by Ward,Alice
“I’m going to lose my damn mind before this is over.” I walked back to the living room and dropped down onto the couch, sliding my hand over my erection and squeezing firmly. The need to find release washed over me, but I denied it. Instead, I got up, grabbed my keys and headed toward the office.
With the company being temporarily shut down thanks to the investigation by the SEC, I hadn’t been in the office in a few days. I missed it. Missed being important. Needed. Wanted.
The drive did me good, and by the time I reached the familiar high-rise, I was a bit more settled. It would take more than a few minutes of thinking about Alisa to have me raring to go again, but she wasn’t around. I had the rest of the night to think through things alone.
I pressed my code for the door and locked it behind me before waving to the security guard and taking the stairs to the executive suite on the top level. There was no need to turn on lights as I moved through the darkened hallways. The faint moonlight from the windows provided more than enough glow to keep me on my path.
The computer and security room was just up ahead, but I paused as something shifted behind me.
“Zek?” Jeffery’s voice surprised me and I turned. My partner in the firm had been relatively supportive through most of the last week or so, but he’d also been absent.
“Jeff. Hey, man. I was coming by to check out some of the security footage that my lawyer requested.” I moved back down the hall and extended my hand to him.
“Oh. Anything I can help with?” He shook my hand firmly, looking me in the eye initially, but then he did something that didn’t sit too well with me. He diverted his attention to his nails, picking at them as we continued to talk about nothing.
Was I becoming paranoid?
“No. I’m good. Just going to do this and head home.” I watched him curiously. “You okay?”
“Hmmm?” He glanced up as an inquisitive look took his features hostage. “Yeah, yeah. Just having some trouble with the wife. You know how that shit goes. Well, sort of.”
“Right. Sorry to hear that. I’ll be in touch soon.” I turned on my heel and walked toward the camera room, not quite sure what to think about the odd interaction. Was Jeffery pulling back from me because he knew I wouldn’t survive the investigation from the SEC? It was smart, but I’d already discerned that ten times since the bubble burst. I wasn’t sure what my own actions would have been should we have switched places.
I locked the door behind me and sank down into the old leather chair in front of the security cameras as I glanced around the multi-screen display. Jeff was the only one in the building with me, and by the look of things, he was drinking himself silly in his office.
A sigh left me as I realized that part of his downfall was because of mine. I had no doubt that he and his wife were fighting because the firm was on the fritz. He’d invested all of himself in our business as I had too. I knew how he felt, and yet it was my fault. That he wasn’t ragingly pissed at me seemed almost off.
After forcing myself away from my depressing thoughts, I pulled the tape for the week before and popped it into the extra computer that set a little bit back from the mainframe. I wanted to check for evidence of Melissa coming by my office multiple times during that week. Something told me that she was just crafty enough to know that we had cameras and would have slipped into my empty office to make it look like she was with me.
I pressed my teeth into my bottom lip and tried to stave off the images of Alisa sitting in my lap, her hunger almost overwhelming, just like it had always been. I smiled at the memory of thinking how lucky her future husband would be. She was so aggressive and demanding that she had to be a tigress in the bed. He would have it made, and yet, here she was, divorced.
“Why? That makes no damn sense.” I moved toward the monitor as the date for the interviews appeared at the bottom of the screen. Celia ushered in intern after intern, but it was only after Melissa came in that she got upset with me. Most likely because she heard the little tart moaning in my office.
“What the fuck were you thinking?” I grumbled and slumped back in the chair, continuing to watch as the day moved by slowly. I reached up and pressed the fast-forward button, letting the feed run until I saw Celia talking to someone who looked familiar.
I jerked up and rewound the video to the correct spot and hit play again. Melissa and Celia were talking about something. Even more strange, they were and laughing a little too much for an intern and the executive assistant to the CEO. An odd feeling washed over me, and I couldn’t help but wonder if Celia had anything to do with my downfall.
Of all people in the world, she was the very last I would have accused in my mind a month back. She had been loyal to me, and good to my family for as long as I could remember. She was almost like a second mother to me. Having her turn me into the cops for the rape alongside Melissa was one of the worst moments of my life.
“I trusted you with everything.” I leaned forward, pausing the frame in the middle of them laughing. “Why would you be a part of anything that hurt me?”
And why would Melissa be laughing and having a good old time on the day she was raped? Most people were scarred by such an event, but the timetable I was looking at put her outside my office three hours later, cutting up with my secretary.
I grabbed a pad of paper from the file cabinet behind me and jotted down some of my thoughts to share with Alisa. After checking my phone and finding nothing from our silly bantering, I dropped back down in my seat and moved the feed forward.
The next few days showed Melissa stopping by my office, talking with Celia a little, but never coming in. Alisa had been right about finding the correct evidence to prove that the girl was a perpetual liar. I had it in front of me. As long as she confessed to the courts that she did in fact have a project with me, and we did meet up several times to work on the assignment, we would have her.
My heart almost stopped at the image that moved along the screen on Saturday. The day I’d taken Melissa up to the cabin with me.
