Bethany’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard a voice that made her stomach churn. She ran into the nearest stall and pulled her legs up so nobody could see if they looked under the stall.
“Come on, Raquel, you never told us how it happened,” one voice whined.
“Yeah, all you said it was the best you’ve ever had.” The other voice giggled.
Bethany knew both voices well, as well as the one they were begging for information. Celine Hearn and Denise Rowan, otherwise known as the shadows of Raquel Evans. She disliked all three girls since they bullied her constantly. When they found out Bethany and Aaron were dating, things got worse.
They called her fat, tubby, and their favorite was Butterball. Raquel would blatantly flirt with Aaron and make sure her assets were on display for him to see. Bethany did her best to avoid them unless she was with Aaron’s cousin Kristy. They kept their distance from his feisty cousin.
“You girls are so desperate.” Raquel giggled.
“Of course, we are. You’ve been saying all year you’d get him in bed and when you do you keep your mouth shut.” Celine’s voice was a little louder than it probably should have been inside the hollow sounding room.
“Jesus, Celine. Keep your voice down,” Raquel whispered.
“Sorry, I’m just itching to find out if what they say about him and his brothers is true.”
“What do they say?” Denise asked.
“They’re all hung like horses, and they know what they are doing in bed.” Celine sighed.
“I don’t kiss and tell. Or in this case, fuck and tell.” Raquel sighed, but Bethany could hear the hint of arrogance.
“Since when don’t you brag?” Denise snickered.
“You finally fuck A.J. O’Connor, and you keep it from us.” Celine sounded in awe, but all Bethany felt was devastation and sick to her stomach.
“He made me promise to keep it quiet until he can dump the Butterball. He said fucking her was like fucking a fat cow. When he dropped her off last night, he met me at Greeley’s Peak.” Raquel giggled. “But I will say this, A.J. knows how to use what he got, and he’s got plenty.”
“When are you seeing him again?” Celine asked.
“Well, since he won the bet with Cory about getting into Butterball’s pants, he should be dropping her like a hot rock sooner rather than later.” Raquel snickered. “Then we can fuck whenever we want.”
With that statement, the three girls left the bathroom giggling. Bethany jumped to her feet just in time to throw up into the toilet as tears poured from her eyes.
Bethany had to find out for sure if it was true. Aaron asked her to meet him at his locker after lunch, and she wiped the tears from her face as she made her way out of the bathroom.
Bethany saw him with Cory and Joey right where he told her to meet him. It was hard to believe he could do what Raquel said and she’d almost convinced herself it wasn’t true, but it was what Cory said that had her stop in her tracks.
“I can’t believe you won the fucking bet.” Cory slapped an envelope into Aaron’s hand.
“I told you I don’t lose. When I want something, I get it.” Aaron shoved the envelope into his backpack.
“I have to say I’m impressed that you pulled it off.” Joey handed another envelope to Aaron.
“It was a piece of cake, and I’ve got big plans for these four hundred dollars from you two losers and the two hundred I have tucked away.” Aaron laughed.
Raquel didn’t make up the story. No. Aaron used her to win a bet. He’d strung her along until he got into her pants so that he could win four hundred dollars. He took her virginity and her heart all to win a bet.
Bethany kept her head down as she spun around and made her way to the exit. She didn’t care that she didn’t have her report card yet. They could mail it to her. She needed to get home. She had to get as far away from school before she ran into Aaron. If anyone was going to end their relationship, it wasn’t going to be him.
As she rode her bike home, she made the decision. She was going to Ontario with her sister and father. There, she’d forget all about Aaron O’Connor and his cheating ways.
Bethany shook her head and gulped down the lump in her throat at the painful memory. Allyson begged her to move back to Newfoundland with her and Bethany wanted to go back to be with her father, and she would have, had he not decided to move back to Hopedale once Allyson returned.
She did miss the small town and definitely missed all her old friends. Aaron’s cousins Kristy and Jess were two of her best friends, and it was one of her few regrets in life that she didn’t tell them the real reason she left Newfoundland.
Her excuse had been believable since her sister and father decided to move because Allyson’s fiancé was posted in Ontario. Bethany told them she wanted to be with her family and although they were surprised at the sudden decision, they understood. Aaron didn’t.
Bethany shook the memories from her head as she made her way out of the airport and headed to her office. She was going to be over an hour early but going back to her empty apartment was not something she wanted to do at that moment.
Bethany was a pharmaceutical sales rep for National Pharmaceuticals based in Ontario. Her boss, Craig Molloy, was also from Newfoundland and it was one of the reasons he’d hired her eight years earlier right out of university.
Craig pushed a lot lately for her to take over the Newfoundland district. She would laugh and ask if he was trying to get rid of her, but the truth was she hadn’t been back to Newfoundland in thirteen years. Her excuse was her family lived in Ontario, but with her dad and sister moved back home, that excuse would no longer fly.
The sun was up by the time she made it to the building where she worked. Since it was a little after six in the morning, she knew nobody would be in the office, and she would need to use her key card to enter the building.
Her heels clicked along the pavement as she made her way to the entrance, and she struggled with her briefcase and supply case as she searched for her entry card. Before she made it to the front step, the door to the main entrance opened, and a smiling security guard greeted her.
