Mike (Henderson Security Book 1)

by MLJ Quigg

  “I need out. I have to get out of here and take the kids away. We can’t live like this anymore. Please. I need help,” she whispered.

  “Where’s your husband? Is he due home soon?”

  “He’s gone to a conference and won’t be home till tomorrow night. I want to be well and truly gone by then.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “I’m in the Women’s and Children's Hospital. He’s gone too far this time. I need to get out.”

  “Have the police been called?”

  “Yes. They’re on their way. I need a lawyer. Can you see if you can organise one? I don’t want to use ours.”

  “Sure. I’ll handle it. Let me make some phone calls, and I’ll call you back as soon as I can. Keep the phone on you and wait for my call.”

  “Okay, Mike. Thank you so much.”

  “Anytime, sweetie. Hold on. I won’t be long.”

  I got on the internet and looked up flights and a hire car. I picked a flight that left in an hour and a half and then rang my lawyer to see who he could recommend in Adelaide. He gave me the name and number of Jerry Kline, and I called and asked him to be at the hospital in three hours. He agreed and said he’d see me there. I had things arranged and then made my way to Dave and Tiny. I gained their attention and called them over to me.

  “Dave, I just answered a call on your phone from Lisa. She’s in the hospital and needs help. She wouldn’t tell me what happened, but I think her husband put her in there. She’s asked for help to get away from him. I’ve booked a flight to get over there and a hire car to drive back. I think it would be better if I go by myself. If it’s as bad as I think it is, we don't want your name involved. I will call you as soon as I find out what’s happened. The police and a lawyer will be there when I arrive. I will get her back here safe and sound with the kids, but I have to go to be able to catch the flight in time. I’m sorry, babe. I know you’re worried and want to come with me, but I think you should stay out of this.”

  “I agree. Her husband’s a piece of work, and I don’t want to make it worse for her. Get her and the kids and get back here safe. Take care of them and yourself.” He pulled me into a kiss and nodded at me.

  “I think you should take someone as a backup. Call Tweety, he’ll help,” Tiny said.

  “Good idea. I’ll call him now. See the both of you tomorrow.” Kissing Dave and hugging him again, I then leant in and kissed Tiny’s cheek.

  I called Tweety, and he agreed to help straight away. While I was waiting for him to show up, I booked him on the same flight as me. I called Lisa and explained what was happening and that we would be there in a couple of hours, and she broke down in tears. She told me she was in the emergency department and would wait for us there. Benny was going to drive us to the airport, and within ten minutes, they were pulling up out front of the studio, and I jumped in the back, and we were off.

  We arrived at the airport and were lucky enough to be seated together in first-class. After an uneventful flight, we grabbed the hire car at Adelaide Airport. We drove straight to the hospital, parked the car, and made our way to her.

  After finding out where she was located, we walked the hall to the room and gasped at what we saw. Lisa was lying on the bed with her arm in a cast and bruises covering her body. A teen about eighteen or so had his arm in a cast and a bruise on his cheek. A girl in her late teens or early twenties was sitting next to Lisa in a seat holding a baby a few months old. They noticed us walk in and cowered into themselves.

  “Hey, Lisa. How you feeling, honey?” I asked.

  She relaxed immediately and smiled. Even with the bruises, you could see she was a gorgeous woman.

  “Hey, Mike. I’ve been better. Thank you so much for coming. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”

  “Anytime. This is Tom Sylvester better known as Tweety. He’s one of my closest friends and has come to help. What happened, honey?” I asked.

  Before she could say anything, my phone rang, and I looked at the unfamiliar number and slid to answer. “Mike Williams speaking.”

  “This is Jerry Kline. I’m at the hospital entrance and am making my way to you. Are the police there, yet?”

  Just as he asked, two police officers in uniform made their way into the room, and Jerry Kline said he would be there in a few minutes. He asked me to relay to the police to wait for him before they started.

