Extreme Limit

by Kendall Talbot

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I bet they have.”

  “As per Mr. Milton Ashcroft’s request, Holly Parmenter will receive four billion dollars.”

  Victoria huffed and gave Holly dagger eyes.

  “Mr. Ashcroft then requested the bulk of his estate to go to his son, and the small change to be distributed amongst Mr. Ashcroft’s chosen charities. Nothing was to be allocated to you.” He paused to let that sink in. “We propose Regi receives Kane’s intended inheritance of six billion dollars.”

  “Six billion!” she blurted.

  Evert ignored her outburst. “That leaves two billion that we’re prepared to give to you, Mrs. Ashcroft.”

  She slapped the table, jumped to her feet, and backed away from the chair. “No fucking way.”

  Evert removed a stack of papers from the folder in front of him. “If you don’t agree, we intend to use Milton’s DNA to prove that Reginald is entitled to the full eight billion dollars. But that’ll mean years of litigation, and in the end, Reginald will get what he’s entitled to and you will receive nothing.” Evert flashed his pearly white teeth. “As per your late ex-husband’s request.”

  She alternated her bulging eyes from Holly to the Ziplock bag to the men in the room. “I need to call my lawyer.”

  “Call your lawyer,” Holly said. “But if you don’t sign the documents before five o’clock today, Madonna has been instructed to email the report I’ve written to Komo News.”

  “What report?”

  “Oh, it’s a fascinating story about Milton’s secret two-decade affair, and how Reginald now has a legitimate claim to the estate.”

  “See, at the moment, nobody knows about me,” Regi piped in, “and I’m happy to keep it that way. Provided you sign the documents.” Regi ran his hand through his hair, just like Milton used to do. “Now,” he added.

  “So, what’s it going to be? Two billion dollars, or not one dime?” Holly asked.

  Evert slid the paperwork across the table.

  “This’s blackmail.”

  “Yes. I believe you know exactly how that works.” Holly kept her cool.

  “Bitch.” Victoria’s eyes raged with fury.

  “Take the two billion, Victoria, while you can.” Holly glanced at the clock on the wall over her shoulder. “Three minutes before my report goes to Komo News.”

  Regi reached for Milton’s beanie and tugged it onto his head.

  Victoria stormed over and snatched it from his head. “Give me that. Okay, yes, I accept the fucking offer.”

  “So, to clarify,” Evert said, “you’re agreeing to two billion dollars.”

  “Yes. Two billion,” she snapped.

  “That’s a very wise decision.” Evert pressed the call button. “Madonna, please hold that email for now.”

  “Yes, Mr. Howard.”

  Evert passed the paperwork forward with a gold pen. “Read through, take your time, and sign where indicated on each page.”

  She huffed as she plonked back into the chair, and as she flicked the pen on her chin, she read down the page. “What’s this?” She pointed halfway down the page.

  Holly had been expecting this question. “That’s the small change Milton left for the charities.”

  “Small change! What the hell?”

  “Oh, let’s just say the estate has invested wisely while you’ve tied this up in the courts for all these years.”

  “Three point seven billion.” She spun to Holly. “You lying fucking—”

  Holly stood and slapped her palm on the table simultaneously. “No. You’re the fucking liar. You’ve been blaming me for Milton’s death since the crash. Not once did you stop to think of what I’d been through. You’re the liar. You don’t deserve one cent. Milton hated you. I know it and you know it.” Holly jabbed a finger at her. “I’m sick of your conniving deceitful crap. Sign the fucking papers and get out of my goddamned face.”

  A blaze of red flushed Victoria’s cheeks and she looked set to explode. She grabbed the pen and scribbled her signature on the first page. Evert guided her through the remaining pages, then she stood and snatched her fancy purse off the table.

  Evert stopped her. “Just one more thing.”

  “What!”

  “You’ve just signed a suppression order. Utter one word of this to anyone, and we’ll sue you for your inheritance plus double that amount in damages.”