Celia was sitting at her desk, which was odd. She rarely worked weekends simply because I didn’t make her work them. She wanted some downtime, and I respected that and had for years.
“What are you doing here, Celia?” I stood up and slid my hand in my pockets. There was no audio on the machine, but I wished like hell there was. I wanted to know what she was up to.
A guy walked up to her and leaned over the desk, his face hidden from the camera. I could tell that he was older by the color of his hair. The smile that lifted her lips said that he was important to her.
I’d never known her to date, and she wasn’t married after all the years we’d been together. She was far too independent to have a man bugging her for this or that. Sadness moved through me at the loss of our relationship, but I tucked it away for a visit some other time.
Paranoia tugged at me, and I had to try hard not to reach up and fast forward the video in hopes of getting a glimpse of the guy. He had to turn in a few minutes anyway. He had to.
She laughed and by the subtle movement of his shoulders, I could tell that he’d laughed as well. His business suit was navy and stretched across his back, his hair white and slightly balding on top. Why would someone wear a business suit on a Saturday?
I reached up to press the fast-forward button as a knock at the door behind me scared me half to death. Pressing my hand to my heart, I walked to the door and pulled it open to find Jeffery standing there with his bag on his shoulder.
“Alright, man. The old hag should be asleep by now. I’m going to crawl into bed, grab a few hours of sleep and get out of there before she wakes up again.” He gave me a weary smirk. “You let me know if you need anything from me and keep me in the loop. I want to know if we’re jumping ship or hanging on tightly.”
“You need to do whatever you think is best, Jeff. No hard feelings between us. This is all my fault, and you shouldn’t suffer because of it. Start a new firm and pull out the clients you wan
t to take with you. I’ll rebuild once I clear up my name. Maybe we can meet back up down the road later.” I ran my fingers through my hair as guilt threatened to tear me in half.
“Does that mean you were involved in the trading scandal?” His eyes narrowed slightly.
“No. Not at all, but it means that I chose the wrong type of people to hang around, and they were involved in one. I’m implicated by some of the normal course of business transactions I did with them. It’s going to get a lot uglier before it gets better.” I hated to lie, but I had no choice. I reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “You were my protégé all those years. It’s only fair to tell you that I’m good with you doing anything you need to do. Okay?”
“Yeah. I appreciate that. I’m hanging on until I figure out there’s nothing left to hang onto. If you hear something, just don’t forget to tell me. I’d rather know the ship is sinking from you than anyone else.” He smiled and pulled back. “Night, partner.”
“Good night, my friend.” I closed the door and let out a long sigh before sitting back down in front of the monitor. I had to rewind it to get back to the scene with Celia and her visitor, but with nothing but time on my hands, it was fine.
Anger bubbled up inside of me as I waited and I let out a soft grunt, hoping to release some of the horrid emotion that filled up my chest. I’d let so many people down in my indiscretion with both Melissa and Dane. After being such a stickler for the rules for the last twenty years, I’d let my guard down once and ruined everything.
Not just for me, but for all the people I care about too.
Jeffery wouldn’t rebuild, but most likely take a desk job somewhere, hating his life and losing his wife. My mother would lose her house without me supplying her with supplemental income from my bank accounts, and my brother would crack in half emotionally. I needed to ignore Mom’s demands that I not pay off her house and just do it before it was too late to make it happen. She would be pissed, but it was one thing I could do before I found myself without resources to help.
“And what will happen to Alisa?” I knew the answer all too well. She would find a good man and have a family with him. My family. My woman. My life. Gone.
I paused the monitor as the older man turned, his smile tight, his eyes dark.
“No fucking way. What are you doing in my office on a Saturday? Why are you talking to my secretary?” I rose to my feet as my blood ran cold. Alisa didn’t need to dig into who else was involved with Melissa in her scandal. I had it right there on tape.
Her father. My lawyer. Jon Mills.
The End of Part 1
To Be Continued in Part 2…
THE BILLIONAIRE PRISONER
ALICE WARD & JESSICA BLAKE
PART 2
BOOK DESCRIPTION
This is Part 2 of “The Billionaire Prisoner” – a five part Hot Alpha Billionaire Romance Series by Alice Ward and Jessica Blake.
The evidence is stacking up in Zek Kellington’s favor, and Alisa feels sure they will win. He didn’t rape the girl. He couldn’t have. Wouldn’t have. She believes it with all of her heart.
Her emotions are spiked due to the time they’ve spent together working through the various aspects of the case, and she finds herself coveting his attention more than she should. The old feelings are back, stronger than ever. She dreams of a future between them.
Too bad reality is a bitch.
This book is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.
CHAPTER 1
e
Alisa
I held my breath as the pretty young girl who accused Zek of rape stood behind me, half shrouded by the shadows. The apartment door was only a few feet away, but having never been one to shy away from a threat, I turned and squared my shoulders.
“I asked what you were doing here.” There was no reason for Melissa Mills to be anywhere near me, and the fact that she knew where I lived was concerning.
“I needed someone to talk to. You seemed nice at the coffee shop. I just… I just…” She reached up and pressed her hands to her face as a sob left her.
