by M T Stone
Jack
A lack of self-esteem not only destroys a man, but can also be a huge burden on the entire family. Phil Westby wasn’t inherently a bad guy, but he had always had a knack for making bad choices. Education, focus, and determination are the only paths to success in this world. Phil spent his entire career looking for short cuts and trying to crash someone else’s party. There are no short cuts, and if you are able to crash someone else’s party, it’s usually because the party is almost over.
“This is Phil,” he said hesitantly as he answered my call.
“Hello, Phil, this is Jack… Jack Ryker.”
“Jack, wow this is a surprise. I assume Kate asked you to give me a call.”
“No. She didn’t, actually, but she’s been quite upset.”
“About me contacting her?” he asked, seeming surprised.
“We both know why you contacted her after all of this time. It’s not because you wanted to wish her well or simply talk. It was because you heard that we were together, that she was starting a company, and you are in desperate need of cash.”
“I just wanted to talk to her,” he insisted.
“Phil, I know who you borrowed from, so you must have been incredibly desperate.”
“It started out small. I never intended for it to escalate like this,” he admitted.
“That’s how it happens to everyone, Phil. You borrow a little and they treat you good. It isn’t until you owe them a lot; that’s when you realize that you have sold out to the devil. How long do you have?”
“My time is up, Jack. That’s why I had to call. No one else can help,” he pleaded, sounding as if he was on the verge of breaking down.
“I know. That’s why I’m going to help you, but I want something in return.”
“Anything, Jack, you just name it. I’ll do anything you want.”
“I’ll make a call and square things up. In return, I want you to get a job,” I said, hesitating for emphasis.
“Fine, I’ll get a job. Maybe I could work for you?”
“No. Go make an honest living for once. Also, if you ever contact Cynthia or either of your daughters again, our deal is off,” I said in the gravest tone possible.
“Never?” he replied.
“If they choose to contact you, I’m fine with it. But if you ever contact any of them, I will send a message to the boss, and you know what that will mean.”
“My god, Jack, you would do that?” he gasped.
“Phil, do you really think that your life is worth $2.4 million to me?”
“Probably not,” he admitted after a considerable pause.
“I’m only willing to pay it under the condition that you permanently stay out of their lives,” I reiterated for him.
“My wife just left me, Jack,” he pleaded.
“That’s why you need to get a real job and make a fresh start. Quit pretending to be something that you’re not. I’m giving you a one-time chance here. I’ll even throw in an extra hundred grand of cash to help you make the transition,” I added, as a final ultimatum.
“Okay,” he said wisely, accepting my offer.
I knew that he would sell out Cynthia and both girls for $100,000 cash. I decided it would be best to have Anthony deliver the cash to Phil in person, before leaving on our mission. He would be the best one to reinforce the terms of my offer. Maybe I’ll send all three boys up there. Really give him something to remember.
Kate
“When we get back to the office, I’m going to settle up your dad’s account. He definitely borrowed from the lender of last resort,” Jack said, as he rejoined me.
“So he’s going to be alright?”
“He’s going to be just fine, as long as he can change his ways. The conditions of my offer were that he had to get a job and he can never initiate contact with you, your sister, or your mother.”
“And he agreed to that?” Not that it would be any different from the last few years.
“Yes. There was a moment of hesitation, but he agreed. I also told him that I wouldn’t be upset if any of you decided to contact him at some point. So you can reach out to him if you ever feel the need,” he reassured me.
“Thank you, Jack, but I’m not sure I understand why you would give him thousands of dollars.”
“He was indebted to the mob for well over two million, so very few people could have helped him,” he informed me with a dead serious look in his eyes.
“Two million? How the hell…”
“The numbers inflate quickly when you’re dealing with guys like that. It had gotten to the point where they knew that it was dead money. Since they don’t want to kill off the guy who owes them, they tend to use leverage, family members, for example. He had put your entire family at risk.”
“My god, they could’ve done something to Mom or Belinda?” What a selfish bastard!
“Or you, Kate. That’s why I took care of it. Besides, now the mob will owe me one... and that might come in handy one day.”
I can’t believe my dad would do something like that, was the first thought that went through my head. However, in all honesty, that’s exactly what I should’ve expected from him. How the hell did he lose over two million dollars, though? That’s a crazy amount of money. My god, I’m embarrassed for him.
