Mafia Billionaire’s Baby: A Night In Shadow, Part 1
(A BDSM Billionaire Romance)
Serena Cooler
Copyright Melanie Ray
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are either products of the author’s imagination, public domain common knowledge, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Mafia Billionaire’s Baby is part 1 of a 4 part serial.
Shadow raised his feet on his leather recliner, trying to relax but having a hard time doing so. His life was always in an upheaval, but this one would be the worse. He’d heard the gossip around his men. There was no confirmation yet, but if the rumors were true, Raine lost his unborn. If that were true, he knew what the next step would be. His father would call on him and his other brothers.
Sighing, he picked up the phone when it rang. The only people who had his number were the ones allowed to get in contact with the Renegade mafia. His father was the overseer while he and his brothers made sure it ran smoothly. If this was a client instead of an accidental wrong number, they should start discussing the case before he uttered one word.
“The Dmitri family has been in business with the Monard family for several years, but there has been a falling out. I, Charles Monard, need some protection on our properties as we deal with the loopholes of getting them out.”
The Monards. Shadow had never worked with them before. They were supposed to be a rich family with class and grace. They had a reputation for never causing harm to people under them. They gave money to charities and important research, second only to the Dmitri family. “Businesses.”
“Two hundred.”
That was a lot of men and manpower. After getting details about popularity, size, length, and manpower needed, he totaled the results in his head. “One million two hundred and forty-four thousand.”
“I will pay half and half.”
“Not what I usually do for new customers,” Shadow remarked, “but you do have a reputation. Six hundred twenty-two thousand now, the rest after. However, you fuck up, lives will be paid. I’m not a customer service representative.” Shadow gave Charles Monard the payment information. Once it was paid, Shadow sent out his men to protection the Monard businesses from sabotage. They better understand though. He could be a protector or a destroyer. A good guy or a bad guy.
As long as no one tried to cheat him.
Sierra looked up to the ceiling from her bed. She sat up in her bed, reaching over to her end table for light and grabbed her necklace. After she opened it, the picture of her old self smiled back. What she wouldn't give to have a picture of her parents. Instead, all that remained was the reminder of how she took things for granted.
Hope was useless, she learned that some time ago. War destroyed her country and her family. For years she lived on charity housing and donations, but she grew tired of it. She was in her twenties, too young to bear such a burden, but she had no formal education either.
She sought out a contract to a family name. The Monard.
It was risky and Sierra was no fool. She bided her time for months trying to find the right one to give herself to. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck as a sex slave. The Monards had a reputation for simple needs, depending on the family member who was seeking someone. She had discovered Seth Monard, a simple man in the family line. His duties required of her were more of the wifely duties. Saying things like ‘dear’, and having dinner cooked on the table. He was fond of the fifties kind of wife.
For three months, she had lived in this life now. She placed her necklace back on the end table. Seth Monard was easy to get along with, and she was simply there for show. He was a billionaire of course, and didn’t want others to wonder why he had no one special of his own.
The word slave or maid never even made it past Seth’s lips. He didn’t treat her as an equal, but he didn’t use her in any unprofessional way. Sierra still had her virginity, plus twenty thousand dollars paid to her each month as long as she continued her services. She had a room of her own, and had every right to live as a free individual as she saw fit. As long as she stayed honest and truthful to him. Although he did not care for her in a sexual way, she had to remain a virgin for him. Saying she was his, and then having sex with other men would not shine a positive light on him.
She stayed pure and true to her dear Monard. Life had been so much better since she found him, and she only kept the necklace around to look at for a momento. She used to look at it as the time in her life when she used to be treated like a human being and was loved. Now, it was more of a trinket of a past she would let fade from her mind as time went by.
Her services so far had been excellent, and he had even proposed some open dates to meet the heads of the family soon. If she did well with them, then he would marry her. It would be the same rules as before, yet now with many years of safety attached to it. He would never want to have a divorce on his name. No, not Seth Monard.
She was set. She was happy.
She was a damned fool.
"Here is your lunch, dear." Sierra said as she handed Seth a small bag. "I added fruit as well." She could have sworn she saw him smile a moment.
"Yes, a kind gesture. Thank you." Seth took the bag. "I was hungry yesterday, never had the chance to eat. It's good to have someone like you." He cleared his throat. "I will be back around 8:00 PM tonight. I have reservations at an Italian place for us. I assume you don’t mind Italian?"
The first date would be at a fancy Italian restaurant. “I’ve never eaten at an Italian restaurant,” Sierra admitted, "but I would love to try it with you, dear."
"Of course, and then we shall go see a show.” He took a second glance at her. “Be sure that you understand that this is not a relationship date that guarantees you will become my wife soon, it is to show your existence toward some of the minor members in the Monard family. Do not get the two confused." He straightened his tie. "I am off."
Sierra nodded and closed the door, leaving back to cleaning the house. She was doing the best she could to make Seth happy so he wouldn't break the contract. The first date was in place where he would introduce her to others. He must have seen the giddiness in her eyes, the prospect of a secure marriage glistening back. It probably worried him so he had to point out the obvious. He had no feelings for her, she was show.
