Billionaire's Blackmail Bride: Billionaire Brothers Kent - Ridge's Story (The BAD BOY BILLIONAIRES Series) Page 8

  “You won’t believe it,” she said, coming to stand right in front of him. “I found the source for a rare plant I’ve been hunting down for ages.” She grinned up at him. “I’m leaving for South America in two days.”

  ***

  So this was Manaus, the capital of the Amazonas region. Lani flung her arms wide and twirled around and around in the hotel room. She was finally here in Brazil, home to a big portion of the Amazon jungle, the habitat that would provide her with the secret plant potions she craved.

  It hadn’t been easy, getting here. When she dropped the bombshell Ridge was surprised, which was to be expected. What she hadn’t expected was for him to go ballistic and demand that she stay right there in Texas and send someone else.

  “No wife of mine is going traipsing through some jungle,” he’d declared. “Do you know how dangerous the jungle is?”

  She’d laughed him off. “I’m hunting for plants,” she’d told him, “not anacondas and alligators.”

  “That doesn’t mean you won’t find some along the way,” he’d practically snarled. “You’re not going.”

  “Oh, yes I am.”

  “No, you’re not. Don’t even think about it.”

  And so they’d had a huge fight that night until, probably realizing that she would never back down, he’d finally relented. Sort of. He’d finally accepted that she was going to Brazil but only, he said, if he went with her.

  And so, to Lani’s chagrin, she’d acquired a chaperon and not the most pleasant one either. He’d been a pain the entire flight, issuing warnings that she could do without. Now that they were at the hotel she had to thank the stars he’d gone downstairs to consult the concierge, giving her a well-needed break. Now she could relax.

  She’d just gone out onto the balcony and plopped her bottom down on the tropical print sofa when she heard her cell phone ringing inside the living room. “Oh, Lord,” she groaned as she got up, “let it not be Ridge calling to tell me not to drink the water or something like that.” He’d kept her so busy with his safety tips that she hadn’t even had time to take in the sights and scenery of the city.

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she dug the phone out of her handbag and realized it wasn’t him. “Hi Mom,” she said as soon as she tapped the answer button. “How are you and Dad?”

  “We’re fine, as always,” her mother said drily. “The question is, how are you? Since you got married you’ve spoken to your mother what, three times? Is this how it’s going to be?”

  “Oh, Mom, you know it’s just because I’ve been busy. I think about you and Dad every day.”

  “That’s not good enough. I want to hear from you, know how you’re doing. Is that husband of yours treating you well?”

  “Yes, Mother. Very well. There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

  “Mmhmm.” For some reason her mother sounded doubtful. “So if he’s treating you so great why doesn’t he let you call your mother?”

  Lani rolled her eyes. Not that question again. “Mom, if I don’t call often Ridge has nothing to do with it. It’s not his fault that I’m busy.”

  “Oh. So it’s your fault that you haven’t been calling.” Lani could hear the huff in Marie's voice.

  “Yes, Mother. All my fault.” Then, desperate to change the subject, she asked, “Did you and Dad see that play I told you about? Mama Mia. Did you go?”

  “No, not yet, dear. But getting back to you, how are you feeling? Have you been woozy? Nauseous? Anything like that?”

  “Nauseous? Why would I…” The words died in Lani’s throat. “Mother, are you asking me if I’m pregnant?”

  “Are you?”

  “No, I’m not. What kind of question is that?” Lani couldn’t believe her mother.

  “Have you been working on it, though? Remember our discussion about grandbabies.”

  “Mother, I’ve only been married four weeks. And anyway, I explained the nature of my relationship.” What part of ‘business arrangement’ didn’t her mother understand?

  “Well, be that as it may, you have to remember that you’re almost thirty years old. Don’t linger until your biological clock runs out, Leilani.”

  “No, Mom, I won’t.” Lani had to stifle a sigh. When her mother got like this it made no sense to argue with her. For an easy life it was better to just go along with what she said.

  And then, to Lani’s relief, her cell phone screen lit up with another call. “Sorry, Mom. I have to go. An important call’s coming in.”

