Billionaires and Bad Boys: The Complete 7-Book Box Set

by Nikki Chase

  “Interesting answer. What do you think we’ll do, that you’ll have to stay until late?” He smirks.

  The way he asks the question make my heart skip a beat. I feel like I’m an awkward schoolgirl who has just received an invitation from the baddest boy in school; he wants me to skip classes so we can do something naughty together.

  I pretend I don’t understand what he’s alluding to. “We’ll set each other’s expectations about me potentially working here?”

  “There's no need to negotiate here. You’ve already won. Just tell me what you want, and I’ll make it happen.”

  “Really? Aren't you going to ask me how much The Local is paying me?”

  “No. I want you here. What would it take to get you to take this job? Name your price.”

  Holy hell, is he really saying he’ll pay me whatever I want?

  There's only one way to find out.

  “Two-hundred thousand dollars a year,” I say, spouting the most outrageous amount I can think of.

  That's quite a lot more than twice my pay at The Local. I expect him to balk at the number. Maybe he’ll want to lower it, which is fine by me. I just want to see how much I can get, go as high as he’s willing to go.

  “Okay,” he says without hesitation, holding his hand out over the big desk. “Deal.”

  My jaw slackens, almost dropping. I stop myself from showing just how surprised I am.

  “Deal,” I say, gripping his hand before he has a chance to change his mind.

  When we touch, my skin buzzes from the contact. It's the strangest thing; I've never experienced something like this before. I pull my hand away, surprised by whatever transpired between us during the handshake.

  “Alejandra will prepare the paperwork,” he says as he leans back in his chair and steeples his hands in front of him. “Sign it tonight, and you can start working tomorrow. I’ll send Anthony to collect your stuff. I can arrange for a whole moving crew to take care of that if you want.”

  “Oh, that would be really nice.” I’m getting an awesome new job away from the city and I don’t even have to pack my stuff? Things are going even better than I expected.

  “Just another perk of the job,” Seth says.

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem. Alejandra will show you to your room.” Seth presses a button on one of the gizmos on his big glass desk. “Alejandra, my office, now.”

  Seth gives me a smile, but it seems a little forced—his mouth curls up, but his eyes remain sober.

  Is he already regretting my outrageous pay? That seems unlikely, considering how eager he was to seal the deal.

  Is there some other, more sinister reason for him to be lying to me?

  Maybe my mind is just playing tricks on me. I’m sure there’s no reason to worry. He’s just an eccentric rich man, who has more money than he knows what to do with.

  I hear the door open behind me. That’s quick.

  “Alejandra, show Alice to her room, and tell Anthony to come see me. Thank you.”

  I twist in my seat to see Alejandra at the door. I get up and thank Seth before I leave the office. He simply nods.

  He seems like a cool boss. I just need to keep things between us professional, and I’ll be fine.

  Seth

  “You sure you don't need any help?” Raphael squints his eyes at me. He sounds concerned, which is touching, really. This is not his problem, after all.

  In my world, people don’t give a fuck about anyone other than themselves, or their own families. For people like Raphael and me—who don’t have any family—that means we’re pretty much screwed, unless we form our own alliances.

  “Yeah. I won't say I’ve got things one-hundred percent under control, but it's safe enough for the time being,” I say.

  “How did you do it?”

  “Offered her money,” I say matter-of-factly.

  “Of course.”

  “She came here on her own, which means she quit her job herself, and she broke her lease herself. Her boss and landlord won't be wondering where she's gone and coming here to sniff around.”

  “Good job. I honestly thought this was going to end up with her lying dead in a ditch somewhere.” Raphael shakes his head. “Fuck, man. I told you your weird obsession with this chick was going to be trouble. I’ve been telling you this since we were still in prison.”

  As my oldest and best ally, Raphael is the only one who knows and understands my plight. I have to agree with him: I’ve been stupid and careless.

  “Hey, a man needs his hobbies.” I shrug and take a sip from my crystal glass of whiskey. There’s no use bemoaning what has already happened.

  “Sure,” he says from across my desk.

  Alice was sitting in the exact same spot only hours ago, but this whole room felt so different then, when she was here.

  She has this alluring presence. When she’s around, it’s like everything else fades away and my brain takes on this laser focus so intense that I have tunnel vision. I see every little sway of her hips and every little flick of her dainty fingers.

  The problem with that is, I become oblivious to everything else. That’s how I ended up in trouble in the first place.

  If I had paid more attention to my surroundings, I would’ve realized I was being followed sooner. Instead, I had Alice on my mind every time I was driving into the city, which created all kinds of dangerous blind spots.

  “I do feel bad about dragging her into this, but at least I found out before they ever got to her, you know? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that had happened. I handled it completely wrong,” I say.

  “Your problem is not how you handled things,” Raphael says. “Your problem is caring at all. You know we’d only bring trouble to the people we’re close with. That’s why you’re the only motherfucker I talk to these days. I don’t mean, like, meetings and networking and that kind of shit. I mean talking like right now, you know what I mean?”

  “Yeah.”

