Empire Part 3: A New Adult and College Billionaire Romance Series (Empire Billionaire Romance)

by Love-Wins, Bella

  “I still don’t know why he was gunning for that man. I don’t why he did it. I don’t know if it had to do with Barnaby taking the case, or because I worked for Barnaby. Once I found out, I confronted him, and told him he had made a huge error in judgment.

  “He tells me that just because I was more educated, it didn’t mean I was smarter than him, and it didn’t mean I was right, or that I had any place telling him what to do in his job. There was something hateful about the way he said it. It made me realize he felt threatened by me; by my career, and probably by my motivation and drive. There was no love in what he said or how he said it. He stormed off when I told me it was over, and I watched him leave.”

  “It turns out, that man was innocent. It was the driver of other vehicle who was at fault. But the damage had been done. This is a powerful, very wealthy family, and Rob basically destroyed this man, as if he hadn’t already gone through enough losing his wife.

  “He showed up on my door about two months after the case was closed, after things had died down. I couldn’t take him back. I didn’t. Maybe that’s one of my weaknesses. I can’t go back. As much as I cared for him, I knew there would always be some case like that, something that would come up again, and come right between us.’

  “But you’re friends now. Am I right?” I ask.

  “Not quite.”

  “So why are you still using him as your source at the NYPD?”

  “Because I trust him. Because I’m not close to any of the other officers. Probably for good reason, considering many of them at his precinct know we were together. Do you think it’s going to be a problem?”

  “I’m not sure yet. He has some animosity toward me. Your history with him may have something to do with it. It’s possible he dislikes me because he sees me as a threat, where you’re concerned. Or it could be just really hates wealthy people. Either way, I hope it doesn’t come back to bite me.”

  “Let’s not worry about it. He let it slide last night with your little testosterone matchup. He could have charged you with assault, you know?”

  “Charge me?” I ask, my voice deepening with some residual anger from the man’s unprovoked punch to my jaw. I pounce off the bed and begin pacing the floor beside the bed. “He threw the first punch. I swear if he had laid charges, I would have sued his ass.”

  “Maybe you should calm down, Jonathan.”

  I stop in my tracks. Rebecca doesn’t deserve this. She did nothing wrong, so I take a deep breath. She comes over to me and puts her hands on my chest.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “I’m sorry,” she says, looking up at me with those adorable eyes of hers. If I was angry, I’m not anymore. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “Don’t worry about Rob, okay? Let me deal with him.”

  I nod, but don’t know how to respond for a few seconds. “I will, as long as I don’t actually have to deal with him. If the time comes that I do, I’ll probably be a little more concerned.”

  She steps up on her tiptoes and leans in to kiss me softly on the lips. I admit, I was still a little cold, but that kiss, like all her others, warms me right up to her again. I turn and pull her into my arms, and hold her close. I kiss her hair, and we’re back to where we were on the bed.

  “Let’s get ready,” I tell her. “I want to leave on time for our trip this afternoon. Need a ride to the office?”

  “Sure.” She smiles and moves off, picking up my clothes that are thrown around her bedroom floor and handing it to me before she hits the shower.

  I love this woman. I don’t think I could ever be mad at her.

  Chapter Six

  Rebecca

  We get dressed and Jonathan drops me off at work. I almost can’t believe I told him so much about Robert and me. I’m impressed with him, and with myself too. I didn’t think I could be so open with anyone. And he listened so intently, and didn’t judge me, or react with any jealousy about Robert. I feel so close to him now. I’m probably too close. Definitely too close, but it’s too late now.

  I get up to my office early. Thank goodness I set the alarm for a half hour early. I’m still aroused from our playtime this morning. But it’s the morning after Virocci is arrested and released, and I need to give Kara an update. If I know anything about her, she’s salivating in her office as she waits to find out who at the precinct dared to arrest one of our firm’s clients.

  I pop by her office. Kara is in early. Just as I suspect, she wants to know exactly what happened. She tells me to sit down and give her a detailed report-back on last night. I’m not ready to rehash the part about Jonathan getting into a fistfight with Rob. Kara is growing impatient by the minute, so I sit and I spill as much as I can.

  “Okay Kara. I get there with Jonathan, and we’re told that Tony Virocci is being held on a weapons charge. I demand to see him. They keep us waiting for forty-five minutes. According to them, the items in his car were being processed. During that time, I see Bateman. He’s not assigned to the case, but I ask him to see if he can find out what’s going on.

  “The detective realizes Virocci has all his permits in order. There’s not a thing on the man’s record for the past six years, and the charge from six years ago was dropped. Before that, his record’s been clean for twenty-five years. They release him, but according to Virocci, he was questioned aggressively before I got there; even after he told them he wanted his lawyer present.”

  “How aggressively are we talking?”

  “He said he was harassed about Doreen Rushton. According to him, they asked whether she was visiting Solomon the night she was killed. They threatened to put him in front of a grand jury if he didn’t give them what they wanted on Solomon Sloan.”

  “What?” Kara practically screams the question. The vein on her forehead pops up. Her eyes are glaring at me, and she leans forward in her chair.

  “Yes.” I say. “A grand jury.”

