“What’s his name?”
“Charles Dashelle.”
That last name sounded familiar. And then it came to me. “You mean Dashelle as in Dashelle Farms?”
Tucker nodded. “Yes, his family owns the meat producing company that has many farms all across the country. They’d been in trouble for many years for allowing tainted meat on the grocery store shelves. It wasn’t until their son, Charles, went missing five years ago that the company’s troubles disappeared, too.”
“Just because his family owned the company doesn’t mean he worked for them,” Willa countered.
“He was in charge of safety and inspection,” Tucker said.
“But why would he become an agent? And just because he was fired for being bad at food safety doesn’t cause a man to change his name,” I said, trying to fit the pieces together.
“He wasn’t fired for that. Per usual, the government was paid to look the other way when the inspectors kept finding issues that led directly to him. He was the son, after all. But it was when another powerful family’s daughter claimed that Charles Dashelle raped her, that’s when Charles disappeared.”
I heard a gasp from Willa.
Tucker continued, “So, he changed his name and became an agent so he can be around a lot of young attractive women.”
I shook my head at how sick the guy was, but it’s what I heard next that caused the hairs to stand on the back of my neck. A woman screaming.
“What the fuck—” I said and pushed passed Hunter and Tucker, running back toward the sound.
There were several doors down the light blue walls, and I opened every one of them. I threw open the last door at the end of the hall. What I witnessed made my ears burn and my hands curled into fists.
“Get the fuck off her,” I growled and ran over to Dinger, grabbing him by the collar.
He looked surprised and fell back but I didn’t stop. I stood over him and pushed my leg back before kicking him in the balls and then the stomach.
I felt several hands on me hold me back. Dinger was curled up in a ball on the floor. It took a moment for me to calm down enough to realize that both Tucker and Hunter were holding me. When I looked around, I found Emmie being helped up from the desk by both Willa and Niki.
I tried to shrug off Tucker and Hunter, but they held me tight.
“I’m fine. Let me go. I won’t hurt him.”
They loosened their grip, and I ran over to Emmie. “Are you okay?”
Her hair was disheveled and whatever updo she had before was falling down her neck. I searched her face, where there didn’t appear to be any cuts or bruises.
“I’m fine. He had just pinned me down when you came into the room,” Emmie said, her voice raw.
“I’m calling the police,” Willa said, taking over the situation. “Hunter, gather the crowd and tell them that you’re giving a free concert down in Emmie’s basement rec room. That will get everyone downstairs and out of the way when the police arrive. Niki, I need you to go explain to Issa and her mom what happened. You’ll have to do it privately because they won’t react well. I’ll go outside to meet the police.”
Emmie shook in my arms and I tightened my grip. “I’ll take Emmie into another room.” I helped her up and we moved toward the door.
“What about me?” Tucker asked.
“You’re guarding the prisoner,” Willa said and I could hear the evil joy in Tucker’s voice when he said, “With pleasure.”
Emmie and I made our way into a room that looked like a small library. I sat her on the green velvet loveseat.
“This place is like a mini castle, there’re so many rooms and hallways.” I chuckled and tried to lighten the mood.
“I’m sorry,” Emmie whimpered, and I held her as she began to sob.
“Don’t do that. You are not to blame for what happened. That guy is a disgusting piece of garbage. And, as I recently found out, he was trashier than I thought.”
She sniffled and looked up at me with watery eyes. “What do you mean?”
I sighed and brushed back some strands of hair that had stuck to her face. “Kaitlin had written both me and Tabitha an email. She said she wanted to move to Missouri to become a farmer. That she no longer needed our representation. But then she went with Dinger and never moved. It turned out, with a little help from one of Tucker’s hacker friends, that she never wrote that email, Dinger did. And he wrote one to Kaitlin that basically made it look like we were dropping her as a client. I don’t know how he did it, but he tricked everyone.”
“He’s so gross. He tried to show me his dick, but I laughed.”
That made me smile. “I’m guessing he didn’t like that.”
“Oh no. That’s when he got mad.” She waved over her body.
“Well, unfortunately, you aren’t the first one he’s tried that with.”
We sat for a moment and let the calm soothe us. I wanted to go back into that room and finish what I started with Dinger, but Emmie needed me. Whatever she required of me from now on, it was hers.
“Now may not be the best time to say this, but it’s how I feel. I love you, Jon.”
My chest felt like it was about to explode. I sat up and turned to face her. “And here I was coming to the party to sweep you off your feet and confess my love. One thing I learned from knowing you, Emmie, is I can’t expect anything to go to plan. I used to have my life organized and in total control. But now it’s chaos and I wouldn’t have it any other way, as long as I’m with you.” I lifted her hand and kissed her palm.
“Should we go out with Willa and meet the police when they arrive?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Let’s live in this perfect little love bubble just a little while longer before we have to face reality.”
We kissed but it was soft and sweet. She finally sighed and placed her head on my shoulder.
“We should get married,” I said.
She was silent for a moment, and I wondered if I pushed too far. I was about to tell her to ignore what I said when she spoke.
