The Billionaire's Secret (Tycoon Billionaires 5)

‘Thanks for all you did for us Jake. The technology is just too unstable for us to get involved with. Astrid did a great job. If you’re with her, tell her we said thanks, okay? God knows where Graves is planning to get his fifty grand from now, but that’s his problem. It won’t be from Quinlan Brothers.

Good luck with the treasure hunt. Don’t forget there’s a family party next weekend to celebrate Samira’s…’

Jake stopped reading. His gaze scanned back up. ‘God knows where Graves is planning to get his fifty grand from now…’

Graves?

It was certainly a motive. And it had been Astrid who’d blocked him. Could Cole Graves be holding Emma in the hope that he might get his hands on the funding that way? But where did Simon come into it? Had Graves simply managed to enlist the paid help of a disgruntled ex? Jake’s mind swum with confused threads, trying to stitch them together to find the answer.

There was only one way to find out… Confront the kidnapper and finish this whole thing off. But one thing was for sure – Jake realized – he was going to need some armed back-up from the police, and that only meant one thing. He’d need to put his ego aside, and ask for assistance from the one person who’d probably be most reluctant to give it.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Back inside the motel room, Astrid was pumped up and ready for the final showdown with the kidnapper tomorrow, but she didn’t even try hide her surprise at what Jake had just told her. “You want to ask Daniel to help us?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. I’ll call his cell phone first thing. But for now, come here and sleep in my arms.” Jake’s face flashed with surprise. “Jesus, did I really just say that?”

Astrid laughed. “You did. And I’d love to.”

The next morning, Jake called Daniel and discovered he was still in Philadelphia, having breakfast in a diner – so Jake said he wanted to call a truce, and they went to meet him.

The diner had a red and white theme – red and white floor tiles, red vinyl stools at the white counter, and two waitresses wearing red and white dresses. Jake held Astrid’s hand as they walked inside. There weren’t any other customers in here – just Daniel sitting in a booth, eating appl

e pie.

Astrid felt a shiver go down her spine as she gazed at him innocently eating. She trusted that Jake knew what he was doing – but she didn’t trust Daniel. He’d shown his true colors and could easily double-cross them.

“It’s okay,” Jake said, picking up on her reluctance. He squeezed her hand and they strolled over to meet him with caution. Technically, they were fugitives and this could be a trap. After all, last time they’d seen Daniel they’d tied him to a tree, and he most likely wasn’t going to forgive and forget very easily. A wave of mischievous pride washed through Astrid as she remembered how they’d left him there like that. But he was a spiteful insecure rat, who loved nothing more than to hold a grudge. Astrid knew Jake was still furious with Daniel for screwing him over and getting him falsely dismissed from the NYPD. But Emma’s life was at stake – now wasn’t the time for vengeance. That would come later…

Jake halted at the table, firmly holding Astrid’s hand. Daniel looked up.

“Hey,” Jake said. “Can we trust you, or you got the place surrounded?”

“Take a seat,” Daniel said, swallowing his mouthful. “And we’ll talk.”

“I guess you’d like an apology for what happened yesterday?” Jake said, as he and Astrid sat on the vinyl seat opposite him. “You know, for handcuffing you to that tree…”

Daniel shrugged. “I don’t trust you any more than you trust me. But I’m curious to know what’s with the sudden change of heart?”

“I just want to get Astrid’s sister back.”

Daniel wiped his fingers on his napkin. “You said you had some information?”

“Jake’s worked it all out,” Astrid said. “He knows who the kidnapper is.”

“I think I know,” Jake said. “Cole Graves.”

Daniel gazed blankly at him. “And he is…?”

One of the waitresses brought over some coffee for Jake and Astrid, so they remained silent until she drifted away.

Jake lowered his voice to explain. “He’s the CEO of a company that Astrid’s been inspecting, and I think he’s not only got a grudge against her, but he now needs a lot of money to continue his funding. God knows why he thinks Astrid’s family would have that kind of money, but he wants Astrid to meet him in a disused warehouse this evening.”

Daniel shrugged. “So you’re planning to go with her, right?”

“Right. But I’ve got something better to do than playing his game. He’s been making calls from a local mansion – which I think he might own. He wanted to sell it recently, but he can’t get a buyer… Presumably that’s why he wants the ransom money. You could find out if it is his by checking the land records. And if he does own it, I suggest we raid the house today. Surprise him.”

Daniels’s face remained blank. “And if you’re wrong?”