by Calista Fox
All of this left Scarlet with even more extreme difficulty in phoning her client. She watched the snow fall on New York City as she tapped the business card for her contact at the insurance agency against her fingertips. Her cell was on an end table not far away. She just couldn’t bring herself to reach for it.
The do-gooder was flailing miserably.
Maybe it’d be better if Michael and Sam had put some pressure on her to not rat out Karina. That might have compelled Scarlet to spring into action. To pull the whole “justice will prevail” card on them.
But no.
As best as she could tell at the moment, they accepted her position.
Scarlet let out a long-suffering sigh. Right now they accepted her position. But when the shit really hit the fan…? This was no petty crime they were talking about here. No misdemeanor that only warranted a slap on the hand. Insurance fraud, particularly of this magnitude, was a felony. Plain and simple. Whether the statute of limitations for prosecution had run out or not.
The Hamptons “ladies who lunch” would no doubt be deleting Karina Vandenberg from their contact lists. She’d become a social pariah. One of her biggest fears come to life.
“Fuck,” Scarlet mumbled.
“Not until you’re fully healed,” Sam whispered in her ear.
She laughed softly, despite her dismay and melancholy. “Wrong context. But it’s nice to see you still have your sense of humor.”
“Hanging on by a thread,” he admitted. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his Levi’s and heaved a sigh.
Scarlet studied him, thinking he was so damn hunky and sweet … and probably all messed up on the inside over the current state of affairs.
“You have a visitor, sweetheart.” This from Michael as he came up behind her.
Scarlet turned. And gasped.
“Mr. Vandenberg.” She gazed up at the imposing man, her stomach knotting at the sight of him.
“May I speak with you alone, Miss Drake?”
She swallowed hard. Said, “Certainly.” She’d contended all along that in order to do her job she had to take her lumps.
But neither Michael nor Sam made a move to leave her side.
Mitcham’s dark brow rose.
Scarlet ventured, “I suppose they’re thinking that whatever you have to say to me you can say to them.”
“I’m thinking we don’t need to rack up more secrets,” Sam said.
Mitcham gave a slow nod. “Fair enough.” To Scarlet, he said, “I came because it’s nearly one o’clock and you have yet to alert the insurance company of my fraudulent claim. Why is that?”
Scarlet’s head started to pound again. She told him, “Seems I’m suffering my own moral dilemma. Making that call will hurt Michael and Sam. I know it’s inevitable, but I’m not looking forward to it.”
“They don’t appear to be trying to coerce you differently,” Mitcham pointed out.
“No. They’re much more stand-up than that.”
Mitcham’s jaw briefly clenched. He said, “I’m not here to coerce you, either. Both Karina and I deduced you’d have a difficult time following through when there could be an impact on Michael’s and Sam’s lives or reputations.”
She nodded.
“You care that much about them?”
“I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t. I achieved what I set out to do,” she reminded him. “I gathered the information I needed and I discerned who the culprits were. Case closed, right?”
“Hmm.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest and said, “You don’t concur with your own statement. Your own rationale.”
“Hard to do when you’re … in love.” She gave Mitcham a pointed look, because Scarlet was pretty sure that he was a man who’d do whatever he had to for Karina no matter the trouble she’d gotten herself into.
Michael snickered. “Don’t anyone say anything about me not being loveable.”
Sam gave a half snort.
Scarlet said, “Don’t get all cocky on me, Michael.”
“No promises, sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. Murmured, “For the record, the feeling’s mutual.”
He stepped away.
Scarlet’s heart flipped. Her gaze slid to Sam. He wore a deathly serious look that made tears prickle the backs of her eyes.
“I couldn’t get to you fast enough when you were in that accident,” he said. “Makes me want to keep you by my side twenty-four-seven so nothing will ever happen to you again.”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
“And yeah,” he added. “Feelin’s mutual.”
Mitcham handed over the handkerchief from his impeccably tailored navy-colored suit as fat drops rolled down her cheeks. She told him, “I know what I have to do, but I also wanted to give you and Karina a little more time.”
