Headmaster Navy SEAL: An OMYM Domestic Discipline BBW Romance

by Mia Luxe

  Mike gulps, and his father and mother look at each other with shock.

  “How? We paid four-hundred-thousand to have that scrubbed!”

  I growl. “I have my ways. And I’m guessing there’s more dirt to be found.”

  Thomas Fuller runs his hand through his thick silver hair.

  “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to do this. But you’ve given me no choice.”

  I stop, uncertain for the first time since I got here.

  Samantha Fuller gives a tight nod to her husband.

  “We investigated you, Tanner Strom.”

  She knows my name.

  Thomas Fuller coughs. “My son said an enormous giant accosted him at the bar. I own that bar. I ran the security footage and hired a firm. They identified you. We’ve been following you. We know about your relationship with Emily.”

  Mike takes a scoop of ice cream on his spoon and eats it slowly, like he’s sitting back and watching a TV show. His mom ruffles his hair.

  “Dear, you don’t want your little academy to be shut down, do you? Oh, I doubt you care for the rich brats, but I know you have a soft spot for those abused men and women you shelter at no cost. How are you going to pay for the very expensive mortgage on that land when your tuition dries up? When your academy loses its accreditation after this… Scandal?”

  I gulp.

  I care about every pupil at my school.

  I’m responsible for teaching the next generation how to lead.

  Guilt hits me.

  But my love for a woman came in front of my duty. I put all that in danger for her. I was weak. I should have waited until she was no longer a pupil to pursue her.

  “I’m a serious man, Mr. Strom. I believe a threat needs to show weight. I won’t alert the press of your scandal. But when you leave tonight, I’m going to call Miss. Jones’ father and tell him of what you’ve done. I take it you’re old friends. We will see what he thinks of you fucking his daughter. Now, please leave, before I call the police.”

  My muscles tense as I imagine throwing Mike Fuller across the room right into his rich father.

  Instead I leave silently, defeat overcoming me.

  I race home, and open the door.

  “Emily! I need to tell you something. Emily?”

  She doesn’t respond. I stalk through the house, but she’s not there. In the bedroom things are in disarray, like there was a struggle.

  Her father’s house is ten minutes away. He got here faster than me and dragged her home.

  I get into my SUV and race to her family home.

  Their car isn’t in the driveway. I jump out and knock on their door, hoping at least her mother is home.

  No one answers.

  I grab a rock and smash the window, the alarm blaring as I force my way in. I rush to the parent’s bedroom.

  Clothes are in disarray, and I know they just packed.

  He knows I won’t stop until I get Emily back. He’s taking her somewhere far away from me.

  All this time I thought the Fuller family was my enemy when it’s Emily’s family that has taken her away.

  I grabbed my phone and dial her father’s number. There’s no answer.

  He has a private jet. He’s going to take her somewhere far away from me.

  For the first time in years, I don’t know what to do.

  I step down the stairs wearily, grabbing my car key in my hand.

  I need to get to the airport. If I can just stop them before they leave, if I can convince her father I love his daughter…

  I rush down the stairs, open the door, and walk face to face with two police officers with drawn guns.

  “Get the fuck down on the ground!”

  I get on my knees slowly, not letting a single movement happen. I’m a big guy and I don’t want them to think I am going for a weapon.

  The first cop pats me down.

  “Is anything going to poke me?”

  I nod. “Switchblade in my boot. There’s a nine millimetre in the locked glovebox of the car, I have a permit. The key’s in my pocket.”

  They take me to the police station and book me.

  17

  Emily Jones

  “Dad, you can’t do this!”

  “Shut up, shut up, shut up!”

  He has his foot on the gas, pressing down as we race down the highway. My mother gasps but says nothing. She never stands up to my father.

  “This is kidnapping! I’m eighteen! This isn’t legal!”

  He turns, not watching the road as he glares at me.

  “You’re on a bad path, Emily. You’re going to a Goddamn nunnery. I can’t believe I raised a hussy like you.”

  Tears spring to my eyes when he calls me the name. I feel guilt and shame over what I’ve done with Tanner. He’s twice my age. I was a fool to think society or my parents would ever understand.

  “Watch the road!” My mom screams at my dad, and he whips his head to the road and merges, narrowly missing a small car.

  “Honey, your dad knows what’s best for you.”

  “No, he doesn’t! He didn’t even listen to me when Mike Fuller tried to… When he tried to…”

  “Stop fucking lying! You’re just saying anything you can to get out of this!”

  He pulls up at the airline, and we drive onto the tarmac to the private jet that my father’s company uses. My father pulls me out while my mom takes the wheel and drives away.

  I try to get away, but he’s too strong.

  Soon we’re flying away while I cry. We’re weightless in the air, and I’m travelling at a breakneck speed away from the only man who made me feel real. Who made me feel like the things I want in my life are possible.

  We land eight hours away and I have no idea what city we’re in. When we get out I hear the posh British accent of the person who greets us and I realize I’m in London.