“Morning, Ms. Donnelly.” Harrison Chapman, the building security guard, gave her a friendly smile.
“Morning, Harrison.” Bethany stepped inside the door as he closed and locked it behind her.
“You’re here early today.” He made his way behind his desk.
“I had to drop my sister and nephew off at the airport. I figured it was easier to come to the office instead of going back to my apartment at this time of day. It saves me the aggravation of fighting traffic later on this morning.” Bethany hit the up button on the elevator.
“Smart lady.” He sat back in his chair and chuckled.
The door to the elevator opened and she stepped inside. As the elevator moved smoothly up to the tenth floor, Bethany scrolled through the emails on her phone.
There was one from her sister, telling her they were getting ready to take off and several from her boss. There were also a few from local drug stores. By the look of her email, it would be a long day.
The doors of the elevator opened, and she stepped out and turned right to head to the office. It wasn’t the first time she’d come to work early which was why she was surprised to see Craig standing in the doorway to his office. A concerned look on his face.
“Craig, you’re an early bird today.” Bethany turned the knob to her office.
“I didn’t go home last night. Beth, I need to talk to you.” His serious expression concerned her.
“Let me drop this on my desk, and I’ll come to see you.” Bethany pushed open the door to her corner office.
“Okay.” Craig turned and disappeared as he closed his door.
She trembled as she dropped her things on her desk. Bethany had a feeling that what Craig was about to say was terrible news, but she couldn’t think of anything she’d done that would get her fired. He’d always told her she was the best
sales rep he had which was why he wanted her to take over the Newfoundland district.
She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and walked confidently toward her boss’s door. Before she could knock, he pulled open the door and motioned for her to come inside. He hurried around his desk and plopped down in his seat.
“Craig, what’s wrong?” Bethany couldn’t take it anymore.
“I know I’ve asked you this, and you’ve declined several times, but you’re the only one I can trust to do this.” Craig held out a thick folder to her. “I need you to take over the Newfoundland district. This isn’t a request.”
Bethany’s heart practically flipped over in her chest. She’d never seen him so tense or concerned. She placed the folder on her lap and slowly opened it. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be inside as she flipped through page after page of invoices for orders.
“Why would you want to take this away from Randy? From the look of this, he’s doing great.” Bethany was impressed with the number of sales the current district rep had completed.
“You would think he was, wouldn’t you? That is until I made a call to one of the pharmacies he’s sold several cases of opioids. I wanted to see if they were happy with him. I know it’s not my job, but I do it from time to time, and before you ask, all your clients love you.” Craig smiled.
“Good to know.” Bethany looked through the invoices.
“There are two things I found out when I called Larry.” Craig handed her another piece of paper.
“What?” Bethany glanced down at the paper.
“They didn’t buy anything from him. They didn’t even know him.” Craig sighed.
“He’s sending in false orders?” Bethany stared at the paper that he gave her.
“Yes, I know this is not your job, but I need you to go to Newfoundland and check out all these invoices. I can’t confront Randy until I know everything.” Craig plowed his hands through his greying hair. “I know your family moved back to Newfoundland for good and I don’t know what your aversion to going back there is, and it’s frankly none of my business, but you are the only one I trust with this.”
Bethany stared at her boss for a moment. Was he serious? He should be calling the police about all this, not using one of his sales reps to do an investigation. The thought of going home gave her a multitude of emotions, but she loved her job, and the idea that one of her co-workers could do something like this angered her.
“Maybe you should contact the police,” Bethany suggested.
“I need to have an internal investigation done first.” He sighed.
“Craig, I don’t know if I’m qualified to do this.” Bethany held up the folder.
“You are the best one to do it. You are good with clients and Randy wouldn’t think twice about you dropping into the Newfoundland office since I’ve told him I’m trying to get you to take over a portion of the district.” Craig smiled.
“That’s not what you wanted me to do, Craig.” Bethany shook her head because he wanted her to take the whole section over.
“I know, but he doesn’t need to know that. Please, Beth.” Craig folded his hands in front of him on the desk.
Bethany stared at her for a moment. Craig was in his late fifties and still quite handsome with the grey flecks streaking his dark-brown hair. He’d lost his wife a few years back and recently started seeing a woman from back home. Her boss took several trips home during the year since his kids and brother still lived there. With his new girlfriend, he had more reasons to travel back and forth.
“So, you want me to go back and get the proof you need to have him arrested and take over that position.” Bethany raised an eyebrow because she knew that was what he wanted.
“I need to know where these drugs are going. I got a sick feeling that Randy’s selling them to people that shouldn’t have them and yes, I want you there to take over, but mostly I don’t want my company to be known for selling drugs to criminals,” Craig admitted with a slight grin.
As much as it scared Bethany to think what kind of people Randy could be dealing with, she was pissed enough that he would be using a reputable company to do it.
“I’ll do it.” Bethany held out her hand and nodded.
What the fuck am I doing?
