Sweet Escapes: Romance Story Boxed Set by Leighann Dobbs
Authors: Leighann Dobbs
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Short Stories, divorce, Anthologies, Novellas, Single Women, Marriage, Daughter, boxed set, passion, undercover, second chance, bargain, Forbidden, Relationship, collection, Single Parent, Bachelors, Hometown, thief, Forever Love, vengeance, old flame, summer camp, Nine Year-Old, Five Years, receptionist, Sweet Escapes, Controlled, Physical Trainer, Local Gym, Archaeology Professor, Nile River, Heart Claim
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Ayla saw a look of uncertainty cross Victoria's face. She moved in to gain the upper hand.
"Besides, I haven't done anything wrong. Just bringing home what is rightfully mine."
Victoria's demeanor darkened. " Yours? Nothing in there is yours. I sacrificed everything to acquire the files in that lab and I won't have you ruin everything I have worked for."
Ayla watched wide eyed as Victoria's hand reached into her purse and emerged with a small gun. Ayla felt a little faint. Was Victoria going to shoot her?
But instead of pointing the gun at Ayla, Victoria whirled on the computer pointing the barrel straight at the flash drive. "I'll make sure no one ever sees this evidence!" She took aim.
In one split second, Ayla saw all her hard work going down the drain.
"No!" she lunged toward the gun.
Bang!
***
Seamus strode slowly up the walkway to Ayla's house, suddenly uncertain as to whether or not he should have come. What would he say to her? Did she even want him here?
Lost in thought, trying to conjure up the perfect thing to say, he was suddenly pulled back to reality by the sound of... a gunshot ?
The sound had came from inside Ayla's house. Seamus broke into a run. Reaching the front door in seconds, he was surprised to discover it standing open. He gaped at the sight before him, a look of astonishment spreading over his face.
***
Ayla tried to wrestle the gun from Victoria's iron grip. No easy task considering they were rolling around on the floor like amateur wrestlers. A movement over by the door distracted her for a split second, allowing Victoria to gain control of the weapon.
She looked over and saw Seamus standing in the doorway. Damn, she's called in reinforcements.
Victoria didn't seem to notice him and secured the gun with both hands, pointing the barrel straight at Ayla.
"Victoria, what the hell is going on?" Seamus's voice boomed through the room causing Victoria to stop in her tracks.
"As if you didn't know." Ayla couldn't help but blurt out the sarcastic comment before Victoria could answer.
Seamus swiveled his head from one woman to the other, the perplexed look on his face would have been comical, were the situation not so serious. Ayla's heart gave a little flutter. Was it possible he really didn't know?
"She was going to ruin everything." Victoria tightened her grip on the gun. "Everything we worked so hard for. Our entire company would be ruined."
"How could Miss Bannerman ruin everything, Victoria?" he asked, confused.
Ayla watched a kaleidoscope of emotions cross Victorias face. Her arm holding the gun wavered.
"She wants to ruin us. Destroy everything I've worked for, Seamus, and I did it all for you! After Adrianna died, you were so despondent and the company wasn't doing well. I knew if we had a break through product it would lift your spirits and you'd be your old self again."
"But we did have one, we had GreenGas...." Seamus voice trailed off.
"Victoria, exactly what did you do?"
Victorias face crumbled and tears ran down her cheeks. Her arms fell to her sides, the gun along with them. Ayla saw her chance and knocked the gun out of her hand. It skittered across the floor away from her, landing at Seamus feet. Seamus picked it up.
Ayla expected him to take over where Victoria had left off and point the gun at her, but instead he unloaded the clip, removing the bullets and held the gun at his side.
"Now, will someone tell me exactly what this is about?"
Victoria covered her face with her hands. Her confession spilled out between sobs-- how she had hired hackers and corporate spies to steal technology for several products, GreenGas being one of them.
Seamus turned to Ayla, "But what do you have to do with all this?"
"The technology for GreenGas was stolen from my father. The proof is right there on that computer," she nodded towards her laptop.
Ayla saw a cloud of anger on Seamus face as he turned to
Ayla saw a look of uncertainty cross Victoria's face. She moved in to gain the upper hand.
"Besides, I haven't done anything wrong. Just bringing home what is rightfully mine."
Victoria's demeanor darkened. " Yours? Nothing in there is yours. I sacrificed everything to acquire the files in that lab and I won't have you ruin everything I have worked for."
Ayla watched wide eyed as Victoria's hand reached into her purse and emerged with a small gun. Ayla felt a little faint. Was Victoria going to shoot her?
But instead of pointing the gun at Ayla, Victoria whirled on the computer pointing the barrel straight at the flash drive. "I'll make sure no one ever sees this evidence!" She took aim.
In one split second, Ayla saw all her hard work going down the drain.
"No!" she lunged toward the gun.
Bang!
***
Seamus strode slowly up the walkway to Ayla's house, suddenly uncertain as to whether or not he should have come. What would he say to her? Did she even want him here?
Lost in thought, trying to conjure up the perfect thing to say, he was suddenly pulled back to reality by the sound of... a gunshot ?
The sound had came from inside Ayla's house. Seamus broke into a run. Reaching the front door in seconds, he was surprised to discover it standing open. He gaped at the sight before him, a look of astonishment spreading over his face.
***
Ayla tried to wrestle the gun from Victoria's iron grip. No easy task considering they were rolling around on the floor like amateur wrestlers. A movement over by the door distracted her for a split second, allowing Victoria to gain control of the weapon.
She looked over and saw Seamus standing in the doorway. Damn, she's called in reinforcements.
Victoria didn't seem to notice him and secured the gun with both hands, pointing the barrel straight at Ayla.
"Victoria, what the hell is going on?" Seamus's voice boomed through the room causing Victoria to stop in her tracks.
"As if you didn't know." Ayla couldn't help but blurt out the sarcastic comment before Victoria could answer.
Seamus swiveled his head from one woman to the other, the perplexed look on his face would have been comical, were the situation not so serious. Ayla's heart gave a little flutter. Was it possible he really didn't know?
"She was going to ruin everything." Victoria tightened her grip on the gun. "Everything we worked so hard for. Our entire company would be ruined."
"How could Miss Bannerman ruin everything, Victoria?" he asked, confused.
Ayla watched a kaleidoscope of emotions cross Victorias face. Her arm holding the gun wavered.
"She wants to ruin us. Destroy everything I've worked for, Seamus, and I did it all for you! After Adrianna died, you were so despondent and the company wasn't doing well. I knew if we had a break through product it would lift your spirits and you'd be your old self again."
"But we did have one, we had GreenGas...." Seamus voice trailed off.
"Victoria, exactly what did you do?"
Victorias face crumbled and tears ran down her cheeks. Her arms fell to her sides, the gun along with them. Ayla saw her chance and knocked the gun out of her hand. It skittered across the floor away from her, landing at Seamus feet. Seamus picked it up.
Ayla expected him to take over where Victoria had left off and point the gun at her, but instead he unloaded the clip, removing the bullets and held the gun at his side.
"Now, will someone tell me exactly what this is about?"
Victoria covered her face with her hands. Her confession spilled out between sobs-- how she had hired hackers and corporate spies to steal technology for several products, GreenGas being one of them.
Seamus turned to Ayla, "But what do you have to do with all this?"
"The technology for GreenGas was stolen from my father. The proof is right there on that computer," she nodded towards her laptop.
Ayla saw a cloud of anger on Seamus face as he turned to
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