The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance

by Michelle Love

  Elizabeth always faces her fears. No matter how big they are, she faces them.

  At Halloween this year she confided in me that she’s always been afraid of clowns. Especially spooky looking ones. She asked me to help her face that fear. So I took her to this haunted house thing and paid a few men to dress up in some really scary clown costumes I gave them to add to the fright of the visit.

  She was scared shitless but she made herself go back through that house three times until she came out of it laughing her ass off instead of nearly crying.

  I’m proud of how she faces her fears. I really am. Even though when she left my side in that hotel room I wanted to kill her, I still found myself feeling damn proud of her for doing it.

  Elizabeth is a rare gift. She is the perfect wife for me. A companion, a lover, a best friend all rolled into one. I just want us to share being parents together too. I think she’d make an excellent mom.

  She’s kind, nurturing, smart, crafty, fun. All the things that make good mothers. She’s not a great cook but that’s okay because we have one of those and a couple of housekeepers and some yard men too. The mansion is way too big for us to take care of all alone.

  I notice she’s been quiet for the rest of the ride home. I poke her in the ribs as I pull into our driveway. “Penny for your thoughts, baby.”

  “Huh? Oh, I don’t have any. Are you ready for me to give you the gift I got for you?” she asks me and uncrosses her arms and seems to be coming back to herself.

  “I am. Is it as nice as the Sapphire ring I gave you?” I ask as I open her door and help her out.

  “Well, it’s very different from that kind of thing. I do think you’ll enjoy it. Come on. It’s inside, I think.” She pulls me along with her as she seems excited about the present.

  “You think it’s inside?” I ask as I follow her.

  “Yes. I told Connie to put it in the living room,” she says as she opens the front door.

  “How big is it?” I ask as we walk into the entry room.

  “Um, I think about eight pounds, or maybe a little less,” she says, intriguing me.

  “Pounds?” I ask then find her stopping and pulling something out of the drawer of the small desk at the back of the entry room.

  “Here, I want to blindfold you.” She places a black blindfold over my eyes and I find myself laughing.

  “Is this an X-rated gift?” I ask her. “Because I think I would like that.”

  “I’m sure you would, you perv. No, it’s nothing like that. It’s sweet is what it is. Now come with me and I’m going to put it into your hands after I get you seated on the sofa in the living room.”

  “Put it into my hands. What the hell is it, Elizabeth? You’re making me crazy with curiosity!”

  “Good. Oh, yes. Connie did what I asked. Okay, let’s get you sat down here. Now, no peeking. Promise me,” she says as she presses my shoulders to make me sit down.

  “Okay, I promise. But later you get to wear the blindfold and I’m going to get some whipped cream and we’re going to have a party in our bedroom.”

  Giggles spill out of her as she walks away from me. “Deal.”

  When she comes back, she sits in my lap. “And what’s this? Are you my first-anniversary present?”

  “No,” she says as she takes one of my hands and moves it over her knee and up her thigh.

  “You sure? I’m feeling nothing but you, baby.”

  She giggles again and moves my hand up then I feel something furry under my palm. “What do you think that is?” she asks me.

  “It hasn’t been that long since I felt this but how’d you grow so damn much hair that quickly?” I ask her as I move my hand over the soft fur I am guessing is hers. I suppose she’s going retro on me for our anniversary. Odd!

  Then little teeth playfully nip at my hand and I know what I’m feeling now. Her hands move over my shoulder and around to the back of my head as she unties the blindfold. When I look down, I see a little black puppy.

  “It’s a black Lab, Zane. Do you like him? He’s the very first member of our family. You can name him whatever you want to.”

  Picking him up, I look into his dark brown eyes then he licks the tip of my nose. “Thank God! I was thinking you were going in a completely different direction.”

  She smacks me in the shoulder. “Nasty!”

  “Yes, it was. I like this little guy. How about we call him, Rover. I’ve never had a dog and I always thought if I had one, I’d call him Rover.”

