“I want to know what you haven’t given him. Don’t look at me like that. I’ve been around my fair share of private investigators to know how their minds work. They will string a client along for as long as they can. I have no doubt you’ve been keeping something to get more money out of him.” Adam was known to employ private investigators with a lack of morality.
“I don’t have to tell you anything.” He could play this game for however long they were willing to keep up this charade.
“I’m through playing nice. You have brought this on yourself.” Blake punched him and found that his resolve was tougher than he imagined. Jeffrey’s smile enraged another part of Blake which had been waiting for a chance to come out. The expression on Jeffrey’s face had him thinking about ways to make him talk.
“I believe that discretion is the better part of valor when it comes to what I do in the dark. My clients get what they pay for.” Jeffrey was concerned by how Blake’s facial expression had changed from malevolence to an almost calm exterior.
“I think I understand your motivations. Perhaps, I can make you an offer you can’t refuse. I believe one-million dollars would help to curb you of any guilt for talking out of turn. Give me an account and I’ll have it wired into it before you can count to a hundred.” He was dead serious about bribing him to work for them against his client.
“You’re speaking my language.” It was an awkward couple of minutes before the verification of the money in his account made him stand up and take notice.
“It’s time for you to make good on your part of this arrangement.” Blake was never comfortable with money, but there were times where dollar signs were the answer.
“My truck is a mile down the road on the left side. In the glove compartment, you will find video evidence. I’m always up to hear a better offer. It has never happened, but there’s always a first time for everything. I might be able to help you with your current dilemma.” Jeffrey informed them of an illegal listening device he had planted in Tony’s office.
“It’s going to be a good idea to keep you on a sizable retainer. I can use somebody with your unique skill sets. My family pays a whole lot better than any other client you might find yourself working for.” The agreement was made under the shadow of money being the root of all evil.
Chapter Nineteen
“I’m glad you agreed to come to ‘my house’ here in Chicago. I like to have the advantage of knowing my environment. This is my sanctuary from the harsh reality of life outside those doors. I was a little surprised to hear you weren’t coming alone. Please, have a seat and we will get down to business.” Tony felt it was in bad taste to gloat over her misfortune. He had already done enough to cause her pain.
“I thought I was going to be more surprised by how easily you blackmailed your ex-wife into doing your bidding. A man of your limited character would stoop to this level to get what you want. Tell me how you live with yourself. How do you look in the mirror in the morning and respect the person looking back at you?” Adam felt it was his duty to put the screws to the ex-husband.
“I don’t have to sit here and take this verbal abuse. I sleep just fine and nothing makes me sleep more like a baby than getting back what is rightfully mine. I blackmailed her because I wanted to. It gave me pleasure to see her squirm. Nothing like the years I have spent dodging the IRS, but pleasurable nonetheless.” Tony wasn’t worried about being recorded and there was a device near his door to make the room impenetrable to listening devices.
What he didn’t account for was the listening device on his own phone. Jeffrey had planted the listening device by hacking into his cell phone. He was the one responsible for activating it at the moment the conversation began.
“Your arrogance is appalling. It’s a good thing you feel your importance makes you untouchable. It makes what I’m about to do more than a little delicious.” The last word was code and Tony’s phone began to sprout verbatim what he had said down to the very last word.” Adam was the one sitting in the captain’s chair with his arms crossed to show that he was confident.
Tony looked at his phone incredulously, staring at it and then back at the three of them. It didn’t seem possible, but he had been negligent unlike when he was in the courtroom.
“What is the meaning of this nonsense?” He already knew the answer before he posed the question.
“The recording will go viral and before long you’ll have the police and the IRS giving you a colonoscopy. As I recall, the IRS can be quite intrusive when they want to be. You will be the one to sink this ship like the Titanic on its maiden voyage.” Blake watched his bravado crumble with his face pleading for mercy.
“Not to worry, Tony. All of this can go away for one low price. You are going to promise to stay out of my life and never darken my doorway again. The penthouse is staying in my name and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. Don’t even try to get on your high horse. I don’t trust you to give us all the evidence you have compiled against me…us. We will hold onto this recording leaving your future in jeopardy.” Yvette’s tone of voice was enough to convey what she was feeling.
“I would say we have reached a stalemate. You reveal what you have and I will do the same. I reveal what I have and you send me down the river. I will promise that you’ll never hear from me or my family again. Shack up with whomever you want. Why should I give a damn that you have fooled two men into thinking you are the best thing in their lives? I’m sure over time you will dispel their belief.” This was his last chance to sow the seeds of doubt in her mind that things were going to work out.
“I don’t think that’s enough. We want it in writing that you will never disparage our family. I’ve taken the liberty of having a boilerplate document made for this occasion. I know your signature will bind you by the law. It’s really the only thing you respect other than your own vanity.” Adam waved the paper in his face and slammed it down with his finger on the very spot where he was to sign.
“You all deserve one another.” Tony signed the document and was given a copy for his records.
