by Hazel Gower
RICHARD
Caveman Instinct
Volume 2
HAZEL GOWER
Copyright © 2015 Hazel Gower
RICHARD, by Hazel Gower
Caveman Instinct – Volume 2
All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the author or publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use the material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, are coincidental.
Edited by Rogena Mitchell-Jones
www.rogenamitchell.com
Cover by Jess Buffett Graphic Designs
Table of Contents
Message from the Author
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Acknowledgments
Other Books by Hazel Gower
Contact the Author
About Hazel Gower
Message from the Author
This book is set in Australia. In Australia the legal age to drink, vote, get married and so on is eighteen. The characters speak Australian English, so if you see the word ‘arse’ instead of ‘ass’ it is because that’s how we say it in Australia where the book is set. If you find a word you haven’t heard before, look it up or message me I’d be happy to talk to you.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy my book.
Hazel Gower
Dedication
This book is to my wonderful son, Logan. You amaze me with how you keep up with everything and manage without any complaining. Mummy loves you.
To my own caveman, Jonathan Gower. I love you more every day. Thank you for believing in me and letting me have my face and fingers glued to my laptop.
Prologue
Richard
Happy fucking twenty-ninth birthday to me. I sat in the seat where Zeck had guided me to sit. My younger brothers, cousins, and their girlfriends, hooted and cheered around me at the naked female dancing and twisting her body into some extremely flexible positions as she made her way to me. My cock should have been jumping for joy, but it stayed down and uninterested.
It was depressed. I was depressed.
I’d had goals I had wanted to reach before I was thirty and it didn’t look like those were going to happen. Finding my soul mate, my one true love was at the top of the list. Then we would spend a couple of incredible years exploring the world together before we settled down and had a bunch of kids. I thought by now I’d at least have one kid or one on the way. My friggin cousin who was all of fucking nineteen had found his soul mate, and he hadn’t even been looking.
I promised myself I wouldn’t end up like my uncle Carl or Ryder or some of our other distant cousins who’d never found their soul mates and were angry, cranky, lonely men. Uncle Carl believed the gypsy’s had cursed us. The story about us in the old country helping save a group of gypsies and them gifting the Silverman family with prosperity and the ability to know our soul mate, but forgetting to tell us about the drawbacks like when we found our soul mate, we turn into possessive cavemen, was wrong.
Carl thought we hadn’t helped them and they had cursed us. I used to believe the curse was more a gift, but now I was a year closer to thirty and still hadn’t found my mate. I was leaning more now towards it being a curse because, as I stared at the gorgeous flexible woman now grinding on me, I knew that no matter what she did or said, she would never be enough for me. I knew she wasn’t my mate, the other half of my soul, my perfect match.
The reason why I was depressed and not responding was that I wasn’t willing to settle. I wanted my soul mate. I was sick of the one-night stands or the relationships I knew would never work. I was lonely.
*****
Bailey
“Ethan, I’m almost eighteen. I’ve been waiting for this for months. I’ve been saving. You won’t spend a penny. I’ll work at the firm all the way up until I leave for Uni.”
“It’s not about money, Bailey. I don’t want you at Schoolies. It’s too God damned dangerous.”
Tilting my head to the side so I could see better, I glared at my brother. “My friends are going. It’s only a whole bloody hour away from here. I’m not a child anymore, Ethan. I can look after myself.”
My brother was my guardian. He’d given everything up for me when our parents died and taken over our father’s accounting business. I’d been just shy of six and Ethan had been nineteen. He’d been at the University of Newcastle studying a communications course. He’d flown back to the Gold Coast and taken over. He’d changed Universities and courses to accounting and devoted all his time to the business, studying, and me.
Over the last almost twelve years, Ethan had turned their father’s company into the top accounting firm in the country. In turn, Ethan made sure I had the best of everything. I went to the top private school in the state. I had the best vision aids and anything money could buy. My brother looked after me. I really wish he’d stop doing what he thought was best for me and start living his own life. I was old enough to start living my own life.
“I know you’re not a child, but schoolies isn’t the place for someone who’s blind.”
“I’m not completely blind. I’m vision impaired. Even if I were blind, I shouldn’t have to give up on something I want to do because of it. Please, Ethan. Let me go. It’s not as if I’m going to be alone. Jessica, Toby, and Isaac will be there along with a bunch of other friends.” I could see my brother caving. I pouted at him, clasped my hands together in a begging motion and used my gaze to plead with him as best I could.
Ethan scrubbed his face and sighed. My brother liked my friends, but I should have known they wouldn’t be enough and that he would torture me. “Fine, you can go. But only if I find you the best and safest resort to stay in, and Britney goes to help look out for you.”
Argh. Britney, the daughter of the bitch my brother dated. She was in my year at school and was one of my biggest tormentors.
