Page 104 of Seduced By You

Chapter32

Kadon

As one door closes,

another one hits you in the face.

Mont Blanc rose majesticallyin the distance as our car wound around Lake Geneva, the Jet d’Eau firing an impressive arc of water into the air. This was my first visit to Switzerland since the authorities had concluded their investigation into Henry’s death and told me I was free to go.

Free.

What a joke.

Henry’s death had trapped me in this place ever since. With Lee, I’d had a few weeks of blissful peace, but since the car accident, the nightmares had returned, as traumatic as ever.

Except now, it wasn’t only Henry’s face I saw, a red stain pooling beneath his head, the distinctive smell of blood filling the air. It was Lee, that jagged piece of metal sticking out of her face, her incoherent mumblings, the blind panic that I couldn’t find my phone to call for help. The look on her face when she’d told me to go, that she didn’t need me. Didn’twantme. It was all I could see every time I closed my eyes. Not that I blamed her for feeling that way. If I had the choice to escape me, I would. In a heartbeat.

“How’s the cruise ship coming along?”

Truth be told, I wasn’t all that interested in that side of the business. Cruising was my idea of hell, no matter how much Blaize tried to convince me otherwise. My soul craved freedom. Give me a sandy beach and undulating waves every time.

Not that I’d surfed in weeks. I hadn’t felt the urge. Lee had been my freedom.

Until she wasn’t.

“Okay, I think.” He heaved a sigh, plucking a piece of lint off his pants. “There’s a lot to do, but we’re on track.”

“You’ll make a success of it. Everything you touch turns to gold.”

His wry smile gave me momentary pause. Blaize’s confidence had always shone brighter than the sun at the height of summer. He had this intrinsic and unshakable belief in himself. Yet I could have sworn that smile carried a tinge of doubt in it.

“I can only try. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever worked on.”

“I believe in you.”

His lips curved up on one side. “That means a lot.”

We fell into silence. I stared out the window as the mountains whizzed by. Switzerland was a stunning country, but I’d never voluntarily come here. If it weren’t for Samuel, I wouldn’t set foot on Swiss soil. The memories were too vivid, too laden with anxiety. I was only glad he’d agreed to see me. If his memories were as painful as mine, I wouldn’t have blamed him if he’d point-blank refused.

I’ll look forward to it,he’d said to Blaize when he’d made the call earlier this morning. Three hours later, here we were. My palms were clammy, and my heart tripped over itself as we drove past the Mövenpick Hotel opposite the marina. The car swept to the right, stopping a few hundred yards from the shoreline.

Samuel’s office building, where we’d agreed to meet, was nondescript. A beige façade, a shiny black door, a chrome bell. I took a breath, then another, each one having little effect on my nerves.

“Do you want me to come inside with you?”

I shook my head. This was a journey I had to walk alone. Only three people had experienced the full horror of that night, and one of them wasn’t here to tell the tale. Because of me.

“I’ll be right here. Take your time.”

My lips lifted, then fell, the smile impossible to hold. I got out of the car and rang the bell.

“Bonjour.” A woman’s voice.

“Hi. Um, bonjour. I’m Kadon Kingcaid. I’m here to see Samuel.”

“Ah, Monsieur Kingcaid. Please, come in.”

A buzzer sounded and the door popped open. With a final glance back at Blaize, I went inside.

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