He hesitated. “Why?”
“We just want to talk to you,” Joseph said.
“But why?” he asked.
“Because I think you were right,” Eleanor said. “You were right about News Scape being corrupt and I want you to tell us everything you know about their underhand reporting techniques.”
He stared at them for a moment, then stepped back to let them in. “I don’t want any trouble.”
“You’re not planning to attack us with your plastic gun again then?” Joseph asked with a smirk.
Bob wrung his hands. “No. But my shotgun’s in the kitchen; ready and loaded.”
Joseph’s grin faded and he nodded. “Right.”
“Come through.”
He led them to the living room, which also seemed to have been frozen in time – it was like a museum of American history. It was impeccably neat and tidy, with a dark blue carpet, bold patterned wallpaper, net curtains, velvet-upholstered wooden chairs, and long windows that allowed the winter sunlight to flow through in shafts, lightening up the room. It smelled of polish and home-baking.
“Do you live with your mother?” Eleanor asked.
“No… I don’t have any family.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. Please sit.”
They all sat down. There was a grandfather clock standing by an antique writing desk, tick-tocking loudly in the silence.
“I’m sorry about last time,” Bob said. “I’d just got out of prison. I wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s okay,” Eleanor said. “Did you get arrested for that?”
“Yeah.” He picked at some loose skin on his thumb. “But the police didn't file charges, and told me to go home and to never return to New York.”
“Well, it seems nice and peaceful here,” Joseph said.
“Yeah it was… until you showed up.”
He threw them a cynical grin and the awkwardness unravelled as his unexpected humour softened the tension.
Eleanor pulled a notepad out of her purse. “Can you tell me what happened in the run-up to your arrest – in your own words? How did you get caught? Why did Blair Robertson drop you so fast?”
“I was the fall guy,” Bob said. “After I was initially arrested for using underhand methods to get my stories, Robertson said he’d take care of me. But as time went on and the case grew more public, he paid me off and fired me.”
Eleanor gazed into his eyes. He seemed defeated and broken.
He shook his head and continued. “Obviously I’m now unemployable in the media. I only ever wanted to be a journalist. To try to make a difference, but now I’m spent, because Robertson threw me to the lions – implying that I was the only one doing what I did – that I was just some evil rogue reporter who’d sullied his entire organisation. He said it was an isolated incident and no other journalists would ever employ such underhand techniques.”
Joseph leaned back in his seat. “Well, we know that’s not true. Someone’s been listening to my voicemails.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Bob said. “Loved your first album by the way, Joseph. Before the commercial machine got its hooks in.”
Joseph smiled humbly. “Thanks, Bob.”
“What other techniques do they use?” Eleanor asked. “I’ve only been on the job for a week, so I’m still learning. I know all about blagging… and obviously the phone hacking. But can you tell us what else you did?”
Bob laughed cynically. “I got most of my information from a private investigator who keeps company with corrupt civilian cops, IRS workers, and government officials – to name but a few. I know he still works with other News Scape journalists, so it definitely wasn’t just me.”
“But it was only the phone hacking that you actually got arrested for?” Eleanor asked.
“Yep. I did that independently of the private investigator by forming my own contacts inside one of the big telecoms companies. It’s amazing how easy it is to bribe people. Five hundred dollars to access a few voicemail inboxes seemed like such a bargain at the time.”
“It sounds like such a lot of effort, just to find out who’s sleeping with who,” Joseph said.
Bob sighed. “I allowed myself to believe I was a detective, putting together the pieces of the puzzle to find the truth. I was so detached from the people I was writing about. I’d convinced myself it was okay to listen to people’s personal messages and to write about them in the paper. It’s big business, you see? And it’s the public who are to blame… they’re interested in those sorts of stories, so we write about them, and the advertisers pay over the odds. And so it goes on.”
“While you destroy lives and reap in the massive bonuses,” Joseph said.
