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

by Michelle Love

  She gives me a smile. “I went to high school with him. Todd will make sure you’re taken care of. Private cell and all, Baby.”

  I look at the short kid. “Thanks, Officer. I appreciate any help you can give me. I know every person in prison says the same thing. But I really didn’t do anything I’m being accused of.”

  He gives me a slight push to get me going. “I know, sir. It’s not my job to judge. Just to bring you in. Bye, Beth. See you at the station in the morning.”

  “Bye, Todd. Bye Baby. See you in the morning.”

  I look back at her over my shoulder one last time before he takes me out into the pouring rain.

  Please let her stay with me through this…

  Chapter 2

  BETH

  Though there is nothing more I want to do than to lie on the bed and bawl my eyes out, I have to make my way through this entire house and make sure every window is locked and every door is too. And there are a lot of them in this giant house.

  So many thoughts are running through my mind. For instance, now I know Jana was inside this house that night we thought we saw her ghost.

  The bitch!

  She’s been with Morgan this whole time, hence why he wanted her things so damn bad. And the assholes did just want Channing to suffer by telling him I went and told him we were seeing each other.

  They may look like nice people, but they are both huge liars and capable of saying anything they want. The cell phone in the pocket of my robe goes off and I take it out to find Michelle is calling me.

  “Hey,” I answer.

  “Really? Just, ‘hey?’ Don’t you think you need to say a little more than that, Beth?” Michelle’s voice sounds tense and I feel an ass chewing coming on.

  “Look, none of what they’re saying is true.”

  Quickly she interrupts. Just like I knew she would do. “No, duh, he told you that, Beth. He needs at least one person on his side after all.”

  “No, I know he’s telling me the truth. See, that woman has been alive all these months and staying with Morgan. I didn’t tell you this, but Jana caught me and Channing in bed the first night I stayed here.”

  “How is that, Beth? And how would you two never tell anyone that?”

  “We thought she was a ghost.”

  Her laugh is high and sharp and hurts my ear so I pull the phone away. “Beth! Come on!”

  “We did. I don’t know what to tell you. Anyway, those two are more than capable of telling all kinds of lies. Believe me. And they already have. Starting with this baby nonsense. Channing hasn’t had sex with her for months before she fell overboard.” After making sure the last window is locked I go up to the bedroom.

  “You are so gullible, Beth!” Her words come out all fast and I can tell she has a whole bunch of them to throw at me. “Of course, he told you that. He wants to keep you in his bed, ding dong!”

  “No! It’s because it’s true, Michelle. Now I need to go to bed because I have a lot to get done tomorrow.”

  “Shit! Turn on the news,” she tells me as I get to the bedroom door.

  I left the television on when I left it last time and there are Jana and Morgan back on the flat screen. Grabbing the remote, I turn it up.

  Morgan is doing the talking as his arm is tight around Jana’s tiny shoulders. “Yes, we were told Channing was taken into custody earlier this evening. We couldn’t be happier. Truth be told, though we are still quite fearful of his retaliation. Any donations would be appreciated so we could get some security for ourselves.”

  That mother-fucker is always asking for money!

  They seem to be at some hotel in a room with many reporters. I assume they put together this little thing even though it’s the late news.

  One of the reporters shouts out, “You should set up a Go-Fund-Me page, Mr. Riley. To help out with the expenses. I’m sure everyone wants to help you two after all Channing Michaels has put you through.”

  Jana buries her face in Morgan’s chest and acts as if she’s crying. “I’ve lost so much, thanks to that horrible man.” She pulls her head up and wipes her eyes with her fingertips. I see no tears but she acts as if there were some. “Channing Michaels is not the man he seems to be in public. I’ve told the police about the way he sexually abused me during our marriage. Not once before we married did he ever do anything to hurt me. After we married, though, he began to show his true colors. I have the scars on my back and bottom to prove it.”