  We’re chauffeured to the Ritz and go to the top floor. My father hasn’t said a single word since we got on the private jet. When he closes the door, he looks at me like he doesn’t know me.

  “Emily, we need to talk.”

  “You kidnapped me and took me to England just to talk?”

  He sighs. “Tanner Strom was a Navy SEAL. He’s probably already torn our house apart looking for you. I never saw a man more determined. You need to tell me – did he force himself on you?”

  I shake my head vigorously. “No! He didn’t! And Dad, I’m old enough to make my choices.”

  “You don’t know what you want. You know you put his whole business at risk, right? I was told by the Fuller family of all people that you and Tanner were an item.”

  My jaw drops.

  Oh God! That means it went poorly with Tanner and the Fuller family.

  My hopes crash that Mike is going to be brought to justice. I wish so badly I was with Tanner Strom.

  18

  Tanner Strom

  I say nothing to the detective. When they throw me in the cells, all the other inmates step back from me, worried they’re going to piss me off. A gangbanger with tattoos on his neck looks down when I approach. He was the alpha dog before I stepped in. Now everyone knows their place.

  I nod to the cop on duty.

  “Boss. I get a phone call.”

  He nods and arranges the call.

  I don’t call a lawyer.

  He’s on retainer and is already on his way.

  I call Hawk.

  “Hawk. Code Black on the Fuller family.”

  He pauses for three seconds, then hangs up without a word.

  When news of my arrest becomes known, my academy will be ruined. This is a scandal that’s going to be hard to get past if I want my academy to keep running.

  No one wants to send their sons and daughters to an academy run by someone with a criminal run-in, even if Emily’s family doesn’t press charges.

  Code Black is a last-ditch effort.

  It means liquidating my accounts. Taking all my money out.

  Not to esca
pe the country. Not to chase after Emily.

  To pour all my resources into taking them down. It means total war.

  Hawk will already be putting out feelers. People within the Fuller organization with debts, gambling problems, addictions. Anyone who’ll give me information for ten-grand.

  I know this family is dirty and I’m going to get the dirt on them.

  I grab the bars, flexing.

  I don’t know if the money in my accounts is going to be enough to get the information I need to take down the Fullers. Hell, I might even have to sell the academy. I might end up broke, but I have to take the chance in order to make this all work.

  They fucked with the wrong guy.

  “Big guy. Your bail just got posted.”

  I fix my collar and leave the cell, driving home, wondering if I’ll have to sell my house to pay for all this work.

  I need to find Emily.

  I have to trust that Hawk will be able to get the dirt on their family. It’s up to me to find Emily. She’ll be feeling lost.

  This is my greatest test. If I can’t get her back, she’ll know forever that I’m not worthy of her. If I can’t keep her safe right now, how can she trust that I ever will in the future?

  Where would I take her if I was her father?

  Out of town. A different country.

  Where is his business strongest?

  He’s got an office in Tokyo and one in London.

  I flip a coin and book a flight to London.

  19

  Emily Jones

  “What do you mean: The Fuller family told you?”

  My father squints. “They called me and told me they had a scandal. I didn’t want to believe what they said, but I packed and drove to Tanner’s house. And when I found you there… Well I knew that my old friend had betrayed me.”

  “Betrayed you?”

  “Dammit, Emily, you’re my daughter! You’re off limits!”

  I sit down on the couch.

  “But Dad! Don’t you trust Tanner? You used to bring him to dinner every week.”

  My father sighs, putting his head in his hands.

  “I did trust him. With my life. But then… Then he goes and does this? He treats you like you’re a conquest!”

  I gasp. “Father! Don’t say that! He cares about me!”

  My dad shakes his head. “Go to bed, Emily. I can’t think with you talking. I need to figure out how to make this right.”

  “No! You need to listen to me for once! Don’t you even wonder how the Fullers got the information that I was staying at Tanner Strom’s house?”

  My father stalks to the minibar and grabs a mini bottle of rum, cracking it open and guzzling it.

  “Fine. Tell me.”

  “Tanner was investigating the Fuller family. They must have put a tail on him, to find out whatever they could to stop him doing the same to them.”

  “What nonsense is this? What possible reason could Tanner Strom have to investigate the Fuller family?”

  I want to cry.

  Will he believe me?

  “Dad, you never got the full story of Mike’s eighteenth birthday party. I was dating Mike at the time.”

  He scowls. “So, that was true. Tanner told me at dinner.”

  “Dad, he assaulted me! You were so caught up in your business deal that you didn’t want to hear it. All you cared about was your business!”

  His eyes go wide. “You never told me that!”

  “You wouldn’t let me!”

  “Dammit, Emily, what happened? Tell me exactly!”

  “It’s painful to talk about, but… But he tried to rape me, Dad. I ran away and hid in his car. He was going to break open the window and hurt me, so I tried to drive away. That’s how I ended up in the swimming pool. I was drowning and he just watched! If one of his other guests hadn’t jumped in to save me, I would have died!”

  My dad sits down on the couch, weary, looking like he can’t understand what’s going on.

