Warriors,Winners & Wicked Lies: 13 Book Excite Spice Military, Sports & Secret Baby Mega Bundle (Excite Spice Boxed Sets)

by Selena Kitt

  There is a knock on my office door, and Annabel let’s herself in. I bark at her that I thought I made myself understood, but she says she’s done packing her desk and would like to take the rest of the afternoon off.

  “I’ve got the personal time coming, and I’ve got a really important date to get ready for tonight.” She purrs at me. She’s still trying to make me jealous. This woman doesn’t know when to quit, and I can’t believe I ever found her attractive in the first place. She’s pretty on the outside, but on the inside, she’s completely vile.

  “Whatever Annabel. I don’t care about your date. Take your shit down to your new desk before you leave, and then you can go.” I tell her without looking away from my computer.

  “Thanks, Josh. And, I hope that we can make this right eventually. I do want to be friends.”

  “Don’t count on it.” I say tersely.

  She gives up and leaves, and I finish preparing for my last meeting of the day. I’ll need to get in touch with the temp agency I use and have a temporary secretary sent over tomorrow to fill in until I hire a new assistant. Then I have an idea, so I call Zoe’s secretary and ask her to arrange for my temporary assistant. She cheerfully agrees.

  “Oh, and Mr. Allen. I’d like to be considered for the position.” Clare says confidently.

  “What about Zoe?” I ask her curiously.

  “She’s great. No complaints whatsoever. But, being your assistant would be a step up. It would put me one step closer to being the office manager. So, I’d like to be considered.” Her voice doesn’t waver one bit, and I have to chuckle.

  “I like ambition, Clare. You’ve got spunk. Please make sure you get your resume to me right away. I could use an assistant that I can depend on to get the job done. Zoe will just have to understand, and I assume you’ll make sure to find her a suitable replacement should I hire you.”

  “Oh, yes. Mr. Allen. Thank you. I’ll get my resume to you right after close of business today, and I’ll make sure you’ve got the very best the temp agency can provide tomorrow.”

  “Spectacular, Clare. But, why don’t you have a temp sent over to fill in for you instead. I assume Zoe will be out for a few days tending to her family issues. I can someone who knows how this place works right now.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Allen.” Clare says enthusiastically.

  “Thank you, Clare.” I say and disconnect.

  My last meeting drags on for what feels like an eternity. I keep checking my phone, but no messages or calls from Zoe come through. I try to call her again one more time before I leave, but she still doesn’t answer. Instead of going home, I go by her apartment. No one answers the door, so I just have to go home and wait.

  I’m sure she’ll call soon.

  Chapter 13

  Zoe

  Stacey and I aren’t as close as we were in high school anymore. We still talk and text each other from time to time, but we’ve grown apart. She and I went to different colleges, and after a few years, we just stopped getting together. I’m so scared and confused, though, that I drive straight over to her house. She was always there for me when we were younger, so coming to her now feels natural.

  I know that I should have visited when she moved back to town, and I know that’s why she emailed me her address and pictures of her new home. Unfortunately, I’m an asshole. I hope that she can forgive me and doesn’t turn me away.

  I need a friend and a place to hide out right now. Since we’ve grown apart, I’m fairly certain that Josh’s dad doesn’t who she is or where she lives. It also means I don’t have to worry about Josh showing up at my apartment looking for me. I can’t face him right now, and even though he’s a liar, I’m not sure if I could hide his dad’s plans from him. I should tell him anyway so he can protect his sister, but what if Andrew kills her because I talk to Josh about it? I don’t want to be responsible for that.

  “Zoooooooeeeeeeeee!” Stacey squeals with delight when she opens the door and interrupts my darkest thoughts.

  She pulls me into a hug, and I go from feeling like an asshole to feeling like a slug. I never should have taken such a good friend for granted, and I commit right now to making it up to her.

  Stacey invites me in and says she can tell by the look on my face that I need a glass of white wine. I show her the bag I brought from our favorite Chinese restaurant. There was some time between when I left my apartment and when I knew she’d be home from work, so I drove around for a while and then stopped to pick up dinner.

  “Oooh. Thank you, Zoe. Did you get the chow mein?” She asks as we head into the kitchen for wine and plates.

  “Yup. You know it.” I tell her and smile. I feels good to be here with her again.

  “Not that I’m upset that you’re here, I’m ecstatic to see you, but why did you pick today to drop in?” Stacey asks as she uncorks the wine.

  “It’s a long story, Stacey. I’ll tell you while we eat, and if you want me to go after you hear all about it, I’ll understand.”

  By the time the bottle of wine is gone I’ve told her everything. I left out the part about Josh’s sister, that’s not my story to tell. Telling her that Andrew was abusive is enough.

  “He sounds dangerous, and his son sounds like a royal dick.” She says and chugs back the rest of her wine before getting up to grab another bottle. “It’s a two bottle kinda night. Don’tcha thing? I mean, think?” She says and laughs.

