Secrets (Lords of the City)

by Alice Ward

  “But if I’m convicted and you’re left alone…”

  I raised my finger to his lips again to silence him. “I don’t know if you’ve picked up on this, but I’d hardly be alone. If you’re convicted, do you think Oliver and Stacey would just abandon me? Do you think any of us would quit fighting until we proved your innocence and brought you home? We’re not alone in the world, Drake. And our child won’t be either. I know if this plan backfires on us, life will be hard. But it will be the wonderful kind of hard, the kind that gives our lives meaning. If you don’t want to do this, we won’t. I’ll go back on the pill and I’ll never say another word about it. But if fear is the only thing holding you back, you need to tell me.”

  “Of course I’m afraid,” he sighed.

  I held his face in my hands and stared into his chocolate eyes. “Think about it like this. Are you more afraid of the idea of leaving me alone with a baby or the idea of us never having a baby at all? If you go to prison, I will wait for you as long as I have to. But I’m not sure the warden will be down with scheduling conjugal visits around my fertility schedule.”

  Drake let out a snort of laughter. “I guess you have a point there,” he agreed, leaning in to kiss me. He gently sucked my lower lip as his cock grew hard against my leg.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” he whispered into my ear.

  “We don’t know that I’ll get pregnant any more than we know you won’t go to jail,” I reminded him. “But I don’t want to try not to. If it’s meant to be, it will happen.”

  “I love you, Chelsea.”

  “I love you too.” I laughed as his lips tickled my neck. “Now take me to the bedroom before Piper comes home and kills the mood.”

  Drake rose to his feet, lifting me in his arms.

  “I love the way you always carry me to bed,” I said, moving my lips to his neck. I brushed them lightly against his skin as he nudged my bedroom door open with his foot.

  “I love the way you let me,” he replied, laying me down on the mattress. We stripped out of our clothes, our eyes locked on each other’s bodies. Drake laid down next to me on the bed and I rolled into his arms. I kissed him gently on the lips as we snuggled side by side on the bed.

  “I know today was hard for you, baby. And I know things could still get worse. But I’m in this forever, for better or worse. I love you, Drake,” I said, stroking the soft skin of his back with my fingers.

  He leaned into me, running his fingers through my hair. “Before I heard those words on your lips, I never believed them,” he confessed, kissing me gently on the neck. “Love was a word people threw around to get what they wanted from me. I threw it around, because I never truly understood what it meant… not until I met you.”

  As Drake spoke, I lifted my right leg and threw it over his left hip. He gripped my ass and slowly slid his quivering cock inside me.

  “I love you, Chelsea,” he whispered as he pushed the rest of the way in.

  “I love you too,” I gasped breathlessly.

  Drake held his cock still within me and traced teasing strokes across my side. “Open your eyes,” he instructed, sliding his hand to my face. He ran his thumb over my lips and then covered them with his as I obeyed his wish. Our eyes met and Drake slowly opened his mouth, teasing my tongue with his. He rocked his hips back and forth in long, passionate strokes.

  “Do you have any idea how good it feels to be inside you?” he whispered, rocking again. His hands danced across my body and found my breasts.

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. But I hope I make you feel half as good as you make me feel.”

  “Like that?” he asked, rocking into me harder.

  “Yes… just like that,” I cried out as he repeated the motion. With each trust, the tip of Drake’s cock rubbed against the sweet spot deep within me. Instinctively, I tightened my pussy around him and watched as Drake’s eyes lost focus.

  “Do you like that?” I cooed back at him, relaxing and then squeezing again.

  “Oh God, Chelsea,” he gasped, his words barely audible. “What are you doing to me?”

  I wrapped my arm around Drake and drug my nails across his back. His eyes fluttered again and he drove into me, pushing me closer to release.

  “You’re going to make me come,” he warned as I clenched my muscles again.

  “That’s the idea,” I said, staring into his eyes.