  “Jesus. You could have… You could have drowned? My little girl could have drowned? Emily. We need… We need some time to think. We’ll stay in England for a week so I can formulate a plan. I don’t know what’s true anymore! Emily, go to bed. Dammit, let me think.”

  I stalk away into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me. I toss and turn in bed for hours until I hear a knock at the door. It’s not a light knock. It is a hard, insistent knock.

  I open my bedroom door to see my father peeking out the peephole.

  “Dammit! Tanner, how did you find me?”

  “I’ve been to the four fanciest hotels in London before getting here. Let me in, we need to talk.”

  My dad sighs, then opens the door.

  Tanner steps in, and I run to him. He hugs me tight.

  “Alright, alright. Break it off. Tanner, give me one good reason I shouldn’t hit you.”

  I laugh, unable to hold it back as my father looks up at the massive, military man.

  “You have every right. I should have been stronger. But I’m in love with your daughter.”

  Both my father and my jaws drop in unison.

  “I’m in love with your daughter,” Tanner repeats, “but we have bigger problems right now. Dennis, the Fullers used their assault on your daughter and the subsequent damage to pressure you into a bad business deal.”

  My father’s face goes hard. “Those bastards. I never thought they could stoop so low.”

  “I’ve liquidated my assets to investigate them. I will find dirt on them.”

  I gasp. “What about your academy!”

  “When news hits that the police picked me up, my academy is going to be shut down. It could take months for people to find out, and Kevin will run it in the meantime, but when the news gets made public it’ll be bad. No one is going to want to send anyone there with me in charge of it.”

  “Wait. What do you mean: Police?” My dad asks.

  “I… I broke into your house. The police caught me. Even if you don’t press charges, it’s going to be the buzz around the higher circles. There’s no way we can keep it silent. I’ve accepted it. We need to look forward – to how we are going to catch these bastards.”

  “Any resource I have, you can use.”

  “Good. We’ll need to go into your dealings with them – your audits – and get anything we have inside that we can match. It could take months, but the Fullers don’t have any leverage on me anymore. Now that I won’t have my academy, it doesn’t matter that I love your daughter. It shouldn’t matter to you, either, Dennis. She’s a grown woman. She needs to decide for herself.”

  I look to my father, then to Tanner.

  “Dad, Tanner’s always believed in me, even when no one else did. I know it’s strange that your friend is dating your daughter, but I love him too. He’s the only person who’s been able to make me feel safe since what happened to me at Mike’s birthday party. I need to be with him. I love him, Dad. I love Tanner Strom.”

  My dad puts his hands to his eyes, like he’s unable to believe what he’s hearing.

  “Jesus Christ, I need another drink.”

  He goes to the minibar and grabs another bottle – this time a clear one. I think it’s vodka. He downs the shot.

  “So, what is this between you two. Is it serious?”

  We both nod.

  “Jesus. Tanner, what are your intentions with my daughter? I’ve never seen you with the same woman for more than a week since you came back from the Middle East.”

  “I’ve never met a woman I cared about. Not like I care about your daughter.”

  My dad’s eyes widen.

  “And what are your intentions?”

  Tanner steps forward. “I intend on marrying her, when we’re ready.”

  I gasp.

  “Wait, what?”

  He looks at me with eyes that are so certain I shudder.

  “I’m going to marry you. Not yet, but when all this is a dark shadow in our past. When we’re safe and secur
e. Then, I’m going to wed you.”

  My dad looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.

  My heart is pounding so hard I wonder if I’m going to have one as well.

  “I can’t… I can’t handle that right now,” I gasp.

  “You don’t have to. In time, my love,” says Tanner, looking at me so caringly.

  “I don’t know what to say,” says my father.

  “Then don’t say anything. And don’t do anything. There’s not too much we can do, anyway. The Fuller family knows what we all look like so we’re useless in the investigation. It’ll be months before anything turns up, and in that time, it’s not like I can be at the academy or anywhere else there’ll be bad press. So…” Tanner turned to me. “Emily, I’d like to spend the time with you.”

  I nod and walk towards him.

  “I want to spend it with you. But we have to be back for the weekend. I have my volunteering.”

  My dad runs his hand through his hair.

  “What! No, I forbid it, Emily! You’re staying with me.”

  “No, Dad. You can’t control me anymore. I’m done trying to be the person that you want me to be. I’ll never be a businessman like you. I’ll never be the one to take over the family business. I care about people, not profits.”

  My father’s jaw drops. We leave him like that, as Tanner and I leave the hotel.

  We get a cab to his hotel across town.

  When I’m in his hotel room, looking out at the city, I shake my head.

  “Tanner, I’ve cost you everything. I’m the reason that you no longer have your academy. When you said you liquidated your assets, that means that you’re using all your money in order to catch the Fullers, aren’t you?”

  He nods. “Yes. I’m going all out. Trust me, we will find something. The Fullers are dirty and it’s only a matter of digging.”

  I shake my head sadly.

  “I was so sure there’d be drugs showing up in the blood test. I was wrong. What are you going to do if you’re wrong?”

  He holds me tight and runs his hand through my hair.