Mine: A Dark Billionaire Romance

by Brook Wilder

  “I can’t help it, Amy, I’ve never been so mad my entire life… if he really cared about me, he would’ve dropped by my house, he would’ve come to see me,” she said, her voice trailing off. “What do you think is causing him to be so distant?”

  “I wish I knew,” Amy said, pursing her lips. “Do you think something happened?”

  “Like what?” Junie asked.

  “I don’t know, anything.” There was a pause. “My point is… just go over there and check up on him. You never know what might’ve happened that’s causing him to act this way.”

  “Fuck, no,” Junie said, flipping her hair to one side. “I’m not going over there… if he wants to check up on me or on Matty, he can come visit us. He’s just being selfish.”

  “Alright, just do what you feel is right,” Amy said, sighing.

  “I think I just need a break,” Junie said finally.

  “From what?” Amy asked.

  “Everything. I need a break from everything, including him.”

  “Would you like to keep your distance?”

  “Yeah, just for a little while,” Junie said, her lips barely moving.

  “Are you sure you wanna do that?” Amy asked, her head cocked to the side. “I mean, shouldn’t you just sit down and talk about things before you assume shit about him not caring?”

  “I’m not assuming anything. He has his own responsibilities, and I have mine. If his responsibilities are going to get in the way of him checking up on me in my darkest hour, then I’d rather not have him in my life at all.”

  “That’s a dangerous statement.”

  “And I meant every word of it.”

  CHAPTER 22

  Aiden’s car flew down the highway. He picked his phone up and just stared at it, his thumb hovering over Junie’s contact. “Oh, fuck that,” he muttered, tossing his phone aside. Deep down, he wanted to call Junie for help--or at least he wanted to pretend to need her help--just so she would answer him. But he knew she wouldn’t. It was strange and unusual; it was so unlike her. Aiden shook his head in sheer perplexity, trying to figure out what he did wrong. But something cut his trail of thought. In the distance, he could see a white building of some sort--it almost looked like a greenhouse--standing alone in the middle of nowhere. Something told Aiden he should check it out. The Mercenaries were known to hang around the isolated parts of town; it was risky, seeing as though he was completely alone, but he thought he should take the risk, anyway. He pulled over on the side of the road, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

  “That a warehouse?” he said to himself, narrowing his eyes at the white cement block nested in the middle of nowhere. He marched in its direction, his jacket beating against him as a gust of wind blew past. Aiden took his gun out and held onto it, but he wasn’t going to go in there. By the looks of it, the place was most likely empty, but he wasn’t taking any risks. He got down on his stomach, slowly crawling amongst the rocks and gravel. It was not long before he touched the warehouse door with his head. It was the backdoor, but when Aiden looked up, he could see a window right above him. He grabbed onto the ledge and heaved himself up, and, realizing the window was already broken, he fell back down to his knees.

  “Sonofabitch,” he muttered to himself, sucking on his thumb as it seemed to have been stabbed by a shard of broken glass. He took in a deep breath and peered through the window again, and what he saw made his jaw drop. He had to do a double take to make sure that what he saw was real.

  No, it can’t be, he thought to himself, his eyes following the back of what he could only recognize as Lee’s jacket. He was pacing back and forth, and when Aiden looked closely, he could see a couple of other men seated down across from him. They were watching him like he was their mentor; Aiden couldn’t recognize any of their faces. He pressed his ear to the wall, trying to discern what it was they were talking about.

  “Men, I’m glad to welcome you all here,” he heard Lee say. “Now, as you all already know, we all have a mission here, as members of the club.” There was a pause, a pause so horrid that Aiden could feel himself suffocating. “We’re all here to take the rebels down… we’re here to take what’s rightfully ours…”

  Aiden could feel his cheeks getting hot. By the sound of it, Lee had already recruited new members. The voices he heard in there were too many to count.

  “Kill them!”

  “Show them who’s boss!”

  “We need to take over their territory…”

  Aiden could feel his stomach churn. He let himself collapse back on the floor, unable to take his breath. Who did Lee think he was? Aiden needed to act, and he needed to act fast. But who would he turn to? At that point, he felt lost, like no one would hear him even if he were to scream at the top of his lungs. I need to fucking get out of here, he thought to himself, getting down on his stomach again and crawling back. Aiden knew he wasn’t getting any sleep tonight.

  CHAPTER 23

  “Funny to see you here,” Amy said, popping her head out the inched open door. Jon-Boy just stood there at her doorstep with his hands stuffed into his pockets. He looked at her with sheer interest, his eyes lighting up the second he saw her. Without hesitation, she motioned for him to come inside, turning her back to him and making a beeline for the kitchen. “You want anything to drink?” she asked, disappearing behind the door.

  “If by anything you mean tea, then sure,” he said, looking around the TV room before he collapsed on the couch.

