Rising Up: Finding Me book 1

by J J Harper

  "I don't believe you, what never? Well we need to fix that and trust me babe, we can most definitely find a way and if you're lucky it could even be tonight." I laugh at her giggle and rest my hand on top of her stomach.

  The architect and construction guys are already at the property with Lucas when we pull up outside at the front. "Still like it Ginny?"

  "Absolutely, it's gorgeous. I'm so excited, I wonder how long it will take them to get started? It would be nice to get in before the baby comes wouldn't it?"

  "Babe I'm sure if we throw enough money at them it will be done way before Cookie arrives."

  "I don't want to pry in to your affairs Mase, but can you afford to do all this so quickly, I mean I have some money that was left to me by my grandparents I would be happy to put it into this house, they would love the idea of helping me get my forever home."

  I look at her dumbfounded I have never thought to explain just how much money I have, in fact I am surprised that we have never talked about it before, it was the first thing Lauren wanted to know about. I love that she has never been interested in it before now and the fact that she would want to put her own inheritance in to the property leaves me speechless.

  "Shit Mason, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to pry and if I've offended you I'm sorry." She's talking really quickly to try to hide her embarrassment.

  "Imogen, look at me. I love that you want to put your grandparents’ money into our home but I promise you I can, I mean we can afford this. I never realized that we have never talked about my financial status but I have plenty of money babe, and we are most definitely able afford to have everything exactly as we want. So come on let's go and tell them our plans." I kiss her and pull her towards the house. I think she's in shock.

  After two long hours we have walked over every inch of this house sometimes more than once. I can't get over the enthusiasm and amazing ideas Ginny has for this place, I could never have thought of all the things she has. I would have just had a great room on the first floor and allowed areas to be separated with furnishings and shit like that, but Imogen has turned that idea on its head, by tacking on a side extension we can add smaller rooms, a TV room and an office plus a games room where toys and shit can be kept, but the best idea was a private sitting room just for us, no TV or kids, just time for us to spend with each other.

  So we finally come up with the new layout of the house and Matt, the architect and Dan our builder have agreed with it I bring up the time scale we want it done in.

  "We've got less than three months guys to get this done. We want to be in here before the baby arrives, so are you able to work with that time frame?"

  "Are you prepared to have a lot of guys here, I mean shit." Dan scratches the back of his head. "I can be on this job as soon as the plans have been drawn up and agreed on."

  "So Matt, how quickly can I have those plans?"

  He looks up from his laptop, "I'll have them to you by the end of the week, so if you can check them and let me know I'll forward them to Dan and he can get the materials ordered so that he's ready as soon as the demolition is done."

  "I can start on some of the clearing this week, I'll get half a dozen of my guys over to start ripping out the fixtures and some of the walls." Dan looks happy to get started on it.

  "That's great. So Matt as soon as you've finished one section get it over to me or Imogen to approve you don't need to wait till you've finished all of it to show us. Anyway, this beautiful lady is about to fall asleep so I had better get her home." The guys all make a move and Lucas walks out with them to see them away.

  "Hey Ginny, I've been in touch with a guy you used to work with and he's given me some very interesting information. Can you meet me tomorrow in Lake's office, don't pull that face Ginny, he knows he's been a dick but he's hurting now too. I'll call you with a time but it will probably be after lunch.” We both nod in agreement. “See you tomorrow then. Bye." Lucas leaves and it's just the two of us standing in what will be a beautiful family home in just a few short months.

  We stare at each other before smiling and looking around. "Take a good long look Mase because by the end of the week it isn't going to look like this." She pulls out her phone and starts taking loads of photographs, lots of them with me in so not being prepared to put up with that I take her cell from her and start making a few memories of my own.

  "We are gonna love it here Ginny, can't you just feel it. I loved all of your ideas, that's why you had to be here, it would have ended up an extension of my apartment without your amazing ideas. You are a brilliant woman. Now come on let's go and christen the car!!" I'm laughing hard as I drag her out of the house but I wasn't kidding and soon proved there were plenty of ways we could accommodate her growing belly and I'm pretty damned sure she enjoyed every one of them.

  Imogen

  I've spent the whole of last night and most of this morning wondering who Lucas has spoken to, and can't think of anybody who would have any useful information for us. I did manage to speak to Maddie though and just as I thought she has packed up all her belongings and booked a flight out for today, we both ended up in tears but have promised to keep in touch, she'll let me have her new number and email once she has settled, but doesn't know where she will be living but says it won't be anywhere near her old home. I just hope she will be okay.

  Mason puts his head round my door. "Lake has just asked us to go through, are you ready?" He holds out his hand for me.

  "As I'll ever be, I just can't think who he has spoken to, I didn't know many people there, a few were friendly but soon kept their distance when Jake shooed them away from me. Any offers of joining them for lunch soon stopped."

  I push the door open and Lake was stood in front of his desk leaning back against it and Lucas was stood next to another man, and they both had their backs to me but I got a massive shock when I saw a man I did recognize from my old job.

  "Shit, Ben. What are you doing here?

