One thing was for damn sure—once they were nestled in Aspen, he’d work harder for that heir than he’d ever worked for anything in his life. He’d go down fighting to his last breath for what mattered most. His company.
He hoped Abigail could handle the six days he had planned, because this was war.
* * * *
Once Spencer returned to his office, he entered a background search on his computer for Abigail Haden. A little finagling and he’d gotten her name from Liam’s receptionist. The tremor in his hands made him scowl. He’d been certain Liam wouldn’t find someone to bear a child. He hadn’t counted on his cousin lowering himself to pay some twat he’d found on the street.
“Fuck.” Of course Liam would do exactly that. He’d do anything to keep hold of his damn company. It wouldn’t matter who or what she was, as long as he could get his dick in her. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” His voice filled the office as he stared at his computer screen.
The suppressed anxiety that his venture might fail flooded through him in one great big whoosh. His normally unflappable confidence withered into oblivion and he felt sick to his stomach. He started scanning data on his computer, searching for something, anything at all, he could use against the woman.
He had to stop Liam’s strategy dead in its tracks as soon as possible. Plans were in place, plans that couldn’t be backed out of unless he wanted to be in a shitload of trouble. Richard and Martin had enough against him to make his life hell, or worse, send him to prison. And they’d do exactly that just for spite if he ruined the buyout. Not to mention his own personal investment. He’d spent nearly a year in his uncle’s ear, working every angle he could until he’d gotten his chance at taking Whitmore from Liam.
Spencer had gotten backed into a corner, an unnecessary corner. Why Liam had to cling to the corporation was beyond comprehension when they’d make a fortune off its sale. His cousin could spend the rest of his days chasing ass like his father had, without the hassle of running Whitmore Incorporated. For God’s sake, he was doing him a favor by freeing him from the responsibility. He could take his mother and head to some tropical island. She’d probably enjoy spending her final days on a beach somewhere. Selfish bastard.
Spencer took a deep breath, regaining control over his anger. Panic wouldn’t help him right now. He still had cards to play; he only had to find them. Reason ruled his life, and reason always won out. He leaned back in his desk chair and rubbed his hands over his face. His cellphone vibrated with another text from Angela.
You can’t avoid me forever, Spencer.
She’d kept his phone hot the last few days with calls and texts. He’d had to leave his cellphone in his office to keep his wife from seeing her messages. She’d become obsessed with him after only a few nights of fucking. A reward for himself after having dealt with the massive amount of stress he’d been under while working things out with Liam II then KayBona.
She wasn’t anything more than a twenty-three year old legal assistant to a law firm he used. He’d made it perfectly clear their tryst wouldn’t carry any further than a three-day weekend while his wife and kids were out of town.
He growled as the phone vibrated again, and he refused to look at Angela’s new message. What the hell was wrong with her anyway? The sex hadn’t been that great.
He tapped his foot as he dug around into Abigail Haden’s personal history. No arrest records, only a couple of speeding tickets, useless to use against her. But everyone had dirt in their past, so he kept searching. She’d graduated nursing school top of her class, volunteered at a battered women’s shelter, owned her own home. A mismatch of info spread out through social networks and online articles. Entire lives could be pieced together with a few clicks of a mouse, good and bad. Nothing could be hidden within cyberspace, at least not for long. They’d used this tactic in the past with companies that balked at selling. Manipulation had become much easier in the twenty-first century.
An article headline caught his eye. He pulled it up then grinned—nothing front page worthy yet nonetheless valuable for his purposes. Apparently Miss Haden had lived with a man who’d gotten arrested for domestic battery against her.
Bingo. An emotional scar like that could be manipulated for his means. If it was all he’d have, Spencer would milk it for all it was worth. He pulled up Miss Haden’s address and jotted it down on a piece of paper before tucking it into his pants pocket.
Spencer took a deep breath, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease. He rolled his neck then stared at his cellphone. He picked it up, intending to delete Angela’s messages. He pulled the last one up.
His heart stopped. “Fuck.”
I didn’t want to tell you this way. I’m pregnant.
Chapter 8
Abby took her second read through of Liam’s contract. Much of the legalese was confusing, but she understood the gist of things. Enough that she wouldn’t have to hire an attorney for help, which was good since she didn’t have the extra cash to spare.
She rubbed her fingertips over her tired eyes. The two hundred fifty thousand dollars taunted her. The quicker she got her hands on it the better for her family. Which meant the quicker she conceived the better, and that led to thoughts of Liam.
She leaned back on her couch, setting the paperwork aside. She’d never had casual sex. The few partners in her past were long-term and committed relationships. Boyfriends, and she’d been in love with them. While she had no doubt Mr. Whitmore had a body to die for beneath his conservative suits, she couldn’t shake his cold and detached approach to the coming week. Which made her doubt her enjoyment of their coupling.
Sex with someone who’s almost a stranger...how will I do this? Well, he was a complete stranger, her only knowledge of him came from Lupita and websites she’d browsed. One side of the sites boasted his accomplishments, the other, gossip on his tyranny and womanizing. Sex with a tyrant and womanizer.
