his long legs.

Attie
tore her eyes away, focusing on Carlos once again. She didn’t need him seeing
her attraction for Noah. He would use it against her. Against Noah. She tried
to deny it, but every time she looked at him it hit her like a wrecking ball,
crashing through her defenses, making her want things she couldn’t have.

Noah
and Carlos were sizing each other up, measuring, betraying nothing.

Carlos
spoke first. “I think we are both honest men and we both know the name you gave
me was fake. I will find out your true identity so, please, save me the time,”
he said. “What shall I call you?”

Attie
resisted the urge to scoff. Noah was as honest as they came, but Carlos was far
from it.

“Noah.”

“Just
Noah?”

Noah
shrugged and Attie glanced at Carlos to see how he was taking this taciturn
man. Carlos was accustomed to being obeyed, no questions asked. To her
surprise, he didn’t seem fazed. Not a good sign. The more pleasant and
accommodating Carlos became, the more dangerous the situation.

Carlos
nodded. “I guess it will have to do for now. So tell me, Noah, are you sleeping
with Atalanta?”

“What?”
Attie gasped in outrage. “You—”

“Tsk,
Tsk. You know it surprises me you were able to hide your fiery spirit from me
for so long. It must have been difficult for you. I commend your ability to
blindside me, but I promise you, it won’t happen again. Now, Noah, your answer
please.”

Attie
wanted to slap that smug expression off his face. Carlos never lost his temper.
He only grew more pleasant, oozing charm when he was angry, then retaliating by
turning into a monster. A modern day Jekyll and Hyde. The
please
at the
end terrified her.

Noah
answered before she got the chance. “That is none of your business.”

“But
it is.”

The
two men faced each other. Tension could be sliced with a knife. Carlos was
tall, but Noah was taller and broader and more muscular. Both men were
dangerous in their own way. Attie knew how Carlos operated and she’d seen Noah
in action. A confrontation between them wasn’t something she ever wanted to
see.

“She’s
a beautiful woman, isn’t she?” Carlos asked him.

“If
you like stubborn redheads,” Noah replied smoothly.

Carlos
smiled. “She is a bit temperamental, isn’t she? I rather enjoy the challenge.
Between us, by time this is over I think we’re going to be seeing just how
fiery her temper can be.”

Attie’s
heart pounded. That could only mean bad things.

“Come,
let’s eat.”

Carlos
turned away, but Attie stopped him. “Where is my brother, Carlos?”

He
stopped short. “You know I never discuss business during dinner. Have you
forgotten all I taught you?”

She
went rigid. “I’m not hungry. Let’s skip dinner and get down to business.
Where’s Brendan?”

“In
good time. Now, don’t press the issue. You remember how prickly I get. I’ve
saved you a chair beside me. Noah, you sit across from Atalanta in Antonio’s
chair.”

His
softly given reminder had Attie backing down. She stalked toward her chair, and
then stopped short when she noticed the man pushing to his feet.

“Antonio,”
she said in surprise, watching him stand. The architect that ATCOM hadn’t been
able to dig up any dirt on. He was exactly what he claimed. An architect.
They’d never been able to connect him with Carlos’s illegal dealings.

Antonio
came around the table to meet her, arms extended. He took her hands and pressed
a kiss to the knuckles, the same as he had every time he greeted her in the
past. His wariness of her had never worn off; she could see it in his dark eyes
now.

“How
nice to see you again, Atalanta. How do you like my project?”

Attie
frowned. “You did this?”

Antonio
nodded. “Designed and crafted by my own hand just for our friend.”

Of
course.

“Well,
what do you think so far?” Antonio asked.

Carlos
prevented her from answering. “Sit, everyone. Dinner is served.”

Once
they were seated, an array of food was placed on the table by servants. The
scent of grilled salmon and roasted baby potatoes beckoned Attie even though
she claimed not to be hungry. She ate knowing she would need her strength
later.

When
their plates had been cleared and the servants left the room, Attie pressed for
answers.

“Okay,
Carlos, where’s Brendan? It couldn’t have been easy getting him here.”

“No.
In fact, if your brother didn’t have such affection for women I doubt I would
have succeeded. You have the same eyes.”

“Stop
stalling. I want to see him.”

“There’s
no rush. We have plenty of time before the games begin.”

Attie’s
heart missed a beat. “Games?” she echoed.

