Billionaire Romance Boxed Set (9 Book Bundle)

by Julia Kent

  She didn’t even look up at me. Her face closed off with an expression that told me to go to hell before she continued eating as if I wasn’t there. For me, it was love at first sight.

  “I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to be rude,” I said hoping to charm her socks off. “You see I’m from out of town. Canyon Cove to be exact. Not sure if you’ve ever heard of it.”

  “Do I look like I care?” She interrupted. “Look, I just got off a double and came down here to watch the waves when those two assholes over there decided they thought it would be funny to throw their sodas at me. I don’t need any bullshit from you too.”

  She stuffed her mouth with chocolate ice cream and a piece of the Belgium waffle that cradled the ice cream. I was so busy admiring her before that I didn’t notice the soda stains on her uniform or how the front of her hair was still a little wet. As a comfort eater myself, I suddenly realized why she attacked her dessert the way she did.

  I looked over in the direction she pointed and saw two men in their early twenties. One with red hair, freckles, and a pug nose, the other had slicked back, greasy black hair. They catcalled the pretty girls who walked past and called the others names or spit on them.

  “Those two over there?” I asked her.

  Her brow wrinkled as she looked up at me for the first time before nodding her head. “Yeah, that’s them. I grew up with those creeps. Even played with them as kids…”

  I didn’t need to hear anymore. Briskly walking towards them, I hopped over the wooden railing between the tables and the boardwalk where they were perched. I put my arms around both their shoulders and smiled.

  “You see that girl over there?” I asked as I nodded in her direction. “You touch her or say another word to her again and I swear it’ll be your last.”

  “Yeah? What are you gonna do? I’ve never seen you here before. You’re not even from around here,” said the red head.

  “Let me give you a preview.”

  Elbowing the greasy guy in the gut, he doubled over and I gave his head a quick shove into my rising knee, easily breaking his nose. Next my fist flew into Red’s solar plexus, causing him to drop to knees in agony.

  Hopping the fence back over to the girl, she looked at me with awe and a smile that showed off her perfect teeth. I bowed to her as she began clapping.

  “What did that feel like? Oh I would’ve loved to just punch Jay or Donnie once like that. I bet it felt great!” she said.

  I laughed. “It did. But only because of what they did to you. I know guys like that and they’ll never bother you again.” I looked at her for a moment, taken by her beauty and how full of life she seemed. “I’m sorry I hit on you. I should’ve realized you were upset. Guess I have bad timing.”

  “Wait. You were hitting on me?”

  “Of course, look at you.”

  “Yeah, look at me. I’m a mess. I’m in this stupid uniform and I’m stuffing my face because I felt bad for myself,” she said.

  “All I see is how beautiful you are. My name is Bill, by the way.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Charlotte.”

  ***

  “We were together ever since. The day I convinced Charlotte to marry me was one of the happiest day of my life. The other was when Will was born.

  “She never knew what I really did. She was so trusting and innocent. I used my dad’s old Hargrove’s store as a front and kept funneling money into it so it would grow. Once Will was born though I didn’t want to do the contracts anymore. I wanted to be home and be a normal family.

  “I figured I would do one more job. Something of my own choosing. I discovered a new money laundering scheme being run by a bunch of novices. I heard they were coming into a large sum and I figured I could take them out, take the cash and no one would know what happened. After that I planned on retiring from my contracts and focus on growing the store.

  “What I didn’t know was that behind all the laundering was a bigger, more established cartel. Had I known they were involved I would have come up with another final job. But it was that money, from that final job that enabled me to buy Charlotte her dream house, the mansion Will grew up in. That’s also how I was able to later fund the building of the store that made Hargrove’s into the fine department stores they are today.

  “That winter’s night twenty-five years ago made me realize how stupid I had been. I thought I was untouchable. Stewart had warned me about the organization and how they were after me, but I didn’t listen. When everything happened and it was just a ridiculous drunk who wounded me so badly and killed the love of my life, I finally accepted I wasn’t meant to be happy and that as long as I was around, Will’s life would be at risk.

  “When Charlotte died, I died too. I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t go back to that house she loved so much, just like this was the first time I returned to the monastery. Charlotte’s death turned me into a coward running from my memories.

  “Eventually I did return to my old habits. It was the only way I knew how to survive. The ironic thing was my return proved to the cartel that I was still alive. Until then, Will was safe. My leaving was exactly what put him in danger after all.

  “I spent all these years searching for them. Slowly taking each of them out one by one. Dimitri and his men were the last of them. Will is safe now. He’ll never be bothered again.”

  Walking over to Deborah and seeing how she wore her emotions in her face, I knew why Will loved her. I wondered if she knew how much she meant to him and if he knew she felt the same. I knew people. I could see it in them.

  “Tell Will I love him. And when he’s ready please tell him my story. Hopefully one day he’ll see fit to forgive me,” I said lowering my head.

  “I will,” Deborah said. “I’ll tell him everything once he’s ready to hear it. He just needs some time right now.”

  “I know. I understand. I’m glad he found someone and maybe one day you and I will get to know each other. In the meantime its time for me to go. If Will ever wants contact, Stewart knows how to reach me.”

