by Sadie Black
Contents
INDEBTED PT.3
Other Books in This Series
Newsletter
Last Shift
Paying Respects
Graduation
Art Auction
Negotiating Terms
The Balcony
Epilouge
Preview of Devoted
Other Books by Sadie Black
A Note From Sadie Black
About the Author
INDEBTED
Part Three
Series Finale
The Virgin & The Bad-Boy Billionaire
(A BWWM Romance Serial)
First edition. April 26, 2015.
Copyright © 2015 Sadie Black.
Written by Sadie Black.
The right of Sadie Black to be identified as author of this Work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This book was published by Sadie Black. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author.
This work of fiction is intended for mature audiences only. All characters represented within are eighteen years of age or older and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This work is property of Sadie Black, please do not reproduce illegally.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people.
Thank you for supporting the hard work of indie authors.
Please note that this is a work of adult fiction and contains graphic descriptions of sexual activity, graphic language, and violence. It is intended for mature readers aged 18 over only. All characters depicted as engaging in sexual activity in this work of fiction are consenting adults, eighteen years of age or older. Blood relatives never engage in sexual activity of any kind.
This is Part Three of the Indebted series by Sadie Black. To catch up on the series, start with Part One of Indebted. This entire series is available for download or to purchase from the Amazon store.
“I’ve earned every single thing that I have in this world, and not on my knees.”
Kendra knows what it's like to watch someone work three jobs and still struggle to pay the rent. She has spent her entire young adult life determined to do better. In a few months, the lifetime of sacrifices will finally be worth it. She will be graduating at the top of her prestigious masters program at Columbia, and finally leave her job at the diner to venture into the world of business. The only thing that could make this moment sweeter would be if her mama was still here to watch her cross that stage and clutch that diploma she's given up everything for.
When Matthew Blackwell, the infamous billionaire bad-boy bachelor, shows up out of the blue in her diner asking for a date, Kendra's world is lurched sideways. With girls lined up around the block to be his "next mistake", Matthew could have almost any woman in New York City, or possibly the world. However, Kendra isn't interested in being his flavor of the week, until he hits her in her soft spot... her ambition. Despite her best attempts to keep her distance, Matthew's stunning good-looks and mischievous flare keep pulling her toward him.
Will she unlock the heart of the unbreakable bad-boy or will Kendra become another victim of Matthew Blackwell's reputation?
Continue reading with Part Two of Indebted, available exclusively on Amazon.
“You want to hang onto your own conclusions, even if they make you miserable. Maybe because they do…”
Kendra Cole is on the cusp of having everything. After working tirelessly for the past six years, she is on the verge of graduating with her Masters in Business and embarking on an exciting career. That is, if she doesn't let her recent whirlwind romance with billionaire bad-boy, Matthew Blackwell, push her off her well-planned course.
After a misunderstanding involving Matthew and Kendra's best friend, she starts to understand how her relentless need for control is a double edged sword. While it has served her well in her pursuit of academic and professional perfection, it seems to push everyone she cares about away.
When Kendra learns more about Matthew's complex family history, she is faced with a devastating decision.
Will Kendra be willing to let go of control if it means understanding the depths of Matthew's dark past? Or will she give up on his complicated life and walk away forever?
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Chapter One
You wouldn’t think that a greasy, exhausting, minimum wage job could make anyone sad to leave. Yet, I can’t help but feel nostalgia overwhelm me as I punch in for my very last shift at the diner. This marks the end of an era for me.
I’ve been slinging burgers at this place since I was seventeen, almost a decade of my life. Before this, minding people’s kids in my apartment block was the only experience I had on my resume. Leaving waitressing isn’t what has me choked up, I’ve always seen this as a pit stop for my real career, not a destination. The reason I’m trying to swallow this lump in my throat has nothing to do with handing out menus or cleaning tables. The diner has been a steady backdrop in my life and now that I’m taking a marketing position in the city, this place will fade into a distant memory.
My eyes glaze over as I recall how I brought my prom date here after the dance. When every other couple we knew were off experiencing teen romances on some of the city’s finest budget motel beds, or getting off in the backseats of cars, I brought Bernie to the diner. Sharing a plate of fries, we desperately tried to keep grease and ketchup from staining our rentals. The bright yellow corsage clings to my memory as tight as it clung to my wrist that night. Apparently, no one had bothered to explain to my fashion-clueless date that you’re supposed to match the flower with my dress, not his tie. To spare his feelings, I wore it. Even though it stuck out like a neon flashing Vegas sign against my fuchsia dress.
