by Kris Royce
Tina had told him that it was a dirty family secret and that the beatings had stopped once Tegan left for college. She explained that because of who Thomas was, the doctor there would say whatever he wanted him to say because the hospital was built and mostly funded by Thomas’s family. The report Simon had hacked into told of eight-year-old Tegan being treated for a broken ribs from what the doctor reported as an accident. Another time she had been brought in with a broken arm. Yeah, that had been another accident. Her file was full of fucking accidents.
Ash was furious. He wanted to hit something. There was no way she was going back to Texas to her family. Simon found out that Anna supposedly had fallen down the stairs. She was black and blue, but nothing was broken. She had been released to go home. He was sure Thomas wanted Tegan there for another reason, and he was fairly sure it had to do with Roland Carson.
He would wait until they arrived back in New York to tell Tegan about her mother and a couple of other things he failed to tell her.
Chapter 18
Ash was pacing the living room waiting for Tegan to join him. He was nervous as hell. He felt that Tegan was fully recovered, and they were going to have to go back to the real world soon. When he had woken, he had kissed her awake, and then he taken her again because he couldn’t help himself. There was no other place he would rather be than buried deep inside her hot little pussy. Afterward, he had told her to get up and take a shower. He had even laid clothes out for her.
“Why do I need to get dressed,” she had asked.
“We are going to have company soon, and I don’t want them to see your wearing nothing but my shirt,” he told her.
She had giggled at that.
“Who is coming to see us?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Ah, come on. Give me a hint.”
“No, Tegan. Now hop up. I want you ready for when they get here.”
He heard her little ass mumble a smart-assed remark when she walked into the bathroom.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. I don’t know what you are talking about,” she said as she poked her head out with a grin.
The little liar, but it made him grin and shake his head. Disrespectful woman.
He heard her get out of the shower, and still he paced, waiting for her. He found himself grinning when he heard her singing while she blow-dried her hair. When she walked down the stairs she took his breath away when she smiled at him. His babe was sexy in the navy-blue dress he had picked out for her. The color matched her eyes. He opened his arms, and she ran to him. He held her close until they heard car doors shutting.
“Who is it?” she asked, trying to get away, but he wouldn’t let her go.
“Just wait and you will find out, nosy woman.”
She bit his nipple and laughed when he jerked away.
“Oh, payback, little girl. You just wait.”
“Oh, promises, promises.”
It was her turn to yelp as he swatted her ass.
“Be good and stay right here. Can you do that?” he told her as someone knocked on the door.
“Fine,” she huffed and crossed her arms.
Ash smiled as he walked to the door and opened it.
Tegan squealed as Tina and Marc walked in. Of course, she didn’t stay where he told her to. Tina was just as loud as they ran to one another and hugged. Tina leaned away, but she didn’t let go.
“You look really good, Tegan. I was so worried. You scared the hell out me,” Tina told her. Then Tina hugged Tegan again as Tegan swiped tears from her face.
Marc was next. He shook Ash’s hand before he picked up Tegan and gave her a bear hug. He kissed her on the cheek before he set her down and Ash drew her beside him tucking her under his arm.
“You do look good, Tegan,” Marc said with that boyish grin of his.
Ash led the way to the living room and asked anyone would like something to drink. Marc asked for a beer until Tina elbowed him. Tegan ran and got them their drinks, and when she walked back in they all stopped talking and looked at her. Their expressions made her nervous.
“Okay, guys. What’s up?” she asked as she handed them their drinks.
Ash set his drink down and pulled Tegan to him. “Kitten, there is something I need to tell you.”
He could see the dread fill her eyes and it broke his heart.
“It’s nothing bad, babe. At least I don’t think it is. I ask Marc and Tina to be here when I explain. Hell, I’m making a fucking mess out of this,” he said, running his hand through his hair.
“Just ask her, Ash,” Tina said encouraging him.
He glanced over at Tina and suddenly smiled.
“Hell, why didn’t I think of that?” he said turning to Tegan who looked like she was about to cry.
Tegan was shocked when Ash got down on one knee before her as he held her hand and gazed up at her with a sexy grin on his face.
“Tegan, I love you so much so much it hurts. I want you to have my children. I want to grow old with you. I need you, Tegan. Will you marry me?”
“Oh my God,” she said, stunned.
Overcome with emotions she trembled. Ash was still waiting as a tear escaped her eye and ran down her cheek.
“Kitten, you are supposed to say yes. Don’t leave me hanging here.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” she said as she laughed and cried at the same time.
Ash grinned and stood. Then he picked her up and swung her around. When he stood her on her feet he cupped her face and kissed her so tenderly that it made her chest hurt. He laughed when he drew back and wiped her tears away. He pulled a ring from his pocket and slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly. Tegan’s mouth fell opened when she stared at it. Jesus, it was huge with a beget-cut diamond the size of Texas.
“Oh Ash, it’s gorgeous,” Tegan whispered.
“I am glad you like it,” he told her. He cupped her face and kissed her again.
