"Go with-Hey, what's your name?" Vince yelled at Savannah.

"S-Sally." Savannah's voice was strained. Bright red patches suffused her cheeks. She kept her eyes cast down.

Vince frowned. "Sally? You sure? I don't-"

Will's heart pounded. He thought fast. "I don't give a f.u.c.k what her name is, Vince. Sally, Susie, Sonja? Who cares?"

Vince continued to eye Savannah distrustfully. Will held his breath. At last, Vince appeared satisfied.

"Yeah, well whatever your name is, take my friend here to your room and show him a good time. You understand?" Vince barked at her. He grabbed her roughly by the chin and forced it up.

Savannah gasped. She stared up at him in fear. Maranoa's eyes narrowed with menace.

"Sally, where are you from? When did you get here?" Vince demanded. "I don't remember seein' you before."

From almost beating out of his chest, Will's heart now stopped cold. If Vince realized Savannah wasn't one of his girls, who knew what he'd do? The situation could quickly get out of control.

Standing abruptly, Will turned to face Vince. The movement brought him face to face with his father, but it effectively blocked Savannah from Maranoa's view.

"Vince..." He smiled lazily. "Like I said, I couldn't care less about her name or where's she's from. All I want to do is f.u.c.k her. You with me?"

Vince stepped back and after a moment, his smile reappeared. "Yeah, mate, I'm with you. In fact, I might even have a go at her myself after you're finished. Let me know when you're through, okay?" He winked and turned back toward the bar.

Will's stomach clenched. He felt his father's stare all the way to his bones, but he forced himself to smile benignly at both of them before turning away to face Savannah. Her face was crimson and her eyes shot fire. To Will, she'd never looked more beautiful.

"Come on, Sally." Taking her by the arm, he led her away from the bar toward the door that led to the bedrooms. "Let's go find that room."

CHAPTER 13.

Savannah gritted her teeth and did her best to remain upright in her high heels as Will dragged her along behind him down the dimly lit corridor that led to the bedrooms. It was fair to say her night had taken a decided turn for the worse.

When had things gotten so out of control? One minute, she'd been trying her best to shimmy up a G.o.dd.a.m.ned slippery pole wearing a skirt that had never been made for that purpose and the next she was being manhandled by a bear and dumped unceremoniously before the man who now held her arm in a vice-like grip.

She still wasn't sure how it had happened.

Will pulled on her arm and she cried out. "Ouch! You're hurting me!"

He glanced back at her, a feral glint in his eye. "I'm eager to get you on your back, Red. You can't blame a man for that, surely? You ought to take it as a compliment." His grin was wicked.

She clenched her jaw in response and her mind worked furiously to come up with an escape plan. A door with the number eight in bra.s.s lettering suddenly appeared before them. Will shouldered it open.

Funny how he'd chosen the same room they'd been in before. He must have remembered. She didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. She didn't know anything any more.

Her mind still reeled from her sighting of Dylan and her near-certainty that Will and perhaps even her brother were involved in the brothel's criminal activities. She didn't know to what extent, but there could be no mistaking how comfortable Will had appeared with Maranoa, nor the fact that her brother had left via a staff exit.

Pulling her in roughly behind him, Will closed and locked the door with a flick of his wrist before releasing her. His arrogant gaze raked over her. He started at her black wig, which had twisted so that the thick bangs now hung somewhere near her left ear. His gaze moved painstakingly over her heavily made up face, across her chest, pausing noticeably on her barely covered b.r.e.a.s.t.s, before continuing past the tight leather skirt that still rode ridiculously high on her thighs.

He continued his meticulous inspection. As much as she tried to will it away, a slow, painful heat spread across her cheeks. His gaze rested on her stocking-clad legs and then slid lower to the black stilettos. Despite her suspicions, she couldn't help the traitorous reaction of her body. Liquid heat stole into her core.

He stepped closer and tilted her chin up with his index finger, forcing her to meet his molten gaze. "So, Red. We meet again." His gaze raked over her again. "How delightful."

Savannah took a step back, moving away from his touch. Taking a quick breath, she tried to slow the staccato beat of her heart and replied through gritted teeth.

"No, it's not delightful and once I've exposed you as Vince Maranoa's side kick, I doubt you'll find it delightful either."

He barked a mocking laugh. His eyes glinted blue steel. "I see you've spoken to your editor."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes, Max informed me about your little conversation. You owe me an apology. I'm here for a story and you d.a.m.n well know it and from what I just saw out there, I have a doozie. The public will eat it up. It's got all the elements-s.e.x, drugs and celebrities. It'll make my career and there's not a d.a.m.n thing you can do about it."

