Tony investigated Marvin. The man was a pitiful fool, unfit to lead the division of hard working drug sales representatives. He was a poster child for incompetence, greed and malice. Marvin returned the favor and had Tony investigated. Tony learned what he needed to know, and Marvin found out, one hundred percent of Tony's records were sealed and classified.
Marvin might have been a fool, but his company position gave him a lot of power. He erred when he thought LeeAnn would do anything to keep her cushy job and commensurate salary. Marvin's second indecent proposal came less than a week after they returned to the company headquarters.
LeeAnn was unhappy dealing with Marvin. But, she had dealt with worse. It was her telling Tony that was the looming Haboob, probably or maybe just possibly threatening the stability she and this dark and dangerous man had created. For the first time, in their relationship, she was wary, and unsure, of his reaction. Tony had discussed and then catalogued, Marvin's first fumbling leer and suggestive proposal. LeeAnn wondered if the second one would have Tony thinking she was soliciting Marvin's overtures.
Tony wasn't home when she reached his place. The house was a virtual fortress that demanded a learned sequence of moves to get in. LeeAnn shook her head and followed the protocol. Tony had run her through the drills so many time she could do it in her sleep. The precise reason he was so insistent she practice was that he had to live in the security of the fence and locked gate.
*
Identifying herself in front of the camera, LeeAnn kicked off her heels and dropped her briefcase in the guest closet by the door. She turned on the gas fireplace to counter the chill from the drizzling rain, and poured herself a healthy glass of wine from the congratulatory bottle Marvin sent home with her. Covering up with a throw she pulled from the closet LeeAnn sat contemplating her career and where she was heading with her life, staring at the flames flickering in the darkening room. Most of all she thought about Tony.
Having been notified by phone that his home's front door had been opened, Tony turned on the inside cameras and watched her movements from his phone screen. He had to wait for a contact, so he followed her as she sat on the couch. From her body movements and the other clues she was displaying LeeAnn had weighty problems on her mind.
She kept touching the collar, and he wondered what significance that was.
For all his self-assurance and capabilities Tony was aware of his depressing and obscure personality. LeeAnn wouldn't be the first woman to leave, unable to cope with his tight leashed, compulsive control.
She was the first woman that had been bold enough to approach him here in the States. European women were different. They liked the untouchable and unattainable personalities. They seemed to relish taking them on as a challenge. But LeeAnn had been different from the get-go.
She had been a scrapper and seemingly independent. When he announced her apartment was indefensible and that she was coming to live at his place, LeeAnn had a predictable strong resistance. She had gone toe to toe, and nose to nose with him, resisting his efforts to compel her to stay where he could keep her safe and sound. Finally, weary of the continuous struggle, he had asked her why.
"Because I'm afraid you'll tire of me and ask me to leave." Her honesty was a painful amazement to him.
Tony had stared at her as his mind replayed the words that had just fallen out of her mouth. How could she not know? She had his collar? He had invited her. It was settled as far as he was concerned. It was no big deal. Tony had done everything except communicate to Annie that he wanted her there.
LeeAnn watched as Tony flashed her an unguarded puzzled look, like the thought had never crossed his mind. That was encouraging to her but it might still leave her hung out to dry when the time came that he needed new challenges. Tony had a reputation for frequently needing new challenges. Tony wasn't the only one that investigated a new partner.
They finally compromised. LeeAnn sublet her apartment for a year.
Tony hadn't been happy and he let her know by muscling her with his personality. In his mind that muscling was a punishment for her independence. Miss LeeAnn had a stubborn streak that hadn't shown in her profile. Tony realized that when she drew her line in the sand and put her toe on it, she was a hell of a stubborn woman. That stubbornness made him smile in the anticipation of working that trait out of her personality.
So, there had to be a big reason she was moping around his house today. Less than a minute later his contact showed and Tony passed the money for the information. During the drive home and in the snarl of evening commute, he was thinking about LeeAnn. She would tell him tonight what the problem was.
He had discovered the leggy, strawberry blonde was honest to a fault. He preferred his women that way. He'd had his fill of conniving females, that's why they were past history.
As Tony activated the gate and swung into the drive, he noted her Jeep was parked off to the side of the drive way, on the gravel. She had discovered an oil drip, that morning, on the pavement and cleaned it immediately. Then made an appointment for repair, so she said, for Saturday morning.
Tony had been mildly annoyed she hadn't cleared the day and time with him, but then she was a hell of an independent woman. He enjoyed taming and bring calm order to wild women. It was an enjoyable task, a most useful hobby as he liked to think of it.
Annie had changed into sweats and removed her make up, and she was sound asleep on the couch; perhaps six swallows of her wine gone. Tony looked at the dark circles under her eyes. Obviously, she wasn't getting enough sleep. He grinned, thinking there was a very good reason for that.
Tony dismissed the housekeeper, thanking her for preparing supper. Mrs. Hannah nodded, happy to be off early on a Friday night.
An hour later, LeeAnn was deep asleep, almost to the point of comatose. Tony frowned, she wasn't that deep a sleeper. He sniffed the wine in her glass, and took a tentative taste. It was very subtle, but there; an odd aftertaste. Tony looked at the bottle with ribbons tied on the neck. The card read; to LeeAnn, congratulations on the Dillon account. Great Work. Marvin.
Tony figured the bastard had drugged the wine. He sat in his chair, watching her sleep; alert to any complications she might have from what ever had been put in the wine.
Marvin had just upped the stakes considerably. Tony was reasonably confident, that Marvin would suffer for his indiscretions, as Tony took great offense, when a woman in his care was threatened.
The more Tony watched LeeAnn, the more concerned he became. Finally, he got LeeAnn's little black book from her purse and called her friend Janey.
When Janey answered, she had slurred, slow speech, acting like she was going to fall asleep on the phone. Tony got her to hang up, and he called a friend.
"Brett, will you do a wellness check for me? I suspect my Lady and her friend have been drugged, with wine. Yeah, I have a suspect and I'm taking LeeAnn to County General. Break down Janey's door if you have too, I'll cover the cost. I just had her on the phone, and she's bad."
Tony packed up LeeAnn and went to the hospital. Forty-five minutes later an ambulance brought Janey. Brett had Janey's bottle of wine and Tony had LeeAnn's. Brett took both of the bottles and noted Tony's glowering countenance as he tried to intimidate the staff into letting him be with LeeAnn.
"Back off," Brett told the wild-eyed man. You are not helping by getting in the nurses way. "And no you can't demand to be let in there. You have no legal right and may be under suspicion yourself."
Brett thought it interesting that Tony was having such an intense reaction. Usually Tony's girl friends were like the swinging doors on a western saloon. Coming and going fast enough to create a breeze.
Tony growled a dark, unpleasant, but descriptive act at his friend. All he got was a good laugh from Brett. "Uh-oh. Do I detect concern from the great Tony? What is this, a notable first?"