  Lucas, you didn't tell me it was Ben you had spoken to. Wow, it's really good to see you." I turn to Mason and pull him forward and up next to me. "Mason this is Ben Johnson, he was really helpful and friendly when I first started at Jake's office. Ben, this is my boyfriend Mason he and Lake are the partners here."

  I watch Ben happily shake Mason's hand but see Mason looking warily at my old colleague, but greets him and welcomes him to his offices. I see Ben's eyes move down to my stomach and a huge smile spreads across his handsome face. "I see congratulations are in order to the pair of you. You look beautiful Hei..." His voice fades. "I'm sorry Lucas told me you had changed your name, but either way pregnancy suits you, you look radiant."

  "Okay, let's get this underway, Ben has been fantastic by agreeing to fly all the way over here to show and explain what he has in his possession." Lake takes his seat and I sit between Mason and Ben.

  Ben reaches down and takes a thick manila file out of his case and I see my name, my old name, across the top. He places it on his lap and starts to speak. "Before I show you this document I want to apologize to you Imogen, I actually did try to bring this to your attention but was interrupted by your ex-boyfriend, my ex-boss when he saw me talking to you, and after being asked to clear my desk later that day I didn't make any further attempts to speak to you, and after Lucas explained what had happened I was more than happy to come here to see if I could help.” His dark eyes are filled with regret and remorse.

  "That's okay Ben, you weren't to know what was going to happen." I reach across and give his hand a squeeze.

  "Okay, well I have the contract you signed and I witnessed when you first started work with us. It was part of my job to scan copies in to the personnel department files on the main computer, but my attention was drawn to the extra pages that were included in your contract so as I scanned them, I read through them and they were nothing to do with your job and more to do with a relationship contract between yourself and Mr. Williams."

  My eyes shoot up to Mason as he inhales loudly.
"How the hell have you still got them?"

  Ben smiles and carries on. "Mr. Reynolds, I had already seen contracts like this before from my previous employment, but never had I seen them tucked almost unobtrusively between pages of a standard employment contract.

  This page had Ms. Reid's, as she was then, signature on it as well as Mr. Williams but had already been witnessed by a third party, in fact it was the signature of my old employer. I felt that there was something very strange going on and there had been a lot of gossip about Mr. Williams’s strange proclivities.

  I scanned everything in but copied these papers again and filed them in the archive department, the originals, these ones here, I kept when I left. I had a very strange feeling after I was asked to leave that I may need to produce them one day. And well, here we are and here are the original contracts."

  Lake looks completely dumbstruck as he reaches for the file, Mason is smiling at me and Lucas looks as happy as a dog with two tails.

  "I don't believe this. Oh my God Ben, thank you so much. Lake tell me what this means to me now and how it changes things?"

  "Slow down Ginny, let me look through this and compare it to the version I've been FedEx'd from your parents lawyers. So just for my own curiosity Mr. Johnson, what’s the name of your previous employer, I have a feeling I already know the answer but please make my day and tell me." Lake smiles.

  "It was Damien Halloran, he had quite a lot of these contracts, but in his defense I do believe his were all consensual agreements."

  Lucas speaks up at this point and confirms Ben's comments. "I have spoken to quite a few women that have had relationships with Mr. Halloran and they happily signed his contracts but they also said they had never been introduced to Mr. Williams, it seems he was well known in these circles as a bit too sadistic for their tastes."

  Both I and Mason wince at this and Lucas looks apologetically at me. "Sorry Sweetcakes."

  "It's okay Luc, I must say I tend to agree with them." Mason kisses the back of my hand. "Look Lake do you need me anymore? I've got a couple of things I need to talk to Mason about. Ben, it is fantastic to see you again, I hope you are here for a few days and we can get together, I think we all owe you a huge slap up dinner and a fair few drinks."

  "Yes I'm here for a week so I would love to catch up."

  I lean down and give him a kiss on his cheek and walk out, but not before noticing the blush rise up his beautiful mocha colored skin, Mason shakes his hand again and catches up with me. I walk in his office and he closes the door behind him.

  "Jeez Mason, I did not see that one coming did you? Had Lucas said anything to you?" I flop down on his sofa and am reminded of what happened last time I was sat here.

  "Get those dirty thoughts out of your head Missy, I know what you're thinking about! And no, I had no idea and I don't think Lake did either, he looked like he was being handed the Holy Grail."

  "This should make a difference now, shouldn't it?"

  "Yes babe, it should, I think that your parents legal team will reconsider their version of the alleged contract and will probably withdraw it completely, I believe that the police have recovered the box your brother spoke about so that is being investigated and any of the names copied by your parents are being contacted for their version of events. I really do think it will be over with soon. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

  "Nothing, I just wanted to get out of there, I like to think I'm only on a need to know basis now and it's up to Lake to do the rest. I wouldn't be in there constantly if I didn't work here or I wasn’t his friend so I'm going to let my very expensive lawyer do all the work from now on, and I am going to concentrate on growing this baby here and planning our home and loving you at every opportune moment.

  How does that sound to you?" I let me tongue slide slowly across my bottom lip and then gently bite my lip.