  “What evidence do they have?”

  “Nothing that they’ve let us in on.”

  “Did they search his person? Or just the car?”

  “He said it was just his car. They may have patted him down for concealed weapons, but he was clean.”

  “And was he hurt physically?”

  “No.”

  “Okay. Well it sounds like they’re fishing. It’s a good thing Virocci has a clean record. If they had anything on him, they probably would have pushed harder. They can still threaten to charge him with something if he won’t cooperate or voluntarily turn on Solomon.”

  “Why would they go that far so soon? Why not wait until the evidence from Doreen comes in?”

  “Because they have to do something while they wait. It’s too high profile to wait on the evidence. Right now, they’re shaking trees to see what falls out. I wouldn’t be surprised if they planned that random search of theirs.”

  “Is there something we can do?”

  “We need to send a message that my clients are off limits. I’ll get Webster on it. You focus on Jonathan.”

  “Okay. So what will Webster action for next steps?”

  “I’ll have him start a complaint on Virocci’s behalf about the grand jury threat. If we don’t fight back now, they’ll think they can do it again, or worse the next time.”

  “Sounds good. The only other problem with what happened last night, Kara, is what Rob told me off the record.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “They may have swabbed all Virocci’s weapons and checked them for prints, blood and DNA while they were holding him.”

  “Well if the idiots did that, it’s illegal. None of the evidence gathered from Virocci’s vehicle will be admissible. I’ll make sure it’s never heard or seen in court, if it comes to that. What else?”

  “It’s not that, Kara. I know it’s inadmissible. I’m more worried about how they’ll adjust the targeting of their investigation, depending on what they find.”

  “G
ood point. They’re more likely to look at Solomon if they find anything on Virocci. Unless…”

  “Unless what?”

  “Not to worry. Was there anything else?”

  “No.” I relax in the chair, relieved she hasn’t asked me about Jonathan again. “That’s it.”

  “Okay. So when do you leave for the Bahamas?”

  “Sometime this evening.”

  “Excellent. Go on home, then. Get some rest. Be ready. Stay on top of Jonathan while you’re down there.”

  “Will do.” I get up to leave her office when I hear her again.

  “Rebecca?”

  “Yes?” I answer, stopping to turn and look at her.

  “You make sure he comes back when the weekend is over.”

  Kara grabs her purse and tells me she has to take care of something. She does not invite me to come along. I can’t imagine what she’s about to do, but I get the sinking feeling it involves Solomon Sloan. Knowing Kara, I already understand that whatever she does, if it involves protecting Solomon, it’s likely to expose Jonathan even more.

  Chapter Seven

  Jonathan

  I drop Rebecca off at work and head home to meet Dad. I probably have an hour so I shower and put on a pot of coffee. I’m on the last sip of my first cup when I hear my phone ring. I know it’s Dad from the ring tone. I hurry to finish and grab the phone on the last ring. He tells me he’s on his way over and will be here soon. We have a lot to discuss. This Mandy issue can’t be ignored any longer.

  I hurry to get dressed. I’m barely down the stairs when I hear the front door open. Dad has come alone. Thank goodness. I don’t wait a minute to get into it.

  “What’s going on with Mandy, Dad?”

  “Oh, you too? Can’t a man get a chance to sit and get comfortable before the third degree starts?”

  “Sit, Dad,” I tell him. I watch him as he sits. “There. Are you comfortable?”

  “Sure.”

  “Now tell me about Mandy.”

  “Shit,” he growls, leaning forward with his head in his hands. “She wants a divorce now. Can you believe that? After all this time, and after I took such good care of her.”

  The man is distraught, and also delusional. Granted, he doted on her during her cancer treatments. Still, for him to think she has no reason to want a divorce, he has his head up his ass. Right now, though, I don’t have much concern about their relationship. That’s his cross to bear. I just want to know what dirt she has on him, and what’s pissed her off enough to threaten to go to the police.

  I get back to the pressing matter. “And what’s this about some trunk full of stuff she found?”

  “Oh that. Who told you about it?”

  “Claire was here yesterday.”

  “Fuck. Her mother told her? Shit. We have to get this taken care of before it gets out of control.”

  “What’s in the truck?” I ask again.

  He shifts around, then leans back in the sofa. “It’s nothing major. Just some keepsakes.”

  “What kind of keepsakes, Dad? Who do they belong to?”

  He doesn’t answer me. He just looks at me, then turn his face away. Oh fuck. Well, fuck me. I’m praying the man has not been keeping souvenirs from the girls he’s offed over the years. The way he’s looking at me, fuck, I’m almost sure that’s exactly what he has inside the trunk. I just hope it’s underwear or locks of their hair, and not fingers or ears. Fuck my life right now; I can’t believe this shit.

  “Answer me, Dad. What is it? Where’s the trunk now?”

  “Mandy has it. I don’t know where she put it; otherwise I’d get it from her. I was hoping you could convince her to give it back, and to come back home.”

  “Christ, Dad. Me? Why me? Why not Claire? Or even better, why don’t you talk to your wife?”

  “Because she’s refusing to see me right now.”

  “Well then apologize, beg, plead, buy her something,” I tell him. “Get her some art.”

