The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress

lan POV

"Ian, lan, lan" a voice shouted before I felt a cold rush as water was poured over my head, causing me to straighten up and blink wearily at Knox and my father who were checking my pulse and looking concerned. "What happened?" I mumbled, glancing around disorientated "Where's Dawn?"

I didn't see her anywhere. The last thing I remembered was going to the car with her and then.....it was like a blank canvas. I creased my brows, struggling to remember. Knox snorted and then chuckled "Your so-called fiancee shot you up with a sedative and took off with the money," he said shaking his head and looking at me with a smirk "You have to admire her courage or her stupidity, depending on how you look at it."

I frowned, rubbing my forehead tiredly. "She gave me a sedative?" I asked blankly.

"It turns out she was not privy to your plan and decided to leave you behind for your own safety," my father said calmly "Evidently you were not supposed to wake up for a few hours but cold water seems to have taken care of that."

I groaned, feeling the water dripping down my shirt and feeling uncomfortable. "I told her that I didn't want her to take the money by herself" I snapped, as Knox grinned and my father just sighed "Does she know what she's just done?"

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself son and go after your fiancee" my father barked, while Knox began to push me towards another car, whistling lowly under his breath "Good gods, sometimes I wonder if you both have a brain," he said in frustration.

I glared as Knox helped me into the car, before putting the wheelchair into the boot, several bodyguards climbing into another SUV beside us. He climbed into the driver seat and began to turn the key into the ignition.

"Wow, your own fiancee knocked you out. That's cold" Knox commented gleefully, his voice filled with amusement while I glowered at him.

He was never going to let me live this down. I could tell.

"She was trying to protect me" I growled, put out "She didn't know what she was doing."

"Oh I think she knew exactly what she was doing" Knox disagreed, beginning to drive, "she was pretty clever actually."

His voice was filled with admiration. I shot him a sharp glance "You don't have to sound so enthusiastic about it."

He chuckled, drumming his hands on the steering wheel "She had about an hour's lead. We did everything we could to wake you" he said tersely "and I was going to follow without you, but Father felt that was likely to make you even madder if that happened."

"Father was right" I snarled, gesturing to the road with exasperation "Drive faster. We need to make up the time and if Dawn took the car, then there's no guarantee she's likely to be slower. Although she's less likely to drive recklessly considering the briefcase of money she's got in the backseat" I added shrewdly.

"I don't know, Dawn seems to be full of surprises" Knox quipped, shooting me a smug look while I fought the urge not to wrap my hands around my brother's neck and strangle him.

"She's just panicking" I exhaled "She wants this bastard out of her life and she's not thinking clearly."

"Can you blame her? It's not just Faith whose head gets messed with every time that Dexter flits in and out of their lives" Knox said remarkably composed "It's Dawn as well. She had to have loved that man once, in order to have a child with him. That kind of thing is not easy to just forget about or move on from. She's probably struggling with her feelings for you and her guilt about Dexter coming back and demanding money."

"She has nothing to be sorry for" I snapped, while Knox just shook his head "It's not her fault he's a lowlife scumbag." "Well they do say that women go for the bad boys" Knox sighed, glancing sidelong at me "Are you certain this isn't her trying to leave with him?" he asked slowly.

"She would never do that to me," I said immediately, without hesitation "and she would never leave Faith behind, not like this. She loves her daughter. She would never abandon her, not for the sake of a bastard like that."

"I wanted to confirm that" Knox nodded "and I agree but only because I've seen what Dawn is like with you and when it's the two of you, she can't take her eyes off of you lan. She loves you. She's doing this for you," he said, while I scowled and tried not to lose my cool "she's trying to take care of something for the sake of the relationship you two have."

"She didn't have to sedate me" I grumbled.

Knox chuckled "Would you have let her go on by herself if she hadn't?" he pointed out wisely.

I chose not to answer. Knox knew damn well I would never have let Dawn go to this meeting alone, just like he never would have let Lorelai.

