I took a deep breath.
One second at a time, I would endure his wrath. If it kept him from Emma, I would take it all even if it killed me. Emma was one of the female foster kids, and Amos kept taking her in his room alone. I didn’t have proof he was hurting her, but I felt it, and so did Onyx, Dane, and Pax.
I didn’t let a single tear fall even as they built behind my eyes from the pain. The lashings kept coming, and I bit down on my cheek to stifle my groans.
Funny the things a man could get lost in.
For Amos, the temptation of a vulnerable girl with no escape gave him power. Emma and all the other little girls in his care were helpless against him. He knew it and took advantage. He held the key to all of our freedoms and our lives. A power he abused.
I had power now.
Not like him. No, I had real power, the kind to truly control a man.
My door opened as I expected, and I sat in my seat not bothering to greet him. My desk was clear except my computer monitor, my nameplate, and the lighter that created an empire.
“Where the fuck is she, Monroe?”
I smirked. “I don’t see where that is of concern to you, Beacon.”
He rushed to my desk and planted his palms on it, leaning toward me. “Do not fuck with me, Monroe.”
I laughed. “Or what? Please, Beacon, tell me what you will do to me?”
“She made an agreement with me of her own free will! You can’t make that go away.”
I leaned back more and steepled my fingers together. “Oh, but you see, I did. The agreement was for you to cover the costs of her mother’s medical care until her health was restored or her passing.” I shrugged my shoulders, “or your passing, which I can arrange for you Beacon.” The man stared at me in shock as I continued on without skipping a beat. “In return, she would live with you as your servant under your command. Tell me, Beacon, what line items have you paid for on her mother’s behalf since the agreement began? From there, please explain to me what she owes you? Per the lines of your agreement, she would have to earn every privilege. You tell me what you’ve given to her and what she owes you in return?”
He shoved off from my desk. “You son-of-a-bitch. I paid her father!”
“And I’m certain if you look into your accounting, you will find a wire transfer on the date I procured her matching the amounts owed to you by the Mitchell family plus five percent for interest and incidentals.”
“You smug bastard,” he roared.
I laughed. “I prefer confident.”
“I’ll find her. I’ll find her. I’ll find her mother, her father, and I’m going to make them all pay for your transgressions. I had a deal, and no one backs out on a deal from me.” He threw his hands up in the air. “You can’t hide them all from me.”
I didn’t make a move. “You seem to misunderstand your position, Beacon. You have no power here. Women are not possessions, trophies, or animals to be tamed. Whatever your mindset, you are mistaken. Maybe for your life thus far, you’ve gotten away with the manipulation your money affords you, but on my word, you are done.”
“No, Monroe, you’re the one who is done. I will end you.”
Again, I laughed, but this time, I rose and stood eye-to-eye with only the desk between us. “I do love a good challenge, Beacon, but you’re far past your prime for the war you’re starting with me. Stand down, Beacon, and maybe you can live a decent life in a retirement home. Keep pushing and you’ll find yourself in a wooden casket with your heirs dividing up your assets happily.”
“Are you threatening me, Monroe?”
I looked him in the eyes and never faltered. “Let’s call this a lesson in Newton’s Third Law. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. You take action … then consider what comes next, my equal and most certain to be opposite reaction.” I gave him a casual sigh. “If you want war, Beacon, I’m more than prepared.”
“You just expect me to let her go? Forget the deal I made?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what the fuck I expect, Beacon.”
“Mr. Monroe, your appointment is here,” my secretary buzzed in.
I didn’t even get a chance to dismiss Charles Beacon as the man exited my office in a rush. I adjusted my suit coat and remained standing. The man irritated me on a primal level. No one got under my skin, ever. But him … this man was wedging himself in there like a thorn. Taking a deep breath, I readied myself.
The woman entered casually. Lisa Sanders wasn’t at all what I was expecting. The woman was tall compared to Enissa. She was rail thin, lacking the curves I appreciated on Enissa. Her eyes were void of emotion. Considering my career, she was a woman who was far from easy to read. The shape of her eyes and their color … those took my mind right back to her. It was the only thing that reminded me of Enissa.
“Mr. Monroe,” she greeted, extending a hand to me.
I followed suit and shook her hand. “Have a seat. I’m actually a little surprised you showed up after taking my money and then bailing. I have to say I’m glad you took my message seriously and arrived to save me the trouble of tracking you down.”
She shook her head. The air of her arrogance seeped into the room. “I didn’t bail. I simply want to renegotiate the terms.”
I took my seat behind the desk as she put herself in one of the chairs across from me. Crossing her legs in a way the slit of her skirt exposed her flesh as much as possible, I bit back my laugh. She was not the first woman to sit across from me and think pussy could control the world. She obviously thought this would get me under her thumb. Oh, how very wrong she was.
“What makes you think the terms are negotiable? I am rather certain the agreement was more than fair.”
“I want her to know.”
I shook my head as I leaned toward her, steepling my fingers together to get her undivided attention. “Not happening. If you want to fix shit with your sister, you do so your way. You don’t use this situation to feed your hero complex. Your sister has no clue who the donor will be and that it’s being arranged. She has no idea who is paying for her care, and you aren’t about to share any of that with her.”