  “Mr Jerry Kline, Lisa’s lawyer, has arrived at the hospital and will be in the room shortly. He asked that we wait till he gets here to start this, please,” I told them all.

  They all nodded, and we made ourselves comfortable around Lisa’s bed.

  The lawyer arrived at the same time as the attending doctor, and they took chairs at her bedside.

  Mike

  As Tweety and I sat around and listened to the harrowing story of Lisa and her kids’ lives, we were shocked and furious for them.

  Johnathon, her eighteen-year-old son, tried to stop his father from hurting her and got smashed for his trouble. He had a broken wrist and a bruise on his cheek where his father punched him for getting in the way.

  Lisa had a broken arm and a couple of broken ribs and had bruising on eighty percent of her body. The doctor had X-rays of previous broken bones which had healed that go way back.

  Harlow was twenty-two and had her six-month daughter, Emma, on her lap.

  The police listened to Harlow, Johnathon, and Lisa as they recounted their stories and recommended an Apprehended Violence Order or AVO on her husband be issued, and the lawyer would start divorce proceedings for her.

  Lisa told us how she had been ringing Dave’s shop to try and get in contact with him, but every time her husband had caught and punished her.

  Well, that explains the hang-up calls he was getting.

  She said she’d been trying to get away from him for about a year but was always caught. Her daughter bought a prepaid phone and used it to call Dave. She told us that the last straw was her son getting hurt, and she wasn’t going to put up with it anymore.

  It took about three hours to go through all the evidence and have photographs taken of both her and her son. I told the police we were taking the family to Sydney and gave them my phone number as well as our address of the new house. I told them if anything changed, I would notify them. They exchanged phone numbers with me and then left to arrest her husband, and gave us the go-ahead to proceed with our plans to get her out of Adelaide.

  I rang Dave and told him everything.

  Richard and Mary would organise beds at the house for them, and I told them I would ring when we were on the way. As soon as we exchanged the keys to our new place, they would be staying with us.

  Richard said he would get Benny, Max, and Bazza to take over the recruits on Monday, and that I was to stay home and help Lisa and her kids. I agreed and was more than thankful.

  Tweety and I took them home and helped them pack the essentials, and then we were on our way to Sydney. It took nearly twenty-four hours to drive there, and we arrived home late Sunday night. We were all exhausted, and as soon as we got into bed, I snuggled up to Dave and kissed his neck then promptly fell asleep.

  I woke up late the next day feeling refreshed and ready to get things started. I called the bank and made an appointment with the manager to transfer the funds for the new house, and half an hour later, I met them at the bank. The transaction went smoothly. Then I made my way to the real estate company, and by the time I got there, the money had cleared. Sherry handed over the keys and paperwork for the house, and I then made my way back to the house.

  Stepping into the kitchen, Dave, Lisa, Harlow, Johnathon, and Mary were sitting at the island talking. I walked over to Dave and wrapped my hand around his neck and kissed him. “Hey, baby. I have the keys, and we can move in as soon as we want. Is everything okay?” I inquired of the others.

  I looked over to Lisa, and she had a huge smile on her face. “What?” I asked.

  “Nothing. I’m glad Dave
has someone who obviously loves him and isn’t afraid to show it. You guys are so sweet together,” she commented.

  I saw Harlow and Johnathon nodding their heads as well.

  “Thanks, hon, he’s a great guy. I’m lucky to have him in my life. I fucking love this man,” I stated.

  “Love you, too,” Dave gushed.

  “Dave. Do you want to go shopping today for house furniture? We’ll get the lot and have it delivered tomorrow if we can. Can you guys tell me what you need for your rooms, and we’ll pick that up as well? Just screenshot some pictures from a furniture place you like and email it to Dave or me.”

  “Oh, Mike, I couldn’t do that. That’s way too much. Please, let me help. I can pay for the stuff needed for our rooms, it’s the least I can do. You’re giving us a place to stay, that’s enough for us,” Lisa said.

