Next to Forever: Shattered Innocence Trilogy Book Three

by Long, A. L.

  Dylan got back to the office just in time to see the IRS investigator quizzing Jessica about some files he was holding in his hand. Dylan could see that Jessica was dumbfounded by what he was asking.

  “I’ll handle it from here, Jessica,” Dylan said, looking straight at the investigator. “Mr. Metcalf, if you have any questions regarding your review, I would appreciate you directing them to me instead of asking our receptionist.”

  It wasn’t long before Dylan had the investigator back in the conference room answering his questions. Some of them were so off the wall that Dylan had to laugh at the stupidity of them. It was only when he asked who the secret partner was that Dylan quit laughing to herself. The investigator held up the partnership agreement, which Dylan immediately recognized. Clearly he could see that Garrett Matheson was the secret partner. Dylan found it odd that the agreement would be among the financial statements when it should have been kept in a safe place.

  “What does BlackStone having a secret partner agreement have anything to do with your investigation, Mr. Metcalf?” Dylan questioned.

  “It has everything to do with the investigation. It clearly states that in the event one of the partners, namely Keeve Black or Mason Stone, enters into any agreement without the other partners' knowledge, then any additional provisions of the initial contract will become null and void and the secret partner will retain fifty-one percent interest while any other partners would split the remaining forty-nine percent interest evenly,” the investigator recited from the agreement.

  “I can’t believe that. Let me see the contract,” Dylan claimed, grabbing the document from his hands. As she scanned the document, she could clearly see that the agreement in her hand was drawn up three months after the initial partnership was signed. This couldn’t be happening. If what she read was true, then Garrett Matheson would be getting his piece of the pie. Her next question was, which one of the men had gone against the other and engaged in business without the other’s knowledge? This must have been what Garrett knew and kept from Rade.

  Dylan headed back to her office to grab her things. “Where are you going, Ms. Adams. We aren’t finished here,” the investigator barked.

  “We’ll have to commence again tomorrow. I need to take care of something,” Dylan replied.

  Dylan was out of the office and hailing a cab before the investigator knew what hit him. She needed to get to Rade and show him the revised contract that Keeve and Mason neglected to share with them. This would change everything pertaining to the Spectrum deal. It seemed the only thing that Rade could do was to back out of the deal he made with BlackStone. Dylan wouldn’t blame him if he did, since they weren’t exactly forthcoming regarding the secret partnership and the deal that was made.

  By the time Dylan reached Rade’s office, her nerves were going a mile a minute. She couldn’t believe that this information had been hidden from them and it took an IRS investigator to find it. She also wondered how much more information he was going to be digging up during his review.

  Stepping out of the cab and onto the curb, a chill ran up Dylan’s spine. It was the same feeling she got the night of the grand opening at Riley’s. Looking around, she spotted what, or more like who, had her feeling uneasy. Standing across the street was a tall man, medium build, looking right at her. She couldn’t tell if she recognized him since he was wearing a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses. He was definitely trying to hide his identity. Who wears a hoodie when it’s nearly eighty degrees outside? Dylan yelled at the guy as she began to approach him. Just as she crossed the street, he ducked into an alley where he disappeared out of sight. Dylan couldn’t run after him even if she wanted to. Coming from work, she wasn’t exactly dressed to chase down the guy.

  Walking back across the street, Dylan was greeted by an agitated face. She knew all too well that look meant disapproval. Looking up at Rade, Dylan tried to explain, but was taken by the arm before she could.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Dylan? And why did I just see you climb out of a cab instead of waiting for Richard to bring you here?”

  “I couldn’t wait. I needed to talk to you right away,” Dylan responded.

  “Whatever it is, it doesn’t justify being careless of your safety,” Rade barked. “Who were you running after a moment ago?”

  “ I’m not sure. I got the same feeling I did at Evan’s grand opening. I thought I… I don’t know what I thought. Just forget it,” Dylan said, pulling her arm free from Rade’s grasp.

  The minute Dylan pulled from him, Rade had her pulled even tighter against his body. “Nothing is more important to me than your safety, Dylan. Next time you are not to leave without Richard or myself. Clear?” Rade stood silent as he waited for a response that never came. “Sweetness, are we clear?”

  “Yes,” Dylan said hesitantly. She was tired of being a burden to Rade, and especially Richard. She was sure he had more important things to do than to escort her everywhere she needed to go.

  Richard must have pulled up with the Bentley while they were having their little dispute, because when Dylan pulled from Rade’s embrace, he was already holding the back passenger door open for them. Rade took hold of her hand and led her to the passenger door of the SUV and assisted her in.

  On the way home, Dylan wondered what would be waiting for her when they got there. She could tell by Rade’s silence in the SUV that he was still angry with her for leaving work without letting Richard know. Just the thought of what her punishment would be made her body tingle with anticipation. A small smile appeared on her face at just the thought. Looking beside her at the man she loved, she was met with his dazzling smile. She knew he must have been thinking the same thing. Needless to say, she never got a chance to tell him about the purpose of her surprise visit to his office. Instead, she decided to wait until she could find out all the facts.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  It was Friday and Rade couldn’t be happier. He was finalizing his getaway plans with Dylan for the extended weekend. His only goal was to worship her every waking hour. By the time the extended weekend was over, she would be thoroughly fucked. While he was lost in his thoughts, a knock came at the door. Rade didn’t have any appointments scheduled for the rest of the day and Gwen usually called when she needed him. Thinking nothing of it, Rade commanded, “Come in.”