“We don’t get the opportunity to choose our parents, Kate,” Jack reminded me, seeing the obvious agony on my face.
“I know, but at this point, I really am embarrassed that he’s my father.”
“Don’t be embarrassed by him. I’m impressed that you turned out to be such a wonderful, talented, and caring person, despite having daddy issues,” he said in his teasing tone.
“I’ll show you daddy issues…”
Jack
I could see that Kate thought that paying off her father’s debt was a spectacular act of generosity on my part, but there really wasn’t much of a choice. If his new wife was gone, Cynthia and Belinda would’ve been at the top of the mob’s list. I loved Kate and ensuring the safety of her and her family was a priority. By paying off the debt, I knew that we could go forward with our plans and not have any negative surprises because of her moronic father. I don’t want any additional distractions.
“Are we going to have to keep running from this Sau-Ming guy?” Kate asked, after being in deep thought for several minutes.
“We aren’t running, Kate. It may not feel like it yet, but we are actually taking the offensive at this point. You will see this as the next few days unfold.”
“How dangerous is he?”
“He is someone who forces young girls to work 16 hour days and allows them to be used as sex slaves. He obviously has very little regard for human life. That lack of basic moral values makes him quite dangerous, which is why I’m putting Anthony in charge of dealing with him.”
“I’m glad he’s in charge. I don’t want you near him or his sex slaves,” Kate replied, trying to lighten the moment.
“No sex slave could possibly compete with you.” I’ll be lucky if I can keep up with one young woman.
Kate gave me a smile and once again fell quiet. I could tell that she was still trying to process everything that was going on around us. Between the family dynamics, my health issues, and being followed by Sau-Ming’s people, it was sure to be a little overwhelming for her.
“The other day you told me that you wanted to live a life of adventure. Are you having second thoughts?” I asked.
“No… but I want it to be a fun adventure. I don’t want to be dodging bullets or receiving bomb threats,” she replied with the cutest expression on her face.
“Don’t worry about any of that, sweetie. I’ll take good care of you.” I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her close.
“I’m not really all that worried,” she said as we took off down the runway. “I can see how everything is coming together, but there always seems to be obstacles and problems.”
“No matter who you are, or what you do, there
will always be problems. What separates the winners from the losers is how you handle those problems. So far, I don’t see anything on the horizon that we can’t handle.”
“I’m just glad that we will be working together because that’s what I really wanted. I couldn’t imagine a better partner to work with,” she confided, running her fingers along my collar.
“Thank you, I feel the same way. I think that we are going to have one hell of a ride.”
That reminds me, I need to stop by Tiffany’s to take a look at the gem that Margaux has been telling me about. I’ve never seen a 25 carat diamond, much less thought that I would ever be in the market for one. As I looked down at Kate’s petite hand, I had to laugh at the thought of such a monster rock weighing her down. I might have to scale it down just a bit.
Either way, I plan on marrying this woman one day if everything goes as planned.
Thank you for reading!
I’m currently working on the third and final book in this series. I’m hoping to have it out by late March. If you have any comments or suggestions feel free to contact me at: [email protected]
Bonus Sex Scene:
If you enjoy the sex scenes and want to see what happened next on the plane ride back to New York please visit the site below!
http://www.MoreNightsWithKate.com
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 - Instant Regret
Chapter 2: Lunch With Kristen
Chapter 3 – Tears and Questions
Chapter 4 – Dinner and Answers
Chapter 5 – The Fire Rekindled
Chapter 6 – Paparazzi Surprise
Chapter 7 – A Little R&R
Chapter 8 – Wrapping Up Things in NYC
Chapter 9 – The Open Sea
Chapter 10 – A Night at Grace Bay
Chapter 11 – Like Father Like Son?
Chapter 12 – Resetting the Clock
Chapter 13 – Kristen Drops In Unexpectedly
Chapter 14 – A New Man & New Mission
Chapter 15 – Our First Valentine’s Day
Chapter 16 – Desert Island Intrusion
Chapter 17 – A Bed Of Roses
Chapter 18 – Sprinting Forward
Chapter 19 – Hello Mr. Intensity
Chapter 20 – The Last Day In Freeport
Chapter 21 – Settling Unfinished Business