We careened around a corner. I glanced at my watch in concern. Knox was making excellent time, but it would still be some time before we got there. What if Dexter did something to Dawn in the meantime? If that son of a b***h did something to hurt her...my hands clenched into fists as a fierce wave of protectiveness washed over me. I wouldn't hesitate to kill him. If he had so much as laid a finger on my fiancee, Dexter was a dead man and I didn't care if I had to shoot the man in cold blood. This was the first time I had felt this violent on anybody's behalf that wasn't my brother or father and it shocked me, even as I felt my nails digging into the palms of my hands, drawing blood. The pain was a welcome distraction, forcing me to focus on the road and draw my attention back to Knox. "Do you still have everything in place?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, pulling my cell phone out and checking it "I was considering canceling it, but not now. This man's too dangerous to be involved in our lives. I don't trust him. It's a good thing we have contacts. I can't believe that he's actually wanted in a different country" I added with an exhale "I'm willing to bet Dawn has no idea either. He's spent so long moving around, that nobody has tracked him down until now. The money won't do him any good in prison" I said with a hiss "and I've got assurances he's never going to make it back out. In fact, they were very grateful to be informed of his whereabouts. It appears that he's got quite the record."

"You can thank me for running his fingerprints for you" Knox teased as I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I told him sincerely "I do owe you one."

"Don't mention it. But on a scale of one to ten, how dangerous would you say he'll become when we get there? His background indicates his behavior used to be a lot more violent. So I'm willing to bet he's not about to come quietly" Knox informed me steadily. "I know he's not going to. We can't tell him that he's being extradited, or he'll do something stupid" I said, hanging onto the seatbelt as Knox made another careening turn, the wheels squealing, "and I can't put Dawn in even more danger. We have to extract her carefully." "You carrying?" Knox asked bluntly.

I stared at him and then slowly nodded, the gun tucked securely in my waistband. I was surprised that Dawn hadn't removed it before she left, then again perhaps she hadn't realized I was carrying it or was in too much of a hurry to bother. Knox grinned "Mines in my ankle holster," he said "but I'm hoping I don't have to use it" he added with a sigh "I would rather use my fists than a weapon."

Of course, he would. My brother was a lot more compassionate that way. My finger twitched, already imagining itself pulling the trigger. I swallowed hard. We weren't too far out. I wanted to call Dawn but I knew that would put her in danger. I could feel sweat beading on my brow. "We need to stop somewhere up ahead before we get to the warehouse," I told Knox who nodded "Have the bodyguards and the rest of the team move in and check the building for more people and booby traps. I don't know if he's stupid enough to be alone or if he's brought company with him."

"I'm laying bets alone, but only because he won't want to share the money," Knox said even as we began to pull over into a building a block away from the warehouse while I leaned against the side of the door in relief "he's too greedy to want to hand over any of it." He opened the door and then fetched my wheelchair, putting it beside me. I glared at it, even as I lowered myself down. Never had I felt so useless and helpless. Visit Job n i b .com to read the complete chapters for free. The old lan would have been running to Dawn's rescue, able fight hand-to-hand combat and save his damsel in distress. This lan, was, annoyingly inept, I thought, even as I gripped the armrests and began to maneuver around Knox as the bodyguards formed a group, listening intently to Knox's instructions, another car pulling up with our team of special forces.

"The warehouse is a block ahead. I have surveillance" Knox said, bringing up some cameras on his phone, "but it's minimal and pixelated. We need to get eyes and ears on Dawn and Dexter. Do not make a move until we can confirm that the two of them are there. We need to ensure there aren't any other persons present. We can not just go in bullets blazing" he told our men who nodded in agreement "Secure the perimeters and keep low to the ground. Don't risk being seen and for god's sake," he said loudly and firmly as I began to feel a burning sense of impatience "Do not try and be a hero. None of you have to die today. I want everyone to go home, to their families" he said and I nodded in agreement.

If anybody was going to die today, it was going to be Dexter, I thought grimly as the guards began to head out, single file, in formation while Knox and I brought up the rear. My men were not going to fall prey to a man whose greed and corruption went hand in hand. Dawn was coming back home with me, even if I had to put myself back in the line of fire again. I loved this woman too much to risk losing her, even if she had done this for my sake. I couldn't leave Faith without a mother. and a father. We approached the warehouse, lost in our thoughts, my chair the only sound that could be heard through the silence. I was coming for her, but would Dawn be there when we made it inside, or was I already too late?