Be My Forever Bride

by Martha Kennerson

  “What’s this?”

  “Inside, you’ll find a list of bank accounts—”

  “Bank accounts?” Brooke frowned. “I thought you didn’t want my money.”

  “We don’t and if you’d stop interrupting me, I can lay out your assignment.”

  Brooke’s head jerked. “My assignment?” Shannon sat back and folded her arms. “Sorry. Continue.”

  “The account number on the card we gave you belongs to Victoria Kingsley.”

  “What?” Brooke’s brow puckered; she knew she must have heard wrong.

  “Imagine my surprise when one Sunday afternoon, while me and my partner were in bed, sharing old life stories, I find out that your mother-in-law stole a great deal of money from him.” Shannon placed her right hand over her heart as if she was about to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. “Now I wouldn't be a good partner, not to mention lover, if I didn't I share our history, Brooke. We want the money back, along with the appropriate amount of interest.”

  “I don’t believe you.” Brooke shook her head.

  “I don’t give a damn what you believe,” Shannon said through gritted teeth. “You’re going to pull out every dime and split it evenly over all of those accounts.”

  “Look, I just got my divorce settlement. Well, I’ll have it real soon and it’s yours. Every dime. Please just leave the Kingsleys alone.” Brooke’s heart was racing and the dull ache in her lower back now felt like sharp needles being stabbed slowly into her spine.

  “Isn’t that sweet? You’ll need that money, because you’re going to have to disappear once the job is done.”

  “What?”

  Shannon glared at Brooke. “Don’t you know anything? The Kingsleys are going to be after blood when they find out what you’ve done.” Shannon leaned forward and whispered, “There’re only a handful of people who know about that particular account, so trust me, Victoria will figure it out sooner or later. Anyway, your settlement is nowhere near the seventy million in that account.”

  Brooke’s head started to spin. “Seventy million...dollars?”

  “Yes, and we want every single dime too.”

  Brooke fought back tears and raised her nose in the air. “What’s to stop me from going to the Kingsleys right now and telling them everything?”

  “Because you’re not that brave or that stupid. You know we will release all those photos, plus a few more I didn’t send you, along with the statements from every man and woman you slept with.”

  “That’s a lie and you know it.” Brooke slammed her palm against the table.

  Shannon released an audible sigh. “Don’t you know a scandalous lie that sells papers or garners clicks and likes is more believable than the truth? Add that little bit of truthful information—” Shannon pointed to the envelope that now lay on the table next to Brooke’s water glass “—and the story will go viral in a matter of hours, humiliating the Kingsleys, especially your soon-to-be ex-husband, and seriously shaking the confidence of all their business associates. They’re already under attack by the government. This will just add fuel to the already raging fire around them. I can see the headlines now. Former Sex Worker Marries a Kingsley or better yet, Brooke Kingsley Trades Sex for Contracts. I'm sure that would do wonders for your own business too. How many of your wealthy clients will want to entrust their interests to you after all that?”

  Brooke felt sick. She knew everything Shannon said was correct. By the time she cleared her name, the damage would be done. Then she heard Lisa’s voice in her head: You’re not in this alone. Brooke remembered that she too had powerful people in her life that could help. She put the envelope in her purse and stood. She leaned forward, slightly gripping the table. Shannon frowned at her movement.

  “Thank you for the breakfast. I assume you’ll be taking care of the bill. As for your request, my answer is no.”

  “No?” Shannon expression hardened.

  “N.O. I won’t hurt my family...ever!” Brooke declared.

  “We’ll see about that,” Shannon promised.

  Brooke knew it wouldn’t be that easy. She was declaring war. “Yes, we will.” She picked up her briefcase, leaving the list of accounts on the table, and walked out of the restaurant to her waiting car.

  Chapter 10

  Brooke spent the painful ride to her office reading and rereading the one piece of incriminating evidence from her past that Shannon actually had. She’d thought that, between completing the deferred adjudication process and having her record sealed and legally changing her name, that this part of her past was dead and buried. Yet somehow Shannon managed to resurrect one of the worst times in her life to use it against her. Why was she surprised? Brooke was so deep in thought she hadn’t realized the car had come to a stop. Brooke jumped when the door opened.

  “Mrs. Kingsley.” The driver offered Brooke his hand.

  “Thank you.” Brooke grabbed her things, accepted the driver’s assistance and stepped gingerly out of the car.

  “Shall I be here the same time as always?”

  “Yes, please,” she answered through gritted teeth.

  Brooke made her way inside the building and up to her office, feeling each painful step she took. She walked in and reached for the closest chair where she slowly sat down.

  “Good morning,” Damon said, frowning.

  “Good morning, boss,” Lori greeted her, with a worried look on her face. “What’s wrong?”

  Brooke looked up at her concerned friend with every intention of reassuring her that she was fine but words failed. The tears she’d been fighting fell and she released a loud, painful moan.

  Lori ran to close the door before returning to Brooke’s side. “Are you in pain?”

  Brooke nodded. Between her back and leg pain, not to mention her heart breaking at the idea of hurting the Kingsleys, Brooke wasn’t sure what hurt more. “P-pills,” she whispered.