  I say that to see if he knows anything about Michael. He doesn’t flinch or react. Maybe he doesn’t know.

  “Don’t put me in the middle of this. I think I’ve signed up for enough, don’t you agree? I’ve worked my ass off for you, and now I’m about to put my head on the chopping block. Isn’t that enough?”

  “Hard work doesn't always protect you on the downside, and none of us get to play for free.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “The timing isn’t good for me to go to war with Mandy, son. She’ll listen to you.”

  “You’re probably right that she’ll listen,” I concede, raking an agitated hand through my hair. “But I’m not so sure she’ll do anything I say.”

  He looks up at me. “What do you mean?”

  There’s no point lying to my father. He has a powerful built-in radar for bullshit, especially where I’m concerned. I could never lie to him, so I tell him. “She asked me to come see her this weekend.”

  “You saw her?” he asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me more intently. “Where?”

  I get up and start pacing. This is my father, but if he really wants me to help with Mandy, I can’t be the one to betray her trust about Michael or where she’s staying. Especially if there’s anything in that trunk that can bring my dad down. And I’m sure as hell not going to be the one to tell him his wife is having an affair. If he really wants to know, he’ll find out soon enough.

  “It doesn’t matter where I saw her. I’ll talk to her, alright?” I pull out my phone and look for her number. “I’ll text her now and see if she’ll meet me when I get back next Monday. And when I do, Dad, I want you to promise you’ll leave me out of anything new.”

  “Not good enough,” he answers as I’m sending the text. “And I can’t make that promise to you either. I need you to take care of this trunk issue today.”

  “I’m flying out this afternoon,” I tell him, looking at my watch.

  “It’s still mid-morning,” he counters. “You’ve got more than enough time to see her before you leave.”

  “Shit. Dad, don’t you think you’ve got me doing more than my fair share already?”

  “Johnny, there’s doing your share, and then there’s doing what it takes. They’re not always the same.”

  “Fine,” I tell him. “I’ll go see her now.”

  “Good. And when you meet her, you can also impress upon her how important this Warrior deal is for Sloan Sports.”

  I’m incredulous he’s still got the Warrior acquisition on his mind. “Seriously? I just told you I don’t want to deal with anything new. Let’s get this trunk issue out of the way. And I’ll beg her to let you come talk to her. That’s enough, Dad. And maybe that Warrior deal needs to go on the back burner. If she can’t trust you right now, I can’t see how she’ll want to help you close that deal.”

  “This Warrior acquisition is a shot at really big business, Johnny. For both of us. I was going to talk to you about this when this Rushton issue blew over.”

  He acts like the Rushton issue is someone else’s little problem. Such a small problem, it’s an issue. It’s like he forgot he created it, and that it’s my fucking life hanging in the balance.

  “When the deal is done,” he continues, “I want you with me at the helm. There are only a few people who I think can be really, really exceptional at this. And son, you’re one of them. Remember what I always told you was my number one rule in business?”

  I repeat his mantra like a parrot. “Nobody give you shit, Dad.”

  “Exactly. Nobody gives you shit. You want to leave something behind in this life, you go out and you work your ass off, and you build it. What do you say?”

  He won’t stop pressing me on this. I know him too well. I have to get him out of my place. I start walking to the door. “I’ll think about it, Dad. Besides, who knows if I’ll be a free man after it’s all said and done. I’ve got to take care of some things, Dad. And now I also have this Mandy deal with the t
runk. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “You might as well talk to her about Warrior too, while you’re there anyway.”

  I glower at the man. He has a massive set of balls if he thinks she’ll forgive him one day and approve a half a billion dollar transaction the next. I’m tired of his shit right now. I tell him I’ll try, just to get him out of my hair.

  “Good. Thanks, Johnny,” he says. I open the front door and he finally gets to his feet. “I have a full day today. I’ll talk to you when you get back. I’m not too happy about the timing of this island vacation of yours, but I understand. Have a good time, son. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  He meets me at the front door and puts a hand on my shoulder. He gives me a heartfelt thanks as we walk to the elevator. He even hugs me as we wait. For fuck’s sake, the man can manipulate.

  Chapter Eight

  Rebecca

  After I leave Kara’s office, I grab a few files and head out. I stop for a large cup of specialty coffee near the office and walk home. Jonathan has arranged to pick me up around four this afternoon, so I have almost the entire day. I feel like I’m already on vacation. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so little to do.

  I can use another coffee after a few blocks. I send a text to Sarah to see if she wants to meet me. She tell me to come by her place first, so we can catch up. By catch up, I know she wants me tell her about Jonathan. I’m not about to tell her much, but I won’t avoid her either.

  I get to her building. She lives in a gorgeous, airy and modern condo building. Her concierge lets me up to her floor and she’s waiting at her door when I get up there. It occurs to me I haven’t been to her place before. It’s on the twenty-fourth floor and has a breathtaking view of Central Park. Her apartment is tastefully decorated, opulent, and shares her contemporary chic good taste.

  Sarah lets me in and gives me a warm hug with one arm. She has a cup of steaming tea in the other hand. She takes a sip and offers me a cup.