A moment later, he said, “Dave, any updates on what’s going on with Marissa Berutelli?” He listened for a moment, then nodded his head. “I have no idea, but you’ll probably need to use your back door resources. Let me know what you hear as soon as possible.” With that, he ended the call and slid the phone back into his jacket pocket.
Turning to face her once again, he said, “I doubt you’ll trust me enough to actually tell me the whole story, but I’ll get it one way or another. So why don’t you explain the broad strokes of this drama your father has created and we can fill in the details as we get to know each other?”
She glared at him, her stomach twisting into knots as she tried to figure out how much he might find out. It was humiliating to be in this kind of a position. How many fathers actually ordered their daughters to marry a stranger just so he can find himself an heir?
Okay, so maybe a hundred years ago that might have happened all the time. But not now! She tried to appear relaxed, but she wasn’t sure she was able to pull it off completely. “Lunch would be nice,” she replied, but she suspected she wouldn’t be able to eat anything. Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten any dinner the previous night, nor breakfast this morning. The last meal she’d had was lunch with him yesterday out on his sun-filled terrace. They’d skipped dinner last night, too intent on discovering each other’s bodies. And then this morning, she hadn’t even thought about the idea of eating something because she’d been too worried that her father might find out about her absence last night.
Another thought occurred to her. She needed to see her sister, just to make sure she was really okay. She pulled out her phone and looked through her e-mail and text messages. Nothing! Looking out the window, she bit her lower lip, trying to decide what to do. She knew Sierra was at the hospital with her stranger, but what if Sierra had been wrong about the man’s character? What if he was one of the bad guys? She could get caught in the middle of a tricky and dangerous situation.
“Now what’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Zeke demanded as he helped her sit down at the table in the lovely, private rooms in one of the city’s most exclusive restaurants.
Marissa’s eyes snapped to his, her anger evident in the way she held herself back from his hands. “First of all, my head is not little. I’m a very intelligent woman with skills you know nothing about.” She wasn’t sure why she was being so mean to him when he was actually being very sweet. There was just something about this man that disturbed her. Well…not to mention that he’d just become her husband. That was probably it, she told herself as she fiddled with the linen napkin on her lap.
Zeke smiled slightly, enjoying the fire that had come back into her eyes. “I know that you run a successful business. Why you aren’t expanding further, especially with your very good reputation, is a mystery I’d like to understand. Care to tell me why you won’t grow your website business further?”
Marissa’s panic increased. “How do you know about that?” she demanded, her eyes unknowingly giving him information by the fear that suddenly appeared.
He leaned forward while the waiter poured the champagne he’d ordered. “I know a great deal about you,” he said once they were relatively alone again. “For instance, I know that you want me almost as much as I want you.”
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her fingers wrapping around the glass of ice water as if that might cool down her overly heated body. “And you think that’s justification for a marriage?” Why was she being so snappish? The man was only trying to help her, although he might be doing it in an overly domineering manner.
He smiled slightly, his face not changing in any way. Zeke understood that she was confused, nervous and not getting answers quickly enough. If he were in her position, he’d be pretty furious as well. “You know exactly why we’re now married. And you should have talked to me last night instead of trying to seduce me.” He chuckled as he took a sip of the sparkling wine. “I guess it worked, didn’t it? Since we’re now married and we’re definitely going to be doing more of last night’s activities.”
She lifted a slim shoulder and took a sip of her champagne, abstractly appreciating the crisp taste. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Last night shouldn’t happen again.”
“Your father, then. Tell me what is going on with him,” he demanded and knew he’d scored again when she let her eyes drop. “Why did he want you to marry me so badly?”
Marissa carefully set her wine glass down and hid her shaking hands under the linen covered table. “Don’t go there,” she whispered, looking down at her plate.
Zeke watched her, his mind sifting through all the information he’d discovered about her family. He wouldn’t relent, but he would back away strategically. Obviously, questions about her father’s motives were too painful at the moment. “Where’s your sister?” he asked gently. Soon, she’d learn to trust him.
Marissa shivered. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since the party. I spoke to her on the phone this morning and she told me that she was at the hospital, helping out someone who was hurt. But I haven’t seen her, I don’t know who this stranger is and I don’t know why she’s so adamant that she must be the one to help him. I just know that I needed to protect her.”
Zeke quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number. “Dave, I need you to find someone. Sierra Berutelli has been missing for the past three days, probably at one of the major hospitals but we’re not sure which one. Get everyone on it, but don’t get the police involved. Not yet at least. Report back to me by the end of the day with what you’ve learned unless you find her sooner.”
That command made Marissa’s eyes snap right back up to his. She relaxed slightly with the news that she was getting some help from someone. “Thank you,” she said softly. “Sierra is eighteen and very responsible. She’s never been gone for this long before. She’s always careful to let me know what’s happening and I do the same for her. She phoned, but I don’t have enough details to know that she’s safe.”
“So you’re sister has been missing and you’ve been ordered by your father to become my wife. I suppose he wants me in the family for…nefarious reasons. Am I correct?”