When he pulled back she smiled at him before looking at the ring on her finger. She was in shock. Tegan had a second of déjà vu as she stared at the ring, but it was fleeting. A sound from the couch made them both look. Tina was crying, and Marc was holding her.
“She’s really happy for you guys. Just give her a minute,” Marc told them.
Ash and Tegan grinned. Then Ash frowned suddenly.
“Sit down, kitten. There is something we need to talk about.”
This time Tegan was fine when she sit down next to Ash. Tina blew her nose loudly in a Kleenex she had dug out of her purse. Then she grinned at them letting them know she was all right.
“Go ahead. I’m good now. By the way, Ash, that was great. You did really good,” Tina told him. Then she elbowed Marc. “You had better top that, buddy, when you get around to asking me,” Tina told him.
Marc just grinned, shook his head, and held her closer, kissing the top of her head. Ash turned sideways on the couch and took Tegan’s hand as he looked her in the eye.
“Kitten, do you remember much about being in the hospital?”
She frowned at the question. “No. Why?”
“Kitten, I want you to know that I love you and that what I am about to tell you may upset you.”
“Okay.”
“When you were in the hospital your mother and father came to see you. Your father and I didn’t get along very well.”
Tina snorted, and Marc about choked on his drink. Ash narrowed his eyes at them before turning back to Tegan.
“Anyway, I was called away the hospital and left them there with you thinking you were safe with them until I got back, but once I left I had an uneasy feeling, so I called Tina. She told me she was already on her way over, so I thought with her there you would be fine. I was fucking wrong. I should have never left you alone with them.”
“Ash, it’s not your fault,” Tina told him.
“The fuck if it isn’t.”
“What are you two talking about?” Tegan asked, getting worried.
&n
bsp; “When Tina arrived at the hospital your parents were there, but so was Roland Carson and another man. My guards let them in because your father told them they were your friends.”
“Roland Carson was there?”
“Yes, kitten. He had flown to New York with your parents but stayed at a hotel. They waited until I was gone to call him. They didn’t mention he was there for the reasons I am about to explain.”
“Jesus, why would they do that? Why would they bring Roland?” Tegan said with disgust in her voice.
“Calm down, babe, and let me explain. Tina called me when she got there and overheard them talking. She was frantic on the phone. You see the man with Roland was a pastor.”
“Yeah, Tegan. You remember Pastor Larkin, don’t you?” Tina asked.
“You mean our Pastor Larkin? He was there, too?” Tegan asked.
“One and the same,” Tina told her.
Tegan’s mouth fell opened. “Did they think I was dying or something?”
“No, kitten. They didn’t think you were dying. They were going to make you wed Roland while you were under the influence of the drugs. All you would have had to do is mumble, ‘I do,’ or ‘Yes,’ and sign the marriage license. Then it would have been official. They planned to take you back to Texas. Tina overheard them saying something about Roland was going to get you pregnant as soon as possible. Your father and Roland had it all worked out.”
Tegan looked like she was going to be ill and placed her hand on her stomach.
“What? Pregnant, oh God. But they didn’t go through with it, did they? Please tell me I am not married to that worthless piece of shit,” Tegan whispered in horror as she squeezed Ash’s hand.
“No, kitten. You are not married to him. Tina rained on their parade, pretty loudly from what I was told. She had called Marc before she called me, and he got there before I did. As you know, the big guy here can get pretty pissed off when someone messes with his woman. Anyway, your father thought he could intimidate Tina and was yelling at her before he grabbed her and shoved her out of the room. He told her to stay out of it and mind her own business, the sorry fuck. Marc cleared the room by the time I got there.”
“Yeah, my babe is the bomb.” Tina grinned.
Marc blushed and flashed Tegan a smile.
“When they told me what had happened I…” Ash was saying.
“He went fucking insane is what he did,” Marc supplied.
“You did?”
“Yeah, kitten. I guess I completely lost it. I was ready to beat the fuck out of Thomas and Roland.”
Looking at Ash, Tina cleared her throat.
“Okay, fine. I did beat the fuck out of Roland but not your father because I knew it would just upset you. Well, I may have punched him a couple of times, but he is lucky he is still alive after pulling that shit. I let him know how fucking sorry I thought he was.”
“You didn’t kill Roland did you?”
“No. He will live, but he was pissing blood pretty bad when they left.”
“God. I can’t believe this. Where was my mother when all this was going on?”
“She was screaming along with the Pastor Larkin.”
“Oh Jesus. I can’t believe they would do that to me. Ash, you could have been arrested.”
“Yeah well, that ain’t all the story,” Tina said.
“There’s more?”
“I wasn’t arrested, kitten, and you don’t have to worry about that. I had my men take your father and Roland some place where they couldn’t cause problems for a few days, and don’t worry. I had a doctor looking after fucking Roland so he didn’t die. I had my men take your mother and the Pastor Larkin to the airport after they gathered their things and had them flown home. Three days later I had my men do the same to your father and Roland.”
