Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Three

by Long, A. L.

  You belong only to me.

  Soon the time will come when we will be together again.

  Us together, inseparable.

  Rade must have read Dylan’s expression because no sooner had she read the note than he took it from her hand. As Rade read the words, he knew there could be only one person who could have left it for Dylan to find. Rade folded the napkin and slipped it into his pocket. Dylan watched, confused by the little message.

  “Rade, what does it mean?” Dylan asked.

  Holding back his anger, Rade replied, “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

  Rade’s ability to control his anger was becoming more precarious with each passing minute. Someone was able to get near Dylan, without Rade noticing. This was unacceptable. Rade knew exactly who that someone was, but more importantly, Peter and his men were not doing their job. This was going to be the last time that Michael Stewart was going to come near Dylan.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Rade instructed Richard to take Dylan home while he stayed behind to look at the security footage from Riley’s. Rade and Evan went through the footage several times to see if they could see anyone coming near their table. Rade knew exactly what he was looking for. He requested Evan stop the recording several times, thinking he might have seen something, only to come up short. Even though the pictures were clear, there was no way of telling if Michael was there. The bar was dark and the angle of the cameras did show the table they were seated at. It was when they looked through the footage of the entrance that Rade was able to see Michael enter Riley’s. He could have ripped the computer monitor from Evan’s desk. As much as it angered him, Rade couldn’t reveal that he got his answer.

  He knew then that someone needed an ass chewing. Rade walked from Evan’s office down the hallway holding his cell in his hand. The grip he had on his phone was so tight it revealed the anger he carried. Barely able to see straight, Rade finally brought up Peter’s contact and waited as the phone rang.

  Peter answered, “Hewitt.” He would have been better off letting it go to voicemail than take what Rade was about to lay on him.

  “Are your men just fucking irresponsible or are you that ignorant to hire total fuck-ups?” Rade shouted.

  “Do you want to tell me what this is about?” Peter snapped.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” Rade started. “Maybe you should ask the man you had assigned to Dylan, because I’m pretty sure he wasn’t where he was supposed to be.”

  “I thought you were with Dylan, sir?” Peter said in a cocky voice.

  “Don’t push me, Hewitt. I specifically requested Dylan be watched 24/7. What part of that request didn’t you understand?” Rade blurted. “I don’t care if she’s with me or the US Marine Corps, you will stay close to her.”

  By the time Rade hung up with Peter, he could feel his chest tighten and his blood rushing. He needed to cool off before he went home. The last thing he needed was for Dylan to see him this out of control. Walking down the sidewalk, Rade slipped into a bar three blocks up the street and ordered a double scotch, neat. One drink led to another, and another, before Rade finally calmed down enough to call Richard to pick him up.

  It was two in the morning by the time Rade stumbled back to the penthouse. He not only felt like shit from the cheap scotch he drank, but also smelt like it. Not taking a chance of waking Dylan, Rade quietly went to the bathroom to take a much needed shower. As the water pounded on his tense body, he could only think about what could have happened if Dylan had gone to Riley’s alone. He couldn’t imagine how badly it could have turned out.

  Rade wasn’t sure how long he was lost in his thoughts, but it must have been long enough because the water had turned cold. Grabbing the towel he placed on the hook next to the shower, Rade quickly dried his body, then wrapped the damp towel around his waist. When Rade looked in the mirror, he could see a different man in front of him. The tension was evident by the creases on his forehead and the tightness at the base of his neck. Rade took his toothbrush from its base and added a dab of toothpaste. One thing that did make him smile was seeing Dylan’s pink toothbrush next to his. It was amazing to him how much product a woman had to have to make herself look gorgeous. Not that Dylan needed any of it. It also comforted him, knowing that she was here living with him. She was here to share everything with him. If only he could share his secrets.

  After spending more than enough time in the bathroom, Rade turned off the bathroom light and slipped into bed next to the warmth he longed for. Spooning her body to his, Rade lightly kissed Dylan’s temple and held her close.

  With the amount of liquor Rade consumed, he thought for sure he would fall asleep in a matter of minutes. Unfortunately for him, he was still awake when the sun peeked through the blinds. Staring at the ceiling, Rade’s thoughts went back to last night at Riley’s. He blamed Peter for not keeping a closer eye on Dylan, but mostly he wondered how Michael Stewart knew they would be there. The only conclusion he could come up with was that Michael must have been following Dylan. This led to another concern. What if Michael had been following Dylan all this time? It would mean that he knew Dylan’s habits. It would mean Michael knew where she would be and when. Even Rade knew Dylan’s daily routine. It wouldn’t be that hard to find her. She was a creature of habit. She never took a different route to work or frequented a different coffee shop for lunch. She wouldn’t even think about arriving at work later or leaving earlier just to change things up.

  Rade pushed from the bed, regretting having to leave the warmth of Dylan’s soft body. Careful not to wake Dylan, Rade opted to make a few calls before she woke up. After taking another quick shower, Rade headed to his study. His first call was going to be with Chris, his IT guy. He needed to check the status of hacking into Chloe’s personal computer. Rade was able to get her IP address from his father before the thing with Spectrum came up, which was another thing he needed to handle.

