“No, it is not okay. The affair you’re having with Bella has ruined everything.”
Keep him talking. “What do you mean? I’m confused?”
“I’ve been following her. I made sure her car was towed when she parked it illegally at the university, and I hoped without a car she’d quit, but she just took the bus. I saw how you ate out with her and all the nights you spent together.”
“Then you know she dumped me after you fired her.”
“Yes, I do know that, but you ruined it for me.”
“I can fix this. What do you need?”
“I need fifty million dollars.”
“Dr. Johnson, your numbers don’t equate to that amount,” Dillon informs him. “You don’t understand your business, and your books don’t prove that money will help to bring your drug to market. It doesn’t have anything to do with Christopher and Bella. This is not a good investment for us at this time.”
We hear the police and fire departments arrive outside.
“It’s all Christopher’s fault. She was fine, working hard and blind to everything going on, until he came in the picture. This is Christopher’s and Ms. Vargas’s fault.”
“That’s not true,” I tell him. “You presented the company to me as if you were always the sole person behind Black Rock. You indicated that Bella was merely a research assistant. Did you not realized we’d find out that she was the majority partner? Black Rock is registered with the state. You put me off from meeting her, so I came in on a random day. I didn’t know that Bella worked with you.”
He’s definitely unstable, pacing back and forth and waving the gun around, but I continue. “Did you know I had met her once—a few weeks before I met her in your offices. I’d been searching for her. I had no idea she worked for Black Rock, and once I did, that’s when our relationship started, Dr. Johnson. But she didn’t have anything to do with the decision not to fund your company. We were going to make the decision regardless.”
I hear the police coming up through the back stairs, and a voice yells, “Dr. Vance Johnson, please put the gun down and your hands up.”
“I need my money,” he bellows.
A police officer appears behind him and puts his finger in front of his mouth signaling for us to not reveal his presence. Dr. Johnson keeps wiping the sweat from his head as he begins to ramble.
“Her computer was never stolen.” He begins to pace and is almost incoherent. He’s mumbling more to himself than to us, and I can barely make out what he says. “I hid it under the passenger seat in the car. I put it there when she was at a party in Hillsborough. I would’ve done a better job of making it more obvious, except that there was a pack of dogs that came charging after me. I don’t like dogs.” He continues to repeat “I don’t like dogs” and run his hands over his sweaty bald head. Now we know it wasn’t a raccoon the dogs were chasing.
“Hey, Vance.” I finally step around Mason and Dillon. He stops pacing and stares at me like he’s confused, as if he can’t figure out where I came from. “Were you the one that posted the research on the internet?”
In a moment of clarity, he spews, “Yes. Of course, it was me. I tried to get her to quit by making her life miserable, but she kept going. I fired everyone in the lab and hired incompetent people, and still she wouldn’t quit. So, I decided to frame her. I needed her out of the company so I could have the money for myself.”
“Why is it so important that you get all of the money?”
“Because that sniveling Dr. Sutherland has turned his research over to the Lasker Award committee.”
“But what does the Lasker Award have to do with the money?”
“I need it to go down to Brazil without it I won’t have enough money to hide in Rio.”
“Why do you need to go down to hide in Rio?” I ask.
There is now a group of maybe six SWAT team members standing behind him dressed in black utility pants, helmets, and bulletproof vests.
“Because I’m losing the Lasker Award. I’m a laughingstock of the scientific community. This is the first time they’ve ever rescinded an award. Plus, they want the money back they gave me. Not only am I mortified, but I also don’t deserve this, and I’m being bullied by them.”
“You’re not a laughingstock of the community, and you’re not being bullied,” I say, trying to placate him.
“Jeremy chose to leave the company. I didn’t force him out. I was left to pull it over the finish line. That’s what I do. I’m good at this. I manage things.”
He seems to finally have a moment of clarity and sees that he’s surrounded by policemen holding assault rifles.
As he turns around, the four of us are thrown to the ground by SWAT officers. Dr. Johnson lifts his hand with the gun, and we hear three sharp taps. Bam, bam, bam.
Dr. Johnson falls to the ground, a red pool of blood growing on his chest and a look of surprise on his face. It all happened so fast, I’m in shock.
Chapter twenty-four
Isabella
I never watch television in the middle of the day, but for some reason today I need the background noise. I’m doing a deep clean of my stove when I hear there is something going on. Breaking into a talk show, a news reporter announces a hostage situation. When they share the cross streets, I know right away it’s SHN. I’m positive it’s Dr. Johnson, and I panic. I grab my purse and call a rideshare as I run down the stairs. I rush to the scene, and I’m in hysterics. Emerson spots me and runs over, giving me a tight hug. “Bella, are you okay?”
“Yes, where’s Christopher?” I scan the crowd and ask again, “Where’s Christopher? I’m so worried about him.”
“Dr. Johnson is inside with Dillon, Mason, Cameron, and Christopher.”
My eyes bug. The tears pool, and my heart beats rapidly. What if I never get to see him again? What if I’m never able to apologize to him for overreacting?
“SWAT is inside dealing with him,” she assures me.