“Yes, but in secret. Like, let’s fly off to Vegas and then come back to tell everyone.”
I chuckled. “My sister would be so pissed.”
“Oh, my mom would disown me,” Emmie said. She lifted her head and gazed into my eyes with a mischievous twinkle. “When should we do it?”
“How about Tuesday?”
She held out her hand, and I shook it. It seemed in less than a week Emmie would be my wife and I didn’t think I could have imagined a happier ending to this dreadful day.
SEVENTEEN
Emmie
Two Months Later
“This is the best one.” Willa pointed to the blue dish with the empanadas overflowing. Her mouth was filled with food and she resorted to talking out of the side of her mouth.
A groan came from Hunter as his eyes rolled back into his head. “Willa, try this one. This shrimp is amazing.” He pointed to a platter containing my mother’s spiced shrimp.
She did, and I gazed at my friends who were currently having a food orgy—all courtesy of my mother. She was too busy racing around the kitchen to wallow in the glow of her taster’s compliments.
My mother appeared on Live Life Home a few times as a guest cook and we had so many views for those episodes, I decided to give my mother her own show.
We don’t start filming for a few weeks, but she’s so excited and had me invite all my friends over to test her recipes.
“You nervous?” Jon came up beside me and clasped my hand.
We never did get married—work got in the way—but that didn’t stop us from making plans every week to elope. He relented on the script and allowed most of the changes. As for location, the movie would be filmed locally around town and when we needed a big city feel, we had two cities down the street—Baltimore and Washington, DC.
Both cities were way less expensive than New York and Boston. Jon grumbled but understood in the end. Plus, it gave me a chance to wor
k with him on a weekly basis. And by work, I meant get lots and lots of hot office sex.
“No. I mean, yes.” I tried my best to smile and enjoy the moment of my friend’s enjoying my mother’s cooking. But I knew that testing my mom’s food wasn’t the only reason I brought everyone here.
“It will be fine. They probably realize already.”
My eyes widened. “Dear God, I hope not.”
Tucker came up behind Jon and slapped him on the back, causing Jon to jump.
“I never got a chance to thank you for helping out with the whole Sinclair Ramsey thing,” Tucker said, eyeing the both of us.
“I’d do anything to help Niki. She’s a good friend,” I said.
“You too, Jon.”
I tilted my head and stared at the man I loved. “What exactly did you do to catch that sleaze bag that tried to ruin Niki’s career?”
Ramsey was as bad as Dinger but not as rich. It was easy to get information on him from some business associates around town. I just had no idea Jon helped as well.
“Let’s just say when I dug up dirt on Dinger, Sinclair Ramsey’s name kept popping up, too. They both belonged to some secret club. In fact, there’re a lot of wealthy businesspeople in this town who don’t want anyone to know about the club.”
My eyes widened. “What? Now I’m pissed. Why didn’t I know about this club?”
“Why would you know? Is there something you aren’t telling me?” Jon smirked and leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Something that I could help you with.”
“No,” I said with a giggle while pushing him back. “But I’m a wealthy businessperson in this town. Why hadn’t I heard of it?”
“Because you aren’t a terrible person,” Jon reminded me.
“That’s debatable.” Issa winked as she reached past me to grab an empanada.
“Love you too, sis. When did you get here?”
“A few minutes ago. Niki let me in. I wasn’t about to miss the big reveal.” She took a bite of warm flaky pastry.
I straightened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, come on,” she said as she chewed her food. Manners wasn’t my sister’s strong point. “It’s obvious.”
“Totally obvious,” Tucker said, then lifted his hands and made the universal sex sign with his fingers.
My sister added to the whole uncomfortable scene by singing her porno song.
“So, everyone knows we’re banging?” I said a little too loud.
All conversation and sounds of people eating stopped. I glanced around and everyone was staring at me.
“What are you talking about, Emmie?” my mother asked with her brow raised.
There was a vein on her forehead that pulsed, and I knew I’d get one of her lectures later. It didn’t matter how old I was, to her I would always be her little girl.
My hand instinctively pressed at my chest as I thought how to explain away my use of the word banging.
“It’s Jon and me. We’re, uh . . . going to elope.”
My mother’s eyes grew wide, and she was about to say something but stopped.
“Elope?” Willa asked. “But don’t you do that in secret?”
“Yeah. Maybe you already eloped?” Niki nodded with a confused expression.
“Well, we thought about that and—” I was cut off by my sister.
“If my sister wants to elope and tell people first, she can do that.”
“Now, wait a second. Technically, eloping involves secrecy,” Hunter added, putting down my mother’s pastry.
I opened my mouth to speak but my friends and family kept talking over me. Jon shook his head and tried to say something, but he was cut off, too.
My mother was in tears but still able to cook through her emotions. I noticed her hand continued to stir the pot on the stove through my entire announcement.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to find Jon by the back of the kitchen and waved at me to follow. I did, and we moved into the library.
“Do you have the ring?” Jon asked as he shut the door.
“Yes.” I pulled the necklace that was tucked under my blouse and held a gold band on the end.
“Good.” He patted the breast pocket of his gray suit jacket. “Got mine. Ready to get married?”