Knowing it was the best deal I’d get, I nodded. “Okay. Deal.”
Ethan smiled, and I prayed I could put up with a week or so of Britney and her nastiness.
*****
Richard
“What the fuck do you mean this one OD’d and died in the goddamn club? Have there been others? If so, why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
Arnold, my club manager, looked around at the police and the damage done to the club avoiding my gaze. “I thought I was dealing, but then the threats started an—”
“What threats?” I was furious. I’d been receiving threats, and I hadn’t been bloody well told.
Arnold fidgeted. “I’ve handed everything to the police now, but… um, I was trying to keep you clear of it all.”
“What the hell? Goddamn tell me or you’ll be in the unemployment line tomorrow.”
Arnold’s eyes grew wide. “You’ve been receiving threats
to close down all your clubs. We’ve had cash go missing and drugs being sold in the clubs, people OD’ing but none had ever died. I’ve had the police involved and your security team. Cole has been helping me. Plus, it doesn’t say you specifically, just Silverman.
I’d had people selling drugs in my club. Fucking hell. I didn’t need this, not now with Schoolies days away. “What do you mean Silverman?”
My cousin, Ryder, who was a cop, patted my back. “I think you’re scaring him, cous.”
Turning, I narrowed my gaze on Ryder. “Can you tell me what the fuck is going on?”
Ryder smirked and nodded. “Yep, but you might want to speak to our cousin, Stephan. Apparently, he and his little mate pissed off the wrong biker group and now all of us Silverman have to pay.” Ryder winked. “Don’t worry. You’re not special. It seems all Silverman businesses have been hit in some way by this group. I suggest you double your security. Talk to you later.” With that, Ryder walked away, and I shook my head before I made my way to my office. It looked like I was upping my security and staying on the Gold Coast until I could get everything running right again.
Chapter One
Richard
Remy, Rebecca, Racheal, I’m sure it began with an R, still clung to me. I needed her gone. I got what I wanted from her and very easily, too. Glaring down at her, I debated if I gave her a gentle shove off me and onto the floor if she’d get the hint and leave. It was bad enough she was in my bed, but what she was doing just made me sick. I wasn’t a cuddlier. Usually, I got rid of the women before they even made it to the bed. The lounge, the day bed on the balcony, up against the wall, even the kitchen table was where I fucked them. I didn’t like women in my bedroom, my bed. That was my space.
Sitting up, I shoved the woman off me. Fuck, I was going to have to buy a new bloody bed. She moaned and moved towards me, but I stood and went to the bathroom. I needed to get clean. Turning the shower on, I got under the spray and scrubbed the skank in my bed off me.
Last night had been the night from hell. I’d thrown two dealers out and helped my security with three people who OD’d and one who had passed out. The problem wasn’t getting better. It was getting worse. I’d had someone come at me with a knife last night, and I think that’s why I gave in and let the woman lure me to my sanctuary—where I didn’t let any woman. I was so glad to be alive. I celebrated by drinking and fucking the woman now in my bed. I regretted it big time—especially now as I think about the hassle of getting a new bed.
Turning the shower off, I got out and reached for my towel on the hanger, wrapping it around me. Going to my closet, I opened the top draw, got my boxers, and slipped them on. Then, I got shorts out of the bottom drawer putting those on before going back to the bed to deal with last night’s mistake.
The blonde sighed, and I hoped she was waking so I could tell her to get her shit and get the fuck out. Blue eyes fluttered open. “Hey. How long you been awake?” Her sultry, husky voice had me cringing. I gazed at her in my once clean, perfume free bed. Her pert plastic breasts barely moved as she wiggled trying to entice me.
“Long enough for my beer goggles to wear off.”
“What?” she screeched.
I rolled my eyes. That sultry voice sure did change quickly. “I said, I thought you were at least a nine last night, but in the daylight, I see you’re not even a three.” I pursed my lips as she stared at me, stunned. “I’ll have to do something about the lighting in my club so I don’t make the same mistake again.” She still hadn’t moved, and I didn’t know how many more hints she needed. Fuck it. She must be a bit slow. “Get your shit and get the fuck out.” I didn’t even wait for her reply before I walked out of the room and to my office. I was going to order a new bed, quilt cover, and sheets.
*****
Once I’d ordered what I wanted, I called Cole, my head of security, to check that the woman had left.
“She’s gone. She wasn’t too happy either.”
“I don’t care if she was happy or not.” Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair. “She’s not what I want.”
“She seemed to be what you wanted last night. She’s your usual type, tall blonde, stick thin, with big fake tits and no personality.” Cole had been head of my security for the last ten years. If anyone else spoke to me as he was now, they wouldn’t be employed.
“They are easy and most of them know I don’t do relationships.” I gazed out the window for a moment to see the bright blue sky and the glittering water of the ocean. “They fill what little spare time I have.”