  “Fuck you.” She pointed at Holly. “Fuck you, and fuck you too.” She glared at Regi, and his grin was a perfect replica of how Milton used to smile.

  Victoria stormed from the room so fast the wooden door banged back against the wall.

  They didn’t wait for her to be out of earshot before both Regi and Holly jumped up and cheered. Just like he’d done on the mountain, Regi wrapped his arms around her. “I don’t know how I can ever thank you.”

  “You don’t need to thank me,” she said. “You were entitled to that money.”

  He tilted his head. “Well, I’d never have been able to prove it without you.” He reached for the beanie and pulled it on again.

  “You look exactly like him with that on.”

  “I must. She freaked out.” He flopped into the chair. “So, what do we do now?”

  Evert pushed the paperwork toward Regi. “You need to sign these.”

  Regi took the pen and signed where indicated, and Holly did the same.

  Evert rechecked that all the paperwork was in order, slipped them into the folder, and then turned to Regi. “So, I believe we have another matter to look after?”

  “Yes, we do.” Regi rubbed his hands together.

  “Have you decided on your new name?” Holly raised her eyebrows.

  “Yep. What do you think of Levi Mason?” His eyes beamed

  Holly was swept up in his excitement. “It’s perfect.”

  “There’s something else I need you to do for me, Evert,” Regi said.

  “Yes of course. What do you need?”

  Regi extracted his iPhone from his pocket and pressed the play button.

  “Ah, there he is, the man of the hour.” The voice was loud and clear, and Regi seemed happy with the sound because he clicked it off.

  “Have you ever heard of Jeremiah Carson?”

  “Of course. We’re both members of the Broadmoor Golf Club.” Evert grinned.

  “Interesting. Well, you may enjoy listening to our last meeting together.”

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Five months later.

  Holly rubbed her eyes awake, rolled out of bed, and reached for her silk robe. She adjusted the knot at her waist, stepped over the glass floor that revealed the ocean below, and opened the plantation shutters. Squinting against the glare, she stepped from the bungalow onto their private balcony and strolled to the railing.

  She inhaled the salty sea air long and deep. Ahead of her the ocean and the sky fused together as a palette of aqua and blue. The panorama was magical, but the most beautiful aspect of the scene was Oliver. He was floating on his stomach, wearing just yellow board shorts. The broad expanse of his back was tanned and muscular, and from her vantage point, she noticed he was following a school of tropical fish.

  She hadn’t heard him wake, which wasn’t unusual. While she preferred to sleep in, he hated to waste even a moment of sunshine.

  Her cell phone rang and she trotted back inside to pluck it off the table. She frowned at the strange number on the screen and tapped the green button. “Hello?”

  “Holly, how are you?”

  “Levi! I’m fantastic. Oliver and I are in Bora Bora for a vacation.”

  “Awesome.”

  Levi had been in regular contact with Holly since they last met in Evert’s office, and she was pleased that he was. She knew exactly what it was like to leave a life behind and create a new identity. “What about you, how’re things going?”

  “Fantastic. Mom and I’ve moved to Hawaii. You should see where we live! My house is a mansion. We overlook the ocean. Got m
y own jetty. You should see my yacht. It’s so cool.”

  She smiled at his excitement. “That is cool. How’s your mother?”

  “She’s great. She’s got a new boyfriend and he’s alright. She’s playing golf and tennis. Hey, I took up golf too. But I’m crap at it. Got some lessons coming up, though.”

  Holly chuckled at his rambling enthusiasm. “That’s great, Levi. Really great. Any hassles?”

  “No. But have you heard the news?”

  She and Oliver had deliberately avoided the outside world since they walked through the doors of their thatched bungalow two weeks ago. “No, what is it?”

  “Carson’s been arrested.”

  “Really? What for?”

  “All sorts of charges… extortion, aggravated assault, bribery, harassment, tax evasion. You name it, he’s got it. There was even mention of first-degree murder, and ’cause of me, they’ll get him for insurance fraud too. They reckon he’s going away for twenty years.”

