It was as bad as I’d expected. Ruth was lying on the desk, very drunk and woozy. Potter had his face buried underneath her skirt. He nearly knocked her to the floor trying to compose himself.
“Easy, now, Larry.” James put his hands up. “We need to talk.”
“Ruth.” I walked up to her. “Why don’t you come with me?”
“Come with you?” She slurred. “You’re low on the totem pole, sweetheart. I’ve got news for you.”
“Why don’t you tell me all about it,” I urged, helping her off the desk and out of Potter’s office. She gave me a real earful about how I wasn’t as hot as I thought I was and that no one took me seriously. By the time I let her finish rambling about a half hour later, she was hugging me and telling me I was her best friend in the office.
It was then that Potter emerged from his office looking pale and sweaty. He made a beeline for the elevators and before I could ask James anything, he was gone.
I walked to Potter’s office and saw James removing the bug he had installed and the camera Potter had installed.
“What happened?”
Chapter Twenty
James
“Those files you gave me were just what Potter didn’t want to see.” All I wanted to do was put my arms around her and squeeze that perfect body close to mine. “He said he’s willing to cooperate and asked for the weekend to spend with his family and consult his attorney.”
“You trust him to do that?”
“No, that’s why Rodriguez is downstairs, ready to tail him.”
“You are so smart.” Her voice sent ripples up my spine. “Now what?”
“Well, how about we have a drink?” I said, slipping my arm around her waist and walking her to the lobby.
“Hmm, I think that sounds lovely. I believe I have a bottle of white wine in my fridge at home.”
“How about I meet you there in an hour? I’ve got to let Bob, my manager, know what’s up, and I’d like to say goodbye to Patty. She was my favorite receptionist.”
“Tell her she’s invited to the wedding,” Candace winked. She pulled a pen off an empty desk and scribbled her address on my arm.
“I feel like I’m in junior high,” I joked.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” Candace dashed off to grab her coat and purse. I saw her say goodbye to Patty and give a few hugs to Ruth, who begged her to stay but settled for another round of hugs. As I approached Patty, Candace was in the elevator heading home.
It was funny watching Patty’s face as I told her about Candace and me. She wished us luck and insisted we get married in a church with a small group because according to her marriage starts when you have your first real argument.
I left ABF feeling good about the way things had gone down. There was a simplicity to it that I was confident would continue as we took Potter’s statements next week. No one higher up the food chain was aware of anything. But before I had a chance to celebrate, just as I stepped out into the cool night air, my phone rang. It was Rod. He was in a panic.
“What do you mean he’s after her?” I barked.
“He was standing outside the building. I just thought the guy was in shock, you know. But he wasn’t; he was waiting. He was waiting for Candace.”
“What?” My stomach folded over.
“She came out of the building and he started to follow her.” Rod swallowed hard. “By the time I realized she wasn’t hoping for a cab, it was too late. She’d gotten on the trolley. He was nowhere. I can only assume he got on too. He looked half-crazed.”
“What was I thinking, letting her leave like that?” I gritted my teeth. “Rod, meet me at this address. Call for backup.” I read him Candace’s address from the scribble on my arm. I just hoped that was where she would be and that Potter didn’t decide to cut her off before she got home.
When Potter had heard what we had on him, he’d clenched his fists. There had been a fever in his eyes that I had mistaken for fear. But it wasn’t fear at all. It was rage. He was going to get out of this like a wolf stuck in a trap, even if it meant chewing off his own paw. If he didn’t see a way out, well, he was going to go down in flames and take whoever he wanted with him.
“I didn’t mention Candace,” I said as I hailed a cab. Flashing my badge and gun, I was able to get him to push the speedometer to a little over seventy miles an hour. “But he knew. He had to know. Rod? Have you gotten to the address yet?”
“I’m stuck in construction. But backup is on the way.”
It took fifteen minutes to get to Candace’s address. I’d have to explain to her that garden apartments were the most dangerous apartments since it was so easy to see into them. We’d have to move her out quickly once our engagement was official with a ring and a date. I had to keep my mind focused on our future together. I didn’t want to think of what might be happening.
“Maybe Rod was wrong. Maybe it just looked like Potter was following her and the guy set off on the complete opposite side of town. That could be.”
But the words came out like clunky, oddly-shaped blocks. If Potter was half the man he seemed to be, Candace was in trouble. I told the cabbie to wait and I jumped out of the car while it was still rolling to a stop.
When I got to Candace’s front door, it was open a crack. I held my breath and listened. If I could only hear a breath or a mumble or something shuffling there in the darkness, I could relax. But there was nothing. It was as if death had settled inside. With my gun in my right hand, I slowly pushed the door open with my left.
I didn’t call out when I saw the shard of light coming from the back of the apartment. I stepped inside and suddenly the familiar sounds of the city were cut off. That was when I hear the groan and the slap and another groan.
“You set me up!” Potter was there. He was angry. The sound of sirens could be heard quickly approaching. “I’ll teach you, Candace. You’re nothing but a whore, and you know what whores get? They get fucked.”