  I fall to my knees on the white carpeted floor. The air has left my lungs as I hear Michelle say, “See, Beth. Don’t be a fool. Get out of there. Don’t be another victim.”

  “He didn’t do the things she’s accusing him of. She asked him to hit her with whips and chains. She asked him to string her up in the room they did that kind of stuff in. The woman is a sociopath.”

  “Beth, don’t be stupid!” Michelle yells over the phone. “You need to stop being dumb! He has a fucking room where he strings women up and beats them? Fuck!”

  “No, he doesn’t string women up. Only Jana wanted that. He didn’t even want to do that to her. She told him that was the only way she could get off. That’s why it’s here at all. He never asked me to do that.”

  “Did he ever hit you? I mean during sex. You know, did he ever exert dominance?” Her questions make my heart pound. The answer is yes, but I’m not about to tell that to a soul. “Never. Not once!”

  Morgan starts to talk, and we both shut up and listen as he says, “Jana and I also fear he’s trying to do the same things he’s done to poor Jana to another young woman. She’s still in college and very naïve.” He looks straight into the camera. “Young woman, you know who you are, please, before it’s too late, get away from Channing Michaels. It may not seem like it now, but the man is a killer and will end up hurting you or worse. Run, run away fast and never look back.”

  I laugh out loud with his dramatic antics. “Idiot!”

  Michelle shouts at me, “Come back here, now! You have so many people telling you not to believe in the man. You need to listen! Damn it, Beth. You leave me no choice. I’m telling your parents. I know they don’t have a television as their kind of hippies, but I’ll let them in on what’s happened.”

  “No! Don’t do that! This is my life and I’ll live it with who I want to. Mom and Dad don’t need to know about what I’m doing. Michelle, so help me if you go and talk to them I’ll never speak to you again! Not ever!” I wait to see if I got through to her.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way, Beth. I love you too much not to. Bye.” She ends the call and any chances of me talking her out of going to my parents with this news.

  Jana looks away from the camera with a dramatic flair and sighs. “If she’s anything like I was, she’ll fall for the man hook, line, and sinker. He is a master of seduction.” Then her light blue eyes look into the camera. “But I will tell you this, young woman, he is evil. Pure and thoroughly evil. Get away while you still can.”

  I push the button on the remote to turn the television off. I can’t take anymore tonight.

  As I make my way to the little fridge in the corner of his large bedroom to get me something strong to drink I have to wonder if I’m doing the right thing, staying here with him.

  What if he’s found guilty?

  What if I am a fool?

  I pop the top of a beer because I see nothing stronger than that and take a long drink.

  What if Channing is a big fat liar?

  With so many lies floating around who’s to say he doesn’t own a few of them. Things just keep getting more and more complicated.

  Perhaps I should leave…

  Chapter 3

  CHANNING

  “What do you mean, you’re not coming?” I whisper over the phone to my mother.

  After a night in jail, I’m ready to get the hell out of here. My lawyer is working on that now and he told me to gather my troops. Leaving the jail with my family around me will look good for the bevy of reporters
who are waiting for me to go outside.

  I’m not looking forward to that at all!

  The one thing my lawyer did tell me that pissed me off was that I needed to distance myself from Beth. He says it makes me look very guilty and I should end the relationship.

  I just can’t think of doing that, though. If for some damn reason I am found guilty then I want what time I do have to be spent with her. As much as possible, anyway.

  “I’m not coming, Son. I talked to your grandparents and we just don’t know what to believe. We’d rather take a back seat and see what happens.” I put the phone down and count to ten.

  I cannot believe my own family thinks I might have done something that terrible. I pick the phone back up. “By any chance have any of you spoken to Jana?”

  “Well, yes. She did call last night. It was late, and she was very upset. She told us she was sorry about everything and only wants to see you get the help you need.” My mother’s words ring in my ears.

  “It’s not me who needs help. Not mental help, anyway. I do need a show of support from you guys. I mean even this fucking prick who raped some kid has his fucking family here with him. But my family wants to take a step back and see what happens, huh? Nice. Bye.” I hang up the phone and look over my shoulder.