  Look at the door, waiting for his visitor to appear, Rade’s day got shitty in a matter of seconds.

  “Chloe, what the fuck do you want?” Rade hissed.

  “Is that any way to talk to the mother of your child?” Chloe asked.

  Chloe made herself comfortable by taking a seat in front of Rade’s desk. She knew Rade was watching her every move, so she added a light swing to her step. Being pregnant had its perks. With the prenatal vitamins she was taking, everything about her glowed. Even though Rade hated to admit it, pregnancy did look good on her.

  “Say what you came to say and then leave,” Rade ordered, turning his attention back to his computer.

  “Since I kept my end of the bargain and agreed to another blood test, I think it’s only fair that we make plans for our visit to London. I just dropped by to check your schedule,” Chloe smiled, knowing Rade would soon be hers.

  “I’m perfectly aware of what I said, Chloe. Let me know when you want to leave and I’ll have Gwen make the arrangements,” Rade replied with distaste.

  “Very well. I can’t wait till you meet my parents. They are going to love you,” Chloe gloated as she rose from her seat.

  Rade fisted his hands, wanting to hit something. He didn’t know what possessed him to agree to go to London with Chloe. His only absolution was that his days in London would be spent with Dylan by his side. Chloe was going to be in for a big surprise. He wanted to let her know that an additional guest would be accompanying him to visit her parents in London, but he couldn’t spoil the surprise. Rade couldn’t wait to see Chloe’s face when Dylan arrived with him in London.

  Rade needed to push his though
ts aside and concentrate on the trip he had planned with Dylan. A few more hours and they would be alone together on the blue water. A few more hours and she would be his for two glorious days. Not even Chloe could ruin what he had planned.

  There was another knock on the door. What did that bitch want now?.

  “I have nothing more to say to you, Chloe,” he said looking toward the closed door.

  When the door opened, he was surprised to see it wasn’t Chloe standing before him. It was Richard and the look on his face was strained.

  “Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we have some information on Mr. Stewart’s credit card. Turns out his credit card was stolen. His parents have been monitoring the charges and reported it stolen to the authorities. Sorry to say, we’ve come up empty,” Richard said regretfully.

  “I knew it was too good to be true. He would have been stupid to use his card,” Rade declared.

  “We aren’t giving up, sir. Soon he will make a mistake and we will be right there when he does.” It might have been wishful thinking on Richard’s part, but Rade knew he needed to do whatever it took to have Michael Stewart in his control. It was then that he remembered the key that fell out of Dylan’s purse. Pulling it from his pocket, he held it up as if it held all the answers he needed.

  “Richard, I need you to find out where this key goes to. Dylan found it among Alex Moreno’s things. I’m pretty certain it’s a safe deposit key. You may want to check World National Bank,” Rade suggested.

  “Very well, sir. I’ll let you know what I find out,” Richard assured him.

  Rade was ready to head out. What started out being a good day turned into a day from hell. As bad as it was, Rade wasn’t going to let it put a damper on his plans. He knew that Dylan would still be working and he wanted to make sure he was there to pick her up. She had no idea what he had planned for her, and he didn’t want to waste any more time than necessary to begin his little surprise.

  All the arrangements were in place. Rade made sure Dylan didn’t need to worry about anything, other than getting sunburned. Rade manage to locate a two-hundred- foot yacht he could charter. The owner and captain of the boat was all too happy to accommodate Rade’s request when he found out how much he would be getting paid for the short notice. It didn’t take the captain long to find a crew with enough experience to man the large vessel. All Rade had to do was sit back and enjoy. The captain assured Rade that the weather would be perfect for their little adventure. He also assured them that the staff would leave them to their privacy and they wouldn’t notice them on board. If everything went well, Rade might even purchase the yacht and arrange for permanent employment for the captain and the crew.

  Pulling up to the BlackStone building, Rade drove to the parking garage and entered the lobby through the stairwell. Punching the button to the fifteen floor, he watched as the floors increased on the LED display on the elevator panel. Jessica and Lucy were sitting behind the reception desk like two bookends on a bookshelf. As soon as Rade entered the glass doors, their heads popped up and huge smiles swept across their faces.

  “Good afternoon Mr. Matheson,” they said in unison.

  “Good afternoon, ladies,” Rade replied with a smile.

  Walking down the hallway, Rade thought back to how lucky it was that Dylan wasn’t around when the shooting took place. It was karma that she decided to go into work later that morning. It could have easily been her that got shot. Rade hoped that soon Richard and Peter would have some information for him as to who the man was that pulled a gun and let loose.

  When Rade got to Dylan’s office, he could see she was deep in thought. He knew that convincing her to give up her job and come to work for him would be out of the question. At least not until Keeve and Mason were back on their feet. He would love nothing more than to have access to her. He would make sure that her office was right next to his with an adjoining door. Nothing like a quickie in the middle of the afternoon.