“Oh goodness, this is all my fault.” My hand goes to my mouth as I cry ugly buckets of tears.
“No, Isabella, this is not your fault. You have nothing to do with this.” She rubs my back, attempting to comfort me.
“I’m the one who brought Dr. Johnson into this. It’s because of me he came to SHN for funding.”
“That doesn’t make it your fault. You can’t control his mental health.”
Her phone must vibrate in her hand because I don’t hear it ring, but she answers, “Hi, Greer.”
She listens a few seconds.
“Yes, it’s the founder of Black Rock. We didn’t fund them, and he’s upset.”
She listens again.
“I’d say this may make national news considering all the people who are here.”
She listens once more.
“I agree. We do need to get out in front of this.”
CeCe comes running up and hugs both of us. “Is everyone okay?”
“He has four hostages—Cameron, Dillon, Mason, and Christopher,” I tell her.
Emerson ends her call and informs CeCe that Greer is going to try to get out ahead of this.
I’ve been so self-absorbed since I was fired from Black Rock, and I didn’t know what I needed to do, but now all I want is to be able to see Christopher and hold him.
Three gunshots pierce the air, and a scream escapes me. Terrified, we look at each other helplessly.
We’re all crying as Cynthia comes up to wait with us. We don’t know what to do other than hold each other.
We hear over a nearby police radio, “Subject is down. The subject is down.”
Looking up to the sky, I send a silent prayer that Christopher is okay. It seems like hours pass as I hold my breath and wait to see what happens next. I nearly fall to the ground in relief when I see Christopher exiting the building, followed by Dillon and Mason. I don’t see Cameron at first, and that worries me, but then I see a redhead bolt from the crowd. It’s Hadlee and she jumps into Cameron’s arms. I run up to Chri
stopher, and Emerson beelines it to Dillon. I’m surprised when CeCe rushes to Mason, and they hold on to one another.
“I’m so sorry,” I cry into Christopher’s neck. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Detective Lenning walks up to us and says, “Would you both be willing to come down to our offices and have a conversation with us?”
I nod numbly, and Christopher agrees as well.
Christopher and I are escorted to the police station, and they immediately put us in separate rooms. They go through everything over and over again, asking the same questions in different ways. For three hours we’re interviewed. They check our stories. I know my story must be much less interesting because all I did was see it on the news and come down.
I wait for Christopher to finish, and when he does, I rush into his arms and we hold each other tightly.
He takes me back to his place, and we sit next to each other with the sports news in the background.
“I’m so sorry for what I put you through,” I say once again.
“No, I’m sorry for what happened. Nothing I did was meant to harm you. I always wanted you to have an opportunity for the funding to work with Black Rock.”
“I understand that now. I was just stressed out, exhausted, and spread too thin. My feelings were hurt because I’d lost my company, and all I knew to do was run.”
He takes my hands in his and looks me in the eyes. I see the warmth and love he has for me, and I know he’d never do anything to hurt me intentionally. “I have something for you to consider. Recently I met someone who I want to introduce you to.” Christopher walks me through his meeting with Jeremy Sutherland and Everest Therapeutics, and I’m excited. I can’t wait to talk to him. This looks and sounds like a perfect opportunity for us. Knowing that SHN is going to finance the adventure makes me happy, proud, and excited.
He kisses me, and a fire ignites inside me. Our kisses become feral and hot. I’ve missed him so much. He unbuttons my pants, and his fingers deftly move inside my panties, sliding along my crease. I break the kiss long enough to stand and pull my jeans off, and I watch as he undresses. I take in his hard chiseled chest, and his cock is rigid and ready, bobbing to wave at me. His fingers quickly return to my sacred channel and are magic inside me. My pussy is slick and wet, and his cock jolts instantly. I want everything. I want him inside me, and I want to taste his cum.
But he’s much more patient than I am. He works my folds, presses my clit, and twirls two fingers deep inside me. I love the way he groans and huskily calls my name. I beg him to continue as he rubs his fingers deeper, finding the spot against my insides that makes my whole body arc like a cat in heat. Ground zero. My breathing comes faster, and I pump against his hand as his fingers go wild. Much as I’d like him to make me come, I know the pressure building at the base of his spine is too strong to ignore. He gives my nipple a final nibble before growling, “Now, Bella. Put that condom on.” He points to a condom on the side table that I’m unsure where it came from. When I bend down to pick it up, I can’t help but stop to lick the tip of his cock to taste him. I want to fuck him with my mouth, but right now, I want him inside my pussy, stretching me wide, even more.
I reach for the condom and roll it over his hard cock before straddling him and lowering my hot, wet pussy over him. It’s been a few weeks, so it is a tight fit, but once I’m fully seated, we both let out satisfying groans as he completely fills me and then starts moving. The friction shreds my soul. He grasps my hips, pulling me down against every upward thrust. Faster and faster and faster and fuck!