She swallowed. She’d once been in a relationship with a dominating man; shortly after her mother had died. He’d been an outlet for her pain, someone to clutch on to when everything had turned upside down and inside out. Someone to control things when she felt she had no control, and she’d paid a dear price for it.
Abby had come to her senses and left him after she’d miscarried thanks to his violence. But the men who’d followed had always been dominating. Though not as bad as Jeff, the relationships had ended sour when she realized the pattern redeveloping. She mistrusted herself when it came to her choices in men, and Liam seemed exactly the type she should avoid at all cost. The strong attraction she felt only confirmed it in her mind—she was drawn to the wrong sort like a moth to flames. Irresistible and exciting, but she’d easily be destroyed if she didn’t watch how close she got.
Panic swelled, and she diverted her attention to a more pleasing topic, and wandered through her house, pausing in a doorway. Her spare bedroom would be the baby’s nursery, and she looked forward to decorating it. Teddy bears would be the motif to compliment the teddy bear baby blanket her mother had made for her. An heirloom she’d pass on to her own child, as well as all the wonderful stories of her mother’s kindness and good humor.
The familiar pain of loss tugged her heart. She felt the hollow place inside where the presence of her mother had once resided, but now only a faded memory remained. Abby took a moment to recall her mother’s voice. Its always steady cadence echoed in her mind, the only real thing she could remember of it. The exact tone was fuzzy now, more of an impression than a crystal clear memory.
She returned her attention to the spare room. She’d paint the walls of the bedroom a pale mint, and find furniture at second-hand stores. Things she could redo to add her own personal and loving touch to.
Liam’s money would go to the Double H and what was left would be put in a trust fund for her baby’s college education. She wouldn’t need Liam’s help with private schooling, the child would go to public schools same as she had. Her job—if she still had one after Aspen�
�had excellent medical insurance.
She returned to the living room and flopped down on her couch. What about Caroline? The new concern popped forefront. Liam’s mother would be the child’s grandmother, and she sincerely wanted Caroline to know her only grandbaby. Whether Liam approved or not, she’d introduce Caroline to the child, it was only right. And Abby believed Caroline would love the child, regardless of the reasons behind its birth.
The fantasy lulled her mind and soothed her frazzled nerves. She listened to the gurgling aquarium and drifted nearly to sleep under its humming lullaby. A soft rap sounded at her front door. Her eyes popped open. She rose from the couch and went to answer it. She peeked through the peephole and frowned before pulling the door open.
“Can I help you?”
The visitor wasn’t a stranger. Abby watched suspiciously as he adjusted his red tie.
“Miss Haden?” He grinned down to her.
He was the person who’d cornered her by the elevator at Whitmore Tower. She stood up straighter. “Yes.”
“I’m Spencer Davidson.” He shoved his hand forward, and Abby took it in a quick handshake. Her knuckles popped beneath his steely grip. “I should’ve introduced myself properly when we first met. I apologize for the intrusion. I work with Liam. I’m his cousin, actually. May I come in?”
She pulled her hand from his painful grasp, and couldn’t keep the confusion off her face as she stepped aside, allowing him entry. Mr. Davidson peered around her home, and she couldn’t help the feeling he was judging her two-bedroom bungalow. She lifted her chin and folded her arms over her chest. The place was hers; she’d made the down payment from her portion of her mother’s life insurance policy, and had only a few more payments left. She was proud of it.
“Well, cozy place you have here.” Mr. Davidson rubbed his hands together and faced her. “But let me get to why I’m here.”
“Please do,” Abby returned, meeting his slate-colored eyes head-on.
His gaze dropped to her mother’s necklace where she fingered it.
“It’s about your…agreement with my cousin.” He shoved his hands inside his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I believe you’re planning to produce an heir to the Whitmore name. Is that correct?”
Her face heated. She chewed the inside of her cheek. What she and Liam had planned was no one’s business but theirs.
Mr. Davidson’s smile broadened, and he held up his hand. “I understand your hesitance, I’m sure Liam has sworn you to secrecy. He’s a private man, and no one knows him better than me. We grew up together. There are only a few years of age between us.”
“Why are you here?” She hated beating around the bush. The faster she got this intruder out of her home, the better.
“I know my cousin probably promised you a big cash pay off. And he’ll pay it as agreed. When it comes to most business dealings, he’s good on his word. I’d like to stress most business deals. I imagine he’s also promised you sole custody, since he’s...well, not the settling down type. He has a lot of women within his social standing at his beck and call, and I’ve seen many come and go and come again. But I’m sure you’ve seen all this in the tabloids, they’ve managed to nail down his generalized faults.”
Abby refused to comment, her annoyance growing.
“He couldn’t go to those women, because they’d expect either marriage or child support payments that could feed a small nation for a week.”
A frown passed her lips. Liam had already said as much. The intruder’s unwavering smile raised her irritation even further. She tapped her foot.
“This is what I’m getting at,” he finally continued after a brief pause and glance to his vibrating cellphone. His smile faltered, and he stuffed the phone back in his pocket. “Liam is territorial—what’s his is his. You’re not the…er, type of woman he’d take seriously. But once the child, his child, is born, regardless of what he’s told you, regardless his contractual obligations, he’ll feel possessive. It’s his inherent nature. After all, it’ll be a Whitmore, and every blood Whitmore I’ve ever known has needed control. He won’t leave a stranger to raise his offspring, he’ll take his child to father as he sees fit.