The sound of ripping clothing propelled me into motion. I stomped toward the sliver of light with my gun raised and looked inside. Candace was on her bed, her face turned away from me. Her clothes were ripped open and she lay there nearly naked, with Potter on top of her.
“Hold it right there, Larry,” I said the words calmly, but my hands were shaking with rage.
“Oh, no.” Larry looked up at me and he started to laugh. “I’m getting a piece of this. At least then I’ll go to jail happy. Come on. You know what kind of girl she is? She’s just an ex-stripper. She probably did this a couple times a month. She’s used to it. She probably likes it.”
“Larry, put your hands up or so help me, I’ll shoot!”
Part of me wanted to pull the trigger so badly, I had a hard-on. What would the world be missing if I relieved it of this kind of parasite?
But there was another part of me that asked how I thought I might sleep tomorrow, knowing I killed the man. Would I ever be able to rest after shooting a man with no weapon? I trembled with anger at my own indecision.
He grabbed hold of Candace’s naked breast and squeezed it hard. She barely moved.
“That’s all she’s good for. I’m going to take it. Hey, why don’t you take a turn when I’m done? I won’t tell, James. Maybe you could give me a couple minutes head start when I leave here. Hell, take as long as you like. She won’t put up a fuss.”
With lightning speed, Larry opened his pants and was about to make good on his threat when my gun went off. The bullet tore through his right arm, leaving a spray of blood across the wall. He wailed and fell off the bed.
“James!” Rodriguez called from the open front door. He had two uniformed police officers behind him. I felt his hand on my shoulder bringing me back to the present moment. I lowered my weapon and went to Candace.
Her beautiful face was swollen on the left side. Her nose and lip were bleeding and bruises had surfaced on both of her breasts and arms.
“Oh my god!” Rodriguez said, putting his hand on my shoulde
r as he looked at Candace. “Dispatch, we need an ambulance at …”
I didn’t hear the rest, because I was rushing to cover Candace and to try an reassure her. When the uniformed cops came in and saw Candace on the bed, they looked at Potter, who was squirming and whining in the corner.
“Stay with her, Rod,” I whispered. Then I jumped up, grabbed Potter by the arm, and yanked him to his feet. He screamed again.
“Let go of me!” he yelled. “You have to help me!” he pleaded with the other officers who looked the other way as I dragged him from the room. It wasn’t that I blacked out. I knew how many times I hit him in the face and gut. But I told the paramedics Candace had gotten in a few good licks before Potter had bested her.
When the paramedics arrived and put her in the back of the ambulance, she was barely conscious.
“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” I assured her. All she did was squeeze my hand. A tear fell from the corner of her unswollen eye. It was enough to make me want to finish Potter off with my bare hands.
“She’ll be all right, James.” Rodriguez put his hand on my shoulder. “And we got the bad guy along with his partners in crime. It’s okay. She’ll be all right.”
“I should have seen this coming.” I looked at Rod. “I should have protected her. She didn’t have to do any of it and this is how she gets repaid.”
“Go to the hospital, James,” Rod urged. “I’ll take care of things here.”
I went to the hospital and stayed with Candace. It would be almost four days before she’d wake up. And I didn’t expect her to say what she did when she opened her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-One
Candace
“Where’s my ring?” I croaked.
“What?” James’s face was filled with worry. “What did you say, babe?”
“Where’s my ring? I lose one fight and you change your mind?”
“What are you talking about? According to the police report, you broke Potter’s nose and a rib before he took you down.” James smiled and smoothed my hair from my face. “Where did you learn to hit that hard?”
“Don’t think that gets you off the hook.” I took his hand and squeezed it.
“I do have something for you to see.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. After a few swipes and taps, he cozied up to me and showed me the small screen.
“This was two days ago,” he whispered and kissed the side of my head.
“BREAKING NEWS …” The report on the screen showed ABF Financial and half a dozen people being escorted out as feds went in to confiscate all records and files. The CEO was covering his face as he ran from the entrance to a car that was waiting for him. Mimi von Lyon was quoted as saying she was ready to work with authorities.
“Lawrence Potter …”
“Ugh. I don’t want to hear his name.” I put my hand up to cover the screen.
“You’ll want to hear this.”
“… was the catalyst who agreed to help authorities uncover the shady dealings at the financial giant. But right now he is being held for a separate charge of assault and attempted rape. This story is still developing.”
“They’re going to skin me alive,” I mumbled. “An ex-stripper isn’t the kind of client the prosecution hopes to get.”
“Well, that’s something that you probably won’t have to worry about.” James soothed. “He’ll settle for an undisclosed amount of money and you can forget it ever happened.”
“You sound very sure of yourself.”
“Don’t you trust me yet?”
“I’m getting there,” I said. “Who is that outside the door?”
“Rodriguez. He’s been here every day since they brought you in.”
“That’s so sweet of him.”
“Don’t get all excited. He’s been flirting with the same nurse every day. Today he brought candy for her to express his appreciation for how well they’ve been treating you.”
“Why, that opportunist!”