  He smiled back at me for a moment and then grabbed my leg, lifting it so he could push in deeper. He thrust wildly and his eyelids closed.

  “Open your eyes,” I reminded him, raising my hand to his chin.

  Drake opened his eyes and stared back at me as I moved my lips just millimeters from his.

  “Give it to me, baby,” I demanded. “I want every drop of your cum.”

  “Oh God, Chelsea,” he growled as his cock erupted within me. Instead of slowing with his release, Drake picked up his speed, pushing me to release before finally going soft. We laid there together, our bodies still connected, and gazed into each other’s eyes.

  “This is all I want to do for the rest of my life,” Drake told me, nuzzling his face into my neck.

  “That sounds just fine with me.”

  CHAPTER 4

  e

  The next morning, I woke up to the aromas of bacon and coffee and the sound of laughter creeping in from the kitchen. I rolled over, instantly regretting the move when the sunlight pouring in from the window hit my eyes. I turned away again, yawning and stretching as my feet hit the floor. I pulled on my robe and glanced at my alarm clock.

  Drake and I don’t have to be anywhere today. Why in the world is he up at seven in the morning? And who the hell is he laughing with?

  I stuffed my feet into slippers and made my way to the kitchen. When I reached the doorway, I was sure I was still dreaming. A skillet of bacon and a pan of biscuits were cooling on the counter, while Drake and Piper were having an animated, friendly discussion over their morning coffee.

  What in the world happened while I was asleep?

  I cleared my throat and Drake looked up. A wide smile crossed his face as he stood and crossed the room to greet me.

  “Good morning, baby,” he said, planting a firm kiss on my forehead. “How did you sleep? Are you hungry?”

  “I slept great and I’m starving,” I replied as he led me to the table. Drake pulled out my chair and I settled in across from Piper. She gave me a slight, ‘you were right’ smile, lifted the coffee pot from the table, and filled my empty mug.

  “What time did you get in?” I asked her.

  “Around two,” she replied, passing me the cream. “And I’m going to pay for it today. Pete and I are meeting with a couple of the contractors who are bidding on the hotel project. It’s going to be all I can do to keep my eyes open.”

  “Do you want me to tag along to the meetings?” I offered. The hotel had been my project and I felt guilty for not seeing it through.

  Piper shook her head while Drake cracked an egg against the counter and dropped it into a hot skillet.

  “Pete and I can handle it,” she assured me. “We came up with a plan yesterday. We’re going to meet with everyone, cut it down to two candidates, and then hold second interviews when you can join us.”

  “Thank you so much for picking up my slack, Piper,” I said, dropping my voice and hoping Drake couldn’t hear me over the sizzling eggs. “I know you don’t completely understand, but he needs me right now.”

  “I know. We’ll talk later,” she mouthed back to me.

  “What are you two whispering about over there?” Drake teased, flipping the eggs with a spatula.

  “Nothing,” Piper sang back to him.

  “Chelsea, Piper was just telling me about the show Seth has in Paris next month. I thought if this mess with the government is over by then, we could all fly over there together,” Drake told me.

  “That sounds heavenly,” I replied. I let my mind drift back to the first time Drake whisked m
e away on his private jet. Paris had been so magical and I’d never felt so adored in my life. We’d barely known each other then, but I’d already started to fall in love with him. The idea of returning to the City of Love once all of our troubles were behind us was too good to pass up. I turned to Piper and raised an eyebrow.

  “Paris, huh? Seth must be rising pretty quickly in the art world.”

  She grinned back at me. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Why don’t you get started on it now?” Drake suggested. He slid the eggs onto two plates, added bacon and biscuits, and carried them to the table. “If neither of you need the bathroom for a while, I’m going to take a long, hot shower.”

  “I’m finished in there for the morning,” Piper replied, popping one of her yolks with her fork.

  “Take your time, baby,” I added, refilling my coffee.

  “You two have certainly turned a corner,” I observed once Piper and I were alone. “What happened while I was asleep?”