  I see Todd coming toward me. He signals for me to come to him so I get up and go over. “Hey, Todd.”

  “Hi. Um, Beth’s in one of the offices. She asked if I could manage to get you to her for a little while, alone.” He looks up at me as this kid is short. “You really didn’t do anything?”

  I nod. “I swear to God above, I didn’t.”

  He takes a deep breath. “Okay then, follow me.”

  The fact he so easily believes me has me worried about him. “Pretty new to this job, Todd?”

  With a nod, he answers, “Yeah, second month. Loving it, though. I get a hell of a lot more chicks with the uniform, you know?”

  I shake my head with how unprofessional this kid is. “Bet you do.”

  He opens a door and I see Beth sitting there looking at her phone. She jumps up as I come in and throws her arms around me. Todd closes the door leaving us alone.

  “Missed you, Baby,” I tell her just before I take those juicy lips in a hot kiss. Her mouth opens and lets me inside its heated depths.

  If I have to go without this woman because of Jana and my father, I really may kill someone!

  My hands move over her round ass and I lift her up. Her legs go around me and I move until I have her back pressed against the wall. My cock swells as it presses against her soft core.

  She wiggles and moans as I grind into her. Her hands move up to my hair and her body is on fire for me. Mine is for her as well.

  But there’s no way I’m getting her caught in action in the damn police station. I ease the kiss and then pull my mouth away from hers. “You did miss me, Baby.”

  Her bottom lip is pulled between her teeth. “I did. It was the worst night ever.” She shakes her head. “Listen to me. I slept in a soft, comfy bed and you on a cot in a jail cell. I shouldn’t even be complaining.”

  I kiss her cheek then nudge it with my nose. “That’s okay. I’m glad to hear you had a rough night without being in my arms as you slept.”

  “Has anyone told you about all the things Jana is accusing you of doing to her?” Her frown tells me I won’t be happy with what the damn woman is saying.

  I shake my head and she looks so sad as she says, “She’s told everyone you sexually abused her. Does she have scars from when you and she did the BDSM thing after you found out about her and your father?”

  I swallow hard and let her go. Turning away from her I don’t know how to act or talk about that. “She does.”

  Her hand touches my arm as she pulls at me to look back at her. “Channing, I want to believe you. And I do for the most part. But you said yourself things were bad between you two. If you did hurt her on purpose, then I’d like to know that.”

  “I’m not sure how to answer that. The whole thing about that type of sex is on purpose. So if you’re asking me did I do that intentionally there are two answers to that. Yes, and no.” I pull her back into my arms because I simply can’t stand not to hold her.

  “Channing, I know it’s a fine line you’re walking on. I do. Everyone is telling me to get away from you. I don’t know exactly what I should do.” I gaze into her very unsure deep green eyes.

  “My lawyer has told me the same thing. But should we let everyone else dictate what we do?” Searching her eyes, I look for the answers in them.

  With a long sigh, she lays her head on my chest. Her arms are all the way around me. “Channing, I don’t want to run from you. I don’t want to leave you alone to deal with this. I want to be right by your side. But I do know others will not understand that.”

  “Fuck what other people think.” I run my hands over her back and pull her closer to me.

  “This is your life we’re talking about, Channing. It could mean the difference between you getting off these bogus charges and spending the rest of your life in prison.” Her heart is pounding against my chest.

  “Baby, I’m innocent. I have enough money to get all the private investigation there is. If she lost a baby, there will be physical evidence to prove that. There has to be some kind of paper trail where she bought those things for that room. Because she is the one who made every purchase of every item that’s in that damn room.”

  Her eyes look brighter as she looks up at me. “Just know that if you need me to, I can bow out of this if it’s not the right thing for your case.”

