Blackmailed For Vengeance Read online

  Special Smashwords Edition

  Blackmailed For Vengeance

  by

  Marie Kelly

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Blackmailed For Vengeance

  Special Smashwords Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  Copyright © 2011 Marie Kelly. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

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  Visit the author website:

  www.romancemarie.com

  Marie Kelly

  Other tittles

  Blackmailed For The Billionaire’s Pleasure

  Captured

  Kidnapped The Wrong Sister

  My Son

  Mia

  The Wedding Deal

  The Unwilling Mistress

  In memory of Helen. Will always love and miss you

  CHAPTER ONE

  Lee sat on the hospital chair, gently holding the hand of the man who lay so still on the bed beside her. As she spoke soothingly to him his eyes remained closed as the many pieces of equipment around his bed had blinked and beeped in a manner which both fascinated and frightened her.

  Jim Donovan was a good friend of Lee’s, and news of his accident had shocked her, particularly when she had found that he lay in a comma, lucky to be alive after his car had swerved off the road and hit a tree. The nurse she had spoken to had been comforting, telling her that his injuries were not life threatening, but adding that it was too early to tell what damage might have been done to his brain until he came out of the comma, quickly adding as she had seen how the young woman’s eyes had opened in shock that initial indications where positive, smiling as she told her they would just have to be patient.

  That had been two days ago and she had each day after work made the hour journey to the hospital, to just sit there talking to him, holding his hand and telling him in as upbeat a voice as she could manage, about their friends, hoping that somehow he would hear her, nobody really knowing when or even if he would ever come out of it. As she had sat there on the second day, her chin resting on the hand which held his, Lee had shivered, suddenly feeling the prickly sensation of being watched, and looking up, she had been surprised to see the man standing at the door.

  Tall, incredibly handsome and exuding a raw masculine power she had held her breath as their eyes had met, the sight of him sending an instant bolt of lightning through her tired body, which was both unexpected and instant, her stomach flipping in a most disconcerting manner , making her quickly drop her gaze shocked and confused by her own reactions. He too had stopped a look of surprise in his, almost black eyes also, as he had watched her, those inscrutable eyes flicking over Lee, before flashing her one of the most dazzling smiles she had ever seen.

  “Hello, I am sorry I did not realise Jim had a visitor” he said gently his voice tinged with an accent which ran down her spin so pleasantly like warm trickling water

  Lee had slowly placed Jim’s hand back down onto the white starched hospital sheet, half standing

  “No…please” she said as the man had turned to leave

  “I really have to go anyway…. I’m sure he would like the company” she said looking softly back down on him, before bending down and kissing her friend’s forehead

  “Wake up soon Jim” she murmured before moving towards the door

  As the large man had moved aside allowing her to pass, she had thanked him with a small shy smile, enjoying the smell of his aftershave which enveloped her, its intoxicating aroma so pleasurable, as she had fought to stop her eyes closing with that pleasure, aware of how she had shivered softly as an awareness of him had once more shot through her. As she stepped out of the room he had followed her, his deep voice questioning

  “I am sorry, are you Jim’s girlfriend”

  Lee had turned around in surprise her large soft hazel eyes looking back politely at him,

  “No….just a friend, we work together….I just try to look in on him that’s all” she said gently

  The man had once again smiled at her

  “Well that is very kind of you…I’m sure that he would appreciate it”

  Lee, suddenly felt strangely awkward and flustered at his words, for no real reason smiling back, her eyes dropping away from him

  “It was nice to meet you” she said “I’ll pop back tomorrow and see him”

  The man before her had watched Lee silently for a moment with a sensual expression in those dark eyes before giving her a boyish grin, his voice full of warmth and an all too easy charm

  “I’m sure he would like that, perhaps if you are here at the same time tomorrow I could take you for a coffee” he had said softly, his almost hypnotic gaze holding hers as she had once more raised her eyes to look at him, her expression polite but firm

  “That’s very kind of you” she said gently “But, I really don’t have the time”

  The man had raised a quizzical eyebrow but was stopped from continuing as a nurse had moved over to talk with him. However, as she had turned to leave his eyes had continued to watch her, her whole body tingling feeling his look still on her.

  Leaving the hospital Lee had scolded herself. “Grow up Lee, he’s only a fantastically gorgeous man” she had said to herself, chuckling gently before running to catch the bus which was approaching her stop.

