by Katie Ford
She should be free to marry someone her own age and have a bunch of winsome, beautiful babies that look just like her. Thinking about Allie pregnant makes my cock twitch in my boxers and I groan. I’ve never wanted kids but thinking about the gorgeous brunette knocked up with my children calls to the primal male inside.
Suddenly, my reverie is interrupted.
“Mr. Andersen, I have your lunch,” Lea calls from the other side of the door. “Can I bring it in?”
When I don’t answer, the door opens timidly and Lea steps inside with a plated roast beef sandwich.
“This was catered for the meeting, but Mr. Thompson said you weren’t feeling well,” Lea says. She sets the plate down on my coffee table. “Can I bring you anything else?”
All I can do is stare at her dully. Lea’s not a bad-looking girl. She’s too skinny for my taste, but there’s something youthful and fresh about her. All the same, I can tell that once she was probably a lot happier.
Suddenly, I think about Allie in a few years. Will she lose her lovely young freshness and start to fade? I see her bustling around, her generous form with the wide hips and a baby on her hip. Her face looks tired and worn and just the thought is enough to break my heart all over again.
“Mr. Andersen?” Lea asks nervously. “Are you okay?”
“Get out,” I say flatly.
“Can I bring you anything else?”
“Get out!” I scream. Grabbing the plated roast beef, I hurl it at the wall and watch as the china shatters into a million tiny pieces. Lea shrieks and runs out of my office, leaving the door open behind her.
All I can do is stare at the broken china and think about how much it resembles my heart.
Chapter Fifteen
Allie
The next few weeks are pure torture. Every time I’m alone, my mind turns to Dane. God, I miss everything about him! I miss his wit, his humor. I miss his erudite intellect – he could talk for hours about anything and still manage to seem like a total expert.
And most of all, I miss the way he would swirl his tongue over my clit when we had sex. Before Dane, I never knew what it was like to feel desired. I saw myself as a loner, the girl who was always picked last for teams.
But Dane makes me feel beautiful and desirable and oh-so-wanted. At least, he did.
I’m sick inside. Just picturing his sexy face with chiseled cheekbones and bright blue eyes is enough to bring all of the most painful memories rushing back tenfold. Mara keeps telling me that he’ll come groveling back once he realizes his mistake, but I know better.
Dane won’t come back to me. No, I’m sure of it. I’m sure he’ll move on.
That is, if he hasn’t already.
The only good thing in my life is that I’ve finally begun developing a relationship with my mother and father. Daddy has really been bending over backwards. He even came home with roses for me a few nights ago. And Mom and I have been spending more time together, too. We got our nails done the other day and tonight we’re going to a charity gala together.
It’s a special occasion, so I skipped all of my classes today. I squint as I lean into the mirror and brush highlighter over my cheekbones. Before now, I never wore much makeup, but Mom says that it’s expected at these kinds of events.
Stepping back from the mirror, I admire my reflection. I’m still not totally comfortable with the way my body looks, but I’m a heck of a lot more confident than I used to be.
God, Dane would love this dress on me. Mom had it made custom, just like the rest of my clothes. It’s a thick eggplant fabric that smooths my rolls into what could actually be called curves. For once, I don’t look like a dumb little girl.
I look like a woman who’s ready to take charge of her own life.
The sound of voices downstairs distracts me from my own reflection and I step closer to the door. I frown as I recognize my father’s voice.
What is he doing home? He never leaves the office this early!
He sounds angry, too. My heart begins to race as I press my ear against the door to listen. I know eavesdropping is wrong, but if there’s something going on with my family, I want to know what it is.
“It’s perfect,” my father says in a low growl. “She doesn’t suspect a thing.”
“You know she gets that from your side of the family,” my mother replies testily. She sighs loudly. “My side of the family is filled with smart women.”
“If she was smart, this wouldn’t have worked out so well. She has no idea I’ve been having her followed.”
“I still don’t see why you had to do that,” Mom says. “In my opinion, it was a waste of time and money.”
“Because, Donna, I tried doing this on my own and I fucking failed! You saw me! Until I stole the Lockdown code, we were living in a goddamned duplex! You want me to return all those Louboutins?”
A cold shiver runs down my spine and I press my ear closer to the door. What are Mom and Daddy talking about?
And why do I suddenly feel sick to my stomach?
A numb feeling settles over my entire body and I retreat from the door. Oh, why did I have to be so dumb and listen to their conversation?
But what does it all mean? I bite my lip as I try to figure it out. Daddy doesn’t talk much business at home, but I’ve never heard him mention Dane’s company before.
I must have heard wrong. There’s no way my daddy would ever steal from a man like Dane. My father is a good businessman – I know that he can be cold sometimes, but he’d never do anything so evil or ruthless.
At least, that’s what I want to believe.