  “It’s traditional. Okay, Rover, it is. Do you really like him?” she asks me as she runs her hand over his cute little head.

  “I really do,” I tell her then kiss her cheek.

  The truth is I do like the puppy. But I was so hoping she’d tell me she’d stopped taking the pill secretly and was pregnant.

  I’m disappointed. She and I are always on the same wavelength. I was sure she was going to do that. That damn Meagan Saunders is still managing to mess with our lives.

  That woman better get what’s coming to her and not get out of this free or with something like fucking probation. With how badly she’s affecting our lives, I have no idea what I’d do to her if that happens.

  All I know is that better not happen. I don’t know if I could control the anger I have for her. Not when she’s still affecting our lives after a whole year.

  Elizabeth rests her head on my chest as both of our hands run over the puppy who is falling asleep fast with our attention. “I know what you really wanted and I wanted to give you that. I just want you to know that, Zane.”

  “I thought as much. You and I think so much alike. I know you don’t want to bring another life into this thing until you know we’re safe from that woman. I get it, I do. But, damn, how I hate it.”

  “Me too.”

  As I run my hands up to cup her face and kiss her, I can’t help but think about what I’ll do if Meagan goes free. It wouldn’t be good. Not good at all!

  Chapter 7

  ELIZABETH

  Holding Rover on my lap, I watch a storm blow in over the bay as I sit on the sandy colored, leather sofa in the top of the lighthouse. Zane is picking up pizza and beer.

  The news reported today that Meagan’s trial would be starting in the morning. Her lawyers couldn’t get the judge to agree to another continuance after granting so many of them.

  He did that in part to a visit from Zane and I. As her victims, he had to take our feelings into consideration. When Zane told him how she’s still affecting our lives, he found compassion for us and told us he’d make sure justice was served.

  After meeting with the man who seemed fair, I feel much better. But he did remind us, she is having a jury trial. The decision is not in his hands, entirely.

  Rover has grown in the last month since I gave him to Zane. The man is nuts over him. He’s already taught him how to fetch and is delighted to show me every single day what he’s taught him to bring back to him.

  You’d think he invented the game the way he’s so excited over it. But then again he never had a dog before. I had several when I was a kid. When I was fifteen our third dog passed away. My parents told me we’d not be getting another one.

  They informed me that when I went away to college, they’d be starting their travels. Not that they stopped them too much as it was. But they didn’t want to burden Gramps with babysitting for them anymore.

  As I sit here and watch the waves start to roll in with the increasing wind, I think about Gramps and this fear I have about Meagan. Something inside of me keeps telling me I must face it.

  I don’t know how to, though. I don’t know what I can possibly do. The woman is in jail. She’ll be going to trial in a courthouse in a small town away from New York in the morning.

  She’s being transferred from New York City tonight. She’s being moved to the jail in the small town where the trial will be held. She’ll stay there until the verdict is made.

  Detective Lang told us something th
e other day that shocked Zane and I. He told us Meagan was exhibiting signs of schizophrenia. He said the state was in the process of getting her examined by a professional.

  Zane made him stop talking about it as he saw how apprehensive I was getting. But later, I made a call to Lang, myself and got more of the story from him.

  She’s been talking like a crazy woman about Zane. About how he’s her husband and he’ll be coming to get her soon. She’s been pretending she’s at a retreat instead of in jail. She says, her wonderful husband, Zane, wanted to pamper her while she waited to find out if she won the race for governor.

  I found it deeply disturbing. I didn’t tell Zane about what I found out. There’s no reason for him to have that kind of crap on his mind.

  With Zane on my mind, I realize he’s been gone for over an hour. It doesn’t take that long to get pizza and beer so I pick up my cell phone and give him a call.

  It goes straight to voicemail and I find that a bit odd. Trying again, I find it does the same thing and then I drop the phone as Rover walks to the stairs and begins to bark as the lights start to flicker.

  “What is it, boy? Is that Daddy coming in?”