All signs of humor disappeared from Will's face. "You don't know what you saw and for a girl who claims to be a respectable journalist, you sure as h.e.l.l spend a lot of time in disreputable places. What was I supposed to think?"

"You were supposed to believe me!" Savannah threw her hands up in the air in exasperation. She turned and moved away from him. "I told you I wasn't a prost.i.tute. It should have been enough."

Will followed her. It wasn't until she turned back to face him she realized he was right behind her. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s brushed against his hard chest. She gasped with awareness and stumbled back in surprise...and came up short against the bed.

Her heart thumped. She was alone in a room with Will Rutledge.

A room with a bed.

Again.

With a groan of frustration, she pushed hard against the solid wall of his chest. "Go away! Just leave me alone! I know who you are. I know that behind that charming veneer, you're a slime ball of the highest order. You're a black-hearted criminal taking advantage of innocent children, feeding them drugs, forcing them into prost.i.tution-"

"Whoa! Wait a second!" Will held up a hand to halt her tirade. "Your story sounds like something from a bad B grade movie. What the h.e.l.l are you talking about?"

Fury steamed through her veins. She wanted to scream and shout at him, but mindful of their need to remain undetected, she was forced to keep her voice low.

"You know darn well what I'm talking about, Billy! You and Vince Maranoa are thick as thieves! I saw the two of you out there near the bar-all chummy, sharing a drink together, behaving like best buddies. It nearly made me sick!

"I've just left the side of a fourteen-year-old girl who's being held here against her will, forced to prost.i.tute her body, fed drugs to keep her compliant-she's fourteen! I come out and find you, William Rutledge, pillar of society, philanthropic man about town-you're part of it all!"

Too upset to continue, she turned away. With tears blurring her vision, she walked dazedly to the opposite side of the room. She took a few deep, shaky breaths in a desperate attempt to get herself under control.

She hadn't even told him the worst of it-that her brother was also involved. That knowledge hurt worse than anything else. She'd get over the stupid feelings she'd mistakenly thought she had for Will, but her brother was her brother forever. The thought that he was mixed up with Maranoa was beyond devastating.

Will remained silent, staring at her. Shock and anger were etched upon his face. After several long minutes, he broke the silence.

"How do you know all of this?"

Savannah's heart dropped like a stone. The weight of her disappointment almost suffocated her. She'd hoped he would deny her accusations; provide a plausible explanation for his behavior; protest his innocence.

But he hadn't.

All he wanted to know was how credible her information was. Probably so he could determine how strong his potential defamation case might be against her newspaper.

She fought against an overwhelming urge to cry. First her brother, now Will. The traumatic couple of hours she'd spent in the brothel were taking their toll and she struggled against the torrent of emotion that fought to be unleashed.

Despite her best efforts, her body betrayed her. The sob she'd tried desperately to suppress escaped her tight control. Before she knew it, hot, salty tears poured down her cheeks.

She turned away and leaned against the wall. Resting her head on the cold plaster, she cried like her heart was broken. She cried for the young girls like Angel who were living a h.e.l.l on earth. She cried for Malee who had tried to get away from it all and had paid with her life. She cried for her parents who'd pa.s.sed long before they should have.

She cried for her brother who had lost his way. She cried for the death of her secret hope that Will Rutledge was the man of her dreams. She cried and cried and cried...

Strong arms encircled her from behind and gently forced her around and into the warm haven of Will's chest. He cradled her head with his hand. His arms tightened around her.

Tugging at the disheveled wig, he tossed it to the floor. He pulled gently at the hair band in her hair and released the ponytail from its confines. His fingers worked their way through the long strands, ma.s.saging her scalp. Savannah tried not to think about how good it felt.

"Shh." His voice was a whisper of murmured comfort. His other hand caressed her back. "Shh, sweetheart, shh. Please don't cry. It's okay."

Savannah drew back, little sobs hiccupping from her mouth. "N-no, it's n-not okay! N-nothing's okay. It's all s-so d.a.m.ned wrong! W-why, oh why d-did it have to b-be you?"

Will frowned, but remained silent. When a fresh wave of sobs shook her, he pulled her back into his arms. She cried softly against the expensive fabric of his suit jacket. Her heart ached.

Eventually, the sobs subsided and cold reality surfaced. She had to know the truth. She had to know who he really was and what he was doing at the Black Opal. Again.