  “This is not ideal, but at least she’ll be alive here. And relatively free,” Raphael says, snorting at his own words. “Free. That’s ironic, considering she won’t be getting out of this place for a long, long time.”

  “Yeah. I’m hoping it’ll take some time for her to realize that she’s basically trapped here, like some kind of prisoner.”

  “Better than being a slave.”

  “True,” I agree.

  “I’m glad your idea of hiring her worked out. I thought she wouldn’t agree, for sure, and then we’d have to kidnap her.”

  “What can I say? I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.” I laugh wryly at my own bad joke.

  It’s too close to the truth. There was no way for her to refuse my offer—not if she wanted to live. She just doesn’t know it yet, and I intend to keep it that way for as long as possible. Ignorance is bliss, after all.

  “How long do you think it’ll be until she finds out?”

  “I don’t know, but I hope it’s a long time,” I say.

  I want to have some semblance of normalcy between us. I want us to be able to talk like we were normal people under normal circumstances.

  I’ve always wanted to spend more time with her as someone who’s more than just her customer. In a way, an employer is more than a customer, I guess. But what I really want is for her to see me as a man, for us to interact like a man and a woman.

  “I’d bet five-thousand dollars that she’s going to figure it out within a week. She looks like a smart one,” Raphael says with a wide grin on his face.

  “Fuck you.” I scowl. “That’s sick, man. I’m not going to bet on her misery.”

  “You’re being too dramatic. Misery is better than death, or whatever sick thing they do to the women they catch. You’re giving her the only option that’s available, the only way for her to stay alive.”

  “Yeah, well, I was also the one who put her in danger, so it doesn’t really count, does it?”

  “Fuck if I know.” Ra
phael shrugs. “I’m hardly the person you go to for moral advice. You should know that better than anyone else.”

  “Yeah,” I admit.

  Like upstanding citizens often do, Raphael and I met in prison. We had to stick together. Otherwise, we wouldn't have survived it.

  Out here, we're big, intimidating men. But in there, we were locked up with men who were far meaner and more violent than us. Together, Raphael and I learned to be mean and violent, too.

  By the time we got out, we were fully entrenched in the criminal world.

  Being ex-cons ruled out most legit jobs. The only way for us to earn any money, right after getting out of prison, was to use the connections we’d forged inside.

  That’s why I laugh in the faces of people who tell me incarceration is for rehabilitation. What rehabilitation? We came out as bigger, meaner, better-connected criminals.

  “You know what? I haven’t seen this girl in a long time. I should go and say hi,” Raphael says.

  I give him a look. He has a reputation. I’d tear him apart with my bare hands if he dared to put a finger on my angel.

  “I’m only going to say hi. Jesus. I slept with one girl on your staff and now I’m always a suspect. It’s not like I’m going to rape her or anything. I’ll only do it if she wants me.”

  “That's not funny.”

  Raphael grins at my reaction. “Nah, I won’t do that to you. See you around, man.” He gets up and walks out of the office, not saying another word, closing the door softly behind him.

  I tilt my glass of whiskey and take a sip, making the ice cubes clink. The flame crackles in the fireplace. It’s quiet tonight.

  The calm before the storm.

  I open the locked drawer and pick up my handgun, the black metal dull and heavy. The heft gives it a certain substance, a certain gravity.

  I take a deep breath. If and when things go south, this thing will come in handy. I’m not looking forward to it, though, especially now with Alice in the house.

  Alice

  “Hello there.” The voice sounds friendly, playful. There’s a casual sensual undertone to the greeting, the kind that comes out without the person even trying.

  I stop rummaging through my overnight bag and twist to see a man standing in the open doorway of my new bedroom. A strange man I’ve never seen before.

  I feel a twinge of disappointment when I see that it’s not Seth at the door, although I already knew that from the voice. I haven't seen Seth since the interview earlier this evening.

  “Hi,” I say, returning the man’s smile.

  “Seth told me he just hired someone new, and I thought I’d come to say hello. I didn't expect a beautiful girl like you.” He steps inside and holds out a hand. “I’m Raphael.”

  Raphael exudes self-confidence. He’s about the same height and build as Seth, which is to say he’s a big man. He seems friendly, unlike Seth. But there’s the same danger lurking in his green eyes.

  “I’m Alice.” I get up from where I was kneeling on the floor by the bag and shake his hand.

  “So, you’re the new chef, huh?” Raphael folds his hands across his chest and leans against the door frame.

  He’s wearing a nice suit, although his shirt has been unbuttoned and his tie has been loosened. It's late in the evening, and he probably hasn’t changed since getting off work.

  “That’s me,” I say. “Do you live here, too?”

  “Oh, no. I just visit, like, all the time.” He grins, flashing me rows of pearly white teeth.

  “You’re a friend of Seth’s? Or family?”

  “You can say that,” Raphael says.

  That doesn’t really answer my question. I get it, though, I suppose. A friend so close he’s like family. I wish I had that in my life. All I have is Emily, and she’s hundreds of miles away from me right now.

  Despite my initial apprehension, something about Raphael puts me at ease. Not that my gut is always right, but I feel like he’s harmless, at least to me. A big man like Raphael can definitely cause serious harm to some people, but he wouldn't hurt me.

