Close To Her Asian Billionaire

Chapter 9

Jason’s head hurt. It really ached. He felt like someone had split it open. Rolling onto his side so the bright light wasn’t right in his eyes, Jason opened his eyes. He was in a bedroom, a flashy room with a gold motif on everything, from the furniture to the bedspread.

This wasn’t Carla’s bedroom. It wasn’t his room, either. Where was he?

“Wakey, wakey, sleepyhead.”

Jason’s eyes settled on the man sitting in the gold-tinted chair against one wall. It took a moment for his vision to clear.

“Rick?”

“The very same.” Richard indicated Jason. “Sorry we didn’t dress you properly but we were in a hurry.”

Jason then realized that he was still in just his jeans. Rolling onto his front, he pressed his forehead against his fists to force back the headache that was threatening to make an appearance. He raised his head and looked around him. Then he realized where he was.

“Your boat?”

“The FBI is ransacking my house and my country place. They haven’t got here yet.” Richard smirked. “We won’t be disturbed for now.”

Jason sat up slowly and looked across at his former friend. Richard lounged in his chair as if he owned the world. He looked different, yet it was the same man Jason had grown up with since high school. He had no idea where it had gone wrong.

His best friend had tried to frame him for a federal crime and put him away. He had tried to kill Carla. And he was planning on killing Jason; Jason was under no illusions as to why he was there on Richard’s boat.

But he did need to know something.

“You tried to ruin the company. Why?”

Richard looked at him as if he had suddenly gone crazy.

“Why? Because it wasn’t mine.” He snapped.

“But we built it together.” Jason protested. “How can you say it wasn’t yours?”

“You were the figurehead. When people hear the name they automatically think of you. I’m the one in the back crunching the numbers. I’m ignored while you lord it about with all the big names and the stars.”

“I never ignored you.”

Richard sat forward, his eyes glowing angrily.

“I’m talking about the people that really matter in this city.” He snarled. “The ones in elite society. The ones with all the money and everything at their fingertips. That’s what I want, not a job dealing with figures.”

Jason stared at him in astonishment. He had had no idea that Richard was so unhappy. But he had also had no idea that Richard was greedy.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked. “We were friends.”

“Because you wouldn’t have understood.” Richard sneered. “Sure, you worked hard for what you have but you wouldn’t have understood what I really wanted. That’s why I went to Jesse Taga.” He chuckled at Jason’s shocked expression. “That’s right, Jason. He didn’t come to me; I went to him. He gave me this perfect opportunity to take a cut of his enterprise. With the money he was making that was more than enough for me.” He chuckled, a dreamy look coming over his face as he stared into space. “You couldn’t begin to imagine how good it was to have those elitists looking at me for the first time thinking that I’m a god.”

Jason thought he was hallucinating. This couldn’t be happening. But he knew it was. Carla was shot, bleeding to death back in her apartment, while he was here facing his former friend down and wondering when did the man snap.

“Then why did you involve Carla?” His heart ached as he thought of the woman he loved. “Why get her to point the finger at me? Surely you would have known she was too smart to be manipulated like that.”

“I thought hiding behind your name would work and that I’d get away scot-free.” Richard’s expression darkened. “Getting her involved was a mistake. I was stupid there. Romaine didn’t take the bait, not even when I tried to point her in the direction I wanted her to go. She’s not a very good puppet.”

“Good for her.” Jason murmured.

Richard stood and stalked towards the bed. It was then that Jason saw the gun tucked into the waistband of his jeans.

“Now the pair of you have blown this out of the water.” Richard snarled. “I can’t hide behind you anymore.” He withdrew his gun and pointed it at Jason’s face. “But I can get rid of you.”

Jason eyed the gun nervously. While he could take Richard on, he wasn’t taking his chances with a gun in play.

“With the FBI on your tail, don’t you think that’ll be suspicious?” He questioned.

Richard shrugged.

“Not really. I was going to kill you sooner or later. Now you’re not going to jail, it’s going to be sooner.”

Jason braced himself, forcing himself to look Richard in the eye. He wasn’t going down like a coward.

Suddenly there was a shout and then bursts of gunfire. Richard jerked away and swore loudly. Striding to the door, he flung it open to reveal the burly man dressed in black standing on the other side. He pointed at Jason.

“Keep an eye on him.”

Then he ran out, leaving Jason with his new guard.

*****

Luke and Carla ducked behind a pile of crates. Carla’s shoulder screamed at her but she wasn’t about to tell Luke that. He was only letting her come along because she claimed to be fine. She wasn’t going to be sent back to sit in the car.

She was going to find Jason.

Luke pointed between the crates at a magnificent yacht in the dock.

“That’s Stevens’ boat.” He swore and ducked down. “Damn, there are guards. And they’re heavily armed.”

Carla glanced behind them, seeing the shadows moving. Luke had called for reinforcements on the way over to the docks, not willing to go in alone and have it out with Stevens. The fifteen-strong SWAT team was silent, waiting for the command to go.

But they wouldn’t be able to get past the guards without attracting attention. However…

“Can you create a distraction?” She whispered.

“Like hell with that.” Luke growled. He took out his gun and checked the magazine. Both of them were wearing vests. “We’re going in.”

“I know but if you can. They’ll expect you lot but not me. I’ll see if I can get on while you’re keeping them busy.”

She could clearly see that Luke didn’t like the plan. But her old friend knew her well; agreeing to let her help was easier than telling her to stay put and finding that she had gone to help anyway.

“Okay. But be careful.”