  “Yes, I do. But, I understand if you don’t want me here. I don’t want to put you in danger, Stacey. I haven’t been a good friend, and I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

  “Nonsense, Zoe. I’m not scared. And, I’ve got Princess. Wake up, Princess. Get your cute butt in here.” She calls out and the biggest Rottweiler I’ve ever seen comes around the corner into the kitchen. “She was sleeping, but she’ll let us know if any creeps are lurking around.”

  “Whoa, that’s a big dog. She didn’t get up when I came in, though.” I say as Princess comes over and sniffs my hand.

  “That’s because she knows you’re not a threat. She’s a smart girl, aren’t you Princess?” Stacey coos at the dog and then tosses her a piece of meat from her plate.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do, Stacey.”

  “That’s easy. You’re going to move in here until we figure this out.” She says and tosses Princess another piece of chicken.

  “I couldn’t do that.”

  “Oh please, sister. Of course, you can. I’ve got plenty of room. You can’t go back to your apartment, and I won’t have you sleeping in a hotel. Unless it’s a really nice hotel, and then I’m coming too.” She says, and Princess looks heartbroken as Stacey eats the next bite instead of tossing it to her. The dog’s tail beats back and forth at a million miles per hour as she looks expectantly at her mistress.

  I put a bite beef on the floor for the massive beast, and she licks my leg before eating it. “There you go, I’ll hook you up.” I say to the dog.

  “See, she likes you. This is going to be perfect. It’ll be like having a sleepover every night. Let’s watch a movie.” Stacey says and heads for the living room.

  While she puts a movie on, I pack up the leftovers. Princess and I are going to be best friends forever after all of the meat I feed her when Stacey isn’t looking. She’s a beautiful dog, and I feel better knowing Princess is protecting me. When I’m done putting the food away, I pat her on her broad head, and she follows me into the living room.

  After the movie, and another bottle of wine, I finally have the courage to send Josh my resignation email. It’s not safe for me to go back to work, and I don’t want to see his big, stupid face. As I expected, five minutes after I hit send, Josh starts calling me again.

  “You groing to schtalk to him?” Stacey slurs and then chuckles.

  “First, you’re cut off. Second, no. Fruck him.” Crap, I’m tipsy too.

  “Haha. Bottles empty, bitch. We shlould go to bred. I’ve got to wark in the mornling, and it slounds
like you need a jlob.” She says and struggles to her feet. “I don’t usually drink dis much.”

  “I know. I understand. It was frun.” I say and hiccup. “Now, where is my broom. I mean room?”

  Stacey shows me to the guest bedroom, and I pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow. When I wake up in the morning, she’s already gone to work and I have a ton of text messages and voicemails from Josh. I delete them all without listening to or reading a single one.

  After I shower and get dressed, I decide to go out and apply for jobs. I need to stay under the radar, so the working in the law is out. I have some savings, but I need a job to keep me from going insane.

  I’m fortunate that I land a job as a barista at a local coffee house the same day, and it seems like a fun, laid back environment. It’s nothing like being an attorney, but it will keep me busy at least three days per week. On the way home, I pass a yoga studio and decide to join. I need something to help me center myself, and I used to love yoga classes in college.

  The weekend rolls around and when I get off work Saturday afternoon, Stacey and I head to the yoga studio. She doesn’t want to let me out of her sight any more than she has to. Plus, Stacey loves yoga too.

  We end up next to a statuesque young woman who looks vaguely familiar, but I can’t quite place her. Stacey and I strike up a conversation with her after class, and she’s a great person. Candy is funny, smart, and she reminds me of somebody, but again, I can’t quite figure out who it is.

  We all go out to dinner, and Candy can’t seem to relax. She keeps looking over her shoulder like someone is going to come after her at any moment. After a glass of wine, she calms a little bit and tells us she’s been hurt badly in the past. I assume she means by an ex-boyfriend, and I can identify with that. Her paranoia also makes me feel a little better about my own. I’m sure I’ve been looking over my shoulder the whole night as well.

  Josh keeps calling me, but I’m still refusing to talk to him or even answer his text message. Even if I didn’t hate him, it will be safer this way. Still, I can’t keep my mind from drifting back to his body and the way he makes me feel.

  Chapter 14

  Josh

  I don’t know what to do without her. I’m terrified that something has happened to her, and I’m furious too. Maybe she left because I told her I loved her. How could I have been so stupid? I knew that the moment I opened myself up to a woman, she’d destroy me. That’s why I’ve always fucked them and then left them alone. There is no way to get a broken heart when you refuse to let them get too close to you. I never believed that Zoe would break me, but here I am losing my mind without her.

  The good news is that Clare is a great assistant. She’s keeping me together and making sure I look good for the partners despite the fact that I’m falling apart on the inside. While it’s true that I own this law firm, they could vote me out if I appear incompetent. Then, they’d either have the option to buy me out or make me a silent partner. It’s part of the deal we made when I was still in law school and they weren’t one hundred percent sure that I could handle running the firm.