  Lori reached into Brooke’s purse and pulled out her medicine. She gestured for Damon to toss her one of the water bottles that sat in the middle of the conference table. “Here you go.” Brooke took the pills and finished off half the water bottle.

  “Should we call a doctor or something?” Damon asked.

  “No,” Brooke whispered. “I’ll be fine in a few minutes.”

  “Let’s help her over to the sofa,” Lori instructed Damon.

  Brooke was grateful for the offer of help but refused. She slowly walked the few feet and sat down. “Sorry, guys, it looks like I’ll be working from this spot today.” She offered up a small smile.

  “Would you like for us to take you back to the hotel?” Damon asked.

  “Of course not. I’ll be fine in about an hour.” Brooke lay down on her side. “Just go back to work.”

  Lori and Damon stared at her. “Okay, if you need something just call out,” Lori said.

  Brooke nodded, closed her eyes and waited for the pain to subside.

  * * *

  “I can’t believe Mom bailed on the final stage of these negotiations,” Brice said, reaching across the conference table to retrieve a cookie from the snack tray that had been placed in the middle of it.

  “I don’t know why not. You know Mom has a short attention span these days when it comes to nuances of the deal. Let’s just make this break quick so we can get this done,” Alexander reminded Brice, keeping his eyes on his cell phone. “China wants me to invite you over for dinner tonight.”

  “I’m hoping I’ll have other plans.” Brice pulled out his phone. “Dammit.”

  “What?”

  “I texted Brooke about dinner tonight but she hasn’t texted me back yet.”

  “How about you just give her a call?” Alexander suggested.

  “I did and it went to voice mail, which is strange.” Brice frowned.

  “Why?”

 
“She never turns off her phone.”

  “Then call her at the office,” Alexander recommended.

  “Good idea.” Brooke had Brice so twisted up in his feelings he couldn’t think clearly.

  Brice held the phone to his ear. “Well?” Alexander asked.

  “They’re getting her for me,” Brice informed his curious brother, feeling both nervous and excited to hear Brooke’s voice.

  “Hi, Brice, sorry I missed your calls and texts. My phone needs to be charged,” Brooke explained.

  “Oh, okay.” Brice stood and stepped away from the conference table. “Are you all right? You sound funny.”

  Brooke laughed and his heart skipped a beat. “Gee, thanks. I’m fine.”

  “Sorry. I was calling to see...umm...if you were available for dinner.” Brice actually held his breath as he waited for Brooke’s answer.

  “I’d like that...very much.” Brice pumped his fist in the air and a big smile crawled across his face. That was, until the next words fell from her lips. “But—”

  “But...” Brice felt like he’d just been hit in the gut.

  “It will need to be a late dinner—how’s eight-thirty?”

  Brice released a deep sigh and Brooke giggled. “Oh, sure. Cool. That’s fine. I’ll pick you up at your hotel.”

  “See you later, Brice.”

  “La-later.” Brice stared down at his screen and watched Brooke’s name disappear. He put his phone away and returned to the table to a confused-looking Alexander. “What?”

  “What the hell was that? You sounded like a fifteen-year-old kid asking a girl out for the first time.”

  “Man, forget you,” he snapped back, knowing his brother was right. But Brice had an idea of how he could get some of his cool points back. He pulled out his phone again and sent his assistant a text message.

  “I hope you get it together before tonight.” Alexander laughed.

  “Whatever. Let’s get this wrapped up. I want to get out of here on time.”

  “I bet you do. So I guess I should tell China, next time.”

  “Rain check.” Brice stood and headed to the door. “I’ll go get the suits back in here.”

  * * *

  Brooke sat back in her chair, smiling down at the phone. “Sounds like you changed your mind about a few things,” Lori deduced, her left eyebrow raised.

  “It’s just dinner.”

  “It’s never just dinner,” Lori teased.

  “I can’t believe I slept through most of the day,” Brooke replied, changing the subject.

  “Your pain meds are pretty heavy-duty.”

  Brooke nodded. “That’s why I try not to have to take them.” Then she remembered the reason she’d needed the help in the first place and frowned. Brooke checked the time on her computer. “You guys can cut out early. Get a jump start on the weekend.”

  “Seriously?” Damon’s face lit up.

  “Seriously! We’re done with the first-quarter review and second-quarter material isn’t going anywhere. We can get a fresh start on everything first thing Monday morning. Go. Get an early start on your Friday.” Brooke gave a nonchalant wave.

  “Cool. Friday night with my boys and Saturday with my girls,” Damon informed.

  “Boy, bye,” Lori said, rolling her eyes. “So...” She gave Brooke the evil eye.

  “So... What?”

  “It’s three forty-five and you’re pushing us out. You got a hot date to get ready for or something? Oh, yeah, that’s right, you do.” Lori rested her hands on her hips. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine. Aren’t you the one who’s been telling me to come clean with Brice? What, have you changed your mind?”

  “Of course not. I think he has a right to know about your MS. I’m just surprised you agree with me.”

  “Like I said, it’s just dinner.” My MS is the least of my worries right now. “Let’s just say I’m keeping my options open right now.”