When Mama passed away, Mr. Taylor was a class act. He shut the diner down for the day, something he doesn’t even do on Christmas, and paid his respects at her funeral. I was so surprised to see him sobbing in the pews during the service. I knew that he had a little crush on her; it was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes. Mama used to pick me up sometimes when I was working late, and Mr. Taylor would always shower her with diner gifts: bottomless free coffee and pie. He would chat her up, beaming like the north star whenever she sat here waiting for me to finish up my shift. I never did see mama flirt back with him, but she did always seem to leave a lipstick stain on her coffee cups, even though she didn’t even wear make-up to church.
My first shift after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, the staff surprised me with a small chocolate cake to celebrate. I still remember the baby blue icing message scrawled across the top: We’re So Proud. In a lot of ways, Mr. Taylor and the regular kitchen staff have felt like my family.
My eyes are clouded over with the memories, “Hey,” Brianna grasps my hand, still hovering in a mid-air frozen search for my time card, "Are you alright?" She whispers, "are you thinking about Matthew?"
"No!" My body stiffens at the mention of his name. His face intrudes upon my moment of reflection. Harvey and a couple of the other kitchen staff snap their heads in our direction, and I take a deep breath. "Sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled," I drop my voice back to a
normal level, "it's just that, not everything is about Matthew. I mean I haven't even talked to him in two weeks. I've moved on. You should too."
Brianna cocks her head to the side and raises her eyebrow so high I think it might graze the ceiling. I know that look, and it pisses me off. She doesn't believe me, and what's worse, she pities me. The last thing I want is to go through this again with her right now. Over the past couple weeks, she’s been relentless in trying to get me to resolve things with Matthew. The truth is, I have no idea where to start. I punch in and grab a spray bottle and rag to wipe down the dining room tables with Brianna hot on my heels.
"Kendra, it doesn't have to be over. You’re kidding yourself if you think I’m buying this ‘I’m over it’ act, ok? I know you're miserable without him. Why are you throwing everything away?" I stare at the dried ketchup on the table I'm cleaning like it’s the most intriguing thing I've ever witnessed, trying to avoid her questions.
"I didn't throw him away, Brianna.” I sigh and feel complete exhaustion wash over me, like the only thing that was holding me upright was the air I just breathed out. “We've been over this. I just don't want to talk about it anymore."
"I think you do need to talk about it though," she presses on, "I'm telling you this because I love you, and I want to see you be happy. You're being a total idiot."
"How on earth are you putting this on me?" I hiss. I use all of my self-control to keep myself from throwing the spray bottle at her. Why does she always have to pry, to push, to involve herself in every detail of my life? If she stayed out of this in the first place, I never wouldn’t have had any of this drama with Matthew because I never would’ve dated him.
"I'm not putting it on you, calm down," she holds her hands up like a POW surrendering to the enemy side. "I understand how that stupid bitch shook you up, ok? But, I don't think Matthew did anything wrong here. Yes, he originally tracked you down to make things right, but then he genuinely fell in love with you. Why can't you believe that?"
I try to shake the embedded memory of Marjorie's smug little face free from my mind. The vivid details of that day swirl in front of my eyes as I flashback to her standing there in Matthew’s lobby. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she explained how she used her father's company to lure me in and then exploited the information to dig into my past. She looked so fucking proud of herself. The worst part was how overjoyed she was to tell me about how Matthew's father killed my own Dad while he was drunk at the wheel. "Matthew shouldn't have been looking for me at all, I have three brothers Brianna. Why didn't he spend any time searching for them? Or better yet, why didn't he bother tracking Mama down when she was still with us? If he wanted to make things right, he should've done it with her."
"I'm sure there's a good reason he didn't, Kendra. Why do you always have to assume the worst of people? The fact that he wanted to make up for his father's mistake should tell you that he's a great guy. Instead, you have to turn it into some kind of creepy stalker thing or act like he’s lying about loving you." Brianna’s eyebrows scrunch together as she lets out a deep sigh of frustration, "when he talked to me here," she points at the booth I stumbled upon them sitting at together, "it was so clear that he loved you.”
She stops and checks my face for a reaction, or signs of life, but I don’t even flicker and eyelash. She purses her lips but continues, “like, he was torn up. He knew you wouldn't accept him after you found out why he found you in the first place. And I sat there and told him he was wrong,” she snorts at the memory. “ I actually thought you would get over it, that you would see him for the amazing guy he is. But, sometimes I think you want to choose misery all the time, and I’ve gotta say, it’s getting old fast."
"If that’s how you feel, how about you butt out and let me decide what’s best for my own life! I’m not trying to be miserable; I just don't want to be another one of his charity causes. It just feels weird to me, I mean, why didn't he tell me before that his father killed mine?"
"Probably because he was afraid you'd do this!" She waves her hand at me, disgusted. "Just shut him out at the first opportunity and act like he's a psycho just because he has a conscience. Like, what do you think is going on under the surface here? What ulterior motive do you think he could possibly have?"