  “Chris, it’s Rade. Sorry to bother you so early and on a Sunday, but I need to know your progress with Ms. Dupree’s computer,” Rade admitted.

  “I haven’t been able to access it yet. It’s going to take some time. Her computer isn’t on all the time, so it’s close to impossible to get her information. Once I’m in though, I can change her security settings to gain access,” Chris explained.

  “Well, let me know the minute you find anything.” Rade was hoping Chris would have something for him. His patience was starting to run thin. Not having any information was driving him insane.

  His next call was to his attorney. He knew Miles wouldn’t be in his office today, but he had his cell on speed dial.

  “Rade. I was hoping you would call. You were right about the BlackStone partnership. Your father doesn’t have a leg to stand on. He has already breached his right to make any decision concerning BlackStone,” Miles advised.

  “Well, at least that’s something. I’ll let Keeve and Mason know. My father would be stupid to fight it,” Rade interjected. “How about the appointment for the blood test? Has that been worked out?”

  “Yes. Looks like Wednesday is the big day. I’ll email you the time and place. The doctor we agreed on has been checked out. Dr. Kincaid is clean and very reputable,” Miles affirmed.

  “Good. Let me know the details once you have them.”

  Rade hung up the phone knowing that soon he would have the truth regarding Chloe’s pregnancy. If he was in fact the father, then he was ready to take full responsibility for it. But if she had been lying the whole time, then the wrath of Matheson would be coming down on her.

  Just as Rade was ready to contact Peter, he heard a soft knock on the door. He knew it could only be one person. Rising to his feet, he walked over to the door to open it. Seeing Evan instead of Dylan surprised the hell out of him. “Evan, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

  “I hope this isn’t a bad time?” Evan asked.

  “No, not at all,” Rade assured him, still wondering what he was doing ther
e and how he got in. “Please have a seat.”

  “This won’t take long. I know we haven’t been on the best of terms, but after last night, I was hoping I could change that by offering you my help. Dylan seemed pretty upset about the message she was left. I just wanted to let you know I’m here if you need anything,” Evan said sincerely.

  Rade wasn’t ready to let Evan in on everything that was going on, even though it seemed Evan was being sincere about helping him out. He just didn’t know why. It could have been because Evan didn’t have anyone else in his life. With his mother gone and no other siblings, his only other family was Garrett. That was even a stretch considering he didn’t know what type of relationship Evan and his father had.

  Trying to make an effort, Rade invited Evan to stay for breakfast. It was still early and Dylan had yet to wake up. The two of them headed down to the kitchen where Rade prepared coffee. Evan took a seat at the breakfast bar and waited while the coffee began brewing. While Evan sat, Rade grabbed some items from the fridge and began chopping and slicing onions, peppers, ham, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Evan watched as Rade displayed his culinary skills.

  “You know, if you ever get tired of running a multi-billion dollar empire, I could always use a good chef,” Evan said, teasingly.

  “I’ll keep that in mind, bro,” Rade replied, smiling.

  It felt good spending time with Evan. The only other male in Rade’s life was Richard. Richard was a good man, but he could be as headstrong as Rade. If it weren’t for Richard though, Rade probably wouldn’t have gotten his shit together and probably would have ended up on the streets. He was more of a father to Rade than Garrett Matheson had ever been.

  Rade and Evan were chatting about their childhoods when Dylan appeared. Evan’s back was towards her, so he didn’t immediately see her, but when Rade greeted her, he knew right then she was there.

  “Hey, Sweetness, I hope we didn’t wake you,” Rade said.

  “Not at all. Why didn’t you wake me? I didn’t know Evan was coming over,” Dylan said.

  “I wanted to let you rest. After last night, I thought you needed it,” Rade answered.

  Dylan nodded her head as she rounded the counter to get herself a cup of coffee. She didn’t realize how inappropriately she was dressed until she saw both men looking at her like they were ready to pounce on her. Taking her coffee cup, she headed back to the bedroom to take a shower as well as hide the blush of embarrassment she suddenly wore.

  Rade and Evan just smiled as she left. They both knew how beautiful she was and how it showcased her innocence. Rade knew Evan still felt something deeper for Dylan than just friendship. He could tell by the way he looked at her when he saw her. Rade saw it because it was the exact same look he had when he first laid eyes on her. To this day, Rade still didn’t know how things changed between them in such a short time. He was thankful every day that she came into his life and he didn’t follow through with his initial plan. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he was more like his father than he cared to admit. Rade’s initial intention was solely to get what he wanted from Dylan and then leave her. He was glad that changed. She had changed him. He wasn’t that person, at least not when it came to Dylan. He had to thank Michael in a fucked up way, because if it wasn’t for him, he would never have met Dylan. A chance meeting of sorts.

  Breakfast went by in a blur. Rade wasn’t sure what the conversation between them had even been about. He only heard bits and pieces, thinking only about Dylan and his brother’s reaction to her. He knew by the way Dylan was looking at Evan that she didn’t share the same feeling. Sure, she listened intently to what he was saying, but her look was more interest than desire.