  At home Lee had thrown off her shoes sinking down into the couch exhausted. After spending 8 hours at the PR office she worked, organising for a charitable event which seemed to be growing bigger and bigger problems as each day passed, she had visited Jim and then taken in her neighbours shopping for her. Her neighbour Mrs Green who was in her 70’s had nobody else and Lee always made sure that the woman had food and somebody to talk to, spending time with her most days, knowing how very important she had become in her life.

  Lee had stayed for her usual cup of tea and listened while the older woman had told her more stories of her younger years. She enjoyed listening to Mrs Green and would usually sit contentedly for an hour or more listening as the older woman had spoken. However, that day she had been exhausted, and as she had tried to hide the yawn behind her hand, Mrs Green had laughed, a soft tinkling sound which made her eyes twinkle before insisting that she leave early when hearing the story of Lee’s day.

  Lee had groaned, feeli
ng guilty, knowing that the older woman had nobody else, and always looked forward to her visits and Lee had made a mental note to visit her first the next day. Deep down, however, she wondered if this was more due to her desire not to run into the man with the darkest eyes she had ever seen whose face was so familiar to her. Pulling herself from the comfortable chair Lee had ran herself a bath while making a small supper of tea and toast eating it with relish not having realised just how hungry she was.

  Moving back to the small bathroom, she had pulled off her clothes to move into the warm water with a soft groan on her lovely lips, looking at herself in the mirror, as she had sighed at what she saw. At 24, Lee was of average height about 5.5 with a slim curvaceous figure and firm breasts which looking bigger due to her small slender waist which flared to wider hips, a perfect bottom and long shapely legs. She pulled her long almost black layered hair from the band which held it away from her face, to allow it to fall around her shoulders and down her back seeing how it framed her tired face. Almond in shape, her large hazel eyes, fringed with long black lashes gave her an innocent look, which made men’s pulses race, although she seemed unaware of the reaction she had on them. Seeing how tired she looked, her normally glowing skin a little lack lustre she had stuck out her tongue at herself, causing her beautiful mouth to curve into a large warm smile which showed the two small dimples on her cheeks and lit up her whole features. As she had made to sink down into the beckoning water, her door bell had rung, causing her to once more groan softly.

  With a small sigh Lee had pulled on her thin bath robe, before moving to the door cautiously opening it to peer out to see who would be calling at that late hour

  With a gasp of surprise she had recognised the man from the hospital, her eyes wide at seeing him there. He was looking back at her with equal surprise before looking behind her as though expecting somebody else

  “Are you Lee Andrews” he asked, a small frown on his face

  “Yes” she had replied, suddenly feeling panic rising within her

  “Has something happened ….. Is Jim OK” she asked her large eyes suddenly wide with fear, as she had dreaded hearing the worst, remembering how she had left her details with the hospital

  The man before her had frowned even deeper shaking his head

  “Jim’s condition hasn’t changed. May I please come in” he asked as one of her neighbours had appeared at their door

  Lee had opened the door wider to let him in, confused as to why he was there

  “My name is Yanis..” the man had started to say before she had cut across him.

  “I know who you are Mr Demitri” she said softly, seeing how his frown had deepened even further. Lee had instantly recognised Yanis Demitri when she had first seen him in the hospital, having heard so much about him over the years and read so many of the news clips shown to her by Jim, who seemed almost in awe of his friend

  “It’s nice to meet you Mr Demitri”, she said extending her hand “Although I wish it were under different circumstances” she had said sadly “Jim speaks about you often”.

  Briefly it crossed her mind that the man before her was even more attractive in person, than in the many pictures she had seen of him, as no picture could truly capture the sheer animal magnetism of the man

  To her surprise he had ignored her outstretched hand and was looking around the room with an unpleasant expression on his face.

  Having walked into her small flat, Yanis Demitri had stood sideways on to her as though deep in thought before looking around himself, his eyes taking in her comfortable yet modest home.

  “Yes, Jim” he said, finally turning to look on her, with eyes which seemed to flick down her with no attempt to conceal the contempt in them, as she had dropped her still outstretched arm in confusion

  “So can I assume Miss Andrews” he said his voice icy “That your conscience is bothering you”

  Lee had frowned back at him, not understanding what he was saying

  “I..I don’t know what you mean” she said her face genuinely surprised

  “I am talking about Jim’s suicide attempt” he replied glaring at her with such hostility in those deep dark eyes

  “Suicide?” she stammered “Jim isn’t suicidal…there must be some kind of mistake” she stuttered

  Reaching into his pocket he had pulled out a letter which she had taken from him, her fingers a little shaky

  Reading the words she had smiled sadly

  “This isn’t a suicide note” she said, looking up at the man before her whose face was now dark with anger

  “I’m so glad you find it funny” he said grabbing the small note from her hand before reading it aloud

  “Dearest Lee, I have never felt this way before. I am in love and it is breaking my heart. I think that it would be best for everybody if I just ended it.”