  She swallowed a bite of biscuit and washed it down with coffee before answering.

  “Drake was up when I got home last night. In fact, I’m not sure he’s been to bed at all. I’ll admit I was rude to him when I first got here. He apologized for being in my way and I snapped. I told him he was an ass and that he didn’t deserve you. Instead of getting defensive, he agreed with me. He seemed genuine, so I sat down and talked to him.”

  “I wish he’d stop saying he doesn’t deserve me,” I said with a sigh. “I know he’s made mistakes, Piper. But he more than deserves me.”

  “I see that now,” she agreed. “We talked for a long time last night. He went on and on about how wonderful you are and how much he loves you. The things he said… well, I don’t think anyone could fake feelings like that. He told me how much he wants to start a family with you, but how uncertain he feels about the future. For what it’s worth, I think you should do it… go off the pill, I mean.”

  Aside from my mother, Piper was the last person I expected to be on board with our idea of starting a family. I reached across the table and took her hand.

  “I can’t believe he told you that. And it’s even harder to believe you think it’s a good idea.”

  She shrugged. “Drake’s love for you is obvious. You shouldn’t have to put your happiness on hold because of Rebecca. If you did, you may never start a family. If this is really what you want, I support you.”

  “It’s a big decision… I’m questioning my own sanity at the moment, to be honest. I can’t explain it. I don’t even understand it. But I have an overwhelming feeling that this is the right thing to do.”

  “Then go for it. Your instincts have always been right, Chelsea.”

  As I chewed a bite of bacon, I heard my phone chiming in my bedroom. I pushed my chair from the table and raced off to answer the call.

  Maybe it’s Dad with good news. Maybe this is over.

  I grabbed the phone from my nightstand and saw Stacey’s number flashing across the screen.

  “Hey Stacey, is everything okay?”

  “Chelsea, did I wake you?” she asked, a hint of excitement dancing in her voice.

  “No, I was just having breakfast with Piper. What’s going on?”

  “I think I’ve stumbled across something that could help Drake sever ties with Alex. How soon could the two of you meet me?”

  “Drake’s in the shower right now. If we hurry, we can make the eight-fifteen train into the city. Are you at the hospital?”

  “The penthouse. Lindsey’s here as well.”

  “We’ll be there soon,” I promised.

  ***

  Drake and I stepped into the lobby of his building and Frank rushed around his desk to greet us.

  “Mr. Waters, Ms. Tyler, it’s so good to see you,” he gushed, taking Drake’s hand. “Please tell me this means the horrible misunderstanding has been cleared up and you’re moving back home.”

  “I wish I could, Frank,” Drake said, his voice heavy with sadness. “Unfortunately, Chelsea and I are here as guests today.”

  “I’m so sorry for your troubles,” Frank replied, shaking his head. “If there’s anything I can do to help you, please let me know.”

  Drake stood silently, his eyes fixed to our private elevator. A notice of seizure was fixed to the door.

  “Thank you, Frank,” I replied, gently pushing Drake to the other side of the lobby. I hit the call button for the public elevator and the doors sprang open.

  “It’s so weird being here,” Drake sighed as we stepped into the car. He pressed the button for Oliver and Stacey’s floor and I wrapped an arm around his waist.

  “I know, baby. But I have a feeling things are about to take a turn for the better.”

  A bell chimed and the doors opened. We stepped into the hall and made our way to Stacey’s door. It swung open the moment I knocked on it.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” Stacey said, pulling us into the apartment. We walked across the mahogany floors and found Lindsey waiting in the living room.

  “Good morning,” she greeted us with a smile. “Your sister is turning out to be quite the investigator.”

  “Do either of you want coffee?” Stacey asked, gesturing toward the open kitchen.

  Drake and I shook our heads simultaneously.

  “Tell us what’s going on, Stacey,” I said with impatient hope.