Pulling out of his arms, she moved away from him. With her arms crossed defensively over her chest, she tilted her head back and stared up at him. His eyes were dark with a tumult of emotion.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

CHAPTER 14.

Will's gut clenched.

He had to tell her.

It was killing him knowing Savannah thought the worst of him. His heart ached over the sadness and devastation in her red-rimmed eyes and guilt and frustration burned through him for putting it there. He couldn't stand the subterfuge another instant. He swore under his breath. For better or worse, he was coming clean.

Needing to put a little distance between them, he stepped away from her and drew in a deep breath.

"Six months ago, my brother, Cole, died of a drug overdose. He was nineteen."

Savannah nodded and he realized his brother's death didn't come as a surprise. It had made the news, of course, but his father had friends in high places and after the initial report of Cole's death, the media had let the story die a quick death.

He compressed his lips and continued. "I'm not sure if you know that he took his own life."

She gasped. Her expression flooded with shock.

"Oh, my goodness! I had no idea! How absolutely awful for you-for all of you."

That her first thoughts would be for him and his family warmed him through. He nodded sadly. "Yeah, it was tough, especially on Dad." Renewed shock at the recent discovery of his father's connection to the Black Opal ran through him. He shuddered. Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

She stared up at him. "What about you?"

The question was whispered, but he felt the words all the way down to the bottom of his soul. His fists clenched. With every fiber of his being, he didn't want to resurrect the memories of his brother-the brother he'd loved and adored. He dragged his gaze away. "We all deal with life's challenges in our own way."

"Challenges?" You call your brother's suicide a challenge? You must be made of stone."

He closed his eyes against the anger that sparked in her eyes. He should have known she'd be way too perceptive to buy his casual dismissal. He shrugged, hoping to keep her questions and concerns at bay.

"It was his decision. Even if I'd had any idea what he was planning, I doubt I would have talked him out of it."

"You think it was your fault."

Her raw statement, said so matter-of-factly, shredded the carefully constructed wall of indifference that had helped him survive the months since Cole's death. Pain seared his heart. He almost gasped at the agony of it. He couldn't utter another word.

She closed the distance between them and put her arms around his waist. "It wasn't your fault, Will. It could never have been your fault."

He shook his head. "You don't understand. He was my little brother. He idolized me. I should have known he was struggling. I should have seen it. We lived under the same roof, for Christ's sake. I should have seen it coming." On the last words, his voice lifted to a harsh murmur.

Her gaze burned into his. "No, Will. No. That's not fair. For whatever reasons, your brother opted out. He didn't reach out for help-help you would have freely given. Don't blame yourself for his choices. Don't ever blame yourself."

Her fierceness surprised and comforted him. It had been more than two decades since he could remember having someone around who cared about him, how he felt, how he was coping. The feelings were overwhelming. He wanted to draw her close, to take comfort from her presence, her warmth, but his arms stayed resolutely by his sides. Until she knew the truth, knew everything, he had to keep his distance. It was only fair.

She was looking at him like she wanted nothing more than to hold him close and offer him all the things he'd missed out on during the many lonely years of his youth. She couldn't know how his mother had died right after Cole's birth; she couldn't know how his father had doted on his baby son to the exclusion of his first born, almost as if he could replace the hole his wife's death had left in his heart by giving all of his love to the baby who had lived. And yet, the way Savannah stared at him, imploring him to open up to her, it was as if she could see everything, all the way through to his tortured soul.

"Savannah." His eyes burned with emotion. His gut clenched tight. He hoped like h.e.l.l he was doing the right thing. "It's time I told you the truth."

CHAPTER 15.

Savannah stared at him. Her belly somersaulted with jagged nerves. She had no idea what he was about to say and suddenly she didn't know if she was ready to hear it. It had been difficult enough to listen to him talk about his brother's suicide.

"Will, you don't have to-"

"Yes, Savannah, I do."

He took another deep breath, his eyes dark and unfathomable. "The thing is," he began, "when Cole overdosed on heroin, I-I went a little crazy. All I could think of was finding the sc.u.mbag responsible for supplying him with the stuff. I wanted blood. I was going to kill the a.s.shole."

Her heart thumped hard at his admission and at the fierce anger in his eyes, but she held her ground and refused to look away. "Are you trying to tell me Vince Maranoa was your brother's supplier?"

Will made an impatient sound in the back of his throat. "I don't know for sure if it was Maranoa, but his drug turf extends across the eastern suburbs. At the time, Cole and I lived with Dad in Point Piper, which is-"