  Clare comes into my office looking as solemn as I feel. She tells me that we need to discuss something and asks if I have a few minutes. Her face tells me that it’s bad news, and that’s the last thing I need right now. I can’t neglect serious issues with my company, though, because I’ve made serious commitments to my partners. I’m going to have to handle whatever this is, and I’m going to have to handle it now.

  “What is it Clare?” I ask her as calmly as I can considering my current emotional state.

  “I’ve found some discrepancies in some of the ledgers. I took a look your budget like you asked, and there are several major issues. Look up the entries from every Tuesday for the last few months.” She says quietly.

  “Jesus Christ. Where is all of this money going? The partners are going to lose their minds.” I say and run my hand nervously through my hair. I’ve got to keep it together in front of Clare, but this is bad.

  “I don’t know, Mr. Allen. I’ve been looking for it, but so far it seems to have fallen into a black hole. The account the ledger shows the money going into isn’t real, and after that there is no trail.”

  “Thanks Clare. Can you keep looking? I mean, in addition to everything else I’ve dumped on you. I know it’s a lot, but I assure you that I’ll pay you well for your time. Out of my own pocket.” Reliable people are hard to find, and when you do, you make sure to keep them loyal.

  “Yes, Mr. Allen. I’ll get back on it now.”

  “Thank you, Clare. And, let me know if you hear anything from Zoe.” She nods and heads back out to her desk.

  When I’m pulling into my driveway, I see a young woman sitting on my front steps. My heart starts to hammer in my chest as I imagine that it’s Zoe. I’d give anything to have her with me right now. As I take off my helmet, I realize it’s just Cadence.

  “Why are you sitting outside?” I ask her and try to walk past her into the house.

  “Stop Josh. I want to talk to you outside. If we wait until we get inside you’ll just blow me off. This house is too big and has too many places for you to hide from me.” She says and puts her hand on my chest to stop me from walking past her.

  “The answer is no. Whatever it is. Just no.”

  “That’s not fair. I have new friends, and I want to go out with them tonight.” She says and stamps her foot like a petulant child.

  “That’s definitely a no. How do you know it’s not a trap dad is setting?”

  “Oh my God, Josh. It’s not a trap. And, I’m an adult. You can’t stop me.”

  “Oh, yes. I can. Just try to go. And, if you’re really an adult, why don’t you try acting like one instead of like a spoiled, immature princess.”

  “You’re an insufferable ass.” She says and glares at me.

  “I get that a lot.” I say and maneuver around her into the house.

  I hate having to do this to her. I just want her to be safe, but it kills me that she can’t have a normal life. There has to be a way, besides murder, to get our father out of our lives for good. I’ll apologize at dinner, and maybe we can work something out.

  Except, by dinner Cadence has slipped out of the house and gone off to do whatever it was she wanted to do. Unfortunately for her, I have a body guard following her. I take out my phone and give him a call.

  “Why didn’t you tell me she left?”

  “It was either call you or follow her. She’s a slippery little thing.” The voice on the other end says.

  “Do you have eyes on her now?”

  “Yep boss. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Thanks.”

  Chapter 15

  Zoe

  Candy meets Stacey and me at the club, and once again, she looks nervous as hell. We get a drink and start dancing, but Candy is looking over her shoulder more than usual. We throw back a shot of tequila, and she relaxes just a little bit.

  After an hour, we’re one shot of tequila and one rum and coke in, and Stacey is acting really out of it. She’s way drunker than we are, but she insists she’s just fine. We keep dancing, and I have to tell several men to get lost. They’re hot, but I just want to have a good time with my girlfriends tonight. Men are too much trouble.

  Especially the men in this club who keep trying to hit on Stacy. My evening turns into a babysitting job as I keep the gross assholes who want to take advantage of her at bay. She keeps insisting that she’s okay, and Candy is finally having a good time, so I resign myself to watching her back for the rest of the night. I discretely tell the bartender that she needs to be cut off or he’ll be overserving her, and Stacy doesn’t even notice that her rum and Cokes become just Cokes.

  Another hour and another drink, for Candy only, later and an angry man storms onto the dance floor and grabs Candy by the arm. I’m about to lay into him when I realize who it is. Josh is trying to drag Candy off the dance floor and out of the club. I’m confus
ed for a moment, and I start to wonder if Josh is the ex-boyfriend she’s afraid of. Could he be more than just a lying asshole? Could he be dangerous too?

  Then it hits me. Candy is Cadence. She wasn’t worried about a stalker ex-boyfriend finding her. She was worried about a super overprotective alpha asshole brother finding her. That’s why she looks so familiar. It’s not that I’ve seen her before, but it’s because she looks so much like Josh.

  He was mad when he got here, but his face turns bright red with rage when he see’s me with his sister. This must look really bad to him, but I’m not sure if I care. I don’t owe him any explanation.

  Chapter 16

  Josh

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing with my little sister? And, where the hell have you been?” I yell over the music. This probably isn’t the best way to get back into her good graces, but right now I’m confused and angry.