  Marie heaved a sigh. “Busy as usual. Okay, dear. Call me later.”

  It was the call Lani had been waiting for. “Yes? Aurelio?”

  “Aurelio here, Dr. Donatelli. I was told you arrived in Manaus today.”

  “Yes, I’m here right now, at the Caesar. Thanks for connecting with me so soon.”

  “No problem, doctor. I know your time in Brazil is limited so I wanted to see if we can get started early. Tomorrow, if possible.” The man’s voice was coarse and deep but he sounded friendly enough. She’d heard he was an excellent guide and she was more than ready to take advantage of his services.

  “Call me Lani,” she said, “and tomorrow would be perfect. What should I bring?”

  “I’ll have the tents,” he replied, “and if you give me your e-mail address I’ll send you a list of items to bring. We have to be prepared for this trip.”

  “Of course.” She gave him her e-mail address then wrote down the phone number he gave her.

  “We will leave before sunrise,” he said. “I will come to the hotel to pick you up.”

  “I'll be ready,” she said and as they said their goodbyes she remembered she should have said they. Ridge would never let her go alone. But too late. Aurelio had already hung up.

  When Ridge returned to the hotel room Lani was all smiles. “Guess what?” she said as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

  He gave her a look that was sharp with suspicion. “Whenever you have a happy grin on your face I know it’s time to worry. What is it?”

  “First thing tomorrow,” she said, her smile widening, “we’re heading into the Amazon jungle.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  When he’d told Lani he would come on this Brazil trip with her Ridge had no idea what he would be getting himself into.

  After she’d slapped him awake at the ungodly hour of four in the morning she'd loaded him up with a backpack that was bulky and heavy, even for him. It was like the woman had stocked him up with all the canned goods that could fit in the darned thing. And everyone knew how heavy canned goods could be.

  Then they’d met her guide downstairs, a small, round-faced fellow who looked old enough to be Lani’s grandfather. Where in the world she’d found him, Ridge had no idea. He just hoped the man didn’t croak on them during the trip.

  And then, as if that weren’t bad enough, the vehicle he showed up with was cause for serious concern. It was an ancient looking Jeep, the sides eaten by rust and the tires so smooth they looked like you could go ice-skating with them. What kind of grip could tires like that have on the road? Ridge was of a mind to call a halt to the whole expedition but Lani was so bent on going that he didn’t have the heart to burst her bubble.

  The day still shrouded in darkness, they left the city and drove mile after mile until they were deep into the rural regions of Amazonas state. Because they stopped in Manacupuru for more supplies they didn’t get to Igarape until late morning and by that time Ridge was starving. Lani and her guide, on the other hand, looked like they were surviving on fresh air. While he sat in the backseat, his stomach growling, they were in the front, busy chatting away. Finally, when it looked like they had no intention of pulling over for either a food or bathroom break, Ridge decided he had to speak up.

  “Guys, what say we pull over the next chance we get? We must be low on gas by now.”

  Lani was the first to chirp up. “Oh, no. I’m good. And we’ve got lots of gas. Maybe half a tank.”

&nbs
p; It took Aurelio to come to the rescue. The elderly man glanced in the rearview mirror and must have seen the discomfort on Ridge’s face because he nodded and gave him an understanding smile. “We will stop in fifteen minutes,” he said, ignoring Lani and her bid to keep going. “ An eating spot is just up ahead.”

  “Thank you.” Ridge gave him a nod of gratitude. He seemed to have found some sympathy in Aurelio. Thank God for that.

  An hour later, after a hearty meal of Feijado black bean stew and deep fried Pasteis filled with cod fish, the party set off again, this time with Ridge sitting up front beside Aurelio. It had taken the big meal for Lani to realize how tuckered out she was. When they got back to the Jeep she immediately claimed the backseat where she sprawled out. Within minutes she was fast asleep.

