Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part Three (BWWM Romance Serial)
Page 8
He regarded Jada. “Don’t think about what you saw. Everything will be fine. I’m going to make sure of it. Promise me you won’t worry. I’ll take care of this if it’s the last thing I do. Do you believe me?”
She nodded, unable to speak, her throat and mouth gone desert dry.
“It will be fixed, I swear it.” He reached down and gently squeezed her shoulder, then he turned and strode away, calling for Sullivan to follow and saying something about if you wanted something done right you had to do it yourself.
Trey asked Sasha if she was okay, then he too followed Ian out of the room.
Jada didn’t know where to let her gaze settle, or who to listen to. Marina kept talking, trying to comfort her, no doubt. Agatha and Sasha were arguing. All Jada wanted to do was disappear.
What did it all mean? How could this have happened?
Ian told her to believe in him. He said he’d take care of everything, that all she had to do was sit and wait for him to fix it.
Faith. That’s all she needed. But right now, faith was an impossibility.
This would be the most terrible waiting game of her life. Yet, what else was there?
Oh hell ... and hell again.
The story concludes in Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part 4
You can get your copy here:
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Here's an excerpt from Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part 4
THE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND Jada walked inside. No, Ian thought with some surprise, she charged into the room.
She stopped in front of Ian’s desk, hands on her hips, eyes flashing brilliantly. “I came to ask if I can borrow a car or get a lift to a train or something. I need to get on the road ASAP, please.”
Ian was taken aback. He knew he had let her down, but obviously he hadn’t properly gauged how much. He signaled to Sullivan and Trey. “If you wouldn’t mind leaving us for a few minutes ...”
Wordlessly, Sullivan and Trey slipped out, quietly closing the door behind them.
Ian kept his voice calm and steady. “Of course I’ll provide you with any transportation you want. I’ll call in the helicopter, if you’d prefer. But before you go, sit for a moment and tell me what’s going on. You’re upset and have every right to be. I let you down.”
“It’s not that,” she said. “You haven’t let me down.”
Ian exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Then why are you in such a hurry to get away from me?”
She sat on the edge of the chair Sullivan had vacated. “Ian, you don’t really know me, and it’s not your fault. I haven’t been myself since we met and I guess my father was right when he said I’ve been holding things back. Not on purpose, of course, but there it is, anyway.”
“It’s been stressful.”
“Yeah, but more than that, I was swept away in all this,” Jada gestured in the air. “You, the house, the lake, the stuff you bought me, the money. All of it. I let myself pretend this was real, and so I relied on it, on you, in ways that aren’t true to who I am. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I assure you I am very real, Jada. All of this is.”
“I know, but at the same time, you’re not, because I made up this fantasy that it was okay to let you handle everything. I pretended not have the responsibility of fixing anything myself. That’s not real, it’s not who I am, and it’s not fair to either one of us.”
“That’s not entirely true that you left it all to me,” he said. “You and Marina have been working together to track down other suspects.”
“No, Marina has been working. I played amateur detective for a while, tossing out suspects like it was a game. The instant you told me you believed CGTV was behind everything, what did I do? I said okay, and fell in line with hardly a question, convinced you’d gotten it right.”
Ian winced. “I still believe CGTV is behind it all.”
“That’s fine, but it’s not the point. I have my own ideas and I shouldn’t put them aside because they’re not the same as yours. I’m used to taking charge and handling my own problems. It’s how I was raised and the only way I know how to be.” She stood up and gave him a level look. “And that’s why I need to borrow transportation so I can get home to my own car. Then I’m going to solve this case and return to my normal life.”
Ian stiffened, an image of Jada walking away from him forever bringing on a disconcerting, plummeting sensation in the pit of his stomach. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
“Oh, I’m not. Marina and Agatha are going to stay here and keep trying to contact Sasha’s enemies. And I assume your people will continue putting pressure on CGTV.”
“I meant me, specifically.”
She seemed different. More assured, direct, powered by conviction. “I won’t play games, Ian. I think you know how I feel about you. You overwhelm me sometimes, but that’s over. You’re welcome to help if you want, we can be partners, but don’t pressure me again to let you handle everything like I’m a helpless child. I don’t need you or anyone to hold my hand. It won’t go well for you if you try.”
Damn. Ian could only sit there and stare at this fascinating woman who stood proudly in front of him telling him how things were going to be. He wasn’t sure how to take it.
People didn’t gainsay Ian Buckley. If Ian said he’d handle a problem, people let him, expected it, were grateful for it. He was the problem solver, the man who got things done. It was who he was and people relied on him. Women in particular liked him to take charge. They always wanted him in charge. Always. Until Jada.
He wasn’t positive how to handle this novel situation. Did he argue? Let her have her way? Try to reach a compromise?
The bottom line was, could he turn over the reins of this investigation to Jada like she wanted? He was no follower. He was the commander, in the past, now and forever. Might as well try to break the habit of breathing as try to stop leading.
A thought tapped for attention at the back of his brain. Jada said she had her own suspects her own ideas about who was behind the fake marriage licenses. This meant she wasn’t totally on board with Ian’s own conviction that everything had been orchestrated by CGTV.
Since that was the case, it wouldn’t be hard to step back and let Jada follow the trail of evidence all the way to its end, where she would discover that she was wrong and Ian had been right all along.
He turned the idea over in his head, checking all sides to make sure everything lined up. Yes, he could hang back and let her take the lead as long as he knew exactly where they’d end up. And he believed he definitely knew that.
He smiled and stood. “I accept your conditions. So what’s the plan?”
She returned his smile and maybe it was wishful thinking, but Ian thought he saw a glimmer of relief pass over her features, which could only mean she didn’t truly want to leave him.
“I need to get to Springers Glen as soon as possible to question the clerks in the courthouse records department. I think I’ll get better results if I speak to them in person,” Jada said.
“Good idea. Car or helicopter?”
Jada looked thoughtful. “How long will it take the helicopter to get here?”
The game was afoot.
You can get your copy of part four here
:
US Amazon: Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part 4
UK Amazon: Alpha Billionaire’s Bride, Part 4
Table of Contents
All About Mia
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
All About Mia
More of Mia’s Books
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
More of Mia’s Books