It’s painful. I have my head thrown back, my dark hair flying. My body quakes. Lips freeze in a half-open pout as I shout his name. He thrusts upward, hard, and lets out a bearish groan as my pussy clenches his cock inside me like a vice. My body shudders as my climax lets loose. His own hits so savagely he seems stunned. Gloriously my pussy locks tight, sucking every last cum jet out of his balls. It’s so fucking good I’m lost to anything but him... but for us.
I collapse on top of him, gasping for air. He holds me tight, his dick still buried inside me, until we're able to breathe again.
I get up from the couch and go to the bathroom and then meet him in his bedroom. We lie together naked in our post-coital embrace.
“Bella, these three weeks without you were miserable. I know we haven’t known each other long, but I want you in my life forever.”
I look up at him, thinking how this feels right but also feels like it is going too fast.
“Will you marry me?”
I take a breath because I don’t want to destroy him. “Christopher, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in this world, but I still think we need to date a little bit. We haven’t even said the L word to each other.” He’s crestfallen. I lean in and kiss him deeply. “I’m not saying no. I’m just saying not right now.”
“I can live with that. But know this, I am absolutely, entirely in love with you.”
He kisses me deeply again, and when we break, I tell him, “I’m absolutely and entirely in love with you too.”
“That’s good enough for now,” he announces.
I meet with Jeremy Sutherland, and I’m over the moon. We have complementary research styles. I ask him if he’s considered a few options, and he has some things for me to consider as well. I’m confident we can pull this off, and we’re close to an agreement and finalizing a partnership agreement with the help of Sara at SHN. She’s looking out for the company, and therefore she’s looking out for both of us—evenly. Sara encourages us to meet with our own attorney and have them explain what she’s written. She doesn’t want either of us feeling like we’re being pushed or taken advantage of.
I sit down with my academic advisor and tell him where things are and what’s going on in hopes that he is still comfortable sponsoring my dissertation.
“Isabella, I was always really nervous about what was going on with Dr. Johnson. You were working too hard for him. I’m really glad that everything is worked out. I’m thrilled with where you are going with Dr. Sutherland and would love to help you with your business plan and making sure that you get what you need to get your dissertation written so that you can defend this. You have an amazing mind, and I can’t wait to be able to show the committee that you deserve your PhD.
I can’t get over how excited and happy I am. As I walk outside, my cell phone pings.
Christopher: Hey, are you here on campus?
Me: Yes, are you here?
Christopher: Yes, I’m here. Come over to the north parking garage. I’m by the pay station.
Me: What are you doing over there?
Christopher: I have a surprise for you. Get your cute ass over here.
I’m shocked to see Ellie standing with Christopher, but what’s even more surprising is they are standing in front of my hunk of junk. “Oh my God. How did you get my car?”
“Ellie told me where I could find your car. Sara helped us get it out of hock for free, and so we brought it up here for you.”
I smile. “You know, I’m just getting used to public transportation.”
“I’m really okay with you on public transportation because I’m concerned this car is a death trap.”
I giggle. “I promise you, it is absolutely a death trap, and that’s why it wasn’t worth the twenty-three hundred dollars they wanted to get it out of the impound yard.”
“Good, because right here”—he dangles an Audi key—“is the car that I want you to drive.”
“I can’t accept a new car from you. This is too much.”
“I thought you’d say that, but I respectfully disagree. But in order to prevent a fight, think of it as my car you have free reign to drive. I want you to be in a safe car, and I think this is what fits you and your personality.”
“I love you so much.” I step in for a kiss. “Why didn’t you just leave the car in the impound lot?”
“I know how stubborn you are, and if you really wanted it, I wasn’t
going to fight you over it. Not yet at least.”
“That car’s just dreadful. I realized that I get around just fine without it. We live in a big city where there is plenty of public transportation between MUNI and BART, and I can grab either a rideshare or a taxi when MUNI doesn’t work.”
“Before you two get all lovey-dovey, can one of you give me a ride home?” Ellie asks.
Chapter twenty-five
Christopher
Sitting on an airplane, leaving San Francisco headed to Minneapolis, I look at her. This is going to be a difficult trip. We’ve been together for a few months, and it’s time I took her to meet my parents and my sister. My family is the polar opposite of hers. This could make or break us. “Are you ready for this? They haven’t closed the plane doors, and we can get off and change our minds before it’s too late.”
She giggles. “It’s going to be fine. No matter what happens, I still love you.”
“Consider yourself warned. My family is crazy.”
“You’ve met my family. Heck, my aunt even propositioned you. What could be more humiliating than that?”
“You’ll see. But in all seriousness, my parents have no filter, and they think they’re better than everyone else they meet.”
She reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. “They can’t be so bad because they raised you.”
“That’s debatable.”
The door to the plane closes, and I sit back and pray that this weekend isn’t the disaster I’m predicting.
The almost three-hour flight goes without issue. Bella reads periodicals, and I review several prospective companies’ proposals.
As we are in final approach, Bella stares out the window. “It’s so green.”
“It’s the ‘Land of 10,000 Lakes,’” I say, sharing the state motto and license plate tagline. I point out the window. “That’s the general area where my parents live.”
Longing (Billionaire Venture Capitalist #7): A Billionaire Romance Page 17