Intrusive thoughts keep popping into my head like iridescent soap bubbles and my stomach twists uncomfortably. It can’t be.
No, there’s no way my father would want a man like Dane out of business.
I feel sick as the pieces begin to fall into place. If my father stole from Dane and then sold the code, that would make our sudden wealth seem a lot more plausible.
And Daddy did want me to get that internship at Lockdown. He looked so broken and angry when I got home that night and told him that I hadn’t gotten it.
It does explain one thing, though.
Daddy must have only wanted me to get that internship so I could spy on Dane!
Sour bile rushes up my throat and I leap from the bed and dash into the bathroom just in time to vomit all over the marble floor. I gasp and cry as I drop to my knees as another brown stream of vomit spews from my mouth. It tastes bitter and horrible and tears leak from my eyes as I dry heave over and over.
When I’m done, I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and unsteadily climb to my feet. My head is spinning – I can’t believe that my father is capable of something so evil!
I look in the mirror and sigh. My look is ruined. There’s vomit all over my perfect Joan Holloway dress, and the mascara I so carefully applied has run down my cheeks My eyes are red and swollen and my hands are shaking like leaves.
What the heck am I supposed to do now? I can’t exactly go downstairs and act like everything is normal.
No, I have to talk to Daddy. I’m sure I misheard.
There’s no way he would do something so heinous. There’s just no way.
I rinse my mouth from the faucet and wrap a robe around my dress. Still trembling, I leave my room and walk downstairs.
My father is sitting at the dining room table, but there’s no sight of Mom.
“Daddy?”
My father jumps. “What is it, Allie?” He checks his watch. “You and your mother should be leaving soon.”
“Have you been having me followed?”
“No, Allie! I would never do that.”
I swallow hard. Confronting my father is proving harder than I ever could have imagined. “I overheard you.”
My father sighs. “Honey, okay. Yes. I have. But just for a while, and just to make sure you’re staying safe.” He stepped closer.
“You knew I was seeing Dane.”
My
father smiles uncomfortably. “Yes,” he says. “And I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
“Why?” I wrap my arms around myself and hug my body. “Why would you do that?”
“Because Allie, well, sometimes we all do things to help our families. Don’t you want to help me? If you keep seeing Dane, we could be the richest family in the country!”
“You want me to spy on him.” The words taste bitter and tangy. “You want me to steal from his company.”
My father narrows his eyes. “Don’t you remember what I said? That I would do anything for this family?”
For a horrible moment, I think that I’m going to be sick again. I feel like my father has reached into my heart and ripped out what remains.
“Yes,” I say quietly. “I do.”
“So, you understand,” my father replies. He smiles at me. “Now, go upstairs and get ready. Your mother will be ready to leave soon.”
“I’m not going,” I say flatly. “I’m sick.”
“Fine,” my father snaps. “Just remember what I said.”
As soon as I’m back in my room, I lock the door and throw myself on my bed. I can’t believe it. As dumb as my father always made me feel before, well, that’s nothing compared to how idiotic I feel now.
Daddy never loved me. He only used me for his own evil purposes.
And Dane must have known all of this from the beginning. Yet, he did nothing about it.
Why? Why wouldn’t Dane act on his knowledge? Or at least tell me, for God’s sake!
Taking a deep breath, I try to summon courage. I know what I have to do.
Exposing my father for the criminal that he is won’t be easy.
In fact, I have a feeling it’ll be the hardest thing I ever do.
But damn it, I have to try.
Chapter Sixteen
Dane
After I get home from Tokyo, the days blur into one giant lump of awful. I’m jet-lagged and exhausted, and I find myself staying up all night and spending hours in my private gym.
I go from my condo to the office and back again, a never-ending cycle of monotony.
And yet, I can’t get her out of my head. Sweet, young Allie.
I miss her all the fucking time.
Everyone can tell that something is on my mind. I almost fire Hanson one morning when he asks me what’s the matter. Like I would tell him. If I wanted a shrink, I’d go to one.
The truth is I can’t tell anyone. Even if I want to. There’s no way my staff and subordinates can know what a bad man I am. I took a beautiful child and ruined her life. I stole her virginity, scandalized her, and then broke her heart.
All because Dane Andersen can’t keep his dick in his pants.
God damn it, I’m a fucking mess.
When Lea rushes into my office, I’m one step away from yelling at her, but she pushes past me and turns on the giant flat screen television mounted on the wall.
“What the fuck, Lea,” I snarl. “A little privacy, please!”
Lea turns to me and gives me a wide-eyed look. “Mr. Andersen, you have to see this,” she says. “It’s really important.”
“It better be,” I growl.
Lea flicks through the channels. She’s shaking and her face is completely bloodless and pale.
“Here,” Lea says breathlessly. She turns up the volume and clutches the remote nervously in one hand. Frowning, I step closer to see that she’s turned on a local news station.