“Of
course. You don’t think I’d go to such lengths for nothing, do you? You should
know me better than that,
mi amor
.”

“I
am not your love,” Attie snapped.

Carlos
turned to Noah. “Atalanta is the only woman I have ever truly loved. Have you
ever been in love, Noah?”

Noah
avoided looking at her when he answered. “No.”

Carlos
seemed almost saddened by his answer. “Well, that’s too bad. I can’t expect you
to understand how deeply Atalanta’s betrayal hurt me. Only a man who has loved
and lost can understand.”

“Cut
the theatrics, Carlos. You didn’t love me,” Attie scoffed. “You never even took
me to your bed.”

That
was the wrong thing to say. Carlos sent her a warm smile that sent a shiver
down her spine. She had doubted him until now. In his deluded mind he’d thought
he loved her. The thought made her skin crawl.

What
they’d had was love to Carlos? She’d been nothing but a possession to him.
Something to flaunt and use. A toy to play with. So what could he have fallen
in love with? She hadn’t been allowed to speak her mind or have an opinion, so
who did he think he’d fallen for? A ditzy, spineless piece of furniture his
friends wished they had? Something to make them envious.

Was
that what Carlos liked? A woman without a backbone, who bowed to his every
whim? Well, he was in for a surprise.

“Our
time was cut short, if you’ll recall. You really don’t know me, do you?” Carlos
murmured.

Attie
remained silent, still reeling over his admission.

“I
intend to change that,” Carlos continued.

She
shook her head, coming out of her reverie. “You didn’t fall in love with me,
Carlos. You fell in love with Chrystal, and she doesn’t exist.”

“You’re
wrong. I know exactly who you are and I like what I see even more. I have not
forgiven you for your betrayal, I’m sure you’re aware of that, but I intend to
give you a chance to make it up to me. You tried to destroy me, Atalanta, and
for that I must repay in kind.”

Chapter
7

Noah
watched Attie’s eyes widen.

“I
only wish I had,” Attie whispered. She had gone deathly pale.

“Many
have tried,” Carlos said, “although you came closer than any of them.”

Attie
gripped the stem of her wine glass with a hand that shook. Considering the
traumatic events she’d suffered the past three days, she was holding up
remarkably well. She kept her emotions at bay and handled Santiago with care.
Noah knew what it cost her. If it weren’t for Brendan he bet she’d be acting
more irrationally toward the man who claimed to love her. The admission had
caught him off guard. It must be wreaking havoc on Attie. An unexpected turn of
events that neither of them had been ready for. Revenge had been expected. No
one tried to destroy Carlos Santiago and lived to tell about it. But not the
confession. That had blindsided both of them.

“What
do you have planned for me, Carlos?” Attie asked in a tight voice.

“I’m
interested in your career. Tell me, did your training make it easy for you to
betray me?”

“I
didn’t do anything to you that you didn’t deserve. You destroy lives with the
career path you’ve taken.”

Carlos
appeared unperturbed by her hostile tone. “As do you,
mi amor
. I,
however, fund many charity organizations in my country. I have donated money to
the building of schools and churches—”

“Blood
money,” she said through clenched teeth.

“You
couldn’t possibly understand since you are tainted by your righteous code of
honor and the will to do what’s right in the eyes of your country.”

“What
I do is honorable. What you do is illegal.”

“What
you call honorable I call deceitful.”

Noah
watched sparks fly between the two. Attie glared at Carlos, while Carlos simply
smiled that annoyingly pleasant smile.

The
door slid open before either of them could continue their crusade. A
dark-haired woman entered carrying a bottle of chilled wine. She wasn’t one of
the servants from earlier; she was much younger and prettier in a small,
strapless dress that clung to her lush curves. Carlos motioned her forward.
With a smile and a nod she swayed toward Antonio. She leaned over him and
poured wine into his glass. Antonio’s hand lingered on her backside. Then she
moved to Noah’s side, eying him with interest as she filled his glass, giving
him full view of her ample bust. Her smile suggested he take his fill, her dark
eyes seductive.

Giving
her a curt nod, Noah turned his eyes to Attie, surprised to see a flicker of
contempt and…jealousy? No, he doubted he’d read that right. Attie resented him,
but she wouldn’t be jealous over the flirtations of a younger woman. He
certainly wasn’t interested in being serviced by one of Santiago’s women.

She
looked away before he could decipher and said to Carlos, “I had a job to do.
It’s not my problem if you were deceived.”