“We appreciate that. And I suspected as much. So did she.” He inhaled deeply. Exhaled slowly. “Which is why she turned herself in.”
Scarlet’s eyes popped. “What?”
“She wanted to do it first thing this morning, so that you wouldn’t have to. Out of respect for Michael and Sam … and the fact that my wife genuinely likes you. But then she feared if she was too hasty it might cause problems for you. So she waited. We heard nothing from the insurance agency, and that was when she decided it had to be done. I’m here right now so that you know and can make your own calls. Explain you were detained. Whatever. Bottom line is that Karina didn’t want you to be the one to break the news that Sam’s mother, Michael’s stepmother, committed a crime.”
Scarlet sank into a chair. Not just because her legs were so sore, but holy hell, she hadn’t seen this coming. And maybe it didn’t exonerate her completely—since she’d wholeheartedly gone after the Vandenbergs when it came to this case. But Karina had just spared her a world of hurt. She’d made a huge sacrifice for Scarlet.
“I owe her for that one.”
“You don’t,” Mitcham assured her. “We owe you our gratitude for giving us some time to work through how we’re going to make amends. Talk to my legal and PR teams. Figure out what direction we’ll take when it comes to Wyatt Hill and Dylan Reed. We want to go directly to the FBI. Be completely transparent. Hopefully keep Wyatt in prison and make damn sure Dylan doesn’t get away with what he did to you, Miss Drake.”
She lifted her head from where she’d been staring at the handkerchief in her lap. Told him, “That’s commendable. Thank you, Mr. Vandenberg.”
He gave a slight nod and said, “You might want to think about calling me Mitcham.”
She let out a semi-hysterical laugh. “And he has a sense of humor.” She wiped away the last of her tears and said, “Please call me Scarlet, Mitcham.”
“Of course.” His attention shifted to Michael. He said, “I know we’ve had our differences. I never explained this before, but one of the reasons I made it so that you didn’t have access to your trust fund, or you to yours, Sam,” he said as he acknowledged his step-son, “is because I wanted you to build your own lives. No rules, no boundaries. But I also wanted to ensure that those fortunes were never sacrificed for the wrong causes. Handsome young men with access to family money can unwittingly invite false affection into their lives. I’ve been lucky. I’ve had two great loves. I wanted both of you to find someone who possesses as much scruples as she does beauty. Someone who will love you for what you’ve achieved. For who you are as a person, not for your last name. Someone worthy of you.”
“Would it have killed you to tell us that when we were sixteen?” Michael quipped.
Mitcham shrugged a broad shoulder. “I’m not so sure you would have grasped the concept back then. But today … Well. I’m not going to lie and say I fully understand what’s going on with the three of you or how it’s all going to pan out, but I can’t dispute that you do seem to work as a cohesive unit. And that’s what matters most.”
Scarlet stood. “Sorry it’s so unconventional. But make no mistake. I do love your sons. And
it has nothing to do with money or status. Well … there is the matter of a puppy, but that’s another story.”
Sam smirked.
Scarlet said, “I don’t want to crush this family. I want it to thrive. And if there’s anything I can do to help Karina, I’ll do it. I knows she’s earnest about paying her debt to the insurance company and society, and I’m behind her one hundred percent.”
“She’ll be pleased to hear that. Now,” Mitcham said. “I have to get back to her. She’s put on a brave face, as always, but now that I know the full extent of her struggles, I want to make sure she’s no longer battling them alone.”
He turned to go.
Michael called out, “Dad…!”
Mitcham glanced over his shoulder.
Michael grinned. And simply said, “Thank you.”
Mitcham nodded once more. Then left.
Scarlet had no doubt that Michael’s note of gratitude was for Mitcham finally coming around and expressing himself. Not keeping all of his thoughts and emotions to himself for Michael to guess at.
She hugged him tight. “It’s crazy to say this because of what Karina faces, but this family is taking a positive turn in the right direction.”
“You do have a way of finding the upside.”