“I would say it was a pleasure doing business with you, but I would be lying. I hope you don’t have any delusions of getting the private investigator involved again, as I feel it’s fair to warn you he is working for us. The Slim family fortune is a force beyond anything you have ever seen before. We take a dim view of anyone who decides to step up to us.” Adam was poking his chest trying to get a rise out of him.
“I would suggest you use the door before I forget my manners.” Tony was fuming inside but knew when he was beaten at his own game. He didn’t think she’d had it in her to play by his despicable rules.
“I want to leave you with one thought: Yvette is under our protective umbrella. She and the child she is carrying will never feel the fear of reprisal from you. We will eventually announce our relationship to the world, but you will always have the black cloud of uncertainty following you. You may never hear from us again, but the possibility remains we might give this information to the police and the IRS at any time.” Blake walked toward the door where Adam and the woman he loved were waiting for him.
“I know losing is a bitter pill to swallow. In some small way, you will always be a part of my life. I have my finger on the trigger to your financial and personal ruin, and I can pull it at any time. Do remember that whenever you get the need to puff out your chest.” She had finally gotten the last word.
She was between her men walking down the hall and she kissed them both for the partners to witness with a gasp of surprise on their faces. She grabbed them both from behind and got onto the elevator winking to the secretary who had her mouth gaping.
“I’m still not ready to make our relationship public. I know you’re not concerned with how the public might vilify you for your bohemian ways. We need to slowly reveal the truth. Taking baby steps will help us to wean them into it.” She was ready to go home.
The plane was already fueled and ready to go on
the tarmac whenever they finished their business. Having a private flight made it easier for them to go to his office to close this chapter of their lives.
“I almost forgot, we have a baby to get ready for. This town is waiting for us to catch it by the tail. It also has many baby stores in time for the holidays.” Blake wasn’t ready to be a father, but he felt like he had the kind of role models to make him a well-rounded parent.
“There’s no reason to twist my arm. We do have something to celebrate. I think it’s about time we paint this town a baby blue.” She waited for them to hear the words and put together the hidden meaning behind them.
She gasped from a startled surprise when they both lifted her into the air. They were going to have a baby boy to carry on the family name.
It wasn’t exactly conventional, but it made them happy. It was something they’d thought elusive until they found each other.
Bearing the Holidays
a Holiday Billionaire Shifter Romance
By: Cassidy Rowe
Bearing the Holidays
© July 2017 – All rights reserved
By Cassidy Rowe,
Published by Passionate Publishing Inc.
This is a work of fiction. All names and characters in this novel are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or events is entirely coincidental.
This book is for your personal enjoyment only. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the publisher.
Warning
This book is intended for adult readers, 18+ years old. Please close this e-book if you are not comfortable reading adult content.
Chapter 1
Late November mornings in Loveland, Colorado could be bone-chilling cold. That morning was anything but typical. By the time the sun rose to the center of the sky—marking the noon hour—the temperature had risen to a crisp thirty-four degrees. Without a trace of wind, the bright sun brought most of the locals out of their cozy homes to get a breath of fresh air on days like this.
Shaw Lykan’s Ducati called to him from the garage full of motorcycles he had collected through the years. Not one to ignore a badass bike, he pulled on some blue jeans and a black T-shirt. After slipping into a black leather jacket, Shaw pulled on a pair of motorcycle boots, then grabbed a full-face helmet. One with a dark visor to shield his eyes from the sun that would be glaring off the pristine white snow covering nearly everything.
Before heading out to the garage, he made a call. “Hey, Brogan, feel like a little ride?” The members of their little private motorcycle club rarely rode alone.
“I’m up for it. But I can’t go just yet. Can you give me a couple of hours, Shaw?” It wasn’t like Brogan to put Shaw off.
It had Shaw wondering what could be holding his packmate up. “You have something more important?” Tension filled his voice. When Shaw said ride, they rode, no discussion necessary.
“More important?” Brogan’s tone was submissive. “No, sir. It’s just that I need to change my oil before I take off. I have to keep the bike you gave me in good condition.”
His packmate’s answer relieved Shaw a bit, taking the growl out of his voice. “I see. I’m going to take off now. Shoot me a text when you’re heading out, and we’ll join up. This day is much too gorgeous to waste. And tonight will be one to remember. The moon will be full. But I don’t have to tell you that.”
Brogan chuckled. “No, you don’t. I can feel it in my bones. The shifting is settling in already.”
“I hope you’re up for a long night full of hunting. A month has come and gone; we’re all famished.” Shaw walked out the side door to the garage and the overhead lights turned on with his entrance. “We’ve got tonight to fill the needs inside of us. It’s the best time to hunt during a full moon.”
“Yes, sir,” Brogan agreed, “it certainly is. I’ll catch up to you as soon as I get this oil changed.”
Shaw ended the call and put the cell in his inside jacket pocket. Pulling a pair of leather gloves out of his right pocket, he put them on and went to get the keys to the Ducati out of the key box that hung on the wall near the door.