  His eyes darken with desire but he shakes his head. "Babe that sounds pretty damn good to me, and as much as I want you bent over my desk with your panties around your ankles we both need to get some work done and hopefully we'll get some of the plans back from Matt tonight, he's already sent me some prelim's and I've put a copy of them on your desk, have a look and highlight anything you want to change and we can check to see if we've made the same choices.

  So run along Missy and I will see you later." He kisses me and smacks my backside hard as I turn away causing me to yelp. I leave him laughing to himself.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Mason

  It's been three weeks since we gave the builders the go ahead on the plans and the house has stopped looking quite like a bomb site, and we can see our ideas and dreams coming to life, and we try to spend as much time we can over there but my workload is piling up since Lake has had so much of his time taken up by Ginny's case, but the court date has been set for Ginny's parents, thankfully Imogen has not been called as a witness, her extensive statements and corroborated with by the photographs and DVD and her advanced pregnancy have allowed her to stay here.

  All the information and statements Lucas has collected and handed over to Lake and the police back in the UK seem to be watertight. The first case has been and gone and Peter Jenkins got a suspended sentence and has been placed on the sex offenders register. Imogen was happy enough with this as although she hated his part in her trauma she understood his reasons.

  "He was being blackmailed Mason, how do any of us knows how we would react to our child being threatened. He was afraid and foolish." She wouldn't say anything else about him.

  Damien Halloran, Marcus Cavanagh and Leo Mcbride were all found guilty on multiple rape and assault charges and were all imprisoned for between seven and twelve years as well as being ordered to pay damages to Imogen and three other victims, and again being placed on the sex offenders register.

  Imogen and Lake are the only two people to know how much she was awarded but as she has no desire to ever touch such tainted money I am happy to let it be a secret.

  But as her parent’s court date nears Imogen becomes more withdrawn and is suffering from nightmares, well when she can actually get any sleep. This afternoon is our check up with the obstetrician and I'm going along, I would like her to be signed off work now, and I think I've got a way of persuading her. I know I said the house was her birthday present but I think I've found something a bit more appropriate, although probably not the best time, but what the fuck, who cares.

  "Hey Ginny, c'mon babe let's get going. You know you can't pee till after the scan so get your ass in to gear." I love watching her walk towards me with her bump proudly on show, even though she's cost me a small fortune in clothes thanks to Trudy finding a new designer dealing in solely in maternity fashion, she walks past me and swats my ass as she goes.

  The view from the back is just as sexy, you can't even tell she's pregnant, her ass is still high and firm and there isn't a spare ounce of weight on her. Crap I'm getting hard thinking of her naked and bent over now.

  "Look, you're the slow one now." She grins as she catches me adjusting my pants. "Are you looking at my arse again Mase?" But she is walking off with just a bit more sway in her hips.

  Catching up with her I rush her into the elevator and push her against the back wall and claim her mouth, licking at her lips and swiping my tongue against her top lip before tugging it between my teeth. Her moan seems magnified in the enclosed space as I run my hand up her thighs under her fitted dress and slip a finger inside the lace of her panties.

  "Always so wet for me babe."

  I dip my finger inside her and feel her muscles clamp down hard around it while my mouth still invades hers. I know this elevator doesn't take long to reach the ground floor so I quickly press against her clit and she shudders quietly around my hand.

  Slipping my fingers out I put them to my lips and suck her juices from them. Then just as the elevator doors slide open I straighten her dress and take her hand. Not a word has passed between us.

  "I've got something to show
you after the check-up if you're up for it?" I smile as we walk into the doctor’s offices.

  "If it's something inside your pants I've seen it before and we wouldn't be stood here if you'd kept it in there." She leans against me nudging my shoulder.

  "Yeah, yeah, you couldn't keep your hands off me!" I lead her to the waiting area but it's only a few minutes until we are called in.

  After the scan shows that our little Cookie seems to be thriving well but may be a little on the small size, which means our dates could be wrong and we are not as far along as first suspected or Ginny is doing too much and not eating enough. This gives me the perfect opportunity to voice my suggestion.

  "Do you think they would both benefit from not working full time anymore? Imogen has a full and busy diary and has been working long hours." I can feel her eyes upon me and I know that she is not happy with me.

  "Mason, we've discussed this and I love my job and don't want to leave this early, what would I do all day if I had to stop work?" Her voice is low and I can tell she is trying to keep her temper in check.

  Luckily Dr. Markson steps in. "Imogen, the baby is only a little on the small size and if either you or your partner were small people I would not be concerned but you are both tall and athletic, so I'm going to have to agree with Mason on this and I'm going to strongly recommend you stop work, and we shall monitor the growth again in two weeks and then again two weeks later, and if during that time the baby continues to grow but at this slower pace, then we have lost nothing, but if it increases in weight then we will have a much healthier baby when it comes to delivery.

  I appreciate your job is important but so is my duty of care to you. Take some time off, put your feet up and start thinking of baby names. Pregnancy should be enjoyed Imogen, so please slow down and enjoy what time you have left. Trust me once this little person arrives you won't have a moment to yourself." She smiles and pats Ginny's hand.