  Evan left a short time after breakfast. In a way, Rade was glad. He wanted to spend the rest of the day alone with Dylan. So when he gathered her up in his arms, it was no surprise to her what he wanted. Dylan, of course, didn’t protest. It took everything she had not to jump his bones at breakfast, especially when his warm hand landed on her thigh and somehow slipped under her skirt. The heat radiated from between her legs. She was surprised she didn’t spontaneously combust.

  Ending up back in bed, Rade quickly peeled Dylan’s clothes off layer by layer. It was only after she was completely naked that he began ripping off his own clothing. He was more than ready to take her. When he felt her thigh during breakfast and then the moisture between her legs, it took everything he had not to swoop her up and take her to their room. Now that he had her, he wasn’t going to waste one more minute. Spreading her legs so that she was open for him, Rade glided his hands up her silky thighs just to the apex of her sexy cunt. Grabbing her hip with one hand and sliding two fingers inside her with the other, he knew she was ready for him. His shaft was raging from the sheen of wetness coating his fingers. Working his fingers deep inside her, he lifted her leg over his shoulder, splaying his hard body over her, being careful not to crush her. “God, I love the way you feel beneath me.” Her back arched, reveling in the pleasure he was giving her. Moving his hand up her body, he took hold of her pink bud, caressing it firmly, not hard, between his fingers. Rolling it into a taut peak, he lowered his head and lapped his tongue around the hard bud before planting his mouth on her breast, surrounding her areola while he continued to kiss and suck her firm nipple.

  Dylan’s body slowly began to melt as Rade continued his magic on her breast. Her eyes closed, taking in each movement of his fingers inside her. She was in heaven. The pleasure he was giving her was like the warmth of a tropical island. Paradise. Dylan’s hands tightened around Rade’s wide biceps as the movement of his fingers increased. Angling his middle finger just right, he found the spot that would drive her over the edge. The scream of his name from her lips signaled she was close to letting go. Pulling his hand from her wet channel, she let out a moan of frustration. Dylan should have known he would end his assault on her as quickly as he began. This was his new trademark, leaving her wanting more.

  Rade had other plans. He had her bottom-side up before she could protest his abandonment. Easing inside her, his cock filled her and the feeling of fulfillment was back. Dylan moaned with pleasure, taking in each surge of Rade’s cock in her tight channel. Adjusting her hips, Dylan could feel the hardness of his cock as it rubbed against her g-spot. She was floating with need. Every region of her body was on fire with desire for this man. One more thrust was all it took before Dylan reached her summit. She was flying high with so much pleasure, she wasn’t sure if she was ever going to be able to land.

  Hitting her peak, Rade could feel the pulsating of her walls as they tightened around his thick shaft. He never felt anything like it. It was like having Dylan for the first time. Every taste of her body was better than the last. Every orgasm more intense than the one before. Every kiss, every touch, every moment, better beyond words. Indescribable.

  *****

  Dylan and Rade laid around most of the day. After the mind blowing sex, what else was there to do? Dylan loved days like this. They had nothing but each other to focus on. When they weren’t in bed making love, they were in his study, christening his desk or his couch. They did manage to work out in the gym. Only no equipment was used other than the exercise bands, which Rade used to tie up Dylan.

  A sudden knock on the door brought them to reality, making them realize they were both naked, standing in the kitchen eating from a container of Dylan’s favorite flavor of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. Rade looked at Dylan, laughing, watching as she panicked to get to the bedroom to put some clothes on.

  The person at the door was still knocking. The knocking was getting louder by the minute, exhibiting the visitor’s irritation that no one had answered the door yet. Rade tried pulling his jeans on while frantically hurrying to the door. If he had known it was his father on the other side, he would have never opened it. He should have known better then to open it without looking at the monitor in the kitchen.

  Garrett pushed inside the door before Rade could stop him
. “What the hell do you want?” Rade asked, infuriated by his father’s presence.

  “Do you hate me that much that you would interfere with my partnership with BlackStone Industries?” Garrett hissed.

  “Your partnership with them is nothing but a joke,” Rade laughed. “If you were so concerned about your precious partnership, maybe you should have read the additional provisions of your agreement.” Rade was furious with his father’s assumptions, no matter how true they were.

  “That’s where you’re wrong, son. Maybe you should ask Keeve and Mason to give you the rest of the agreement, because the one I have made that little provision you’re referring to null and void,” Garrett snickered. “Before I leave, a word of advice. You may want to do a little digging into Keeve Black and Mason Stone. I’m sure what you find will be very interesting.”

  Dylan was standing in the hallway getting wind of the full conversation between Rade and Garrett. When Garrett left, she walked to the entry area where Rade still stood. “Rade,” Dylan said, walking up to him. “What do you think he meant by that?”

  “I’m not sure. Knowing my father, he’s after something. He wants me to question my decision to partner with BlackStone on the Spectrum deal,” Rade replied.

  “Maybe you should have someone look into it. I don’t think they will find anything, but it wouldn’t hurt.” Dylan couldn’t believe Keeve and Mason would do anything underhanded when it came to their company. Even though she had only worked for them for a short time, there was no way they were dishonest.