  The lights go out and a flash of lightning brightens the room. The dog stops barking and starts whimpering. I can’t find my phone in the darkness and get on my hands and knees to try to find it so I don’t step on it and break the only source of light I’ll have.

  The puppy is licking my face and whining as he must feel nervous. A sound moves on the wind that makes my heart stop. I swear I hear a woman’s voice calling out, “Zane.”

  I move faster to find my phone and can’t seem to find it. “Get my phone, Rover. Help Mommy find her phone, boy.”

  He leaves me as he sniffs around and in a few moments his wet nose is nudging my cheek and I feel something in his mouth. It’s my phone and I waste no time in calling the police department.

  I have no idea if it's my imagination or not but I’ll risk the embarrassment over being wrong rather than not getting their help if I need it.

  “911, what’s your emergency?”

  “I need someone at 411 Bay Road. I’m the lighthouse at the very end. I have a trespasser, I think. My electricity is out and I can see from the top of the lighthouse the rest of the houses around me still have theirs. I think someone may have gotten to my box outside.”

  “I’ll send someone right away. I show the residence belongs to Zane and Elizabeth White, is that correct?” she asks.

  “It is. This is Elizabeth and my husband isn’t answering his cell. It has me worried. I think I hear a woman outside, calling his name. Please hurry. There’s a woman named Meagan Saunders I need to know if you can find out if she’s still in the custody of the New York Police department or with the Amity Police department. She was being transferred.”

  “I’ll try to find out. I have Officer Barron heading your way. Please stay on the line with me, Elizabeth. Other than this mess, how has your day been?”

  “What? Are you kidding me?”

  The dog starts barking like crazy and I hear the door bang open. “Elizabeth!”

  It’s Zane!

  “My husband is here. I’m getting off here but still send the officer. Thank you!”

  I fly down the stairs to him, the dog is at my feet. He whimpers as I trip over him and have to hold the rail so I don’t fall. “Rover?” Zane calls up the stairs.

  I let the dog run in front of me so he doesn’t kill me. “Zane, the electricity is out.”

  “I know. I’m going to check the panel outside. I know we have to have a flashlight in here somewhere.”

  “The kitchen,” I say. “Come on. I called the police.”

  “You did what?” he asks as I get to him.

  I watch the dog run past him and straight out the door. “Zane, Rover ran out!”

  As I look at the welcome mat just outside the door Zane has left open and the cool wind is blowing in, I see an orange pair of pants with a pair of ugly black sandals step onto it. Rover’s little head comes around the corner, grabbing the left pant leg then Zane is gone.

  “No!” I shriek as the door is closed. His hand was on the knob and when he was pulled out, he closed it.

  My hands are shaking as I try to turn the knob. Confusion consumes me as it won’t turn. I can’t open it as I scream his name over and over.

  She has him!

  Chapter 8

  ZANE

  My eyes go blurry as I feel a pain in my neck. “Sleep, darling. I have you now,” I hear, then I’m laid on the ground and find myself staring up at Meagan.

  I can’t move. Then she’s dragging me to the taller grass at the far side of the house. My puppy is vigorously holding onto her pant leg but he’s not slowing her down any.

  Working as hard as I can, I manage to get out, “Stop.”

  She shakes her head then turns quickly to look at something. She falls on the ground beside me and puts her hand over my mouth. I don’t know why Elizabeth isn’t coming outside. She was right there. What could be stopping her from coming out after me? She can’t be that afraid of this woman!

  The sound of crunching gravel lets me know someone’s here and I recall Elizabeth saying she called the police. Well, thank God she did!

  A knocking sound I hear next. “Police, ma’am. You called us.”

  Next, I hear a muffled sound then Elizabeth’s voice shouts, “She has my husband. Meagan Saunders has my husband. Help me find him. Help me before it’s too late!”

  “Please, calm down, ma'am. Are you Elizabeth White?” the officer asks her.

  “Yes! Please! He has to be out here. Help me look for him,” Elizabeth cries.