Carlos
let the barb pass, seeming to enjoy the banter. “Job well done,” he said,
nodding to the woman offering to fill his wine glass. None of them could miss
the way her eyes lingered on Noah as she did.

“See
something you like, Lolita?” Carlos asked in Spanish, watching those red lips
turn up with pleasure.

“Si,”
she purred.

Noah
sipped his wine, having no intentions of accepting favors from this woman. The
fire burning in Attie’s eyes indicated she’d overheard too. A look of complete
disgust crossed her face before she masked it.

Lolita
moved to Attie’s side, her smile gone. Attie shook her head in refusal of more
wine and she moved away, casting one last glance at Noah over her shoulder.

“Tell
me, Atalanta, do you think I can break you this time?”

Noah
stiffened. Nothing like a sucker punch out of left field. He watched Attie go
very still as the color drained out of her face, leaving her with a ghostly
pallor. The bruise on her jaw stood out more vividly against the white of her
skin, making her appear more vulnerable. Shock registered in her eyes, along
with haunted memories of the last time Santiago had tried to break her. Hell,
the memory haunted him. He couldn’t imagine what it was doing to her. Giving
Santiago any ammunition to use against him would be dangerous, so he stayed in
his seat and watched Attie, offering silent support.

“That
bothers you, doesn’t it, Carlos, that you couldn’t break me?” she asked in a
low, taunting voice. “You were deceived by a woman that proved to be stronger
than anything you served up. I survived, you bastard, and I’ll survive again,
so let’s see what it is you have ‘planned’ for me, because I guarantee I will
make it through and I will get out of here with my brother.”

For
all of her bravado, she shook like a leaf. Noah saw the tremors in her
shoulders and the way she fisted her hands together on top of the table, but he
was proud of her. She stood up to Santiago despite her fear. This was the Attie
he knew.

A
muscle clenched in Santiago’s jaw. He wasn’t unaffected by Attie’s promise or
her show of strength. She had gusto and she meant what she said, but everyone
in the room knew if she had spent any more time in that cell she would have
been broken. Attie was a strong person, and God knew what Santiago would have
had to do to accomplish it.

“Impatient,
are we? That will make things very interesting. I’m quite proud of what Antonio
has done here for me. He’s been working on it for a very long time.”

“I’m
flattered,” Attie said, casting a glance at Antonio, irony in her tone. “What
is it?”

“Something
that is guaranteed to break your deliciously fiery spirit.”

“I
doubt it.”

“Never
doubt my words. You know I never say things I don’t mean.”

“Yes,
I remember,” Attie said, clenching and unclenching her fists on the table.

“For
starters you need to get into the right frame of mind. You, as you already
know, are the guest of honor. Maybe this will help. Think of this as a game of
cat and mouse. This…” Carlos motioned to the room around him. “Is the maze.
You’ve seen them, a maze of doors for an experimental mouse to go through to
get to the reward—the cheese, or Brendan in this case. You are the mouse in the
maze and I, the cat. You see, we all have a role and I look forward to seeing
you in yours.”

“That
would make sense if I knew what the hell you were talking about. Cut the
metaphors. What have you got for me?”

“Soon,
I promise. I’d like to get to know your friend a little better before we get
started.”

“This
isn’t about him.”

“Oh
no?”

“No,
it’s between you and me. Why don’t you let him go.”

Carlos
raised a slim brow. “And allow him to return with reinforcements? I am not a
fool, Atalanta. I think Noah will add a certain element to what I have
planned.”

“I
don’t want him involved.”

“Then
you shouldn’t have brought him along.”

Attie
cast a scorching glance toward Noah, who raised an eyebrow in return.

Mistaking
the tension between them, Carlos said, “I can get rid of him if you wish.”

Noah
cocked his head, waiting for her answer.

“If
I say no,” she said, “What will you do with him?”

“Allow
him to join in the fun. He may come in handy.”

“How
so?”

“We’ll
find out soon enough,” he said turning to Noah. “Tell me, Noah, since you
aren’t sleeping with Atalanta, would you like to sample Lolita? She’s very
interested in you, and very…talented.”

“I
never said we weren’t sleeping together,” Noah replied.

“So
you didn’t. I guess you never said either way, did you? Shall I have her sent
to your room?”

“I’ll
pass, thanks.”

“Maybe
you prefer a blonde?”

“No.”