As he looked around the six-car garage at his collection of bikes, Shaw saw the need would soon arise to add on another section or two. Luckily there was plenty of room on his vast property to do that.
His cars filled a twelve-car garage on the other side of his home. Shaw wasn’t as into cars as he was into bikes. The freedom a bike gave him was a thing he craved. But then again, he craved freedom in many forms.
Once Shaw got on the road, he could feel the cold air, biting at his flesh through the blue jeans. It made him feel alive and like a part of the world. He wasn’t one to shy away from the elements. No, Shaw loved to immerse himself in them. Cold, heat, wet, dry—you name the condition, he loved to get out in it.
Pulling into town, Shaw saw people everywhere. He’d been right. The nice weather had everyone out and about. Smiles seemed to be plastered across every face he glanced at.
After taking a quick tour of the town, he headed to the edge of it. He and his friends often went to one park in particular. It had great access to the woods behind it. You could park your bike and know it would be safe while you took a hike in the woods.
Heading out to that park to see how many people were there, Shaw found the parking lot nearly full. But he managed to score a parking spot near the front.
People were walking around the pathway that looped around the park. Some kids were playing on the playground equipment that was off to one side. Everyone was enjoying what had become a nice day. A nice day by Colorado standards, anyway.
Getting off his bike, he took off the helmet, and a scent hit him right away. He growled one word involuntarily, “Female.” His eyes scanned the various people and landed on one girl.
His hands gripped the helmet he held so tightly he grew afraid he’d smash it. Putting it on the seat of the bike, he looked in the other direction to gain control of himself as well as the creature who lived inside of him.
Shaw could feel heat begin to course through his veins. His jaw clenched as what hid inside him strained to come out. “No,” he commanded quietly.
Claws ripped at his insides, and his head turned to look at the female who filled his nostrils with her delicate scent. Howls filled Shaw’s ears, but they weren’t from anywhere other than inside himself. “No,” he repeated.
His chest rose and fell as he tried to control the wolf that was trying to overtake him. But it only got worse as he looked at the girl. No matter how hard he tried, Shaw couldn’t tear his eyes away from her.
Soft golden curls hung around her shoulders. They bounced, catching the sun’s light as she pointed to something, and one of the three dogs that sat on their haunches at her feet got up and went where she’d told it to.
Shaw managed to pry his eyes from her as he noticed the dogs. A Doberman, a pit bull, and a husky looked at the girl much the same way he did. In adoration.
Adoration? Shaw thought.
That wasn’t Shaw. He didn’t adore anything.
If he saw someone he wanted, Shaw took her. But adore?
No, Shaw didn’t do adoration. Not at all.
The girl moved, and Shaw’s eyes jerked to watch her. Her red lips pulled into a smile as the Doberman returned with a stick between his sharp teeth. The dog took it right to her, laying it in the palm of her hand. She didn’t pat the top of his head the way Shaw thought she would. Instead, she pointed to the spot he’d been in before leaving to fetch the stick. He obediently backed up to sit once again on his haunches, awaiting her next command.
The husky barked, and the girl’s head snapped as she looked at him. Shaw could hear her from where he was, her tone was sharp yet completely controlled, “No, Sheba.”
The husky ducked its head in submission.
Impressive, Shaw thought.
Shaw noticed how calm he felt all of a sudden. The creature in hi
m stilled as they watched the female. Shaw took a deep breath so he could take her scent in. Entirely human is what he got.
Shaw’s only thought: What a shame.
“I can still have her, but only for sex,” Shaw told himself and the thing that resided within him.
“I want her,” it told Shaw. “Get her for me.”
“You can’t have her. You know that. She’s human.” Shaw tried to look away, but it wouldn’t allow that.
“I want her,” it told Shaw once more.
“You’d kill her,” Shaw reminded the monster who tried to rule him.
No one ruled Shaw, not even the thing that shared his body and soul.
A family came past him, the father eyeing Shaw as if he was a lunatic. Shaw offered the man a smile that turned into a smirk, and he hurried his pack of humans along. “Hurry, dear, we need to grab a picnic table before they’re all taken.” His pale blue eyes darted to Shaw’s, then quickly he averted them and moved even faster.
“That’s right, you fool, hurry your little family away before something bad happens to you,” Shaw growled low in his chest as he felt his eyes flash red.
The full moon was hours away, yet he could feel the changes already occurring. Once it came out, he and those like him would lose their hold on the things that united them all. And they’d all hunt and feed to their heart’s content.
In the morning they’d all wake up, back to normal, naked in the morning sun’s light. And they’d feel more alive than any human ever feels.
With one big sniff, Shaw found her scent once more and felt his cock straining inside his jeans. “Down, boy. She’s going to be a hard one. I want her but so does he. That’s a dangerous combination.”
Killing humans wasn’t a thing he enjoyed doing. He’d take out any one of them who needed it. The innocent ones, Shaw couldn’t do that to. And she had to be one of the good ones.
Daddy Plus One: A Single Dad Secret Baby Billionaire Romance Page 57