Chapter 19
On the ride to the airport Ash got a call from Max. Marsh was apparently going to jail for a very long time. His guys had ratted him out on Tegan’s kidnapping. The investigators also linked Marsh with being the mastermind behind a large drug ring. They found a lab and a large amount of the illegal drugs in one of his warehouses as well as some in his apartment. He was also linked to the death of one of his dealers, and he was a suspect in the death of a young woman who had been missing for a couple of years. A piece of her jewelry was found in his apartment. This news stunned even Ash.
When he got off the phone Ash carefully explained to Tegan that Marsh had been behind her kidnapping. She surprised him by not crying. Instead, she grew angry and wanted to hurt the man. Ash assured her that Marsh already had been hurt, but he wouldn’t tell her the details.
It wasn’t until they stepped off the plane that Tina, Marc, and Tegan discovered that Ash was now the new owner of Marc’s football team. He would not tell them how he had managed to do that. He just told them it would be best for all those involved if they didn’t know.
He had his godfather Franklin Motte to thank for that. He had made Marsh an offer he could not refuse. Marsh sold the team to Franklin, who had turned right around and sold it to Ash.
The media was waiting for them as they stepped off Ash’s private plane. They were yelling questions at Ash about the team and, of course, at Marc, wondering what he thought of his new boss.
Ash ignored their questions and told them there would be a press conference in a few days. Ash pulled Tegan up to his side and announced their engagement. He told them his new fiancée’s name. Tegan blushed as Ash kissed her passionately before the flashing cameras.
“Smile, kitten,” he whispered, and she did her best as the security team hustled them into the waiting limo.
Once in the limo Tina was the first one to start laughing, and before long they all were.
“Oh, Ash, you are something else. You should have told us you were buying the team. Remind me never to get on your bad side,” Tina said with a grin.
Marc couldn’t have been happier. He let Ash know that he had two younger brothers graduating college soon, and both of them could play as well as him. Ash promised to send someone to check them out.
That night Ash took them all out to celebrate. Tegan hadn’t stopped smiling since she stepped off the plane. She was in love with a wonderful man, and he loved her. All was right in her world again. She didn’t think she could be any happier than she was now, but she was wrong.
“Oh Ash, this place is just wow,” Tegan told him as they walked into the elegant restaurant.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said as Tina snickered behind her.
“He owns it,” Marc supplied when Tegan looked back and frowned at Tina.
“Seriously?”
Ash just grinned and pulled her along. He nodded to the maître d’, who was a lovely blonde. She just smiled back with a dreamy expression on her face. She acted as if Tegan wasn’t even there.
Tegan was getting used to women staring at Ash like that. She did it herself all the time. Ash took them to a private room. As they walked in, at the far side of the room, a man was standing with his back to them staring out the window. He turned around when he heard them. He was tall and handsome. He was an older man with dark hair with silver in the temples and sun-browned skin wearing black dress pants and a black button-down shirt.
Tegan studied him as he shook Ash’s hand because something about him seemed…familiar. Tegan wondered if she had maybe met him when she was in the hospital that was until Ash introduced him.
“Tegan, I’d like you meet Samuel Dalton.”
“Mr. Dalton it is nice to meet you,” Tegan told him with a smile.
“I have waited a long time to meet you, Tegan. Your beauty surpasses even your mothers,” he told her in a southern accent so much like her own.
Tegan frowned and glanced over at Ash, who was watching her closely, before turning her attention back to Samuel.
“Do I know you?” Tegan asked.
“My family lives about ten miles from yours. I grew up with your mother. We were very close once,” S
amuel told her.
“Dalton? Are you related to Casey and Famous Dalton? I went to school with them.”
“Yes. They are my niece and nephew.”
“Besides Tina they were my best friends in school.”
“Yes, I know. They told all about you over the years.”
Again Tegan frowned.
“Why would they do that? Tell you, I mean.”
Samuel glanced down, and then, he looked at Ash.
Tina got it before Tegan and gasped loudly. Tegan turned and looked at her. Tina was white as a ghost. Tegan didn’t even think as she reached out for Ash, wondering what was wrong. Ash wrapped his arm around Tegan.
Tina was staring at Samuel. Then, she glanced at Tegan, but she saw Ash shook his head over Tegan’s warning her not to say anything.
“Why don’t we all sit down and have a nice dinner,” Ash said.
“What is wrong?” Tegan asked Tina as they moved to the table.
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Tina said, but she wouldn’t look at Tegan.
Tegan just rolled her eyes. They ordered and talked. Tegan found she really liked Samuel. He was funny and very entertaining. Tegan asked him about himself, and he told her he had joined the military as soon as he was old enough and he had stayed in for years. Then after he got out, he signed up to go to Iraq and worked in the private sector, training the Iraqi police to defend themselves. He told her he had made a lot of money in the private sector and had invested it wisely. When he got back to the States he had bought a Harley and was now traveling. Ash had tracked him down and invited him to come to New York to visit, and he had accepted.
Tegan had looked at Ash questioningly, but he said nothing. Tegan wasn’t sure if it would be rude of her to ask how Ash knew him or not. She didn’t ask but she wanted to. Then dessert came, and Ash ordered coffee.
“I understand that you and Ash have recently become engaged?” Samuel said.
Tegan smiled, and it lit up her whole face. “Yes, very recently.”