  Entering the abbey, I walked with Charlotte beside me hooting and spinning in circles with her arms stretched out, as she listened to the echo. She disappeared as I reached out to touch her hand. I understood Will’s being haunted by our deaths more than he would ever know.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Deborah

  After a night of bad dreams, I awoke the next morning surprised to not find Will in bed beside me. My head felt heavy as I sat up and forced myself out of bed. I tried remembering what we did the night before but my head hurt too much. Guess this is what a hangover feels like.

  Finally managing to make it to the door, I stumbled a few feet then held on to the doorframe.

  “Will?” I said, my voice raspy and dry. “Will? Where are you?”

  “Will’s gone,” said a deep voice.

  A chill went up my spine, raising the tiny hairs at the back of my neck. I gasped feeling the icy clutch of fear again as yesterday rushed back to me. Reaching for the door, I tried to close it as quickly as possible but fell to the floor. As I attempted to stand, the sound of footsteps closed in so I crawled towards the bed hoping to hide.

  “Deborah, stop. You’re going to get hurt,” said the voice.

  My heart felt like it would burst at any second. I couldn’t breathe and I shivered as a cold sweat covered my body. The room began to spin when a pair of strong hands slid under my arms and lifted me up like a rag doll.

  “Please don’t hurt me. I swear I don’t know anything,” I begged.

  “Deborah, focus! Its me, Stewart. You’re experiencing the after effects of the drug they gave you. The poison in it has a slow release.”

  Suddenly my vision cleared and I recognized him. Breathing a long sigh of relief and feeling weak, I let him carry me into the main room of the suite and set me down on the couch. As he entered the kitchen, I looked around for any sign of Will. I hoped he would return to the hotel after leaving us at the monastery
.

  “Stewart? Where’s Will? What do you mean he’s gone?”

  Stewart came back with a glass of water and handed it to me.

  “Drink. Its not going to taste good, but this elixir will counteract the poison in your system.”

  I took a sip and grimaced. The elixir was thick but cold. As I drank I felt its affects already taking over the poison in my system.

  “The whole thing?” I asked as I looked at the tall glass.

  “Yes, just drink. I let myself in earlier when I came looking for Will. You were up but feverish. I hoped sleep would help, but its obvious the drug they used was meant to kill Will after they released him.”

  “Kill?” I took a gulp of the liquid once I realized it would save my life.

  “Will left the jet but my sources tell me he’s back in Canyon Cove at King Manor.”

  “Why would he just leave like that? Never mind, don’t answer that. I can’t even begin to imagine what he’s going through. For twenty-five years he thought his parents were dead, now he knows his father is still alive.”

  “I’m sure when he’s ready you’ll hear from him,” Stewart said as he took the empty glass from me. “In the meantime, try not to worry.”

  “Not worry? People tried to kill us yesterday and you’re telling me not to worry?” I couldn’t help the hysteria in my voice.

  He didn’t seem phased by my tone. Looking briefly at his watch, he turned back to me, his eyes changed from calm to dangerous and then calm again, but I knew I was safe.

  “As of fifteen minutes ago, the organization those men belonged to has been terminated. The bodies were uncovered,” he chose his words carefully as if they meant much more than they should. “Will can now lead a normal life.”

  Stewart looked down, his brown eyes sad and I realized how much Will’s father being alive affected him too. Remembering how he saved us, I couldn’t help but ask how much he knew. I didn’t know if he would tell me, but I had to give it a shot. He knew things Will needed to know but never would.

  “Stewart? You knew Bill King was alive, didn’t you?”

  He didn’t reply. He examined my face for a moment before walking over to the large window and looking outside at the picturesque view. Rubbing his bald head as if he was pushing imaginary hair out of his eyes, he finally sat on a large chair with his back to a corner of the room.

  “Yes, I knew he was alive. I’ve always known.”

  I nodded, my suspicions confirmed. It wasn’t enough though. Who was this mysterious man who devoted his life to the man I loved? Looking over at him, his eyes seemed warm and welcoming, not those of the vicious killer I knew him to be. How did he get that way?

  Chapter Twenty

  Stewart

  Most people don’t realize how transparent they are, I thought. In the seconds an average person took to make a decision, I already knew what their choice would be and why that person chose it. That didn’t make me special. It made me observant.

  Deborah sat curled up on the couch and I knew what she wanted to ask. I waited for her to ask it. In all these years I never revealed anything about myself to anyone and I could see the gears turning in her head as she realized she could just ask me. Do it, Deborah, ask. It really is that simple.

  “How did you get involved in all of this? You were in your twenties when you started raising Will, that means you were already…” Her voice trailed off but I knew the word she couldn’t bring herself to say.

  “An assassin,” I said completing her sentence.

  I couldn’t help but grin. It was a word that always brought a smile to my face. She nodded, her face a mixture of awe and fear.

  “You realize what you’re asking me can get you killed, right?”

  Deborah’s face went white and for a brief moment I thought she might get sick. I knew better than to mess with someone recovering from that poison, but I couldn’t resist.

  “Just because I asked doesn’t mean you have to tell me,” she said.