  Yanked from his thoughts, he was greeted with Dylan’s beautiful smile. “Rade, what are you doing here?” Dylan asked surprised.

  “I’m here to take you away. I have a surprise planned for us and I wanted to pick you up personally,” Rade confessed.

  “What kind of surprise?” Dylan asked, cocking her head to the side, wondering what he was up to.

  “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, Sweetness.” Rade knew no matter how much Dylan begged to get the answer she needed, he wasn’t willing to let her know.

  Rounding her desk, he took her by the hand and led her out of her office. He was glad that she didn’t protest. Once they got to his car, he pulled out a black scarf that he had tucked inside his suit pocket.

  “Turn around, Sweetness,” he said with a smirk.

  “What is this, Rade?” Dylan asked confused.

  “Part of your surprise,” Rade replied.

  With the scarf securely tied behind Dylan’s head, Rade carefully lowered her into the car. Once she was settled, he reached across her body and buckled her in while taking advantage of the opportunity to gently brush her pert breasts. A smile appeared on Dylan’s face, acknowledging his playful deed. The touch alone set Dylan’s body on fire. Unable to resist, Rade lowered his lips to hers and captured the kiss he had waited for all day.

  “This weekend is going to be just you and me. No phones, no work, and most of all no clothes,” Rade whispered to her.

  With a small giggle, Dylan was somehow able to capture his mouth with hers, pulling him in for another much needed kiss. Rade took advantage of her warmth and deepened their embrace. This was where he wanted to be, thinking of nothing but her. The problem was that he couldn’t wait. Turning into a vacant alley, Rade gave in to his desire. Dylan could feel his touch as he gently pulled her from her seat and positioned her over his lap. Finding the electric seat button, Rade pushed the button until his seat was fully extended, allowing him full access to her body. With her on his lap, he eased his right hand between their bodies until he found her warmth. With heated fervor, he slowly slipped his hand between her soft flesh, soaking in the wetness that was waiting for him. “What are you doing to me, Sweetness? I will never get enough of you,” Rade moaned, unable to contain his own hunger. Lifting her body from his, he took hold of her hips and placed his hands under her skirt. Without warning, he took hold of her lacy panties and ripped them from her body. His uncontrollable need took over, leaving her wanting him even more.

  “Rade, please take me. I’m yours,” Dylan moaned with a need she could no longer deny.

  Soaring to unlimited heights, Rade adjusted his position, settling Dylan’s warm cunt over his willing cock. He knew there was no other place he wanted to be. It didn’t matter that he was in an unfamiliar place, he only knew he needed to satisfy his desire for this woman.

  In tune with each other, Rade slipped his hardening length inside the burning tinder waiting for him. With precise thrusts, Rade slowly consumed the fire Dylan emanated as he accepted the hold she had on him.

  Their bodies were as one as they embarked in the pleasure that overtook their senses. Dylan screamed his name, while Rade moaned his own release. He was certain that everyone could hear their ultimate release within a five mile radius. Holding her in his arms as they slowly came down from their explosive release, Rade said with complete bliss, “I will never love any other woman the way that I love you.”

  Rade regretfully pulled Dylan from his body and gently placed her in the passenger seat. He knew he had to break their little love session before he couldn’t control himself.

  Rade slowly removed the blindfold, seeing the softness behind her eyes. Dylan looked over to him with adoration, knowing she would never love a man more than she loved him.

  *****

  When Rade drove to the pier, Dylan couldn’t believe the massive yachts that were docked. She had no idea what Rade had in store for her, but she knew their weekend together would be one of total bliss. It wasn’t until they walked up to one of the lar
ger yachts that she gasped with excitement.

  “Rade, is this boat yours?” Dylan asked in amazement. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life.

  “Unfortunately no, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t be,” Rade declared.

  As they boarded the vessel, a stocky man with red hair and a scruffy beard greeted them. He couldn’t have been more than forty. Dylan knew that he must have been the captain by the white uniform he was wearing.

  “Welcome aboard, Mr. Matheson. I’m Captain Talbot, Ms. Adams. It’s so nice to have you aboard. I’ll have one of our crew members show you to your suite,” the captain offered.

  Soon a young steward appeared, leading them to where they would be spending most of their time. As they headed down the narrow hallway, a door was opened for them by the steward. Looking inside, the suite was more than Dylan dreamed. It hosted a king-sized bed with a light blue duvet on top. The room was surrounded with deep wood trim and plush carpeting. Off to the left was a row of windows that extended the width of the room. There was a glass door, which Dylan assumed led to the massive deck. Since Rade didn’t give a hint as to where they were going, Dylan didn’t have the opportunity to pack, but when she pulled open the door to the walk-in closet, she realized she should have known it didn’t matter. The only clothing inside were a few dress shirts and nightgowns.

  Opening yet another door, Dylan was greeted with a jetted tub the size of a small Jacuzzi. The room was breathtaking with its shiny marble surfaces and mirrored ceiling. Dylan could see her and Rade spending a lot of time in it.

  “This is amazing, Rade. I could definitely get used to this,” Dylan said.