He crumpled and deflated. “Yeah... But I’ve paid the ultimate price for what I did. A year in prison puts things in perspective.”
“How did you get caught?” Eleanor asked. “And why didn’t anyone else at News Scape get implicated?”
“One senator who I’d discovered was sleeping with rent boys got upset and retaliated by informing the cops that I must’ve been tapping his phone – which was true. The police ordered Robertson to carry out an internal investigation, so then all he needed was a scapegoat. Guess who?”
Joseph stared at Bob in disbelief. “Wait a minute – Robertson was asked to investigate his own company?”
“Yeah.”
“And who carried out the investigation?” Eleanor asked. “Robertson himself?”
“No. Stinger. They both promised they wouldn’t let me fry, so I confessed in court that I willingly used phone hacking and blagging, blackmail and coercion. And of course, as soon as I'd confessed they closed ranks and dropped me, leaving me to the sharks. Now I have no means of getting the truth out there. And who’d believe me anyway?”
“I believe you,” Eleanor said. “And I’m going to make sure the world knows the truth.”
He shook his head. “You can’t beat News Scape. You’re a sweet girl, but they’ll drag you down.”
Eleanor refused to let his cynicism quash her determination. “Is there any other info you can give me?”
Bob rubbed his chin. He shifted position uncomfortably, then eventually he said, “Have you heard of Catherine Allen?”
Eleanor frowned. “That schoolteacher who was murdered in Brooklyn?”
“Yeah… well, it’s my belief that Stinger hacked her phone after she’d died – right in the middle of the police investigation. He asked me to do it, but I refused – I mean, digging the dirt on celebrities and politicians is one thing, but even I wasn’t prepared to go down that road.”
“But you’re the one who wound up behind bars.”
“Yep.”
“We need to tell the police about this,” Joseph said. “It’s disgusting.”
Bob chuckled pessimistically. “No, no, no… Robertson is great buddies with the NYPD commissioner and the mayor. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had dirt on them that he’s hanging over their heads. When the police were investigating me, they conveniently forgot to check anyone else at News Scape.”
Eleanor chewed the end of her pen. “Well, I guess that’s how police investigations go, isn’t it? They would only look for evidence to support their case against you – not to implicate anyone else.”
“Yeah, whatever. Robertson and Stinger know they’re protected by the police. They think they’re invincible. Listen, if you can get a comprehensive list of all the people their journalists have hacked, then you’ll discover hundreds of names on it – high-up cops, politicians, victims of crime… it’s not just celebrities.”
“No one’s above the law,” Eleanor said. “And it’s time they realised it. Bob, what steps can I take next?”
“There’s only one person I can think of who might let go his cards. As I said, we all use private investigators to liaise between ourselves and corrupt infiltrators. If you can get my private investigator to confess – to squeal on the journalists he’s been wo
rking with – then you’re halfway there. Well, obviously you’ll need to find a senior cop who hasn’t yet been seduced or blackmailed by Robertson.”
“My brother Dylan has a friend who’s a senior cop,” Joseph said. “We’ll take this directly to him. But first we need to pay this private investigator a visit. What’s his name, Bob?”
Bob ran his fingers through his receding hair. “If you ask me, it’s hopeless me even telling you – if he confesses, then he’s signing his own arrest warrant. You’ll never get him to play ball.”
“We’ll see about that,” Eleanor said. “We can be very persuasive when we want to be. Right, Joseph?”
“Absolutely. You give us the name of the private investigator, and we’ll do the rest. If it’s money that makes this guy tick, then perhaps we can provide him with a little incentive of our own.”
Chapter Twenty
It was dark by the time Eleanor and Joseph were ready to leave Bob’s farmhouse, so they wrapped themselves up in their winter coats and said goodbye. The taxi Bob had called was waiting with the engine running, parked on the shadowy road, but – as they made their way towards it – both Eleanor and Joseph halted in the driveway and gazed upwards at the star-spattered sky, which stretched for infinity all around them. It was like being in a snow-globe full of diamonds. Eleanor allowed the feelings of humility and awe to spiral up as she realised that she was a tiny spec in a vast universe.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said.