Cole chuckled. “You do realize a pet would do the same job?”
“My dick disagrees with you.” Smiling, I stood and went to the balcony. It was a hot day, the sun shone and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. I glanced back at my table to see papers and all my electronic devices. It was one of the busiest times for me. Schoolies were huge, and my clubs in Surfer’s Paradise on the Gold Coast did amazing, even with overdose scares. Last night was day one of a week of eighteen and nineteen-year-olds celebrating finishing high school. The next week or so would be crazy for me. I needed to have a day to relax before I had six days of mayhem. “I’m going down to the pool area. I’m going to spend the day there swimming and relaxing. Do a sweep, and I’ll be there in fifteen.”
“Sure thing. Rafe and Brenton will be around if you need them.”
“Sounds good.” I hung up and went to go get changed into my swimmers.
*****
Bailey
Last night had been a disaster. I had no idea why I was willing to repeat any of it by spending more time with Britney. She and her goons had humiliated me by not only laughing at my fantasy but also doing it in front of all our friends. I hadn’t wanted to play Secret or Fantasy. Personally, I thought it was a game you played in eighth grade, not when you had just graduated high school.
We were in the apartment my brother had rented us for the next two weeks of Schoolies. Last night, Britney invited everyone from our school that was on the Gold Coast celebrating to start the first night of Schoolies. Everything was going great, too good. Britney had come to me before the party and told me it was time to grow up, we weren’t in high school anymore, and we didn’t need to be enemies. This was news to me, as I hadn’t even realized we were enemies. I knew we weren’t friends—well, when she called me the blind whale or burden Bailey, I kinda guessed. Britney’s mum and my brother were dating so I saw a lot more of Britney than I ever wanted.
The party had been going well when Britney dragged me over to a group playing a drinking game. I wasn’t a drinker. I’m already vision impaired. I don’t need anything else to hinder me.
“Let’s play a new game,” Britney said as I sank into a chair next to her.
In this light, I couldn’t see much unless I really focused. The group agreed and Britney suggested Secret or Fantasy. There had been some moaning, but from what I could tell, most agreed and stayed to play. I was left out for a while, and then Britney lured me in. I had two turns before having to reveal a silly secret about myself, before I was relaxed enough to choose fantasy. Britney, like the hound she is, must have known when to pounce because she asked and I said fantasy.
“If you could have any man, who would be your fantasy?”
I debated if I should just tell them a movie star or not, but for some crazy reason, I told the truth. “A Silverman. I’ve seen five and all of them are gorgeous. Mason went to our school last year, and Andrew, even though he is a year younger than us, is hot. The Silvermans I know treat their wives and girlfriends like a precious jewel. Zeck has always been so kind to me, and he is gorgeous. I met the rest when I helped out at the firm.”
Britney burst out laughing as if I’d just told the greatest joke. Then her and her goons started. “Even though that’s a fantasy, it’s so ridiculous. You’d have a better chance with a movie star than a Silverman.”
The snide comments went on and on, until my best friend, Jessica, came and rescued me. I’d
blocked out most of what was being said. When I looked around to see, it was too dark and there was too much around me to get away on my own safely. Being vision impaired blows. I’d spent the rest of the night hiding out in my room. Whoever said names and people laughing at you could never hurt you obviously hadn’t been in my shoes.
I now blamed my brother for last night. Ethan was thirty and dating a woman eight years older than him. I knew he’d started dating her so her bitch of a daughter would become my friend and stop picking on me, the poor fat vision impaired girl. That was three years ago. Britney was still a bitch, and I was now stuck with her and some of her bitchy friends for schoolies. I loved Ethan, but if he hadn’t insisted on Britney coming, I wouldn’t be feeling like shit and second-guessing myself.
I turn eighteen in a couple of days, and I’d just finished high school and was going to Griffith University next year. I should be happy and excited for my future, not depressed and dreading the next couple of days.
Toby, Isaac, and Jessica hadn’t been happy when I told them Britney and her group would be joining us in our three-bedroom apartment on the Gold Coast. Toby was especially pissed. He’d been eager to spend time with just the two of us. I was giving him a chance. I’d never had a boyfriend before and Toby was willing. He’d been asking me out for years, and I had turned him down every time. There was never any chemistry, but I hadn’t felt chemistry with any guy I’d been near. Sure, I found guys hot, but nothing like the Silverman men who I’d met at work, and I knew I didn’t have a chance in hell with any of them.
If I were honest with myself, I’d admit I was happy. Toby, who was a friend, was going to be my first boyfriend, probably my first everything. I’d been friends with him since primary school. Our mothers had been close. It was the same for Jessica. Isaac was the newest addition to my close friend group. He’s one of what I call Toby’s sports friends. He transferred schools late in year nine and joined all the sports teams. It’s there he met Toby, then eventually, Jessica and me.