She shook her head and gasped for air. Storm spoke to her and caressed her arms. Now Winter was on the bed, York stood on the side looking over Weston’s shoulder. Weston grunted at the pain her nails caused.
Storm continued to talk to her and caress her arms, bringing her back to the present.
“Easy, baby girl, we’ve got you. You’re not there anymore. Never again, Aspen. We’re here.”
He kissed her damp cheeks and Weston felt her fingers ease from his skin. He held her head and caressed her hair.
“Are you okay now?” Weston asked her.
She nodded and eased back against the pillow.
No one said a word.
Weston locked gazes with Storm, the turmoil obvious on his face.
“Aspen, baby?”
“Leave the light on please. Please don’t turn it off,” she said and shivered as she clung to the pillow. Weston pulled the covers around her and snuggled against her back. He kissed her shoulder. “Sleep, Aspen. We’ve got you. You’re safe.”
Chapter 5
“Have you heard from her?” Nicolai asked Dmitri over the phone as he sat in the back of the limousine.
“I have. She sent me a few updates, and it’s not looking good. That scumbag Andrei wants to take over more than just the clubs. He wants Pro-Tech Industries as well as Liberty Construction and Development. Those are the legit businesses Storm and his friends run,” Dmitri told him.
“Most of what Storm and his team members do is legit. If Aspen is successful in weeding out the rats in the company as she seems more than capable of doing, then perhaps it’s time for Storm and the men to hand over the reins to you?”
“I offered him that the other night. Seems they’re making progress with Aspen.”
“How does Aspen feel about that?”
“Not sure. We’ve limited our communication. I set her up with a clean iPad. No one can track it and she knows how to delete whatever she sends to the e-mail and burner phones we set up. It’s all good.”
“My concern is Andrei’s interest in Aspen. If he was so pissed about Aspen securing that construction deal with Cartwright, which was incredible, then why didn’t he take her out? You know, at minimum make her pay up, take some revenge on her or something. Instead he threatens her brother, Storm, Weston, and the rest of the team, including India, and forces her to work for him as his CEO? I’m sure she hasn’t told Storm about any of this.”
“Nicolai, she’s trying to save everyone and doesn’t have a care about her own life. I’m sure that stems from years ago when she was abducted and nearly sold off.”
“That’s the type of business our families have never gotten involved in. But Andrei has. Andrei was responsible for a lot of bad things over the years. But because of the family ties, they won’t give the order to take him out. Not yet anyway.”
“Well, maybe some of the newest information will help make the bosses change their minds. It seems that Aspen uncovered something else while she had me investigate some of the suspected employees of Pro-Tech.”
“Like what?”
“Andrei and Demyan have been showing an interest in my charity program, Star Haven, for quite some time. Though they only recently began to show up at the yearly celebratory venues. Anyway, Storm and his team have hired many of these young people over the years for both Pro-Tech and for their clubs they own and we own.”
“My clubs as well?” Nicolai asked.
“Afraid so. I have a list of individuals that could very well be sabotaging our companies. I’m gathering a team now to, let’s say, interrogate them.”
“I want that list. You say that Aspen uncovered this in a matter of a week working at Pro-Tech?”
“Sure as shit did. I’d snag the woman myself but she turned me down multiple times. She’s an asset to the family. I mean to Storm and the team’s businesses and territory.”
Nicolai thought about that a moment. “Storm will need to know about this.”
“He’ll find out soon enough. Aspen has to keep Andrei believing that she’s sabotaging the company. She said that Andrei mentioned her finding out any information on you as well. He wanted to know if you were invested in Pro-Tech and what your share was in it.”
“The slimy bastard wants to rip my investments out from under me, too? He’s out of his fucking mind.”