  Lori picked up her things. “You coming?”

  “Not yet. Since I missed nearly a day’s worth of work, the least I can do is catch up on my emails.”

  “Would you like for me to stay?”

  Brooke smiled. “No, I appreciate the offer but I’m fine. Go enjoy your weekend.”

  “I will.” Lori wiggled her eyebrows as she walked out the door.

  Brooke pulled the envelope that Shannon had given her out of her purse and removed the business card. She turned to the computer and searched for the bank statements associated with the account number on the card. “Oh, wow.” Brooke printed out copies of the statements. She knew it was time to find out who she was really dealing with, so she picked up her phone and dialed a reliable source for the information she needed.

  It took Lisa less than an hour to reach out to several people from their past and gather all the intel she could, which she happily shared with her friend. Brooke sat behind her desk and waited for her guest to arrive. Soon there was a knock on the door and the knob turned. Brooke checked the time. “Right on time as always.” She stood and plastered on a fake smile. You can do this. Just tell the truth. The door opened and Victoria entered the room. She wore a black Yves St. Laurent jumpsuit with a crystal trimmed peak lapel. Even when she was dressed casually, she looked regal.

  “Brooke, dear, what has you in such a frenzy and why did I have to keep this meeting a secret?” she questioned, standing in the middle of the room.

  Brooke came from around her desk. “Please have a seat and I’ll explain everything.”

  Victoria placed her bag on the small glass coffee table before she sat on the sofa. Brooke sat in one of the chairs across from her.

  “Well...”

  “I... I’m not sure where to begin, Victoria.”

  “How about at the beginning?” Victoria sat back and crossed her legs as if she was expecting a great tale.

  “Okay. My name is Smith. Well, it’s not just Smith—It’s Brooke Avery Smith.”

  “Aww, that explains it.”

  “Explains what?” Brooke frowned.

  “There wasn’t much to find on Brooke Smith other than a birth certificate, a stellar college record and your short work history. I just figured that was because you grew up in the foster care system,” Victoria explained.

  “You had me investigated?”

  Victoria’s forehead creased as if that was the most ridiculous question she’d ever heard. “Yes, of course, I had you investigated. Not only were you joining my company, you were working with my son. My handsome and extremely wealthy son.”

  “You were protecting your family like always,” Brooke deduced, nodding slowly.

  “Now what is it that I don’t know about Brooke Avery?” Victoria raised her left eyebrow.

  Brooke sat up straight in her chair, crossing her legs at her ankles, and placed her hands in her lap. “You already know I grew up in the foster care system after I was dropped off at a fire station with my birth certificate and twenty dollars pinned to my clothes—”

  “Yes, you explained that when you and Brice started dating. You were four.”

  “Yes.”

  Victoria frowned. “I never understood how that could happen.”

  Brooke shrugged. “My birth mother was only fifteen when she had me and I guess after a few years of playing Mommy she’d had enough.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I thought you could only leave a baby at the fire station.”

  “Oh, well, initially kids’ ages weren’t specified. She got lucky... I didn’t. I lived with a couple of crappy foster families but because I stayed sick with asthma, nothing stuck. Then I was moved into a few different group homes, which were cool...for the most part, especially after I met my best friend Lisa. Then, my senior year in high school, I moved
in with the Schultz family.”

  Victoria nodded. “Your last foster family.”

  “Yes, the Schultzes were wonderful. They’re an older couple who were already well-off so they weren’t in it for the check.”

  “That makes a difference,” Victoria concluded.

  “It does. Anyway, the summer after graduation, I left and moved in with Lisa.”

  “The one that’s married to Eddie Barrington, the real-estate tycoon.”

  “Yes. To make money for school, we...” Feeling like her throat was on fire, Brooke rose from her chair and walked over to the small refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. “Care for anything?”

  “No.”

  Brooke twisted off the cap and took a big gulp. She was trying to calm herself so she could get the next few words out of her mouth. She returned to her seat with the water bottle, placing it on the table.

  “What did you do to make money, Brooke?” Victoria’s face was expressionless.

  “I went to work for a high-end escort service.”

  Chapter 11

  Brice paced the VIP area of the airport while they waited to board. “What’s going on? Why can’t we wait on our own damn plane?”

  Alexander sat back on the small low-backed leather sofa with his legs stretched out. “Did you not feel all that wind we drove through when we came in? Not to mention the rain.”

  “This dustup is nothing.”

  “Well, it’s enough to keep us grounded for a few more minutes. Chill, you’ll make your date.”

  Brice stopped and turned toward his brother. “You wouldn’t be so nonchalant about things if China was in labor,” he retorted, glaring down at his brother.

  “True, I’d be acting as crazy as you, and we’d still be grounded.”

  Brice’s shoulders dropped and he sat in the seat across from Alexander. “I know I’m tripping, but Brooke actually agreed to have dinner with me and she sounded excited. A little. I think.”

  Alexander smirked. “I get it. Hope can be a bitch.”

  “I know.” Brice ran his hand under the bottom of his chin.

  “Excuse me, sirs. I’ve been advised that we’ve been cleared to leave—”