  “Holy shit. That’s fantastic.”

  “Yep. Made my day. Hell, it’s made my life.”

  “Wonderful.”

  “Sure is. You guys should come visit; I’ll take you out on my boat.”

  Holly laughed. “We’d love to, but you know we can’t.” One of the biggest downsides of changing an identity was severing ties with everyone. Regi had taken some convincing that Holly would be one of those people. Whenever he did call her, it had to be with a phone that he threw away after just one call. It also meant she could never call him, which was a shame too, because she often thought about him and wondered how he was coping.

  Although… it sounded like he was coping just fine.

  “I know. It’s a shame; you’d like it here. Anyway, I’ve gotta go. They’ve got a luau on the beach tonight. Me and some friends are going.”

  He sounded just like any twenty-six-year-old man should, and she was over the moon for him. After the years of torture he’d been through, he deserved everything and more.

  They said their goodbyes, and Holly strolled back out to the balcony. A small boat was coming into their dock, and Oliver stood on the landing and watched it arrive.

  Just as it approached, a rope was tossed toward him and he grabbed it and looped it around a wooden pylon. “I’ll be right back,” she heard Oliver say to the man on the boat, then he turned around, looked up her, smiled, and waved. “There you are, sleepy head.”

  He bounded the steps two at a time. “Get your swimsuit and hat on, we’re taking a boat ride.”

  “We are?”

  “Yep, come on.” He clutched her hand and led her inside. “Get changed, quick.”

  She plucked her bikini from the drawer and went to the bathroom to change.

  “Want this hat?” He held up her floppy white hat.

  “Sure.”

  Under Oliver’s urgent insistence, she dressed and grabbed a few bits and pieces and he led her back outside. An olive-skinned young man wearing khaki chinos and an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt helped Holly into the boat and she sat at the front. Oliver plonked at her side, wrapped his arm over her shoulder, and kissed her forehead.

  “What’re you up to, Mr. Nelson?”

  “You’ll see.”

  The boat eased away from the dock, and seconds later the engine roared to life. They skipped over the pristine azure waters, heading away from the resort bungalows and toward a series of small tropical islands in the distance.

  Holly knew Oliver wouldn’t let her in on the surprise, so she took the opportunity to tell him about Levi’s call.

  “Holy shit. Twenty years!” Oliver laughed. “I bet Levi was happy.”

  “To say the least.” A small island came into view. Golden sand framed a healthy clump of lush vegetation centered in the middle. Coconut palms dotted the perimeter. They skirted around the right-hand side of the island, and for a moment she thought they were going to keep motoring past. But when the engine slowed and the boat angled toward the shore, Holly noticed a small table decorated in a white table cloth nestled amongst the palms.

  She tugged her lip into her mouth and turned to Oliver.

  “Your deserted island, madam.”

  “Oh, Olly, it’s lovely.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips.

  Sand crunched beneath the boat’s metal hull, indicating they’d arrived, and Oliver stood and jumped into the ankle-deep water. She took off her sandals and, holding them in her fingers, he helped her out of the boat. As she waded toward the shore, Oliver pushed the boat backwards, and within seconds of arriving, the boat roared away again.

  Oliver reached for her hand, led her to the table, and pulled out a chair. “Breakfast is served.” From a basket nestled between them, he plucked glass jars filled with yogurt, fruit and granola, small mushroom tarts, and croissants that were still warm.

  “You’ve been busy.”

  “Not me, I’ve done nothing but snorkel all morning, waiting for you to get your sexy butt up.”

  “Ha ha. Sleeping is what vacations are about.”

  He poured coffee from the thermos, and their morning juice was served in a coconut with a slice of orange and an umbrella adorning the brim.

  They ate their breakfast to the sound of waves crashing into the shore and seagulls squawking over the scraps they threw onto the sand.

  “I could wake up to this every day.” She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

  He chuckled. “That’s funny, because you probably can.”