  Most interestingly, there’s no weird tension between us like there is when I’m with Seth, even though Raphael is just as attractive.

  “Have you toured the house yet?”

  “No,” I say.

  “Great! You just met the right person at the right time. Let me give you the grand tour.”

  I turn around to look at my half-unpacked bag. I guess that can wait. Besides, if I’ll be getting the rest of my stuff tomorrow, I’ll just be unpacking twice. Might as well wait for the rest and do it all in one go.

  “Sure,” I say.

  I follow Raphael down long hallways with crystal chandeliers overhead and dramatic lighting in every corner. The house looks even more grand and imposing against the dark backdrop of the night.

  The floors are marble throughout the mansion, grey and black veins on white. The walls are somewhere between grey and beige. The lack of colors draws attention to the architectural details, like the thick beams of wood just below the ceilings, or the little alcoves in the walls where sculptures are displayed.

  There are doors on both sides of all the hallways—more doors than I can count.

  “How many rooms are in this place?”

  “You know what? I have no idea,” Raphael says.

  “Does Seth have a big family living here?”

  “Not really.” Raphael thinks about my question, pausing before he says, “Depends on who counts as family, I guess.”

  “He has a lot of friends living here, then?”

  “You can say that, I guess.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Ah, yes, that’s confusing, isn’t it? Sorry, but it’s really not my place to tell you,” Raphael replies cryptically, which only piques my curiosity even further.

  “Check this out. This is pretty cool,” Raphael says as he disappears through an open door into a dark room.

  I follow him. My eyes widen when I see the view from the balcony. From here, I have a great view of the sprawling grounds. The gardens are green and lush, with ambient lighting in strategic spots.

  The centerpiece, though, is the big fountain in the middle of the lawn right in front of us. It shines like a jewel against the dark green velvet of the grass, the water bright from the underwater lighting. The sound of water splashing fills the night air.

  I can see myself sitting here on the balcony, curled up with a good book, listening to the fountain. There’s a set of table and chairs that would be just perfect for it. I could stay here for hours. I still haven’t seen the whole mansion yet, but I can safely say that I’ve found my new hangout.

  “Nice view, huh?” Raphael asks, startling me. I almost forgot he was even here.

  “Yeah. Great view,” I say.

  “I hope you enjoyed the house tour.”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen everything yet.”

  “You haven’t, but some parts of the house are off limits.”

  “Why?” I ask before I can stop myself.

  How are there so many secrets in one house? Why is everything so damn mysterious here?

  “I can’t say,” Raphael says with another friendly smile. That curve of his lips is starting to piss me off. Why won't he tell me anything?

  I get that it’s going to take time for me to gain Seth’s trust, but I’m not asking for his online banking password here. I just want to see the house I’m going to live in, and maybe learn more about my new housemates.

  “Of course you can’t,” I reply. I immediately regret letting my irritation show. It’s probably not Raphael’s fault he can’t tell me anything. I should probably direct my questions to Seth. I give Raphael an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

  “For what?” He shrugs and softly shakes his head. “I have to go, Alice. It’s been a pleasure meeting you. I hope you like it here.”

  “Thank you,” I say. “Thanks for the tour.”

  “Yeah, I figured Alejand
ra would be too busy to do it today with the new shipment coming in.”

  “What shipment? Does Seth run a business from here?” I ask.

  “Ah… I can’t say.” Raphael smiles again. “Sorry, Alice. I’ll see you around, okay?”

  “Yeah. Thanks again.”

  I hear Raphael’s footsteps get further and further away, the rubber soles of his loafers muted against the marble floor. I keep my gaze on the fountain, letting myself be hypnotized by the bright lights and the rhythm of the water.

  I look up at the crescent moon, it’s sharp ends piercing through the dark cloak of the night.

  What have I gotten myself into?

  I can’t shake off the feeling that something’s off, but maybe it’s just because I’m so far away from the city.

  I’ve traveled, of course, to Seattle and even to Bali, but I’ve never stayed in any rural areas. Maybe it’s the stillness and the quietness that unnerve me, the wildness of my surroundings.

  Or maybe it’s my new mysterious boss who's gotten me all anxious.

  What is it about Seth?

  It’s not just his looks. Raphael is just as gorgeous, but he doesn’t make my heart race the way Seth does.

  I guess I should slow down. This is just my first day. Maybe I shouldn’t go around suspecting people of having dark, dangerous secrets just yet. I’ve probably just been watching too many episodes of Law and Order.

  It’s more likely that Seth is a regular businessman. He runs a boring shipping thing from here because, well, if you have a mansion this gorgeous, wouldn’t you want to spend all your time here? And he doesn’t want me wandering into every part of the house for privacy reasons.

  There are completely rational, non-paranoid explanations for all my concerns.

  Anyway, with the amount of money I’m being paid, I shouldn’t even care. I should just do my job and enjoy the money. Treat this like any other job.

  But Seth is not exactly like any of my other bosses, and this mansion is not like any of the restaurants where I’ve worked.