  “Let’s step inside for a moment, ma'am. You’re pretty hysterical.” Then I hear the door close as he must’ve forced her back inside the house.

  Meagan hops up and then she’s dragging me back. The puppy is still on her leg, not about to give up his fight. I can see the police car has it lights on. The fucking idiot left it running!

  She’s heading right for it and tries to open the back door. It’s locked though and she drops me, making me hit my head on the ground. She disappears and I hear a clicking sound then she’s back. “Ha, got it. So you married her, I see. That doesn’t matter to me. I have you now.”

  She opens the door but she has trouble getting me all the way inside of the car. I’m too heavy for her. She seems oblivious to the puppy until he jumps on my chest, growling and nipping at her hands as she pulls my jacket to try to get my limp body into the back seat.

  One solid smack has Rover crying out in pain. Fury is all I feel and I manage to raise my head as she leans back over me to pull me in. I head butt her and she shrieks in pain.

  I see blood already running from her forehead where I split it open. My head drops right back down on the seat and she runs off to the side. I try to move but I seem to have used up the small amount of energy I gained.

  The door behind me opens and she easily pulls me the rest of the way into the back seat. My heart stops as she closes the door then runs around to close the other one.

  I close my eyes and silently ask for help. Please, someone, help me!

  ELIZABETH

  “We need to check outside. He’s not in here. I tell the bumbling cop they sent me.”

  He uses his flashlight to look around. “You sure?”

  “I fucking saw her grab him. Come on!” I can’t wait for the fool any longer and run to the door and open it. The headlights from his car which he’s left running, blind me for a moment and I throw my arm up to shield my eyes.

  “Fuck,” I hear the cop say as he comes up behind me.

  Then I see why he said that as a figure moves in front of the lights, heading to the driver’s side. Rover is right on her heels and I start running.

  Without a sound, I run in my bare feet over the gravel that fills the driveway and I make it to her before she gets the door closed. Reaching in, I grab a handful of her hair and yank it
as hard as I can.

  Her scream fills me with even more adrenaline as I yank it even harder and grab her arm with my other hand, trying my best to pull her ass out of the car.

  She holds tight to the steering wheel with both of her hands, then I catch the movement of her right hand. She’s trying to get to the gearshift and put the car gear. If she does that, she’ll drag me down.

  I feel the cop’s hands on my waist. He’s pulling me back as he shouts, “Let her go. I’ll get her!”

  “The hell with that! I’m not letting her go,” I scream and find some strength in my reserves and manage to lean in enough to reach the keys.

  Taking one hand off her hair, I turn the keys and yank them out, throwing them on the floor.

  Now that she realizes she can’t go anywhere, she turns to fight me. We roll out of the car in a ball of fists and fury and I end up on top of her. The officer grabs both of her hands and cuffs them over her head. “Fuck me!” he shouts.

  I climb off her as he seems to have her, finally. I stagger to the car and open the back door to see my husband laying on the seat. “Zane?”

  He barely moves his head and I climb in and hold him as I hear an ambulance’s siren in the distance. The cop tosses Meagan onto the hood of his car and I look up to see her glaring at me. “He shouldn’t be yours. He is supposed to be mine. He is my husband, you bitch!”

  I look at the officer and say, “She’s going to need to be taken somewhere other than a jail cell. She’s got something wrong with her. Call the New York Police Department, she’s an escaped prisoner. Meagan Saunders is her name.”

  Smoothing Zane’s hair, I listen to the sound of the wind, the sirens, and in all that, I have found peace.

  ZANE

  One year later and with a baby on the way, I hold Elizabeth on my lap as we watch the sun rise out of the lighthouse windows. “It’s over, Zane. It’s really over. No more threats.”

  The judge gave the final order for Meagan Saunders. She will never be released from the institution she was placed in after the kidnapping attempt on me. She was diagnosed as clinically insane and her family signed the papers to keep her locked away and under constant control using drug therapy.