  “Absolutely not. You need to concentrate on getting better and saving as much as you can. I’ll be buying these things, and you’re not helping.”

  “If you’re sure. Thank you so much.”

  “You’re welcome, honey. If I can help at any time, I can and will. After you guys get better and can drive, we’ll have a look at cars. We’ll get you sorted straight away, Harlow, that way you can get around as much as you want to,” I commented.

  “Thanks, Mike. That’s awesome,” Harlow almost mumbled while becoming teary.

  They all took out their phones and soon found furniture they liked. After we had the email with the screenshots of what they wanted, Dave and I made our way to the car. I drove to a huge furniture place, and we made our way around the store.

  “We need an entire houseful of furniture, so I suggest we get started?”

  He nods his head, and we made our way to the lounges.

  We found the lounge suite we wanted, and then everything else fell into place quite quickly after that. We had the ground floor finished in a couple of hours and then made our way to the electronics. We picked out a television and sound system for the lounge room and ones for each of the bedrooms and whatever else we could think of. I showed him the pictures of the bedroom suites that the others liked, and we picked one we liked for ours. The bedrooms were finalised before we knew it, and we left the store with a house full of furniture to be delivered tomorrow. It cost a shit load, but I seriously didn’t care. I would spend all my money for this family, and I had no regrets.

  We drove to the department store next and spent a couple of hours picking out linen and accessories for the house.

  When we arrived back at the house, we joined Lisa, Johnathon, and Harlow in the lounge room.

  “Are you guys sure you don’t mind setting up the house tomorrow? I can take time off to help if needed?” I asked.

  “No, we can handle it. You get back to work, and we will have the house ready when you finish work. Besides Tweety, Bazza, Benny, and Max have offered to help as well. Mary’s going to look after Emma,” Dave replied.

  “If you have any problems or need more help, please call me,” I noted.

  They nodded their heads.

  At dinner which included all of us and Tweety, Max, Benny, Bazza, and Claire, we had a family meeting while Johnathon and the triplets took care of baby Emma.

  Richard took a huge breath and stood at the end of the table. All eyes turned to him, and we waited for Richard to start speaking. “As of next Friday… I’m officially retiring. I have signed all the legal documents and passed the company to Monique. I’ve always wanted to take my love to America and show her my homeland. So, we’re going to do it. I can’t think of a better time than right now. I know with all my heart I’ve left the company in good hands, and I know that each and every one of you will continue to grow the company. I respect and have faith in you all, and I know it’s in safe hands,” he explained smiling at each of us in turn.

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ve signed the papers and will be promoting the business heavily in the next few months. I will get together with Mike and Guy, and we will sort out any problems we can see. Mike, you will be my right-hand. I can’t and won’t be able to do this without you by my side. I hope that’s okay?” she queried.

  “Absolutely. We knew this day was coming. I will help in any way I can. I think we should promote each of the guys to team leaders, and have a ten-man team under each of them. I’d also like Lisa to be on the main desk. She’ll be the face of the business and the first person everyone sees as they walk in through the door.”

  “I agree. I was actually going to ask that anyway,” Tiny spoke with a huge smile.

  “Thank you so much for giving me a chance,” Lisa stammered with tears in her eyes.

  “I’m going to build a crèche for our employees who have children. I know you have a qualification in childcare, Harlow. How would you feel about running it?” Tiny asked.

  Harlow’s eyes popped out of her head, and she gasped. Then she smiled and looked to Tweety with her smile going wider. “Yes. I would love that. I was going to start looking for a job as soon as we were settled.”

  Tweety smiled wider and gave her a thumbs-up, and she blushed. I think someone has a crush, and it’s mutual.

