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CAN ENEMIES FALL IN LOVE?
Anne Giamatti Is more than just a rich and powerful man’s daughter. She is a smart, beautiful, insightful woman of thirty-four with a heart full of passion for the right man. But her protected life dramatically minimized her chances of ever finding him. On a sunny day in January, she is given the Coin of Luck and after that, her life spirals out of control. The man she meets, James Hale, is deliberate, cold, calculating and capable of terrible deeds. A superior planner just like her father, James kidnaps her and holds her for a ransom she can't imagine. Caught in the battle between her father and James, Anne finds herself in the middle of something she does not yet understand…with only her wits to survive.
Excerpt:
On day thirty-nine, she heard the door unlock at two fifteen in the afternoon. James knocked and called through the door, “You decent? Can I come in?”
“Suit yourself.”
He opened the door and stepped inside. “I see the kitty still has her claws out. I really wish you would relax. You’re not going to be harmed.”
“So you say. I’m sure I should believe you since you’re such a stand up kind of guy.”
He turned to leave the room. As he did, he said, “Well, I was just here to announce congratulations. You’ve been paroled—thirty minutes early, for good behavior.” Then he walked away.
Anne put on her shoes and strolled out of her room. She went downstairs to the kitchen and checked the fridge. A voice from the living room called out to her, “Boss made a run to the market this morning. We’re all stocked up on everything, including those little itsy bitsy Corona beers you like.”
She peered out into the living room. Joey sat on the couch, downing a raspberry seltzer. The front door was open with just the screen door shut. She walked out into the living room, eyes focused on the door.
Noticing that, Joey said, “The boss said you could go outside and sit with him at the pond. He wants to talk to you.”
Eyeing him with suspicion, she nevertheless went outside. For the briefest of seconds she judged the distance to the highway and wondered if she could make it and flag down a car before they caught her. It seemed like a losing proposition, so she walked over to the bow of the hill and sat down next to James. She said nothing.
They both sat there, side by side, making no comment for ninety seconds. Finally, James pointed to the far side of the pond and said, “I’ve been watching that little frog over on the far side. Now and then he moves and every time he does, that bird up in the tree turns its head toward him, like he is checking out the lunch menu or something.”
“I know this lowlife who once told me that for every action there’s a reaction.”
“Yeah. How low is he?”
“As low as you can get. He plays handball off the curb. He steals people from their lives and then locks them in their room when they’ve only done what any normal person would do. I think he’s just mean that way.”
Again there was an extended pause in the conversation. Being outside was like a gift from heaven for Anne. She closed her eyes and let the soft wind tickle her face as the afternoon’s last rays of sun beat down on her.
She glanced over at him. Again, she caught a trace of an odd smile as he stared at her.
“I’ve seen that smile before. My mom used to call those ‘secret smiles.’ You know what that is?”
James shook his head. “Tell me.”
“A secret smile is the kind you smile just for yourself. And it has a special meaning. It’s a smile that means something unique to you and to no one else.”
James pondered that. “Your mom teach you anything else?”
Anne looked off into the distance. “Plenty. She taught me good manners. And, by the way, kidnapping people is not good manners. And she also taught me to always do three things when I conversed with people.”
Now she had James’s attention. “Don’t be a tease. What three things?”
Anne gave herself a secret smile. “She said always say something nice, say something true, and say something that causes them to reflect. She said it was a surefire way to build a good relationship.”
“Hmmm, an interesting philosophy. So…do you have three things for me?”
Anne eyed him carefully. “Hmm, let me think. Yeah, I guess I do.” She paused for effect.
“Well, what are they?” asked an impatient James.
“All right, here are your three things: my father hasn’t killed you yet, my father hasn’t killed you yet, and my father hasn’t killed you yet. How’s that work for you?”
Playing along, James nodded. “Well, let’s see. Something nice, something true, and something to reflect on. You’re right. That works. Not sure if it helps build a strong relationship, though.”
“Yeah, well, I guess my mom wasn’t always right.”
“Remind me not to verbally joust with you too often. I’m getting my butt kicked.”
Anne chuckled quietly to herself. Just then an orange-colored butterfly descended from higher up and flew within a few feet of Anne and James. It fluttered its wings and hovered for a few moments. Anne reached her hand out toward it and it quickly flew away.
“Well, at least she can escape from here.” Anne flashed a look at James.
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