  “You don’t drink?” Amy asked, appearing in the doorway again.

  “No,” Jon-Boy said. “I’ve been five months sober.”

  “Oh, that’s amazing,” Amy said, walking back inside. “I’ll make you some tea, then.”

  “No, wait; never mind, actually,” he called from outside. “I just came here to check up on you,” he said.

  “Check up on me?” she asked, hovering around the room and then finally slumping down next to him.

  “I wanted to see how you’ve been doing since the operation,” he said, fumbling with his phone.

  “Oh, I’ve been fine,” Amy said, pretending to stare out the window. She didn’t really expect Jon-Boy to stop by or even talk to her again. “You know, I really didn’t think we would talk again after this,” she said after a long pause.

  “Well, a part of why I’m here is because I wanted to apologize for being such a dick to you lately… it wasn’t fair to you, and I’m sorry.”

  For a moment, Amy didn’t know how to respond. Her mind kept going back to the day of the operation, how aggressive he was towards her, but then she told herself; she couldn’t judge him. How can anyone judge anyone when they’re trying to put together a bomb in someone else’s house? “You don’t have to apologize,” she said, her eyes locked on his. “We, you did a good job.”

  “You did a good job,” he said, his lips coming to a smile. There it was, that smile Amy saw at the cafe ages ago. “Well, I should probably get going,” he said, rising to his feet.

  “But you just got here,” Amy said, following him to the door. The first thing she saw was Junie coming up her driveway. She and Jon-Boy exchanged brief glances, Junie pursing her lips the second she saw him. He clasped his hands behind his back and nodded at her, backing up and eventually turning away. Junie squinted at Amy.

  “What’s he doing here?” she asked, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

  “He came here to apologize,” she said, avoiding eye contact with Junie. It wasn’t like she was scared of her sister’s reaction, but she was already on edge as is. She didn’t want to stress her out even more.

  “Speaking of apologies, I’m really thinking I should apologize to Aiden for the way I’ve been acting lately,” Junie said, sighing loudly. “I haven’t been answering his calls at all, I don’t even know what he’s been up to.”

  “Yeah, I think you should do that,” Amy said, folding both arms across her chest. There was silence. It was like they were caught up in t
heir own little world. Junie turned around, and before her sister could object to her drinking again, she decided to just grab a chair and sit down.

  “So, do you really think having Jon-Boy around the house is a good idea?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at her sister.

  “What, you’re interrogating me now?” Amy asked, rolling her eyes.

  “I’m not, it’s just… I don’t think the two of you should get involved in any way,” she said, shrugging.

  “I’m pretty sure he’s not interested,” Amy said, rolling her eyes.

  “It’s not just about that… he’s a biker, Amy. Bikers aren’t exactly friend material,” Junie said.

  “Oh, you’re one to talk, ” Amy said, rather sarcastically.

  “I just don’t know if you should trust him.”

  “Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you left me in a cafe alone with him,” Amy said.

  “You know I regret doing that,” Junie said. There was a pause. “Do you forgive me?”

  “I do,” Amy said. “I’m sorry I brought this up again… but I need you to understand that he’s not that bad of a person. It’s not like anything’s going to happen between us. Just trust me, I know what I’m doing.” The silence fell over them again. Amy could tell Junie hadn’t been getting much sleep lately. She watched her sister as she folded both arms across her chest and slowly, but surely, dozed off.

  CHAPTER 24

  Junie flinched awake at the brink of dawn. A nightmare sent her rolling off the side of her bed like a rock, and when reality finally set in, she couldn’t even haul herself up. Every time she would close her eyes, she would see Aiden falling off his bike in slow motion, the bloody shell casings bouncing off his his chest and flying all over the place. She had a dream the Mercenaries shot him dead. She woke up sweating, feeling like she wanted to see him now more than ever. It was seven AM, but she got up on her elbows and rose to her feet, thinking that, despite everything, she would still swallow her pride for him. She couldn’t risk losing another loved one again.

  When Junie showed up to Aiden’s door, all she saw was an ashen face with dark circles around the eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?” she asked, her head cocked to the side. At first she didn’t know how to act, but then slowly, she found herself wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. He hugged her back loosely, his arms eventually falling limp to his side.

  “It’s Lee, Junie,” he breathed. “He’s still alive.”

  “What?” she asked, her head jerking sideways. For a moment she felt like she heard wrong. “What do you mean?”

  “You heard me,” he said, grabbing her shoulders. “Lee is alive.”

  Junie’s eyes grew wide. It was like her entire body had gone numb, from head to toe. She was struggling to hold back the tears, but she had to. “Alright, we’re going to figure something out, we’re going to figure it out,” she said, nodding frantically. But Aiden didn’t say anything. He just stood there, his eyes fixated on the checkered tiles. Junie threw her arms around him again, but this time, she pulled him close to her, so close that it felt like they were feeding off of each other’s body heat. It was beautiful; Junie could feel him melt into her arms, and finally, he had her support again. And she had his.