She didn’t mind being for show. She spied the cleaning supplies she bought yesterday on the table and went over. With her money she could provide herself a maid to help, but since the contract called for cleaning, she wanted to make sure that she didn’t leave anything to chance. Not yet. Not until marriage and a discussion with him. Then, she could relax every day, enjoy the finer things in life, and simply greet her husband when he came home. Life couldn’t be more perfect. “Oh crap!” Except, she realized the bag of cleaning supplies was Seth's lunch. Grabbing it she headed to his place of business. Maybe she would run into him along the way, knowing that meeting him there would not place him in a good mood.
She ran only a couple of blocks before she saw Seth. He was turning to go into a store. Running toward him, she steadied her voice as she went in the store to see him standing near the register. “Dear. Your lunch,” she said to him as she handed him the bag. “My mistake, what you took are my cleaning supplies.”
“Hell of an idea, I need to remember that.”
Sierra turned and saw who spoke. He wore a suit and
tie, but instead of a white shirt it was red. He was no doubt a part of the underground mafia organization, Renegades, as that was the clothing they wore. Suits in red shirts. Devils in fashion. He was behind the counter, approaching them. She turned away, knowing it was not smart to ever meet someone from the mafia.
“Who is that?” The Renegade member was already curious about her.
“She is mine,” Seth answered. “Sierra is of no concern to you and yours.”
“Then you better get out of here so we can have a man to man talk.”
“I have no control over the payments, it is the family, not I.”
“That’s not true, you can't lie to us.”
“I have no control over it,” Seth argued again.
Sierra should have kept her eyes away. She had been warned many times in her lifetime, yet she had to look. Seth had a weapon pressed to his head that the man had whipped out. No dates. No marriage. No security. Her whole future would be gone if he killed Seth. “Please don’t kill him.”
“Listen to her.” Another voice approached from behind. She heard the steps, loud with a cane. She looked toward the cane as the person approached. It was a long black cane, with a red emblem of a hat on the top of it. Her body froze. The same suit with a red shirt, but carrying the long black cane. It was the one of the top leaders in the area. Everyone knew him. Shadow Wilkins.
His eyes were a deep blue, contrasting from the red emblem on his cane. He radiated authority and everything around him had to obey. Even her body felt a gravitating pull to him. Shadow grabbed a piece of paper from Seth and laid it on the counter. “We protect our clients, we don't keep them from paying bills.” He tipped his hat toward Seth. “Seth Monard. I want to know how my issue is going.” When Seth didn't speak, he turned to look at Sierra. He cracked a smile and winked at her. “Don't be scared, I'd only use a weapon if I decided to take you away with me.” He chuckled softly as her eyes grew wide. “Not too bad on the eyes, are you?”
“Sierra Jenkins.” Seth said her first and last name. He did not do that unless he was displeased with her. Sierra looked as far away as possible, practically turning around. Shadow had grown interested in her, and Seth was not kidding around. “I will see what I can do to get it to you, but it might take more time,” Seth said to him.
“You can’t, don't give me that,” Shadow said to him, still not happy. “Don't expect me to just go away, Renegade doesn’t disappear, we make people disappear.” A beep was heard, and Sierra heard feet running away.
“Turn,” Seth said. She turned back around and looked at him. “Thank you for the food, but next time, do not get involved in my business.” He adjusted his tie. “Understand?”
“I didn't want him to hurt you,” Sierra said. That muscle bound thug had a gun to his head. Those in the mafia, they took what they wanted, and hurt what was denied to them. These weren't beings that would play nicely. Yet, if Seth did not want her to interrupt, she would have to abide to his rule.
“Why didn’t you let me take him, Shadow?” his man asked.
Shadow didn’t remember his name right away. Donny, maybe? Shadow wasn’t sure and he didn’t want to belittle him. “He’s got three hours left before time is up. Keep protection upon this little store until then.”
“Okay but it’s practically time, boss.”
“Three hours is three hours.” Shadow didn’t want to deal with it at the moment anyhow. He’d just finished speaking with his father about his eldest brother Raine’s divorce and hidden abortion his wife had performed. The rumor was true. While some would understand a sense of mourning should be issued, his dad wasn’t like others. Hell, he’d kill his own son if he betrayed him. Shadow scooted toward a corner and dialed his own phone. They weren’t a close knit family, but anything affecting Raine was going to affect him. “Raine.” His brother answered the phone, knowing better than to ignore it. However, getting him to speak wouldn’t be good. “Sorry to hear it.” Still no words. Shadow had shown a sympathetic ear, but things needed to be done. “You know what happened next.”
“Fuck you.”
“It had to be done.” It wasn’t Shadow, but no one just offed the next generation of Wilkins and got away with it.
“You’ll get yours.”
“You are a real asshole.” Shadow wanted to say it was his job, but those words would be too cruel considering he just lost his wife and unborn kid. “Any . . . pointers?”