“Think your decision through carefully, Miss Haden. He has the money, the pull, and the power to take your child from you. It’ll break your heart, but he won’t care, because he’s only ever had affection for his mother. He has no feelings for me, for my two young sons, or any other relative. I wouldn’t call him a sociopath, but your child will be raised by a cold man without the ability to love another.”
Abby went speechless feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. She stared at Mr. Davidson, appalled by both his frankness and his revelation.
“I’m only telling you this because I have children and I’d never want someone like Liam to raise them. Not with his self-centeredness, and his temper. I’ve been on the receiving end of his anger more times than I can count, and I can only say I’m happy I’m a man his size. When he snaps....well, there isn’t much you can do but bear the brunt of his fury until it runs its course. It tends to be irrational and explosive, a trait he got from his father, I’m afraid. That’s why his parents separated. Aunt Caroline couldn’t deal with it. Unfortunately, it hadn’t been soon enough, Liam picked it up as a way to deal with life’s frustrations.
“Though to be fair, he takes most of it out in this shabby boxing gym downtown. Knocking around a punching bag seems to have helped a little, at least until he gets bored with it at some future time. If you truly want a child, Miss Haden—an innocent, small, and helpless being—you could do better than having one by my cousin. I’ll leave you to your day.”
He turned, then paused and looked over his shoulder. “Oh, and Miss Haden, I ask that you keep this confidential. Since Liam and I work together, I’d hate for our conversation to get back to him. It might affect negatively on my career, and I have a wife and two sons to support. You understand.”
Abby nodded. He left her home, while Abby remained rooted to the spot, her mind regurgitating Mr. Davidson’s speech.
How true could his words be?
Tears of frustration welled up, blurring her vision, her ears still ringing from the speech. She trudged to her sofa and looked to the contract promising her full custody.
But what good would a few sheets of paper be when he’d have a team of lawyers backing him? He’d most certainly have legal visitation and equal custody rights if he chose to enforce them.
She believed Liam to be power hungry, a corporate tycoon would have to be, and she didn’t know a thing about him personally. Who was she to refute anything she’d just heard, and from his very own relation?
Liam had a temper, an irrational and explosive anger as his cousin put it, that could be directed toward a child. Why in the world would his cousin make something like that up then drive all the way out to see her? Bile rolled to the back of her tongue. She’d never want a helpless soul to have to face something so horrible. Not when she knew firsthand the damage it caused. The physical pain, the loss of self, the dark and terrifying places it threw someone into.
Her resolve wavered. If she backed out now, she wouldn’t be hurt in an unimaginable way later. She plopped down on her sofa and swiped her hands over her eyes. Since Liam had approached her with the offer she’d been a whirl of emotion. Now, with Mr. Davidson’s warning thrown into the mix, the turmoil turned into a full-on hurricane.
Abby looked to her goldfish, wishing they had advice to give. She wished she had her mother to turn to with such an impossible decision to make. Self-preservation said she should rip up the baby contract and forget she’d ever been offered this chance. Watch her family lose their ranch, and what would her father and brother do then? Jobs were scarce in their part of the country; they’d have to move to one of the major cities like San Antonio. Wither away in menial labor jobs, the only thing they’d be qualified to do after a lifetime of ranching. Her father was too old to rest
art his life, and she feared his already stressed health would fail him.
If she didn’t give Liam a shot, she might very well lose her father, and his death would be her fault. She’d spent years blaming herself for her mother’s accident, throwing her into a downward spiral of the darkest years of her life. She’d come to accept she hadn’t been at fault for a rain-slickened highway, despite the fact she’d had a huge fight with her mother before she’d left for a trip to the grocery store. But it’d taken far too long to come to that realization, and revisiting even the smallest measure of that guilt terrified her.
Walking away from seven hundred fifty grand would be her doing. In the end she had no other options. Abby would help her family by the only means she had. She’d save the Double H and ease her family’s financial troubles. If Liam went back on his word, if he decided he’d steal her child away from her, he was in for one hell of a fight.
Chapter 9
Liam stayed beneath the shade of a large patio umbrella. The crowd clustered around Charity’s in-ground pool consisted of women in a variety of string bikinis. Charity stood in their midst, looking rather pleased with the turnout. A woman in a scanty dress played a guitar and sang love ballads off to the side. A high privacy fence surrounded the back lawn. The home was in an exclusive gated community and sat at the end of a cul-de-sac. Prying eyes would be hard pressed to catch sight of the party.
The only male in the middle of a pool party, most men’s fantasy, but Liam wasn’t in the mood to enjoy good fortune. And chances were most wouldn’t be interested in him anyway.
“Hi, sugar. Good to see you made it.”
Liam peered up and met a pair of designer sunglasses. Long, wet, blonde hair hung over the woman’s barely concealed breasts. Moisture from the pool beaded on her tanned and oiled skin.
The Baby Contract (The Billionaire Bachelor Series) Page 6