  “I don’t know what to do,” Aiden whispered into her ear. Junie’s shoulders were shaking with grief and, without warning, the tears burst from her eyes like water from a dam. “Woah, woah, what’s wrong?” he asked, pressing his forehead to hers.

  “Nothing,” she said, looking toward the window. “Nothing’s wrong.”

  “There’s something you’re not telling me…”

  Junie sobbed into her chest unceasingly, and when she raised her eyes to him again, she couldn’t help but blurt it out. “I didn’t pass my nursing exam.”

  Aiden’s lips parted momentarily before he pulled Junie close and started rubbing her back. She was hyperventilating; all he could do was kiss her. And in that moment she melted in his arms; all the warmth in the world, all the love, circulated through them. “You wanna go inside?” Aiden asked, staring at her through heavy-lidded eyes. She nodded.

  Aiden led her into his room, keeping his arms around her, and laid her down on his bed. He drew the covers over her shaking body, and as he moved to get her a glass of water, she held his arm and pulled him to her. He climbed into bed beside her and pulled her close. She shivered in his arms, and he did his best to calm her, rubbing her arm, kissing her forehead, whispering that everything would be alright.

  Junie lifted her head to him and kissed him. The feel of her soft lips mixed with her shaking breath, but he could feel her calm down. Her body eased into his, and as he kissed her, the shivering subsided completely.

  Junie broke away and looked him in the eye. “Love me, Aiden.”

  And he did just that. Within minutes their clothes were piled on the floor by the bed and he was on top of her, the feel of her skin warm to his touch, her breasts pressed against his chest as they kissed. He felt her move her hips beneath him, and he guided himself inside her. Slowly. Gracefully. Without urgency. Junie closed her eyes and let her breath out in a soft moan, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close.

  He nestled his face against her neck, kissing her softly, his hands entwining within hers as he moved. He was in no hurry, enjoying the moment, the mix of emotions racing through him and between the two of them making the world around him swim out of focus. All that existed was this, Junie's eyes closed and she put her lips against his ear, moaning softly as he moved. Nothing mattered. It was as if they were in their own bubble, locked away from everything and everyone.

  Aiden came only seconds after Junie's own orgasm rushed through her, her body shivering against his; not in panic, but in pure ecstasy. He kissed her again, and she ran her hands across the muscles of his back, enjoying the feel of his weight on top of her. When he rolled off, she rolled with him until her face was buried in his chest. His arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe, like nothing could reach her here. Nothing could touch her.

  Junie sighed, closed her eyes against the beating of his heart, and drifted away.

  CHAPTER 25

  “Junie, Amy, this is Will… he’s going to help us plan our upcoming operations,” Aiden said, stepping into the room with a pack of red Solo cups. A man in a gray jumpsuit followed him, nodding at Junie and the rest of the gang before he pulled out a chair and sat down.

  “Hello,” he smiled, searching their faces. Junie smiled back, but deep down, she was feeling nothing but panic and unease. They were back at square one, back trying to devise a whole plan from scratch. Unless this Will was some kind of diabolical genius, Junie was pretty sure they were screwed.

  “So, let’s go ahead and get started,” Aiden said, patting Will on the back before he went and sat down next to Junie. “I want us all to be on the same page that this is an emergency meeting… we need to figure out what we’re going to do about Lee.”

  “He’s still alive,” Junie said abruptly. “And since our plans of getting rid of him are now a bust, we need to figure out a different way that’ll get him off this turf,” she continued.

  “A bomb isn’t in the question anymore,” Amy said, crossing one leg over the other. “There has to be a way we can drive them out of Mariposa County without stirring that much trouble… we got away with it once, that doesn’t mean we’re going to get away with it again.”

  There was a collective nod. Junie leaned forward in her seat, searching their faces. “I think we need a more strategic plan,” she said. “What would happen if Lee were to actually lose money by staying here?” she asked, her lips curving to a wry grin. At first, Amy didn’t understand her question.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.

  “I mean… what if we make sure that by staying here, the Mercenaries’ financial gain actually goes down?”

  “And how will we do that?” Amy asked, blinking at Junie, who was now on
her feet.

  “I know how,” she said suddenly. “Will, what do you know about the Mercenaries’ transactions? Like, are they cashed based?”

  “Mostly cashed based, yes,” he said. “Gangs don’t usually deal with checks… or anything that can be traced back to them. Why do you ask, though?”

  “The reason I’m asking this is because… I’m trying to think of a way we can lobby the government to crack down on tax evasion on the Mercenaries’ part. You know, because cashed based transactions don’t require taxing,” she said. Will shook his head from side to side.

  “I don’t know about that one,” he said. “I think we should just stick to planning another shootout,” he continued.