“More than ready.”
Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I bounced up and down on my toes. I was happy and so in love with this man that at no point in the past month had I second-guessed my decision to marry him.
He stepped forward and cupped my cheeks as his eyes took in every inch of my face. “I love you, Clementine Blossom Delarosa. I never thought a woman as smart, strong, or as beautiful as you would ever give me the time of day. Yet, here I am ready to be your husband for as long as you’ll have me.”
His lips grazed mine before landing with a firm kiss. It was soft, warm, and I felt the love he spoke come to life with his lips.
I pulled away and said, “You were my first true love. And you’ll be my last. You challenge me and I can’t wait to see what chaos we can get into together. I love you, Jon Franklin Harrington.”
We kissed again and each time he touched my lips, I couldn’t believe how incredible he felt. He pulled away, and I was dazed, The imprint of his lips on mine remained and I sucked my lip for more.
“Come on, let’s go,” he said as he took my hand and pulled me along.
We left the library and went back into the kitchen to find everyone still pondering the definition of elopement.
“We’re going now,” Jon yelled and waved at everyone.
“Where are you two heading off to?” Willa had her hands on her hips.
“To get married. We told you . . . We are going to elope,” I said.
“We thought it rude to just leave in the middle of a gathering, so we told you what we were planning to do,” Jon added.
I nodded.
“Now?” My mother’s voice went up an octave.
“Yes,” we said in unison and turned to leave the kitchen. Just before we got to entrance to the hallway, I turned. “Do you all want to come?”
There was a moment of stillness before everyone ran toward us. I smiled, even though I was about to be engulfed by a stampede of people.
I was surrounded by the people I love on the day I was going to marry the one man who captured my heart.
He leaned down, just before Hunter pulled him into a bear hug, and whispered, “I’ll forever be your yes-man.”
***
I hope you had a chance to read the first in this series, Idol, about rock star Hunter Six and the feisty redhead, Willa. If not, make sure you get it now for limited time price of 0.99 cents!
Thank you for taking the time to read my little story about Emmie and Jon. I had a blast writing about them and I hope you felt the same reading. If you did and you’d like to tell others, I’d be grateful for a review. Check out the links below for where to leave a review about Idol.
MOGUL on AMAZON
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Do you want a sneak peek into my upcoming book, Royal Disgrace? It’s about a woman trying to make her diner a success and the royal soon-to-be prince that fools her into thinking he’s an average guy looking for a job. Keep reading to find out more.
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A future prince walks into her diner, pretending to be a pauper. Will one kiss cause all her dreams to come true?
Imagine for a moment being dumped by your boyfriend via paper airplane that hits you in the face. And, only minutes later, discover you’re being fired from a job you’ve had for years.
Sounds terrible, right? That’s my day, and it’s only Tuesday. Most of my life has been crappy like that but I refuse to let it get me down.
Hi, I’m Grace and I plan on following my dream no matter what gets in my way. What’s my dream? I think it’s opening an 80’s themed diner. That’s what my good friend told me since I love all things 80’s and diner food. It
makes sense so why not?
The only obstacle I’ve come across is tall, with dark hair, an accent that will warm your, uh, heart, and desperate for a job at my diner.
I really wish I didn’t have to fire him.
I will level with you. I’m not who Grace thinks. She sees me as a cool, down-to-earth guy that is humble, caring, and one of the best employees at her diner. She also thinks my name is Nico Aster. I may have stretched the truth by a lot.
My formal title is Nicolas Aster Rowley Chillingham, current Duke of Ironlea and future Prince of Northern Cambria. After the holiday ceremonies and come the new year, I will officially be crowned Prince of Cambria. I’m desperate to get out of becoming a prince so I devise a plan to pretend to be an average guy looking for a job at a diner.
No one in Cambria will find me in the tiny restaurant in Chicago. I plan on returning to my home one day but when I’m ready. The only problem is the owner. The more times I spend getting to know her, the more I wonder if I ever want to go back.
PREORDER ROYAL DISGRACE NOW!
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Keep reading for the sneak peek...
Grace
Better Off Dead
Everyone was staring, but I didn’t care. The elevator was packed and sweat circles were forming under my arms, but nothing would bring me down. The smile on my face—no matter how much it hurt my cheeks—would remain plastered on my face.
Positivity, Grace.
That was my new motto. Positive. Focused. Be the best I could be.
My life up until that point was like a bag of old, smelly socks. There wasn’t a person alive or dead who was excited about socks, especially if they’re used.
I pushed through the elevator to the first floor of the Mimir building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and moved toward my desk.
That’s when it hit me.
Something pointy poked my cheek, causing my grin to falter. Looking down, I noticed a paper airplane. When I glanced around, I saw a few people moving farther down the hallway. They were too far away to make out.
I shrugged and picked it up. There was writing on the paper so I unfolded the airplane.
Dear Grace,
It’s been real. You’re cute in a pixie sort of way, but I want a woman I can bring home to Mom. I know my mom’s been dead for ten years, but you get what I mean . . ..
Mogul (Price of Fame Book 3) Page 9