Joseph wrapped his arms around her. “And you outshine all of them, Ellie.”
She gazed into his eyes. “Aw, thank you, Joseph!”
He cringed at his romanticness. “Come on, we’d better get back to the airport before I start serenading you!”
Once the private jet was back in the air and they were completely alone, Eleanor watched as Joseph grabbed a carryall from a closet and out pulled a pilot’s cap and jacket.
“I planted this here when we first boarded,” he said.
She frowned, wondering what the hell he was up to. He threw her a smutty grin as he removed his shirt and slung the jacket over his bare shoulders, leaving it undone so Eleanor could see his muscles. He maintained smouldering eye contact with her as he placed the cap askance on his head.
“Wanna fly me?” he asked.
Eleanor grinned as she inspected her own private sexy pilot. “Oh my god, you’re amazing.”
“Allow me to send you sky-high, sweetheart.”
Eleanor’s body washed with lust. He strutted over to where she was standing and kissed her hard.
“You’re mine,” he whispered. “I need to get inside you. But first… take a seat.”
He gestured to the kitchenette table, so she grabbed a chair and sat down, crossing her legs and trying to stay in control.
Joseph rummaged in his carryall again and produced a bottle of massage oil, then he stood in front of her like a stripper at a bachelorette party. He gazed down into her eyes, and – not breaking eye contract – he grabbed her hand and squirted some oil into her palm.
“Touch me, babe,” he said, opening his jacket and leaning forward. “I’m your toy. My body is for your pleasure.”
She laughed and rubbed the oil into his amazing toned pecs and sculpted abs. It turned her on to touch his warm fit body, sliding her hands over his taut flesh. He grabbed her hands and encouraged her to put them around his waist and down the back of his trousers, so she could enjoy a grope of his toned buttocks, which he was now swaying alluringly, while they both laughed at the levity of the situation.
“Unzip me,” he said, offering her his pelvis.
Eleanor grinned as she raised her hands to unzip his leather trousers, then she tugged out his huge cock and slid her oily hand up and down the shaft. It was the most perfect cock she’d ever seen – so smooth and powerful; a handsome specimen which she knew could give her deep thrusting pleasure all night long.
“Mmm, so good, sweetheart,” he said.
He stepped away and peeled down his trousers – stripping them off for her pleasure – then he stepped back in front of her and offered her a muscly thigh, which she massaged with her oily fingers. His body was amazing and she was delighted for this chance to stroke him and play with him. And he seemed to relish being groped by her as she reached around again to squeeze his buttocks while sliding her other hand down his rock-solid calf.
“You’re incredible,” she whispered.
“You can touch me anytime,” he said. “I’m all yours. But now…”
He threw his jacket to the floor, revealing his shiny oil-smeared torso.
“Stand up,” he ordered, taking his erection in his own hand and fondling it. “I need to fuck you.”
On trembling legs, Eleanor clambered to her feet and he kissed her passionately. Then – resting his hand on her shoulder – he swaggered behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
She flushed with desire. He reached around and undid the buttons of her shirt, stripping it off her shoulders and exposing her lacy bra. She breathed hard – aware of her ample cleavage rising and falling. He bit her neck as he unhooked her bra, then he caressed her breasts, making them plump up.
“Fuck you’re hot,” he said, grinding his hard cock into her ass. “I’m tempted to bend you over and fuck you hard. But…”
He ran his hands down her stomach to her suit trousers, which he unzipped and let drop to the carpet.
“Turn to face me, hotstuff,” he growled.
She stepped out of her trousers and turned to face him, feeling her desires volcano inside. “Now you’ve got me in nothing but my panties, Commander Joseph, what are you going to do with me?”
He cupped her chin and kissed her hard. “I’m going to make you lose control – just like an airplane in nosedive, sweetheart.”