She released him and walked into Sam’s embrace. “I meant what I said,” she told him. “I’ll do whatever I can to help her in this situation.”
“I know. But remember … it’s not your burden or your fault, darlin’.”
“I just want this all to work out.”
“Me and Michael, too. Don’t doubt that.” Sam pulled away and stared her in the eyes. “I do love you.”
She smiled. Kissed him.
Michael joined them. “Goes for me, too.”
“Because it would torture you so to say the actual words,” she jested.
He laughed. “Fine. I love you, Scarlet Drake.”
“Hmm.” She kissed him.
He let out a hearty laugh. “Now who’s the pain in the ass?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “I love you, too, Michael Vandenberg.”
“Now, about our weekend in Montana?” Sam prompted.
Scarlet told them, “I’m all in.”
Michael grunted. “Really, Montana? Why don’t we just stay here in the city?”
“Because Sam has work to do. Competitions to prepare for. And I want to watch.”
“Figures.”
“Stop grumbling,” she chided Michael as she untangled herself from him. “We’ve spent plenty of time in New York. It’s only fair to make the rounds.”
“If it’s what you want,” he conceded, albeit reluctantly. “I’ll have my assistant arrange everything.”
“Aw, look at you,” Scarlet teased as she gazed into his smoky eyes, “compromising.”
He tapped the tip of her nose with his finger and told her, “Don’t make me regret this.”
“Brother,” Sam said, “you have a lot to learn about women.”
“Particularly how willing this one is to reward you for good behavior.” Scarlet’s lips glided over Michael’s. Then she nipped at the corner of his mouth. “So play nice.”
“Only for you.”
“That’s all I’m asking.”
“Well,” Sam said, pleased. “Montana it is.”
EPILOGUE
Three months later …
“Girlfriend,” Jewel said with a lilt in her tone, “you have that ménage à trois glow going on.”
Scarlet grinned mischievously. “You would recognize it. You both see it in the mirror every day.” She nudged Bayli with her shoulder.
“Loving every minute of it,” Bayli concurred.
This beautiful spring evening, they were on the patio of Bristol’s in River Cross. The restaurant was Christian and Rory’s flagship establishment and a favorite of locals and tourists to the wine country alike. An apropos spot for a celebratory dinner that was about to start with a champagne toast.
Michael had secured a deal with Christian and Rory to open his rooftop restaurants in his major department stores, and Bayli and Rory were plotting how they’d incorporate the creation of the eateries and grand openings into their food/travel show.
Jewel would be contributing wine to Michael’s extensive list from the Catalano winery and—in the future—from hers, Rogen’s, and Vin’s vineyard. Rogen’s family, the Angelinis, would offer their finest cognacs.
Scarlet loved how intertwined they were all becoming. She’d learned how fulfilling it was to be tangled in her two lovers’ lives, and having their friends around them enhanced the overall experience, helping to seal some of the cracks and crevices split wide open by the deaths of her parents.
The girls joined their men and Sam handed Scarlet a crystal flute.
Michael told the group, “To new friends and partnerships, both professional and”—he stole a glance toward Scarlet and Sam—“personal.” He winked. And Scarlet’s heart soared.
They all raised their glasses and said in unison, “Salut!”
ALSO BY CALISTA FOX
Burned Deep
Flash Burned
Burned Hearts
The Billionaires
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CALISTA FOX is a former PR professional, now writing fast-paced, steamy books to set your pulse racing! She has won many reviewers’ and readers’ choice awards, as well as best book awards. Calista has crossed the country many times over by corporate jet and travels internationally, always with her laptop in tow to capture intriguing story elements and exotic locales. She is a past president/adviser of the Phoenix chapter of Romance Writers of America national organization. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Epilogue
Also by Calista Fox
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE BILLIONAIRES: THE STEPBROTHERS. Copyright © 2017 by Calista Fox. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover design by Crystal Ben
Cover photographs woman © Maksim Shmeljov/Shutterstock.com; border © Kraphix © Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-09644-9 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-09645-6 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781250096456
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First Edition: December 2017