  “Actually, I need your testimony if I do get indicted. I mean, you saw her in my home that night. You know she was coming in and out of the windows of her bedroom. Now would a woman who is so afraid of me do those things?” I let her go and walk to the door and open it. “Let’s go find my lawyer and get me the hell out of here. I can’t build a case against the bitch while I’m stuck in here.”

  Beth comes to me and follows me out. “Your lawyer is going to be mad at you.”

  “I’m sure he will. But that’s okay. In the end, everyone will know what a piece of work Jana and my father are and how you and I have so much love for each other it would’ve been insane for us to break up over a bunch of lies.”

  “There you are,” my lawyer says as we find him looking down the hallway. “I’ve been playing it cool. Not asking anyone where you were. A young officer was sent to get you. I can see by Miss Stattler on your arm there, he had you two in a private room.”

  “He did. Did you get me sprung?” I run my arm around Beth’s shoulders.

  He frowns. “What are you doing? The press will rip you up, Channing.” His eyes travel to Beth. “Honey, surely you don’t want what’s about to happen to you.”

  A smile goes all over her pretty face. “I’m not even going to act like I’m not in his corner. I want everyone to know that I have been with Channing and he is nothing like what they’re making him out to be.”

  With a wince, my lawyer turns to go outside with us. His head shakes and his shoulders droop a little.

  “Don’t worry, man. This won’t last that long. I’m about to hire the best private investigators I can find to get the dirt on my father and Jana. And believe me, there is plenty to get on them both,” I say as the door to the back parking lot opens and a bunch of bright lights meet us.

  Let the games begin!

  Chapter 4

  BETH

  And there they are, how nice of them to show up. “Your fan club is out there, Channing,” I whisper to him as we walk out the back door of the police station.

  The lawyer hurries us along. “Don’t say a fucking word, Channing!” he hisses.

  Channing squeezes my hand as we move as quickly as we can through the throng of reporters in our way. Then we stop altogether as Jana’s voice comes out over a fucking microphone. “Channing, wait!”

  The reporters squeeze us in tight, making it imposs
ible for us to move. “No talking, Channing,” his lawyer says loud enough for all to hear.

  Channing nods and then his blue, green eyes land on his wife who has been lifted up to the cement porch at the back door of the police station we just walked out of. I have never seen that much hate in anyone’s eyes. Not ever.

  “Channing, I know what you’re thinking. I know you want to see me dead. I want you to know I’m doing this all for you own good. You need help. You have to pay for your crimes against me and our baby, though. During that period of punishment, you can hopefully get some much needed mental help. My heart goes out to you. I did love you once upon a time after all.”

  The cameras all turn to aim at Channing. I don’t move as a woman reporter asks, “Would you like to say anything to your wife, Mr. Michaels?”

  His lawyer claps his hand solidly on Channing’s shoulder. “He has nothing to say at this time.”

  A gasp from where Jana is, makes us all turn to look toward the loud sound. Jana has turned her back to the crowd and the sound of the cameras zooming in makes whizzing sounds all around us.

  She pulls the microphone to her red lips as she looks over her bare shoulder. Jana has pulled another coup. Seems the back of her shirt has been slit up the middle and she has the two sides pulled apart.

  Five reddish straight marks go across her back. The distinct mark of one place where a chain hit her so hard it broke her flesh stands out against the rest.

  Her voice comes sadly out to us all. “My bottom is also covered in scars from what he did to me. I did love Channing Michaels once upon a time. But when he changed our marital bedroom into a torture chamber and made me take my own bedroom away from his, then I fell out of love very quickly. As anyone would. I did seek the affection of another. Unfortunately, it was Channing’s father who I found love with. I bear the scars for the affair. I bear the scars for seeking out love when my marriage offered me none. No, my marriage to Channing Michaels only offered me pain. Pain my husband loved to dish out.”

  My fists are so tightly clenched at my sides I feel the fingernails digging into my skin. I turn and push the reporter behind me. “Get the fuck out of our way. We need to get the hell out of here!” I shout at him.