Chapter 2
Aaron jumped down off the small stage at Jack’s Place where his cover band just finished for the night. His Aunt Alice divided the building into two businesses. She turned one side into a diner, and the other an Irish pub. They’d opened it when Aaron was in high school, and it had become a meeting place for not only his family but all the residents of Hopedale.
His grandfather had been so proud to have his name on the business, but unfortunately, he passed away not long after it opened. That year Aaron lost two people he loved. Grandda and Bethany Donnelly.
He saw the group of men around the three tables pulled together and glanced toward the bar. The new bartender was Nick’s soon to be brother-in-law and was loading a tray with several shots. Aaron sauntered over to the bar and leaned over the bar to turn off the switch for the stage lights.
“Why is it I always end up shutting all that shit down?” Aaron grumbled as he nodded his head toward where the other members of his band were laughing and tossing back drinks.
“Come on, how often do all your brothers get away from the ball and chains at the same time?” Ethan Norris poured another ten shots and carefully placed them on the almost full tray.
“Good point. Now Nick is joining their merry band of collared men.” Aaron grabbed the tray and motioned for Ethan to join them.
Ethan’s younger sister was engaged to Nick and Lora wasn’t the only one to wrap Nick around her finger. Lora’s daughter could have his older brother jumping with just a flick of her finger. Aaron was happy for Nick and all his brothers for that matter, but part of him envied them.
Aaron lost the woman he’d thought he was meant to be with the last day of high school. She ended their relationship the day after their prom and moved to the mainland. With his heart shattered, he started on a path that turned him into what his brothers called a player.
“So this is what happens when a bunch of old married men gets together.” Aaron placed the tray of filled shot glasses in the center of the tables.
“Hey, I’m not married.” Cory grabbed a glass from the tray.
“Neither am I.” Jason Brenton a school friend of Aaron’s other brother Mike and also played in the band.
“I’m not married either.” Joey winked at his life partner Braden Payne.
“Just because you’re here with a bunch of hot men doesn’t mean you’re not taken. You remember that, hot buns.” Braden narrowed his eyes at Joey.
Aaron and Cory had been shocked when Joey came out after high school. It didn’t change their friendship at all; in fact, it probably made it stronger. When Joey met Braden eight years earlier, he’d introduced his new partner to Aaron and Cory first.
Braden was funny and kind of reminded Aaron of a gay male version of Sandy. He didn’t care what he said to anyone and spoke like a sailor who’d been out to sea for too long.
“Time to put a ring on that, Joey.” One of Aaron’s brothers, James, chuckled.
“We’re already married in the true sense of the word.” Braden wiggled his eyebrows and Joey blushed.
“I’m not married either, but I envy you bunch of bastards.” Aaron glanced toward one of the large men sat on the other side of the table.
Brent ‘Crash’ Adams worked for Keith and Kristy’s husband Dean ‘Bull’ Nash. They ran a high-end security firm called Newfoundland Security Services or NSS for short. They’d moved it from Yellowknife to Hopedale almost ten years earlier, and since then, all the men that worked for the company had become like part of the family.
“Me too, having something warm and soft to go home and crawl in next to. You’re a bunch of lucky assholes.” Ben ‘Trunk’ Murphy, another of the guys that worked for Keith, raised the shot glas
s and then tossed it back.
“I don’t envy them. One woman. Every day for the rest of your life.” Aaron feigned a shudder. “I like variety.”
“Little brother, just because you have one woman for the rest of your life doesn’t mean you can’t have variety in the bedroom.” Keith wiggled his eyebrows.
“There’s a lot to be said for being married to a woman willing to try anything once.” Ian winked.
“You’re wasting your breath on him, bro. A.J. likes the ones who follow him around like a lost puppy,” Mike teased, and Aaron wanted to punch him.
Aaron had been seeing a woman on and off for a few months. More off than on and it was more for sex than anything else. The problem started when he told her he wanted to end things. Jocelyn Rees didn’t take rejection easily and from that point on seemed to show up everywhere Aaron did.
Luckily, she couldn’t get to his residence. Aaron lived on Keith’s secure property that most people referred to as The Compound. A seven-foot fence surrounded the entire three acres of land, and the only entrance was an iron gate. Nobody could get on the property unless they were allowed in or had a code.
“How is your stalker these days?” James taunted.
“She was front and center when we were on stage,” John teased.
“Come on, guys. We’ve all had women like her.” Nick handed Aaron a shot glass.
“She stood outside the gate for two hours last week and tried to convince Hulk to let her onto the property. She wanted to surprise A.J.” Keith nodded toward another of his employees.
“Offered to make my world rock if I let her in.” Bruce ‘Hulk’ Steel snorted.
“Okay, A.J., I can’t even help with that level of crazy.” Nick laughed.
“Sweet Jesus, even I wouldn’t be that crazy.” Braden snatched a shot glass off the table.
“Maybe we can get Abbie to pretend she’s your girlfriend and scare her off,” Mike snickered, referring to his wife’s best friend.
The light growl from Trunk told Aaron that the man was still pining over the spunky woman. Why Trunk wasn’t making a move on her was beyond Aaron but then again what did he know. He was currently trying to avoid all women for a while.
Dangerous Witness (O'Connor Brothers Book 7) Page 2