  “As you know, I’ve been digging around in Dr. Schwartz’s affairs. I still haven’t figured out what Rebecca has on her, but I’ve found something else we can use in our favor. On the first of every month, Madeline receives a ten thousand dollar payment from a man named Javier Black. I ran a background check on him and it came back with a six-page rap sheet. It seems Mr. Black is one of the most popular drug dealers on Wall Street.”

  “Madeline’s involved with a drug dealer?” Drake asked. “That doesn’t really surprise me. I’m assuming he’s taking orders and she’s writing scripts?”

  “I think so,” Stacey said with a nod. “That’s what makes sense, anyways. I can’t access her prescription records because of all of the health care privacy laws. But I bet if we had a subpoena, we’d see that her patient files aren’t consistent with her prescription pads.”

  Drake frowned. “But there’s no way we can get a subpoena.”

  “I know,” she replied with a reassuring smile. “We have a different plan.”

  Lindsey flipped her long blonde hair over one shoulder and turned her laptop to face us.

  “I called one of my contacts at vice,” she explained. “He sent me everything they have on Black. They think he re-ups his supply on the first and third Friday of every month.”

  “Today’s the third Friday,” Drake realized out loud.

  “Exactly,” Stacey smiled. “Now, I have to be at the hospital and Lindsey needs to get back to work on the criminal case. Are the two of you up for some surveillance?”

  “Absolutely,” we replied in unison.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Dr. Schwartz’s office. I doubt he’ll show up at the building. My guess is at some point, she’ll leave. Follow her and if she meets up with Black, get close enough to record him,” Lindsey instructed.

  “And then we confront her? Isn’t that blackmail?” I asked, suddenly nervous. I didn’t want to gather the proof we needed only to have it backfire on us.

  “It depends on how you word it,” Lindsey advised with a smile. “If Madeline admits to fabricating Alex’s records, she’ll loose her license. But we can make sure it’s kept quiet. If the video you shoot ends up in the wrong hands, she’ll loose her license and her reputation. Giving her those options isn’t exactly ethical, but it isn’t technically extortion.”

  “Lindsey brought everything you’ll need,” Stacey added, pointing at a black duffle bag.

  Drake unzipped the bag and pulled out two ball caps, two hoodies, and the tiniest video camera I’d ever seen.

  “That will pick up soun
d from twenty feet away,” Lindsey explained. “I set it to auto focus, so all you have to do is point and pull that little trigger.”

  As she spoke, Drake’s cell phone rang. A look of confused worry crossed his face as he swiped the screen.

  “Frank? Is there a problem?”

  Drake stood silent for a moment, then crossed to the far window and parted the blinds.

  “I see them… yes, thanks for the warning.” He ended the call and slid the phone into his pocket.

  “We have a problem,” he announced, nodding toward the street. My stomach turned in knots as I realized what was happening.

  “Reporters?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  “About a dozen of them,” he replied with a sigh. “Looks like our disguises are going to come in handy sooner rather than later.” He tossed me the smaller sweatshirt and I pulled it over my head.

  “How are we going to get past them?” I asked as I pulled my hair through the back of the ball cap. The incognito clothing would help during our stakeout, but there was no way we’d get past the horde of reporters on the sidewalk.

  “I have a key to the service elevator,” he explained. “We’ll slip out the back door. Lindsey, Stacey, if you’re ready we can all leave together.”

  We all gathered our things in a rush and filed out of the apartment. We followed Drake to the service elevator and somehow managed to escape the building without being seen.

  “Thank God for Frank,” Drake said as we stood on the corner and stared back at the building. The doorman was standing on the sidewalk, addressing the reporters.

  “Thank God for Stacey,” I added, wrapping her in a hug. “With any luck, we’ll have our biggest problem solved by dinner.”

  “Good luck and call me as soon as you find something,” she instructed as Lindsey hailed a taxi.

  “We’ll talk to you both soon,” Drake promised.

  Lindsey and Stacey disappeared into the taxi and Drake turned to me. “Madeline’s office is less than a mile away. Do you feel up for a walk?” he asked, offering me his arm.