“Then,” a cocky grin played across her red stained lips, “pay me for my silence.”
The woman was bold. I had to give her that. Raising an eyebrow, I asked what I knew I shouldn’t. “How much?”
She paused as if she was truly thinking. Except I knew that anyone who actually answered this question always had their price already in mind. “One million,” she stated proudly.
I laughed before I stood and moved to tower over her in the chair. Placing my hands on each of the armrests, I caged her in. With my face stern and my body tight, I set myself up to intimidate and overpower. She had no idea who she was fucking with and was about to learn.
“No.”
She pulled her head back as if she was seeking space from me as the shock danced in her previously stoic eyes. “What do you mean no?”
Getting closer, I expanded on my statement. “You misjudge your power here. I have the means to find a donor anywhere in the world. I did my research, the amount previously agreed upon, half of which you already received, pays for all your debts and will sustain you comfortably if you make wise decisions. I never asked you to do this from the kindness of your heart, because, Ms. Sanders, it’s quite clear you have no heart.”
She genuinely took offense to my words. Good.
I continued on. “You will stick to our current arrangement without adjustments. If you don’t, I will make sure you lose your house, your car. I will cost you everything. You will do this without any recognition from anyone. And you will do it because as you told me in our first meeting, money is all that matters to you, not family. So you have no sister. You are simply being paid to provide the bone marrow necessary.”
She nodded, backing down quicker than I anticipated.
“The money is already gone,” I told her what she already knew. “You spent it within a week beyon
d what I paid off in your debts. You also quit your job, so my money is your only income now. Yes, you see, Ms. Sanders, I keep up with my money. Every fuckin’ penny. Now since you decided to piss me off by making me have to seek a back-up solution to my situation, today you will go directly to the hospital. You will remain in the hospital until the procedures are complete. Am I understood?”
Only after she mumbled a yes did I back away to give her space. “A driver will be at your house in an hour. Pack a bag, anticipate staying in the hospital for thirty days. You won’t leave until your sister is cleared after the transplant. Ms. Sanders, do not fuck around this time. If my driver reports back that you aren’t there, I will personally find you and make you pay.”
Again, she didn’t speak only nodded before she stood and left my office.
Livid.
She had me well and truly livid. How could people take for granted what was right in front of them?
I didn’t have a sibling biologically. I had three brothers by choice, and if one of them needed something, anything from me, I’d freely give it all. Yet, this woman truly held the power of her sister’s life inside her own bone marrow, but wouldn’t help without financial gain. The day Charles Beacon brought Enissa’s name to my table, I immediately began my research. In learning of her mother’s illness, I had discovered Lisa Sanders. The powers of persuasion, mostly of the dollar bill kind, worked and she was already tested and proven to be a match before I stepped into Enissa Mitchell’s world.
She would get her money, but I would make sure life would be far from easy street in her future.
17
Enissa
Three days later
Peering over the couch, the waves crashed as the sun shone down, glittering the water.
“It’s beautiful,” Ellen Sue said, coming up and sitting next to me, her body turned to see outside.
“Yeah. It’s much better in person.”
I didn’t grow up on the beach. We only vacationed every few years to one. Having this access, I found it hard to resist staying outside all the time. Being forced indoors made me feel like a caged animal especially when the sand and sea seemed to be calling my name.
Her hand came to my knee as she patted me gently. “Garrett just wants you safe. My boys have a tendency to be a bit overprotective with their women.”
As much as I wanted to tell her I wasn’t Garrett’s woman, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to give away my predicament. That was just for me to deal with. And if I were being completely honest with myself, finding out what Ellen Sue thought about what I’d done sat strange in my belly. I didn’t know the woman, but something about her made me comfortable. I didn’t want that to change.
I knew what I was doing and why. Others didn’t need to know a thing. I hated the feeling of being judged.
“It would be nice, though, to go outside,” I replied instead.
“You’ll be able to soon enough.” Ellen Sue turned back to the room, and I followed grabbing a square tan pillow and holding it close to me. It was clear, Ellen Sue wasn’t going to give me the freedom to roam the beach.
Time for a new tactic. “Dinner was fantastic. Did you teach Garrett how to cook?”
Ellen Sue laughed, grasping her hands in her lap. “Some, but Garrett had a special childhood. His grandmother taught him so much in the time they shared. Children are like sponges, and Garrett absorbed all the memories.” She sighed. “After he grew from a boy to a young man, Garrett found the kitchen as a place to unwind.” She laughed to herself. “In college, he refused to be like the other kids and live on cheap noodles, so he cooked a lot during that time.”
This I found interesting. Facts I pieced together from this simple reply: Ellen Sue was not Garrett’s grandmother because she referenced his grandmother singularly, not saying his other grandmother. How was the woman related? Was she his mother? He didn’t refer to her as Mom.
Also, Garrett went to college.
So why did he work for Charles Beacon?
I had so many questions, and not the first clue on how to go about answering.
Keep it casual, I told myself. “What was he like when he was little?” I asked.