There’s a shot of a giant home outside the city with columns and white marble stairs. It’s overdone and gauche – like a McMansion for people who have actual wealth.
When I see James Carter being led down the stairs in handcuffs, my jaw drops. The banner across the bottom of the screen reads:
BREAKING NEWS! SCARSDALE MILLIONAIRE JAMES CARTER ARRESTED FOR DATA THEFT!
“I told you it was important,” Lea says breathlessly. “The phone has been ringing off the hook for you. At first I thought it was fake,” she adds quietly.
“It’s not fake,” I say darkly.
“He confessed to stealing from Lockdown,” Lea says. “And now the press wants to speak with you. Should I arrange a press conference?”
Her words go in one ear and out the other. I have to grip the edge of my desk to keep from collapsing. I feel numb and shaky, like I’ve just survived a plane crash or something equally catastrophic.
When I speak, I can barely hear the words coming out of my own mouth.
“Yes. Arrange a press conference, Lea. For this afternoon.”
Lea nods. “Yes, sir,” she replies. “Anything else?”
I shake my head numbly. “No. That will be all.”
When Lea leaves my office, I stare at the TV until the screen turns into a big blur. The aerial shot of James’s – and Allie’s! – home is distracting and I feel sick to my stomach. Eventually, I can’t take it anymore and I turn it off and lie down on my couch with my hand over my eyes.
God, it finally happened. So many years have passed that I had resigned myself to believing that James would never be caught. And yet, he confessed!
I’m sure someone threatened him.
But who?
Did one of my employees hack into his computer or financial records? I know that he’d never voluntarily tell the truth about what happened.
Allie’s face pops into my mind and I sigh. God, I want her now more than ever. But I can’t go back. She’d never have me.
And I have a feeling she’d be quite angry with me for concealing the information about her father.
Things are still better off this way. At least now, Allie will be free from the toxic influence of James. She’ll be traumatized by this obviously, but she’ll heal. Now maybe she can have a normal life.
I want that for her more than anything.
Except her, of course.
The image of James Carter being led away from his tacky abode is replaying like a gif in my head.
I have to get my shit together. Taking a deep breath, I get up and cross the room to my desk. I reach into a bottom drawer and pull out a bottle of tequila I keep for emergencies. After a long, burning swallow, I almost feel like myself again.
“Lea,” I call as I open the door. “I want you to set a companywide meeting for tomorrow morning. Attendance is mandatory and I want it catered. Get a big brunch spread.”
Lea nods. “Yes, Mr. Andersen. I’ll get right on that.”
“And Lea?”
“Yes?”
“Make sure no one will panic when they see the announcement. Make it seem like it’s going to be good news,” I say in a low growl. “Because it is good news.”
Lea nods. “Of course. Anything else?”
I crush the powerful urge to have Lea arrange for Hanson to pick up Allie and bring her here.
“No,” I reply curtly. “That will be all.”
Chapter Seventeen
Allie
As I watch my father being led away from our house with his hands cuffed behind his back, I feel like I can’t breathe. My heart is thumping in my chest and my palms are damp and sweaty as I swallow nervously and turn to face my mother.
To my surprise, her face is stony and stoic.
“I had to,” I plead desperately. “Dad was planning something really awful and I couldn’t just stand there and watch!”
Mom presses her lips together until they look like white worms on her face. She clenches her jaw and narrows her eyes at me.
“I can’t believe you,” she says finally before turning on her heel and stalking back inside.
The driveway is filled with reporters and police, and the sound of light bulbs flashing is deafening, like the roar of the ocean during a bad storm. My chin starts to quiver and hot tears fill my eyes.
Not wanting anyone to snap a photo of the disgraced James Carter’s overweight daughter sobbing, I whirl around and run inside.
Thankfully, my mother is nowhere to be found. I go into the kitchen and start raidi
ng the pantry. It’s no secret that I’m an emotional eater and right now, nothing sounds better than an entire box of Oreos with a carton of milk.
After grabbing the cookies and milk, I head upstairs and lock myself in my room. To my horror, I can see the reporters and cops from my window. I yank the curtains shut and slide down with my back against the wall until I’m completely hidden from view.
Even though I’ve done nothing wrong, I feel like a fugitive. Tears spill down my cheeks as I rip open the Oreos and cram three in my mouth at once. The white frosting is so sweet that it burns my tongue, but I don’t care. In a matter of seconds, I’m a heaving, shaking mess.
I know it’s a sin to betray your parents. And under any other circumstance, there’s no way I’d have done something so heinous. But knowing that my father was gunning for Dane...well, that changes everything.
Dane.
God, just thinking about him makes my heart ache. Is he going to call me? Surely by now he’s found out about my father’s arrest.
With a loud sniffle, I pull my phone from my back pocket and check the screen. It’s blank, though – no missed calls, no texts.