“Yeah, don’t start trusting the bitch. They’ll just rip your heart out,” he said before he hung up.
Yeah. Wilkins weren’t born for love. Shadow didn’t know one relationship in his family that made it. Hell, his own mom didn’t make it long. She tried to get him out when he was just a kid. Hardly remembered her, so it wasn’t a big deal. She just didn’t understand the family business was actually run by family.
Shit. Shadow had planned on buying the baby a rattle and ended the extent to that obligation. He collected money from business, dealt with those who didn’t pay, and even dirtied his own hands when he needed to. Since Wilkins failed though, it wasn’t enough. Shadow had four brothers. Raine, Summer, and Skye. None of them had family so the slack fell to him.
He sat, thumbing his fingers. His father made it clear, there wasn’t a choice. Since Raine tried and didn’t succeed, the rest of the brothers had to, and he was up first. He had to have an heir to the business, preferably more than one. He rubbed his mouth, thinking. Raine had picked a girl he had known from a bar and had a small thing for. He kept the family business hidden from her for some time but as soon as she knew what was happening, she took action.
Shadow didn’t want to fuck up like that. Innocent life lost, an heir lost, his father’s respect lost, and shame for not living up to his obligation. He thought back to Seth Monard’s possession, Sierra. A girl under a contract who understood what the responsibility would entail. Someone to deal with a short time, have the kid, and who’d leave peacefully without any trouble.
His dad wasn’t someone to take lightly though. It would take a month to get a contract even started for the ‘good girl’ type and his dad gave him one week. Damn.
Damn.
Sierra looked around cautiously. The restaurant was lovely and the seating was outside in the moonlight. There were rolls and butter that came before the meal, something she was not accustomed to. Before she could dig into them though, she did her best to make the absolute perfect impression. It had only been a quick meet and great with a few family names. They feigned some surprise, wondering why Seth had not told them that he would be bringing someone special there. They had eaten there often, and Seth had planned for the chance encounter.
She greeted them, shook their hands, and tried to be as darling as possible. Once they left, it was time to order, but the stress didn’t end there. She thought back to earlier that day, with the gun against Seth’s head. Unless Shadow had come in, he would have been dead and her content life would be gone.
"Sierra."
Sierra turned her attention back to him. "Yes, dear?"
"Are you going to order?"
Sierra ducked her head into her menu quickly. She had been preoccupied by what happened that day that she had failed to notice the waiter was waiting for her order. "A number…umm..." She pointed to a picture, handed the menu to the waiter and sipped on her drink.
"What is wrong with you?" Seth frowned. "You're a million miles away tonight. Do you even care you met the family today?"
"I do, dear." Sierra smiled, hiding the fact that she was troubled. Seth hadn't even cared about the weapon on him. He was fine the entire time around the mafia members. She had heard enough of their reputation that no one should have been as casual as him. "I was just thinking how nice this place is. I've never eaten such elegant food."
"Hn." Seth sighed. "This is nothing." He gave her a second glance. "Are you sure that is all? You have not been following me around, have you?"
"No," Sierra said not wanting to upset him. "I would
never jeopardize anything, it would not be worth it."
"Truly," Seth admitted. "Please remember that." Sierra stopped stirring her drink as she watched the waiter come back. Seth ordered for them, but their time was suddenly disturbed.
Shadow grabbed a seat from another eating area nearby and twirled it around toward Sierra and Seth. How had he even got that close without making a sound? He sat in down in the chair but shoved his feet on the table defiantly. “Seth.”
“I am out with Sierra,” Seth began, “and you should not be here.”
“I shouldn’t?” Shadow looked toward Sierra. Knowing better she looked away. “Seth, six and twenty-two. I’m not fucking around anymore, your time is up. Give me my money, or name someone else to do it.”
“I can’t do that,” he admitted. “I was chosen, and I will commit soon, but I am working on it.” Seth grabbed a napkin to rub his lips. “I know the importance to you, but I have more important work than just this small problem too.” Just then, Sierra saw several red lights shined on Seth’s forehead.
“Then I suggest you get my 'small problem' figured out because you are going to die in thirty seconds. No one gets more than forty-eight hours,” Shadow reminded him. He took his legs off of the table and flung the chair back. He pressed his hands on the table in front of Seth. “It’s been forty-seven hours and fifty-nine minutes. Don't fuck around with me! Your family owes that money. You’d be dead already if you weren’t a Monard. You’ve got a minute to get me it. Sierra.”
He remembered her name? Seth only spilled her name once. He was threatening a life and he took two seconds to mention her name? The surprise caused her to turn her head to see him for a moment.
His gaze was on her. Back to back. She couldn’t look away.
“A night with my Sierra.”
Sierra looked back at Seth. What did he just say to Shadow?
“A night with your beloved?” Shadow said as he kept his eyes on Sierra. “I thought the Monard’s didn’t use their contract slaves like that.”
Mafia Billionaire's Baby: A Night in Shadow, Part 1 (Mafia Billionaire Shadow Series) Page 1