“Me
neither. I’m partial to redheads. They are so much more…exciting. Do you know
the meaning behind Atalanta’s name?”

Noah
glanced at Attie. “No, I don’t.”

“It’s
Greek for the mighty huntress, an athletic young woman who refused to marry any
man who could not outrun her in a footrace. It seems our Atalanta runs like the
wind.”

“Indeed,”
Noah murmured.

“Enough,”
Attie snapped, “I want proof Brendan is alive. Let me see him, Carlos.”

“I
have never lied to you. He is alive and well.”

“You
better not lay a hand on him.”

“The
same thing he said about you. The two of you must be very close.”

Attie
refused to answer.

“Humor
me. Tell me about your brother.”

“No.”

“He’s
lacking your temper, but possesses the same stubborn nature.”

No
reply.

“Well,
this is going nowhere. I have something for you.” Carlos motioned toward the
man standing in the shadows near the door. He stepped forward carrying a long,
narrow black velvet box. Santiago took the box and handed it to Attie, who had
gone deathly pale.

“
Mi
amor
, a gift.”

Attie
shook her head. “I don’t want that.”

“I
insist. Please.”

Santiago’s
tone was pleasant enough, but Attie’s hand trembled as she reached out to the
take the box. Then sat back in her chair and slowly lifted the lid. She inhaled
sharply.

“You
bastard,” she whispered before flinging the box across the room and standing so
quickly she toppled her chair. It clattered loudly to the floor, breaking the
silence.

“I
am
not
wearing that,” she declared, her voice rising. Her hands were
clenched at her sides, and a pulse beat wildly at her throat. “You’ll have to
kill me first.”

* * * *

Noah
turned to see what was inside the box and frowned at the thick, expensive gold
necklace spilled onto the floor. A gold necklace. He glanced at Attie, who
looked terrified, and then to Santiago, who was smiling.

“You
remember,” Santiago murmured.

“Damn
right I remember and you will never get that thing around my neck again.”

“You
can’t stop me, Atalanta.”

No,
but Noah could.

“You’ll
have to catch me first.”

“Where
will you go? There is no way out of this room unless I let you out.”

“I
am not your toy to play with any longer, Carlos.”

“Ah,
but you are.”

What
was it about a gold necklace that scared the hell out of her? One thing was for
sure, Noah wasn’t going to let Santiago put it on her.

“No.”

Carlos
stood, pushed his chair back and walked over to where the necklace lay. He
picked it up and snaked it along his hand.

“It’s
quite lovely, like you,” he said, walking toward her with slow, deliberate
steps.

Attie
stood her ground, hands clenched at her sides.

Noah
pushed his chair back.

Carlos
held the necklace out to her, nodding to two of his guards, who moved behind
Attie.

No
way would he sit here and let this happen.

Santiago
lifted the chain toward Attie’s neck.

“May
I see it?” Noah asked, pretending to be very interested in the necklace. “Pure
gold?”

Santiago
paused and Attie sent Noah a look he would never forget. Her eyes were full of
gratitude and relief and he knew he’d done the right thing. Attie usually
didn’t like his interference, but in this case he couldn’t resist. For some
reason that necklace scared the hell out of her so he’d do whatever it took to
keep it off her.

The
necklace was handed to him over the table. Noah took it and pretended to feel
the weight as he examined it for anything out of the ordinary, but found
nothing.

“Very
nice,” he commented, looking up.

“A
lovely compliment to Atalanta’s gown, wouldn’t you agree?”

Noah
shook his head. “I think it would be a shame to cover a neck as elegant as hers
with a chain so heavy.”

Santiago
seemed to consider this. “You prefer something more…delicate?”

Attie
was still watching him, her eyes wary. Noah nodded to Santiago.

“I’m
afraid you don’t understand the meaning of my gift, Noah.”

Oh,
he understood enough. It terrified Attie and that was all he needed to know.

“Why
don’t you explain it to me.”

Santiago
nodded to the guard standing behind Attie. He stood down. “Another time,
perhaps. I think you’re right. This is too heavy for Atalanta’s slender neck.”
He held out his hand for the necklace, which Noah reluctantly gave him. Attie
visibly tensed and Noah cursed silently.

“Maybe
I have another laying around here somewhere,” Santiago said, drawing the
necklace over Attie’s bare shoulder. It sparkled against her tanned skin like
liquid gold. Every muscle in Attie’s body went taut as she boldly withstood the
repulsive act.