  It was a good thing, too, because Ridge didn’t know if her heart would have been able to take the rest of the journey. Although much of the terrain had been flat, this time Aurelio took them up a hill and along a winding dirt road so narrow that if they’d met another vehicle coming in the opposite direction he didn’t know what they would have done. It didn't help that on one side of the road was the mountain wall and on the other was a steep precipice. As tough as he was – or used to think he was – his heart jumped into his throat and he gripped the seat so hard he thought his fingers would pop through the leather. He couldn’t believe he’d lived thirty-four years on earth to come to this hellish place to meet his end.

  It was an exhausted, drained and sweat-drenched Ridge who dragged himself out of the Jeep hours later. They’d come to a remote settlement, too tiny to even be called a village, and by this time it was pitch-black night. The few shacks that circled the clearing were in darkness and there was not a soul to be seen.

  Lani, who’d woken up a couple of hours earlier, was the first to speak. “Where are we?” she whispered, like she thought her voice would be enough to wake the community.

  “This is where we will camp tonight,” Aurelio said, shutting off the engine. “Tomorrow we continue the journey on foot.”

  “Oh.”

  All of a sudden Lani didn’t sound quite so excited. Just the opposite. There was a hint of fear in her voice, a rare show of vulnerability that made her seem almost childlike. Maybe it was the solid darkness that was doing her in. Whatever it was, it felt good to have her sidle close to him and reach for his hand.

  When she slid her hand into his it reminded him of how tiny she was and he felt a surge of protectiveness flow through him. Even after that brutal journey he was glad he’d insisted on making the trip with her. She was a tough little cookie and an independent soul but that didn’t mean she didn’t need protecting. She was his wife and it was his duty to ensure her safety. It was a responsibility he took seriously.

  When Aurelio went around to the back of the Jeep and began off-loading their gear Lani moved closer to whisper in Ridge’s ear. “I wonder where everybody is? The place looks so deserted.”

  “This is probably just a camp ground for hikers,” he speculated. “Maybe it’s empty except when travelers pass through.”

  “You’re probably right,” she whispered back. “I’m going to guess we’re the only ones here.” There was a pause as she looked around, peering through the darkness. “Kind of scary-looking, too.”

  “As long as we’re the only ones here,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze, “we’ll be all right.”

  Ridge soon had to leave Lani by the Jeep and go over to help Aurelio set up the tents. Within minutes of leaving her Lani was again by his side.

  “Let me help,” she said. “I’ll hold the flashlight.”

  It may have been because she wanted to be helpful or it may have been because she didn’t want to be too far away but Ridge didn’t care. He was glad to have her close. It hadn’t been easy, working on the tent and having to glance back at the Jeep every few seconds to make sure she was okay. Now, with her just an arm's length away, he could work much faster.

  Within the hour they’d set up both tents and secured their gear. Aurelio bid them a cheerful goodnight then disappeared inside his tent, leaving Ridge and Lani to their own devices. With the most logical next move being bed and sleep they rolled out their sleeping bags inside the tent that had seemed fairly spacious until they had to fit two sleeping bags in it with all their stuff. It ended up being a tight squeeze but they made it work. At one point Ridge thought of suggesting that they share just one sleeping bag but then he ditched the idea. The last thing he wanted was to trigger a fight. He could imagine they would have a happy spectator in Aurelio.

  In the end none of that mattered because they were so exhausted that they both crashed on top of the bags, boots and backpacks and bottles of water scattered all around them. Ridge didn’t know himself until next morning after the sun had come up and Lani had already slipped out of the tent.

  He sat up, his back aching from his firm bed of solid ground. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned then pushed forward onto his knees and crawled out of the tent. When he peered out it was to see Lani and Aurelio already in hiking gear, looking like they were ready to head out.

  “Hey,” he called out, “are you guys leaving? Without me?”

  At the sound of his voice Lani turned and lifted her hand in a little wave. “You’re awake. Finally. The way you were snoring away we thought we wouldn’t see you till lunch time.”

  Ridge frowned. “What time is it?”

  Aurelio glanced at his watch. “Sixteen minutes after seven.”