She grinned. “That’s what I was hoping.”
He gestured to the velour couch. “Lie down.”
She padded over and got herself comfy, then he perched on the edge of the couch, facing her. He squirted some of the massage oil onto his fingers and rubbed his strong hands together. “I’ve got something here to relax away your fears of flying,” he said seductively.
She smirked. “I’m not afraid of flying.”
He ran his fingers up her thigh, causing lust to spiral through her yearning body. “You should be. Because I’m dangerously desperate to take you, babe.”
She chuckled and writhed on her back. “Go ahead. I’m all yours.”
He wrapped his fingers around his glorious powerful cock, and massaged it with an oily hand, while gazing down at her bare breasts as if she were a porn star. He shot her a devilish grin, then he picked up the massage oil, held it above her chest, and squirted the warm oily liquid over her breasts.
“Touch yourself for me, babe,” he said, fondling his straining cock.
She writhed on the couch and massaged the oil into her breasts, enjoying the look of awe on his face and subversive feeling as they both touched themselves for each other’s viewing pleasure.
“I can’t let you have all the fun,” he said. He knelt one leg on the end of the couch and leaned forward to place his own oily hands on her breasts, which sent spirals of dirty lust directly into her throbbing body. He lowered his fit body over her, covering her up and kissing her on the lips.
The kiss grew in passion as he continued to rub her breasts. She rubbed her clit against his firm thigh, desperate to feel him inside her. He got the hint, and peeled off her panties with his oily fingers.
“You’re so fucking gorgeous,” he said, rubbing the oil over her tingling legs.
A wave of desire shuddered over her as he crept his fingers up to her pussy, and eased two inside, making her gasp. She was desirously wet now and his lubricated fingers slipped in easily. She gasped and groaned as he rubbed her G-spot, sending her lust into glorious sizzles all over her body.
“Touch yourself again,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
She grinned and f
ondled her breasts, as he grabbed a condom and rolled it on, then he positioned himself at the end of the couch and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her roughly towards him. Her ass landed on the couch armrest, which tilted her hips upwards and gave him the perfect access to tease the tip of his cock into the opening of her pussy.
She groaned with passion, already starting to come. “Oh, yes, Joe…”
“Feels so good,” he said, pulling her towards himself and easing his cock inside. He thrust himself in fully, then he ground his hips slow and strong.
He held her hips in place with one hand, then he leaned down and caressed her tits with the other hand – pounding himself into her, and rubbing his toned abs against her clit.
The feel of him massaging her breasts as he thrust was erotic, yet somehow tender; it meant that they could gaze into each other’s eyes. She loved the fact that Joseph enjoyed watching her come, and she sensed he was in for a spectacular show today. Her body and mind swirled with desire as she gazed at him through half-closed eyes, relishing the sight of him in that pilot’s cap, which made him look incredibly hot; so in control and dominating. She felt herself liftoff into the orgasm which blasted through her at a hundred miles an hour. Allowing the couch to take all her weight, she felt as if she was floating in the air as she groaned with joy and lost herself in euphoria. She ground her clit into Joseph as he fucked her strongly, sending her soul into a frenzy of passion and causing tremors of blissful ecstasy to soar through her body.
She grinned hard as she gently drifted back down to earth, and – as she opened her eyes – she saw that Joseph was still massaging her breasts with his strong fingers – which had made the orgasm even more intense than usual.
He stood up straight, looking pleased with himself. “Welcome to the mile high club. I hope you enjoyed your flight, and I can’t wait to welcome you back on-board again.”
“Me too,” she said, giggling.
He removed the condom, then joined her on the couch, grabbing a blanket to cover them both. She snuggled into his arms and started to fall asleep, enjoying the gentle rocking of the jet and the hypnotic whirring of the engines. But then her thoughts turned to the reason for being on this plane...
The Billionaire's Revenge: Billionaire Brothers Billionaire Bachelors (Tycoon Billionaires Book 3) Page 14