Since Ellen Sue clearly thought Garrett and I were together, I could ask these kinds of questions without setting off any alarm bells to the woman.
“Garrett was serious. Of my boys, he took his time in every reply. Onyx was always the leader, but Garrett, he was the talker. Whatever they got into, Garrett was ready to talk their way out of it. The dynamic of my boys is truly unique and fashioned them into the men they are today.”
“So Garrett has brothers?”
“The boys and I are a unique family.”
Interesting reply. I didn’t know what to say. Ellen Sue was certainly vague with her responses and clever too.
“What’s his job?”
Ellen Sue looked at me skeptically. “You don’t know these things about Garrett?”
My throat closed just a touch. If I were dating the man, we probably would’ve talked about this stuff in the getting to know you portion of our relationship, and asking questions was giving it all away.
I liked Ellen Sue and didn’t want to lie to her. Nor did I desire to tell the entire truth.
“We haven’t known each other that long. Sorry. I’ll let him tell me these things.”
Ellen Sue studied me for a bit, and I felt like fidgeting, but remained still.
“Garrett will return soon, Enissa. All things you wish to know he will tell you if you ask. The thing about Garrett, you must be clear and direct. If you desire to know him, you must ask concisely. My boy, he’s very good with words, Enissa. Do not let his words railroad you off your path. He’s good at distraction.”
I found myself thinking hard on her words. While she didn’t give me much, she gave me more than I had. I turned my attention back to the rolling waves outside. The continual movement of the ocean was inspiring. Being stuck in this current standstill was a gentle reminder that when this passed my life would roll in and out with the tides once again.
Ellen Sue seemed to read me and left me with my thoughts.
“What do you want to do tonight?” Ellen Sue asked from the kitchen where she was making a pot of coffee. The woman loved her coffee. That I knew for sure because she always had a mug close by.
“I’d say a walk on the beach, but…” Case coughed from the doorway, and I looked at him. “I know, big man. Relax.”
Case gave a small smirk. The guy was intimidating, but he wasn’t an asshole. Like Garrett. Shut it, Enissa, you like the asshole.
I felt like shaking my head to get all the thoughts out of my mind, but remained still.
“I know,” Ellen Sue piped up. “I have a couple of games in my room.”
“Games?” Case asked with a brow raised.
I had the same reaction. Playing games wasn’t at the top of my to-do list. Relaxing on the beach, yes. I hadn’t played a board game or card game since I was a kid.
“Yes ” Ellen responded, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. She gave no other explanation, and neither Case or I pushed as she walked out of the room and down the hall.
Case looked at me and I just shrugged, having no clue either.
Ellen Sue came in moments later with a stack of boxes, surprising both of us. Case went to her and grabbed them, setting them down on the kitchen counter as we all moved in.
“Now some of these are puzzles, and I’m not sure if you like those. So I brought them. But there are games. My boys loved to play games all the time. They are very good, each of them.”
The options in front of me were overwhelming. Monopoly, Uno, a deck of cards, checkers, chess, Skipbo and Battleship.
“How about Skipbo?” They both looked at me, and I shrugged. “My mom and I used to play when I was little.” I didn’t tell them I lacked the patience to deal with a game like Monopoly. As for Battleship, I was not a born strategist.
Opening the package and pull
ing out the cards, I shuffled them showing them my flip move with the cards.
“Whoohooo. We have a card shark on our hands,” Ellen Sue called out.
A laugh bubbled up. “Wouldn’t go that far, but I practiced shuffling the cards different ways when I would get bored as a kid. For a while we didn’t have cable. When you don’t have a lot of money growing up, you make do with what you have. I practiced shuffling cards.”
Ellen Sue smiled, and there was something behind it that I couldn’t figure out. Whatever it was appeared to be big, but I didn’t push and dealt out the cards.
“Okay, have you played?”
Case lifted his brow. “No.” He shrugged. “Not much of a game player. Candyland, sure, but not this.”
“No?” I said, shocked. “It’s a classic.”
“So how do we do this?”
“Ten cards in the pile in front of you. I deal out five for your hand. The deck goes in the middle, and you stack the cards up one through twelve. Skipbo’s can be used for any number. First one to get their decks gone, wins.”
An hour later Case threw his cards down on the table. “How do you do it, Ellen Sue? Can’t you at least let me win once? You two are killin’ my pride.”
We all laughed. “Don’t be a sore loser,” Ellen Sue teased.
“Well, can you at least feed me while you kick my ass at SkipBo? I mean, who names a game Skipbo anyway?” Case continued his rant.
“Someone making more money than you,” Ellen Sue teased.
“I doubt that. Onyx is very generous,” Case retorted, and I wondered exactly who Onyx was. From Ellen Sue I got that he and Garrett were very close, but that was about it.
“Onyx is very generous,” Ellen Sue spoke wistfully. “All my boys are. Now what do you guys want for dessert? There is cheesecake in the freezer!”
“Yes!” Case and I both said in unison.
Cheesecake was my favorite. I missed out on it the first night with Garrett. He hadn’t offered it or pulled more out since. Not wanting to seem rude, I left it in the freezer all this time knowing it was here, but refusing to give into my cravings.
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