  “But that’s still early. What about breakfast? Aren’t we going to eat first?”

  “We already ate,” Lani said, shifting the backpack on her back and looking like she didn’t want to linger a second longer. “You can stay and eat while Aurelio and I hit the trail.”

  “Not on your life.” Ridge scrambled out of the tent and headed toward the stream. “You stay put. I’m coming with you.”

  After much grumbling on Lani’s part while he washed then grabbed some cold cereal, they headed out. Now he was in a much better mood. His stomach was halfway full and the fresh, clean air felt good on his face.

  "Remind me again why we didn’t book into one of those jungle lodges? I hear they’re all inclusive.”

  “Because,” Lani said, giving him an impatient look, “this is not a tourist trip to the jungle. This is business. We’re going to a remote region of the rainforest.”

  “This area sees few humans,” Aurelio said. “It is only the serious ones who come this way. This trek, it is not easy.”

  Ridge gave Lani a wry grin. “Sure you can handle it?”

  She grinned back. “Don’t you worry about me,” she said. “It’s you who should worry about keeping up.”

  Lani’s words turned out to be only too true. Aurelio led the way, chopping at bushes as he made a path for them through the thick foliage. Lani followed close behind and Ridge brought up the rear. It was tough, being a foot taller than the two people ahead of him. Aurelio might think he was clearing the way and his efforts worked for him and Lani but definitely not for Ridge. The path that the little man was clearing was not high enough for Ridge, not by a long shot. He’d been slapped in the face by enough swinging leaves and branches to gather the bruises to prove it.

  Unfortunately, after all that hiking, that evening they returned to camp empty-handed. He could see the disappointment on Lani’s face.

  “Tomorrow we find some good samples,” Aurelio reassured her. “We go deeper next time. Two days walk, not one.”

  The guide’s declaration made her perk up considerably but Ridge frowned. “Two days? So we won’t come back to camp tomorrow night?”

  Aurelio shook his head. “No, we must go deep, deep into the forest. Two days’ walk, maybe three.”

  “What the…” Ridge turned to Lani. “You never told me we would have to go through all this.”

  She shrugged, looking unconcerned. “I didn’t know but if Aurelio says we have to go deeper then that’s what we’ll do.”


  “I told you, you should have let someone else make the trip,” he grumbled. “What about that guy who works for you? Chris whatever-his-name-is. This is no place for a woman.”

  Lani gave him a mischievous grin. “Or maybe you should say, this is no place for a pampered rich guy who can’t manage jungle living.”

  That shut him up. It would be a long time before Lani heard another complaint out of him. He would not give her the satisfaction of calling him soft.

  And so the next morning he made it a point to be up and ready before Aurelio and Lani even began to stir. They wanted a mountain man? They would get one. By the time Aurelio crawled out of the tent Ridge had the coffee ready and when Lani finally peeped out he’d finished making a full breakfast of beef jerky and powdered eggs.

  “Hmm, smells good,” she told him and then she gave them a demonstration of her healthy appetite when she wolfed down two platefuls. Even Aurelio raised his eyebrows in surprise. She was such a tiny girl. Who could have guessed she could sock away that much grub?

  But Lani must have known what she was doing when she ate that much because they were three hours into their journey when Ridge began to feel the hunger pangs. Of even greater concern was the fact that it looked like Aurelio and Lani had gotten their second wind and had no plans to stop any time soon. But Ridge was not about to beg them to stop. He’d already resolved that he wasn’t going to come off like a wimp and if it meant sucking in his gut and suffering through his hunger then so be it.

  It was another two hours before their guide called the hike to a halt. By this time Ridge was so hungry he wasn’t even feeling the pangs in his stomach anymore. They’d moved up to his head and now he was suffering from a splitting headache. Damn him for being too stubborn and too stupid to speak up when it would have made a difference. Now that they’d come to a halt all he could do was slide the rucksack off his back and collapse onto the ground beside it.

  “This is great,” Lani said as she came to sit beside him. “Aurelio said we’re getting there.”