“Yeah, he’s barely been in the room.”
“He’s left me alone with you all this time?” I teased. “And you just let me lie here? I don’t know who’s crazier.”
“I’m crazier,” James said. “Crazier about you than I ever thought I would be.”
“I’ll expect that ring sooner rather than later. You aren’t going to get a chance to change your mind.”
“Not a chance.” He leaned over and kissed my lips.
The End
The Billionaire’s Secrets Box Set Preview
I hope you enjoyed the first book of this series but this doesn’t end here because I have something else for you. A sneak peek of the next book.
Click this link to download the complete box set!
Touch Me (Preview)
Chapter One
Heidi
These ten-minute breaks were the only times in the day when I could breathe a little. Not that I didn’t constantly feel blessed that I could run my own café in the heart of the tourist district. I was indeed lucky and every day I counted my blessings. My parents couldn’t afford cooking school and for the four years that I apprenticed with Chef Dunphy in Los Angeles, I could only dream of one day running my own place.
But I got lucky. I’d never heard of Brunswick before, and even if I had, Georgia was never a state I had visited in my life. In fact, I wouldn’t ever have thought of visiting this town hadn’t it been for my ex-boyfriend, Jake. His grandmother used to live here, and he brought me one summer to introduce us. Now Jake was gone, getting married, last I heard and I was left behind, madly in love with this town and the proud owner of my very own café.
At twenty-eight and the proprietor of a café, I managed to turn over a profit within the first year of opening shop. I was proud of myself, but none of this would have been possible without hard work or all the years I had put into working as a baker’s apprentice. All the money, the very little that I had saved, I put into this business but I didn’t regret a second of it. Brunswick was my home now, and this was where I was going to make my life.
It wasn’t exactly a sleepy town, especially not during the summer months when its unique location for being a busy harbor town as well as its beautiful surroundings attracted a lot of tourists. This was prime time for my business to bloom. So, the ten hours a day when I wasn’t slogging away at the café, I was at home trying out new recipes or working on marketing campaigns.
Other than myself, I was able to afford two other staff, one of whom waited on the tables and the other helped me with the baking. So these ten minute breaks when I stood at the back of the café, gulping down a shot of espresso and munching on a mini muffin were extremely precious to me. I savored these moments, staring at the gently swaying boats and yachts anchored in the harbor in the distance, breathing in the fresh summer scent in the air, just thankful for life and the world’s bounty. Only when my mind wandered on occasion, did I allow myself to think about Jake and what he was doing. How could he have moved on so quickly from our relationship? He was engaged to be married within four months of our breakup. I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it.
This move to Brunswick had been good for me. I couldn’t continue to live in LA after we broke up. We were in a relationship for two years; I thought we were going to settle down. He had brought me here to meet his grandmother! But things spiraled out of control when we went back. This was when Chef Dunphy promoted me to assistant baker, over Jake who had his fancy baking school degree while I had risen from nothing.
When we broke up, I knew I couldn’t go back home to Wisconsin. I couldn’t return to my hometown feeling defeated and worn out. What would my family think of me? And neither could I remain in LA. That was weak of me. I was letting Jake win, but I couldn’t find the courage to stay there and cross paths with him on a daily basis.
I kept an eye out on Brunswick properties. The town had left its mark on me. It was peaceful, slow paced and didn’t have many cafés, even though it had quite the influx of tourists. Whe
n this commercial site came up, I looked through my accounts and discovered that I could actually afford it. I took the plunge, made my own business plan, procured the required licenses and equipment and within three months “Bread & Beans” was a fully functional café in the heart of Brunswick’s town center.
A smile flickered on my face now. I couldn’t stop replaying the past year over and over in my head. I was a successful businesswoman, and all thanks to my own hard work.
A crash of plates from inside the café snapped me out of my thoughts. With my brows crossed I whipped around to look in. I could see Lucia, standing with her mouth covered with both hands. She looked upset and wasn’t making a move to clear up the broken plates on the floor in front of her.
I gulped down the rest of the espresso and carrying the cup in my hand, I rushed back into the café.
“Lucia? What’s going on?” I said as I pushed open the door.
Our café was small, with only four tables lined up along the bay windows. But each of those tables was occupied and our patrons were all staring at the scene in the center of the café.
Two men were at each other’s throats. An older and a younger man, both glaring at each other. The older one’s face had reddened, but he was somehow managing to hold the younger one apart.
There was complete silence in the café. Everyone was staring.
“Stop that, now!” I screeched and both men turned to look at me.
I was startled, just for a moment when they turned, but I registered that sensation. The younger man’s icy blue eyes pierced right through my soul. He had spiky, dark hair and a few locks fell lazily over his bloodshot eyes. He was a tall man, towering over the older, portly one. His shoulders were wide and strained now, from the strength with which he was gripping the other guy. He had turned to look at me, and when our eyes met, he relaxed his grip.
The older man slipped away, coughing and cursing under his breath. I was snapped out of that slow-motion, hypnotizing moment and I stepped forward.
Virgin's Passion Page 12