Some part of me wanted to walk to her, comfort her, but I knew a criminal when I was in the presence of one. She wasn’t speaking the truth where Zek was concerned. Her attack against him not only had the opportunity to destroy his career, but his life as well. Rape was a strong accusation, and a taint he wouldn’t soon remove from himself if she won.
He probably still won’t get rid of it now that the press has caught wind of it all.
“You need to go home, Melissa. I’m legal counsel for Mr. Kellington. Your family is a great resource to you. Use them.” I took a few steps back while she kept her face pressed to her hands.
She glanced up and wiped furiously at her cheeks as her lips turned down into an ugly frown. “My family? Is that a joke?”
“How did you find out where I lived?” I worked to get the key to my apartment ready. I’d have just enough time to unlock the door if she charged me, or I could use the damn thing as a weapon if I needed to.
“My father knows everything. He thinks he’s God.” Melissa threw her hands into the air dramatically and stomped her foot. She’d morphed into a little girl now — she’d transformed into one right in front of my eyes. It was fascinating and frightening simultaneously. I had no question to the fact that she was ill and needed help.
How Zek would take her into his proverbial bed was a question I was dying to ask him, but I already knew the answer. She most likely had too many faces to keep up with. A seductress had to be one of the many.
“I’m not sure he believes that, but I’m sad to hear it nevertheless.” I brushed my hand past my mouth and let out a soft sigh. “Either way, you need to go home, Melissa.”
“Can’t you talk for just a few minutes? I won’t stay long.” She took a step toward me, and I held up my hand.
“No. Go home. Now.” I used a commanding voice that she didn’t seem to like too much, but her feelings were irrelevant. My heart was racing, and I was starting to wonder if I was underestimating the level of crazy the girl in front of me had swimming around in her head.
I didn’t wait for her reply, but turned my back to her and worked calmly to get my door unlocked. I paused just before walking in and glanced back to find her watching me intently. Creepy wouldn’t have begun to describe the look on her face.
“Good night. Take care.” I walked into the apartment and closed the door just before she rushed it. After flipping the lock, I let out a long breath and walked into the kitchen as I pulled my cell phone from my purse. She hit the door several times, yelling for me to come out, but stopped moments later.
I could only imagine that the security guard had come up and warned her. The apartment wasn’t the most luxurious place I’d ever stayed, but it was nice and well protected. Which made me wonder how she’d slipped past the desk.
My hands were shaking as I called Lizzy, one of the senior attorney’s in my firm. The woman just happened to be Zek’s sister-in-law, which put me in an odd position, but speaking to her would be helpful that night. She could assist me in making the right decision as to how to handle Alisa.
“Lizzy Kellington.” Her voice was curt, and I glanced at the clock, realizing that she was probably knee deep in putting her kids to bed. A vision of her family swept through my mind. The woman had multiple pictures in her office, but I tried not to focus on them when I was there. It hurt too much to ponder on the lack in my life.
“Lizzy, it’s Alisa. I’m sorry to bother you, but I need to think through next steps with someone.” I moved to the couch in my tiny living room and dropped down.
“Of course. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll have a few minutes to myself. I’ll call you right back.”
“Sounds great.” I pulled the phone from my ear and closed my eyes, relaxing as best I could against the softness of my sofa. There was almost a lingering taste of Zek on my lips, or maybe I imagined it.
A groan left me as I thought back t
hrough the night and how frantic I’d acted when we started to make out. He probably thought I was a complete idiot.
The phone buzzed and I jumped, aggravated that something so silly had startled me.
“This is Alisa.”
“It’s Lizzy. I’m all good now. So you went to see Zek?”
“Yes.” I brushed my fingers through my hair and kicked off my shoes. “We got the paperwork signed for the Mills case. We’re under contract with him now.”
“Good. So what else is going on? Did you need to talk next steps on the case?” She sounded a little concerned that at my level I would need to talk about what to do next.
A smile pulled at my lips. “No. I got home to find Melissa Mills in the dark part of my hallway, standing near my door.”
Her voice rose sharply. “You did what? Oh my God, Alisa. Are you okay? She didn’t do anything to harm you, right?”
“I’m fine. I’m a little shaken that she would think to show up here. She played it off as if she were looking for someone to talk to, a shoulder to cry on.” I released a dry chuckle. “I guess I was too friendly at the coffee shop? I didn’t think I was, but the girl has some serious issues.”
“Of course she does. She’s accused a handful of men of rape.” Lizzy let out a sound of disgust. “How in the hell did you get rid of her? You did get rid of her, right?”
“Yes. I told her very firmly to go home, and I walked into my apartment. She didn’t start banging on the door until I’d closed it and locked her out. The security guard for the complex must have carted her off.” I sat up as a shiver ran down my spine. “I’m thinking that I should file a restraining order.”
“Absolutely you should. I’ll work it up tomorrow morning. Do you want me to send my husband out there to pick you up? Mark won’t mind. My house is a holy hell wreck, but you can stay in our extra bedroom tonight if you want to.” Her voice softened significantly, and something told me that she had the possibility of quickly becoming a good friend to me in the future.