  I could tell she was choosing her words carefully, not wanting to scare me away even though she herself was frightened. Sinking into the chair, I smiled at her hoping to put her at ease.

  “I’m playing with you, my dear but you are right to be concerned. A hired assassin doesn’t live as long as I have without knowing how to manipulate people.”

  “Is that what you’ve done to Will? Manipulated him his whole life?” She asked, her voice rising with anger.

  “No. Will has always been different. He was the closest thing I ever had as family and his father was like a father to me. I would risk my life for the King family. And I have.”

  Sitting quietly for a moment I wondered how much I should tell her. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust her. I learned long ago that trust wasn’t as important than fear and I knew she wouldn’t speak out of fear of what I could do to her.

  “You have to understand that I have never told anyone my story before, not even Bill King. Although I’m sure he knew. You see, it all started around thirty years ago, when I was eighteen. I became an assassin because of a woman.”

  Thirty Years Ago

  Jeanne DeMarco was the prettiest girl in the neighborhood. With her long, thick black hair and sparkling blue eyes, she could command the attention of anyone in town with just a smile. Somehow I lucked out and she only had eyes for me.

  I never knew my father and when I was younger a raid on the brothel my mother and I lived in took her away from me for the rest of my life. Placed in a halfway house for kids, I learned to take care of myself. I was rude, tough, and would do anything for the love of my life, Jeanne.

  “I’m graduating high school next month and then I’m gone,” Jeanne said, laying in my arms as she pushed my shaggy blond hair out of my eyes.

  Every night I slipped into her bedroom and stayed over. Her parents never knew and the halfway house didn’t care what I did as long as I didn’t end up in jail.

  “Then we can go together. Wherever you want to go.”

  “No, Stewie. You don’t understand. I need a better life than this shit hole.”

  “Please don’t call me that. We can make a better life together. I’ll do anything for you, Jeanne.”

  She sighed and rolled over, turning her back towards me. I closed the distance, pressing my body against hers and listening while her breathing slowed into the rhythmic pattern of sleep. I have to show her I can give her a better life or I’ll lose her forever, I thought.

  While Jeanne was in school the next day, I filled out job applications in the few neighborhood shops that were left. Every one of them turned me down. I was too young, too inexperienced, whatever excuses they could come up with. I knew the truth. I knew none of them wanted to hire some punk-ass kid from the halfway house. No one gave me a chance.

  As I made my way to the high school to pick up Jeanne from school, I walked past Hargrove’s. They were a small department store then, not the large fine department store chain Will inherited. That didn’t happen until the flagship store was built where the old tenements once stood. One of those buildings was the halfway house I was supposed to call home.

  Walking past a small window display I noticed the jewelry department in the center of the store. It was staffed by a rickety old man with coke bottle glasses and a hump on his back. He looked like almost too easy of a mark, but when I spotted a thin gold chain with a heart dangling from it, I knew I needed to get it for my girl.

  Swiping it was easy, almost the easiest grab I ever did. I felt a rush as I left the store, rubbing the gold heart in my pocket between my fingers. But as I got closer to the high school, a tall slender man with dark brown hair began walking beside me.

  “For money or for your girl?” he asked as he walked beside me.

  “What are you talking about old man?”

  “Don’t play dumb with me, Stewart. I’ve been watching you for months.”

  “Then fuck off you perv. You think I don’t know about men like you who watch little boys?” />
  “Cut the act. I know you swiped that necklace for your girl. And I know she wants a better life than what’s left here. I can help you with that.”

  “And why the hell would you do that? What do you want?”

  “Because you remind me of myself when I was your age. Come with me and I’ll show you what your life can be like.”

  School was letting out and in the distance I easily spotted Jeanne walking down the brick steps of the school with her friends.

  “She deserves better than this dump,” I said quietly. “Let’s go. But if you try any funny business I swear I’ll cut your balls off.”

  He laughed and turned up the block. I followed, trying to keep up with his long strides since he didn’t bother to slow down. As he drove his large black Lincoln Continental out of the city, I realized I didn’t even know his name yet he knew mine.

  “William King, by the way. By now you’re wondering who I am. You can call me Bill.”

  We arrived at a large brick house in a suburban neighborhood. It was the biggest house I’d ever seen in person and I found it hard to not look impressed. Inside Bill showed me to his office where a huge wooden desk dominated the room. Taking a picture frame off his desk, he perched himself on the edge and handed the photo to me.

  “That’s my Jeanne. Her name is Charlotte. She’s not like us and would never understand the life we grew up with.”

  I looked at the picture of the happy couple holding a baby. She had the same eyes as Jeanne and I couldn’t help but let my guard down a little.

  “You’re nothing like me, man.”

  “Shut up and listen. I know you’ve had it rough. I’m not denying you that. But I know how you think. And I think I can train you.”

  “Train me for what?”

  “Do you want to make a lot of money? Give that girl a better life?”

  “Yes, I already said that. I’d do anything for her.”

  “The military has a strict training method that only a few are welcomed into and even less pass. I graduated from their elite system with honors. I’m leaving that business. Charlotte and Will deserve better and I believe the store is the way to do that.”