  Looking back at her, he had moved even closer, surprising Lee at the instant tingle of awareness which flooded her whole body at his closeness.

  “I am glad that you find the fact that my friend was so in love with you that he decided to kill himself so amusing” he had bit out, his voice tight and angry

  Lee had shaken her head suddenly annoyed at the absurdity of his accusations

  “That isn’t what the letter is all about” she had said realising that he was serious as her wonderful eyes had stared back at him

  “Then perhaps you could enlighten me” he replied his tone low as his eyes flashed dangerously

  Biting her lip Lee had looked up at Yanis Demitri, the explanation on the tip of her tongue, before with a small sigh she had shaken her head

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t. It’s up to Jim to tell you….I promised him I wouldn’t tell anybody” she said a determined expression crossing her face as her chin had risen slightly.

  He had given a contemptuous half laugh, his eyes racking her face with disdain before stepping away from her, his voice now controlled

  “You are a liar Miss Andrews, and now my friend is fighting for his life. I will make you sorry that you have done what you have to him” he said before moving back to the door and pulling it open, looking once more at the young woman before him

  “Very sorry indeed. Women like you are dangerous to men like my friend” he had bit out before leaving, slamming her door hard behind him.

  As the noise died away Lee realised that she was shaking at what had just happened. She stared at the now empty spot he had stood, not believing that they were now treating Jim’s accident as a suicide bid, even more shocked by her first encounter with Yanis Demitri, Jims best friend since they had grown up together in Greece.

  Jim had spoken of Yanis often with such affection, recounting how he had pulled himself from his humble beginnings to now be the CEO of one of the largest shipping companies in the world. He would describe how his friend led a play boy jet set life style, with some of the most beautiful women in the world as his mistresses. Yet he had always been so proud that Yanis had never been so busy as to not regularly make time to meet up with him, and Lee could tell that Jim had been completely in awe of him, often describing how women would fall at his feet, and only now, after meeting him did she fully believe this, understanding the devastating effect he could have on any woman, the effect he was even now having on her.

  However, with a frown she had remembered how he had looked at her as though he could have killed her, hardly able to control the anger he had felt, believing that she could have treated his friend so badly, and despite her attempts to explain, she knew that he had not believed her. With a sigh she had briefly thought how stupid he would feel when Jim did wake up. With a small frown which puckered her lovely brow she had thought, if he wakes up, knowing that at that point she would have to tell what she knew because she couldn’t have his death marked down as suicide. Lee had sighed wearily once again as her whole body had again felt so tired, as she moved back to the bathroom and the relaxing hot bath which awaited her.

  That night Lee had slept
badly. Images of Yanis Demitri glaring down on her from Jim’s grave haunting her as she had woken up with sweat dripping down her back, tears running down her face as his stone had lain beside another set of graves.

  The next few days passed quickly with Lee maintaining her routine. Her work had become so frantic over the last few days of the charities campaign, often resulting in her having to put in many extra hours, after which she would visit Mrs Green before going to see Jim whose condition remained the same. She had been relieved not to have bumped into Yanis Demitri again, having no desire to meet with his arrogant contemptuous look, which she had not been able to forget, remembering how those wonderful dark eyes had glared at her, each time making her shiver with an awareness she could not fully understand.

  On the third day she had received a phone call from the manager of the small accountancy company her brother worked for. He had asked that she come down to see him as a matter of urgency and with real concern she had soon found herself in the reception of her brothers company. Distractedly she had nervously looked around the small waiting area, with its bland grey walls and periodicals littering the small coffee tables positioned around the uncomfortable chairs. Frowning, Lee had been worried. After the death of her parents it had been she who had brought up Peter, her young brother, and like any mother she was concerned as to what would be so important that she would need to be called down to meet with his employer

  After several minutes she had been asked to enter the room at the end of the corridor, and with a nervous glance at the smiling receptionist she had moved into the room as directed. However, seeing the handsome figure of Yanis Demitri behind the desk, she had gasped in surprise