  It was true. The four billion dollars had arrived in her bank account about a week after they’d signed the necessary papers. And with advice from one of Evert’s friends, she was earning more money off her investments each month than she’d earned in her lifetime. The only capital expense she’d made so far was a new car. She planned to buy a new home too, once she found one in Brambleton that she loved. One that they loved. She’d started to dream of them having a home together. Her heart skipped a beat as she allowed that dream to form now. They’d have a brand-new home, a blank canvas to fill with their own inspirations.

  It would be a haven, filled with peace and love.

  Once they’d finished breakfast, Oliver stood and held his hand toward her. “Want to take a walk?”

  As much as she’d like to sit there all day, she knew Oliver wouldn’t sit still. “Sure.”

  “Take your sarong off, get some sun.”

  Oliver had helped her choose her new bikini at the resort shop when they’d first arrived at Bora Bora. Before she’d met him, she’d locked herself away in her home, too embarrassed to even walk out her door. Thanks to Oliver and Kelli, she’d learned how to live with her scars. They were no longer an affliction weighing her down. She was proud of them, as they were physical proof of how strong she was.

  And she especially liked watching Oliver admire her body in her colorful, albeit scant, bikini, which he did often.

  She’d learned that once people got over their initial shock, they no longer seemed to notice her disfigurements. People were now seeing her for who she really was … Holly Parmenter. And it was great to be back.

  After placing her sarong over the back of the chair, she put on her hat and sunglasses, and hand in hand they strolled along the sand. The sun on her flesh was warm and welcoming, and her body seemed to drink in the sunshine.

  He edged her away from the water and she saw where he was heading. Two hammocks had been strung between a pair of coconut palms, and the sun filtered through the foliage, offering just the right amount of light and heat. Oliver helped her into the hammock, then trotted off to the trees to relieve himself.

  Holly decided to utilize his absence to do something she’d never done before. She removed her bikini top. It was so exhilarating her nipples started to peak immediately. Turning her head, she waited for the moment he saw her. And what a delight it was.

  His eyes bulged and lit up. “Well, hello.”

  Oliver stepped right up to the hammock and bent over t
o suck her nipple.

  But he shifted the weight too quickly, and before she knew it, she was on her back on the sand.

  “Oh shit, babe, are you okay?”

  Giggling, she pushed to a sitting position and dusted her hands. “I’m fine.”

  He knelt at her side and brushed the sand from her shoulders. “Knowing you, you’d say that anyway.”

  Holly chuckled. “Probably.”

  Oliver placed his hands on her cheeks and the intensity in his eyes took her breath away. Her heart skipped a beat at the love she saw in his gaze. Deep in her heart she knew she’d found something extraordinary.

  Oliver was her holy grail, her one and only, the man she wanted to be with forever.

  He wove his fingers through her hair and drew their lips together. His kiss was gentle, tender, yet it said so much more: I want, I need, I love.

  When Oliver eased back, he looked right into her soul. They were connected in every sense. Every thought was tied to him. Every mental picture of her future had Oliver at her side. He was her captain and together they’d sail their own ship.

  He reached into his pocket, and when he removed a small black box, her heart leapt to her throat and tears pooled her eyes.

  Wriggling around to face her, he took her hand. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Holly. You make my heart do crazy things, and I can’t breathe when you’re not around. I want us to move in together, to share a home, to have lots of babies. I want to be with you until I take my last breath. I offer you my heart, and I hope you’ll offer me yours.” He opened the velvet box to reveal an elegant radiant-cut diamond. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

  Holly launched at him, rolling him onto his back so she could pin him beneath her. She could barely breathe, let alone talk, yet she managed the most important words of her life: “Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” Her thumping heart swelled to capacity as tears spilled down her cheeks.

  “I love you, Holly Parmenter.” He reached up, thumbed a tear from her lip, then cupped her breast.

  “I love you too, Mr. Nelson.” She leaned in and kissed the man who’d made her broken mind and body glisten like diamonds.