  “Okay, next… Mary, Monique, and I have been talking, and we would like to make a proposition for you guys. Monique is buying a house, and we know that Claire will be with her as a nanny and housekeeper to the kids. We want to move in with her as we won’t be around much, and will only be staying there when we’re in Australia. We would like to rent this house, and we’re in the process of buying a few other houses for the rest of the guys when they come over to work for us. We have talked to the real estate company that Mike and Dave used, and Monique has already picked a house she likes. So, as soon as it exchanges hands, we will be moving. This place will be yours if you want it? We don’t owe any money on the house. We will transfer the ownership to the company, and all you have to pay is the rates and utilities. What do you say, guys? You interested?” Richard asked.

  They all seem shocked and nodded their heads slowly. Finally, Max came out of it and agreed then the others spoke their agreement as well.

  I smiled and wrapped my arm around Dave’s shoulder and kissed his head, and he snuggled into my side.

  The day was full of surprises.

  Mike

  Over the next four weeks, it was utter chaos. Tiny had exchanged on her house, and they had started to pack for the move. We were helping her shift this weekend. She had officially taken over as owner-manager of the company. The guys had started as leaders and had taken over the recruits, and Lisa was due to start next week at the front desk. The crèche was coming along nicely as well, and it would be ready to use full-time in about a month.

  Two days after Richard made his announcement, we had a surprise visit from some of the other guys. Four others had turned up around the same time as Seb and have started working for us as well. Seb and his wife, Tara, and their five-year-old daughter, Mia, came and introduced themselves to us.

  A week after that, the rest of the guys showed up, so we had all of them here now, and I was so glad they were out and here with us. These guys were the closest friends I could ask for. They all had rental places they shared which Richard was able to obtain pretty quickly. Some were in the process of buying their own homes.

  We had been busy recruiting, and nearly all the guys had full teams. So, with twenty team leaders, there had been six recruits for each of them. We had sent most of them on assignments and were busy filling the numbers with the rest of the teams.

  Tweety and Harlow had officially begun dating, and you could see that they really liked each other and that he loved Emma and spent as much time as he could with the both of them.

  Dave and I had settled into our new home with Lisa, Johnathon, Harlow, and Emma. We were becoming quite a family, and I loved them for making my man happy. The love that Lisa had for Dave was overwhelming, and I knew how upset he was that the rest of his family were not so favourable towards him.

  We still hadn’t heard
from Lisa’s husband, and it was becoming apparent that he might cause trouble in the future for her. I could only hope for her sake he left her alone and just signed the damn papers and let her get on with her life. I was afraid he wouldn’t let her go so easily, though. He just didn’t seem the type. From what she had shared of her life with him, he was very controlling and violent towards her. I would protect her with my life, and if he came causing trouble, he wouldn’t know what hit him. Only time would tell, though, and we would just have to see how this panned out.

  I thought back to last night and smiled. I was a sappy giant ball of happiness, but who the fuck cared. I was in love, and I didn’t give a fuck who knew it. I would live my life my way, and fuck if anyone didn’t like it. I had the love of my life next to me and the greatest of friends I could ask for.

  Dave and I were in bed after a long session of lovemaking, and I looked at the man I loved and smiled at him.

  “Marry me,” I stated.

  “Hell, yes.”

  I laughed and kissed him. “Fuck! That was easy. You’re the other half of my heart and soul, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” I chuckled into his mouth as I continued kissing him.

  “I was waiting for the right time to ask you. You just got there before me.”

  “So, we’re doing it? You gonna spend the rest of your life with me?” I asked.

  “Yes, a thousand times, yes,” he offered.

  “You gonna let me fuck you whenever I want?”

  “Yes. I love you fucking me.”

  “You gonna suck my cock till I spill down your throat and you choke on it?”

  “You know I will.”

  “You gonna let me fist fuck you till you scream your release?”

  “What the fuck, Mike? Are you serious? Your fist is wider than your cock.”

  “Not quite. But I’d give it a good run for the money.”

  “I don’t know about that. You’re big, and I mean big. Your cock fills me to capacity already. I don’t know if I can handle anything bigger,” he revealed timidly.