"You know what? I don't even want to know. I'm done thinking about Matthew Blackwell, and I'm done fucking talking about him too," I shoot her a look.
"Fine," she purses her lips together into a line so thin it looks like a scar across her face. "I'll say this and then I'll drop it forever: you're making a fucking mistake that you'll never stop regretting. If you search your heart, I think you'll see that the real reason you're running away from him is because you're afraid." She points her finger at me accusingly.
"Oh? What am I so afraid of, Dr. Phil?"
Brianna stiffens at my tone, "Don’t talk to me like that, Kendra. I know you. I know that you're afraid to let yourself be happy again.”
“Pffft,” I roll my eyes, but my stomach twists as her words hit me like a dentist drill without enough novocaine.
She balls her hands into little fists and places them on her hips, “I've watched you pull away from everything ever since your Mama passed. You seem to think that you can just throw everyone away and stay in your shell, and then you can't get hurt again. And maybe you won’t ever get hurt again, but guess what?” Brianna narrows her eyes at me, “You'll never be happy again either."
She let's the idea marinate with me as she walks back out of the dining area and into the back of the restaurant, no doubt to fill her lungs with cigarette smoke. Why does she care so much about this anyway? She should try to get her life together, instead of worrying about mine. It’s pretty hard to take romance advice from someone who can’t even share a bed with the same guy more than two nights in a row.
Now that I don’t have a case to defend, self-doubt starts to creep in. Maybe I should go talk to her, I don’t want her to be pissed off at me for the next eight hours. This isn’t how I want to spend my last shift. I gather my cleaning supplies and head back to the kitchen, just as Mr. Taylor and the guys come out carrying a stunning bouquet, with some foil balloons floating next to them. Congratulations! Yells one balloon while the other has a picture of a grad cap frozen in a sea of confetti.
“Kendra! Just the girl I was looking for!” Mr. Taylor’s deep laugh lines show as he greets me with a smile. “You know, I wanted to give you these flowers here to tell you how much I’ve appreciated your time here. I’ve watched you grow up from a lanky kid,” a chuckle ripples through the small group, “to a beautiful young woman.” He hands me the flowers; they’re like nothing I’ve ever seen. Bright orange birds of paradise and yellow lilies are twisted together in a blanket of palm fronds.
“Thank you. They’re so beautiful!” Mr. Taylor puffs up at my approval.
“Well, we know that you’re going to make us proud out there with your big city job. You’ve done good kid,” his voice trembles, and he clears his throat. “So, I’m going to give you the best going away gift anyone in my position can. I’m going to send you home— with pay.” He says it like he just handed me a winning lotto ticket, and maybe he has. This shift isn’t off to a great start anyway. He beams with pride and I can’t help but return the smile.
“Wow! Thank you so much.” I give him a quick hug, trying not to crush my flowers. The guys pat me on the back murmuring good wishes as I watch Brianna standing just outside the circle, watching me with a stone cold expression.
"Kendra,” Matthew whispers in my ear, “I've missed you so much." His strong arms have me pulled into him like a second skin. A sweet kiss spreads warmth over my lips like butter melting on hot toast as I press up against him, begging for more.
"Oh Matthew,” I moan, “I missed you too." I'm floating in a warm fog, the world is a blur in the background. My focus is solely on Matthew. I’m lost amongst the intricate weave of gold and green flecks in his sapphire eyes. His rose petal lip
s hover over mine, asking my skin for permission to cover it in kisses. I’m weightless in his arms, floating in a warm ocean of hope and lust with him. His gentle touch sends a tingle from my neck to my heels when he brushes his wide hand over my hair.
"I need you, Kendra. I need you in my life."
“I need you too. I want to be with you.” Memories tinged with confusion start to settle back into my mind. "Why did you lie? Why didn't you tell me the real reason you found me? I love you, but I can't trust you." Tears stream down my cheeks and over my chin, dripping off to the nothingness surrounding us.
"I didn't lie. Please. Don't do this!"
But it's too late, the distance between us is growing. I've closed off my heart, and he is slowly being pulled back into a vague darkness that is closing in on me. A darkness I've spent my entire life running from. A darkness that always finds me. Wait! Matthew! I try to scream for him to come back, but my lips have merged together. I free fall backward into the darkness.
I jolt up in my bed, covered in gooseflesh that no amount of heavy blankets will take away. My pillow is wet with my tears, again. I've been dreaming about Matthew everyday since I walked out of his condo. I know I miss him, but I can't bring myself to tell him. To tell anyone. I can barely admit it to myself. There’s no way I’m going to get anymore sleep now, these dreams are so jarring. His touch is so enveloping, so tender. Just to be left alone, sucked in by the damp darkness. A shudder runs through me as I remember the feeling of despair that swelled through me.
